Mom. Needs. Sleep.

Dear Little Boys,

Why won't you sleep?  I know I'm a lot of fun to play with, I give excellent hugs, I'm a great snuggler, and I'm the one with the bottle.  But, Mom needs sleep.  You need sleep.  So, please, please, please sleep like the good Little Boys that you are.  I promise you won't miss anything while you sleep; all your toys will still be here in the morning.

Love,
Mom

__________________________

I wish it was that easy.  To just tell them to sleep.  I'm constantly questioning what I've done in the past, what I'm doing now, what I should do differently.  I try different techniques, but just when I think I have it figured it out they switch it up on me.

I've tried an earlier bedtime, a later bedtime, one long nap, two shorter naps, rocking them to sleep only for them to wake as soon as I put them in their crib.  I've let them cry it out, but this just makes me feel like an awful parent and we all end up in tears. 

I'm sure I didn't do things right in the beginning.  If they made a peep I was there by their side trying to get them back to sleep because two crying babies is harder to get back to sleep then one at a time.  Sometimes one wakes the other and other times one can sleep right through the other one's screams.  I've tried playing soft music while they drift off to sleep.  I feel like I've tried it all.  I'm sure teething isn't helping the situation either. 

This weekend they are staying the night at Mimi and Grand's.  I hope that with me out of the picture they will do a better job at soothing themselves and getting back to sleep on their own.  Maybe if they don't sense my presence they will sleep tight for an eight hour stretch.  Fingers crossed!

If you have any suggestions for sleep strategies I haven't tried, I'm all ears.

Wordless Wednesday - Dinner

Teething, Tumbles and Tears

Now that the Boys have mastered pulling up on everything, each day they get a little braver.  Jackson holds on to the couch with one hand and Brooks is stepping between two chairs in the kitchen.  But with all this bravery comes tumbles, falls, bumps and tears.  And today has been no exception, between teething and falling it's been a tough day. 

But after their baths they were all smiles and I was able to capture them playing together. 

A few updates on the Boys:

Jackson should get his helmet later this week or next week.  He will then have a 10 day break in period which will transition him into wearing it 23 hours a day.  He has to wear it 2-3 months; I'm hoping it's off by his 1st birthday.  I'll post pictures of him in his new hat in a couple of days.

We found out a couple of weeks ago that Brooks is tongue tied.  This explains why he had trouble nursing, drinking from a bottle early on and now from a sippy cup.  His surgery is scheduled for August 26.  

The Boys and I are super ready for Fall.  All this heat has us trapped indoors and we are in need of some fresh air.  I just keep telling myself that in about another month we can get outside and resume our walks. 

Teething Time

The Boys are teething, which means fussy babies, sleepless nights and a lot of drooling. But today Clay discovered Jackson's first tooth. Now it's Brooks turn to get one.

Jarred Baby Food

Up until this past week, the Boys have only consumed pureed fruits and veggies that I have made. In other words, no jarred baby food.

But when I was at the store the other day I checked out the baby food aisle to see if there were any fruits and veggies that I've been missing. That's when I spotted Pasta Primavera, Lasagna, Turkey, Rice and Vegetables, etc.

So, I picked up a couple of jars to give to the Boys and...

Oh My Goodness. 
They love it!

They can't eat it fast enough. They want more and more of it.

This goes against everything I've tried to prevent them from consuming like "ascorbic acid". Really, that can't be all that great for them. But, then I realized how many children eat jarred baby food (me and Trent included) and we turned out alright (kind of).

I will give into their love of purred lasagna once a day. I eat a cookie once a day, so why shouldn't they get the same treat!

Fourth of July Weekend

We had a great Fourth of July weekend, which was spent with family, friends and food!

Robin, Brad and his three girls drove from Columbia, Missouri to visit.  While they were here, the swimming pool and diving board got a workout.  There were a lot of raft races, flips and dives.  The Girls were such a big help with the Boys; they took turns feeding them and bathing them.  We had big fun!

Debbie, Roger, Jamie and Mitchell took time out of their busy weekend to join us for dinner.  It was great to see them and hear all about Aunt Debbie's goats and chickens; we can't wait to take the Boys for a visit when they get a little older.

On Monday, July 4th, we participated in our neighborhood parade.  The Girls made signs and we all walked the parade route. It was fun and HOT. We were treated to watermelon in the park afterwards. 

Here are the Boys in the parade!

Hey Mom, we are HOT!

Here are the Boys and Girls on the last day of their visit.

Riley, Jackson, Lauren, Brooks and Payton

A Star in the Family

My cousin, Kelly, has made several commercials and this one is currently running here in Oklahoma City.  Check her out.

Crawling, Crawling and More Crawling

My little guys are on the move!

Jackson started crawling over a week ago and Brooks started a few days ago.

Jackson has it mastered. He crawls and pulls up everywhere without too much hesitation. It took him a few days to get used to the wood floors, but now they don't slow him down.

Brooks doesn't crawl with as much confidence, but I know that in a matter of days he will have it mastered. When he hits the wood floors he pulls his knees up and crawls on his toes; it's pretty cute.

Speaking of toes, they are keeping me on mine now!

On the move

8 Months Old

The Boys turned 8 months old yesterday.  Here's a little bit about each of them at the moment.

Jackson
17 lbs
He crawls, pulls up, stands, no teeth.  He tolerates solid food.  You can just look at him and he smiles.  He wakes up giggling and is so happy to see you.  He makes really sweet sounds, bats his eyes, but has an extra loud cry.  He loves to swim.  He wakes up two to three times a night. 

Brooks
19.5 lbs
He pulls up, stands, no teeth yet.  He will eat anything you put in front of him.  He started crawling this morning! He has a great belly laugh.  He loves to swim.  He wakes up once or twice a night.  He recently got tubes in his ears and has outgrown his fussy tummy.  Such a happier baby now.

What we are working on...
Waving and Clapping

My biggest struggle right now...
Getting the Boys to go to sleep without a fight.
Getting the Boys to sleep through the night.
Leaving the room without Brooks crying (separation anxiety...already).

What they are eating (gumming/gnawing) besides pured baby food...
Diced steamed carrots
Peas
Cheerios
Bread
Raw apple slices

Eight months ago, my life forever changed.

I couldn't imagine my life without these little guys.

Wordless Wednesday - Jackson Giggles