Photo Shoot

We went today and got the girls 9months pictures. We went in saying we would only get the special $9.99 package, but they took so many cute ones we ended up with 4 poses! Wes was so mad at me. The girls did really well. Gracie didn't want to smile because we had just woken her up from the car ride. Lizzie was all smiles. The photographer told us that its really hard to get good pictures of two kids, but we ended up with a lot of good ones. I may have a couple of models on my hands! I doubt Wes would let them have a career in that. If you want to see more of the photo shoot, check out our picasa page under March Photo Shoot. http://picasaweb.google.com/melissapotte/MarchPhotoShoot#

Fun stuff

The girls are getting to be such big girls. They sit in their high chairs and eat their dinner so well. They had a special treat this past weekend. Their big cousins helped feed them their lunch. Sydney fed the girls the last time we were in Oklahoma, but this time Sammy helped out too. He wasn't too sure about feeding the girls, but with his mom's help he did a great job.



Sydney feeding Gracie



Sammy feeding Lizzie

The girls love any crinkling noise. At diaper changing time, we give them the wipes bag and they love to play with it. They take turns each time and both of them end up playing with the bag. The bag is the best, we started using the plastic box and it's not the same.

Relatives

For the last two weeks, we have had relatives visiting. We love having them, but are ready to have the house to ourselves. We had my parents come for Lizzie's surgery, Darlene come for a visit, and then my sister and her family. Here is a picture my sister, her kids, the girls and me. The girls love their cousins Sydney and Sammy. They make the girls laugh!

We really had a good time and as always my sister and brother-in-law have lots of advice. Paul gave Wes advice on the lawn and my sister had advice on putting the girls to sleep. So, we are going to take her advice and give it a try. We went to Ikea, Costco, and the mall. It was crazy busy!

Top Questions for Parents of Twins

I saw this on one of my moms of multiple lists and thought I would share. It's the top 16 questions that people ask parents of twins. Most of these questions Wes and I have gotten on more than one occasion.

The Top 16 questions people ask the parents of twins This is so true......... 16. "Are they girls/boys?" (when they are decked out in pink / blue) "No, they are gender confused girls/boys"
15. "I could never do it." (Oh really. What would you do? Are you suggesting I put them on the curb with signs around their necks that say, "Free to a good home. My parents can't do it."?)
14. "Do they have different personalities?" (No. They are the same human being divided into two parts.)
13. Said by a stranger, "They're identical, right?" Mom answers, "No. They're fraternal." Stranger response, "They are NOT!" (OK. You're right. I have no idea what I'm talking about. These are not my children. I thought it would be fun to borrow them from a mom down at Baby Gap. It's been more than an hour. I guess I should return them.)
12. "Are they 'paternal' twins?" (Yes. They have a father. There was only one virgin birth.)
11. "Just wait till they're older. It only gets harder." (Thank you. I woke up this morning hoping I'd receive a word of discouragement while pushing a cart of preschoolers down the cereal aisle.)
10. "When one cries, does he wake the other?" (No. Twins cannot hear each other's cries because they all communicate with their special telepathic language only.)
9. From a perfect stranger: "Were they in the same sac?" (Hello. Nice to meet you, too. Will you be sharing your gynecological history with me as well?)
8. "Are they developmentally behind?" (Well, let's see. They're 3 years old and thus far, all their graduate school applications have been denied. We'll get back with you on that.)
7. "How do you do it?" (Haven't you seen the Nike commercials?)
6. Said by a dentist: "I was shocked that they didn't have the same bite patterns." (They are two different human beings, not clones.)
5. "You must be SO busy." (Are you volunteering to clean my house?)
4. Said to a mom of fraternal twins who are different sizes, have different eye color and different face structure: "How do you tell them apart?" (I just look at them.)
3. "What do you do when they both cry at the same time?" (Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I go to Starbucks or to the liqure store.)
2. Said to a mom of boy/girl twins: "Are they identical?" (Uh. Not exactly.)

1. Only one comment could be voted No. 1. The choice was clear. Drum roll, please. After a stranger had been informed that the toddler boys were twins, she asked a simple question: "Are they brothers?" (Enough said.)

Honorable mention
Are they natural: No... They're synthetic.
Do you watch Jon & Kate???

Update on the surgery and other news

Lizzie's surgery went well. We were in and out of there in about 2 hours. It was so fast. We spend most of the time in the waiting room and surgery prep. The nurses were so sweet and even gave Gracie a prize even though she didn't have the surgery! It turns out that Lizzie had an ear infection, so that was our sign that we did the right thing. We have been putting ear drops in for the last few days and it is a chore. She hates to be held down and screams when we do one of her ears. I guess it is still sore.

Gracie on the other hand has been a little under the weather. We think she may be teething. She has been running a fever, cranky, not wanting to eat, and not wanting to sleep at night. We've been alternating Tylenol and Motrin every four hours to help her feel better.

The other exciting thing is that the girls had their 9 month check up. Gracie is now half an ounce heavier than her sister. Gracie was 15 lbs 6 oz and Lizzie was 15 lbs 5.5oz. Lizzie is still taller by about an inch and a half. She was 26 1/4 inches and Gracie was 25 3/4 inches. They are getting to be big girls (to us anyway). This actually put the girls on the normal baby chart! We can't believe it. It is still in the lower % but that's ok. The only thing that is average on the girls is their head size. Lizzie is in the 25% and Gracie in the 50%.

Lizzie is trying to crawl on all fours more and more. Gracie is still "army crawling" but getting closer to getting on all fours. Both girls are sitting up for longer periods of time. We are so thankful for our foam floor because it cushions their falls.

Surgery

Tomorrow Lizzie goes for her surgery for tubes. I'm a little nervous about the anesthesia. Everyone I talk to tells me it's no big deal. They tell me that it helped their little one and not to worry. Say lots of prayers for us. So far, only Lizzie needs them. We are still waiting to find out about Gracie.

Because of the surgery, my parents came down. They spent today taking care of the girls. It was a great day for all of them and the girls were so happy when I came home from work.

And I can't believe I missed blogging about this...... The girls turned nine months yesterday! I can't believe how old they are. Both are getting ready to crawl. Lizzie is starting to get on all fours and rocking back and forth. Gracie is looking like she is ready too. The girls do everything differently. They do it around the same time, just different!

Laughing

As I mentioned in my last post that Gracie always make Lizzie laugh. Here is a video of the girls together. Gracie is in the upper left corner with the toy. Lizzie is watching her in the lower right and thinks she is the funniest thing. Both girls are laughing, but Lizzie is the one you can hear.

I haven't had time to blog lately. The girls keep us really busy. I've been home with them the last two days because they've been sick. I had to call Grandma and Papa to the rescue so I could go to work tomorrow. They should be on their way any minute and I should be folding laundry and cleaning the house!