Important Announcement

This girl rolled from tummy to back on Sunday.

Sorry for the slow update, but this girl, her sister and I are also all SICK, so we are slow moving!!

Hair Loss and Nesting

People say you experience hair loss after you give birth. Those people even say that you lose *a lot* of hair. Well, they really should say you lose more hair than you can even imagine, and then triple that amount. Its so bad, that my bathroom sink is clogged. Every day I get out of the shower and have to mop up all of the hair that I pulled off my head and throw it away. I clean my hair brush out every other day now. I moved the shark hand vac (wall plug in) to the bathroom, because the dyson hand vac (rechargeable battery) wasn't enough. I have one of those roller sticky things to run over my clothing every day. I am surprised I still have hair on my head, actually. I feel especially bad because I constantly find my hair all over the babies. During baths last night I pulled so much hair out of the baby bath tub I could have fashioned a wig for a barbie out of it. Its kind of scary, actually, because I wouldn't want one of my hairs to twist around their toe or leg where we can't see it all night and cause damage (aka the baby tourniquet).

Anyway, I hope this ends soon because I am sick of cleaning up my own hair everywhere. No wonder moms cut their hair off - this is disgusting and annoying. 

Another thing people tell you about is "nesting" - where you go around your house and prep for baby by doing weird things like organizing your make up drawer. I admit, I did some of this because I was home for two weeks at the end of my pregnancy and I was bored. You know why you SHOULD nest though? Because you wont be able to organize jack shit the first few months baby (ies) is (are) here. And you will want to know where your stuff is. Its lovely that my makeup is there, and organized, every morning at 6:30 a.m. when I am getting ready for work, and my shoes are all lined up ready for me to go. There is no time, with a 4 month old, to rummage through your things to find your ___. That is time you should (and will want to) spend with baby(ies). Any down time (baby nap or sleep time) is spent either showering, eating, or maintaining the basics, like laundry and daily cleaning. 

So while I rejected the notion of "nesting" when I was pregnant, I now see why you really should take care of all of those "big projects" or organize all of your stuff pre-baby(ies), because who knows when you will have a chance to do that later. 

A smattering of videos

Today has kind of taken a turn for the worst - I started to feel like I was getting sick around 11 a.m. and by 1:00 p.m. I had a burning throat. So I cancelled all of our engagements and I've just been hanging solo with the girls. I hope they don't get this sore throat, it is so bad. Unless that is what Lexie just recovered from, in which case I don't blame her at all for having been cranky!

The nice thing about being home alone with the girls most of the day was getting some quality snuggle time with each of them! Its so hard to get that when I only see them an hour in the morning, and an hour and a half in the evening, or when we are running around on the weekends.

The girls are taking their 6 p.m. nap. Tonight they are doing it in front of the window - they like watching the trees.

Cranky Josie

Lexie making cute Lexie sounds, May 4, 2014.

Josie talking away - this was last weekend, May 10.

And Lexie today - ALMOST rolling over!

A positive anniversary and 19 weeks

Today marks the day, one year ago, that we found out that we were pregnant! I had just gotten off of a plane from Arizona, and we were getting ready to go see Star Trek Into Darkness when we found out. I got so excited that the test had two lines that I had to take a shower to calm myself down. We were so psyched!

The next day, May 18, 2013, we went out with friends to the Magic Castle. It happened to be my 10 year anniversary of graduating from law school, so we "celebrated" that, while James and I exchanged knowing smiles.

At the Magic Castle, 5 weeks pregnant!

Of course, we didn't know yet that we had TWO babies on the way. We started calling our little apple seed "the nugget" and we were so excited. 

And now we have two gorgeous, beautiful 19 week old beauties. We had no idea just how blessed we were. 

This week the girls have been really pushing themselves up during tummy time, and both seem so so close to rolling over from their back to their front. I think if they were more interested in being on their front, they would go for it more. They have both been rolling onto their sides to play with their toys. Last week I switched out the soft blanket I had under their play gyms to the rubber alphabet surface, and I think that is helping, too. Its a bit firmer and doesn't slip around, so they have a bit more traction to work with. 

I'm by myself and admit, I didn't do a great job with the weekly photos today. And because I took so long, the girls weren't in their typical happy morning mood. Aw well, we will make up for it next weekend! 

Both girls are super distracted while eating lately and playing with their bottles. They seem close to holding them on their own, perhaps in a month or so? Josie is popping her pacifier in and out of her mouth, and really studying it. Not great for bed time (since she pops it out then can't find it to put it back in, which makes her sad.) This is apparently part of "wonder week 19" relating to developmental milestones. 

Also related to "wonder week 19" are the cranky, clingy, sad, non-napping babies we have. Every once in a while I think they are coming out of it, then next thing I know I have two super sad girls who are crying because they are tired and hungry or because their sister is crying. It never lasts TOO long and usually soothing them into a nap helps a lot. Can't wait for this period to be over though!! The next one is at 26 weeks, so we will have a short reprise. 

On the plus side, both girls have really found their voices and are talking up a storm. Josie is downright giggling and laughing, which is amazing to hear, we just absolutely LOVE IT and love trying to make her laugh. Alexandra's noises are so precious - little coos with rolling "R" sounds and soft giggles. While she smiles most of the time (less so lately, thanks to wonder week), she doesn't laugh as loud or as much as Josie, but once you get her going, she's a ball of adorable. She continues to stick out her tongue, too, and I can't help it, its just so darn cute. 

Mom, give it up, I refuse to smile today.

James is back on Tuesday and that afternoon we are going to set up the Jolly Jumper - I can't wait to see the girls going in that!!! They are going to LOVE IT. My guess is that Josie will more than Alex, but I've been wrong about those things before. So we'll see and we WILL have video. 

Summer Dresses

Ruffle Butt Tummy Time

Tummy Time!!

Morning Play Time in my Watermelon Dress!

Photo Bomb

Cute things that are happening: 

Talking: the girls are talking so much, especially Josie lately. The other night we put them to bed and they were actually talking to each other. 

Rolling: Not quite there yet, but both girls are really curling up onto their sides, and *almost* rolling. 

Tummy Time: They don't always hate it. And they are actually getting quite good at it! 

Interacting: Josie will put Lexie's hand in her mouth and vice versa. Yesterday, Lexie had Josie's pacifier in her hand, and I thought: Girl, you better not mess with that! 

Cute Things

In preparation for James being gone this week for work, I busted out the "real" seats to the double stroller so I could more easily take the girls on walks. They've been fussy in the PM and usually James gets home and we double team the situation, but with him gone, I thought I'd pacify the girls by taking them on a nice long walk. I go up the hill outside my house, which is a little over 1 mile up, then back down. It works, and it is win/win/win: They like it and stay calm, they get to see outside since it has been too hot for them to go outside during the day, and I get a hell of a work out. 

Alexandra in her little hat - she sits facing me and gets
 all the sun in her eyes, so I threw this on her yesterday.
I think she appreciated it!
She also ended up putting the straps in her mouth.

About 10 minutes in yesterday, I noticed Josie's hat had covered her eyes, but she was sleeping anyway.
I put Josie facing away from me because she likes to look around. I also think the girls like to look at each other.

Alexandra staring me down - she does not want to look around,
she just wants to keep tabs on me and make sure I am still there.
PS Look at how long this thing is.

No walk tonight - I have errands to run after work, so our nanny Brittany will be staying a bit later, and then it will be bath time. Its way too hot out anyway.

The schedule, as of late

I'm gathering information about feeding the girls solids. Our pediatrician gave us the green light to do that, but our schedule is so awesome right now, I kind of don't want to do it until we absolutely have to! Here is what we've been up to:

6:30 - my alarm goes off, I shower and get dressed for work while James keeps an ear on the monitor (I LOVELOVELOVE this getting ready and no stress listening to the monitor time). At 7:20 (sometimes earlier) I pass the torch to James to get ready and I go into the kitchen.

7:20 - 7:40 - make my lunch, clean the house up, make a coffee, empty the dishwasher, etc.

7:40 - make bottles and clean the brezza

7:45 - James and I wake up the girls, do diaper changes, get their little outfits on and start feeding them (usually around 8 a.m.) BEST part of the day!!!

8:00 - 8:30 - play with the girls on their play mat, read them stories (today - facetime/skype with daddy who is in Singapore)

8:30 - Brittany comes in, and takes over. We brief each other on what is new/not new. I leave to work.

9:00 - 5:30 - work

6:00 - home from work, get the briefing from Brittany (poops? bottles? naps?). I either play with the girls or take them on a walk. I try to get them to nap at some point in the 6 pm hour or else they are cranky in the 7 pm hour. The walk helps with them getting a little nap in AND I get some exercise!

7:00 - James gets home! YAY!

7:30 - bath time (3 times a week) also SUPER CRANKY BABY TIME. Bath time helps because they both find it soothing. If Josie is cranky and we put her in the tub, she turns into the happiest baby on earth. Then you take her out of the tub and she is mad - it better be bottle time.

8:00 - pjs and last bottle of the day, then the girls are put to bed "drowsy but awake" (occasionally totally awake or totally asleep. Last night they were both totally awake and they were chatting with each other - VERY cute ladies.) Turn on the sleep-sheep and their overhead mobile. Go back in and give Josie a pacifier a few times.

8:20 - start dinner, drink large amounts of wine, watch TV

9:30/10 pm - bed time. I'm EXHAUSTED. Hope the girls don't wake up during the night. They haven't been waking up! Such awesome little rockstars!! I hear this can change though during certain sleep regressions, i.e. at 4/5 months (now, eek) and later during teething, etc at 8/9 months. Bracing myself for it, so for now, I am enjoying my sleep :)