The latest and greatest...

And so it ends…spring break, that is. In theory, a week off of work would have allowed me numerous opportunities to post another update. But, in theory, communism works. We had a super-long list of things that needed to get done around the house and have almost everything crossed off that list. The only thing we didn’t get to was yard work. The best thing about having a really, really big backyard is having a really, really big backyard. But the worst thing about having a really, really big backyard is….also having a really, really big backyard (with enormous hundred-year-old-plus trees that drop sticks like its going out of style). In our defense, the weather this week didn’t cooperate (rainy all week….and a couple of inches of SNOW on the ground this morning!!). The only nice day (and it was a really nice day) was the very first day of break. And who wants to do yard work on the first day of break? Not this girl!

So what kinds of fun stuff did happen this week…???

We had our four-month doctor’s appointment on Wednesday. I know, the girls are now about four and a half months…but working around three schedules (Ian’s, mine, and the doctor’s) proves a daunting task. Ian and I preferred to wait for our spring break (which fortunately coincided this year – we teach in different school districts), and twin appointments (two appointments back-to-back) are more difficult to come by than ones for singletons (which is how people in the world of multiples refer to one baby…I’m still not sold on the term). The girls are healthy and GROWING...Cora is 24 in., 14 lb. 2 oz, which puts her in about the 50th percentile for each. Evaline’s stats: 23.5 in, 12 lb, 8 oz; which puts her in about the 20-25th percentile. A BIG gain on where they started! (Cora has a little over doubled her birth weight, and with a measly 4 more ounces Evaline will have TRIPLED hers!)

We started night-time sleep training this week. The girls have reached a point where they are becoming more aware of “sleep.” I guess at this point, if they fall asleep with a pacifier and wake up without it, they get all freaked-out and won’t go back to sleep. (Our doctor equated it to us falling asleep in our beds and waking up in the car.) So…we’ve had to start putting them down without any sort of prop. The rule: if its not going to be there when they wake up, it can’t be there when they go to sleep. The first night consisted of 40 minutes of crying at bedtime, and about an hour during the midnight hours. The second night was 8 minutes of crying at bedtime, and sound sleep all through the night. Last night? No crying. At all. Down to bed at 8:00pm, up with talking/babbling (not crying) at 6:45 am. A quick bottle then down again until 8:30/9:00. Yes!!! Let’s all hope that last night becomes our new normal!!!

We also started solids this week! I think its fun; Ian thinks its too much work. Cora is taking to it a bit better than Evaline. Last night I had to make a second helping for Cora because she gobbled so much of it up…quite truly: She will grab my hands and bring them to her mouth and can’t wait for another bite of the horrid tasting stuff. Evaline has started to do the same, but while Cora will do it for an entire bowl, 4 or 5 small bites is quite enough for Evaline (she’s so dainty).

The newest “skills” update: Evaline: can sit for several seconds without support! Cora: searches for and picks up toys off the floor that she wants to play with and…rolled over from back to tummy today!!!

And finally, we took lots (and lots, and lots) of pictures this week. I had a hard time narrowing it down to just a couple, so here we go:


Cora, on her way to rolling over...and with her newest favorite toy: the bag of wet-wipes!


Evaline: sitting like a big-girl!


Cora...here she can't quite decide what she thinks of this stuff...

Best-friends (in lamb-shirts)

Best friends, again...but this time without the lamb-shirts

A close-up of those adorable little hands

Evaline likes to put everything in her mouth, things like: Mom's finger...

a teeting ring...(appropriate)

and Dad's knuckles...

They are starting to notice each other more and more. When doing tummy-time, they like to check each other out. Once, they even took turns babbling...it was like a really baby-conversation!

Cora likes to feel and explore everything...from the wet-wipes (above) to her daddy's face.