Wordless Wednesday

We are just like our Daddy

I LOVE the little expressions and poses that the boys do everyday. My all time favorite has to be when they first stretch in the morning but yesterday Coleman topped the list of my all time favorites when he mirrored his Daddy's pose on the bed. We had just finished our morning feed and were burping them and hanging out before getting ready to start our day. How precious are those little feet?

Sweet Boys

I am a little biased of course but I think that we just have the sweetest boys. They hardly ever fuss, unless they are hungry, and I could take pictures of their cute expressions and movements all day long!! We had a fun weekend with our Daddy and it was finally a weekend that we didn't have a lot planned which was nice. Saturday was GORGEOUS outside, so we took the boys on some field trips (aka errands) and on a walk. Carter had so much fun that he was tuckered out by Saturday afternoon...

The boys are doing awesome on their schedule and the wake time is really starting to pay off. Last night Coleman slept from 11:30-7am. Carter woke up around 4:15am, ate a little bit, and went back to sleep until 7am. Since he only took a small amount at the 4am feeding it shows that he is not waking up because he is starvin' Marvin' and is still doing it out of habit. Hopefully he will start skipping that feeding soon! They were bright eyed and bushy tailed after their first feeding this morning and went down for their naps after having some play time. I am SO proud of our boys and the big boy progress that they seem to be making. They sure know how to make a momma's heart smile!!

Our Very Own Themepark

As I've mentioned before, I am using the Babywise schedule system for our munchkins and I think it is really helping them to sleep for long stretches of time at night. It basically consists of a three hour schedule (except at night) that revolves around the babes eating, having waketime, and then napping. The waketime is so important because it helps the boys to nap until the next feeding and to understand the difference between day and night when they are not getting the waketime after their nighttime feedings.

Everything that I have read says that it is easier to have "stations" for twins during their waketime so that they do not get bored with one thing and you are stimulating them in more than one way. So here is what our typical waketime activity zone looks like...the boys seem to enjoy it!

Cute hiney

I love monogram stuff on babes, so when I saw these diaper covers I knew the boys just had to have them. They are still a little big on them but oh so cute!

Strong Necks!

Coleman and Carter have only recently shown any interest in "tummy time". They did not like to be put on their tummies and would become fussy after only a few seconds when you would put them on their tummies, so I had been modifying our tummy time by laying them on my chest and letting them use their necks to pick their head up and look around. Jared and I began to notice how strong their necks were getting and how much longer they were able to hold their heads up without having them come crashing down onto our chests, so today I decided to break out the tummy time mat again to see how we felt about it. Coleman was still sleepy from his feeding, so he decided to nap on the tummy time mat, but Carter was ALL about it! It is amazing to watch how high he can pick his head up and hold it for several minutes and continue to do it over and over. Such a proud momma!

Big Boy Crib!!

For the past two months, Jared and I have had the boys sleeping in a pack n' play next to our bed. This made things a lot easier as I got up and down all night long to replace pacifiers, cuddle a baby, and to make sure that they were sleeping peacefully. They are currently sleeping with a 6 hour stretch at night when they first go down, followed by a 4-5 hour stretch. This is an ideal night, not necessarily most nights. I am using the Baby Wise schedule approach (you have to have a schedule with twins or you would go crazy!), and so far it seems to be working well. The next step in Baby Wise is for us to establish a "wake time" that is the same time everyday. This helps the boys continue to regulate their metabolisms and to start setting their internal clocks. Jared and I decided to start their wake times this morning and figured that we may as well go ahead and start them in their cribs so we don't have to fight that battle too when we want to move them to their room. The boys did GREAT and shared a crib (they still love to have each other close) and we slept in the guest room across from them with the video monitor in hand. It was a bittersweet moment as a mom to see our two little guys take such a big step...I can't believe that they are getting so big! I'm sure we will be staying in the guest room for a few months as they begin to hopefully start sleeping through the night but it is something that we are more than happy to do as these sweet boys continue to grow!! I took this picture with my cell phone (of course I took several with my camera also but haven't downloaded them yet), so forgive the quality of the picture.

Double Time

One question that I seem to get asked a lot is if the boys are on the same schedule. YES, they definitely are and we help them to stay that way by waking one up when the other wakes up, feeding them at the same time, etc. The biggest challenge I faced once my Mom went back home was having to feed the boys at the same time. It sounds simple...you could just stick them in bouncers, put them on a pillow, etc. but eventhough the boys are on the same schedule they do not necessarily like to eat at the same time or have the same eating styles. I was thrilled on Friday when I put them in their Boppy's and they actually fit!! This has helped me tremendously with feeding them both. It is still a challenge but at least it's getting easier day by day.



We still LOVE our bouncy seats though after our feedings and for hanging out.

Busy Weekend!!

This weekend was definitely a busy one for us! We had a lot of fun things planned and the boys were troopers as we moved them from one thing to the next.

Friday we went and met Kara and Monte at the courthouse so they could make their marriage official from their destination wedding to Turks and Caicos. Afterwards we took the boys to the mall to do some walking and Coleman decided that he wanted to be stylin' in his Daddy's sunglasses...



On Saturday we met Monte and Kara for breakfast after she finished her road race and decided to put on our big boy outfits!


Saturday night we headed up to our neighbor's house for a yummy cookout...can't wait for their baby girl to be born in July so we have another playmate!


Sunday the boys headed to their first official party! Kara hosted a wedding shower for Nicole and Todd's upcoming wedding and Coleman and Carter were invited to celebrate with the bride and groom to be. The boys had a great time being held and loved on by some of our amazing friends. These boys are definitely loved!! :o)






The bride and groom to be...


We were definitely tuckered out at the end of such a fun weekend!!!

Out and About

I made a promise to myself that I would get myself and the boys out of the house at least once a day. Whether that be a walk, an errand, or just a drive around the block depends on the day, but just getting us out of the house (and used to our carseats!) I think is key in keeping us all happy and full of fresh air. :o)

Today the boys and I headed to the mall to get a gift for a friend's wedding shower, to the car wash, and then to the guitar store for some new strings for Jared. Needless to say the boys were tuckered out after their little errands and acted as if they could've slept for hours, but I had to wake them up to eat in order for us to stay on our schedule and not be up all night. Here is a picture of our sweet sleepy boys! Tomorrow we are heading to the courthouse for one of my best friends in NC that was married in Turks and Caicos a month ago and has to make it legal in the states. I know they'll be great witnesses along with Jared and I...not sure if they'll be able to sign their name to the papers for them though....

Two Month Doctor's Visit

Yesterday Coleman and Carter had their two month well visit and were scheduled for shots. After much deliberation I decided to follow my gut and have the boys follow an alternative immunization schedule. I just wasn't comfortable overloading their tiny little systems with so much medicine since they are still so small. I may have felt differently had they been full term but I felt this was the best for us. So, instead of the four shots they were scheduled for the boys received just one shot and one oral medication. They will go back next month for two more shots and will basically go monthly instead of bimonthly.

Carter and Coleman both did GREAT with their shot! They both had a little bit of a cry for a few seconds and then it was all over with. They also had a pretty good night, which is not what I was expecting, so I was pleased with my little troopers.

Carter is now the chunkamunk weighing in at 9.75lbs and 21.25 inches long while Coleman is 9.3lbs and 20.75 inches long. I can't believe that they gained 3 pounds in a month!! We've definitely got some good eaters on our hands. :o)

Mr. Mom

It goes without saying that I have the sweetest husband in the whole world! He does so much for the boys and I without asking and always has a way of making me laugh or smile (even when I am trying hard not to sometimes!). Tonight Coleman was being a bit fussy and I couldn't help but laugh when I walked into our den and saw this...he is quite the multi-tasker and Coleman couldn't have been happier being up against his Daddy. :o)

School Days

Today I took the boys up to school to visit my class and the great people that I work with. I had SO much fun seeing all of my kiddos and everyone and loved all of their hilarious questions and comments about the babies. It was funny to see how small the kids were after having not been around them for a few months and it really made me miss them even more. The boys were great and got a lot of love and holding time from my sweet co-workers and even managed to have a diaper change in our assistant principal's office...I'm sure that's not something she has done in there everyday! ;o) I promised the class that I would come back up and see them before they are big third graders, so hopefully next time I'll remember to bring my camera so I can share some pictures with you!

Road Trip!!!

Jared had to go to Asheville and Greenville for work this week, and with our Nana gone it would've been my first few days (and nights!) with the boys by myself. We decided to on a road trip with our Daddy for a little adventure and because we knew that we would miss him so much while he was away. We spent most of our time in the hotel room(s) and did a GREAT job riding in the car and adjusting to different places. We look forward to the many road trips to come!
Here we are arriving at the hotel


We were right at home in our pack n play and holding hands


This is all of the stuff we needed for just two nights!

Carter hanging out in the hotel

Coleman hanging out

We Will Miss Our Nana!

Our Nana, aka my Mom, has been with us for most of the time since the boys were born. She has been a HUGE help with the boys and with the house by making sure our laundry was done, we were fed, and bottles were ready. I know we are all going to miss her and her help! There is nothing like having your Mom help you be a Mom ;o) We wish that she lived closer but can't wait to visit her soon!