This House Has 12 Eyes Now.

What a fast few weeks it has been!

 

 

I'm not even sure where I left off..but here are a few major things that have happened:

 

1. We had a MAJOR Hail storm last week!

 

 

It was so wild- but thankfully we didn't have any damage on anything except our grill cover.

 

2. Since getting our new convertible car seats, Brad has not been able to fit in it very easily-- our seats are pushed so far forward that his knees are hitting the steering wheel.

Well we have been talking about getting a new vehicle- 2 kids with friends, are NOT going to fit into our current car..so we have been thinking about the future

Well the future came QUICK! I'm not sure what happened, but within 4 days, we looked, found, test drove and Purchased a new car! Whew!

 

Here she is!

2006 Chevy Tahoe!

 

It's incredible how much space there is inside it!

I'm excited to take trips with the boys in it!

It came fully loaded- Dvd player, leather seats, navigation, sunroof...etc..

 

We are currently trying to sell our 2 vehicles- so if anyone is interested::

1999 Honda CRV and

2005 Pontiac Grand Prix

 

Let me know ! ;)

 

Also,

The boys glasses have FINALLY arrived!!

Here are the boys with Daddy -- The day the glasses arrived--

 

Here are the glasses!!

*Everyone should be able to tell them apart now*

On the Left -(With SILVER glasses)- - Eli

On the Right-(With DARK GREY glasses)- - Blake

Blake and Mommy

Eli and Mommy

 They seem to be doing really well with them!

 

They are looking at EVERYTHING..and will sometimes just stare at objects.. They aren't even messing with them too much- Thank goodness.

We will see how it goes for a full week.

 

When I look into their glasses...WOW- these poor boys are blind! I can't see anything when I look through them! I feel so bad they went this long not seeing well..You hear doctors say how bad it is, but you don't really understand until you literally 'look though their eyes'.

 

They really do seem to be helping already! I will sit across the room and just smile..and they start laughing SO hard! So i'm pretty sure they can see me ;)

 

 

I have a great cake coming up this weekend! I'm really looking forward to making it and can't wait to show you all the pictures of it!

 

 

Oh-- and As of today; Our family is going Gluten Free for a while. 

We are hoping that it solves all of Brad's swallowing issues, headaches and mouth sores.. But we will see.  It will be very interesting- I think I am more excited about it than he is- but last night we made his PB&Js on GF bread and packed his lunch.  He is stopping his medicine while we try this.

 

Hopefully it all helps and we will have solved his problems and not need drugs everyday!

If not, we will go back to meds and maybe try something else down the road.

 

 

Happy Tuesday!

<3

 

 



No Joke.

I can't even count how many times I have written about teething and how many minutes and hours a day I have Thought about teething.

 

If I haven't said this before... I. HATE. IT.

Teething could be the single thing that makes me not want to have anymore kids...

 

I can finally feel 2 of Eli's top teeth..So I know they have broken skin, but not all the way through..

I can still only feel 1 of Blake's top- BUT I can see 2 more ready to push through...so he will have 3 top teeth soon.

 

 

For those who are not parents, or it has been a long time since you've been a parent, Let's run through exactly what teething does to a baby...

 

1. They stop drinking all of their formula.. which makes them really hungry, sooner, which makes them cry.

2. They stop eating solids from a spoon.. So they are even more hungry..

3. They can't seem to find the right item to chew on to ease the pain.. *I have seemed to solve this issue... DOG CHEW TOYS.. They are PERFECT. Rubbery, but firm.. I feel like I should give every new mom a dog chew toy at their baby showers...hahaha

3. It Hurts..So they SCREAM... But they usually only do this screaming at bed time.. You are trying to end the day and give them love and cuddles...and all they can do is cry. 

 

 

BLAH..

 

At least this only lasts for the first 1 1/2-2 years.....

 

So, Eli has been doing this weird screech during the day... We finally realized today he is throwing a little 'temper tantrum'.  Who would have thought that an 8month old would know how to do this..

Unfortunately, with twins...What One does the Other must do.. So it seems like Blake is starting to realize that this tantrum is getting Eli the attention he wants...

So, mommy has to bear down and give them a stearn talking to and letting them know that this attitude is not going to get them anywhere- and as soon as they calm down, mommy will give them attention..

*Obviously I can't just ignore a screeching baby, but my stearn voice seems to quiet them for a minute.. I think, for now, that is enough for me- I believe they slightly understand that this 'tude is not going to be tollerated ...especially 2 'tudes...hahah

 

 

-- The title "No Joke" was mostly meant for the Dog Toy part... I'm not joking when I say it is the best teething item..

 



They Don't Warn Parents..

And here is yet another thing 'they' don't warn you when you become a parent..

 

Separation Anxiety.

 

Sounds harmless right?
Just snuggle more, hold more, love on more...

But with two? Wrong.

 

On top of this newly discovered anxiety, welcome the top teeth pushing through..

 

These past two days haven't been the easiest in our house.

It's hard, because I feel like every time there is something 'wrong' with the boys, I freak out and feel like something is going on with their eyes...

What used to be a normal baby issue, or normal parental worries, have turned into fears, concern and general 'Freak Outs'. 

 

I wish I could be more rational.. I wish I could take everything lightly..

But ever since their eye issues, I'm so nervous that they will regress, they will get worse again, their pain will come back, or their pressures will rise again.

 

I'm trying hard not to have these fears. I'm doing a lot of research (Like I do everyday..) And have read so many other parents saying that right around 8-9months their babies just get WEIRD.

 

So i'm taking it in stride.. Another phase, another stage, another thing that nobody ever warns you about.

 

So, for you parents out there that have not reached this age/stage..BEWARE.

 

It is not very fun... It also doesn't seem very fair for the babies..

Why would God make these poor little tots go through all of this pain physically and mentally??

At the same time!?

 

Rough.

 

Obviously we all make it through and never remember it, but I feel like as a Mother, I will NEVER forget it. haha.

 

My Mantra::   This Too Shall Pass.

 



So Much So Fast!

Recently it feels like Blake and Eli are learning a new skill everyday!

 

They figured out how to use their Thumb and Pointer Finger (The Pincer Grasp) And are feeding themselves the little 'puffs' and yogurt 'drops'.

 

It's so much fun to watch them pop little bites of food in their mouths!

 

Every time they got a piece of food in their mouth, I would clap my hands and say 'Yaaaay'.

Well after about 2 days of clapping and saying 'Yay', Blake figured out how to clap!

 

He is now clapping all day long! And if you say 'Yaaay' why he is clapping he gets the BIGGEST grin on his face and almost falls over, he is so excited!

 

Eli now stands up on the walker and just takes off walking! Without anyone helping or pushing the walker...Scary! That kid will fly across the living room without any help! Is that normal? A 7 1/2 month old walking only with the walker? 

 

This weekend we took the boys to their first Farmer's Market!

We walked around for 1 1/2 hours! They were so great and loved every minute of it!

 

Each day I seem to find a new bruise on their legs..they crawl and stand and fall...then crawl and stand and fall..and they love it!

 

They also officially respond to their name.  I can't imagine how confusing it is to have 2 different names being said all day long, but they are finally figuring out who is who (I think)- along with that, if we tell them 'No' or the 'Come here' they are starting to understand and after saying it a few times they will listen!

 

We went on our first wagon ride today! 

 

They loved it! Such big boys! They held onto the sides and eventually got brave and let go :) They were looking around and taking in the outdoors!

 

OH! and BREAKING NEWS!!

Blake has his top 2 teeth and Eli has 1 of his top teeth! FINALLY FINALLY!!!!

I can't wait till they get bigger -- they will be so darn cute ;)

 

Well Behaved Little Boys.

If any of you have babies, you know it's almost impossible to keep a 7 1/2 month old sitting still, sitting in your lap and being quiet.

The sitting still part is the hardest with our boys.

Now that they can crawl, they don't want to be stuck anywhere! Even if it is Mommy's lap :(

 

So, when you are trying to keep 2 babies calm at a 2 HOUR long Eye appointment..I know it's asking a lot.   And on top of that, I was by myself for this eye appointment.

 

I was a nervous wreck!

 

So, this morning, I packed a big bag of toys, a big blanket and lots of snacks.

We headed to Riley's Childrens Hospital for our 8:00am eye check up!

 

Blake and Eli blew me away! My expectations for them were honestly pretty low.. But my word.

They played on the floor with their toys, they crawled around, they ate snacks and played some more!

 

They sat still and quiet on my lap for 5 minutes at a time, while the other one played on the floor- then I switched kids..  They gave them drops to dilate their eyes..then we had to wait for 20+ minutes.

 

Not a single cranky noise out of them! The doctors were blown away too at how well behaved they were!

 

It really made me happy though, because it gave the doctor almost unlimited time looking into their eye and testing out different lens prescriptions for them- so now we KNOW they got the right prescription..

Yes, that's right.  Today, we had to order BOTH Blake and Eli their glasses.

I am sad-- but really optimistic.

These boys are so perfect and adorable just as they are, I don't want to put junk on their face that will cover up their cute faces....but i'm really hoping that this will help them get better skill at grabbing small foods and will improve their skills at feeding themselves...hopefully they will start walking sooner if they can see all the way across the room.

 

They both are near-sighted and have astigmatism.

 

Here are the glasses they will be getting!

I got Blake's pair in dark grey, and Eli's will be a lighter grey/silver.

They should be coming in the mail within the next 2 weeks.

Again, Medicaid is helping us out BIG TIME with paying for these... Even baby glasses are NOT cheap.

Yesterday The boys (And Mommy!) Had a fun playdate!! We drove down to Martinsville to see a little Miss Maylee!

It's so much fun and super interesting to watch Blake and Eli interract with other babies. They still pretty much like to crawl all over each other and beat up on each other. But they were super interested in watching Maylee's moves.  They seem like typical boys, taking Maylee's cute girly toys and banging them on anything they could find ;)

I had such a nice day hanging out with another Adult and FEMALE hahaha. Seems like it has been so long since I have had another mommy to talk to about everything.

It's also super nice that they boys are doing so great that they are able to have these fun days now!

 

 

I got some great news from IU Health this week, that our hospital bills officially have a balance of $0.00!!

Such wonderful news for our family, financially.

And, we will actually be getting a small refund from the boys' bills that we had already paid for.

It is literally 100lbs lifted off of Brad and my shoulders. Knowing that we will have the money to buy the food the boys need or clothing they need... it's not much, but not having to pay those hospital bills is a HUGE deal in this house.

I can't believe this week is almost over! Seriously every day is just flying by so fast!

 

We have now had the boys in their Convertible Car Seats for 1 week now!

THEY LOVE IT!

They have these massive, cozy recliners as car seats now and you can tell they love them.

Which makes driving so much smoother and happier.

 

<3

 



Top Twin News Stories

There has been a LOT of TWIN attention in the news recently, and I would really like to address these Twin encounters...

 

 

 

#1. Parents of 14 month old Twins handed out snacks and earplugs on plane to 'apologize in advance' to fellow passengers (but after all that they DIDN'T even cry)

 

 

                               Honestly, I think this is incredible.  Brilliant in many ways.. How amazing would it be to be of this flight and to know that these parents understand that they are causing some aggrevations and annoyances.  Also, it will probably help get you some nice 'friends' on the flight..as a mom of twins, ANY help is appreciated..even just passing a diaper bag, grabbing a toy that got flung, or making it easier to get in and out of a seat in the plane. BUT, I also think it is totally Unnessesary! Babies CRY, Babies SCREAM, Babies get poopy diapers, they get hungry and they don't like being stuck in a stuffy plane with stinky people and ears popping ANYMORE THAN ANY ADULTS... So, if another passenger on the plane got irritated..they are ignorant..

                           Like I said, I do think it is brilliant..make friends, get help... but really? Apologizing for babies is over the top..I don't apologize for having to snack or drink or pee while on a plane...

 

 

 

#2.  Twins using Potty-training chairs at table at a Restaurant in Utah.

 

 

 

OK, W.T.F. 

Although I have not had to go through the potty-training process, I do understand that I will probably be using any means to get my twins potty trained. I understand twins are stressful and you do what you have to do to keep kids happy and get Sh*t done...

But Really?!?

 

Who in their right God-given mind would not just take the kids' potty-training chairs to a restaurant, but USE THEM AT THE TABLE!!!!!!!!

 

I can probaby quarantee that the mother of these kids doesn't take her dinner into the bathroom with her and take a dump while eating...So why the heck would she make her kids??

Not only that, but now she is making the Public eat their meals while smelling her kids taking a dump!

 

Sanitary much?

It really makes you want to vomit just thinking about seeing this happen at a table next to you..

Whatever happened to "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service"?

What about no clothes period????

I'm hoping that CPS took a hard look at this mom and is making sure she isn't taking other parts of parenting to an extreme..

 

**I do have a second issue with this story.. WHY would another guest of this restaurant and on-looker of this horrendous act, sit there and SNAP A PHOTO OF A NAKED BABY!!?

Is this not considered child pornography ?

They couldn't just call someone..they had to take a photo?...ew. Just Ew.

 

 



 

#3.  This is the best Twin story of the week!  11 month old Twins dance to their Dad's guitar playing!

 

 

 

 

                                          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8iOQ9zWP6A

 

Simply put... TWINS ROCK.

And I am reminded of this EVERYDAY with my boys!

These little girls are awesome and adorable..but one day...watch out world..
The Waits Twins are coming!!

 

Happy Friday!

 

18 months?!?

What another crazy week!

 

You would think that these boys are walking - the way i'm having to chase them around!

I haven't been able to sit all week!

 

Blake will go one direction while i'm entertaining Eli, and next thing you know, you hear a crash and he knocked something else over..so I run over to get him out of trouble, and I hear another noise... Eli pulls all the DVDs off the shelf!

 

 

(Uh Oh.....Yes, he pulled that off the shelf himself) lol

 

My word..  These next few years are going to be NUTS.

 

I can't even go to the bathroom while they are awake anymore! haha.

 

We have officially graduated to the Big Boy baths!! They are sitting up on their own in the bath and they LOVE LOVE it!

 

(Eli did not want his picture taken..he wanted to play with his froggy haha)

 

They love that they get to play with all of the toys and move around whenever they want to.

 

It's amazing how smooth they are at catching themselves before they fall or using quick reflexes to grab onto the side of the tub!

 

I went shopping last night to get more diapers, wipes and sleepers for this winter.

 

THANK YOU again to everyone who gave us Gift Cards at our Baby shower! I am still using them for our Diapers and Cannot say thank you enough times! You would NOT believe how expensive Diapers for 2 kids are!!

 

 

It is so hard to buy clothes for these boys....

We are definitely in 12 & 18 month Onesies...The strange part is that in "outfits" we are still in the 6-9month clothes.. Their pants are still 6months.. My boys have tiny waists! But big bellies :)

 

WOW...my kids are only 7months old!  I know they are big boys..but not THAT big...Again, these baby companies need to figure it out..

I think they purposly screw with the sizes so you are forced to buy double the clothing..

Which means i'm buying Quadruple?

 

Anyways, Target has a height chart in the baby section..so I took the sleepers to that and put the footies on the floor and tried to see how tall of kids they would fit...

The 12 month ones were WAY too short... My boys are already 27"+! They were that tall at 6 months!

 

So, I had to buy 18month Sleepers.. At least I know they will get us through this entire winter.. I ended up getting 4 with feet and a bunch of shirt/pant PJs..so they will hopefully even get us to next summer!

 

*So, if anyone decides they would like to buy the boys some clothing... Not asking for it, but just letting you know-- PLEASE do not buy anything smaller than 18months anymore :) Just to be on the safe side!

 

 

Blake's teeth...seems like I have been talking about these top teeth for months now *Probably becasue I have been*

 

I can see the top 4 teeth now! They are pushing through which has made him a not-so-happy kid during naps... But at least I can see them all now and I know that ANY day they will finally bust through and end his pain!

It looks HELLA painful... but super cute too! ;)

 

They are also LOVING solid/meal times!

They are easily EACH downing a jar of fruits at breakfast, a jar of veggies at lunch and another jar of veggies at dinner... WOW hungry kids. ;)

*When I say "jar" I mean 4oz of my homemade foods...they just don't like store bought purees!*

 

I have had to change out daily 'routine' quite a bit to accomodate their solid feedings, which is fine, I'm just glad they have taken to it so well!

SO, as of now, Our schedule is::

 

7am-              Feed 6-7oz bottle

8am-              Feed Fruits

9am-              Nap

10-10:30am- Wake & Play

11am-            Feed 6-7oz bottle

12pm-            Feed Veggies

1pm-              Nap *they haven't been going down till 2ish most days

3pm-4pm-     Wake & Feed 6-7oz Bottle

5pm-              Feed Veggies

6pm-              Bath

6:30-7pm-      Feed 7oz Bedtime Bottle

 

 It's been working out really well and i've been really pleased with this schedule!

The extra food really seems to help them make it a solid 2-3 hours awake which means no more early nap times.

 

We tried Meat for the first time yesterday...They HATED it...

a lot.

 

It was pork, homemade...

 

They are so good at eating now, they open their mouth, lean in towards me etc...but once they had that meat in their mouth, they were afraid to come back for more! lol

 

So I put some carrots in their mouth so they would know I wasn't trying to give them more pork...then after about 2 bites of carrots, when I had their trust again, I would feed them another bite of pork...and we started the process over haha!

 

I'm sure after trying it for a few days they will like it a little better...but as of yesterday, we have some Vegetarians in our house! hehe.

 

 

Well, that seems to be all happening in our world.

 

Today is my little sister's 23rd birthday!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUZ!!

 

She will be coming to visit this weekend and I can't WAIT to finally spend some time with her!

Miss her so much.  <3

 

TGIF!



 



Proud Mama of 7 month olds!

Unfortunately, I feel like there isn't much to blog about recently!

The boys are doing so amazing!

 

The 7th month milestone seems to be a great month for us already!

 

I know you are not supposed to compare kids, and I really try not to, but I must say...Our boys are simply BRILLIANT. 

They are only 7 months, they haven't had hardly any eye sight the first 6 months, they have had non-stop headaches for 6 months, and gone through 2 surgeries each..and Yet I still find they are way ahead of other people's kids ;)  --I have to brag! hehe

 

My big boys sitting in the cart at Sam's Club! They LOVED it!! They loved seeing all of the colors and people. :) It was the best shopping experience we have ever had with the boys... and their carts hold 2 babies!!

 

I will say, my boys might be 'advanced' but they are the size- weight and height- of a 12 month old!

These little boys are SO hilarious too.

They just randomly start cracking up laughing either on their own or with each other. It's so awesome to sit here and watch them play with each other.

I can't imagine having 1 baby and them not having someone to laugh with at this age..

it is just so amazing.

 

 

 

These are "Healthy" Milestones that should be reached by 7 months.

Movement Milestones

• Rolls both ways (front to back, back to front)  Check!
• Sits with, and then without, support of her hands  Check!
• Supports her whole weight on her legs   Check!
• Reaches with one hand   Check!
• Transfers object from hand to hand  Check!
• Uses raking grasp (not pincer)  Check!

  **On top of that...we are both::
Crawling..and FAST
Using the Pincer grasp to get small foods
Pulling themselves to Standing
Squating down from standing to grab a toy and standing back up
Go from standing to sitting (Not falling)
Can stand by themselves (Not holding on to anything) for short periods
Walking along furniture!

Visual Milestones

• Develops full color vision  Obviously can't tell
• Distance vision matures  Working on that!
• Ability to track moving objects improves  Check!

Language Milestones

• Responds to own name Getting there! It's a lot more difficult when mom & dad are saying 2 different names all the time! ;)
• Begins to respond to “no”  Check!
• Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice  Check!
• Responds to sound by making sounds  Check!
• Uses voice to express joy and displeasure  Check!
• Babbles chains of consonants  Check!

 We now know::      Ga, Da, Na, Clicking tongue, Smacking lips

Cognitive Milestones

• Finds partially hidden object Check!
• Explores with hands and mouth Check!
• Struggles to get objects that are out of reach Struggles?...they just crawl over to them! haha

Social and Emotional Milestones

• Enjoys social play Check! They are having the BEST time playing with eachother!
• Interested in mirror images  Double Check! They are obsessed with themselves in the mirror ;)
• Responds to other people’s expressions of emotion and appears joyful often Check!

It's interesting..obviously this is the minimum list ..but i'm just such a proud mama! After all of their 'obstacles' they are still learning and growing so fast!!

 

This 3-day weekend was AMAZING!

 

It has been wonderful having Brad home everyday!  I have gotten a few naps in and taken a few trips out of the house alone :D

 

And, Brad is DONE with our Bathroom remodel!!!!

Now that he is finished, I get to start buying my part...

 

Towel bars, art work, and a corner chair and wall mount to hold towels !!

 

It is so beautiful! I must say I have great ideas and combined with Brad's hard work and do-it-yourself attitude, we make a great team!

 

I will post pictures soon!

 

Have a wonderful 4 day work week!

 

<3