All 4 of us smiling nicely at the same time and looking at the camera? Miracle!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Almost Wordless Wednesday
The rest of my top favorites from our 18 month photo session, as promised:
Sunday, September 25, 2011
A Perfect Fall Day
Yesterday was an almost perfect fall day. The only thing that could have made it more complete would have been a walk in the crisp fall air, but with a light rain in the afternoon, that was not to be. It was such a joy to spend the day stress-free, enjoying my loves and putting the work week behind me.
My day started by actually successfully sleeping in for once (usually our best intentions fall short due to energetic toddlers who can't help but squeal and shout moments after waking up), and then waking up to a happy (and not overtired) husband who enjoyed his one-on-one father daughter cuddle time before Sam woke up. After coffee and a delicious breakfast, we headed for the farmers' market and had so much fun taking in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes with Sam and Anna. After loading our goodies in the car, we walked over the Children's Museum (within walking distance from the farmers' market in the town square) and played to our heart's content until lunch time. What made it perfect was that Sam and Anna were near-angels and loved every minute of it too.
After an also delicious lunch, Sam and Anna took a great nap and both adults got things accomplished on the to-do list, but not begrudgingly. I got into the fall mood and put up all our fall decorations and lit some harvest-smelling candles. The rest of the day was low key, just enjoying Sam and Anna; baking cookies, an also delicious dinner, and a drama-free bedtime. (have I mentioned that Anna's taken to trying to fart in the tub because she thinks it's funny and fun to see the bubbles, which tends to lead to a code brown during bath time almost every time? No?)
A day like that was just what I needed. Almost perfect, indeed.
My day started by actually successfully sleeping in for once (usually our best intentions fall short due to energetic toddlers who can't help but squeal and shout moments after waking up), and then waking up to a happy (and not overtired) husband who enjoyed his one-on-one father daughter cuddle time before Sam woke up. After coffee and a delicious breakfast, we headed for the farmers' market and had so much fun taking in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes with Sam and Anna. After loading our goodies in the car, we walked over the Children's Museum (within walking distance from the farmers' market in the town square) and played to our heart's content until lunch time. What made it perfect was that Sam and Anna were near-angels and loved every minute of it too.
After an also delicious lunch, Sam and Anna took a great nap and both adults got things accomplished on the to-do list, but not begrudgingly. I got into the fall mood and put up all our fall decorations and lit some harvest-smelling candles. The rest of the day was low key, just enjoying Sam and Anna; baking cookies, an also delicious dinner, and a drama-free bedtime. (have I mentioned that Anna's taken to trying to fart in the tub because she thinks it's funny and fun to see the bubbles, which tends to lead to a code brown during bath time almost every time? No?)
A day like that was just what I needed. Almost perfect, indeed.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Mama Loves Sleep Sacks
I've been meaning to participate in Julia's Mama Loves linky party since she began it. I've stumbled along a few things along the way that have really made a difference in the sometimes not-so-easy parenting of twin newborns, babies, and now toddlers. This mama has found a lot of things to love- I am excited to share my discoveries with you!
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Mama Loves is a linky party where mamas can share anything that has made your life easier as a mama.
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Mama Loves is a linky party where mamas can share anything that has made your life easier as a mama.
Maybe you've found:
- a toy or book that captivates your child(ren)
- gear you just can't live without
- a recipe your choosy toddler gobbles down
- a parenting book that you've found perspective changing
- an activity that wears your kid(s) out (these lead to good naps, which we all love)
- an outfit that flatters your post-baby body and makes you feel fabulous
- or anything else you're loving--creativity welcome!
To link your own Mama Loves post up, head on over to Julia's blog, Pontifications of a Twin Mom.
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I am happy to report that Sam and Anna are still crib sleepers, even after the drama of the pack n play escapes over 9 months ago now. We never bought crib tents, but I do have one secret weapon that Sam and Anna never saw coming: The Halo Sleep Sack.
At 18 months old, Sam and Anna still sleep in sleep sacks. I should buy stock in that company, because I've bought 4 or more sacks in every size from newborn to XL. Thankfully, they are often on babysteals.com, or deal sites like Totsy, so I rarely pay full price. I am 100% sure that the only reason why Sam and Anna have not climbed out of their cribs yet, is the fact that they sleep in these sleep sacks every night and every nap.
Once they began climbing out of the pack and plays they nap in at daycare in December, we needed to figure out a solution fast. At 9 months old, there was no way either one was ready for naps in a non-confined setting. I gave our daycare provider sleep sacks for them to wear, and magically, they stopped climbing out. We decided that with their feet covered in a somewhat movable fabric, they couldn't get the traction they needed to scale the sides. After a while, our daycare provider gave back the sacks because she thought they wouldn't need them anymore while napping (I don't think she likes having Sam and Anna wear them because she thinks it limits their mobility, but I don't think it does). It wasn't long after that though, that Sam rediscovered his ability to go up and over, and I got an email at work sharing that that afternoon Sam had climbed out no less than 15 times during nap time, and ended up not getting a nap that day. I gave her the sleep sacks again the following day, and once again, that put a stop to the escapes instantly. It's gotta be the sacks!
At home, I've seen them attempt to climb out of their cribs without sleep sacks on, and I have no doubt that my little monkeys could have accomplished it a long time ago. I've also seen them try to climb out with the sleep sacks on, and their little feet just slide back down to the mattress every time. Since I have read about dangers from using crib tents, I am thrilled that we figured out a much safer alternative that works fabulously for us.
As far as I'm concerned, Sam and Anna will be sleeping in sleep sacks for as long as they fit into them (and since I have little peanuts and we have until 40 inches long and 36 lbs to use them, it is going to be a while!) or until we want to make the crib to bed transition. ( I know they make an early walker and big kid version, but having foot holes would defeat the purpose of the sleep sack for us.) The cotton Halo sleep sacks work just fine for warm summer days, and the fleece ones are perfect for cold fall/winter nights. Sure beats the alternative- our daycare provider's son started climbing out of his crib at 9 months old. They ended up putting a mattress on the floor and a baby gate in the doorway. I can't imagine doing that with one 9 month old, let alone two! I'm not ready for Sam and Anna to make the switch to beds, and I don't think they are, either.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
18 Months- Half Way to 2!
First, the 18 months stats: Sam's head circumference was 47 cm (50%ile) and Anna's was 46 1/2 cm (50%ile). After months of greater than 50%ile, it seems like they their bodies are growing into the heads they had. Sam's height was 30 1/2 inches (10-25%ile) while Anna was 31 inches tall (50%ile). That girl has some long legs (probably from her grandpa, because her parents are both shorties!) but a shorter torso than Sam. I do have to say that they seem the same to me when standing, so there might be a margin of error with the height measurements. Weight-wise, Sam dropped %iles to 5%ile(from 10%ile) weighing in at 21 lbs 8 oz. This was only a gain of 2 oz in the past 3 months. Since he eats like he has a hollow leg most days (sometimes more than me), I'm just attributing this small gain to being a typical active toddler. Anna dropped %iles from 5%ile (where she has been most of her life) to 0%ile. She gained only 4 oz in the last 3 months, weighing in at 19 lbs 6 oz. It is slightly entertaining to me that if Sam was only 8 oz lighter and Anna was 1/2 inch shorter, we could still be toting them around in the infant car seats if we wanted to at 18 months old. As I mentioned in previous posts, we will be attempting to increase Anna's iron, protein, and calorie count in the next month to hopefully see her weight gain more before she gets re-weighed.
Anna and Sam continue to multiply their vocabulary. My favorite word they say now is "trade?" which I taught them to use with each other to minimize the toy scuffles. Its kinda cute to see them ask each other for the toy the other one has, and willingly give it up because they understand what the other one wants. The other night at dinner, they "traded" sippies of milk back and forth 10 times happily because they asked so nicely. :) We are hearing more and more phrases from them on a regular basis. Anna likes to say "hi Mama" when I get them from daycare and both say "hi Bella" when we get home. Sam is starting to tell us when he has a dirty diaper by announcing "I pooped" as well. The other day Sam wanted his water cup out of the frig, and said "and Anna" to get hers for her as well. Such a thoughtful guy. Other new words that I can recall in the last month are "dirty" (which they also sign) "help" (which I have been trying to get them to say for a long time now) "fork" "spoon" "cracker" "phone" and "deer," which of course makes Daddy pretty happy. I'm sure their individual vocabularies are each well over 100 words by now. New signs they make include dirty, cry, peach, clouds and probably more, but signing has slowed down a little now that they are back at daycare during the week and our daycare provider doesn't sign with them. They seemed to be more interested in colors in the last month, saying red, blue, green, orange, pink, purple, yellow, gray, brown, black often, and although I do think they have an understanding of the colors, they have not mastered identifying those colors by any means.
Sam went through a phase this last month where he was obsessed with reading Llama Llama Red Pajama and Is Your Mama a Llama? which he seems to be getting over now. His current book favorites are probably Time for Bed and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. He likes to say the "Boom Boom!" for you while you read, and is showing more interest in naming the letters after you while reading. Anna's favorite book du jour is 5 Little Ducks, and she will not tolerate Sam having that book without her. She loves quacking along and signing duck throughout the book.
Anna and Sam's newest favorite toys seem to be things they can pull behind them like the snail and puppy we have each on a string. I also got them two new puzzles with large knobs for them as half birthday presents, and they gravitate towards those often. I have been wanting soft chairs for them for a while, and after seeing a great deal on these on Amazon (much less than their current price), I snatched two up, and they love those too. They are light enough so they can tote them around the house, but are not easy to tip. I got a purple and orange chair, but Anna seems to prefer the orange one the best. She will plop down in the chair to watch Baby Signing Time and won't budge until it is over.
Besides the old body parts they could identify (eyelashes, feet, mouth, hands, head, hair, ears, nose, tongue, belly button), Sam and Anna are especially enjoying identifying and naming their toes and other people's toes. They also identify fingers, knees, legs, arms, and butt now.
Personality-wise, Anna has been expressing her sense of humor more lately. That girl is such a character. She loves to fake laugh along with you. Anna loves to rock her baby back and forth as well. She's also showing more and more that she's a girly girl. She loves shoes. I got new red patent leather mary janes at the fall multiples resale the other week, and once she saw them, she had to wear them... even though she was wearing purple knit shorts and a purple tank. Once they were on, she pranced around the house obviously very pleased with her new shoes. Now that I'm back at work, I wear more necklaces, and not only is she very interested in them, but she wants me to take them off and put them on her (and often has temper tantrums when I don't). At daycare, our provider says she'll try to put whatever she can on as a necklace or bracelet.
Sam's newest nickname is "Klingon" as in- he's much, much more clingy on me lately. I think he's aware more than ever that he's at daycare during the day without me and that both Mama and Dada are at work. Because of that, once we get home in the afternoons, I have to hold him until it is supper time. While I am impressed with the biceps I now have from holding twins for the past 18 months, I would like to be able to put him down and pay some attention to Anna during that time too. I can't wear him in a carrier during that time, because if Anna sees the carrier she wants to be in it as well. While I do have an Ergo and a Mei Tai that are wearable at the same time, wearing over 40 lbs of toddler strapped to my upper body for an hour before dinner every day doesn't sound like very much fun.
All 4 molars have now broken through for both Sam and Anna! Anna's total tooth count at 18 months is 12 and Sam's is at 10. We are still waiting on those bottom two teeth of Sam's to make an appearance.
Back at school for me and back at daycare for Sam and Anna means back to cold and virus season as well. It didn't take long for runny noses to appear again. Sam did seem a little ill last week (99.5 temp, glassy eyes, fussy, and loose stools), but he got over it quickly. BUT no sign of an ear infection this past month for the first time since February! Woohoo for tubes!
Our proficient walkers have taken the past month to fine tune their skills. Sam loves running around the house and yard, and Anna loves turning in circles. They seem like such big kids now because they walk to and from the car and daycare on their own these days.
I'm seeing a trend of every other month being harder in the temper tantrum department. Months 14 and 16 there there were a lot, while months 15 and 17 there were less. I'm hoping that this month breaks the trend! I have heard that the terrible twos peak at 18 months and slowly start to get better until the second birthday- I really hope that is the way it goes with Sam and Anna. Since Anna bit Sam really hard, we haven't had to give any time outs, so that's good. Coupled with learning to communicate "trade," maybe they are starting to get their boundaries a little bit more and what they can and can't do? I certainly hope so.
Our naps and nighttime sleep improved again after last month because, well, um.... we gave back Anna's pacifier after a week of increasingly hellish sleep. We kept waiting for it to get better, but 7 days later it was not getting better at all, it was getting worse and worse. I guess at this point sleep for Sam and Anna is more important to me than removing Anna's pacifier at all times. Bedtime is at 7:30 pm, while wake up is at 6:50 am. Nap time is usually at noon until 3ish pm.
Anna's pickier eating has created some issues for us. Her blood work indicated an iron deficiency, so along with giving her iron supplement drops, we need to make a conscious effort to increase her iron intake through the foods she eats. We are also working hard to up both Sam and Anna's fat and calorie intake to make up for the %ile drop from their 18 month well-child appointment. Let's just say we put a lot more butter on their food lately! Most meals we finish up with a pouch of organic food that has a high calorie amount. We just make sure that they both eat a substantial amount at every meal, even if we have to keep offering different things to get them to eat (where in the past, I didn't sweat a smaller meal because they were overall decent eaters). We'll see if it makes any difference when have both re-weighed in a month.
Anna and Sam continue to multiply their vocabulary. My favorite word they say now is "trade?" which I taught them to use with each other to minimize the toy scuffles. Its kinda cute to see them ask each other for the toy the other one has, and willingly give it up because they understand what the other one wants. The other night at dinner, they "traded" sippies of milk back and forth 10 times happily because they asked so nicely. :) We are hearing more and more phrases from them on a regular basis. Anna likes to say "hi Mama" when I get them from daycare and both say "hi Bella" when we get home. Sam is starting to tell us when he has a dirty diaper by announcing "I pooped" as well. The other day Sam wanted his water cup out of the frig, and said "and Anna" to get hers for her as well. Such a thoughtful guy. Other new words that I can recall in the last month are "dirty" (which they also sign) "help" (which I have been trying to get them to say for a long time now) "fork" "spoon" "cracker" "phone" and "deer," which of course makes Daddy pretty happy. I'm sure their individual vocabularies are each well over 100 words by now. New signs they make include dirty, cry, peach, clouds and probably more, but signing has slowed down a little now that they are back at daycare during the week and our daycare provider doesn't sign with them. They seemed to be more interested in colors in the last month, saying red, blue, green, orange, pink, purple, yellow, gray, brown, black often, and although I do think they have an understanding of the colors, they have not mastered identifying those colors by any means.
Sam went through a phase this last month where he was obsessed with reading Llama Llama Red Pajama and Is Your Mama a Llama? which he seems to be getting over now. His current book favorites are probably Time for Bed and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. He likes to say the "Boom Boom!" for you while you read, and is showing more interest in naming the letters after you while reading. Anna's favorite book du jour is 5 Little Ducks, and she will not tolerate Sam having that book without her. She loves quacking along and signing duck throughout the book.
Anna and Sam's newest favorite toys seem to be things they can pull behind them like the snail and puppy we have each on a string. I also got them two new puzzles with large knobs for them as half birthday presents, and they gravitate towards those often. I have been wanting soft chairs for them for a while, and after seeing a great deal on these on Amazon (much less than their current price), I snatched two up, and they love those too. They are light enough so they can tote them around the house, but are not easy to tip. I got a purple and orange chair, but Anna seems to prefer the orange one the best. She will plop down in the chair to watch Baby Signing Time and won't budge until it is over.
Besides the old body parts they could identify (eyelashes, feet, mouth, hands, head, hair, ears, nose, tongue, belly button), Sam and Anna are especially enjoying identifying and naming their toes and other people's toes. They also identify fingers, knees, legs, arms, and butt now.
Personality-wise, Anna has been expressing her sense of humor more lately. That girl is such a character. She loves to fake laugh along with you. Anna loves to rock her baby back and forth as well. She's also showing more and more that she's a girly girl. She loves shoes. I got new red patent leather mary janes at the fall multiples resale the other week, and once she saw them, she had to wear them... even though she was wearing purple knit shorts and a purple tank. Once they were on, she pranced around the house obviously very pleased with her new shoes. Now that I'm back at work, I wear more necklaces, and not only is she very interested in them, but she wants me to take them off and put them on her (and often has temper tantrums when I don't). At daycare, our provider says she'll try to put whatever she can on as a necklace or bracelet.
Sam's newest nickname is "Klingon" as in- he's much, much more clingy on me lately. I think he's aware more than ever that he's at daycare during the day without me and that both Mama and Dada are at work. Because of that, once we get home in the afternoons, I have to hold him until it is supper time. While I am impressed with the biceps I now have from holding twins for the past 18 months, I would like to be able to put him down and pay some attention to Anna during that time too. I can't wear him in a carrier during that time, because if Anna sees the carrier she wants to be in it as well. While I do have an Ergo and a Mei Tai that are wearable at the same time, wearing over 40 lbs of toddler strapped to my upper body for an hour before dinner every day doesn't sound like very much fun.
All 4 molars have now broken through for both Sam and Anna! Anna's total tooth count at 18 months is 12 and Sam's is at 10. We are still waiting on those bottom two teeth of Sam's to make an appearance.
Back at school for me and back at daycare for Sam and Anna means back to cold and virus season as well. It didn't take long for runny noses to appear again. Sam did seem a little ill last week (99.5 temp, glassy eyes, fussy, and loose stools), but he got over it quickly. BUT no sign of an ear infection this past month for the first time since February! Woohoo for tubes!
Our proficient walkers have taken the past month to fine tune their skills. Sam loves running around the house and yard, and Anna loves turning in circles. They seem like such big kids now because they walk to and from the car and daycare on their own these days.
I'm seeing a trend of every other month being harder in the temper tantrum department. Months 14 and 16 there there were a lot, while months 15 and 17 there were less. I'm hoping that this month breaks the trend! I have heard that the terrible twos peak at 18 months and slowly start to get better until the second birthday- I really hope that is the way it goes with Sam and Anna. Since Anna bit Sam really hard, we haven't had to give any time outs, so that's good. Coupled with learning to communicate "trade," maybe they are starting to get their boundaries a little bit more and what they can and can't do? I certainly hope so.
Our naps and nighttime sleep improved again after last month because, well, um.... we gave back Anna's pacifier after a week of increasingly hellish sleep. We kept waiting for it to get better, but 7 days later it was not getting better at all, it was getting worse and worse. I guess at this point sleep for Sam and Anna is more important to me than removing Anna's pacifier at all times. Bedtime is at 7:30 pm, while wake up is at 6:50 am. Nap time is usually at noon until 3ish pm.
Anna's pickier eating has created some issues for us. Her blood work indicated an iron deficiency, so along with giving her iron supplement drops, we need to make a conscious effort to increase her iron intake through the foods she eats. We are also working hard to up both Sam and Anna's fat and calorie intake to make up for the %ile drop from their 18 month well-child appointment. Let's just say we put a lot more butter on their food lately! Most meals we finish up with a pouch of organic food that has a high calorie amount. We just make sure that they both eat a substantial amount at every meal, even if we have to keep offering different things to get them to eat (where in the past, I didn't sweat a smaller meal because they were overall decent eaters). We'll see if it makes any difference when have both re-weighed in a month.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Celiac Disease Update
Our pediatrician called this evening and informed us that Anna's blood sample was negative for Celiac Disease. Thank goodness. I had a really hard time wrapping my head around how that would change her diet and affect every thing we prepared for meals, not to mention how that would affect the rest of her life.
The blood sample, however, did show a low blood count meaning that Anna's iron levels were low. Going forward Anna will be on an iron supplement twice daily to boost her levels. We are also to get as many iron rich foods in her as possible... along with the high calorie, high fat, high protein foods.
We will do a recheck of both her weight and blood iron levels in a month to see if anything we do has made a difference. Meanwhile, I'm on a mission to "fatten up" my little girl, stat!
The blood sample, however, did show a low blood count meaning that Anna's iron levels were low. Going forward Anna will be on an iron supplement twice daily to boost her levels. We are also to get as many iron rich foods in her as possible... along with the high calorie, high fat, high protein foods.
We will do a recheck of both her weight and blood iron levels in a month to see if anything we do has made a difference. Meanwhile, I'm on a mission to "fatten up" my little girl, stat!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Not What I Wanted to Hear
Well, my "babies" are officially a year and a half old- "big" 18 monthers- and there is little baby left in them. They are toddlers through and through. My 18 month post is coming, but today my post is more about our 18 month well child appointment that we had on Friday- the day they actually turned 18 months old.
First off, the good of the appointment: They are both advanced developmentally in all areas, so no concern there. Also, I was amazed that neither one even flinched when they got their shots at this appointment. We usually do both kids' shots at the same time with two nurses, so that neither child knows what's coming. There was one other shot appointment before this where they didn't cry, but that was a long time ago. The shots were done, band aids applied, and that was that. Anna also had blood drawn after the shot, and even more amazing to me- she didn't move a muscle for the entire blood draw. I held her arm when the needle went in and she just calmly watched. I kept her arm extended and her elbow straight while the blood was drawn, and she just sat silently looking at her arm. She didn't make a peep or try to move the entire time. I was shocked... and thankful!
Now to the reason why she had a blood draw. The not-what-I-wanted-to-hear part of the well-child appointment.
Sam and Anna have been very consistent on their %ile curves since their 1 month stats. Anna has been 5%ile for weight since then and Sam and has been 10%ile for weight since then (At birth, Anna wasn't even on the chart and Sam was barely on it). This time, Sam dropped to 5%ile (gaining only 2 oz in 3 months, weighing 21 lbs 8 oz) and Anna dropped off the chart (gaining only 4 oz in 3 months, weighing 19 lbs 6 oz).
Our pediatrician expressed some concern that they both dropped a little off of their individual percentile curves.
I am taking this all in a little with a gain of salt. Most children around this age drop a little, due to an increase in their activity and marked with the advent of pickier eating habits. Both Sam and Anna did become proficient walkers since their last appointment. The problem is that because they were at the lower end of %iles to begin with, they had less wiggle room than the average toddler their age. It wouldn't be a huge concern if a toddler dropped from 75%ile to 50%ile for weight, even if that means they dropped 25 total %iles. Sam and Anna each only dropped 5%iles.
But it doesn't make me happy. In Sam and Anna's history, we've worked really hard through their refluxing days and bottle refusals to keep their weight at a acceptable point. It gives me an extremely defeated feeling to know that my worst fear during those times came true. It makes me upset with myself that we haven't been working really hard to get the most calories in them, because I thought they were pretty good eaters. Honestly, it was freeing once they were done with bottles to not have to work so hard at feeding them anymore. I don't think they are all that picky and I think they eat a good amount of a variety of healthy foods.
Our pediatrician isn't concerned about Sam because he's still on the chart and he eats like a horse. He eats more than me at many meals. The other night he ate 3 entire brats (his and mine) in addition to other food. I ended up making something else for me to eat because he ate my dinner in addition to his. He's just an active guy.
Anna however, doesn't eat as much as he does, and doesn't eat a lot of meat. Her favorite things to eat are vegetables and fruit... all the foods that aren't high in calories or fat. Our pediatrician wanted to do a blood test to check for celiac disease to rule that out. We both think that it will be negative, so the next plan will probably be to make a conscious effort to fill her up (and Sam too) with lots of high fat, high calorie food. We should hear about the results by the end of the week.
I'm just hoping that Anna does not have celiac disease, or allergies or some other underlying cause for her low weight and that she's just an active toddler who's just always been naturally on the petite side. Meanwhile, we're going to attempt to add calories to both of their food while not adding them to ours!
First off, the good of the appointment: They are both advanced developmentally in all areas, so no concern there. Also, I was amazed that neither one even flinched when they got their shots at this appointment. We usually do both kids' shots at the same time with two nurses, so that neither child knows what's coming. There was one other shot appointment before this where they didn't cry, but that was a long time ago. The shots were done, band aids applied, and that was that. Anna also had blood drawn after the shot, and even more amazing to me- she didn't move a muscle for the entire blood draw. I held her arm when the needle went in and she just calmly watched. I kept her arm extended and her elbow straight while the blood was drawn, and she just sat silently looking at her arm. She didn't make a peep or try to move the entire time. I was shocked... and thankful!
Now to the reason why she had a blood draw. The not-what-I-wanted-to-hear part of the well-child appointment.
Sam and Anna have been very consistent on their %ile curves since their 1 month stats. Anna has been 5%ile for weight since then and Sam and has been 10%ile for weight since then (At birth, Anna wasn't even on the chart and Sam was barely on it). This time, Sam dropped to 5%ile (gaining only 2 oz in 3 months, weighing 21 lbs 8 oz) and Anna dropped off the chart (gaining only 4 oz in 3 months, weighing 19 lbs 6 oz).
Our pediatrician expressed some concern that they both dropped a little off of their individual percentile curves.
I am taking this all in a little with a gain of salt. Most children around this age drop a little, due to an increase in their activity and marked with the advent of pickier eating habits. Both Sam and Anna did become proficient walkers since their last appointment. The problem is that because they were at the lower end of %iles to begin with, they had less wiggle room than the average toddler their age. It wouldn't be a huge concern if a toddler dropped from 75%ile to 50%ile for weight, even if that means they dropped 25 total %iles. Sam and Anna each only dropped 5%iles.
But it doesn't make me happy. In Sam and Anna's history, we've worked really hard through their refluxing days and bottle refusals to keep their weight at a acceptable point. It gives me an extremely defeated feeling to know that my worst fear during those times came true. It makes me upset with myself that we haven't been working really hard to get the most calories in them, because I thought they were pretty good eaters. Honestly, it was freeing once they were done with bottles to not have to work so hard at feeding them anymore. I don't think they are all that picky and I think they eat a good amount of a variety of healthy foods.
Our pediatrician isn't concerned about Sam because he's still on the chart and he eats like a horse. He eats more than me at many meals. The other night he ate 3 entire brats (his and mine) in addition to other food. I ended up making something else for me to eat because he ate my dinner in addition to his. He's just an active guy.
Anna however, doesn't eat as much as he does, and doesn't eat a lot of meat. Her favorite things to eat are vegetables and fruit... all the foods that aren't high in calories or fat. Our pediatrician wanted to do a blood test to check for celiac disease to rule that out. We both think that it will be negative, so the next plan will probably be to make a conscious effort to fill her up (and Sam too) with lots of high fat, high calorie food. We should hear about the results by the end of the week.
I'm just hoping that Anna does not have celiac disease, or allergies or some other underlying cause for her low weight and that she's just an active toddler who's just always been naturally on the petite side. Meanwhile, we're going to attempt to add calories to both of their food while not adding them to ours!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Beginning of School
The first day of school for me was last Thursday. Sam and Anna made sure to start the school year off with a bang, by partying it up in the wee hours of the night. Anna had a mid-night dirty diaper (just when will she stop those anyway???) at 12:15 am... 45 minutes after I had finally fallen asleep. I had had a hard time settling down with the excitement of the day waiting for me in the morning. The problem with getting Anna up to change her diaper hours into her night sleep is that it typically takes her hours to finally get back to sleep. My husband took the reins to attempt to get her back to sleep, to help me get more sleep- which was nice, but I couldn't sleep with a fussing/crying child so I was awake anyway. Around 3 am, Anna finally got successfully put back down when I put a stuffed animal in her crib with her as a last ditch effort. However, our presence in their room woke Sam up. He was then awake from around 3 am until after 5 am. My alarm went off at 5 am and I dragged myself out of bed. I maybe dozed a little in between his fussing, but definitely less than 45 minutes worth of total broken sleep.
So Sam was still awake when I started my day... on less than 1 1/2 hour of sleep. On the first day of school. With the largest size of kindergarten class I've ever taught. I made it through the day on pure adrenaline and blessed by the fact that things were so busy I hardly had time to think about being tired, much less have time to go to the bathroom or eat lunch! Thankfully, both Sam and Anna have slept better since then.
Now 4 days in to the school year, I'm discovering that being back at work after the summer off is like adjusting back from maternity leave all over again. It's hard in so many ways, and although not as hard as last year (because I know I'll eventually adjust and we don't have to put down our dog like we did at the beginning of last September), it's a struggle to adjust. I have to relearn to accept the limitations of time and how to best maximize what I've got available. Pre-kids, I would come home so exhausted on Friday nights after a week of teaching kindergarten that I would crash on the couch and take a nap because I couldn't make it to bedtime. Post kids, I'm still running around until I crawl into bed (way past what should be my bedtime) every night of the week because I'm enjoying my kids until their bedtime, and after that because all the household stuff still has to get done sometime, even if I'm not home during the day to do it.
Oh well- I'll rest when Sam and Anna are grown up and I can sleep when I'm dead, right?
Hopefully I'll hit my groove soon and I'll be able to get to the less essential stuff on my never ending list (like blog posts and commenting) instead of just the must-dos like laundry!
So Sam was still awake when I started my day... on less than 1 1/2 hour of sleep. On the first day of school. With the largest size of kindergarten class I've ever taught. I made it through the day on pure adrenaline and blessed by the fact that things were so busy I hardly had time to think about being tired, much less have time to go to the bathroom or eat lunch! Thankfully, both Sam and Anna have slept better since then.
Now 4 days in to the school year, I'm discovering that being back at work after the summer off is like adjusting back from maternity leave all over again. It's hard in so many ways, and although not as hard as last year (because I know I'll eventually adjust and we don't have to put down our dog like we did at the beginning of last September), it's a struggle to adjust. I have to relearn to accept the limitations of time and how to best maximize what I've got available. Pre-kids, I would come home so exhausted on Friday nights after a week of teaching kindergarten that I would crash on the couch and take a nap because I couldn't make it to bedtime. Post kids, I'm still running around until I crawl into bed (way past what should be my bedtime) every night of the week because I'm enjoying my kids until their bedtime, and after that because all the household stuff still has to get done sometime, even if I'm not home during the day to do it.
Oh well- I'll rest when Sam and Anna are grown up and I can sleep when I'm dead, right?
Hopefully I'll hit my groove soon and I'll be able to get to the less essential stuff on my never ending list (like blog posts and commenting) instead of just the must-dos like laundry!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Wrapping Up Our Summer
Since the last few weeks have been pretty busy and hectic for us, we chose to spend Labor Day weekend at home, mostly relaxing and enjoying our time together. Two weekends ago was our epic fail of a camping trip, and the weekend before we packed up and headed to our home state to visit family, experience the state fair, go shopping at decent malls, and go to a Twins baseball game.
Sam and Anna enjoyed the state fair, although we were only there for a few short hours.
We were not brave enough to take them to their first major league baseball game... yet. Instead my parents babysat while we got some much needed "date" time.
Sam and Anna enjoyed the state fair, although we were only there for a few short hours.
We were not brave enough to take them to their first major league baseball game... yet. Instead my parents babysat while we got some much needed "date" time.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Clothes
Most people bemoan the fact that their children grow out of the current size of clothing. I've read many a blog post talk about tears shed while packing away baby clothing that no longer fits. I've never really been that way. Maybe it's because Sam and Anna were in their newborn size clothing (or any size really) longer than most babies are, or maybe it's because they were so small at birth (5 lbs even and 5 lbs 10 oz) that I was eager to have them "catch up" to other babies their age. I think a lot of it has to do with the eating issues we had for the first 6 months of their life, when we had bottle refusal due to their uncontrolled reflux and weight gain was constantly on my mind. Or maybe I just like new clothes. :)
Whatever the combination of reasons, I've always been a little excited when Sam or Anna are able to start fitting into the next size up of clothing. I'm itching to wash the new stuff, and reorganize their closet and drawers to make room. Pretty consistently, Sam and Anna have fit neatly into the size of clothing the way it is labeled: 3-6 month clothing when they were 3-6 months old, 6-9 month clothing when they were 6-9 months old, etc. Sam typically could start wearing the next size a little before he turned that age, and Anna could typically wear the next size a little after she turned that age.
That means, as my little ones are almost 18 months old, that it is about that time to break out the 18 month clothing. I excitedly washed and dried some of it yesterday, and made room for it in their room this morning. I'm looking forward to cooler weather to be able to put on some of their pants and longer sleeve outfits!
*Although this is my little 17 month old girl wearing a 6-9 month shirt.
I also have a 3-6 month dress from last summer than she swam in then, and can wear just fine now. It's a little short, but not too tight around the waist. Finding pants that fit her tiny waist but are long enough for an average 1 and a half year old this fall and winter will be tough!
Whatever the combination of reasons, I've always been a little excited when Sam or Anna are able to start fitting into the next size up of clothing. I'm itching to wash the new stuff, and reorganize their closet and drawers to make room. Pretty consistently, Sam and Anna have fit neatly into the size of clothing the way it is labeled: 3-6 month clothing when they were 3-6 months old, 6-9 month clothing when they were 6-9 months old, etc. Sam typically could start wearing the next size a little before he turned that age, and Anna could typically wear the next size a little after she turned that age.
That means, as my little ones are almost 18 months old, that it is about that time to break out the 18 month clothing. I excitedly washed and dried some of it yesterday, and made room for it in their room this morning. I'm looking forward to cooler weather to be able to put on some of their pants and longer sleeve outfits!
*Although this is my little 17 month old girl wearing a 6-9 month shirt.
I also have a 3-6 month dress from last summer than she swam in then, and can wear just fine now. It's a little short, but not too tight around the waist. Finding pants that fit her tiny waist but are long enough for an average 1 and a half year old this fall and winter will be tough!
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