We're growing up.

So I loaned out my baby bath so now we have to take our baths in the "real" bathtub. I've been hesitant to make the move because I can keep the bambinos a little more under control with the small tub rather than a normal sized tub. I gave them their first bath the other day in the big tub. They did ok. I might as well should have just jumped in with them. It is hard work. I don't have it quite down as to how to take them out, dry them off before they freeze, get a diaper on them before they pee on me, stop them from grabbing/rolling/crawling around anything in the bathroom, and move on to the next kid quickly and without leaving the room. I need another set of arms I think. Hmmmmm, that'd be attractive don't ya think? It is a new challenge each day and I think I'm getting smarter and so are the boys. Charlie made his first crawling moves yesterday. I'm glad that Brandt and I were both there to see it. Dylan is all over the place and has all sorts of sores on his face from pulling things down onto him (like a TV tray, opps). The other morning I was sitting on one side of the couch and Dylan wandered to the other side of it. He got quiet and when I went to see what he was up to he had climbed 8 stairs!!! He had 3 more to go to the top. Oh boy he is fast. Imagine how it will be when Charlie joins him! They are doing well with their sleeping and being so fun. I feel so lucky to have such great boys. They are just amazing.

Don't you love their glazed over looks in this one? This is what you will see when they are teenagers and you ask "Any volunteers to say the prayer?". Or how about, "Who wants to help me clean out the garage (or car, or bedroom, etc.)." I'll hear back, "Um, did you say something mom?"

The best...

I love them.

The ZOO!!

So a week or so ago Brandt had the whole weekend off (I know, a day off??? Who'd a thunk it?!?). We decided the boys needed to have their first trip to the fancy, schmancy Hogle Zoo. We love the zoo and hope that they will, too, one day.

Charlie pretty much missed it. He had to sit in the back of the stroller so he couldn't see much so what do you think he chose to do instead?? Can't blame him.

Dylan was awake the whole time, though. I don't know that he realized there were animals and thought we were just going for a longer walk.

Brandt tried to convince me we didn't need a picture of all of us but I told him that one day he will be glad that I made that nice lady take our picture. Fun, fun. I'm sure next year the boys will think the zoo is a little neater than they did this time around.

Um....help!

So here on the home front we are busy trying to teach Dylan & Charlie to go fall asleep on there own. They have been awesome sleepers but I have been bad and I rock and sing them to sleep. I have decided it is time and have let them cry themselves to sleep for 2 days now. It will go away, right? The crying that is. I think it is turning into shorter amounts of crying but I'm not 100% certain cause I will put them down and go far, far away so I don't have to hear it. It just kills me! I've decided it is ok for me to rock and sing to them for 10 mins or so each and then just put them in the crib. Dylan, my little climber, has learned to pull himself up so he will stand at the edge of his crib and just scream. Oh, it is so tough to just walk away. I have waited this long to do this because I haven't wanted them to wake each other up, but I figure they'll learn to just ignore each other. Once they can talk it will be funny to hear them say things to each other like, "Charlie, shut up! I'm trying to sleep!", or how about, "Hey Dylan, I bet if you put your foot there, and reach over to that, and then just fling yourself, you'll end up in my crib and then we can play!". Can't wait for that one, little smarty-pants.

The next hurdle is sippy cups. I'm trying to get my boys used to a sippy cup so I can transition to whole milk in about a month (can I tell you how EXCITED I am to not pump anymore?!?). Any secrets? I've tried a bunch of things but nothing has worked super well. But then again, I may not be giving it enough time to see if it truly is working. Patience, what is that? What worked for you?

Things are good around here. My mom & dad are back from the mission and I have been spending as much time as I can helping them to put there house back together. It flooded about a month before they were to get home. Everything had to be boxed up, moved out, and everything replaced. Nice that everything is new, but they have a boatload of STUFF! C & D are glad to be hanging out with Grandma & Grandpa though, and I'm sure the feeling goes the other way, too.

Better get back to doing something productive while I still have a few minutes left of naptime. If you have any advise on the sleeping or sippy cup dilemma, please pass it on.

Baths

I love, love, love my sweet babies faces after we're done taking a tubby. I don't know what it is, but I just think they look so cute all wet and clean. I finally took some pictures of them right when we were done with bath time the other day. Are they not precious?!? Seriously, I have the best babies EVER!!!

This is obviously not after the bath, but I thought it was cute. This is the "play thing" I referenced in the post below.

Busy, busy boy

Oh my! That little Dylan kid is just a terror! He has me on my toes at all times. There is nothing stopping my fearless child. It is only moments before he is running all through my house and having his hands in everything! Dylan has been army crawling for awhile now and that is not enough. He is now trying to climb EVERYTHING. He climbs up me, the couches, their humidifier, and now his new favorite, his exercise/play thing. He has been unsuccessful in getting to his feet (he'd pull up and make his back into a big "C" because he couldn't get his knees under him) when he'd try to stand but that is no more. Yesterday we learned how to not only get our knees below us but up to our feet. He pulls himself up on his play thing and will play with the toys for awhile and then Ka-Boom, we fall over. He fell into the toys, into the base of the play thing, into the wall, you name it, he hit it! Because Dylan has my coloring, I'm sure throughout his toddler years he will be covered with bruises. Here goes nothing. There is no turning back at this point. Dylan is on the move and nothing is going to get in his way. He can crawl over it, you see! What a turkey.