10 Month Post

I can’t believe we are doing the 10-month post already. Time has being moving very quickly these days. With both of us in the full swing of work - - and let’s be honest, the early parenting eagerness to share everything wearing off - - the posts have dwindled to the occasional video post and their monthly post. That’s not to say that each day doesn’t bring something new and great that the boys are doing, it’s just that finding time to post something has become a little harder. As you will see from their photo galleries though, it hasn’t stopped me from taking pictures!!

The big news for Colin this month is that he is crawling. He still isn’t up on his hands and knees, but instead uses his forearms and legs to pull and push himself while his stomach drags on the ground. (I promise to post some video soon!). Over the past two weeks he has really perfected the art and is now to the point where you have to have your eye on him the whole time or he’ll be in the next room before you know it.

This is frustrating Jake to no end. He is bypassing the belly-scoot technique and instead gets up on his hands and knees. The only problem is that he goes backwards instead of crawling forward! He has over the past few days on occasion inched his way forward a few feet and we predict will be full-on crawling very soon.

We had our first taste of what hopefully is not a winter-long bout of illness. Both boys got their first colds this month and it lasted for about two weeks. We know there will be more to come in these coming years – the first flu, ear infections, chicken pox, etc. – but this first taste of them being sick was hard on them and us. Neither of them slept very well those weeks and it was tough to watch them struggle with stuffed up noses and a little cough. Knock on wood that we won’t have too many bouts of illness until they start going to pre-school and picking up every germ known to man!

The big event of the month was their baptism last Sunday. The boys were on their best behavior and I think they really took to all the adoration and attention! The parents on the other hand were a sight to see. With Lizzie in town and staying with us as one of the godmothers, the hour before heading to the church was absolute chaos. All three of us were running around trying to give them baths, change ourselves, get them into their outfits and of course the photo shoot! It was quite the scene.

Everything was smooth once we arrived at the church and at the restaurant after. The boys powered through the day without an afternoon nap and never really got too cranky. They once again proved that all this worrying over them was for naught. They adapted quite well to this new little adventure and seemed to enjoy all the fawning over them!

I promise to at the very least post more video in the coming months as we approach their big 1-year birthday!

Nine Months Old

The boys turned nine months old a few days ago. It was an interesting month compared to some of the past few. As I sit here trying to write this, nothing “significant” sticks out from the past month. Are we becoming jaded after only nine months that nothing surprises us anymore?! I doubt that. With some of the major developments of crawling, walking and talking lurking just around the corner, I think this month was more about the details.

We’ve mentioned in the past that they interact and recognize each other. But this month it really became apparent and showed us how much fun having twins can be. For all the headaches and extra pressure it creates by having two babies, it's so fun to witness the joyful interaction they get from their brother. This one-on-one playtime also has an added benefit. We are gaining a little more time to catch our breath and maybe drink a full cup of coffee before it gets cold in the morning! If you haven’t already, check out the video of them playing and talking together.

August was a hot month and the boys have discovered swimming. They both love to be in the water splashing around. We usually take them over to one of the pools at Rossmoor where Grandpa and Grandma Scully live. They do seem to enjoy it and we’re already thinking of next summer and getting them their first swim lessons. As with everything though, there are some ulterior motives. Usually an hour or so at the pool and out in the sun will knock them out for a nice afternoon nap!

Jake has spent the past month - as in other months – in perpetual motion! He is desperately trying to teach himself how to crawl. He makes it up to all fours and just rocks back and forth on this knees and hands trying to figure out why he isn’t moving anywhere! He has also discovered the joy of taking things in and out of his toy basket. As you can see from the photo, he likes to pull things out of the basket, hold them up for close inspection and then put it back into the basket.

Part of the reason Jake is trying to crawl is because he’s always on his stomach. He usually reaches for something and tips himself over from a seated position. Colin on the other hand, is showing a great sense of balance. He will sometimes reach for something and start to tip over, but has enough strength and balance to steady himself and push himself back up. It may not sound like much, but after watching them tip over for the past few months, it’s a big step. He also is starting to be able to steady himself on his feet while holding onto something. The other day, he was holding onto the exersaucer while Jake was in it and I pulled my hands away for a good minute.

So although this month wasn’t “milestone” heavy, there were some definite changes in each of them. Sometimes you’ll be sitting there and all of a sudden one of them will do something that they’ve never done before. They may be subtle, but it feels like each one of those daily, little changes are leading to one of those big milestones.

*** A little bookkeeping after their nine-month old checkup – Colin weighs just over 22 pounds, while Jake is tipping the scales at just over 20 pounds. Both boys are healthy and happy and are clear of shots for three more months. ***