Movin' and Groovin'

Happy 10 months Boys!

Here's a quick update from the month of August:
Thank you everyone who followed through on my invitation and came to visit me!! Erika and Wade spent a night on their way to a concert in the Gorge.  My friend Renee and her family came through on their way to the Oregon coast. I almost stole her little boy that's the same age as MO. (For some reason I still think I should have triplets). Theron is super cute and would surely be missed. Also, my cousin Tera with her kids stopped by on their way back to Germany (I know my place is so conveniently located) and my aunt Viv was with them. I again would have stolen her little 1 year old but they stayed too short of a time for me to devise a plan. Then this week my Uncle Eric and Aunt Cheryl stopped for a night on their way to Seattle. This coming Friday Dave's brother is coming too. These people are my new favorites!! So who's next?? We finally upgraded our 2 person ikea table so now we can stand together for meals; the chairs aren't coming till next month but at least we are together!

So with my lovely visitors and my new furniture this has been a fun and fast month. MO (if you haven't caught on that's Miles & Owen for short) are starting to go everywhere.  We put up a gate and baby proofed lower cupboards and still they find stuff. If we hear one of them making a mad dash we quickly look because it's surely trouble, ie. we left the dog dishes on the floor, some door is open or they want their brothers new "toy" and there will be a lot of loud yelling in protest.

I was warned by my sisters that there comes a time you just get two of everything because it is easier. So it's not two toys but two rubber spatulas, two medicine bottles with beans in them to shake, two remotes without batteries and yet they still steal from one another. It reminds me of the fable of the little dog with a bone that saw his reflection in the water and wanted the bone the "other" dog had. When he opened his mouth to get it, he lost his bone in the water. Often MO drop whatever they have for something I just take away and lose their item to their brother.

Sleeping has been getting better.  After all our vacations we needed to do a bit of sleep training but we're (Gaylene) softies and two crying babies is hard to ignore. Plus Miles had two teeth grow in or is it out? Well that happened in two days and then they both had colds one right after the other and then we transitioned them from their Kanoes to a crib and after a week decided they each needed their own crib.  So there was a lot of changes but by the end of the month they were champs...no not sleeping through the night but going to sleep at night and naps quite easily. I think it's mostly from having a consistent routine.  We just added crawling up the stairs to that routine.

Both boys have been walking along the furniture.  They both can crawl but prefer army crawling except when they are naked or shirtless. I think they don't like how the carpet or floor feels on their stomach, plus it doesn't slide as easily. Sometimes I let them be just that so they practice being up on their knees and crawling. They imitate like crazy and it's hilarious to Dave and I.

Owen loves to roll a ball back and forth with us.  He's said ball a few times, it sounds more like baw.  Dave taught him how to blow raspberries on my tummy, another favorite activity plus peek a boo, "give me 5", clapping, and putting items on top of our heads or feeding us. He also loves to cuddle before going to sleep.

Miles has been practicing standing up without holding onto anything. He's done it quite a few times for up to 20 seconds and it's funny looking on such a small boy to me. He has been loving sticking out his tongue at all times, so when he babbles it's hilarious.  He said "mama" so at that moment he was my favorite but he has yet to repeat it; They both say "dada" all the time. He still just loves the outdoors. He'll stare out the window by our front door and if I open the door maybe to water the plants or something he cries when I shut it.

They both love story time and bouncing to music. They are great eaters and now just mostly eat whatever we are going to eat baby version. They have loved the tomatoes from our garden and that makes me happy. They also love Kenzee and laugh when they see her or interact with her.  We often catch Owen giving her kisses.  They both chase her and laugh hysterically when she licks them. We made it through 3 hours of church without any problems for the first time this last week. That is a major accomplishment. This week I guess was their first time in a public restroom and they were a bit tired so every time a toilet flushed they would cry and there was a lot of flushing. It reminds me the first time they went to church Miles would cry every time the organ began.

We are obviously having lots of laughs and enjoying this time with the boys. Below is a short video I found which is too true on many conversations I've had with strangers, especially when the boys were just a few months old and people were telling me I must be done with having kids...I'm sure it was out of thoughtfulness that twins can be hard.