Four Months Old

Four months have come and gone and I can honestly say every single day gets better and better. The babies are awake and more importantly happy to be awake more, beginning to laugh, play with a few toys and still continue to be the best snugglers and chilled out (most of the time) babies we could have ever asked for. The witching hour is still a thing, especially for our sweet little Low but we get through it with lots of hugs, kisses, walking and rocking. Here are my top 5 takeaways for month four!

When was the last time you had a snot cry fest?

The babies are officially out of our room and taking all naps and night time sleep in their nursery. I had a much more difficult time with this than I thought I would. I mean, don't get me wrong I knew I would be upset, sad and worry about them all night so far away from me (just upstairs, not down the street or anything come on Claire get it together). However, I was not prepared for how strong those emotions actually would be until we finally did it. I kept putting it off, coming up with excuse after excuse (which were all extremely valid in my mind)....

• I didn't want them sleeping in their room until it was finished being decorated. Since we didn't know genders I waited to finish decorating when they arrived and then of course that took almost 4 months to get accomplished.
• I wanted it to be on a night where the big kids didn't have school the next morning to make sure the new change in routine didn't disrupt our morning routine to get ready and out the door in a "timely" manner.
• I wanted it to be on a night where Matt didn't work the next morning so he would be able to see them first thing in the morning after their first big night. 
• I wanted to be home all evening the first night they were going to sleep in their room so I and they (like they have any idea) didn't feel rushed for this huge change. 
• I wanted their crib sheets to be freshly cleaned because I love clean sheets so much I'm sure they do too. 
• I wanted it on a bath night so they went to bed smelling and feeling great. 
• And I'm sure I threw out a few other excuses that I have since forgot but were equally as valid and important.

Finally, one night I was fresh out of excuses, every single thing on my check list was marked and it was time to make the move upstairs. They had been napping in their crib for quite some time before this, so initially putting them down wasn't all that bad. I was pretty pumped and thought I was going to get through the entire process tear free! And I did, until I went to bed. For the past 4 months we had to walk around like stealthily ninjas in our pitch black bedroom trying to find pajamas, the phone chord, closing the bathroom door without making a sound, getting ready for bed as quietly as possible and sliding under the covers without making a squeak. I was able to turn on the lights, TV, brush my teeth with the door open, see all of the possibilities of pajamas in the drawer, plug my phone in without a hassle and even jump in bed if I wanted to. However, that is when it hit me. The last time I was able to do any of that stuff in my bedroom was before they were officially here. I was super duper pregnant the last time I was able to go to bed without having to be so incredibly quiet. I became completely overwhelmed thinking how empty our room felt without them in there, how I had not been alone going to bed since before they arrived and how being pregnant with them seemed like years ago. All of my emotions came full speed at this point and there was no stopping. I sat and stared at the monitor, began a snot cry fest and willed myself to not go up and grab them and bring them back downstairs. Luckily, I had been texting with one of my best friends from college earlier in the evening and knew if I told her how much of a mess I was she would be able to reel me back in. Below are screenshots of a portion of our conversation and I can't thank her enough for being there for my snotty, teary eyed self. I pushed through and they stayed asleep in their cribs all night long until 7:30 the next morning. I did it. They did it. We did it. And we are not looking back, unless of course for those middle of the night must have snuggle sessions when they have a cold or fingers crossed we don't hit a sleep regression. But regardless, we made the transition and the twins have proven yet again to be absolute champs and that their mom needs to toughen up. 

Sleep is such a glorious thing, just ask my friend Merlin!

Can I get a high five for swaddles? I mean they make our sweet little babes oh so snuggly, cozy and warm in those first few months of transitioning from being in the womb to sleeping in a rocker, bassinet or some other super cool arrangement I haven't heard about. But what about when their arms begin to escape out, they resist being wrapped up or just are plain outgrowing those bad boys but aren't quite ready to be set free with just their pajamas in their crib? When Rhett was in this phase he was having a difficult time staying asleep because he would wake himself up because he would have the sleep startles, was cold in just his pajamas or would knock his pacifier away. I was told about this magical and yes it is magic not only because it's in its name but because it has worked wonders for us. The Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit was an absolute blessing when it came to helping our littles fall asleep and more importantly stay asleep. A friend from college (a different one than the one in number 5) told us about this sleepsuit that she used with her daughter and how magical it was. We of course went right to Google because we were just about willing to try anything to get Rhett to sleep and ordered one right away. Once it arrived and after the first initial laughter and talk about how much it reminded us of Randy from The Christmas Story...remember the part where he is bundled up to the point where he can't even put his arms down? Yeah, that is pretty much what Rhett and now what the twins look like when they wear it. BUT, with all of that aside it works people. Not only does it help with the sleep startles waking the babies up, but it keeps them warm without any risk of SIDS and still allows them to move a little, get their hands to their mouth and wiggle their toes out in the open. They recommend not putting the babies in heavy pajamas because the suit provides enough warmth and with Rhett we had him sleep in short sleeved onesies because he is just a super sweaty kid, but with the twins they are able to sleep in their normal pajamas inside the suit and are perfectly comfortable all night long. They are able to stay in the sleep suit until they are consistently rolling over on their tummy's while they sleep. The suit is meant for back sleeping only and is not to be used when they transition to sleeping on their tummy. We are hoping to have many, many more sleep filled nights thanks to our dear friend Magical Merlin.

Our abs are getting a workout!

The giggles have begun and we just can't get enough. The babies laugh when they are tickled, watching Rhett or Hattie be goofy and even just listening to a story or us talk in general. What I love about this early laughing stage is that you never know when you're actually going to get a laugh. Laughing is so new to them that the same thing doesn't always make them laugh and we could be trying for a few minutes and get a blank stare or within a second one or both of the babies let out the sweetest little giggle when we least suspected it. It is actually a fun game to not know when they will laugh because it always makes us laugh. The quote "laughter is contagious" has never been a truer statement when you are around two little babies learning to laugh. I can't help but get excited for the times they are really belly laughing in the near future. I have a feeling our house will be filled with a lot of goofiness, laughter and full blown tickle sessions. Who needs to workout when you have four kids who make your abs feel the burn on a daily basis? 

Feisty & Oh So Chilled

One of the fun things I have noticed about having twins is not necessarily comparing the two in a competitive way but noticing similarities and differences just as you would any two babies of the same age. I absolutely love how patient Ryne already is with his little (2 minutes younger) sister and how feisty Harlow has become. She has entered the phase of wanting to be held as much as she possibly can and Ryne has no problem chilling out on his own with some toys, in the Bumbo, in the Boppy or really wherever he is placed. If someone comes near him to talk and play he lights up and smiles and laughs and then can go right back to entertaining himself. Harlow on the other hand can play for a little while and then immediately rolls herself over, pops right up, looks around, occasionally spits up and then gets irritated. She wants to be held to see what is going on around, whether she sits in your lap, gets in the baby carrier or walks around with you...she just wants to be with you. I try my best to make sure even though Ryne is apparently relaxed and doesn't need me as much this month as Harlow does, I pick him up to get snuggles just for myself and I have no doubt he benefits from them as well.

Witching Hour 

(revisited) 

I have already talked about this lovely time of day in a previous monthly post, however it has changed a bit since then. Earlier during this fussy time of day the babies would give in and crash for a nap fairly easy and stay asleep for an evening nap to push through. Now, they seem to be wanting to fight going to sleep for an evening nap even though it is oh so obvious they still need it. They are yawning, rubbing their eyes, are awake for 2 plus hours (2 hours is the tops they are awake in a row at this point and happy about it), irritable and more. Up until this point they would fuss a bit but fall asleep in their rocker or swing if it was turned on and moving with their pacifier in place. Now, they continue to cry and fuss in the rocker or swing and want nothing to do with the pacifier. Working out these changes in routine comes with a bit of stress and confusion, not gonna lie. Once this change began we worked through it a few different ways and are finding that they are able to get through this time by falling asleep on one of us. We of course are not hating that this is happening because since they were born we didn't get a chance to just let them sleep on us all that often. We constantly have something that needs to be done or our older two children would like some attention too. Usually when the babies are ready to sleep, we put them down in their crib even if it is a quick nap and are available for other things. Having this change in the evening has thrown a tiny wrench into our routine. But just like anything else, it will pass and we will be on to the next phase soon. Until then, I am going to enjoy these fussy sleep snuggles because they will not last and I will wish for them again someday. 

Four months old has brought some exciting new changes and challenges and we have loved the ride. We look forward to the fun ahead in month 5! Below are Harlow and Ryne's 4 month old milestone pictures....until next time-enjoy!

These Apps Make Me H-APP-Y

Having four children under the age of five calls for a life of constant pre-planning, to-do lists, organization, saving money, saving time, working smarter not harder, millions of photos, time passing by so quickly you barely remember what happened in the morning by lunch time and trying to have a bit of fun along the way. These apps are just a few of the tools I use to help combat memory loss that comes with being a mother, time flying by faster than necessary and so much more. 

In no particular order...

My Medela App

This app has been a life saver when it comes to remembering how many ounces of milk each baby ate, how many wet and dirty diapers each baby has had and it can do so much more than that! If you're a breast feeding mom you can record the amount of time on each breast, you can record pumping sessions, how much sleep your baby has and their height and weight! It also has areas where you can read articles and connect with other moms. There are several apps out there that can monitor these things for your baby, but why did I choose this one? Well, besides the fact that it was FREE I liked that I was able to add two babies and it is SO easy to toggle back and forth between the two and my favorite part is the option to see their "stats" for the day/week/month. This is extremely helpful in seeing how many ounces each baby is getting every day and throughout the entire week, as well as being able to see the total number of diapers as well. When you go to the pediatrician they always ask these questions and I remember with my first baby I was not prepared to answer them. I was completely caught off guard. Had I known that I needed to record all of these things, this app would have come in so darn handy. *Bonus, Matt has it on his phone and we are logged in to the same account so he has access to record feedings and diapers as well and it updates on both of our phones. 

Walmart Grocery

I despise doing things that take up my precious time with my family or even just that crucial Saturday morning couch laying. Going to the grocery store once a week or so used to be something we would dread. Packing everyone up, driving there, spending time searching all over the store, buying way more than we actually needed, checking out and realizing when you get home that you forgot at least three things, putting everything away and then realizing it's past lunch time and you need to get stuff back out and start cooking something and you feel like you don't have anything to cook. Yup, I was there and sometimes I still feel a bit like that, however having online grocery ordering and pick up is a GAME CHANGER. Throughout the week both my husband and I can add needed items to our grocery cart as the week goes along using this app. When we are pre-planning our meals for the next week, we can just look at the ingredients and type them in and add them to our cart to assure we won't forget an item. Other than obvious time saving aspect of this app one thing that it has helped me do is try out cooking new recipes. Before online ordering I would want to try new recipes but would have the hardest time finding specific ingredients that I don't normally purchase in the store. I would then give up because it would take me forever to find the ingredient and I was already spending way too much of my time at the store that I would end up not getting it and just stick to the same recipes week in and week out with an occasional new one here and there. Using this app has helped us budget our grocery bill, I can see my total going up as I click away and then reevaluate before hitting submit and usually take a few things off to get the price back down to where I want it to be. Other than the ease of shopping on my phone, I absolutely love the  less than 5 minutes it takes for me to drive to the store, sit in my car, have the worker load the back of my sweet mom van with our groceries, head home, put it away all in under 20 minutes. Thank you to whoever had this brilliant idea and to the workers who are going all over the store to retrieve my order while I get in some extra laughs with my little's at home. 

Built in Calendar App

This might seem like something silly to post about, but honestly it helps my husband and I keep on the same page about appointments, reminders, meetings, special events and more. Anytime we have something that the other needs or should know about we always add it to our calendar on our phone and invite the other one so it shows up on their calendar. This is crucial when we are planning things and just knowing where the other one will be on certain days. Matt is a principal of a very large school and has a lot of meetings, evening activities, dinners, training sessions and more that if any of those will interfere with normal family time, I like to have them on my calendar so I know for meal planning purposes, as well as just knowing what days I might be flying solo a bit longer than other days. I also add certain things to his calendar that he just might want to be aware of and/or I need him to attend. We love our calendars and if we ever forget to add something on the calendar it totally throws us off, but we survive and roll with it because that's how life having a such a big family works. 

Built in Notes App

This one, oh this one is just for me. It is a life saver in helping my "mom brain" remember things like Christmas ideas, projects that need completed around the house, blog ideas, baby milestones, miscellaneous errand lists, just to name a few. I was finding myself coming up with good ideas for so many different things and then finding that even just a few minutes later completely forgetting what it was. Once I began typing these ideas into my notes app I was so much happier. I have ongoing lists that help me remember things I need to get done the next day, presents I am on the lookout for good deals to order and blog entries I want to write about when I find the time. Another thing I find helpful with the notes app is using the voice text option on the keyboard on your phone to just voice the things I want to type in there to speed up the process. Remember, I am a mom to four children under five so I don't have a lot of time to just sit and type up ideas on my phone. I have to get the idea out and on the app fast before I either forget it or don't have time to write it down. I have even typed out a few almost full blog posts in the app by using the voice text option. Time and memory saver!

Pampers Points App

So maybe some of you Mom and Dad's out there can help a girl out and tell me a few of the things you've cashed your Pamper's Points in to get. I have been stock piling my points since the very first point I entered and have yet to cash them in. I think way back in the day (five years ago roughly) I thought I would be able to cash these bad boys in for a Bahama cruise or something because they felt so precious and every time I hit a new point total I didn't find a prize worthy enough to cash my points in. In fact, I stopped entering my points for almost a year because I didn't have the time to sit down on my computer and type in the crazy letter/number combinations found on the diapers. Once I found out about this app where you can just scan the sticker/number into the app and it automatically enters your points in I was back. When I first logged on I saw that all of my points had expired and I felt like I had something stolen from me, for some reason I was actually sad about this. Maybe it was because I was stock piling these bad boys for so long and never got to reap the reward of doing so. I like to proclaim myself as the queen of online customer chatting, I do this all of the time and usually end up with some type of coupon code, free shipping or great advice on other saving tips. Anyway. I went right away to customer service and after chatting for just a couple of minutes he reissued all of my previous points! So, here I am just racking them up yet again and no plans on cashing them in until I get that trip to the Bahama's that I apparently think I deserve for buying diapers?

Disney Magic Timer Toothbrush App

Bedtime...oh man can that be a challenge some days. However, ever since we started using the Disney Magic Timer Toothbrush App I have had way easier bedtime routines than those crying, fighting and trying everything in the book to stay up later nights. The basis of the app is your child gets to pick a character, brush their teeth with that character for 1-2 minutes (you choose how long in the settings), receive a sticker or two to go in a digital sticker scrapbook for each character and they can see a calendar of how many days and times they've brushed. A few tips I have found to help, have different characters for each of your children BUT also have one character account set up called "TEAM" or something like that. This was important for us on those nights where bedtime got away from you and you need them to brush and be done quickly and/or the mornings we are running late and need to get going. The "TEAM" one comes in handy to have both kids brush at the same time and gives us the opportunity to talk about teamwork. When you have more time, I have them use their own accounts. I also do not let them change their character every time we brush because that takes up more time. I like to think it helps build excitement for when I do allow them to change the character, it makes it a bit more special. A bonus that I did not anticipate when beginning this app was how excited they would be for each other to earn stickers and see what characters they would pick. It's like brushing teeth has become a night time/morning routine pick me up rather than a chore. We dance, sing and have silly moves for each of the characters and are fighting cavities in the process! 

1 Second Everyday

I. LOVE. THIS. APP. A few quick things to know about this app, it takes 1 second of video from each day and can compile it anyway you want to a larger video (I choose to make a video at the end of each month and plan to see the video of the entire year come January), you can add videos from your camera roll so it's not something you have to actually do every day to make it work, you can crop the portion of the video you want to save, you can share it on social media, you can add videos from other days if you don't actually have a video from that day, it sends you reminders to take a video if you haven't yet that day and you can add photos as well. What I love about this is that it helps me remember a little bit of every single day for the past month. When I watch the videos compiled together I gain back time that I feel is slipping away ever so quickly. This video allows you to remember those precious moments of everyday life that we tend to forget and it puts it together in a short video format so you are not spending a lot of time scrolling through your camera roll to look back. It is not a free app, but it is worth every single penny I spent to have a bit of my favorite life moments saved all together.

Google Drawings

(not an App on phone, but on Google Drive)

I first got into all things Google when my school corporation became a Google Corporation. I was using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher for my computing needs. At first, we weren't exactly sure what all the fuss was about but  man do we love it now. Having all of my documents securely saved and I can access them on any computer, phone or iPad is more than just convenient. I am able to share, edit and create documents from anywhere. Being on maternity leave this school year I have needed to share documents from last year with my kindergarten team and I can get that done from my phone if I am not near a computer and that is so helpful when I am always trying to multitask and save time. But, what do I use Google Drawings for? The answer is just about everything. I create birthday invitations, baby STAT signs, birth announcements, holiday cards, birthday decorations and more. But the thing I get asked quite frequently is what app I use to create the twins monthly milestone pictures where I post the special things about them each month. The answer? I use Google Drawings to create those. I take the photo using my camera, upload using my phone to my Google Drive in a specific folder (creating folders save so much time when searching for specific documents) and edit/add text using drawings. Drawings has a wide range of fonts to choose from and editing tools. I first tried to use an online photo editing website but was only able to do so much before having to pay for a subscription. After messing around for far too long on that website (which will remain unnamed) I realized that everything I was wanting to do but not able to without paying money I was able to accomplish using FREE Google Drawings. I went right over and tried it out and it took me less than ten minutes to get them both completed. Time saver and I am able to save, edit and reuse parts of them for each month without having to recreate the document every time. I don't know all that much about other Google products or devices to be honest with you, but the fact that I can use Google Drive with my computer and Apple iPhone/iPad makes me a fan of both tech big wigs. 

There you have it. Just a few of my favorite "tech" things that I use daily/weekly to help me in this busy, crazy but oh so fun life.... 

Oh wait, I lied...just remembered one more!

Snapfish

Every month I take the photos from my camera roll and upload them to an album on Snapfish for that month/year...for example, "October 2017" was the last album I created.  I go through the entire camera roll and select all of the photos that are taken from the first day of the month to the last day. I like to clean up my camera roll as often as possible and doing this ensures that I have saved every single one of my photos somewhere. I have also thought to do this using my Google Drive (y'all know how much I love that) but what I like about just uploading to Snapfish is they are all there for when I want to create our digital family photo album at the end of each year. I do not need to download/upload any photos from any other device or program in order to create the albums or order photo prints. I then have access to all of my photos on my phone as well for any #tbt, birthday collage, photo card or just looking up a specific picture to remember a special time or memory. There are several photo companies out there and I am sure they all would work just as easily as Snapfish. 

Okay. I think I am done for real this time. I am sure I could go on and on about tech tools to help your daily life, but I will leave you with these....for now. If you have any favorite apps that you use, please share those with me. I am always looking for ways to successfully multitask, preserve memories, create and share.

Rhett's Third Birthday Interview

Rhett Matthew Brown

October 24, 2017

3 Years Old

Buddy Boo, how much we love you. You are proving to us that three years old is going to be a bit more challenging with you than age two. You are beginning to show a lot of independence, opinions and attitude. On the flip side, you continue to be the best snuggler, give the best squeezes and hugs, loving to your babies, always wants to have someone "play mif me" but can also play by yourself so well, are such a good eater and sleeper and have the best head of hair. I want to bottle your little voice up and take it out and listen to it years from now when I know I will miss it so very much. We cannot wait to watch you continue to grow and learn this year. 

Look how sweet his "signature" is. 

I can't wait to see how he writes his name next year!

Name: Rhett Matthew    Year: 2017     Age: 3

What is your favorite thing to do?

"go to Papa Mamoos"

Do you have any nicknames?

"Rhetters & Buddy Boo"

What do you want to be when you grow up?

"a police officer"

What is your favorite thing to do with the family?

"help Daddy hang pictures"

Who are your best friends?

"Wyatt, Harper, Everett, Axtyn, Coy, Colin and Maddux."

What makes you happy?

"Mommy"

What do you like to learn about?

"bats"

What makes you sad?

"monsters scare me"

What do you do really well?

"shooting hoops in my basket"

If you had a million dollars, what would you buy?

"cars"

What is your favorite thing to do outside?

"play cars"

If you could go anywhere where would it be?

"Mommy's house and Grandma Faiths"

If you could have one wish, what would it be?

"go to Wyatt and Harper's house to play"

What was your favorite birthday present?

"cars and presents"

Three Months Old

Whew. I cannot believe three months have flown by. It is no longer summer, fall has arrived and it quickly seems like it is going away to make room for old man winter. Despite the pending freezing temperatures that no doubt lie ahead, there are some exciting things going on with #theBrownPack. I absolutely love this next stage of baby life that we are entering and it only continues to get better and better after that. Here are my top 5 takeaways from month three!

Laundry, all day everyday. 

So, about this weather change also comes a change in clothing. Not only are the babies growing at an extremely fast rate, which I for one need them to slow down because that means they are growing up before my eyes and what about all of those adorable clothes that they only got to wear a couple of times?? Summer weather is SO. MUCH. EASIER. when it comes to dressing these sweet little babes. Throw on any stylish or plain onesie and boom you're done. No sweaters, pants, socks, hoodies, jackets, layers...NOTHING. Just one simple piece of clothing and you're done. Maybe add in a bow for Miss Harlow and during those super slobbery days a bandanna bib for both (come on those are just perfect and oh so adorable). At any rate, this clothing change comes with a whole new dynamic when it comes to preparing outfits the night before, getting everyone out of the door in a "timely" manner, having the perfect amount of layering, attempting to match every once in awhile and packing extra clothes in the diaper bag for those messes that are bound to occur...all while keeping the twins looking supafly in stylish 3-6 month old attire. One thing that seems to always, and I mean always to be missing in their wardrobe are socks and let's not even discuss shoes until they are walking. I'm not sure if its my mind pushing out the fact that it is getting colder and I refuse to wear anything but flip flops myself for quite sometime into cold temperatures or that baby socks NEVER seem to stay on their feet but it just doesn't get accomplished. I wrap their little feet in blankets in their car seat, put pants on (pretty much only when we leave the house) and either have long sleeves or a hoodie/sweater under/over short sleeves. The thing that seems to be so tough is deciding how many layers and what pieces to buy that will go with multiple outfits so I am not spending an arm and a leg on clothing that lasts all of 3 months. I find that if I have about 2-3 pairs of pants a black, grey and khaki or jean type pants those can work with just about every single shirt/onesie outfit. This cold weather also means that I have a lot more laundry to do, more layers of clothes means more to wash!

Da BUMBO Makes A Comeback

Just say the word "Bumbo" a couple of times and tell me you're not smiling. Come on do it, see? So fun to say. But what's even better than saying Bumbo? Getting to the point in your babes life where you get to put that sweet little peanut into one and they can hold themselves up like a champ. Now, why does this become a game changer? Let me just tell you. This must have piece of baby furniture (would it be called furniture?) allows your baby to sit upright and gives you some hands free time to play, sing, cook, eat, fold laundry...just about anything that involves doing something on your own or with the baby without having to carry said baby around the house with you. The Bumbo only gets better from here on out until they are on the move and/or can't fit in it anymore. With our other two children we used the tray that is an accessory (yes, an accessory for baby furniture) that attaches right to the Bumbo and used it as a table to put food/snacks, toys, books etc on. Being able to sit the babies in these gives them practice with sitting up, helps with their head control/strength and keeps babies from laying on their backs so much. With all four of our kids I noticed once we were able to sit them in the Bumbo they seemed to feel even more included because they were able to look around and see what everyone was doing. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't let them sit in these for hours and hours by any means. We still spend a lot of time snuggling, practicing tummy time, being carried in the baby carrier, using the swing, rock-n-plays and more. Having two babies at home it is always helpful to have multiple places to spend time together to keep things exciting. And trust me, every day is exciting around here. 

Twins Rule, Double the Drool

Bring on the bandanna bibs! Something has happened in this past month and it has happened in full force. My sweet little twinnies have become drool buckets on the daily. Not only are we combating spit up multiple times a day and hoping to not have to change outfits more than needed but we have now entered the drool phase. This phase, as much as I remember it, will last a LONG time. Enter bandanna bibs. These bibs are so darn cute, come in a variety of patterns, can be snapped together for different sizes and get the job done. When the drool began my mama heart started to ache because I thought for sure any moment I would feel their first tooth poking through. Rhett had his first tooth pop out at 3 months old and boy was he a drooling machine. I am mentally and emotionally preparing myself for that to happen, but every time I check to see if any have popped I find myself relieved to not feel anything. When I first bought these bibs for Rhett (I was not aware of them with Hattie, so she missed out) I only found them at one online boutique. Since then, they are everywhere! I purchased the bulk of ours from Amazon (they had a GREAT deal, check it out here) and  have even seen them being sold at Target, ETSY and other similar stores. My favorites are the ones that can be used for both babies and match multiple outfits of course. Bonus of these bibs? They snap up high enough under their chin to protect their necks and clothing from getting saturated with drool but are not tight around their neck, hence the "bandanna" style. Score!

"I Can Make Your Hands Clap"

No, they aren't clapping their hands yet but they have definitely discovered them by now. These two sweet little babies are constantly putting their hands in their mouth (see #4 about drooling and dreading the first tooth). Other than the pending teeth popping in as to why they always have their hands in their mouth, we are also noticing they are beginning to attempt to grab at objects and hold on to things, as well as opening and closing their hands. They aren't quite shaking, playing or interacting with things they grab but they are definitely working towards that skill. When babies find their hands they are showing signs of learning and as a teacher that gets me pretty excited! I just love watching them look at their hands in complete amaze and wonderment and can't help but to be jealous of that pure calmness and joy they have at something so simple. I think we all should have a little of that in our lives and maybe we do? I think about the goofy grins on my face during episodes of Grey's Anatomy, watching Vince Vaughn in, well anything he is in or when I watch The Notebook. I kinda think their happiness about their hands is similar to mine about Patrick Dempsey, Vince Vaughn and Ryan Gosling....well maybe.

Wearing Your Baby is a Thing

Okay, before I get haters let me just put this out there I LOVE baby carriers and I LOVE putting my babies in them. What I don’t love? Calling it “wearing my baby”. I mean technically that is exactly what you’re doing but I like to just call it “carrying” my baby but often times find myself saying “wearing” when I don’t even want to. Anyway, it is the real deal people. Especially in these months where the baby has good head control, weighs more, wants to be with you more, is awake more, you want to go out and about but still have your hands available and pushing a party barge of a stroller is not always an option. Here’s my problem though. We had one carrier that we used for both Hattie and Rhett. One of our good friends gave us an extra carrier they had so we could have two for the twins. The problem is Matt is not always with us and sometimes even if he is, one of us needs to be available for the older two children without having to keep a baby safe and sound on the front of our body. I have been struggling with the trying to decide if a double baby carrier is something I would get use out of and even know how to put them both in safe and comfortably. Not to mention, a double baby carrier has a lot more straps, is more expensive and there aren’t any in stores available to try on. I ordered one double carrier and when it arrived it was not at all comfortable  and was not what I thought I was ordering from the description….so many straps around my waist. Then, I had to take time out of my crazy, insane busy life to get it returned and hopefully not spend a fortune mailing it back. I have messaged with other twin moms that I know and some I don’t know and the reviews are all over the board. Some of them would not function without a double carrier and others it never was something they needed. I do think I need to make up my mind sooner rather than later if I want to get some actual use out of it. I really think it would be something I would use since we each carry the babies in the single carriers a lot, but also don’t want to be the mom that has so many carriers I could open up my own shop. Or wait, maybe that’s not a bad idea?

Three months have come and gone and we have learned even more about these two sweet twins we have and are excited to continue to learn and watch them grow. Three month milestone pictures are below.