Rory and Patrick 18 Month Update!

I can no longer kid myself into thinking these two angels are babies. There is no denying the fact that our home (sigh) is baby free and Rory and Patrick are full fledge toddlers. What an amazing journey I have had so far as their Mama. And what joy they bring into not only our home and lives but spread out to where every they go. And along with their big brother, they are like three peas in an adorable pod. What blessings have been bestowed upon us in the form of sweet and adorable little boys!

Rory continues to have a very similar personality to our Elijah. As I look back at Elijah’s 18 month update, I remember that he often would stop mid-play and come over to give hugs and kisses to myself, his Daddy and whoever else was around. Rory does the exact same thing. It is like he needs a boost on his little love meter and will stop what he is doing, climb onto my lap and wrap his arms around me with a big squeeze, then go right back to what he was doing. I never feel more loved than in those kinds of precious moments.

Rory’s speech is so sweet. He has lots of words that he uses consistently but even more than that, both he and his twin will “parrot” anything they they hear. He calls Elijah “Aiya” which I love because my little brother, Mark, used to call me that when he was this age.  At this age, Elijah had more words but I don’t remember him repeating everything he heard in the way that they do. It is so interesting to see how the three boys have different combinations of similarities and differences. Here is a little anecdote about Rory’s speech and communication. Anyone that spends any time at our house knows that three kids but Rory ESPECIALLY is obsession with Despicable Me and the little yellow  minions I that movie. I have always felt that screen time should be used sparingly and with the purpose of education but as well intentioned as I am about that, there are times (some days more than others) when I just need to entertain them so I can get some things done. Especially when it is 105 degrees outside. And so Despicable me has become the family favorite along with Frozen. Well, Rory will quite along with the movie. It is one of the funniest things I have ever seen (though I am a little embarrassed that he has seen it enough times to be able to do this. And it is not the entire movie but there are several parts that he will say along with the characters. Cracks. Me. Up.

Rory is tipping the scales at 21 pounds 7.5 ounces. Not big by any means (in fact he is in the 8th percentile for weight) but he looks and feels like a chunker compared to tiny twin. Rory loves to climb. He LOVES to dance. In fact if music comes on in the car and it is a song he likes, he will nod his head to the beat. If he is in my lap and bops and sways and if he is standing, he will bust out a move. One of my favorite Rory moves and when he is standing and bends over to flat back and sticks his arms out straight behind him. He looks kind of like a chicken. That is sort of his signature dance move. This boy loves music. Well, really, all my boys love music. 

Some of Rory’s favorite things are nursing (yup still going strong!), dancing, playing outside with his big brother, baths and pools, Despicable Me, BEING NAKED!, coloring, apple sauce, bananas, hot dogs (nitrate free of course), scrambled eggs, and mama’s homemade gluten free bread. He also loves our daily smoothies.

He still does not like to get his diaper changed though he lets me know every time he has a dirty one.

Rory tends to still be pretty clingy at times though he has really been enjoying going to childcare when I go to church events. This is especially impressive because we are doing several different events at different churches and so there is not a whole lot of consistency.

Rory has caught up to Patrick’s sleeping skills. What blessing that has been. As long as Rory does not fall asleep in the car on the way home from somewhere and does not get tired too early, he will nap for 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours and sleep all the way through the night from about 6:30pm-6:30am. So while we had a bit of a rough season for a while, things with my toddler two are getting easier. I still, often times, feel like I know what it is like to be a teen idol. Sometimes I walk into the room and am bombarded with small people pawing at me with tears in the eyes. That must be what it is like to have groupies. Yes, I just compared my toddler twins (and even my three year old at times) to groupies. Giggle. But you know what, I feel so loved by these guys. And even when I am in the midst of chaos and screaming which DOES HAPPEN, my heart is always grateful. And I don’t know what I did to deserve these precious beings.

Patrick is my very unique little boy. He stands out in our family as quiet and reserved. He is very deep thinker, still. That is something I saw in him even as a newborn and it has continued to manifest itself in his total being. He is similar to Elijah in that, my oldest, too had and continues to have a gentle element to his personality, especially when dealing with animals and smaller children. What is unique to Patrick is that this is the dominant element of his personality and he is like that with everyone. I believe empathy will be one of Patrick’s greatest strengths and spiritual gifts as he grows and matures. His soft and gentle voice is always so intention and just the tone of his speech and babble is soothing to the soul.

Like Rory, Patrick does A LOT of parroting. A LOT. But because he really seems to study people and absorb his environment, he has really blossomed in using his words in a conversational and social way. He ways thanks you appropriately and consistently. He gives kisses and says bye bye right when he sees someone get up to leave. He says please when offered something. He just longs to connect with people and wants to learn how to do that. He is also very funny. Elijah started this game with his brothers. It is basically fake sneezing and they all crack up. Where Patrick loves this game and initiates it often. They go “ah Ah AH CHOO!”. If you say Ah AH…Patrick will finish with a VERY ENTHUSIASTIC “CHOOOO!” It is also very realistic. I often think he really sneezed until he starts doing it repeatedly. So cute. So precious. So hilarious.

Because Elijah and Rory sort of team up, Patrick is often the lone wolf and I do sometimes get concerned that he might get left out a bit. But as I sit here typing this, I look out the window and see the three of the laughing and playing with one another in a small there man circle and it occurs to me that my deep thinker may prefer to have some time to himself to reflect. Oh, what must go on in that little mind of his. I cannot wait to sit with him over hot tea talking about what those thoughts are.

My tiny boy is now tipping the scales at 18 pounds 8 ounces. Barely on the chart at .1 percentile in weight and 8 percentile in height he is quite thin. But he eats well and is sharp minded with beautiful olive skin and I can’t help but think he just has that body type and it is the perfect body type for him just as each of my boys looks exactly as God intended! On our most recent doctor’s appointment two days ago, I did discuss Patrick’s weight with Dr. De Broeck and we agreed that we would keep a close eye on it. I actually have always weighed my boys regularly on my baby/toddler scale at home but I appreciate our doctor keeping an eye on it with me. He assured me that he was not at all worried but just because his weight gain is so slow it would be good to keep an eye on it and so we will go back in two months just for a quick weight check in.

Some of Patrick’s favorite things are peanut butter ( I give him spoonsful of it on days when I feel like he hasn’t had enough calories), vanilla coconut milk yogurt, scrambled eggs, apple sauce, nursing (yep going strong with Pfunk too!), being worn in our Kinderpack baby carrier, playing outside with brothers, Wrigley, the wooden piece of pretend toast that he is always chewing on and blueberries. Patrick, like his twin, does not like diapers changes.

Patrick continues to be a magnificent sleeper. He naps about three hours a day regularly….sometimes more. He goes to bed with Rory in their room at the same time and sleeps through the night for 12 hours. That is SUCH A BLESSING.

I still find it hard to believe we, as a family, have been doing this for eighteen months and yet, I cannot not imagine what life would have been like without them. The funny shenanigans that is our life as a family, the beautiful chaos, the laughter, the tears, the sweat……it is all rolled into this amazing package of three sweet boys that have been brothers for 18 months.

I managed to squeeze in their 18 month photos shoot today before church. I decided to put the twins in hand me down clothes of their Daddy which is always fun. I even did a little comparison collage of when Elijah had on those same outfits. Now granted there were a bit looser on Elijah when he wore them but check out the age difference. Our sweet Elijah was a big baby for the first 7 or 8 months of life!

Such sweet little boys. Look at baby Elijah. Sigh. Oh how I love that baby season of life.

This is all three boys at 18 months old. Side by side, I really see how Elijah is a perfect combination of his two brothers.

Patrick was not really into our standard photo shoot set up today.

…..so we moved it outside!

This is the Patrick smile that erupts when he is so excited that he laughs with his whole body. Sometimes it appears when someone walks into the room and sometimes it comes out of no where. There is no way you can’t experience this and not fall madly in love with this boy.

I see a glimpse of Patrick the man in this face.

Spotting something to investigate!

The he be but little he be fierce.

How you adoin’

Catch you later babe!

Love those precious round cheeks.

CHEEEEEESE

Sweet and jolly

He’s on the move!

Rory is “earthing”.

And there’s our Elijah! Big brother for 18 months!

Group shots of all three are harder this season of life with the twins.

Be still my heart…..

The Twins Turn 10 Months Old!

Our twins are ten months old. They are just two short months away from being a whole year. I can barely believe it. They are slowly becoming less and less “baby”. Watching them grow and develop has been such a beautiful blessing. They are both so smiley and sweet. I love getting to spend my days with them and their big brother!

Rory: Rory weighted in at a whopping 17 pounds 5 ounces and is in the 5th percentile. This little boy is always on the move and when I get busy with household tasks, he can be found following me around saying “Mama Mama Mama”. Still exclusively breast fed, no solids for this boy yet though I have dipped my finger in different flavors (oranges etc) and put it on his tongue for him to taste and he will stick his tongue out again as a way of asking for more. It will be fun to watch him explore solid foods in another couple of months. Rory got a third tooth (upper right on the side…not the middle). I was surprised by the teething order. When it comes in my little Rory will look like a jack-o'-lantern.

Rory and I have been on several outings one on one. He is a night owl and behaves really well when I take him on Moms night with my friends to dinner or the movies. He is very social and loves these little adventures. Lately, nights have been somewhat of an adventure. Rory does not get fussy except when he is in his crib. But he wants to stay up all night…..he is very pleasant about it but I makes it difficult for this mama to get much sleep. My head tells me that this child NEEDS more sleep but he really does well on minimal sleep. I hope this is just a phase and that he learns to embrace sleep like the rest of us.  Rory is still pulling up and cruising all over the place but has not learned to balance without holding on to something yet.

Patrick: My little Patrick is 15 pounds 10 ounces. Still little but still so strong! This little boy is ALWAYS cruising. He can make it from room to room without having to get on all fours while holding on to furniture, people, Wrigley….whatever is nearby! He can stand alone for several seconds and I think we will have a walker soon!  Patrick is still exclusively breast fed as well but he has developed a taste for dog food. Gross.

Patrick got his first tooth at the end last month and his second came in the beginning of November so now he has his two bottom teeth. He HATES to have fingers put in his mouth so not only does he probably swallow a lot of the dog food he samples (again, ew!) but it is hard to keep tabs on his teething. I do believe I see his third getting ready to break through in same spot (but opposite side) as Rory’s third. Again, an odd order for teething. We will soon see if I am right!

Patrick is still so fascinated with Wrigley. He just seems to adore animals and can often be found hanging outside of Wrigley’s kennel or kneeling in front of Wrigley touching his face. Such a little animal lover!

Patrick continues to LOVE his baths with Elijah! This little sea monkey will splash and crawl around the tub. The funniest thing I see him do is sit up and lean forward putting his mouth in the tub to drink the water. Such a funny guy. He does love to drink water and discovered big brother’s cambak cup this month and quickly figured out how to drink from it.

Elijah as a big brother: Elijah has this big brother thing down! When one of the twins starts crying, Elijah will run over and give them a hug or kiss them on the head. Okay sometimes he tells them to be quiet but hey, he is two. He regularly tells his brothers that he loves them and asks to hold them. He is very good at sharing with them and even on days when sharing is a hard lesson, he will always eventually hand over whatever toy in question willingly. I could not ask for a better big brother for mu babies! And oh how those twins adore their Elijah. I hope and pray that their relationship at brothers continue to grow and strengthen. I want my children to be best friends.

I did our monthly photo shoot outside this time! I was playing with ideas as we started planning our family Christmas photos and decided to test out my idea with the twins’ month pictures! Elijah was outside with me and wanted to be a part of the fun too!

 

Here’s my fun comparison shot of me three at ten months old. From the left, Patrick, Elijah and Rory.

And here are just a few of my sweet three rubadub in the tub! Rory was making a rare appearance in the brother bath!

Rory and Patrick Are Six Months Old!!!

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”