9 months and ready for summer!!!!

Summer break is here!!!  My post is a few days late this month, but better late than never.  This month has been very busy with soccer games, baseball games, end of the year school parties, physical therapy, etc.  I have piles of "to do" stuff for me just waiting since I am now out of work for the summer, but I am most excited about spending the summer with the kids.  I have lots to keep me busy, as if I was not busy enough :). 

The girls had their 9 month check up this month.  It went well!  They still have a two pound difference between them. Emma weighs 19 pound/4 ounces and is 28 1/2 inches long.  Ava weighs 16 pounds/14 ounces and is 27 1/2 inches long.  They each had a couple of shots, that had them screaming in pain.  Needless to say, it was a quiet ride home.  Emma also had another appointment up at Children's Hospital Plagiocephaly Clinic this month.  The good news is that her head shape improved since the last visit three months ago.  However, the nurse practitioner felt that her head tilt had not improved.  She ordered an x ray of her neck to be sure it was a muscle issue and nothing else.  The x-ray came back and everything looked great, so it is truly a muscle issue.  She also ordered her an eye exam to be sure she does not get a lazy eye from the torticollis (some babies who have torticollis are more prone to a lazy eye because of the head tilt).  The eye exam revealed that she has very healthy eyes, more good news.  Lastly, she ordered her a tot collar.  This is a collar that she has to wear around her a neck when she is sitting up a few times a day for a couple of minutes at a time.  This will prevent her from tilting her head when she is playing.  While the nurse practitioner felt the need to order the tot collar, the PT was surprised she ordered it.  She does not think Emma is severe enough for one of these collars. However, we are ordering one and waiting for it to arrive.  The PT mentioned that the chances of Emma keeping it on are pretty slim.  Emma is definitely a curious baby who wants to grab at everything in sight, keeping this collar on will definitely be a challenge.

The girls are really starting to move all around the room with their rolling.  Emma has learned to sit up on her own.  They are still not crawling, but the Dr. was not concerned with this.  I think they are getting closer.  The girls have moved from the bathtub in the sink to the bathtub.  Emma likes to splash around in the water; Ava likes to cry about her bath time.

The girls have moved to Stage 3 baby food, which has little more texture to it.  It is taking them a little bit of getting used to. Ava seems to gag with each new texture that we introduce her to.  We are also introducing some table food to them.  They both really like bananas. They still need to learn to pick the food up on their own and put it in their mouths. I have also started to give them a cup to drink from, which they like to chew on the spout or throw on the ground. 

They continue to take three naps a day.  As I have mentioned before, they are both pretty good sleepers. We know when they are tired; Emma will bury her head in the nook of her arm and Ava tries to get her whole fist in her mouth to suck on her hand.  You will see a picture below.  When we lay them down we turn on their mobiles and close the door and you will not hear a peep from them.  I am very blessed with this!!

Here are a few pictures of them from this month (I am not sure why the pictures are not clear and and they look"squishy", they were fine on my computer.  I am disappointed because they are adorable pictures :)....

   Emma and Ava playing in bed while mommy puts clothes away

The girls watching Baby Einstein

 They love when their brother and sisters push them around the private drive.

 Ava

Emma

Ava's tired

Emma's tired

 Ava

 Emma

 Emma

 Ava

Ava with PaPa Johnson's hat on

8 months later, one says no and one says yes

Spring is finally here and we have been able to get out and get some fresh air.  Ava and Emma love to go on walks.  I am sure they are just happy to be out of the house.  They had their first Easter this month as well as coloring Easter eggs.  Of course, they want to eat anything they have in their hands. The Easter Bunny brought them a few toys, Puffs to eat, and a new outfit.  The only thing they both were interested in were their baskets, as you will see in the picture below.

They also had their picture taken this month.  We went to Fernbank park to have their pictures taken. As I have mentioned in a previous post, they take turns on when they are going to cry when a stranger (or really does not even have to be a stranger, as Ava cries whenever my dad looks at her) talks to them.  On this day Ava did not like the photographer, so anytime she got near her she would cry.  However, Emma was the smiley girl that day.  We just never know.  With Ava crying, we still got a few good shots.  I was thrilled given the circumstances.  Their beautiful blue eyes really come out in the pictures.

What new things are they doing this month??  They are both sitting up independently on their own now.  They will sit very contently and play toys. I just love it!!!! Although, you cannot sit them too close as Emma usually steals toys away from poor Ava.  At this point Ava does not mind, but I am sure down the road this will change.  They are both rolling over both ways now.  They can move around the room just by rolling. At this point we have to watch what is on the floor because they will grab anything in their sight and put it in their mouth. When we ask them a question, they each come up with different responses, which is pretty funny.  Emma shakes her head no and Ava shakes her head yes.  This seems to fit their little personalities. Emma has just started to say "dada", but much to Marc's dismay she is not associating this with daddy. 

Each time we go to physical therapy, the PT is amazed at how well she is doing.  We are now going every three weeks as opposed to every two.  She has given us exercises to help with crawling and standing while keeping her neck from tilting to the side where he neck is tight.

The are still taking 4 bottles a day and eating a fruit for lunch and veggie for dinner.  I did give them a jar of meat with sweet potatoes mixed. They did not like this at all.  We were getting some good laughs from the faces they were making.  I gave them a 1/2 of a Puff to try. They both did not like the texture, but Emma has come around to getting the hang of "chewing" them.  Ava gags when you put them in her mouth.

I think this sums up month 8 for the twins. We shall see what 9 months brings.......

 Emma looks like the risen one in this picture, which was not the intention.

 

 

 

 I love that they each have the same hand on the same arm out waving.

           Emma

        Ava

 

7 months

March is another month that is going so quickly!  We are all so ready for spring to get here, so we can get outside and play.  However, this means the twins will be attending a lot of spring soccer games and their big brother's baseball games.  We just got a new stroller for them, so they can see what is going on all around them.  I plan to take them on lots of walks as soon as the weather breaks. They are currently attending Melis' indoor games and basketball games and we are so thankful for all of our friends who help with the babies during the games!  There is someone who always wants to snug them :).  They are such good babies, but they do have some anxiety around strangers still.

The twins have done a few new things this month, which is exciting to watch.  Emma continues to do well with physical therapy.  She is making progress with each visit.  The degree that she can turn her neck is improving.  Although, she dislikes her exercises, they are definitely working.  Emma has also rolled over from her belly to her back this month.  We have been working on this in therapy too.  We are still working with Ava on rolling, but she is content lying on her stomach or on her back playing with her toes. She is just like her father and happy to relax.  They both started sitting up on their own.  This is my favorite age, when they just sit on the floor with toys all around them, smiling away. The girls will also wave, which is fun!

Emma and Ava are scheduled to get their pictures taken this weekend.  I am hoping the weather is nice, so we can get some shots taken outside.  I wanted to wait until they could sit up before I got some more professional pictures taken.  I will be sure to post the new pictures as soon as I get them
back.

It is hard to believe that a year ago this month, we were given the news that I had to go on bed rest as well as all of the scary scenarios that went along with those first appointments in March. I often look at these two precious baby girls and remember how scared we were from March 6th until July 26th. Oh how blessed and thankful we are!!



          They look terrified here, but seem to enjoy their walk.  I love my new stroller!

           Melis made this adorable picture for St. Patrick's Day

           Ava looks ready for take off

           Emma

           Emma

           Ava snuggled up with her blanket

         Ava cracking up at her brother

         Tyler also had Emma laughing

      The girls are hard at play.  They love these cubes they are playing with.

           Ava

Emma blowing rasberries as she plays with one of her favorite toys, a chicken leg

      Ava, looking like a baby doll

       Emma waving to the camera

    It is so hard to get twins to smile a the same time!!

       Ava

       Emma

Emma and Ava are half of a year old...times is just flying!  They had their 6 month check up this month and the Dr. said they are doing so well :).  A 2 lb. difference still remains between the girls, but they are both growing on their own curves. Emma is in the 75th percentile for height and weight and Ava is in the 25th, she is still a little peanut.  She did refer Emma to Children's Hospital for a referral because Emma does not turn her neck all the way on her left side.  We have since then taken her to the physical therapy department at Children's and they diagnosed her with Torticollis, which is a tightness in the neck muscles.  We were given exercises to do with her at home 10 times a day for 10 seconds each and we were supposed to get PT weekly.  However, I took her last week for the first time and the PT said we were doing so well with the exercises at home, that we could continue to do the exercises at home and then come back in three weeks.  This was great news, way to go Emma!!!

The girls are working on sitting up on their own and rolling over.  They are still sleeping very well with about 3 naps a day.  They have started to get up earlier and earlier, but hopefully that will just be a phase :). We are just enjoying every minute of these precious little girls!!

I have included some bath pictures below, which they both love.  I have also included some pictures that my cousin Stephanie took of the girls while we were in the Bahamas.  It was impromptu, thus the pajamas they are wearing :).



                                        Ava

                                            Emma

                                       Ava

                                   Emma