Baffyschwoos

Baffyschwoos. This is what we call baths at our house (at least when refering to baby baths). Tonight I decided to break out the camera during baffyschwoo time. Here are the results:

Mr. Jake in the Big Tub

A Clean Little Gracie Girl

Aren't I a cute little girl?

Aggie Babies

Mr. Jake and Miss Grace sporting their Aggie outfits

A Busy Weekend

This weekend has been very busy. Friday evening George and I took the babies to Best Buy because George needed to get his computer fixed. Aunt Kelly met us there and bought the babies a Baby Einstein DVD (isn't she the best?). They've already watched it twice and love it! Saturday we went to a reunion thing for George's family in the afternoon, and in the evening we all went to a dinner party. We had a great time. and the babies were very well-behaved despite lacking a good nap (as usual they woke after only 45 minutes or so). We all got to sleep in this morning, and the babies napped fairly well today. Maybe it's the start of a trend? To be that lucky...

Early to bed, early to rise...

Since I have become increasingly exhausted over the past couple of weeks, I have decided to give myself a bedtime rather than just going to bed when I feel like it. Starting tonight (ok, as soon as I finish this post I'm off to bed, it's already almost 10:40) my bedtime will be 10:30. Since I'm usually up around 7:30am every morning and am usually up for 2-3 hours total at night, this should give me 6-7 hours of sleep a night. Hopefully after a few days of this I will feel a little better. I'll keep you posted. Off to bed...

Explosions

Today was a day of explosions left and right. Now this is the norm for Jake. Grace, on the other hand, usually only poops every 8-10 days (don't worry, this is perfectly normal for breastfed babies). It has only been 5 days since her last explosion, so you can imagine my surprise when I heard a symphony coming from her direction. I thought, "Well, it's only been 5 days, it can't be that bad." Let me just tell you, I was W-R-O-N-G. This was the explosion of the century. Her diaper leaked out every possible direction. She had poop coming out the sides, up the back, out the front, and she even managed to get it on one of her hands. It was so bad I had to give her a bath. I even wanted a bath myself after dealing with all the mess. Ahhhhh...the joys of motherhood.

Randomness

Photoshop fun: Jake on the playmat

Well I don't have much to talk about today, so I'll just ramble for a bit. The babies are asleep right now (I hope you realize I'm jinxing myself by writing this). They actually went to bed semi-easily at their usual 7:45 bedtime. Usually by now one or both has awoken, but not tonight (again jinxing myself)! Grace has slept 8 hours straight two nights in a row now. Woohoo! Now if only Jake would join the party (or rather the lack thereof). On that note, I must say that naps are becoming more and more of a struggle. Their morning nap usually goes pretty smoothly. Jake often wakes up after about 45 minutes, but I can usually get him to go back to sleep for at least another 45 minutes. That's where any kind of consistency ends. IF I can even get them to nap in the afternoon, I'm extremely lucky if it even lasts 45 minutes, but it usually lasts around 25-40 minutes (and forget getting them to go back to sleep if they wake up). I have tried EVERYTHING. I've tried shortening the time between naps. I've tried lengthening the time between naps. I've tried just letting them take a bunch of short naps (HA! This worked well in theory, except they only took two twenty-minute naps). I've tried swaddling and swinging and cuddling and rocking and feeding, etc. They just will not take a decent afternoon nap. I WILL NOT GIVE UP! I will keep trying. I figure they will have to get it eventually, right? (OK, maybe not right, but don't tell me if that's the case, hope is what gets me through the day.)

I do not complain about this to people in general because most people offer the "cry-it-out" solution. I'm sorry, but I will not abandon my babies to cry themselves to sleep. They do not understand the psychology behind this method. In their minds I have abandoned them. Research has also shown this method to be linked to failure to thrive. If I happen to complain to you about our sleep issues please do not suggest that I just let them cry. Also, please do not tell me I hold our babies too much or that they are too used to being held. How can holding your baby ever be a bad thing? I love my babies, and I want them to know it.

One more thing...please do not ask me if the twins are identical or fraternal. Think about it. How can a girl and a boy be identical? It's just not possible. You would not believe how often people ask me this. I try so hard to be nice when I reply, but one of these days I'm just going to say, "Well, no, they aren't identical. He has a penis and she doesn't."

Sorry, that kind of turned into a rant. I guess I'm in a mood tonight, but I feel better now.

Our Sleeping Princess

Miss Grace sleeping so peacefully on Mommy and Daddy's bed

Grace was so sound asleep during her morning nap today. She was just too cute. I love this pic of her and just had to put it on here.

Our First Date

Ok, maybe not our first date, but definitely our first date since becoming parents. Last night George and I went out to eat and to an Aerosmith concert. It was my first time away from the babies for more than an hour or so, and surprisingly, I survived! To be honest, I had been dreading the night since December when I realized it was just around the corner, but the babies were in wonderful hands. We even came back home after dinner to feed them before we went back out to the concert, and they were sound asleep when we got home.

Jake woke up around midnight to eat and then slept until 6am, and Grace didn't wake until 5am. I think this is the first time I have ever had a 5 hour stretch of sleep since the babies were born. Sure, they sleep longer stretches but never at the same time. They even went back to sleep until 7:30. I feel so great today. It's amazing what rest can do!

Blog Template

I'm currently altering my blog template, so if things look weird for awhile that's why. Hopefully it won't look so funky for long.

Sleep Issues

Every night the babies go to bed at 7:45. This is a good bedtime, and they usually go right to sleep. Staying asleep is the problem. It seems like almost every night, one of the babies (usually Jake) wakes up about 45 minutes after falling asleep. They aren't hungry, so that isn't the problem. But they WILL NOT go back to sleep for at least an hour or two. I know they are tired. I can see it in their eyes. Maybe they just need extra cuddle time. Jake is in my lap awake as I write this. I wish I could install an on/off button. I know he needs to sleep, he just won't do it. My poor little sleepy guy.

Not Sleeping

The babies' usual bedtime is 7:45, it is currently 10:04 and Grace is still awake. I am tired. It is time for nighty-night Miss Grace. Mommy needs her beauty sleep too.

Teeth?!?

We are officially teething. Yikes! Grace has both lower teeth cutting through. Jake has just one that is visible, although I'm sure both are coming since teeth usually come up in pairs. Grace is doing really well, but Jake has been Mr. Cranky Pants the last couple of days. I just hope the teeth come in quickly and don't do the whole up and down, in and out thing that teeth do sometimes.

Nakey Bumbos

Jake and Grace in their Bumbos before bathtime

We got Bumbo'ed!

We have the bestest daddy ever! He got us some Bumbo seats, and we love them! Yay for Bumbos!!!

Jake and Grace in their new Bumbo seats

Oops!

Well my goal was to post on here everyday, but I already blew it! The babies did not want to nap yesterday, so I never got a chance. However, I did get some really cute pics of Grace and Jake playing in the Exersaucers.

Go to graceandjake.shutterfly.com to see more!

Mr. Happy Man

Jake has just been Mr. Happy Man today! He has now decided he likes his Exersaucer too (for a little while at least)!

Playtime is so much fun!

Well, apparently Jake changed his mind about the Jumpster and now loves it! Grace also loves her Exersaucer. Being the good mommy that I am :), I captured their morning playtime on video.

If money grew on trees...

...I would buy 3 things. Well, it's kind of 4 things, but who's counting?

1. Bumbo Seats. 1 in Lilac for Miss Grace and 1 in Aqua for Jake. These things are the coolest and everyone I know that has one absolutely loves it (or rather their baby loves it)! This is what they look like:
2. Canon Rebel XT Digital SLR Camera. This camera is awesome, awesomely expensive, so cool, and perfect for taking pictures of Grace and Jake!
   
3. Sony VAIO 820 Desktop with HT Technology. Gotta have a cool new computer to edit those digital pictures of Grace and Jake, right?

Why can't everything be free?

Grace sits?

For about two days now Grace has been trying to sit up. Whenever she is on an incline, like in the carseat, swing, or propped on a pillow, she does what seems like a half sit-up. She isn't quite strong enough to actually sit yet, but she's close. Ahhhhh! That means Jake will soon follow. I'm really hoping they don't walk at nine months like I did. I'm enjoying this time when they can't get into anything outside of arm's reach. They grow up too fast!

Jake's Layout

I couldn't leave Jake out of my new digital scrapbooking hobby, so here is a layout of him.

Digital Scrapbooking

So, I've started several scrapbooks in the past several years, but it was such a pain to find the perfect elements. It was also very messy and expensive. However, I discovered digital scrapbooking today. Basically, you make the entire page on the computer and print it out. There is no cutting, pasting, etc. It's all done on the computer. I find it to be much faster too (a definite advantage for me given my new little ones). Here is my first layout:

I love, love, love Photoshop!

Yes, three loves, that is how much I love Adobe Photoshop. Sometimes I get bored (maybe it's the lack of adult interaction I get during the day?), so I play around with the digital camera and take pics of Grace and Jake. Then, I play with the pics in Photoshop while they nap. Here are some of my latest creations. I must say, I'm rather proud of myself.

Grace with the frog Mommy & Grammy picked out while Mommy was in the hospital

Jake with the duck Mommy & Grammy picked out while Mommy was in the hospital

Jake and Grace in outfits George's parents gave them

It's amazing...

...how much longer it takes to do just about anything while I'm taking care of Grace and Jake. I've been trying for over a week now to get some photos uploaded and prints ordered since I have some codes for free prints on Shutterfly that expire soon. I've not really tried very hard to finish until today. I swear I have been working on this all day long (in small increments while the babies nap) and I am nowhere near finished yet. Oh well, I'll just have to try and finish up after they go to sleep tonight.

Jumpster

Grace and Jake tried out the Jumpster they got for Christmas for the first time today. Jake went first and hated it. He started crying almost immediately. Grace followed, but unlike her brother, she loved it!

Grace enjoying the Jumpster

What happens...

...when you try to dress Aggie babies as Longhorns?

Jake and Grace get very mad!

Actually, I was trying to take some pics of Grace and Jake in the UT outfits my aunt and uncle gave them. Jake accidently scratched Grace so she started screaming. He, in turn, joined in the fun and burst into tears as well. I took one last picture and put the camera down to comfort them. Jake calmed right down, but it took a little longer to get Grace happy again.

A happy pic of Grace & Jake in their Longhorn outfits

Jake

Grace

Ummmmm...

Would someone please tell the babies that our day doesn't start at 5:30am? Apparently they thought their day today should start bright and early. Despite our best efforts they wouldn't go back to sleep. Finally they went back to sleep from 8-9:30, but I'm really hoping this doesn't become a habit. I am not very pretty at 5:30 in the morning.

Cutie Pies

Mr. Jake

Miss Gracie Girl

Welcome to the Church

Grace and Jake were baptized on New Year's Eve. They were so good! They didn't even cry, and they only fussed a little at the very end of the ceremony.

Daddy holding Jake as Father Roy dries his hair

Mommy holding Grace as Father Roy baptizes her

Watch Out!

We're on the move! Grace and Jake can now roll over. Grace rolled over for the first time on Christmas eve, and Jake followed shortly thereafter by rolling over on January 7th.

Grace rolling


Jake rolling

A Weekend in Dallas

We have some traveling babies! After going to Austin the previous weekend for Aunt Kelly's graduation UT, we went to Dallas for Aunt Chelsea's (a.k.a Tia Loca) graduation from UNT. The babies finally got to meet Great Grammy.

The babies spend time with Great Grammy

Little Jake with Great Uncle Jim

Miss Grace with Aunt Kelly

Hey Everybody, We can Smile!

It can be really hard to catch those baby smiles on camera, but I finally did it!

Jake smiles at Daddy

Grace thinks Mommy is silly

Merry Christmas!

Grace and Jake visit Mr. Claus

Tummy Time

Mommy makes us spend time on our tummies everyday so we can get strong!

Grace and Jake have tummy time together

Mr. Jake

Miss Grace

Bathtime Fun!

Scrub-a-dub-dub Jake in the tub

Scrub-a-dub-dub Grace in the tub

Happy Halloween!

Grace and Jake sleep through picture time

The Beginning

Grace and Jake were born on October 3, 2005, about 5 weeks early. Jake arrived at 6:54pm, weighed 4lbs 14oz, and was 18 inches long. Grace arrived at 6:55pm, weighed 4lbs 10oz, and was 17 inches long. Despite their prematurity, both babies were able to breathe on their own. However, they did require additional time in the hospital to learn how to eat as their sucking reflex wasn't present yet. Grace came home after 2 weeks 2 days, and Jake came home after 2 weeks 5 days. They have grown so much since they were born. At 3 months old, they both weigh right around 11lbs.

Here are some early pics:

Grace less than 24hrs after birth

Jake less than 24hrs after birth

Jake and Grace about 1 1/2 weeks old

Jake and Grace at about 1 month old

Welcome!

Well, I guess I'll join the crowd and create my own blog chronicling my journey as a new mom. It may not be all that interesting since we do pretty much the same thing everyday. Guess we'll see soon enough!