7 months

Chris is sick with strep throat, and the girls have both been pretty congested lately, so I took them in for a checkup. All is well- lungs are clear, ears are fine, no temps. It's likely just a cold. We're to keep an eye on the girls and go from there.

Last night was quite the adventure as a result of these "colds." It's rare that I feel like a MoM (mom of multiples) because my ladies are so good to us. But last night, last night I felt like a MoM. I stayed up far too late and didn't lay down until midnight. What can I say, I was catching up on a rousing episode of G&B! So there I lay peacefully until 4:00 am. when Charlie Bear awakens. I go upstairs for my normal- here's your binkie, fall back asleep- task. Then I lean in for a kiss and hear my poor baby struggling to breathe through her nose. The poor thing was more than congested and simply couldn't breathe. So I grab the lovely 'ol ball nose sucker and attempt- half asleep an in the pitch black- to aim at her teeny tiny nostril and suck out some phlegm. Charlotte was none too pleased with this attempt! So I pull her out of her crib, sit in the chair and try from a different angle... no dice. At this point, she's wailing and it wakes Chris. He comes in and I have him go hunt down the Nose Frieda (crazy straw-looking contraption that you use to suck the snot out). He finds the Nose Frieda and holds Charlotte's head still while I try with all my might to get the snot out. We pause for a second and listen and she sounds a bit better. Ahh, success........... sike. She takes the next breath and there it is again, a congested, struggled breath. At this point, we're a half hour in and risking waking Ellie, so I take Charlotte with me to our room. I kick Chris out, because he really shouldn't be around the girls until he's not contagious any longer, and lay down with Chuckles. At this point, she's tired, angry and uncomfortable. She can't use her binkie bc she can only breathe through her mouth. And she can't sleep without her binkie. So I lay with her and comfort her and as soon as we start to drift off, here comes the subtle sound through the monitor of a baby waking up. Oye.

Up I go to check on Ellie and find her awake and ready for Dance Party USA. So I say, what the hell, you're coming with me kid, and off we go to our bedroom. I lay her next to her sister and then the kicking and flailing begins. Now, Charlotte is wide awake, Ellie wants to practice her crumping skills, Chris is snoring on the couch, and I'm dizzy from exhaustion.

Finally, around 5:30 ish, we all settle down and fall asleep Charlotte nestled in my chest, my head resting on hers (me drooling on her head), Ellie sprawled out next to Charlotte, and Chris on the couch....snoring. And then at 6:00 (which is actually 5:50 bc I'm one of "those people"), my alarm goes off. Yaaaaaayyyy. 

The positive part of this story (besides the fact that I got a hilarious story out of it), is that the girls were weighed at the dr yesterday, so I have an accurate update for once:

• How old are babies: 7 and a half months
• How much do they weigh: E: 15 lbs, 10 oz! C: 14 lbs, 12 oz!
• How long are they: I didn't ask
  
• Clothes: Gap 3-6 is a bit snug. We're inching toward the 6-12 range. Carter's is a solid 9 months.
• Diapers: I used my very last Size 2 diaper yesterday and almost cried while doing so. My girls are so big and amazing. Why can't I just push pause?!
• What are they eating: They eat 6 oz. of breast milk twice a day, 6 oz. of formula twice a day, and 7 oz of formula before bed. They still love bananas and Puffs and sweet potatoes are their favorites. So far they've had the following purees; yellow squash, butternut squash, peas, bananas, carrots, green beans, pears, sweet potatoes, zucchini, apples, asparagus, and white potatoes.
  I'm still exclusively pumping. I recently dropped a pump session and am down to two now (when I wake up and in the evening around 8:00 or so). My supply has dropped pretty significantly and I'm barely making enough for their 2 meals a day. I'm wrapping my mind around quitting entirely. I've had a very good stretch and am pretty pleased with my body.
• How are they sleeping: Aside from the comedy of errors last night, they sleep great! They go down around 8:00-8:30 and sleep soundly until 4:00 or 5:00 when they just need a binkie and go right back to sleep. Even this binkie request only occurs a few times a week and not every night. They nap 3-4 times a day around 10:00, 12:00, 3:30, and 6:30. Their longest naps are at 10:00 and 12:00.
  
• Milestones: We have sitting babies! They wobble just slightly from time to time, but they get stronger each day. Charlotte is days away from crawling. She can get in position and even put one knee forward, but then she stops and goes into the splits, knees bent. It doesn't slow her down though. If she wants something, she'll find a way. Oh yes, she'll find a way. Ellie, on the other hand. Prefers to roll her way to things.And damn does she look cute doing it. Charlotte has her first tooth (bottom right). It happened all at once. I happened to feel around for one and there it was- sharpened to razor perfection! I think Ellie is working on one bc she drools like a bull dog, puts everything in her mouth and has been a bit fussy lately.
• What they love: They love swim lessons, bath time, their Jumparoo, sitting upright, eating Puffs, and going for walks.
  
• Major events: Nanny Kim turned in her notice. She'll be leaving us at the end of the month to help out with her new grandbaby set to arrive in June. We're now on the hunt for a new sitter and it sucks. We were so spoiled with Kim. She came to us, took amazing care of the girls, did all my laundry, did my dishes and put up with our seriously annoying cats. It's going to be darn near impossible to replace her.
• Appearances: Charlotte's hair growth is at a stand still. It's still a dirty blonde color but is a shade darker than Ellie's. Ellie's hair is getting so long, it's almost caught up with "the tuft." Our swim instructor says she looks like a dandelion and it's so true. She's the cutest dandelion I've ever seen! How I was blessed with two babies as beautiful as mine, I'll never know.
• Personalities: Charlotte is all smiles these days. You simply glance in her direction and she smiles. Such a little love bug. Charlotte LOVES music. She'll even try and hum to some songs now! Hilarious! And she doesn't ever stop moving. She's such the wiggle worm and is so curious. Ellie is still a little chatter box and likes to squeal- to hear herself, I think. And she loves her jumparoo so much, I'm worried she's going to give herself shakin baby syndrome! They're both so full of life and personality and it amazes me more and more each day.
• Mom & Dad update: Obviously, Chris is sick. I'm struggling with my allergies, but otherwise am doing well. I was approached about a potential new job opportunity. I'm not sure what will happen with it and if it's the right career move, so I have some thinking to do. Everything happens for a reason, so we'll see. We're headed to Vegas in late June. Me for work and Chris for fun. We're going to stay a couple days extra and hang out with some friends. I know it will be a blast, but it will also be the longest stretch I've been away from the girls. I forsee plenty of FaceTime and Skype in my future!
• Next doctor visit: Our next appt is scheduled for the first week in July when they'll be 9 months old.