Half. A. Year. It is so crazy to me that we have been a family of five for that long. My little babies are getting bigger by the week and all I can think is “slow down”. It is going by too fast. I try every day to stop and enjoy these precious moments with each of my children. One of my daily prayers is for one on one time with each child. And somehow, I usually manage it. I know all too well that even though they feel so big compared to the tiny little beings that emerged from my body six months ago, one day, I will look back at when they were six months and think “oh, they were so little”. I learned that with Elijah.
Patrick: As of their six month birthday, Patrick weighed 14 pounds 5 ounces maintaining his 7th percentile ranking. His length according to the nurse’s measurements at the doctor’s appointment is 26 inches long but as my mother always tells me, those measurements are never very accurate. Patrick has become quite the champion nursling. We struggled with a weak latch for several months but this month he really seems to have it down and never has trouble anymore. Reflux is still a daily challenge for him and it breaks my heart to see him struggle but it seems I am more bothered by it than he is. I know it is not comfortable but he takes it in stride and only occasionally does his evening fussiness seem to be associated with his reflux. She we chose not to medicate for it at this time.
I am completely tickled at one of our latest observations of Patrick. Every time he sees Wrigley or my in-laws dogs, Henry and Beamer, he gets excited, starts kicking his feet and giggling uncontrollably. This baby LOVES dogs. I come from a family of animal lovers and so seeing this passionate joy in my children for animals makes me so happy. Patrick had a really bad reflux episode the other night. He could not stop crying and sneezing and could barely catch his breath from refluxing. I was doing my best to soothe him and calm him down. Nothing I did worked and then Wrigley came over the check things out and Patrick was all smiles. Patrick eventually fell asleep and slept quite soundly next to his Mama as usual and was fine by the next morning. This was really the first time we had such a bad reflux episode where there was just no relief but it warmed my heart that even in the throws of discomfort, Patrick could not help but smile cheerfully at his furry companion.
Patrick is my deep thinker and old soul. He connects with people on a serious level, loves to make eye contact and touch your face. He is also full of smiles and laughs but those moments of him looking deep in the eyes of whoever is holding him just take my breath away. It amazes me that one so small has that kind of connection to people. He’s just such a neat little guy. He still has his funny quirts like sticking his cute little legs straight up in the air crossed at the ankles. He likes to hang out on his tummy and kick his feet in the nonchalant kind of way as he studies his hands or whoever’s feet are close by.
Patrick continues to be exclusively breastfed. No solids for these babies yet. Patrick is quite satisfied with Mama’s milk and shows no interest in any other food at this point. I’m hoping to EBF for one year and then follow through will full term nursing to about two years. But we will see what these babies have in store for us.
Patrick is getting very close to crawling. He has all the right moves and I believe he will be there by the middle of the month. He is sitting on his own for longer period of time though he loves to move his legs so much he usually ends up pushing himself over. He loves his elephant lovey named Peanut, the exersaucers, swing, his octobrush (a rubber octopus gum brush), frozen teething toys, his own feet, Wrigley, Mama’s milk, bath time and listening to music. He also loves getting a hold of Mama’s phone which we try to discourage. Patrick is not a big fan of getting a pacifier if that is not what he wants (he will turn his head away and let out loud protest!). He also is now at the point where he really does not like Mama to walk away. Up until this point he was sort of laid back about that sort of thing but we are definitely in the midst of a “wonder week” of development and he knows where I am not near. He is still an excellent napper. Patrick normally takes a short morning nap, unless he goes right back to sleep after breakfast which is around 7am in which case he may not get up until 9am. His afternoon naps are awesome, sometimes 2-2 1/2 hours in length and usually overlaps Elijah’s 2-3 hour nap. Night time has become a challenge. Where Patrick used to go to bed easily around 6pm, I am finding that he has become my night owl. He won’t go down before 9 and even then it is a fight to get him to sleep. Since the other two are relatively easy to get down for bedtime, it is not as big of deal but in my gut I know this little guy should be going to bed around 6:30 and that just makes my heart ache. He does sometimes have a short nap around 4:30 but I have found that even eliminating that nap, he is reluctant (aka difficult) to get to sleep at bedtime. But as I tell my friends who are dealing with little ones with sleep issues, this is just a season of life. And it is such a short season, I do my best not to let the hard parts get the best of me and enjoy all the sweet moments that we have every day. I just love this little guy so much and it thrills me how he is thriving. It is hard to believe that just six months ago Patrick was hooked up to machines in the NICU, now allowed to eat and kept at a cold temperature. My little “ice man” as I called him, has come such a long way. I look at his sweet fleshy baby thighs now and think how much easier it would have been to give him those shots. He was a little over 6 1/2 pounds when I started and not an ounce of fat on him. And while he stays steady at the 7th percentile, he is by no means the tiny guy he was. He is my brave, strong boy and has grown even stronger. We continue to keep our eyes open for any red flags or developmental delays due to the trauma surrounding his birth but Patrick has us pretty convinced that this is not something we will encounter. He has hit all his milestones ahead of time and is flourishing.
RORY: As of six months of age, Rory weighs 15 pounds 10 ounces and is hanging out in the 25th percentile. He had one week about a week ago where he didn’t gain so he lost a few percentile points but you would never know it to look at him. My little round ball of giggles is healthy and happy. According the nurse’s measurements at his doctor’s appointment, Rory is 27 inches. Again, we take these measurements with a grain of salt. According to that the boys are around 88 and 95 percentiles for length and that just doesn’t seem accurate to me. But I know their weights are right because I use my own digital scale that I compared to my lactation consultant’s when Patrick first came home from the hospital. Rory continues to be an awesome nursling. And now that his brother caught up with him in efficiency, I make sure to drink a TON of water and take my homemade lactation tincture regularly so I can keep up with their high demands. Rory’s reflux is also becoming more severe. I have seen milk shoot from his nose on more than once occasion but as long as I keep him upright when he is having an episode, he is fine. I find that keeping my babies upright after feeding does not prevent it from happening but if I do it when they are refluxing, it eases the discomfort and those smiles never leave their faces.
Rory remains an extremely social guy. He loves to be held and loves being around people. It takes very little to make this little boy erupt into giggles. He is still VERY attached to his Mama and will reach for me if I have been away for too long but he is also showing a preference for other care givers. He will reach for Chip and Grandmother as well. And he just adores his big brother. Elijah is amazing with both his brothers and will hug them, kiss them and play with them. He will replace rogue pacifiers and bring them toys. And Rory just can’t get enough of it. The two of them have very similar personalities and I am so curious to see how the dynamics of the relationships of all three of them will play out. I pray that it is a special bond and that they are the best of friends.
Rory is still tough to get to nap but he is becoming a better nighttime sleeper. He is my early riser, waking up around 5 or 6 in the morning. I feed him and then as I pump (while Patrick is still sleeping) Rory likes to play in the nursery closet with the hangers and some toys that I keep in there. I sit next to him and his is happy as a clam! He naps throughout the day, usually for 20-30 minutes. Occasionally I will get an 40-60 minutes out of him but from the very beginning he has seemed to need less sleep than either of his brothers. He has been going to bed around 6:30 and will wake up a few times but will go immediately back to sleep. I go up and give him back his soothie pacifier (the only kind either baby will accept) and Rory rolls and cuddles his bunny rabbit and goes right back to sleep. He starts out in the crib. The babies have gotten to the point where it is pretty impossible to co sleep with both. They just move too much and since it is such a delicate rhythm to get them to sleep and stay that way, we sort of do musical beds at night. Lately Patrick has been co sleeping with me because of sleeping schedules but I am sure that will change and then change back as their sleeping needs adjust.
Rory is exclusively breastfed like his brother and while he seems to be showing interest in food, I am going to do my best to hold him off until he is at least a year old when we will start baby led weaning and continue nursing until two. And while he does seem to show an interest in what we eat, I think it is more curiosity like he is curious about and wants to touch everything. So I do not take this as a sign of readiness for solids.
Rory is whipping through his milestones. He started crawling at 5 1/2 months and sat up a day or so after that. I was surprised at the order since Elijah sat up first but that just goes to show you that every child is different. It is fun to see how they differ and also how they are the same. One thing that all three boys seem to have in common is the fact that they are pretty happy guys. We are so blessed and I am reminded every day with each little smile.
Rory loves Mama’s milk, his big brother, having his diaper changed, crawling on the quilt in our living room, floating in the swimming pool, his toy camera, kicking his feet, chewing on anything soft and grabbing on to Mama’s nursing necklaces. Rory is not a fan of when Mama leaves the room, bedtime, getting clothes on, or being away from the action. He likes to be in the middle of things.
Both babies just love to “talk”. There is a lot of cooing going on in our house. They are really starting to interact a lot and I love seeing them sweetly touch one another’s face or holding hands. They also enjoy chewing on one another fingers and feet which the other does not seem to mind. I can see the bond that I daydreamed about when I was pregnant, begin to grow between the two of them and their older brother and it just makes me so happy. I love these precious little souls and I just can’t believe that they are really mine!
A fun comparison shot of my sweet three!
I just love these little outfits that Chip’s cousins from Mississippi gave us at our gender reveal. So precious. I wish I could dress my boys like this every day!
My Rory so full of joy
Such a happy baby.
Such a curious little guy
Such beautiful blue eyes!
Rory means “red king” in Gaelic. I often wonder if his hair will turn red like Elijah’s.
“I’m going to get you Mama”
“I’m not so sure about this basket….”
“Okay, I like it”
Patrick was having trouble sitting on the uneven ground.
“Seriously, Mama, it is TOO EARLY for this”
Such a gentle little face.
I love when he bites his bottom lip. So CUTE! (I’m not biased at all!)
Patrick did a little better in the basket.
“Mama you are so silly”
Such a peaceful little guy.
I think this may just be my diplomat.
“Hey, I know you”
“No way are you escaping without me”
DADDY’S CHAIR
When Elijah was six months old, I took photos of him in Chip’s childhood rocking chair made by his grandfather. I decided to do the same with the twins. Here is a picture to start off with of one I did of Elijah at six months old…
My sweet little Elijah at six months old sitting tall in Daddy’s chair.
Love that mischievous grin.
“Hey Mama, check this out. I got a leg!”
Love those sweet curled toes
Elijah wanted in on the action. Amazing what a difference 21 months makes!
My cute little Patrick. He looks so tiny in that chair.
“Still too early Mama but I will smile
“cheeeeeese”
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