My Babies Are 2 Months Old?!

 I look back at pictures from when we brought Scarlett and Shayla home from the hospital and they were so tiny! They are still small, but not like they were. At 2 months old, they seem like giants to me! I wish they would stay small forever, but at the same time I love watching them grow and learn new things. These two babies could not be more different in personalities but their mannerisms are exactly the same. I love looking over at their sleeping bodies and seeing their arms up and heads facing the exact same way. 

For over 7 weeks we had family come and help us and the girls met all three sets of grandparents. As much as we loved the help, I couldn't wait to be alone again (with three kids, of course). 

My dad and Scarlett

My stepmom, Cyndee, and Scarlett

My mom with the babies

They had their 2 month check-up the day they turned 7 weeks old. Scarlett weighed in at 6 lbs 3 oz and has since grown to 6 lbs 14 oz.

And Shayla weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and is now 7 lbs 8 oz! Both girls are consistently in the "less than 1" percentile in weight, height, and head circumference for their age. Only this last visit Shayla was a whopping 6% for height!! Clearly she doesn't get that from me. 

I started tandem nursing the girls at 5 weeks old and it was the best decision I ever made!! It is such a time saver and now I'm not tied down nursing or pumping 24 hours straight. It's not uncommon to see this in our household:

Nursing babies and reading to Kinsey. She needs attention too!

All afternoon during Kinsey's nap I nurse Scarlett and Shayla until they go to sleep. This pillow is their favorite place to fall asleep. They usually end up falling through the middle and cuddle up to my stomach with their heads touching. It's adorable. 

 Even though they are small, they are right on track with their age. They hold their heads up SO well (Shayla is a little better at it than Scarlett). If you hold them against your shoulder they will pop back up and just look around. Shayla is really starting to enjoy sitting up more if I prop her against my nursing pillow. Tummy time is hit or miss. They definitely squirm around like they want to crawl. 

 SCARLETT

At 6 weeks old Scarlett was checked for hip dysplasia (when the hips are loose in the socket) because the condition is more common in girls who were breached. It appears she doesn't have hip dysplasia but her hips may be a tiny bit loose. We are supposed to send her back in for another check-up in the next month or so. 

Getting ultrasounds for her hip dysplasia testing

 She is such a sweet sleeper...as long as she is cuddled up to someone. This girl LOVES human contact like no other. Rarely is she content lying on the couch or the floor by herself but once you pick her up she's okay. This would be great with one baby but sometimes it can be tricky when she's crying at the top of her lungs, Shayla is fussing, and Kinsey wants attention. She sleeps with me all the time and when I get out of bed and she isn't right up against me anymore, she notices pretty quickly. In the evenings she tends to cry the most. The only way I can quiet her down is by nursing her and she'll quickly fall asleep. This solidifies my choice in breastfeeding. I don't know what I would do without it! It also means the moment I leave Eric alone with the girls they start crying and he doesn't have the "tools" to make them stop. 

Scarlett has always had a high pitched cry. It was super adorable when she was born and now...not so much. I always have to put her in the carrier if I want to make dinner in peace. She is also a grabber, constantly death gripping anything she can get her hands on. Unfortunately, she scratches her face quite a bit when she pulls on it. 

SHAYLA

Shayla is kind of Scarlett's polar opposite. She doesn't need a body to fall asleep (although she'd prefer one) and if she does fall asleep on you, you can set her down and she won't wake up. She is my lifesaver in this twin business! She only screams when she is REALLY hungry and it is absolutely heartbreaking. She has a lower cry and, because she doesn't cry that frequently, it's really sad to hear her upset. I tend to feel bad for Shayla because since she is less needy I don't get as many snuggles with her and she's left alone longer. 

 Shayla also loves being in the carrier and she's more comfortable in a variety of positions. Although neither girl is in love with the swing, Shayla is more content in there longer. She doesn't need her pacify all the time. In fact, when I try to shove it in her mouth she just pushes it out with her tongue. She smiles more than Scarlett although you still have to work for it. I also feel like she's a lot more aware of Scarlett when I put them next to each other whereas Scarlett will look away and doesn't pay much attention to Shayla. 

 I'm still doing everything on demand, but we fall into a pretty predictable schedule. Bedtime between midnight and 1, one of them wakes up around 5 for snuggles, nurse around 7, bottles when Kinsey eats breakfast, nurse in the afternoon, bottles when Kinsey wakes up, nurse in the evenings, and a formula bottle right before bed to keep them full longer!

 Because they are nursing better, instead of pumping 8 times a day and giving them 8 bottles a day we are finally down to 3 and sometimes 4! I'm so glad they are progressing in that department. Minus the clogged milk ducts, it makes for a happy mommy. And despite being left alone with all three children on occasion, Eric is a pretty happy daddy as well!

Don't forget to check out Kinsey's 19 month video!