Our Month in Pictures

The month of August has been an extremely busy month. James started back to football coaching the end of July, but thankfully most of his meetings and practices were for half a day. So during the first half of August, James and I were trying to spend as much time as a family of 4 as we could... and REST -- because starting August 16th, James has been working non-stop. Early morning practices, after school practices, teaching students, Friday night football games.... long days for him and for me. whew, we're tired!

I didn't get to blog as much as I would have liked this month. The girls are changing... and I didn't want you to miss it!

So here's our August in pictures:

Kristen & Adelyn

Daddy hugging BOTH girls before work

Kristen

Kristen & Adelyn in their ducky jammies

Kristen

Adelyn

Adelyn

Kristen

5 months with Kristen & Adelyn

ALL ABOUT KRISTEN:

• She is rolling over! She plays and sleeps on her tummy.
• Kristen is a great sleeper! She will sleep for almost 12 hours a night! and takes 3 naps during the day. Sometimes when I wake her from her nap (because Adelyn woke up), she has this cute disheveled look -- it's the "I just want to sleep" look.
• She prefers to suck her thumb over her pacifier now. In fact, she would rather chew on/play with her pacifier instead... it's becoming a night-night distraction.
• She has the cutest giggle! She thinks it's so funny when Mommy blows raspberries on her cheeks.
• She loves it when Daddy comes home from work. She gives him big smiles!
• Kristen talks in her sleep.
• She will occasionally raise a leg up in the air and hold it there for a while. She does it when she's awake and asleep.

ALL ABOUT ADELYN:

• She is rolling over! She plays and sleeps on her tummy.
• She is a great sleeper! She will sleep for almost 12 hours a night! and takes 3 naps during the day.
• She prefers to suck her thumb over her pacifier now.
• She LOVES to suck on her toes. preferably her right big toe.... it's her favorite.
• She has discovered her voice lately by making really loud sounds.
• She also makes lots of spit bubbles by making silly sounds with her mouth.
• She constantly kicks with her right leg... it's a little spastic. We notice her moving it all the time now. just the right leg.
• She loves it when Daddy comes home from work. She gives him big smiles!
• She really likes stuffed animals or soft baby dolls. She will love on it and give it kisses... or better said, slobber on it.

Kristen & Adelyn

My Roly Polies

Kristen and Adelyn have turned in to roly polies over the past few days. Kristen first rolled over last Tuesday, and Adelyn did so today! I am so proud of them both as they are growing and learning new things!

I am amazed when I see them rolling over and how high they can lift their head. Tummy time seemed like the constant battle for months! and then one day... ta da! Being on their tummy is all they want to do! I blinked. and now look what they can do.

Rolling over had a few challenges in the beginning for both girls. Kristen or Adelyn would roll over. then realize she's stuck. and cry. so I would roll her back over. It was the same routine over and over and over again. This morning at 5:20, James and I woke up to the sound of a "help me!" cry -- what did we discover? Kristen rolled over, face down and couldn't roll back over. She was a little shaken up, but with some soothing, she went right back to sleep. It happened a second time as well. so I showed her how to turn her head to the side now so that's she's able to more comfortably lie on her tummy. Ever since teaching her to turn her head, she does it every time. She is such a quick learner!
*Since writing this post, I have had to teach Adelyn how to turn her head to the side after she rolls over as well. We had a very similar situation with her a few nights later. She quickly learned too!

Kristen rolls over primarily toward her right side, while Adelyn can roll in either direction. They have learned to play and reach for toys while lying on their tummy. and every night now, they roll over and sleep on their tummy soon after going to bed in their crib. My favorite is when I go in to their room to get them from their nap, and these 2 heads are popped up with eyes watching me as I walk in.

Speaking of... girls are stirring from their nap. Time to go get my roly polies.... :)

Summer Sun & Flowers

Kristen

Adelyn

Countdown to Kickoff!

....28 days, 2 hours, 13 mintues and 42 seconds.

Here at our house, we're getting ready for some football!
(and Uncle Robert is getting ready too!)

Adelyn

Kristen

4 Months with Kristen & Adelyn

All About Adelyn:

• she LOVES to laugh! She has the cutest laugh and will laugh at the most random things. Someone can say "HI Adelyn" and she will laugh. This morning, she laughed the whole time the Dr was checking her lungs with the stethoscope - it was funny to her! and so sweet to hear!
• she is a Daddy's girl! most definitely! She will watch him wherever he goes!
• she now loves bath time! (she was squeamish around water, but not anymore - just lots of splish-splashes now! Praise God!)
• she LOVES her sister! She will make eye contact, smile and talk to Kristen. She just watches her - and beams with joy when Kristen smiles and talks back. She loves to hold Kristen's hand (or hair, arm, or any part that she can grab on to!).
• she is a grabber - she will grab and hold on to anything! She mainly holds on to her hair while she eats, later revealing the hair she has pulled out and collected in her sweaty palm.
• she can grab on to toys with both hands, shake rattles and reach for objects.
• her head is getting stronger! she is sitting up in her Bumbo chair and holding her head steady. and can raise her head up while lying on her tummy.
• she is the last to go to sleep and the first to wake up! (just like her Daddy)
• at her check-up, she weighed 13lbs, 5oz and 23 inches long! a perfectly healthy and growing girl!

All About Kristen:

• she is a chatterbox! talking all the time! Most times while she eats, she will periodically stop to tell me something that's on her mind. I like to believe that she will be the one I will go eat breakfast with and talk about life. my little social eater! :)
• we have given her the nickname "Ree" (short for Marie), after a story my grandmother shared with us about how her Dad called her that as a child and for which I was given my middle name and now Kristen's middle name
• she has the cutest facial expressions and mannerisms!
• and the cutest laugh too! She will just give a look of just pure joy.
• her head is getting stronger! She is sitting up in her Bumbo chair and holding her head steady. and can raise her head up while lying on her tummy.
• she can grab on to toys with both hands, shake rattles and reach for objects.
• she is a wiggle worm in her crib! She will wake up in the morning in the funniest positions.
• at her check-up, she weighed 12lbs, 11oz and 22 1/2 inches long! a perfectly healthy and growing girl!

Adelyn & Kristen

They love their hands in their mouths!

**Working on the blog was completed in between several nap times. I just put the girls down for their afternoon nap and happened to catch a special sister moment - they do this often but I have not had my camera close by. They were holding hands, but by the time I got my camera from the other room, they let go. But you can see that they are still intently looking at each other! ohh sweet sisters!!

A Lesson to Learn

This afternoon, I gave Adelyn a stuffed dragonfly toy to play with. This toy is fun - it has bright colors, a mirror, it squeaks, it rattles.... no wonder why both girls like it. Adelyn was content and happily playing with her toy. Kristen, however, was just watching that toy and its every move. I gave Kristen a toy to play with, too. I even tried to reintroduce this toy to her along with a few other toys that normally grab her attention. but no. Kristen wanted that dragonfly.

As Adelyn continued to play with it, Kristen started to realize the dragonfly toy was coming closer to her. Kristen's hand reached out and grabbed it. Both girls had their hands on this toy. The look in Kristen's eyes was like she was saying "I really want to play with the dragonfly."

The more Kristen tugged on it, the further it got from Adelyn. Sweet Adelyn. I think in her mind she would have shared with Kristen. but I don't think that's what Kristen wanted. She wanted it all to herself.

After some tugging back and forth, the toy eventually ended up in Kristen's possession. Actually, the ring of the toy was up around Kristen's arm - as though she was saying "It's mine. You cant take it from me now." Tired and worn out, they both fell asleep on the play mat.

Adelyn, 0 : Kristen, 1

Lord, help our girls learn how to share and love one another. Amen.