Rice Cereal: A first

Parents are always wanting to commemorate and remember "firsts".  I'm not sure if this one is worth remembering, but it was so much fun that I'm going to celebrate it as a momentous "first."  Yesterday we tried rice cereal.  Actually, we very briefly tried it at the lake house this weekend, but it was the wrong setting and we threw in the towel prematurely, so I'm not counting that as the first.  Yesterday was definitely the first that I want to remember. 

Carter does not like the rice cereal.  I mixed it with breastmilk and tasted a bit of it to see if it was vile (I know, me tasting my own breastmilk is vile, but I did it for the kids!).  It tasted good - nice and sweet.  Despite the sweetness, Carter just didn't want it.  Olivia was a much better sport about it all.  She actually ate a good bit of it.  We repeated the experience tonight and they both did better.  See pics of our "first" try.

Spring Break

Our second trip home was so much better than the first trip.  Perhaps it's because I had a better idea of what to expect, travel wise, or maybe the twins are just a bit older and could handle the disruption to their schedule better.  Regardless, it was a wonderful trip and I am so eager to go back.  I treasure the time spent with my family and I know that some day Olivia and Carter will to. 

Enough of this....time for pictures.  My sister took most of these pics.  Her pics turn out so much better than mine because (a) she actually takes pics, and (b) she uses a real camera and I use the one on my iPhone. 

We spent Saturday and Sunday indoors, as it was cold and rainy.  We didn't complain though, we desperately needed the rain.  The sun came out on Monday so we finally got to enjoy the outdoors.

Janice and George Childress and Jane and Dean Morris came to see us on Saturday, as well as Nita and Bill Thedford.  On Sunday, Jay and Sarah Howell came to stay with us.  What fantastic guests we had!

Caroline loves Carter.  You'll see more evidence of this later.



I challenged the girls to fit into the bumbos.  They were up to it. :-)



More evidence that Caroline hearts Carter.



Morgan and Caroline love playing in the swings.  At first it made me nervous because I worried that they would break them, but Liah assured me that the swings would survive.  So far, she has been right.



This totally cracks me up.  Caroline immediately started swatting Carter's back, as she had seen us burp him multiple times.

 These next pics are of the crawfish boil.  Historically I have not been a fan, mostly because I just hate putting in the work to peel the crawfish.  However, I found it to be worth the work this time and I am now on the bandwagon..  It's about time! 





Olivia's first appointment with the plastic surgeon

At the recommendation of our pediatrician, we made the drive up Hwy 49 to Jackson to see Dr. Clay at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  He is a pediatric plastic surgeon and apparently an expert in strawberry hemangiomas.  You may recall that Olivia has one on her face, right outside of her right eye.

Olivia was a perfect angel during the appointment, and as far as doctor's appointments go this one was a cake walk.  They weighed her, measured her length, took her temperature, and took her blood pressure.  They used the tiniest cuff I have ever seen and wrapped it around her right leg.  She fussed a little during it.  I kept telling her that it didn't hurt, it just felt weird.  Still, she seemed uncomfortable but at least it was quick. 

Other than those things, they didn't even touch her.  The doctor let me hold her during our consultation and he just looked at her face. 

He determined that the best course of action would be to wait and see if it goes away on its own.  If it doesn't, at some point he can cut it out.  However, he said that the longer we wait to remove it, the smaller the scar that will be left behind.  So, that's our plan.  We will see him twice a year until the issue is resolved.  We go again on August 22 and I'm hopeful that it will have started fading away by that point.

Of note, the children's center there is named after Eli Manning, as apparently he's a big donor.  It's nice to see that he's giving back in a meaningful way.

Contract for Carter's future wife

My good friend Ann sent me this article and it tickled me pink.  That's an expression my Grandma used a lot and it's perfectly appropriate to describe my reaction to this article. 

Moms of Boys Are Jealous Shrews, So Here's a Contract for Your Son's Future Wife:

The moment you bring a baby boy into the world, you start to wonder when he's going to leave you. That's right. You know that one day he'll leave you for another woman -- even though he'll propose to you all through toddlerhood and tell you that you are the only girl for him.
Liar.
You're already quite certain that the woman he marries will probably resent you for being so awesomely cool. And you're betting she'll do whatever she can to break the strong bond you have with your sweet prince. Women say it's good to marry mama's boys, but they don't really want to deal with the mama part. 
Wenches!
My husband has told me time and time again to cut the cord... no f*****g way! I'm waiting until that thing rots and falls off. I mean, for how much longer is he going to say "I love you" when he walks out the door, or hug me in front of his friends, or ask me to lie with him at night? Frankly, I don't know, but I won't be the one to stop it.
If he's 40 and wants me to lie with him and scratch his arm, I'll be all "Move over, Megan," or whatever his unappreciative, son-stealing wife's name is.
Let's be honest: he may be 5 now, but before we know it, he'll be shaving, and driving, and then he'll leave us to go to college somewhere cold. Then he'll get married and move to be near her mother, because that's what girls make boys do: move near their mothers! Then he'll be a father, and then one fine holiday he'll have "wifey" call us to cancel our plans. Then he'll try to make up for it by sending one of those Harry & David gift baskets filled with pears, because he'll remember that we love pears, but they'll be bruised -- like our hearts.
No, we can't go down that road. We have to take a stand against son stealing right now.
We'll make those Jezebels pay... no, sign! Yes, a contract for us to make them sign, besides the pre-nup. That's right, like using WiFi in Starbucks, they'll have to agree to our terms. 
This is a MIL-nup, and it goes like this:

• I will compliment my mother-in-law's (MIL's) cooking, her decorating, and, most importantly, the incredible way she raised her son, my husband.


• I will marvel at my MIL's beauty and miraculously never-aging skin every time I see her.



• I will acknowledge that my MIL's son is on loan to me so that we can make grandbabies, which will probably look like her and have her wonderful traits, which I will mention in conversation frequently and with great fervor.



• I will remind my husband to call my MIL daily, saying, "Have you told your mother you love her today? You should, she rocks." Plus, I will throw in phrases like this:
  
  • "That amazing woman raised you! You should call and thank her... again."
  
  
  • "You can truly never thank her enough."
  
  
  
  • "Let's go over and thank her in person."
  
  
  
  • "We should bring her a gift when we go."
  
  
  
  • "She's so deserving of gifts."
  
  
  
  • "Let's take her on vacation with us."
  
  
  
  • "And get her another gift."
  
  
  
  • "Maybe a beautiful locket with pictures of you and our children."
  
  
  
  • "No, I don't need to be in the pictures; she didn't raise me... unfortunately."



• I will tell other women that their mothers-in-law are not as fabulous as mine, and I shall be willing to throw down in the event that said women disagree.



• I will take my MIL to her weekly hair salon appointment and shopping at Loehmann's, when it is deemed necessary by age.



• I will spend all holidays with my husband's family, because they are so awesome and gracious, and I realize how much mine sucks by comparison.

And lastly:


• I will move to be near my MIL, whether she has retired to Century Village in Florida, decides to live in a nudist colony in Arizona, or goes bat-s**t crazy and moves to Alaska for the fresh sushi. She is so wise and wonderful that I'm sure her choice of habitat will suit me and my husband perfectly!

Oh, and:


• My MIL can so live with me and my husband when she's old and can't remember who I am.

There. You can print this to be signed when the inevitable happens. I just saved you from losing your sweet, sweet boy. You're welcome.

Carter lately

Carter is a man after my own heart.  He and I share a bond that is hard for me to put into words.  He clings to me and hugs me and his face lights up when he sees me.  Perhaps it's because I nurse him, but I just feel like he and I get each other.

He's a pretty easy baby.  He's calm most of the time and a great sleeper.  He doesn't nap as well as Olivia does, but he can night sleep with the best of them.  He also falls right asleep when put in his crib.

He talks some too, just like Olivia.  What he does best though is laugh....his belly laughs make me belly laugh too.  That kind of fun is good for the heart and soul! 

Carter eats like a champ.  He consistently eats about 5 ounces, but at night he can take down as much as 8 ounces in a feeding, probably to fuel that good night sleep.

He's also quite the wiggler.  When laid on his back, he will pull his legs up and roll to his side.  He also kicks his legs fiercely.  I think he'll be athletic.

Carter's challenge is that he is not very regular in the bowel movement department.  He only poops about once every 3 days, which to me is just not enough.  We give him 3 ounces of apple juice every morning, which he likes and that seems to help him out.  Every day when I pick him up from school, I immediately ask if he pooped that day, as I'm always hopeful that he found some relief.  Sheesh, the things mothers worry about!

Carter was born with more hair than Olivia.  Lately it has grown in much thicker and the top is getting longer.  I love love love his head of hair!  I love to put my cheek against his head and feel it on my face.  He doesn't mind either as he seems to like closeness with me more than Olivia does. 

He loves to use his hands to grab at just about anything he can.  He especially likes to hold on to my hair.  When there's nothing to grab, he's crammed his fist into his mouth.  It seems obvious that he's teething by the amount of drool that spills out onto his shirt all day.  I guess the fist in the mouth provides some relief to his gums.

Olivia lately

Olivia is complex.  She is wonderful and challenging all at the same time.  Mostly her disposition is sweet and inquisitive.  She is very interested in the world around her and I love to watch her eyes dart around the room, to find what is making a noise or to see where someone is.  Her smile is quick and genuine.  She has perfect skin - the kind of skin that reminds you how good God's creation is when it's in mint condition.  She's straight from the factory, and although many of her parts don't work as well as they someday will, her skin is at it's prime. 

She is totally lacking in the hair department.  Unfortunately for her, she inherited the same funny head that her Pops, Aunt Liah, and mom have.  Once she gets hair she won't notice that funny shaped head, but until then it makes me giggle because I see so much "Helms" in her.  The hair she does have is very fine and blonde, just like how Morgan's and Caroline's were at this age.

She loves the sound of her own voice, almost as much as I love the sound of her voice!  She coos and talks and giggles.  I find her watching my mouth intently when I talk.  I know her little brain is cranking in that funny shaped head, as she is trying to learn how to make sounds just like I do.

She's challenging for a few reasons....she is impatient.  When she wakes up, she wants to eat.  If you don't put food in her mouth within 15 seconds of picking her up, she's angry and letting you know it.  She doesn't have time for me to change her diaper, warm the bottle, or set her down to just get myself ready.  I do make her wait, but during that wait I get to hear that voice again, only this time in volumes and pitches that I'm not crazy about.

For being such a demanding eater, she's not a great one.  She gets horrible gas which makes her refuse the bottle.  She'll drink a couple of swallows, then fiercely turn her head to get the bottle out of her mouth.  Then, once the bottle comes out of her mouth, she cries.  The crying continues until she's gotten relief from the gas (a burp).  Sometimes I"ll burp her for what feels like ages while she screams.  The burp always comes though so long as we are persistent enough.  Then, she'll eat and be happy.

She's a great napper.  The ladies at day care say that she naps pretty much off and on all day long.  She's unfortunately not the best night sleeper, but then again she's not terrible either so I shouldn't criticize how long she can sleep.  She's still not 11 pounds, so I know she does need food more frequently than her bigger peers.  Some nights she can go 6 hours between feedings, but some nights she gets hunger after 4 hours.  However, what is good about her is that she can fall asleep quickly at night.  We just have to put her in her crib and she's asleep within about a minute.

Olivia likes to have a blanket pulled up over her face while she sleeps.  Forrest says she got that from his mother and sister Mallory.  It's strange to me, but I just provide her with her yellow crocheted blanket (that I made) and she covers up and is happy.

She's still in size 3 months clothing.  Although I'm getting kind of tired of her outfits, I am thankful that I have enough and they are comfortable for her.  I sometimes dress her in her brother's sleepers, as they are warm and I like her to be in something substantial at night.  She doesn't seem to mind. 

Last weekend when we were at the Cracker Barrel, I had her in one of Carter's sleepers, which was blue.  A couple of ladies commented that they had thought she was a girl despite the blue sleeper, because she has a girls face.  I completely agree.  Her face has changed a lot since she was born and is becoming more feminine and beautiful with each day. 

Quiet Weekend at Home

We had nothing special planned for this weekend.  Dun was supposed to be here, but she wasn't able to get a seat on the plane out here so she had to cancel her trip.  So, we ended up doing a little of this and a little of that, which when added all together made a very nice weekend.

On Saturday morning we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.  I'm not sure if this is turning in to a tradition or not (I'm sure Forrest hopes and prays that it is NOT) but I let the twins stay in their jammas all day again, just like last Saturday.  They got lots of attention at the restaurant.  They really didn't want to sleep in the restaurant, but they also didn't need to fuss either.  They just wanted to sit on our laps and watch all of the people around us.  Our breakfast was punctuated by many remarks about how cute they are, questions about their genetic makeup (are they identical?), and one offer to hold them for us while we ate (we should have accepted).  It was a very nice breakfast.

We spent the rest of the day at home.  We have noticed that they put a premium on fun (who did they get that from?) so when they are awake, they want to be playing with something or someone.  Sitting up in their bumbos, they can play with toys and entertain themselves pretty easily.  It's also very interesting to them to be facing each other, as they now love to interract together.  I told Forrest yesterday that I thought they liked each other more than they like us.  He thinks that's a good thing, and he's probably right. 

Notice the pile of toys on the floor.

As usual, Olivia poses for the picture while Carter blows me off.

The fatal flaw with the above play arrangement is that they keep dropping the toys off their tray, which means I have to sit down there to retrieve and return the toys. Even Rascal gets tired of entertaining them on the floor!  I know I know, that's what we signed up for, but it doesn't hurt to have a little contraption that pinch hits for us when we need a break.  This little gem has several hanging plastic toys that, when touched, deploy some sort of noise and light combo.  It actually sounds and looks a lot like a slot machine (ding ding ding!), so naturally I like it too.

It's only been two days of entertainment with that contraption so I can't say that it's withstood the test of time, but I'm hopeful that this proves to be interesting for a while.  If so, I'll definitely pass it on to my sisters as it's wonderful to be able to sneak away for a few minutes to do house work, do my hair, cook dinner, or do whatever else I might desire to do sans babies.
On Sunday, we went to church and then to Steinmart so that Forrest could get a belt and some trouser socks.  After that the twins took a nap, but not in their cribs.  Their indulgent mom let them sleep in her bed with her (guilty!).  I learned my lesson though....as nice as it is to cuddle the babies, they wiggle and squirm and make it impossible for an adult to sleep nearby. 

Sorry it's so dark.  I didn't use the flash for obvious reasons.

Of note, notice how Olivia has the covers pulled up over her mouth?  Normally when get her from her crib, she's got her blanket pulled up all the way over her face.  She wasn't strong enough to pull the quilt up that high this time.  I think it's terribly strange to sleep with covers over the face, but Forrest says that his mother sleeps like that and so did Mallory.  So, I guess she got that little quirk from them.

After naps we went for a walk on the Longleaf Trace.  It was a nice but short walk.  Carter was starting to get fussy so we only made it about a half mile before we decided it would be smart to turn back.  I didn't get any pics of that, because I was too busy holding on to two leashes.

Last pics of the weekend are of Liv and her dad.  For some reason Forrest wasn't in the paparazzi mood, so I told him I wouldn't include his face in the pic, which is why he's cut off.