Double the Sweeneys, Double the Fun!: December 2012

Yesterday was our 9 month doctor visit. The doctor and nurse seemed very satisfied with the boys' progress so far. It was pretty amusing - as the nurse was checking off the milestone list, the boys were doing each of the things, like clapping, waving, pinching objects, and making consonant sounds. As we described their abilities, she noted the exact same thing we have - while Riley excels with gross motor skills, Logan excels with fine motor skills. Everything looked good, so the appointment was pretty uneventful, but 2 hours long. The boys got a vaccine but were so well behaved - Riley cried for like 10 seconds and Logan 15 seconds - not much longer than it took to get the vaccine in, put the band-aid on, and pick them up.

The best part of the appointment was that we were given the go ahead to try more and more table foods - eggs, pancakes, waffles, meatballs, sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes (with butter), tilapia, etc. Riley was also given the green like to stop taking Zantac.

Here are the 9 month stats:

Logan:
Weight: 17lbs 1.4 oz (15th percentile)
Height: 27 1/2 in (25th percentile)
Head: 17 1/4 (5th percentile)

Riley:
Weight: 15lbs 15 oz (5th percentile)
Height: 26 3/4 in (2nd percentile)
Head circumference: 17 3/4 (25th percentile)

Our boys are moving up in the world!

On Friday the boys turned 9 months old. We can't believe how big they've gotten! They seem more and more like little boys instead of babies...

9 months

Size

According to our home scale, Riley is about 15lbs 12 oz. He is still in 3-6 month sleep’n’plays, and 3-6 month clothes (he’s finally out of 0-3 month jeans!) Logan has made the big move to 6-9 onesies and outfits, but 3-6 month jeans. The 6-9 month sleep’n’plays still fit him pretty well at this point. According to our home scale, he is about 17 lbs 2 oz.

Their shoe sizes haven’t changed – Riley wears a 2 and Logan wears a 3. Logan is still the culprit taking off his shoes, but the funny part is that lately he takes his right shoe and sock off and leaves the other on.

Eat-Sleep-Play

Riley and Logan are still getting sensitive formula, and they still don’t drink much. They only take 2-5 oz at a time and usually take 4 bottles a day. We stopped worrying about it since they seem to gain weight and we can’t make them eat. Riley is still on Zantac, the same dosage he’s always been on. He takes it really well, so we don’t mind. They still get solid food three times a day; still a yogurt in the morning, rice or oatmeal mixed with fruit in the afternoon, and a “dinner”, a veggie, and a fruit or dessert in the evening. That’s 2 full stage 2 containers now. Plus they get finger food appetizers. They love the gerber graduate little crunchies in veggie dip and mild cheddar. Logan also likes yogurt chips and will eat banana hunks.They still are not fans of the wagon wheels or puffs. They are still using “training sippy cups.” Logan uses it independently, and Riley is at least trying to drink it by himself.

Sleeping continues to be 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. Riley’s third tooth is finally coming in, and Logan has two teeth. We blame that for a lot of the waking up, although I have no idea if that’s really why. Steve has started the boys taking a nap in their crib each afternoon. They are put in their room for an hour, and have to stay in there whether they are sleeping the whole time or not. Steve thinks that has been helping, and now they are starting to go down faster.

Riley is now the fastest crawler in the west. You blink your eyes and he’s in the other room. Apparently last month he was only pushing himself up on things. Now he is pulling himself up on the couch to standing position. Logan has been army crawling and is still rolling. He butt scoots once in a while, which his PT is dead set on against. She said crawling is better for visual development.

Both boys still LOVE toys. They are starting to form attachments to stuffed animals. Riley’s favorite is his lion from Sarah. (It says Riley on it and is so cute!) Logan’s favorite is the blind elephant, also from Sarah. She bought it when she first found out I was having twins, but Penguin pulled the eyes off. We washed it, but never got around to sewing new eyes on. They also really like to hold balls and small things they can bang together. They also like toys that make a lot of noise, which mommy and daddy love.

Logan continues to get physical therapy sessions on Tuesday mornings. His PT doesn’t normally dismiss kids before they crawl. His head still has a flat spot the size of a half dollar, but it’s not nearly as noticeable, and I do think his head rounded out in general.

Personality

Riley and Logan show their personalities more every day. Riley is very giggly and curious and wants to get into everything. He just recently has started to get a little more wary about strangers. When in a new situation, he wants to stay with mommy or daddy for 15 minutes or so until he’s comfortable. Logan will let us pass him around immediately. He is much more easy going in general and still likes to hug, snuggle, and kiss. He still smiles more than Riley, but does not laugh as often (except for at Riley!). They are still 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. Today (Friday) we were out Christmas shopping, and we probably had about 15 people stop to look at them.

Likes:

Riley: Logan, eating solids, toys, crawling, playing with mommy and daddy, the jumparoo, bread, crunchies, computers/phones, Penguin/dogs in general, stuffed lion, banging toys together, stealing Logan’s pacifier, and the remote control.

Logan: Riley, Penguin, his pacifier (he is addicted. We are in trouble), stealing Riley’s pacifier, being held/cuddling, toys, baths, playing with mommy and daddy, bread, crunchies, banging things, the jumparoo, stuffed animals, computers/phones, and the remote control.

Dislikes:

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

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

New this month: Logan army crawling, Logan’s teeth, Riley pulling up to standing, Riley waving, Logan clapping, Riley’s top tooth, Logan holding his own bottle and sippy cup, Logan snuggling with stuffed animals.