Another month bites the dust and it's been our best month yet! Brady and Ashley are growing and changing each and every day and we can't get enough of it. Here's a look back at our month!
This month started out with a date night camping trip with Brian and Mara down at Pyramid State Park in Pinckneyville. It was a relaxing day and night away from the babies enjoying each other and our friends. And in case you were wondering, we camped out in the back of the truck. Eric's souped it up even more now (as it now includes a platform for the air mattress allowing more storage underneath. I'm looking forward to camping again in it.
On September 27 I got to spend a little time with my best friends for some kid free girl time. I decided that we don't do this often enough and next time we need to stay for longer. But man was it good to see them and catch up!
We've been enjoying these last remnants of warm weather by taking the babies outside as much as we can.
My grandpa was released from the nursing home to come home, so mom and I took the babies to Altamont to celebrate with him. Seeing his big smile when he held his great grand babies sure made my heart swell.
This past weekend included a trip to the pumpkin patch with our cousins, aunts, and uncles! Schaefer Pumpkin Patch in Beecher City was the perfect place for the babes to experience their first patch. It was an absolutely beautiful day filled with unimpressed babies in the corn pit, a goat loving petting zoo, and me realizing that I may never get us all to look at the camera at the same time again. We can't wait to go again next year, and are already planning a fun Christmas tradition!
And other things we don't want to forget:
- Brayden is weighing 22.4 pounds and is 28.5 inches long. Ashley weighs 19.4 pounds and is 27.75 inches long.
- This month we stretched our wake windows to 2.5 hours. Our current schedule is as follows: Wake up at 6, bottle, get to daycare, breakfast and play, nap from 8:30-10, bottle/play/lunch, nap from 12:30-3:30/4, bottle, get home, dinner, play, bottle around 6:15/6:30, then bed around 7.
- We are still getting four bottles a day. Brady still takes four 8 ounce bottles for 32 ounces a day and Ashley is taking four 7 ounce bottles for 28 ounces a day. Since we are eating a lot more real food now, we don't always take all of every bottle, but most days we do drink it all. The two bottles they get at home are breastmilk and the two bottle they get at daycare are formula.
- They are getting pretty good at holding their own bottles, which has been a total game changer for us! It's so nice to pop their bottles in their mouths and then go do dishes or fold laundry.
- In addition to their bottles, we are also eating three meals a day now- and are officially done with purees! We've added some exciting new foods to our repertoire, including eggs, corn, asparagus, strawberry, kiwi, mandarin oranges, blueberries, meatballs, mashed potatoes, pancakes, spaghetti, pizza, hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, chili, peanut butter toast, and I'm sure a bunch of other things that they've had at daycare that I'm forgetting. Both babies are pretty dang good eaters.
- I'm trying to avoid sippy cups, so we've been hitting the open cup hard. Some days are better than others, but they can both grab around the outside of the cup and bring it to their mouths. We might end up spilling more than we actually drink, but it's a learning curve, right? Straw cups are our next thing to tackle!
- We are in size 3 diapers during the day and sleep in size 4 diapers at night. Still going through 10-12 diapers a day between the two of them. Here at the end of the month Ashley has stopped pooping on the way to daycare, so fingers crossed she doesn't start that again now that I'm mentioning it out loud!
- Our wardrobe still consists of 9 month clothes, and I can see us staying in these for a little while longer. At the rate Brady is growing, he will probably bump up to 12 month clothes before Ashley does.
- I would still say that favorite toys include sqwish and the toy keys, though the yellow nubby ball is giving them a run for their money. I think they like it so much because it has plenty of things to chew on.
- Speaking of chewing on things- we officially have teeth- one tooth each! I first noticed Ashley's tooth popping through when we got back from our camping trip on September 20. I probably wouldn't have even noticed it then except she put my finger in her mouth and I felt the sharp little bump. She never once acted any different or acted at all like it was hurting her. If you look real close in these pictures you can see where their teeth are just starting to pop through. Ashley's is really sticking out there now!
- Brady on the other hand, boy oh boy. I first noticed his tooth popping through on October 12. He was laying on the floor laughing and I thought he had food on his gum from breakfast still. I put my finger in to clean it out and realized it was a tooth. Looking back now, he had been a pill the few days leading up to that- super clingy, not napping well, waking up a lot in the night, putting even more things than normal in his mouth. I really hope that all teeth don't hit him this bad or we are in for a rough few months.
- Another big milestone this month was Ashley starting to crawl! On October 2nd after a diaper change I swore I saw her army crawl to get to the wipes. I moved the wipes farther away and sure enough she crawled to them again. This girl is unstoppable now and we are in so much trouble. I've come to realize I will never be alone again. It doesn't take long for her to crawl to find out where I'm at.
- Brayden hasn't quite mastered the army crawl yet, but he is getting up on all fours quite often and has started pushing himself backwards. I don't think it will be long before he figures it out too!
- Ashley is chatting away, and Brady has become a lot more vocal too. B, D, M and Y have been added to their babbles, and we are both doing reduplicated and even some variegated babbling. Favorite phrases include "babababa" and "yayaya" interspersed in squealy screams (by Ashley) and coos (by Brayden).
- We've reached the point in their development where they realize when I leave the room and then cry because I'm gone.
- They are interacting and actually playing with each other more now. Ashley was playing peek a boo with Brady from Eric's lap the other night and it was THE cutest thing ever.
- Favorites for Ashley this month include being tipped upside down and getting her belly tickled, crawling to any cord she can find and putting it in her mouth, blowing raspberries on your cheek, arm or leg and stealing toys from her brother.
- She doesn't like sitting in a stopped car, getting the snot sucked out of her nose, and staying on her back for diaper changes. (I swear diaper changes have become like wrestling an alligator!)
- Brady's favorites include napping on the way to daycare in the morning, cuddles, sitting up to play, being outside and watching the dogs, and eating.
- Brady doesn't like startling noises and having to wait too long to be fed.
