Eight Months Old

The only picture I could get of both babies looking at the camera and holding still

This last month has been an exciting one.  Evan started out this month by getting his first bottom tooth.  He wasn't too happy about it at first.  It was quickly joined by his other front bottom tooth.  We're still waiting to see if more teeth show up.  He's also becoming an expert roller and sometimes can move a little bit, but we haven't figured out how.  We're thinking that he must roll over a couple of times to get somewhere.  He can also sit for a bit on his own. He also seems happier and will smile super easily and laugh more and more. He gets especially excited to see Matthias and Lizzy.

Evan was happy to find and play with my foot.

Ian quickly followed Evan by getting one of his bottom teeth and later got one of his top teeth. He continues to army crawl and tries to get up on his knees.  He's started to move around to other rooms of the house and explore. He's also doing some of his own yoga--he does a downward dog followed by putting his left foot up in the air.  From this position he's started to figure out how to sit up and then can get back down into a crawling position.  He is also a happy baby and has started to express his opinions a little more.  

Yoga by Ian

Ian and Evan have started to try to chew more.  They've tried chewing on bread and later during the month they tried some of the store brand puffs.  They're both doing pretty well with these foods.

Happy babies in the morning

It has been so fun to be their mom.  They are so cute, happy, and learning and growing so well.

I tried to get a picture of them sitting up, but Ian crawled away and Evan fell over.

Halloween 2018

We had a fun and busy Halloween time and coordinated our costumes as the Justice League.

I feel like we celebrated Halloween several times.  We spent one evening at a friends' party and we truck-or-treated both at our ward and my mom's ward.  Matthias and Lizzy loved it and it was fun to show off the twins in their costumes.

Superman meeting Clark Kent

Superman using his super powers

Josh was out of town for a conference at the beginning of the Halloween week, flew back late Halloween night.

Matthias and Lizzy are getting older this year and are starting to want to spend more time with friends.  Matthias was able to spend the evening with Tanner (his best friend from school).  They went to a party at Summerset for pizza and then trick-or-treated through the neighborhoods.  He had a great time and got a ton of candy.

As Lizzy and I were making dinner in a pumpkin when she was whisked away down the street for a neighborhood party and she enjoyed pizza there too.  So I was the lone mom with the dinner in the pumpkin.

Wonder Woman helped decorate our pumpkin as Harry Potter.

Lone mom with the ready dinner in a pumpkin

Since Josh was out of town, we left the bowl of candy outside with a note from Lizzy saying that each person could take two candies.

"Please take tow. Happy Halloween."

Lizzy then enjoyed walking up and down our street trick-or-treating with her friend Aubrey from school. I then drove those two around to trick-or-treat at some ward members houses. They had a lot of fun together.

Seven Months Old

 

 These babies are growing fast.

Ian is know crawling all over the place.  He started out this last month just exploring the room that he was put it, but has now started to venture out of that room to find whatever he can.  He also becomes very interested in whatever Evan is holding and will quickly crawl over to try to take a "turn."  When he's put on his tummy he seems to start out in almost a plank position, but them will go all the way down in order to army crawl.  He has started to try to put his butt up in there air, but can't sustain it.

Hanging out at church

At his last appointment (about 6.5 months), he was measured as 28 inches long, 17 lbs 7 oz, and a 17.75 inch hat size.  The doctor always comments about how long and lean he is and that he's likely to be a university professor because of his big head.

After I wrote their 6 month post, Evan start rolling from his back to his tummy more.  He did it about 3-4 times in a row the morning after I last wrote.  He was inconsistent about doing it, but was confident when he would so it was almost like he just didn't want to be on his stomach and was choosing not to be there.  When on his tummy he got really quite good at rotating around to explore right around him.  If Ian was close, he would often try to touch him.  Evan has also just started babbling.  He's so cute with his little "da da da" and "da doo wah." 

At church hanging out in the foyer

At his last appointment (about 6.5 months), he was measured as 29 inches long, 19 lbs 8 oz, and a 17.5 inch hat size.  The doctor said this he's likely to be a basketball player and university professor.  He's also really please with both boys catch up growth as Evan is now in about the 95%ile for height.

Fall Break

Matthias and Lizzy got a week off of school at the beginning of October.  We decided that we should do a couple of fun things with them while they were off from school.

On Monday the kids and I rode our bikes down to the park.  It's fun to be able to pull Ian and Evan on the bike.  We brought balls with us in the hope that we could play some basketball while there.  Matthias and Lizzy decided that they just wanted to keep riding bikes around the park.  They did a couple of loops and then Matthias came running back to me telling me that Lizzy got into an accident.  Luckily, Matthias had left his bike in the path where Lizzy had gone off, otherwise I wouldn't have see her at all.  She was being really tough, but felt pretty stuck.  I got her bike out first and then she was able to climb out.  We then rode home and had a relaxing afternoon.

She was not very happy after her accident and wasn't willing to smile.

On Tuesday, Josh took the four kids out to a place near Truckee, CA for some trail riding.  He said that they were all really good and had a great time.

On Wednesday, I drove the four kids 2.5 hours out to Apple Hill.  We had a great time at Boa Vista Orchards trying samples, eating lunch and choosing pumpkins.  We had a great time out there and Matthias asked if we could go again tomorrow.

On Thursday and Friday I was exhausted from all of the adventures of the beginning of the week.  So we laid a little low cleaning, reading, playing games, going to the library, and playing minecraft.  Still fun times, but not as crazy exciting as the other days.  On Friday, Lizzy and I did use the peaches we'd purchased at Boa Vista Orchards for making a pie.  She made a a great pie crust pretty much on her own.

Immediately after the library. Books need to be read!

Beginning School

Matthias and Elizabeth are busy with school and other activities.  They started school on August 6 this year (the day after we returned from vacation) and have stayed busy with a lot of things.  They were happy to do this and kept commenting about how it's the same thing we did last year (moving the day before school started).

SECOND GRADE

FOURTH GRADE

We're trying to keep them active in different ways this year too.  Lizzy started a beginning jazz class.  She has reported that she has learned jazz walk and is working on doing the splits.  She's really enjoying this class and is lucky to have a dad that will take her to class every week.

First day of dance--Mom took a picture through the window

Matthias is still busy in scouts and was able to help with the flag ceremony a couple of weeks ago.  Since babies took over mom's brain for the last year, we're a bit behind in his requirements, but trying to make up for lost time.

Lizzy took this spy picture while Mom was trying to calm babies.

Matthias also started honor choir this year.  So he gets to school early on Wednesdays so he can practice.  Lizzy was hoping to join this year too, but can't start until 3rd grade.  Maybe next year they can do honor choir together.

We've also been better this year about reading the scriptures first thing in the morning and Lizzy and Matthias are both good to get their piano practicing done before school starts.  

Six Months Old

I can't believe that we've already made it half way through a year.  The time is going quickly and slowly at the same time.

Ian is really active.  As soon as he's laid down, he will roll over and start exploring his environment.  He's also started a little bit of an army crawl; he's slow in moving forward, but he can do it.  It also loves the ball and kicks his legs and moves his arms to try to get it.  He's a happy kid, who will smile super quickly.  He's become really interested in faces and will reach out to touch (a.k.a. scratch) any face in front of him.

Taking a break at church

Evan has become more smiley in the last month.  We're wondering if his tummy is feeling better because he doesn't spit quite as much (though he does spit) and smiles so much easier now.  He's also getting stronger core muscles and is easier to hold when walking around with him.  He's really good at rolling from his tummy to his back, but will only go from his back to his side (and not all of the way to his tummy).  When on his tummy he can rotate in a circle.

Taking a break at church

These babies are also starting to notice each other more and more.  When feeding them they watch each other taking bites.  Ian has also started to "crawl" towards his brother so that he can touch his toes, face, or whatever else he can get his hands on.  This also means that Ian has started to grab the toys that Evan is holding.  If Ian is close, Evan will also reach out and get his brother.  They are funny to watch.

Evan got a hold of Ian's cap and made him roll over onto his back.

Five months old

Ian and Evan are both growing well and are happy babies.

Ian can now roll from his back to his belly, but sometimes forgets how to roll back, which makes him sad.  He loves listening to singing.  He loves eating fruit and will tolerate cereals and most vegetables.  He's sleeping well through the night and loves his binky.  At his last appointment (at four and a half months) he was 26 inches long, 14lbs 4oz, and 17 inch hat size.

Evan can roll from his belly to his back, but also sometimes forgets this.  He's very observant and watches things around him, but might lose track of where you are if you get too close.  He also loves fruits, enjoys orange vegetables, makes the funniest faces when eating peas, and will tolerate cereals. He generally sleeps well through the night, unless he gets unwrapped.  At his last appointment (at four and a half months) he was 26 inches long, 16lbs, and 16.5 inch hat size.