Oliver: One Brave Cat

I also added a new photo album...check it out.

Tickle me Elmo

It's about time!

Sorry it has been so long. Mexico and moving have been pretty all consuming. Mexico was beautiful. Perhaps not as restful as last time when I was free to lay in the sun, drink margaritas and play cards for as long as possible. Don't get me wrong... I still drank margaritas and played cards but the babies really interfered with my tanning time. I'm sad to say I'm as white as the day I left. The babies did great! They were awesome on the plane. It was Quincy and Emmerson, Carly and I and the girls. It went better than expected. However, as always, once we reached Mexico we had a series of small catastrophes. Surprisingly, none involved the girls. Just a quick sampling of some of the calamities members of our group faced: arrival at the airport with the wrong passports, head lice, sand fleas, sea urchins, lost passports....I could go on. Surprisingly, despite it all, I think we all had a fantastic time. The girls loved the pool and even went to the beach, and into the ocean for the first time. It will be awhile before we attempt this again as I quickly realized that sand and babies are a bad bad combination. They also got to eat lots of new foods as my dad did not get the memo that they were only able to eat one new food a week. Every time I turned around they were trying something new: baked potato with butter and sour cream, cookies, rice and beans, margaritas... okay maybe not the last one. I'm happy to say that this rapid introduction of new foods didn't seem to have any negative effects.

Fiona is a speed crawler these days and loves to practice standing up. Her favoite thing to do is to blow raspberries, which can be hazardous at mealtimes. She weighs almost 16 pounds,which is only the 7th percentile. This may be due to the fact that she is kind of a picky eater. However, she is in the 50th percentle for height and head size. She babbles a lot and screams with delight when she does something amazing. She regularly says dada and mama. She dances by bobbing her neck so that her head moves from side to side, East Indian style. She is finally getting her bottom teeth and some hair- it looks like it will be curly. She thinks her sister is really funny.

Isla is also crawling but at a bit slower pace than Fiona. She is practicing waving a lot and is always moving her hands. She loves bathtime and likes to practice standing up in the tub, which inevitably leads to some tears. She is a great eater, which may be the cause for her weighing in at 19 pounds (61st percentile). She is in the 90th and 97th percentiles for height and head size respectively. She loves to be read to and babbles a lot. She says dada mostly. She is usually good natured but when she gets mad- her cry is heartbreaking. She has a funny laugh where she wrinkles her nose and sniffs while baring her teeth. Sounds strange, I know, but it is really cute. She is getting a top tooth and her bottom two are pretty much in. She thinks her sister is hilarious.

They both love Oliver and he is pretty surprised that they can chase him around now. He tolerates them pretty well though. They are loving the new house with all of the carpet. It is funny to see them both tearing down the hallway towards you at the same time. Here are some pictures.

Hugs from Emmerson

8 months old already!

Chompers

Check out those teeth!

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!:
Check out the store at : GROSGRAINSTORE.COM

Swingers

They can fit in the swings now! They weren't actually laughing, but we think they liked it. Next up: The Zoo!

Our New First Family

Aren't they beautiful! It will be so nice to have someone we can be proud of in the White House, someone who will be respected internationally. I am so excited about the positive changes he will bring to our country and the world. Congratulations President Obama!!!

Twin Tub Time

Trick or Treat!

We took the girls trick-or-treating to four of our neighbors houses last night. We scored a lot of candy and even some Satsuma oranges. I had forgotten how great trick-or-treating is! Thomas and Diana came to visit for the night. It was so good to see them. Here are some pictures.

Photo Shoot

When I visited in Humboldt, I won a silent auction bid for a photo shoot. We were able to do the shoot while I was there and the results are in. If you want to see them go to http://www.collages.net/. You can log in using my username tricia and password 16061. You also have to enter my email address: triciabrownfield2002@yahoo.com I'm having a hard time choosing...

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

these are so cute! I want one for myself too!
GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Goldfish

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Down in Mexico

I had a dream last night that Fiona had a mouthful of teeth. I must be feeling guilty about not knowing Isla's teeth had started to come in.

I'm trying to adjust our flights to Mexico for Thanksgiving to make them work a bit better with our schedules and am getting pretty frustrated. I have 49,000 United SkyMiles and can't afford a ticket from Sacramento to LA! I am so going to cut up my SkyMiles credit card! I know that these aren't really problems as I am so grateful that we even get to go to Mexico. Gosh, I can't wait!!! Look at that pool! I wonder if I will be able to relax and play Hearts and Scrabble and drink margaritas all day with two little monkeys crawling around.

After all that talk about the girls sleeping through the night, we had a rough one last night. I caved and got them up and nursed them. Oh well, there is always tonight to get back on track.

Peace

It looks like I'm not the only one who gets to relax now that the babies are asleep. Oliver had a trip to the Pet Spa this week for a much needed flea bath and some Frontline. We are all a lot happier now.

The better to bite you with...

Isla has two teeth! I didn't even notice because she hasn't been really fussy at all. Quincy felt her teeth at swim lessons today. What a strange feeling to put your finger in her mouth and actually feel teeth! Especially since I have been expecting them for so long and feeling nothing but gums so often. I was almost afraid to nurse today. Today was our last swim lesson until Spring when they start up again. I'm impressed with how well they do. They can sit on the edge of the pool and fall into the water to us. They don't mind being dunked, and they both seem to be kicking a lot. We are going to miss swim lessons. I think the next thing I want to do is a music class. I love this picture of her on her rocking horse because she loves that thing! It is a new acquisition from Grammy.

It has been a pretty rough week around here. Both the girls and I have been sick with a cold for the past 3 days. I actually called in sick to work on Thursday! The sound of them sniffling is so heartbreaking and Isla actually holds her breath and then gasps for air. The humidifier has been running nonstop and they are thankfully, a lot better.

They are sleeping through the night thanks to a little sleep training (letting them cry at night). I went to visit Stephanie in Humboldt and she said that she finally had to do that for her twins. Then I talked to a friend whose 16 month old still isn't sleeping through the night and she can't do sleep training because she can stand up and throw herself back against the crib and hurt herself. So, I figured now was the time. As difficult as it was the first few nights, I am so so glad we did it. They hardly even wake up now, and if they do it is only Fiona for a few minutes. It is amazing what a few nights of uninterrupted sleep will do for you. Of course, the girls being sick did throw a wrench into it for the past few nights because I can't let them cry when they are sick.

We have a nanny! She started on Wednesday, which wasn't the greatest day to start because they were just getting sick. She is going to tidy up too and I was pretty stunned and impressed when she asked where the mop was! I've never hired anyone to clean my house and it felt kind of strange. Good strange. She didn't actually have time to do too much cleaning this time because the girls only slept for 3o minutes and apparently Fiona cried much of the time. She seemed pretty exhausted when I got home from work. She is speaking Spanish to the girls which I am excited about. She will be coming while Euan is at school, so only on Wednesdays until November when it will be Tuesdays and Fridays.

The girls can both sit up really well and are really thinking about crawling. They are both getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. They sometimes get enough momentum to jump forward a bit. Today on the changing table, Fiona actually did put one knee forward. It won't be long now until we have to babyproof. In fact, I should probably be starting that now.

They are starting to crack each other up. I put them down on our bed right before bedtime and ran to get my nursing pillow. I could hear them squealing with laughter. I tried to capture it on film. I'm going to see how it turned out and maybe I will post it.

Too Much Fun!

Here we are, Euan and I, as Southpark characters. This is too fun. Make sure you have a lot of time to waste. Check it out here

New Slideshow!

Check it out by clicking on the slideshow above. It will take you to Picasa web album where you can view the slideshow.

Giggles

Watch the girls play.

Home Again, Home Again

We made it back from Humboldt! Boy did that seem like a long drive this time. They don't sleep quite as much as they used to, but they did pretty well. I was able to give one a bottle and nurse the other when I stopped in the park this time. That didn't create quite as much of a scene as the big ole double nursing pillow does. It's funny because I haven't given them a bottle forever, so had no idea how good they were at it. They can even hold it on their own! Plus it is faster than nursing! They had their first hike through Redwood Park. They loved it. For some reason my poor mom had to carry Isla, and I got Fiona. It was fun to see them get tons of play time with their grandparents, cousins, and aunt Kristi. They also had lots of visitors.

Euan was happy to have us home and said they look hairier. I did something to my neck and am in severe pain (at least that was the rating I told the help line when I called to schedule a doctor's appointment today). It makes it so hard to pick up the girls and today was a long, hard day. Euan was gone at school all day and the girls didn't sleep at the same time and wanted to be held all day long. Stacy called and said that Madeline has a rash that may or may not be Chicken Pox. If it is then the girls were exposed, so now I'm worried that that is why they were so clingy today. Please no! After today, there is no way I could handle two sick girls on my own! Ok I'm going to post a bunch of pictures from our trip.

Ahhhhhhhhh!

Finally........ she sleeps through the night. She must have sensed that she was about to find herself up for adoption if she didn't get with the program. She actually slept for 9 hours- a record. Isla slept for 10 just to remind us that she is still "the better baby". It was in the swing, but we'll take it. I wonder if we will ever put her in the crib again? I'm going to Humboldt for a visit next week and I'm thinking that I'm going to have to take the damn swings home with me. They are not small! Whatever works though.

Wow, it is amazing what a little rest can do. I'm surfing the internet for crock pot recipes- thinking I could make something now that would be ready when I get home from work. The problem is that the girls are both asleep: Fiona in the living room in the swing and Isla in the spare room in the swing so I can't actually make any noise. Oh scratch that, Fifi is awake. She's awfully cute. Glad we get to keep her.

I may actually get around to taking some new pictures today- it's been awhile.

6 month stats

We had our 6 month doctor's appointment today. All is well.

Isla

17 lb 12.9 oz (80th percentile)
28 1/4 in (99th percentile)

Fiona

14 lb 7.8 oz (17th percentile)

27 in (87th percentile)

They are both able to sit up for about 15 seconds without wobbling. They usually put an arm out to stop them from falling after that. Isla is sleeping through the night (10 hours!). Fiona, on the other hand, is having some serious sleep issues. She wakes up every 1 to 2 hours!!! The doctor told me to try feeding her cereal right befere bed, so we tried that tonight. I couldn't get her to go down in the crib so she is in the swing and has been asleep for almost an hour. If I can make it through the rest of "Dancing with the Stars" without being interrupted, I will be happy. Especially since they have great stars on this year!

Fiona is saying "dada", which of course Euan is taking to mean that she has chosen her favorite. I tried to tell him that they usually can say their d's first, to which he said, "I knew you'd say that." Oh well, I guess since he's her favorite, he will be happy to get up with her every hour tomorrow night.

No signs of crawling yet. Robyn's baby, Mary, who is a week older than the girls, is crawling all over the place and then stopping to sit herself up! I don't think we will be there any time soon. That is ok with me though since it means we can hold off on babyproofing for a few more weeks.

Thank you to all of those who signed up as "followers". I'm working on a secret handshake. I'll let you know. Also, I love reading your comments!!

Follow My Blog!

One of the frustrating things about blogging is the lack of feedback. There is a place for comments, but I notice that most of you don't leave any comments. One friend said that it was because she felt that the comments needed to be witty. Well here is a brand new feature that will let me know who is reading my blog without you having to leave any witty comments. Push on the "follow this blog" link on the right hand side of the page to become an official blog follower. You can follow anonymously or publicly.
Thanks!

Swim Lessons

The girls had their first swim lesson yesterday. I know, it seems a little early for swim lessons, right? However, it was so much fun. They had us dunk their heads under and everything, and the girls loved it. The trick is to blow in their face so that they hold thier breath before you dunk them. We have 5 more lessons and then they should be ready for MEXICO!!!

If these babies could talk....

They'd say..."Don't elect Sarah Palin as VP! "

If you still aren't sure why she's so bad, read this article written by a leading feminist...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eve-ensler/drill-drill-drill_b_124829.html

Babywise is my Bible

I can't believe I haven't posted anything about this yet since this literally is our go-to guide for anything schedule/sleep/food related. I was pretty much a schedule nazi for the first 4 months and have only recently relaxed a bit and moved from a 3 hour feeding schedule to a 4 hour schedule. The Babywise book warned not to do this until the babies were sleeping through the night. However, with returning to work, the 4 hour schedule seemed so much more convienient, so I decided to try it. For the past 3 weeks I've been trying to figure out why in the *&*&(*^ Fiona is waking up 2-4 times a night. It just dawned on me that she is not getting enough calories during the day. Duh! Needless to say we are back to the 3 hour schedule and she is sleeping better. They claim that most Babywise babies are sleeping through the night by 3 months. I think Isla would have been but Fiona just needs lots of food.

Anyway, On Becoming Babywise is certainly controversial. Just do a Google search and you will find lots of anti-Babywise moms. However, I love it! It hasn't been perfect. I think with one baby it would be close, but "Letting them cry" is so much harder when they wake each other up. The book's basic principal is following an eat, wake time, sleep schedule that teached the baby to fall asleep on their own. I figuered there was no way I could rock two babies to sleep so the earlier they could get themselves to sleep the better. The book does leave a lot of questions unanswered, so thank God there is a fantastic blog out there that answers every possible question. http://www.chroniclesofababywisemom.blogspot.com/ is awesome!

Having the babies on a schedule makes it possible for us to plan our day. We know when they will be napping, eating and going to bed each night. Of course, it doesn't always work perfectly but we have two happy babies and I'm convinced that this is a major reason.

New Slideshow

I updated the slideshow above. Click on a picture to see it enlarged. It will take you to Picasa and then choose "slideshow" to watch.

Hey Look, I have a sister!

They are starting to notice one another. Check it out.

Wedding Pictures

If you want to see some pictures from Douglas's wedding, click on the link and then select Karen and Dougie's wedding. There are a lot, but they are really pretty.
http://sheilascottphotography.com/

24 weeks old today!

The girls are 24 weeks. However, that doesn't translate to 6 months, it's actually 5 and 1/2. They are so big. At our last appointment, Isla weighed 15 pounds and Fiona weighed 12! They are starting to really notice each other. They smile at each other and when they are nursing they play with each others hands and faces. Yes, it is making it difficult to nurse! Fiona is starting to take the bottle better thanks to the Adiri nurser (aka the boob bottle). Nighttime is still pretty much a mess- Fiona wakes up way too much. She is rolling onto her stomach and then freaking out! We also finally broke down and bought another crib. Thank God for Craigslist! The guy even delivered and put it together for me! We got a babysitter for tonight (our 75 year old neighbor). They will hopefully just sleep the whole time. I'm just hoping Fiona doesn't wake up before 10. I guess we have to stay close enough to rush back home if she does. We are going to go to dinner at a great high end Mexican restaurant, Centro. Here are some recent pictures and a video.

Look Who's Walking and Talking!

Emmerson and Quincy came to visit us yesterday and wow Emme is so cute! She walks and talks like crazy! She can basically repeat anything you say plus she strings words together all on her own. The doctor says she is talking like a 3 year old already and she is only 16 months(?)! Obviously we have a genius on our hands. See how cute she is for yourself.

Christmas in August

Yesterday I pulled the excersaucer and jumpy chair (hand-me-downs from Emmerson) out of the garage to see if the girls would fit into them yet. They love them! It is a whole new world of standing up and playing. I can't believe how much older they seem. They really focus on each of the toys and entertain themselves. They will be 24 weeks old on Friday. However, even though that seems like it means they are 6 months old, they are really only 5 months and two weeks. Wierd, I know. Anyway, check out the pics and the video.

PS we just got a fabulous new laptop, so I will definitely be updating my blog more often.