Blake & Amanda: December 2015

Are you guys sick of these monthly updates yet? Well, there's only two more left so you better enjoy it while it lasts. The closer we get to one year the faster it seems like it has gone. I am so proud of everything they have accomplished in such a short amount of time. Here's what they're up to at 10 months (7.5 adjusted.)

They are both pretty much experts at sitting now. They only occasionally topple themselves over when they reach too far. They are enjoying toys more, which has been really nice. They finally learned how to roll from their backs to tummies, which has made diaper changes fun... They can now get pretty much anywhere they want to go by rolling and wiggling around the floor. Their favorite place to get to is the Christmas tree. They love reaching for the branches, pulling lights/ornaments off the tree, and terrorizing the presents. Jensen has learned how to get up onto his hands and knees and rock forward and back. I hear that's a sign he'll start crawling very soon. He is also starting to try pulling himself up on tables and etc. He is bound and determined to get into everything. He's already eaten a few bits of paper and a small sticker (and who knows what else.) I'm going to be in big trouble when he can actually crawl. Everett is not interested in getting mobile yet and is happy to just sit and roll around. They love chewing on anything and everything they can find. They learned how to splash the water in the bathtub, and might finally be starting to enjoy bath time.

Jensen has become quite the silly boy. He laughs and giggles at so many things. He thinks it's hilarious when Everett touches him or tries to eat him or takes his toy. He thinks it's funny when you throw (light and soft) things at him. He thinks it's funny when you tickle him or tease him. Everett's a little harder to get a laugh out of, but he giggles too. Everett is still the more social one, always flirting with all the women sitting near us at church. He seems to have gotten over his stranger anxiety too for the most part. They have picked up a new habit that's not so great, which is 'cry whenever you see mommy so she'll feed/hold us, even though we were fine with daddy/alone before.'

My biggest accomplishment this month is that I finally got them on a (somewhat flexible) schedule. It's the first piece of advice all twin moms give and there is a good reason for it. I actually have like an hour total (somedays more!) of free time every day to do whatever I want while they're both napping. It's amazing. I usually use it to shower, eat, and do housework of course. I feel so much less helpless because I know approximately when they will wake, sleep, eat, etc. It makes it easier to plan our rare outings and makes me feel more balanced and less stressed. So basically, I give scheduling your twins' day a big thumbs up.

I'm doing my best to soak up their cuteness and not let their (frequent) fussy/crying times get to me. They will not be babies anymore before I know it. The thought of that makes me want to cry. Pretty much all I do all day is tell them how cute they are. I'm in love with the way Jensen open and closes his little hands, and the way Everett decided to start sucking his thumb and pokes things with his pointer finger. I love how Jensen tilts his head and lays it down sometimes when he's getting tired. I love how Everett puts his head back and makes cute raspy squeaks. I love it when Jensen gets a look on his face like he's about to do something naughty. I love it when I lay Everett down on something soft and he just lays there all splayed out. I love the fast, frantic breathing they do when they know I'm going to nurse them but I'm not getting them on fast enough. I love it when they cuddle up with me for snuggles. I love their beautiful smiles. They're so wonderful.