Two Things...

I have recently learned of two things that I think are awesome, so I thought I'd share them with you.

Thing One:  Did you know that you can make your blog into a book? Maybe this is something that everyone but me already knew, but I thought it was pretty cool! I plan on making a book of all the posts I've done about Charlotte and Jensen's first year, but until I saw this, I was envisioning myself spending like a billion hours copying and pasting into Word. Then dragging my frazzled self to Kinko's for some professional binding. So happy to know that won't be the case! Check it out:

http://blogspot.sharedbook.com/blog2print/googleblogger/index.html

Are there more of these websites out there? If so, please fill me in! I like options, ya know?

Thing Two:  I came across a new blog when a friend of mine posted a link to a post on facebook. I think this is kinda making the Internet rounds, so you may have already seen it. There's been a lot of talk about bullying lately. And, even though Charlotte and Jensen are only six months old, I have already commenced worrying about how I would possibly be able to handle anyone bullying my children. But, until I read this, I had never, ever had the following thought: What if MY kids are the bullies?

Anyways. You may not agree with everything she says. But in my opinion, if more parents were like her, the world would probably be a better place. It's a really good read...here's the link:

 http://momastery.blogspot.com/2010/10/mountain-im-willing-to-die-on.html

Six Months!

Half a year. Six months. Halfway to toddler-hood. I'm kind of struggling with this post, in case you can't tell...but more on that later. For now, here are my little pumpkins at six months old...

(I got the bright idea that I should take their six-month pics at a local pumpkin patch. I knew it was a windy day, but I figured, "Charlotte and Jensen don't have enough hair for it to get messed up, so the wind won't matter!" Well, I failed to take into consideration that grass, dirt, hay, etc. would be blowing around everywhere--including into the babies' ears, eyes, and mouths...I even found hay in Charlotte's diaper! Also, seeing as how it was their first time to see pumpkins, they were a bit mesmerized with them--which led to them looking down at the pumpkins rather than up at the camera most of the time. Yep, bright idea all right...we didn't get a ton of great pics. Oh well...chalk it up to yet another lesson learned!) 

Charlotte and Jensen's sixth month was, I think, the month in which they each changed the most. They've been fun for awhile now, but during the past month, they became really fun. This month was all about interaction--with each other, with us, with strangers they met, even with Bailey. (I think I have two dog lovers! Yea! Watching their eyes light up when they see their dog makes my heart so, so happy.) They are just able to do so much now--they really concentrate on their toys and are moving all over the place. Our house is about to become an interior designer's worst nightmare (as if it already hasn't been for the past six months) as the baby-proofing begins. Their little personalities are getting more and more pronounced and we are loving all the little previews of what Charlotte and Jensen are going to be like as they continue to grow.

Charlotte Anne at Six Months

16 lbs, 9 oz. (30th percentile)
In the 85th percentile for height

Peanut continues to live up to her nickname...the girl is so little! And her feet are teeny--she still has yet to grow into any of her shoes (the 0-6 month pairs are too big and the 3-6 month pairs are waaaaay too big). She still looks just like her daddy--except that she has no teeth! And we are still trying to figure out if her hair is going to be curly or straight. A few of Charlotte's favorite activities are splashing in the tub, lying on her tummy and listening to me read a book, and cuddling with whoever will hold her. It's so sweet--whenever you pick her up, she just lays her head on your shoulder, content as can be. I love it! She isn't sitting up yet--she won't hold still for long enough! She just kicks and kicks and usually falls right over. One of her very favorite things to do is sit outside and watch the dogs play. She gets a huge smile on her face when she watches Jasmine retrieve the tennis ball from the pool. Charlotte continues to be expressive, animated and dramatic. She doesn't exactly love all the attention her brother gives her! And she still gets a little overwhelmed at times. I have learned that sometimes, when she's fussy, the best thing to do is just put her in her little papasan chair and let her simply chill out and observe what's going on around her (also, I think she likes that her brother can't get to her when she's in her chair!).

Yep, she's plotting something. I just don't know what yet.

One of her attempts at sitting up.

I cannot look at this picture without smiling at how much she looks exactly like her dad.

My little cuddle bug. Oh, and my dog's butt.

My happy girl.

I love this one--she is just so sweet.

Jensen Todd at Six Months:

17 pounds, 12 oz. (50th percentile)

In the 75th percentile for height

He's standing behind that pumpkin! Ahhhhh!

My little butterball! Everyone tells me Jensen looks like me, but of course I can't see it. He does have my stick-straight hair, and it fluffs out in all directions like mine did when I was a baby. Jensen is a man on the move...he is still not much of a cuddler. When I'm holding him, he is usually pulling my hair, screaming, laughing, trying to put some part of my face into his mouth, etc. He is just a little wild man. He loves, loves, loves to jump...in his jumper, in the lap of whoever is holding him, wherever.  But maybe once or twice a week, he will rest his head on my shoulder after his bedtime bottle and fall asleep as I rock him. I treasure every single second of these times and have to force myself to put him down in his crib. Jensen still adores his sister and spends much of his time trying to get closer to her. He is a happy boy and has the absolute best laugh--he sounds more like a little boy than a baby.

Man on the move!

Okay, I found this hat in the hand-me-downs and just had to put it on him before his head got too big! He looks British, yes? Or like a cab driver.

Sweet, sweet boy. This is Brian's favorite face that Jensen makes.

Again, I ask you: would this little face ever get into trouble?

Sleepyhead.

And of course I have to include a few pictures of Charlotte and Jensen together:

Not sure why this uploaded sideways...ughhh Blogger!

My blue-eyed babies.

Both smiling at the same time! Of course looking at the camera would be way too much to ask!

Love this because they both look puzzled as to why Jensen has so many toys.

 "Mom! He's touching me!"

So why did I struggle so much with this six month post? Because I am struggling a bit with the babies actually being six months old. Here's the deal: I have always wanted two kids...and if I had to choose, I would have chosen to have a girl, then a boy (just like the family I grew up in). So how unbelievably lucky that, with one pregnancy (although it was far from a smooth ride) I was blessed with a beautiful baby girl and a beautiful baby boy?  So, we are pretty sure that Charlotte and Jensen are it for us, baby-wise. And let's be honest: I hated being pregnant. I spent the entire time worried that something would go wrong. I hated the delivery process and the hospital stay, and I didn't even enjoy the newborn phase. And, when I close my eyes and picture what our family will look like years down the road, I picture the four of us: Charlotte, Jensen, Brian and me. Believe me, I realize how blessed we are to have these two babies. But still, I feel really sad sometimes that this is it. And it's passing so quickly.

In a way, every first is also a last. The first time we fed the babies solids was the last time we will experience that "first" (does that make sense?). Every time Charlotte or Jensen does something new, my giddiness is mixed with a heaviness in my heart when I realize that the moment has come and gone. Remember the post in which I lightheartedly talked about packing up Charlotte and Jensen's outgrown clothes? Well, that was hard. Really hard. I fought back tears while sorting through the teeny, tiny clothes that were, unbelievably, once too big for my little babies. And once they were packed up, I couldn't even stand looking at the closed boxes. It all seemed so final.

So, I am really trying to slow down...way down...and truly experience everything. Every play time, bedtime, and bottle; every laugh, smile and cry. Every time one of the babies wraps all five of their tiny fingers around one of mine. I know many of you have heard the following little poem, and I also know that its "cheesiness" factor is high--but, as we head into Charlotte and Jensen's seventh month, these are the words I am trying to live by:

I hope that my child, looking back on today
Will remember a mother who had time to play;
Because children grow up while you're not looking,
There are years ahead for cleaning and cooking.
So, quiet now cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.

Wordless Wednesday

Operation: Baby Food

Phase One (Information Gathering): Consult with friends, relatives, the pediatrician. Peruse books and Internet sites.

Reach the following conclusions: Begin solids at six months and start with avocado as the first food.

Phase Two (Preparation): Charge camera battery. Tell Grandma to come over because she won't want to miss this. Put babies in their places and prepare their meal:

Can you spy Bailey down there? She is probably going to reap all the benefits of the babies' messy eating!

"Um, what's going on here? Are we supposed to be eating these bibs? Because they're delish!"

Phase Three (Feedin' Time!): Commence feeding the babies.

First let's talk Charlotte: This girl has just never been very interested in eating. She is so busy talking, looking around, smiling at you, etc. that it takes forever to get her to finish a bottle. So we weren't expecting her to do so hot with solids. But our Peanut has surprised us yet again--she loved the avocado and, from the very first bite, acted like she has been eating from a spoon forever. Perhaps she is just bored with formula and is ready for bigger and better and tastier things--a little foodie in the making!

"Bring it on, Dad!"

"Hmmm...the aroma and texture lead me to believe this is a Haas avocado, from the northern Mexico region."

"Yes, very nice. I approve."

Next, we have our Mr. Jensen. This boy loves his bottle, watches us eat with interest, and sometimes even tries to grab our food from us. So we thought he'd gobble down solids, no problem. Well, he was enthusiastic about it, but I don't think he quite understands that he not only has to put the food in his mouth, he has to swallow it as well. Plus, I'm not so sure that avocado is going to be his favorite food...

I started out holding his hand back because he kept trying to grab the spoon.

I soon realized that I might as well let him have it. His face clearly says that he is not so sure about avocado!

"That's a nice camera, but it could really use some avocado on the lens!"

So...one meal down, millions more to go. We will stick with avocado for a few days then move on to more fruits and vegetables. And how is making their food going? Well, all I have done so far is mash up an avocado...so it's going great! :) We will see how I do when things start getting more complicated.

And lastly, our family's first time together at the kitchen table:

Mobile.

No, we aren't taking a trip to Alabama. No, I didn't make something crafty to hang above the twins' cribs. Mobile. As in, we have movement! As in, I can no longer put my babies in one spot and expect them to stay there. The honeymoon's over and the real excitement is beginning! Nope, they aren't exactly crawling just yet, but they are definitely able to scoot around when they put their little minds to it. For example, they started out side-by-side on the pink blanket. And, as you can see, Jensen ended up in the play yard...

Okay, so he scooted backwards. This did concern me a bit, but all the sources I have consulted say it's normal. He scooted himself right inside, then turned around to play.

Then there was this evening. Charlotte and Jensen started out on the white blanket...

Using a unique combination of rolling, scooting and kicking, C and J rapidly made their way off the blanket! Okay, the "rapidly" part was a lie. They are really quite slow. Thank goodness.

I mean, look at this face...would this sweet angel ever get into any mischief??

This face? It pretty much says that mischief is imminent.

And if Bailey could voice her opinion on the babies' new-found mobility? She'd probably say something along the lines of, "Oh, crap..."