Happy Fathers Day Daddy!!!!!!!!!!11

We made a special treat for Jon on his very 1st fathers day !!!!
Turn up your speakers and enjoy.......... (oh yeah -- click on this link first)!!!

http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=61e30cff591edd79bdb5d1

Our new friend Bumbo !!!!!!

I bought this awesome seat for Edie and Ella -- the Bumbo seat. They love, love, love it!!! It may be the cutest thing ever too. To see tiny little folks sitting in a chair. It's designed for infants who can hold their heads up but can't yet sit up alone. I put 1 baby in the seat on the kitchen counter while I bathe the other in the sink. They just sit and wait so patiently now!! So here are some demonstration pictures...............

Here is Ella -- hamming it up.
And another. Now isn't it cute. Her tiny little body. Sitting in a seat.

Now Edie. Amazingly likes the seat too.

I keep telling her it's not a surfboard but she insists...........

Here is Ella waiting her turn in the bath line...........

Well -- Edie almost always likes it...........this was her first time so she wasn't too sure about it yet

aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh that's better. It's all good now!!!

Now here they are posing in some of their pretty new dresses !!!!!

I dare you to tell me you have seen anything cuter............. there is no possible way.

It was magic.............

So last night was our 6th night in a row of the "bedtime routine" thing AND it still works. I have noticed that Ella takes a morning nap and is up for most of the afternoon so as soon as she gets out that bath and gets swaddled up her eyes are DROOOOOOOOOOOOOPY!!! Edie had a bit of a tough time falling asleep and staying asleep last night but she didn't fuss -- she just flailed about the bed like a fish out of water. She looks like she has someplace to go -- and is desperately trying to roll over. (she is smiling big at me right now from over in her swing).
Jon had them last night -- he slept with them because I have the worst case of mastitis. Fever. Chills. PAIN. Oh my god the pain. Wouldn't you know it I get a night of sleeping in the guest room and I couldn't sleep because I felt so awful. I told Jon I want a redo. Especially since I am sitting here in agony with 2 babies (who are fortunately being very well behaved) and he is out playing golf. Did he cancel his every Thursday game? Heck no. Will he pay for that? Heck yes.

I have a few new pictures but I want to take a few more so I will post them next time.

Trial and Error !!!

Well I may be on to something. I don't want to give too much praise to our success just yet because it's only been 3 days BUT we may have a bedtime routine. I have been reading other "twin" blogs (and some singleton mommy blogs too) and skimming this baby sleep book my friend Sara gave me (i don't have time to read the whole thing - besides it's slightly boring - you know too technical - i only like gossip magazines now that my free time is so limited) and it seems that when putting E and E down at night I have been making a HUGE mistake in reading their "tired" signs -- like a 3 hour or so mistake.
Before, our nights were looking something like them napping (in the living room usually) (one of us holding them usually) (I love the internet because you can do whatever the heck you want with punctuation since I hate trying to remember "correct" punctuation) (good times) around 7pm or so and we would go to bed around 10ish. Since I am new to this mommy thing I forget that most children don't stay up until 10 pm. ESPECIALLY NEW BABIES!!! Well all of you "seasoned" mommies know where this is going. RIGHT? When I would try getting them to sleep they (well mostly Edie) would SCREAM for sometimes up to an hour. FRUSTRATING!!! Having that as your last activity of the day then getting up constantly all night really makes you start to dread the nightime. Trust me. I got the idea from all of my readings that babies like schedules and routine sooooooooooo.......... three nights ago I gave them a bath around 630pm then a baby massage (they love this), swaddled them up and we were in the bedroom with bottles in mouths at 7pm. They were in dreamland by 730pm!!!!! They did not seem all that tired but apparently they were. SO -- on night 2 I did the same exact thing and again asleep by 730 pm. Now tonight (night 3) (in a row) I bathed, rubbed, swaddled and Jon gave them their bottles and VOILA -- asleep by, well actually 8pm tonight, BUT that is fine too!!!
Edie still woke up every 2 hours last night but it seems less frustrating when you don't have to wrestle her to sleep in the first place. When she wakes up she usually eats a bit and falls back to sleep. She isn't a middle of the night screamer. Thank goodness. Ella seems to be waking only once each night -- I am just starting to notice a pattern.
So it turns out -- putting them down to sleep at normal hours also leaves me with a bit more time to myself each evening. I can get used to that. But I won't because it all could change at the drop of a hat.
Lesson learned -- never try to wrestle an overtired baby. They scream louder than you.

Seriously..................

how cute can 2 babes get ?????? We have had a couple of photo shoots over the past couple of days. I am by no means a photographer (as you can see) but considering the cuteness of my subjects - not much skill is needed. That's just my humble, unbiased opinion.
I am not sure I have ever seen anything cuter than a newborn sized mini skirt !!!!!!!!!!!

here is one with Ella looking at the camera
here is one with Edie posing

Edie saying "get out of my photo shoot"

"mommy, Ella won't get out of my photo shoot"

I love this one of Edie sleeping in my bed this morning

Ella!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a joke.........

Whoever coined the saying "sleep like a baby" ---- was an IDIOT!!!!!!

Say it isn't so..............

12 Weeks. 3 months. Oh my gosh -- my babies are no longer newborns. And still not sleeping through the night. Not even half the night. It feels like yesterday that they were born but on the other hand it feels like I can't remember life before them. I certainly can't imagine my life without them. I often daydream (can't night dream when you don't sleep at night) about getting away to some sunny luxurious resort for some fun -- oh who am I kidding ... I don't care if its' sunny. Or luxurious for that matter. As long as there is a bed there. A nice cushy bed... like the one at Westin St. Francis in San Francisco..(the best bed I have ever slept in)! Oh and no crying babies... they can be there if they would like but they would not be allowed to cry. JUST ONE NIGHT. That's all I ask -- ONE FULL NIGHT.
Even with rare 3 hours stretches of sleep -- I would not trade ANY of it. These girls ROCK!!! I have enjoyed getting to know their little personalities. Dressing them in their pretty little clothes. Taking tons of pictures of them. Kissing them. Smelling them. Well -- just everything about them. I am looking forward to watching them grow (just not so fast -- slow it down already). Here are some pictures..... some of them are just a few of my favorites over these past 12 weeks (there are many, many favorites but time and space do not allow me to upload them all) then I did a comparison with a few........ ENJOY !!!

Here is Ella in her swing -- the D's are still earning their keep...... ( yes! I realize her outfit is filthy. Jon is not so diligent (sp) with placing the cloth on her when she eats and she is quite messy. She had spent the morning with him here....)
Edie...... LOVES LOVES LOVES her swing!!!

Edie holding her own bottle for the first time -- by sheer coincidence. I really can't wait until this skill is actually mastered by them......... what age does that happen anyway???

I love Ellas sweet face -- she loves to pose for the camera.

Remember our au pair.... Rubi. Oh poor Rubi. She is still loved just as much but she is SOOOO not used to coming in ...well, third in our case. She is great with Edie and Ella but since our time is limited she does not get exercised as much as before BUT her energy level has remained the same (HIGH) so she seems a bit more mischievous. She just needs more attention. One day sweet Rubi... just be patient with me.

This is one of my favorites because -- well... it's just plain cute. I know it's probably mean BUT it's funny when they scream. The sound is NOT funny but the faces they make are. This is a great depiction of their personalities though. Ella - while she has her days - is the more laid back baby. Edie has a short period EVERY day of screaming. She is fairly easily consolable but she likes to keep her pipes from getting rusty. Ella generally has a screaming spell only a couple times per week.

Edie and her paci.....

Ella looking cute..........

A couple of snuggly pictures..........we have less of these than before. They aren't as cuddly as they were.

Edie -- giving us a glimpse of "the real her" -- we just didn't realize it yet......... we like to call her grumpasaurus!!!!!!!!!!!! Jon thinks it's the outfit I had her in that she was protesting... I love the outfit! Zutano brand.... it's great.

Now for some comparisons. Then and Now!!!!

Ella in her first bath.......

and her........well I don't know how many baths she has had. ALOT!

Edie in her first bath...............

AND.................

Ella in the NICU...............

and in her crib...............

Edie in her car seat on the way home from the hospital...........

and in her crib..............

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!!!! They are huge............ but aren't they sweet. Now we leave you with some mobile fun. They love this mobile....... from Jons coworkers. Not quite as effective as the Ds but fun just the same!!! Happy 12 weeks!!!!