What was in that bottle Ma?

For some reason I am really good at capturing my kiddies with the "strangest" expressions! Any who, where does the time go? I mean really, where does it go? I promise just yesterday Jon and I were in the doctor's office watching the "way-outta-date-why-do-you-even-still-have-that-thing" sonogram machine (we were lucky, every time we went, which ever doctor I would see would always pull out the dinosaur to make sure there were still 2 heart beats) listening to the mid-wife say she did believe we had a BOY and a GIRL in my fast growing belly! We were elated but not shocked since Hannah had been saying all along that it was a boy and a girl.

Oh how we love watching these two change and grow. But I tell ya, it is sad. Every now and then my heart feels heavy knowing that by this time next year (the good Lord willing) we wont have two babies anymore, we will have two toddlers. Even though by the end of each day I am so exhausted that all I want to do is hurry up and get them to sleep so I can go flop on the couch and watch t.v. till my eyelids droop shut, I secretly don't want to put them down after they finally fall asleep. I always look at the clock and whisper to myself "5 more minutes Mama, they wont always want you to do this." So I stay 5 more minutes and take in the smell of their fuzz (we still don't have hair!) and try to memorize exactly how they feel in my arms. It is during those moments I am reminded that Motherhood really is bliss!

I mixed some applesauce in with the rice cereal tonight and Audrey didn't gag! She really liked it this time. I still had to play the game where you keep the spoon right at her mouth so you can push back in most of what she spits out so she can get some of it in her little belly! James seemed to like it better too! And he also got to try green beans tonight. He liked them, I think. Every time I'd put a spoonful in his mouth, he would just let it sit on his tongue while giving me the look of "Uh, Mom I know you are trying to help me grow but seriously, what is this stuff?" Then he would swallow some of it and blow the rest out. He never gaged or shut his mouth (well maybe he just hasn't learned that technique yet!) so I am assuming he liked it!

He was fascinated by the print on his high chair!

He talked to it for quite a while!

Time for Safety

This morning I woke to a rustling noise coming from the monitor followed by baby babble. I knew rustling noises were not good since they don't have toys in their beds and no one was up yet to give them any. So I wandered in there to find my son chewing on the cords to the monitor that had been stratigically placed in the far left corner of his bed (notice it is now in the right corner) to ward off such an incident. Oh well, it was the thought that counts, right? Oh and I also caught Audrey chewing on the antena to her's so I guess we are gonna have to find another place for them. Now I am gonna loose some sleep the next few nights until I get adjusted to the fact that it will still pick up their every breath outside of the crib!

Audrey is SUCH a monkey. Yesterday they both started sitting up in the swing and this morning I found her hanging over the edge of it. She does that in her bumbo seat too. It's like she knows she is confined to that space and tries to get out of it. She does not like to be still, not for a moment. Now I can't leave them in the swing because just as soon as I do James will topple out onto his head and Audrey will be crawling over the side and sliding down the pole!

Here's some more pics from the weekend in Macclenny.

1st Annual Meeting

We enjoyed our time at Macclenny's meeting. We heard some wonderful preaching and the twins did so good at their first Primitive Baptist Annual Meeting! They hung in there for every service like little troopers and slept well at night, well except for the last night! They totally enjoyed all the attention they got and really liked being passed around from arm to arm! Especially Audrey, she was totally in her eliment! During the night services she didn't even THINK about closing her eyes for a second. James on the other hand had to have a snooze during the song service every evening!

We started rice cereal yesterday. I'll let you make your own assumption as to how they liked it!

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Well-Check #435

We had another well-check yesterday and everything checked out well!
James:
Weight-15.1
Height-25 in
Head circum-44!
Percentile for his age-35
Audrey:
Weight-12.4
Height-25 in
Head circum-42.2
Percentile for her age-20

Dr. Walker said they are on target with their gestational age (due date) in their motor skills!
He said they are well past their adjusted age (present age) with their social skills and such. Which is just such a blessing! He told me that social skills (the way they interact with people and respond to voices and sounds and the sounds they make themselves) are the most important because those skills cannot be fixed. But you can fix motor skills if they are behind in those. But Praise be to God that our children are not lagging behind in any area!


James has started finding the corner of any blanket that is near him and pulling it over his head (as pictured above) and he loves it for some reason. But sometimes he can't get it off which is scary. I really have to watch him now and it has been a little hard to get too sleep at night lately for worrying about him getting caught under his blanket. Thank goodness for the Angel Care monitor if that was too happen though! And pictured below is one afternoon during his nap. He woke up and threw a fit for about 25 seconds that day and this is how I found him after he had quieted down. I guess he changed his mind and decided sleep was the better option!They had to get shots yesterday. It's bad when you don't know ahead of time that they have to get shots. I was a little nervous when he told me because I chose to go by myself yesterday since they weren't getting shots. HA. You better believe I asked before we left if they had to get any next time. They assured me no. They both did very well once again. My little troopers! Audrey was first since her feelings usually get hurt the worst. After James had his the nurse handed him to me and I sat down with both of them. The moment Audrey saw him, what do you think the little rat did? Yep, she yanked his pappy out which I think hurt his feelings worse than those old shots! What am I going to do with her? We will start baby foods next week. Oh joy! And he also wants them to take a fluoride supplement every day until they are 3 since we are on well water. He said it helps with tooth decay and such. We have had a really good week so far and it is only going to get better this weekend. We are packing up and heading down to Macclenny tomorrow and are so excited. If you haven't already planned to go, you should. The Lord is always merciful to make his presence known there. May meeting is always a shot in the arm and it is extra special to us since Jon was ordained at that meeting. It will be 5 years ago this time. Wow. Hard to believe so much time has passed and so many things have changed!

The Pappy Bandit

So, Audrey learned something new this weekend.

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We have laughed all weekend at her new trick. She just all of a sudden decided bubby's pap looked interesting and figured why not try it out. I'm just waiting until he learns to take it back. Or even worse, take hers! All day today she has been taking his pappy. She even took it out of his mouth after he spit up on it and started chewing on it. NASTY. The funny thing is you can tell she knows it is not hers because she doesn't leave it in her mouth for very long. Instead she takes it out and chews on the nipple or just holds it in her hand while she sucks on hers! While I was rocking them for their nap this afternoon (yeah, sometimes they have to be rocked together) she kept reaching over with those bony little fingers trying to get at it. I kept having to pull her hand away until finally I just had to get them as far apart as possible! My oh my what will she start doing next?

Why children should come with warning labels!

WARNING! Child could start flipping over and scooting at any moment. Be cautious of anything in their path that's not stuffed.

As you've probably already figured out, Audrey proudly received (well, not really) her first goose egg this week. She rolled/scooted her way over to the short, blue swing and banged her head a few times on the metal supports. She was trying to reach the chair part on the swing and was having to reach up above her head so it must have been to much for her to hold her head for very long. Poor baby. If I was a good mother I would have already wrapped those metal things in foam! One day the child was rolling over a few times a day; then outta no where she started doing it EVERY time you put her on her back. And once she figured out she could roll from stomach to back then back to stomach, there was (is) no stopping her. She works really hard at it too, trying her best to push up on those knees and crawl. Oh my goodness. Just when I thought life was getting easier they go and get mobile. James is turning over more and more these days too, just not as much as little sissy. He loves to watch her do all the work.

They are now caged like little monkeys!

We sleep on our tummy now!

He's almost as long as the changing table!

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I finally did it!

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Oh, give it to me..........

Poor bubby's gums have really been giving him a fit lately AND both of the twins are VERY interested in anything you drink or eat. I let them hold Coke cans or water bottles when I'm drinking one and they just love it. At Hannah's party mama was drinking a Pepsi and James kept reaching for it so she finally let him grab it and it eventually made it into his mouth (don't worry, she wiped it off). I guess the coldness of it felt so good to his aching gums. He sat in her lap like that for a long time, just sucking on the Pepsi can. Every now and then he'd take it out, examine it, then put it back in his mouth!

We had a wonderful time at my sister's last week but again, the time just flew by. When it was time to leave Friday I couldn't believe it. It felt like we had just gotten there. Betsy and I traded kids a few times, which was a nice way to change things up! I got to experience what my life will be like a year from now and 3 years from now. She learned what it was like to have twins. We canceled out each other's groaning with that trade I do believe!

Hannah turned 4 last Thursday and we had a great party. James and Audrey really enjoyed their first birthday party, they were totally in the zone but that could be because I let them nap from 5-6 so they wouldn't be too grouchy. I want everyone to think I have two of the most well behaved 7 month olds out there!

Hannah had a Princess party so she had crowns for all the little girls to wear and Audrey loved hers! But the party hat, not so much.

How strange it was to see Shannon holding my babies. I remember when she was the cutest little chunky monkey around and my sister had to play the airplane game with her to get ear to eat her baby food! Now she is holding MY babies and getting married in September.

My Aunt Janice (or Granny Jany) had one of the twins in her arms from the time she got there till the time they left! Her and Uncle Kiah were so excited to see them;it was the first time I've gone home with the twins since they got out of the hospital and there were alot of people there to see them! It is fun to hear people who saw them in the NICCU exclaim how big they are now.
See how James sorta has one eyebrow cocked up higher than the other? That is his new thing. He doesn't do it often so it is hilarious when he does do it!

Wonderful Mother's Day

I am so blessed to have two healthy, beautiful children and a husband who appreciates me as the mother to his children. Jon preached a wonderful sermon yesterday about mother's and tied it in so sweetly (not a dry eye in the house) to the way our Lord Jesus loved and honored His mother while here on earth.

We always have such wonderful meetings at Tired Creek. We really look forward to 2nd and 4th weekends! I am reminded often of my childhood when I go there. The building,the grounds, the people, the history of it in the community all remind me of my home church Cool Springs. I was so blessed to grow up in a very loving, Christ filled church and I miss it often. I am just thankful to feel at home here and to have such a wonderful, beautiful family to enjoy it with me.
Some of Jon's family came in for the weekend and we had a wonderful time, as usual! When you are having good times with people you love, time seems to slip away so fast. Speaking of time, boy oh boy are my babies growing up. They are turning over ALL the time now, especially Audrey Grace. She turns over in her bed, on the floor and she tries really hard to do it in the swing! I knew I was gonna have to watch her like a hawk!

Grandmother, Grandchildren and Great-Grands

Father, son and grandson

Mother and sons and grandson

Father and son

Is this the same child?

Well this Friday I go back to Macon for my 6 months check up with good ol'Doc Barnes. I cannot believe how time has flown. It seems like just yesterday I treked up there for my 6 week check up and was so sad because I couldn't bring my babies with me to show off. So, I am extremely excited to go this time since I get to bring James and Audrey with me! We are leaving this afternoon to go to my sister's for the week. Hooray!!! I wanted to show how much they have changed since we first came home with them. In the early pictures I believe we had been home a little over a week. I never imagined they would get so big! How very blessed they are!

Her features were so tiny and delicate back then. They still are just slightly larger! If you notice, she was sportin that double chin even back then!

Look what I can do......

Yes, Miss Audrey has found her feet! And she loves to put them in her mouth and James like to put them in his mouth as well!! It is so amazing at how fast they change and I swear James Bryant grew over night last night. I picked him up this morning and he just looked SO BIG. Time passes all too quickly. But I love this stage in their little lives. It seems like every day they discover new things. James has recently found his "loud button" and like his sissy he enjoys to hear him self scream. He is rolling over all the time now and Audrey rolls to her side and tries to lift her self up. Jon says one day I will walk in her room to find her sitting up in her crib! It wouldn't surprise me. She is definitely our wild card! Oh, and she has started saying "da, da" I know that the "d" sound is the first sound they make and I was quite comforted in that fact until Jon walked into the living room Saturday night and Audrey started grinning and saying"dada, dada" Oh boy is daddy delighted, needless to say!!!!!! FYI, I have already started coaching James on saying "mama"! We haven't made any real progress yet but winners never quit! And in the picture below, I know that looks like rice cereal all over her face which actually makes this picture even grosser but alas it is spit up. She was on her tummy yesterday and she spit up and before I could grab a rag she took a nose dive in it and came up just a laughing!

Friday evening while I was cooking supper, I walked into the living room to find this scene and thought it all too sweet to pass up. They love their daddy and they layed there for at least an hour like that, just as content as ever.

Oh those eyes!!!

Notice the hand!