Happy Half-Birthday!

The twins are six months old today, which means Katy is also half-way to being five.

Last month was a busy one for the twins: they started eating solid foods (or what was once a solid before it was turned into a runny puree).  Catarina started rolling over a couple weeks ago and is already rolling multiple times to travel across the floor.  Cami likes sticking her thumb in the hole in her Soothie pacifier while she sucks on it, so it looks like she is simultaneously sucking her thumb and her pacifier.

Katy continues to be a source of great humor for the twins.  She makes loud, repetitive noises as she jumps around and in their faces.  Her antics drive mom and dad nuts sometimes but also makes the twins laugh and laugh and laugh.  Of course, when the twins laugh, mom and dad laugh too.  All the laughing only encourages Katy to continue being repetitively loud and jumpy, which also drives mom and dad nuts.  So we are in a terrible cycle of laughing and feeling at our wits end sometimes.  Luckily, these three girls make it worthwhile in the end.

Custom Double Basinet Rocking Chair: The Ultimate Twin Accessory

My dad is awesome, and this blog post will prove it!

A few months before the twins were born, my mom and I were googling rocking chair options for twins.  We came across an image of a rocking chair with a basinet attached on each side, but we couldn't find it for sale anywhere.  That's when my dad took over.  After my glider chair went on a little road trip to his house, it came back like this:

That's right!  It's a double basinet rocking chair!

My talented dad welded a support frame and then attached it to the gliding hardware on the underside of my chair.  He then created additional supports to slide into the frame on each side.  These additional supports carry the basinet box you see on each side.  My mom and dad upholstered the boxes and added storage trays and cup holders.  The chair and the two basinet boxes rock as one unit.  Each basinet box has a drawer on the bottom and a mattress pad on top.  The mattress height is adjustable and even at the lowest level, the babies are within a comfortable arm's reach when sitting in the chair.  One or both basinets can be removed without leaving any evidence that they were once attached, aside from the frame on the bottom that is not visible unless you flip the chair over.   This rocking chair is the ultimate twin accessory! 

The rocker has been so helpful with the twins!  We can prop the babies in boppy pillows on each side to comfortably feed them at the same time.  We use the chair to rock both babies to sleep at the same time before moving them to their beds.  If one baby is especially fussy, I can rock that baby in my arms while the other baby chills in the basinet next to me.  And if I need to swap babies, I have a second basinet box to make the swap possible.  Sometimes Katy sits in my lap and we read while the babies fall asleep next to us.  The storage baskets and cup holders provide ample space to place bottles, a cup of water, burp cloths, pacifiers, and anything else we may need.  In short, Chris and I use the rocker and basinets daily to make caring for two babies easier.  

If you aren't convinced that my dad is awesome, you should know that he also transformed their second-hand dresser (which my mother-in-law called "trash") into a gorgeous piece of furniture.  He also refinished their crib and cradle and built their book shelf.  I guess the baby room would be pretty empty without my awesome dad!

My First Quick Trip to the Store with All Three Girls

Generally, a stop at the grocery story with all three girls is slow because I either use the double stroller or take the twins out of their carseats and wear them in a tandem baby carrier.   There's nothing quick about carseat buckles, tandem baby carriers, or double strollers.

But this week I needed to buy just one thing that was located right at the entrance, near the check-out area.  So I grabbed a baby carrier under each arm, asked Katy to hold onto one of the baby carrier handles, and began walking as fast as I could because baby carriers are HE-AVY!

We were only in the store for about five minutes but each person who saw me walking with a baby carrier in each arm either made a comment, backed-up quickly to let me pass, or stared with eyes the size of saucers.  One woman exclaimed, "I don't know how you do it!"  I replied, "I only buy one thing at a time."  I'm so clever sometimes. 

Once back at the car with our rotisserie chicken, which Kay carried for me in her free hand, I set the babies in the narrow space between my car and the car parked next to me.  I placed their carriers one behind the other so that I would have enough space to open the car door.  After opening the door, I left the baby furthest from me on the ground as I lifted the baby closest to me into the car.

Just as I was lifting the first baby into the car, a man came up to me and offered to help in very broken English.  I know now that he meant well, but it only scared me.   I was trapped between two cars with a bulky infant carrier in my arms and my other baby in a very portable baby carrier closer to him than to me.  The man, who sensed my fear, quickly began apologizing and trying to explain that he thought he knew me from his church.  I tried to process what he was saying, but I couldn't stop watching his movements like a hawk, which only made the man more nervous.  Within a few seconds, the man's wife appeared, who indeed turned out to be a fellow church member.  I had never met her husband and therefore, didn't recognize the man offering to help.

Eventually, we had a little laugh about my fear that this man was going to "robar mi bebe."  I'm pretty sure, however, that every time I see this man at church now I will think about the time I feared he was going to kidnap my baby.

Hawk Dogs and Tiny Fingers

Katy seems much bigger now that we have small infants, but she's only four years old.  One thing I want to remember about her at this age is the little mispronunciations she makes.  She loves to eat "hawk dogs" (hot dogs), she likes her food "worm" (warm) but not hot, she's not too "smaul" (small) to do things, and she loves organizing her treasures in her make-up "vanery" (vanity).  Four is a fun age.

The treasures in the make-up vanery.

On the topic of things I want to remember, right now I am so in love with the way the twins sometimes run their little hands up and down my arm when I am holding them.  The soft pressure of their tiny fingers moving along my arm, occasionally grasping my skin or fingers, is so relaxing.  It reminds me of when Katy was a toddler and would wake me up in the morning by gently running her fingers along the lines of my face.  There's something special about the gentle touch of tiny fingers. 

Katy's First Dance Recital

At the beginning of June, Katy danced in her first ballet recital.  After her first mini-performance several months prior, during which she froze-up and didn't dance, Chris told Katy he would buy her anything she wanted if she danced in her recital.  Silly Chris.  You never make such an open-ended promise.  Katy told Chris she wanted a make-up van.  Chris, thinking a make-up van was some sort of toy, agreed.  When asked later to describe the make-up van, it became clear that she wanted a make-up vanity.  So now Chris was on the hook to buy not a toy, but a small piece of furniture.

Katy talked for weeks about the "make-up van" she would receive after dancing in her recital.  Fearing Katy would freeze-up again in front of the much larger crowd at the recital, I talked with her a lot about what to expect the day of the recital in hopes that it would help her overcome her timidness.

After weeks of waiting, the day of the recital finally arrived.  Katy was eager to dance during rehearsal and proudly explained that Jesus helped her dance, which of course made my heart swell with happiness.  Katy was so excited to wear her costume.  She packed her own bag of make-up and couldn't wait to put it on herself in the dressing room the evening of the show.  And when it was her turn to dance during the recital, she danced without reserve.   Her class was on stage for no more than three minutes and being so young, they weren't exactly synchronized.  But none of that really mattered because my timid, reserved child overcame her fear and did something she truly enjoyed in front of a large audience.  For the first time as a parent, I experienced the overwhelming pride and joy that such a accomplishment triggers.

At the end of the recital, all of the dancers went on stage for a finale and a beautiful balloon drop, which caused all the little girls to squeal and run around with excitement.  When I finally went back stage to collect Katy, it only took her about 30 seconds to stop playing and ask if we could go buy her make-up vanity.  Chris and I convinced her we should go home first.

When we arrived home, I delayed Katy entering the house for a couple of minutes while Chris moved her make-up vanity to the entrance (thanks Aunt Denise for helping us find a great deal on a gently used one!).  When she walked in the door and saw the vanity waiting for her, she was confused about the seemingly-magical appearance of a small piece of furniture.  She asked where it came from and how we knew she would dance.  Once satisfied with our answers, she went straight to work filling the drawer with her make-up and other treasures. 

Despite the costs associated with a dance recital, the tediousness of the three-hour rehearsal, and the unexpected bonus of keeping two infants calm during the show without their pacifiers (whoops!), the recital was a huge success, and Katy has a darling little make-up vanity to prove it.

(Katy is in the front row, the first on the left side when looking at the stage)

Getting Out with the Twins

Chris and I started taking the twins out of the house more regularly when they turned three months old.  As exhausting as it to go somewhere with two small infants, the girls are so much happier when we take them out, we are distracted from the non-stop tediousness of caring for two babies, and we frequently go somewhere where we see friends eager to hold a baby for us if we need a little break. 

We've been going to church regularly for a few weeks now.  The trick to a successful Sabbath morning is for me to spend Friday bathing all three girls, showering myself, laying out everyone's church clothes, preparing the diaper bag, and packing Katy's activity bag.  For the first time in my life, Friday really is a preparation day.  

At the beginning of May, Chris and I took all three girls to Sea World in San Antonio.  What is it like traveling with twin infants?  Even though we were only gone for one night, we needed the roof rack on our Flex.  We could barely walk down the short hallway in our hotel room because it was lined with a cot for Katy and two small cribs for the babies.  The desk chair in our hotel room was used mostly in the bathroom, the only place I could pump and Chris could work while the girls were sleeping in our hotel room.  We washed bottles in the ice bucket at the hotel and in the bathrooms at Sea World.  And perhaps craziest of all, I pumped while watching Sea World's whale and dolphin show.

Despite all the extra work involved, however, we had a good time at Sea World because we had family with us to help out.  As we were leaving, sticky and tired from a long, hot day, I commented on how I smelled less than ideal.  My mother-in-law, who spent most of the day caring for a baby or two, smiled big and said, "Not me, I smell like baby."   

A couple weeks after our Sea World trip, my cousin and her girls visited and the twins made their first trip to the beach.   The warm air and the white noise of the water was so soothing the twins fell asleep as soon as we arrived.  After their short nap, they were so alert and content on the beach.  Cami was especially talkative every time her soft feet touched the sand or the sea gulls flew over her head.

It's unfortunate that our beach trip ended with traffic that changed a 20 minute stretch of the drive into a two hours crawl trapped in a car with two crying babies and three tired, fighting little girls.  It was a very long drive home.     

In addition to family trips, I've been a lot more confident going out with the three girls on my own.  We've made trips to story time at the library, Katy's ballet class, the grocery store, and even short shopping trips.  This summer, the twins are tagging along as I take Katy to an art class and swimming lessons.  Going out with the three girls on my own always elicits lots of comments from strangers about how my hands must be full, and people usually stare when I use one of my tandem baby carriers.  It has been really heart warming, however, to see how eager people are to offer a helping hand when even I get a little overwhelmed.   

Going to the Vet

This week I took Doug to the vet.  With all three girls.  It was an adventure.

Before I could leave, I had to rearrange the carseats so that the stroller and the dog crate would fit in the back.  I needed the crate to keep the dog from dragging his leaky rear all over the car (thus the reason for the vet visit).  I needed the stroller to be able to escort two babies, one leaky dog, and Katy into the vet's office.  Being May, it was already 90 degrees, it was humid enough to rain at any minute, and there was absolutely no movement in the air.  Arranging three carseats, a dog crate, and a massive double stroller in this weather was no picnic.

After 20 minutes of sweating it out in the car, I was finally read to load everyone up.  First the dog, who was suddenly afraid of his crate, spread his stiff legs to prevent entry, and peed a little on the back bumper.  Catarina, who was screaming in her carrier while I situated the dog, spit-up mid-scream and began choking on her own spit-up.  Thankfully Cami and Katy kept their cool.

Somehow we arrived at the vet's office a few minutes early, which is good because it turns out the vet's office is not handicap accessible.  The narrow door with the big step was going to be impossible with my giant double stroller.  So, I began the tedious task of unloading the dog, two babies, and Katy and using my two hands to move them all towards the door two at a time in small spurts that would't constitute abandoning anyone in the middle of the parking lot.  It was still hot, so there was more sweat.

Once inside the vet's offie, it was time to fill out Doug's new patient paperwork while holding him tight with my free hand and rocking Cami's carseat to try and calm her crying.  I scribbled my way through the paperwork as fast as possible, and then asked a stranger in the waiting room to watch the babies while I went to the car for my twin carrier.  She probably thought I was nuts for several reasons:  coming to the vet with so many needy dependents, leaving my children in a waiting area with her, while I ran to the car, and wearing two babies at once in 90-degree weather.  The tandem carrier surprises everyone!

Once the babies were in the twin carrier, they feel asleep pretty quickly, which was a nice victory.  Unfortunately, this prevented me from being of any assistance when it was time to weigh and examine my very-nervous and apprehensive dog.  Doug became a bit aggressive as a result, which made Katy scared.  I became a walking mob with two babies asleep on my chest and a scared dog and Katy glued to my sides every time I moved.  And of course I had to move to keep the babies asleep and coax Doug anywhere near the vet and her assistants.

On the way out, we caused a minor traffic jam in the hallway to the reception area (I am quite wide in all directions when wearing the twins on front, wearing a backpack on back, holding Katy's hand at my side and carrying Doug's leash on the other side).  The receptionist helped me hold down paperwork I had to sign before leaving because my hands were tied up with the babies and keeping Doug from picking a fight with a dog in the waiting area.  She then rushed to help me outside and unknowingly put the babies in the car in the wrong order.  Apparently, Katy wanted to sit next to Cami and not Catarina.  The improper arrangement caused child number three to break down in tears and resist all attempts to buckle her seatbelt.  Yay - now all three children and the dog had cried at some point during our outing, which made me want to cry as well.

We arrived home at 2:30, half an hour before Letty was leaving and only 30 minutes after our appointment time.  Had I know the vet visit would be such a quick outing, I could have left the babies and Katy with Letty in the first place.  But I had no way of knowing the vet would be so efficient, and it is very possible they vet was so efficient with me only because I showed up with two babies, a four-year-old, and my dog. 

Twinning and winning (?) at the vet.

The Twins are Three Months!

We made it to month three.  The first three months were very challenging for Chris and I.  We joke about how they were the longest yet quickest three months of our lives.   We still have almost no routine in our lives and we do nothing but take care of babies.  As exhausting as it is to get out of the house, we welcome the distraction from the otherwise never-ending task of all things baby.

The babies, however, are so incredibly cute now!  They smile a lot and even laugh.  They both are practically bald on the top of their heads.  Catarina loves staring at the lights on the baby swing.  Cami loves smiling back when talked to.  They both find their big sister a great source of entertainment.

Here's to hoping that the next three months are less challenging!

The twins at three months.

The twins at three months and Katy when she was three months.

The twins and Katy at one, two, and three months!

The Twins: Month Two

The twins are two months today!

Cami, Katy, and Catarina.  Katy can't be left out. 

The girls are sleeping more consistently at night and sometimes for longer stretches.  They are cranky in the evenings; the witching hour is definitely a real thing with these babies.  They love (LOVE) being held and do well in the various baby carriers we have (three different ones, to be exact, because I'm addicted to baby wearing).  They are learning to use a pacifier out of necessity.

In one of our tandem carriers.

Cameron eats faster, more efficiently, and more volume than Catarina.  She smiles a lot but also frequently gives us an intense stare that almost feels condescending.  She makes serious faces like Katy did when Katy was a baby.  When she's really tired, Cameron has a dry, raspy cry that sounds so sad.  She's a pro at falling asleep in the swing.

One of Cami's serious looks.

Catarina likes to grab the neck of our shirts or a clump of my hair in the ball of her fist.  When she's awake, she likes to tilt her head back as far as she can.  Her cries elevate to all out screaming in very little time.  When in her car seat, her cry transforms to a foamy, teeth-clenched, gurgling mess that turns her face red as a tomato.  She started making the sweeting little cooing sounds within the last week.

Catarina's hair is lighter than Cami's hair.

Tilting her head back while riding in one of our tandem carriers.

People talk about the bond between twins, and I swear I've seen videos of infant twins calmed by each other's presence.  Our twins appear to have none of this special bond so far.  When we leave them next to each other, they are either unaware of each other's presence or they are annoyed by each other's uncontrollably flailing arms and legs.  One time Chris left the girls next to each other in the crib and returned to find Cami crying because Catarina was sucking on Cami's ear.  So, yes, we're still waiting for that magical twin bond to develop.

Katy, however, finds endless entertainment in her sisters.  She sings to them. She hugs and kisses them.  She tickles and smashes them.  She asks if they can watch her play.  She talks to them and uses a baby voice to pretend they respond.  She is eager to help choose their clothes, throw their diapers in the trash, and bring us baby items we need.  She has more fun with all the baby gear in the house, and thinks it is so exciting that she sits between the babies in the car.

Reading to her sisters.

Breakfast time with Cami.

Bath time with Cami.

Bedtime snuggles.

I expected Katy to be disappointed with the twins' inability to interact with her or even jealous of the attention they demand, but Katy doesn't seem to mind much how demanding the babies are or that her relationship with them so far is very one-sided.  She really is a fantastic big sister, which she proudly declares multiple times a week.

Grandma and Papo came to help us when Chris, Katy, and I were sick. 

Cami's smile!

Grow Babies, Grow

The twins eat all. the. time.  All that milk is starting to show in their chubby legs, bellies, and faces.  The twins are also awake and alert a lot more now.  The sleepy newborn phase is so, so short.  

One week.

Seven weeks.

Katy's Art

This week Katy came home from Adventurers with an awesome piece of art.  Chris explained that her teacher, Ms. Esli, asked the kids to draw a picture of a story from the bible.  Katy drew this picture of the story of Jonah by herself, without any prompting or help.

At first I thought it was an upside-down turtle.  My mom thought it was Noah's ark until she saw the fish eating a "ghost."

I think she did a fabulous job for a little girl who only recently turned four-years-old.

Katy has also been drawing our house and our family a lot lately.  Here is her version of our house, including the posts on our front porch.  We are all standing out front, Chris and I each holding a baby.

I cannot get enough of this girl's drawings right now.