8 months!

We can't believe that its been 8 months already! The boys have gotten so big (although really they are just peanuts). Here is out 8 month update!

Whatcha doin' Dad?

Everyone is thankful for us!

Riley, where are you going?

Penguin was very jealous that the boys were getting all the attention. She made it a point to remind us that her "month birthday" was the next day.

But then she decided that she was afraid of her sign, which made picture taking difficult! Check out that drool!

8 months

Size

According to our home scale, Riley is about 15lbs. He is still in 3-6 month sleep’n’plays, and wears mostly 3-6 month clothes (but 0-3 month jeans). Logan is still in 3-6 onesies and outfits, but some of the shirts are starting to get a little short on him, and some brands of onesies are getting a little snug. The 6-9 month sleep’n’plays still fit him pretty well at this point. According to our home scale, he is about 16 lbs.

To aid us in keeping their socks on, the boys now wear shoes when they go out! Surprisingly enough, Logan is the one who is the biggest culprit for taking off his shoes. Riley of course still enjoys taking off his own socks and eating them.

Eat-Sleep-Play

Riley and Logan are still getting sensitive formula, but they really don’t drink much. They only take 3-5 oz at a time and usually take 4 bottles a day. We still worry sometimes, but the doctor has assured us that it’s fine, and they each gained a pound since last month, so I guess we are okay. Riley is still on Zantac, but I don’t think he really needs it anymore. It’s really funny that he used to spit it out, because at this point he gets excited for it like it’s candy. They have been getting solid food three times a day. In the morning they get a yogurt, in the afternoon rice or oatmeal mixed with fruit, and in the evening they get a “dinner”, a veggie, and a fruit or dessert. That means they eat a stage 2 size container and a half for dinner.  Honestly, if we gave them more, they’d eat more, but on the few occasions when we did, they spit up a half hour later. We have started giving them the gerber graduates crunchies on a daily basis. We’ve also tried the waffle wheels and puffs, but they seem to handle the crunchies the best. They are big enough to hold, but small enough that if they get the whole thing in their mouth they don’t choke. They seem to really enjoy “veggie dip” flavor. We are also using “training sippy cups” thanks to Mema. We were trying to teach them to drink from sippy cups, but it usually just meant they ended up soaking wet. My mom found these cups that still have bottle like nipples, but in a sippy cup shape, which have handles as well. They are much more successful with those, although Riley refuses to even attempt holding the handles. Mema also found teething biscuits (which we couldn't find anywhere) which they ate and made a huge mess of on their 8 month bday.

Sleeping has still been a mess. Their last feed is still usually around 8- 8:30, but they wake up several times during the night and can be difficult to get back to sleep. Logan can still calm himself after crying a few minutes, but that just doesn’t happen for Riley – he will cry and cry until we go in there. Before he would only calm for daddy, but now he’s decided he can give mom equal opportunity comforting when he’s upset in the middle of the night. The waking up in the night has been especially bad with teething. Riley has two teeth, and we think he’s working on a third. Logan doesn’t have one yet, but we know it’s ready to burst through any day now. Naps haven’t changed at all - The boys mostly still take their longer naps at the same time, and their naps still can be 20 min cat naps or 1 ½ hour long naps. They typically take one longer nap (like 40 min) in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The boys are now both all over the living room. Riley has been crawling for 3 weeks and is a pro. He has started pulling himself up on things, and can go from crawling to sitting position. Has finally started to use rolling as a means of exploring the living room. He has been able to roll for quite some time, but was quite content to stay in one general area. He sits up beautifully and has great balance, but he can’t get to that position unless someone put him that way. Logan is still very stationary in that regard. He can, however, successfully go from sitting to his belly. He still has made no attempts to push up on his knees, but he does get his belly off the ground with his hands and has gotten into "plank" position.

Both boys still LOVE toys. Their new favorite is a dino that plays music and pops up brightly colored plastic balls, which was a gift from Danny and Jill. They also like the fisher price gumball machine from Mema. Riley has totally figured out how to pull the lever and get the balls out. Both boys love toys in general and will play with anything, especially things that make noise. They are more in love than ever with their jumparoos. It’s pretty hilarious to watch.

Logan continues to get physical therapy sessions on Tuesday mornings, and although his head does not appear to be getting that much rounder, our pediatrician has officially said no helmet and that he has confidence it will round out eventually, especially now that he’s not on his back so much.

Personality

Riley and Logan could not be more different! Riley is the adventurous one. He is a giggly little kid who doesn’t want to stay in one place and wants to see what’s going on everywhere. Logan is much more chill and he is our cuddler. He loves to hug, snuggle, and kiss. He is very smiley too, and tends to smile more at others, but does not giggle nearly as much! They are both very social babies and are willing to let anyone hold them and play with them. They will reach for certain people and want mommy or daddy when they are crabby, but are generally willing to visit with anyone. They are wonderfully behaved when we are out and about or visiting family or friends. We are constantly stopped by people telling us how ridiculously cute and well behaved they are.

Likes:

Riley: Logan, eating solids, toys, crawling, playing with mommy and daddy, the jumparoo, computers/phones, Penguin/dogs in general, and the remote control.

Logan: Riley, Penguin, his pacifier (he is addicted. We are in trouble), being held/cuddling, toys, baths, playing with mommy and daddy, the jumparoo, the gym, computers/phones, and the remote control.

Dislikes:

Riley: Waiting for food, not having his pacifier, and being left alone (when can’t see mommy or daddy, like if we go change Logan’s diaper).

Logan: Waiting for food, not having his pacifier, pooping, and being left alone.

New this month: Logan reaching for specific people, Riley’s teeth, Riley crawling, Riley pulling himself to sitting up, Riley pulling himself up to his feet, Riley clapping (11/20) (Logan clapped a while back but won’t do it now), both boys giving high fives, finger foods, Logan planking

Out takes:

Riley falling over

Catch me, brother!

Gee, thanks.

My arch nemesis the sign is back!

Taken as mom chases after Riley  "Dad, are we done yet?"

Playin' with our balls.

Riley: "I bet I can get this whole think in my mouth"
Logan: "Worst candy ever."

Can we just wrap this up and take a nap?

So many milestones!

So apparently I wrote this on 11/8 but never actually posted it! So.... whenever you see a date, add 10 days!

Our boys are getting so big, so quickly! It seems like every day there is another milestone.
It all started with Riley getting his first tooth a week and a half ago. (11/18 update: he's actually got two now. Logan is still sporting the toothless grin for now) Then a few days later Riley perfected sitting up (Logan already had that down) and last week Riley started crawling (hands and knees - he was army crawling for forever!). (Update 11/18: Riley can now pull himself into sitting position from crawling)

Crawlin' all over

Yesterday we gave the boys their first finger foods. Logan choked a little, but luckily babies have great gag reflexes! They were maple flavored and the boys still smell like pancakes. (11/18 update: we learned to give the puffs BEFORE dinner after Logan threw up for the 2nd or 3rd time)

 


Riley said mama about two weeks ago, but we had a hard time getting him to repeat it. The first time we asked him to repeat it, he said Obama. Then he would say it randomly, but almost never when prompted. Yesterday he started saying dada like a champ. Dadadadada all evening long. We'd prompt him to repeat it and he would. Today he started crawling towards the kitchen where Steve was making dinner. I said, "Where are you going?" to which Riley replied, "Dada!" That made me laugh. So I guess his first word is Dada. It figures - Riley is definitely daddy's boy, and has made it clear that he prefers him to me. That got us thinking though, when do most people count the first word? The beginning of consonant babbling? When they will repeat it back to you? When they say it with a purpose? (When with Dad or reaching for Dad?) The dadada started when Steve was at work....
(11/18 update: Riley stopped saying dada. I think he got annoyed at our asking him to do so. Steve swears last night that when Logan started crying he was calling mamama, but I think he's just trying to make me feel better! He has not repeated it today).

It doesn't end there.... yesterday when we were on Skype with my dad, Logan started independently clapping his hands. My mom always claps with his hands because he holds them flat and not in a fist (like Riley). This was all him though.

In other news, Riley is beginning to pull himself up on various objects! Steve caught him on camera pulling himself up on a toy from Danny and Jill, which the boys love.

While Riley might be pulling ahead of Logan in gross motor skills, Logan is the leader in fine motor skills. He can easily pick up smaller items by pinching them with his thumb and index finger. He can then manipulate the object and turn it around in his hands (especially his pacifier). Riley can do these things, but not nearly as accurately. He is much more clumsy with his hands, dropping things and putting the wrong side of the pacifier in his mouth.

Since you waited until 11/18, here's two bonus videos:

2 cute pics:

Plus here are the boys in their first shoes, purchased today!

It's about time!

I started and stopped this post a dozen times. Oh well, it may be late, but the info is accurate for 7 months, and so are the pictures.

7 months

Size

At our last doctor visit, which was on the 16^th, Riley was 14 lbs 0.7 oz and 25.5 inches long. He is finally starting to grow out of some of the 0-3 Carters onesies and is still in 3-6 month sleep’n’plays. He still wears some of the 0-3 month clothes, especially jeans, but needs 3-6 month for the cloth pants. He wears a lot of 3-6 month clothing as well, but some of it is a bit big. Logan is still in 3-6 onesies and outfits, and is now in 3-6 month pants (including jeans). The 6-9 month sleep’n’plays fit him pretty well at this point. At our last doctor visit he was 15 lbs 1.9 oz and 26 inches long.

Eat-Sleep-Play

Riley is back on sensitive formula like Logan, and they are still getting breast milk. He is still on Zantac, which he likes, but we have stopped the Prevacid. We finally got the eating under control. Both boys are now eating 4- 8oz at a time, and take about 4 bottles a day. Instead of taking an hour, feeding them now takes 10-15 minutes. They have been getting solid food twice a day, and we are now upping them to 3. In the morning they had been eating rice or oatmeal mixed with fruit. In the evening they get a “dinner” like chicken and rice, a veggie, and a fruit or dessert. They split it and get half of each. We also have tried a few fruits in the cool mesh bag things we got from some of our friends and family. We have just added in another meal with yogurt. The boys like eating solids and seem to like everything. They have their preferences, but they will eat anything. We have tried chicken, turkey, apricots, pineapple, mango, strawberry, mixed veggies, pudding, peanut butter, and much more. Logan is still a much messier eater than Riley. The other day he put his hands in his mouth and then rubbed his face and got veggies in his eyebrows.

So food is going well. But it’s always something though, so sleeping has been a mess. Their last feed is still usually around 8- 8:30, but they wake up several times during the night and seem to be early risers, often waking up for good at 6:30.

Naps haven’t changed at all - The boys mostly still take naps at the same time, and their naps still can be 20 min cat naps or 1 ½ hour long naps. They take a long nap nearly every morning. They used to be fairly easy to put to bed, but lately they’ve been a mess. They are not falling asleep or waking up if they do. They cry as soon as we leave the room, so we’ve started to let them cry a little bit before going back in and comforting them. Logan will usually fall asleep after crying a bit. Riley would probably cry for an entire hour if we didn’t go back in there. Luckily, when we go back in he usually falls asleep pretty quickly.

The boys no longer stay in one place. Riley gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth, then lunges forward. He army crawls like a pro and rolls all over the place (in both directions). We can’t seem to keep him on the gyms or on a blanket anymore. He also sits up in his rock’n’play sleeper and manages to twist himself around while strapped in. Logan is a bit more stationary, but he pivots and rolls and does some army crawling. He has made no attempts to push up on his knees, but he does push up on his hands.

Both boys LOVE toys. Their little tikes piano is definitely a favorite, but they pretty much like everything they can get their hands on. They also really like books, so we have been building up our board book library. Of course they like to put everything in their mouths. Their all-time favorite non-food item to put in their mouths is their feet. Keeping socks on them is an exercise in futility. Riley enjoys taking off his own socks and then moving on to Logan’s. When we go out, we have to bring extra socks. Not because we lose them, but because they are so wet they can’t go back on their feet. So if you see our boys out (or at home) with no socks, don’t judge us. We try.

Logan’s physical therapy sessions on Tuesday mornings still don’t appear to be yielding much result. His flat spot is about the size of a half dollar, but we are getting more concerned about the permanence of his odd shaped head.

Personality

Both Riley and Logan continue to be really happy, well behaved kids. At least when we are out or have company. They smile a LOT, they let anyone hold them, they squeal, laugh, and babble . Whenever we take them out places, people always comment on how good (and ridiculously adorable) they are.

Likes:

Riley: Logan, eating solids, toys, army crawling/rolling around, playing with mommy and daddy, the jumparoo, computers/phones, and the remote control.

Logan: Riley, Penguin, being held/cuddling, toys, playing with mommy and daddy, the jumparoo, the gym, computers/phones, and the remote control.

Dislikes:

Riley: Waiting for food, not having his pacifier, sleeping in his crib at night, and being left alone (when can’t see mommy or daddy, like if we go change Logan’s diaper).

Logan: Waiting for food, not having his pacifier, pooping, and being left alone.

New this month: Eating meats, yogurts, peanut butter, and other things. Drinking (aka, taking a shower) out of a sippy cup. Riley rolling everywhere in both directions (Logan tends to roll left, but occasionally rolls right), Logan sitting unsupported, Riley getting up on his hands and knees, and Riley reaching for a specific person wanting to go to them (usually daddy).

New since the 7 month mark (since we are a week late): Riley can now sit unsupported (10/28), he pushes himself into the yoga positions “downward facing dog” and “plank” (10/27), and he got his first tooth (discovered at night on 10/26 – can we add teething to the dislikes?). Logan is pretty much sleep trained. If he doesn’t fall asleep when we are in his room, we let him cry for a bit and he calms himself and falls asleep within five minutes. He has been sleeping though the night again UNLESS Riley wakes him up, but usually he can sleep though Riley’s crying.

Outtakes:

These orange things are much more fun to look at than the camera!

Ooh, that sign is back! 7, I will rip you off completely, if it's the last thing I do!

A wonder-fall weekend

This weekend was full of fall activities! On Saturday Mema, Grandpa, and Uncle Anthony met us at the Philadelphia Zoo at “Boo at the Zoo!” The boys put on their Halloween costumes and we walked around the zoo looking at animals and getting treats! It was so funny to hear people’s reactions when they saw the boys…. Yes, they really are ridiculously cute.

We couldn't have asked for a nicer day! It was bright and sunny with not a cloud in the sky, but it had a nice cool breeze. This meant it wasn't too hot for the costumes, but wasn't cool enough to need a jacket either.

Here we are in the parking lot ready to go once we finally got to park. Unfortunately the big lot was closed for construction and parking was crazy!

 Wait, Mema and Grandpa are here? This day is awesome!!!!

Aren't I the cutest bat EVER?

Off to visit the bears!

Watching the giraffes with Mema

Mommy liked the hay animal sculptures a lot. Daddy liked the candy!

Riley loved playing with Mema and Grandpa at lunch time. Riley would yell and Grandpa would yell back!

Riley's 1st carousel ride!

Logan's first carousel ride!

Uncle Anthony is here too? Can we come every weekend?

When the crocodile saw Riley he opened up his mouth since Riley looks good enough to eat. Riley says, "Oh yeah, Mr. Crocodile? I'll eat you!"

Playin around with Uncle Anthony

The view from the parking lot...

Lets come back tomorrow mom!

On Sunday, we took our newly 7 month old babies to a pumpkin patch. It was another day of gorgeous weather. We all enjoyed being outside so much and mommy and daddy really enjoyed their hot apple cider and apple cider slushies (plus the apple pie we brought home). We got pumpkins to make jack-o-lanterns, honey crisp apples, cider, and baked goods. Riley and Logan can't wait until they are big enough to ride in the wagon!