Almost one and a half...

How did our twins grow so fast?  I seem to be missing time between them being helpless little preemies to tearing around toddlers.  It is all going too fast. Slow down time please. They will be one and a half years old in March!

Little Beauty

Beyond cuteness

17 Month Update!

Age: The babes were 17 months old on 18 Feb (15 months).

Height/Weight: We decided to weight them ourselves as they are really cooperative standing on the scale.  Not sure how accurate it is as I have been having issues with this scale - but that is another story. So if accurate, Finn weighs 11.3kg and Becky 9.4kg. I plotted the weights on their graphs and both are nicely above the median. Finn is only slightly taller than Becky, but they are definitely growing and many people comment on how tall they are.

Developmental notes: They have gone from being proficient walkers to running along in a toddling sort of a way - very amusing to watch.  They sort of lean forward and go for it at quite a speed sometimes. Both can turn around in circles. Both dance from side to side. Both bend over and reach between their legs. Both climb really well. So all in all great large muscle development going on.

They have so many new words, I can't remember them all. They say hello, bye, car, train, ball, kitty, all gone and more. SO cute!

Eating: They have started using a spoon and fork. Not that great at it yet, but we found these great suction bowls, so they can practice without flinging the whole bowl of food off the high chairs! I do feel that I would be feeding them much more variety if I was at home all day to cook, but now I prepare portions of various meals and freeze them or buy the woolies toddler meals which they like and are so convenient. It would be great to eat at the table together more like a family more often, but they have all their meals while we are at work. 

When they are older, we will try do dinner at 6:30-7pm together, bedtime at 19h30... They are still drinking milk in a morning and bedtime bottle. Will look to dropping the morning bottle soon and replace with a cup of milk maybe - but they love their morning bottle. They only drink milk and water, no juice at all. We brush their teeth every morning and night.

Sleep: Going SO well, with sleep throughs from 7pm tp 6/7am the norm now.  Still in seperate rooms though.  Finn occasionally wakes up for no apparent reason now and then crying - I think he wakes up in the dark and doesn't know where he is so I still think a night light may help. He is quickly settled though and goes back to sleep. It is because of this that I have left Becky in the study as she has happily slept through without being disturbed for months now and never wakes up - even when the house alarm goes off in her room! They are still napping twice a day for an hour each nap.

Sometimes when I am giving Finn his bedtime bottle, he will reach up and stroke my face and the other night he actually said nighty night after I said it to him...no words!

Favourite Things: They now have extra-mural activities lol. On Tuesdays one goes to Toptots and on Thursdays to swimming lessons, and then they swop the following week. Silvs sends us the cutest pictures of them doing cool stuff! I do miss not being able to be mommy doing this with them :(.

Dislikes: Fighting occasionally, being scratched by the naughty cat.

Looking forward to: Moving them into their bigger room and big beds - but I probably shouldn't rush this as I am sure we have midnight playtimes and little feet pattering into our room in the early hours as they will be able to get out of bed lol. 

Mommy and Daddy musings: The cuteness factor is in overdrive  - you are in such a gorgeous stage and we find your antics so amusing and your amazing development so incredible to watch! Becky gave me the hugest hug the other day - my heart melted into a flood of love - so precious.

Weighty issue

Okay. So I need to lose weight.  Quite a lot actually.

But being a hardened yo-yo dieter since my teens, I really needed a lifestyle change that I can live with forever instead of being on and off diets.  I find low fat, low calorie diets so depriving - yes, you get results, but you feel like you are on the deserted island of boring food - like you are being punished or imprisoned.  And once you have achieved your goal, you loosen up a little have the odd treat here and there...and before you know it you've put all the weight back on and more! This is pretty much how it rolls for me.

So now, having pushed the weight gain further than ever before, I recognise that it simply isn't working. I don't have a bad body image in that I still feel attractive per say...but only with my clothes on lol! I am now tired again of looking huge in anything I wear, and let's dont mention the photographs - that's where you truly notice how bad it has gotten.

So. In my quest for a lifestyle answer that we could both adopt (yes DH also wants to lose weight) and still achieve significant weight loss and health benefits, the Low Carb High Fat way of eating starting appearing more and more - also known as Swedish / Paleo / caveman diet etc Essentially it eliminates absolutely ALL carbohydrates including sugar / most fruit / anything high carb. You can eat meat, fats, nuts, cheese, all veggies above ground and berries in limitation.  This way of eating pushes your body into a ketonic state and you become a fat burning machine. Your body effectively self regulates your calorie intake as you are eating nutirent dense and satisfying / filling meals so you eat less! Other nenefits include that you sleep better, have more energy, lower cholesterol (carbs cause inflammation cause cholesterol issues - simple version / more info on blog links), lessens need for statins and other chronic meds etc etc etc

So I have started a blog dedicated to our low carb high fat journey: http://ourlchfjourney.wordpress.com/ - Just thought I had to acknowledge this here and if anyone is interested, you can check out more detail / info on this blog.  I am trying to include links about interesting low carb stuff that will help anyone also eating this way.  We are feeling great so far! Both our blood pressures have stabilised from high, we both have more energy, DH has lost 6kg and me about 5kg in a month. Still a way to go and because it is not a one size fits all diet, you need to make adjustments as you go along to keep weight loss going.

I have been neglecting this blog a little, but will definitely keep up with the twin's monthly updates, so will post the next soon as today they are 17 months old and what little cuties they are!

16 Month Update

Age: The babes were 16 months old on 18 January (14 months).

Height/Weight: Don't know - will take them for a measles booster when they are 18 months old as we didn't do the MMR so will weigh them then. I can definitely see they are getting taller from their clothes.

Developmental notes: They are changing every day - so amazing to watch. The holiday was great in that we got to catch up with all our friends and family and show off our twins, but it was restricted by their routine and difficult not being at home where it is so easy as everything is just perfectly organised and tuned to caring for two toddlers. Knysna was having a heatwave and it was hot and sticky and all we could think about was our new pool that had just been finished at home lol.  We had a few wonderful swims - Rebecca loves the water.  Finn does too but not as much. One evening we went down to watch the bag pipers play on the beach and they really enjoyed that.  We also took them to the Friday market and they were so social it was too cute. We had lovely swims in the river and late evening swims on Leisure Isle before bedtime.  Finn started aberating, waking up several times a night and as they were sharing a room I had to run to soothe him. One night I think the strained routine got too much for Becs and she went off the rails for an hour before bedtime. This could also have been due to the fact that on our return we saw that all four first molars had popped out all at once! Finn only has one!The drive there and back was actually not as bad as I thought it would be, they were such good babbas considering. I think we will wait until they are 3 years old before our next trip lol.

Both are walking really well.  Finn has started wanting to climb everything!! Both are gabbling away and some new words are "Oh wow, bye, tanku (thank you), car, hi, ball" Both dance to music. They clap hands and stamp feet to the song "If you're happy and you know it..." sometimes.

  
Eating: They are not mad for anything fishy or meaty.  Their favourite meal is fruit, rice, chicken, broccoli and cheese sauce. They eat well for breakfast and usually have 1/2 an avo, a banana, berries or another fruit, cheese on brown toast, scrambled egg and maybe a yoghurt as well. For lunch, they have meat, veg meal with fruit pouch or smoothie and then again for supper or oats, yoghurt and fruit for supper. For snacks they have rice cakes, wholemeal biscuits, dried fruit, biltong etc. They have water on hand all day and drink when thirsty.  No tea, no juice.  Just milk in the morning, water in the day and milk again before bedtime.

Sleep: Both are sleeping well for naps and at night.  They now nap from 10am-11am and 2pm-3pm. We bath at 6:30 and then bottle and into their cots awake with a kiss goodnight to go to sleep by 7pm.  When we got back from holiday we had let Finn CIO for a couple of nights but he is fine now.  Ocassionally he will wake crying but we leave it and see what happens before rushing in to soothe him.  They must learn to be able to fall back to sleep themselves.  We have decided to leave them in seperate rooms for now. Will see how it goes. I am already planning their room for when they move into big beds together - it is quite a large room and we will have the playroom on one side and their beds on the other.  It has doors leading out to a covered stoep where they can do art activities and other fun stuff. Can't wait to paint and decorate ;).

Favourite Things: Walking everywhere!!! Playing throw and catch with the ball. Pushing the carts around and the bikes. Tormenting the cat. We started bubble baths which they like and they still like showering with me.

Dislikes: They do fight a bit - Finn is quite rough with Becs - hitting her, pushing her over and so on.  She is getting good at avoiding this but every now and again he gets too rough with her.

Looking forward to: It all.

Mommy and Daddy musings: I know I say this on every update, but I am so so grateful to have been sent these two treasures. There has been such sadness on the forum recently and my heart gets so sore for all those still on the IF journey. Be strong and don't give up. There is no way to describe the power of this experience - it is worth all the suffering we went through. I wish this for every woman and I pray that that our two babies grow up safe and are always healthy and happy...always.

15 Month Update

Age: The babes were 15 months old on 18 December (13 months).

Height/Weight: I just read that babies only put on about 2.4kg from age one to two!  So I will stop monitoring their weights now. All I know is that they are already almost growing out of the lengths of clothes 12-18 months, so will only buy 2 year old sizes from now. I cannot resist buying them clothes - serious problem but am grateful I can indulge as I have such fun trying on fun new outfits!

Developmental notes: Both are walking so nicely now all over the house!  They still stumble now and then especially when they get going too fast and then wobble and fall lol. But both balance so well and can bend down and stand up perfectly. Both push their Kewi bikes around rather than riding them, or the cars or the walking toys. Finn only wants the pink bike and runs after Becs to get it. We have decided to swop parts so they are a mix of pink and blue.  Lesson in this is...just get two of the same colour! Finn also rams and drives over poor Becky - naughty brother!

They are both gabbling away and have many new words - "Mala, hi, careful, tata, hello, there", and more - Finn calls Rebecca "Ca". They clap, they dance, they kiss, they wav, they point when asked to identify someone or something - and this is the MOST adorable phase as they just get cuter and cuter by the day! We are so enjoying watching them become more and more independent.  And yet I am so sad that we don't have babies to cuddle anymore - they are becoming their own little people already with serious minds of their own lol - I have to insist on lots of snuggles and kisses whenever I can.

Eating: I think Finn will always prefer mush, but Becky likes to feed herself.  We put a variety of fresh fruits, veggies in front of them and they eat what they want. One day they love something and the next day not, but we keep putting all sorts of foods in front of them.  We still try get in a good protein and veg meal daily as well like spag bog, mash and mince veg, or chicken and veg etc. Finn loves yoghurt and smoothies and avo. Becky loves rasberries and blueberries. It is a real messy business and they haven't even started using spoons!

Sleep: Both sleep like dreams now. They have their bath at 6:30pm and then we put them down to doodoos at 7pm and they sleep until about 6:30am, but "chat" and play in their cots until 7am. Occasionally Finn wakes once or twice a while after going to sleep but he is quickly soothed and goes back to sleep again no problem. We are going on holiday now and they will be in camping cots so we are going to try put them in one room and if it works out okay we will move them back in together when we get home. They still nap for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.  Soon, we will move to dropping the morning nap and instead have a longer afternoon nap from 1-3pm maybe.

Favourite Things: Walking everywhere!!!

Dislikes: Finn has a complete meltdown when Rebecca will not give him something.  Poor Becs has started to relinquish whatever she has to him as it is just easier...very funny to watch.  If she doesn't want to then she will hide it or get away from him as fast as possible and then he hurries after her crying his little heart out! Funny. Rebecca doesn't always like to be fed - tricky when it is something messy.

Looking forward to: Our holiday - first time we will going anywhere with the twins - BUT am very stressed about our routine being so disrupted as we will be out and about a lot and naps will be missed or late, meals not on time etc Am hoping everything will be okay.  Our routine has been the thing keeping it all together for me - have no idea how they will respond to being out of one!!! A tad stressed...

Mommy and Daddy musings:  Rebecca and Finn - you cannot believe how cute you two are right now and getting cuter by the day as you get more and more independent. We hope so much that you will grow up to be close to each other and look out for each other. Right now you chat together and we can see how you love each other even if you fight a lot over toys. We are looking forward to a lovely holiday and lots of swimming and spending time with your family. This will be your second Christmas, but last year you were tiny babies and now you will be opening your own presents and having so much fun. We love you.

Walking!

So Becs took her first steps last week! And now she can't seem to get enough...she is walking and pushing her cart all over the house with fierce determination. Whereas Finn returned to crawling again after his first steps...Becky is just ready to walk as much as she can. Finn started walking more again this weekend...so it is a matter of time before they become really adept at their new way of getting from one place to another.  And with this new found independence, it is incredible to watch their development.  Finn actually climbed onto the couch for the first time yesterday - I turned around and there he was just sitting there looking cool and pleased for himself - so cute.

So babies...one day when you ask me "When did I walk?"...I will tell you all about it and how you both started walking just after your real first year birth date...clever cuties.

14 Month update (1 year for real!)



Emptying cupboards...lol!

 Age: The babes were 14 months old on 18 November, so are now really really ONE! Their full term date was 17 November, so I can really now think of them as real toddlers. And toddling they are!

Height/Weight: Not sure of latest weights...but they are getting heavier for sure!  Becs is a slim, tall baby with a tiny waist - no doubt she has been blessed with slinky genes ;)! Finn is also tall and has lovely definition already - am sure both are blessed with lovely physiques lucky tots. DH is 6 ft 4 and has long lovely legs - so hoping they both get this from him. We have decided not to give them the MMR - just too much research showing the risks of giving to them so early...and paediatrician although not in agreement has said it is okay as long as we give it to them when they are 5...which is our plan. We may give a measles booster at 18 months, but not sure yet.  I think they have had enough now and their immune systems must be given an opportunity to strengthen naturally. Also they are not in daycare so the risk is less of contracting measles or mumps etc.

Developmental notes: Finn took his first steps last week!!! He is still hesitant but walks to you from quite a distance. I cannot believe he is walking already!  Rebecca will be right behind him and although she started crawling long before he did, I think she is not as confident yet.  She stands and balances perfectly but is yet to launch off on her own. Any day now. They are doing new things all the time now. Becky imitates singing sounds, claps as well now, babbles away, reads to herself in baby language when looking at a book and has started laughing and giggling more.  Finn is so proud of himself when he walks to you, he is very good at opening cupboards, doors, he loves to take whatever Becky is playing with for himself...fun and games!

They interact so much more, usually with Finn hitting her with a toy or over the head or something. Becky hides toys from him. Both love playing / grabbing / hitting the cat and both know how to shield their faces from licking dog. They love tearing up magazines and eating them...eating any paper actually! Both push their carts along the verandah and are riding their Pewi YBikes all over the place or pushing them and walking. They both now call us by Mamma and Dadda.  It is so cute.  They also call DH Daddy or Dadden. Becky got two more teeth, so they both have eight teeth now.

I showered with them for the first time the other day - they loved the feeling of the water spraying on their little bodies and lay against my chest so calmly - too cute. We have also started letting them play in the baby pool and with a hosepipe which they love. I am so looking forward to warm summer days so they can run around kaalgat!

Eating: They go through phases but I am less stressed about their eating now.  We have started moving away from purees now and just place a variety of foods in front of them letting them eat what they want to.  New things they like are red pepper strips, celery sticks, date oat balls - Becky likes rasberries and dried mango but not Finn. He is not really crazy about most new things, but I am still offering all sorts of things to them. He does like drinking smoothies, fresh juice and drinking yoghurt. They both eat oats again thank goodness. We make sure they have water in a sippy cup available all day and really only give a milk bottle in the mornings and evenings.  I may give them a rooibos tea or mik bottle during the day, but it depends on how much they have been drinking / eating.  We have moved onto cows milk now so I want to start giving them a multivitamin to make up for the vits from the formula.

Sleep: I am so relieved that sleeping has settled down again. Becky is sleeping like a dream - she goes down at 7pm without a fuss and sleeps until 6am or so.  Finn went through a little phase of fighting sleeptime and screaming for up to 30 minutes - it is so hard to leave him - sounds like his heart is breaking!  But he has also settled down nicely now and sleeps well all night long - hope it stays like this!

Favourite Things: Pushing carts and bikes on the verandah. Playing with water. Playtime. Emptying cupboards.

Dislikes: Still dislike lying down on the changing mat or having clothes taken off lol!

Looking forward to: Everything.

Mommy and Daddy musings: Becky Blue and Finny - you are our delight...we are amazed at how cute you are both becoming - more and more so every day. We are loving watch you grow and do new things every day. What beautiful treasures you are. We love you so much and look forward to every new day with you.