Happy Wednesday!

I seriously can't get enough of these boys. I take approximately 50 photos and 5 videos every day. Their lives will be well documented I guess.

I don't have much to report on...unless you are interested in the masked gunman that was probably in my house this past Friday or how I have barely seen my husband in three days because he's been working so much (which is a blessing) and didn't even come home last night which means that I didn't sleep at all which means that today is a long day or how my dishwasher is STILL not fixed, but I can't talk about it because it raises my blood pressure or how my washer and dryer are still in my kitchen and I haven't done a load of laundry in over a week. I told Dustin last night that if he doesn't plug that machine in tonight, he might not have a wife tomorrow :) I'm really not that eager to do laundry, but watching it pile up gets me all in a tizzy.

In other news... Cathy, a sweet friend from church showed up on Sunday and let Dustin and I go to church together for the first time in a long time! It was so nice. An older man came up to us and said, "I see y'all got back together." Nice.

Another couple from church has offered to babysit for us Friday night so we can go on a date! It'll be so nice to get out. We have almost made it to the end, but it seems like time has really slowed down lately. I guess that's the way it goes when you are anticipating something.

We go back to the doctor three weeks from tomorrow and we're hoping he'll release us. My biggest fear is that he'll say "this is an unusually long RSV season and we better keep them in for another month". Then I'll cry.

Well, here's what's going on in pictures...

Landon has discovered his tongue and sticks it out all the time.

I would say 90% of the time, the boys sleep in the exact same position. It's kind of creepy. I'll have to compile all of the pictures we have of them sleeping, but here's one from last night.

I'm not even going to lie...I think they are way cute!

Eli always has to be touching Landon!

Landon finally fights back.

He thinks he's funny.

Landon has been drooling a LOT! gross.

Sweet sleeping baby (Landon). He sleeps with his eyes open.

Eli

Landon

Well, that's all for today...

Just Pictures...

So tired...pictures will have to do...

Landon

Eli all ready for our dinner date Saturday night at the Sandusky's house

The boys playing this morning

Video

This might be totally uninteresting to most of you, but I know of some grandparents that might enjoy this ever so exciting video of Eli and Landon.

I love the way they have started to interact with each other.

Maybe I Did, Maybe I Didn't

Some days it feels like there are 197 hours in the day and some days it feels like 3. Unfortunately, the days I would like 197 hours, I only get 3 and the days I just want to end, seemingly never do.

So how does one handle two babies who want to be held all the time and punish you with their piercing cries if you do not comply?

Well...

I may or may not have turned Barney on so I could take a 5 minute shower.

(And then let them watch the whole darn 30 minutes because the quiet was so wonderful)

And my boys may or may not have LOVED him. (so sad!)

I may or may not have kicked the dishwasher in a fit of anger.

And...I may or may not have threatened the dishwasher repair man.

I may or may not have let them share a bottle so that there are less to hand wash and sterilize.

I may or may not have just rinsed the last bottle used instead of washing it.

I may or may not have tried to bargain with Landon for a few more minutes of sleep.

(And in case you are interested, he did NOT take me up on it)

I may or may not have finally curled my hair and put on a little makeup at 7:00 last night just so I could feel like a normal human being for a couple hours.

I may or may not be anxiously awaiting April when I am no longer a prisoner of this house.

The thought of "could I have 5 minutes where one person does not need me" may or may not have crossed my mind last night.

This may or may not be the number of dishes I wash every night:

I may or may not have had two cokes already today.

I may or may not still have a laundry room under construction.

And I may or may not have had 8 loads of laundry to do yesterday when Dustin plugged my washer/dryer back in for a little while. Seriously...where does it all come from?

And while I type this list I feel so silly because the little things that I let overwhelm me are just that...little.

What's big is that both of my boys are in the double digits in weight. They have graduated to 3-6 month old clothes and they are rolling over. They interact with each other more and more every day and while they already hit/scratch/kick each other, it's obvious that they are best friends (not that there's much competition). And really...I love the way that they need me. I wouldn't want it any other way.

So who cares if my clothes aren't washed, if my dishes are dirty, and if my floors need swept. Nobody else notices or remembers those things anyway.

Well, just in case you come here to see pictures of the boys and not to hear me complain...here you are:

Eli & Landon helping me paint cabinet doors outside
Landon taking the very first nap in his own bed
Elizabeth got these shirts for the boys

Just hanging out

Going on a walk

Talking to each other

Aunt Amber came to visit!

Landon sleeping in the sun

Landon
Eli

The boys in their Bumbo chairs - they still don't have great head control

Mom Survey

My friend and fellow twin Mom, Crystal, posted these questions this morning on her blog asking all other moms out there to answer them. My boys are only two months older than Crystal's and I feel totally unqualified to be answering these because most of the time we're just winging it around here, but my boys are happy and healthy, so maybe we're doing something right, so here it goes...

1) Breastfeed, Formula, or both?

Breast milk exclusively until about six weeks ago and now I have to supplement about 4 ounces of formula each day per baby.

2)If you used formula, what kind?

Similac Sensitive - just a side note on this, my pediatrician recommends Similac because he gets a LOT less phone calls from parents using Similac than Enfamil. Who knows if there is anything to that. We started on the regular Similac, but they had major upset tummies and gas (even more so than normal), so we went to sensitive and it's much better

3) Breastfeed...how long?

Still going at four months. I definitely want to make it to six months, but will keep going as long as I can.

4) What kind of bottles did you use?

We are still using the NICU bottles...isn't that sad? I bet we have over 150 of those little suckers. We like Dr. Brown, too. We just don't have as many of them.

5) At what age did you introduce rice cereal?

4 months

6) Did you put it in the bottle or just feed it with a spoon?

Spoon. I have heard or read that spoon feeding might be better because when you put it in the bottle, they suck it down so fast and don't realize when they are full, so they overeat. Spoon feeding forces them to slow down a little.

7) Did it help your child sleep through the night?

Absolutely!

8) How old was your child when he/she finally slept through the night?

4 months

9) What was the times? from _10 or 11____ to __5 or 6____

but most mornings, they go back down for another two or three hours.

10) How old was your child when you could put her in a Bumbo? If you had one.

I've put them in a couple times recently, but they still don't have great head control, so it's only for a few minutes.

11) When did he first smile/laugh (not gas related)?

Between two and three months

12) Did your child have reflux?

In the hospital, yes. Eli's milk would come out his mouth and nose. It was so scary and terrible to watch. He was so tiny and fragile and I ended up in tears most times when it would happen. Since we've been home, no reflux problems whatsoever.

13) Did you have medicine for reflux? Did it help?

Yes and Yes

14) When did the reflux stop?

before we left the hospital at four weeks

Hope that helps a little!

We got to go visit Crystal and her sweet boys when we were in Iraan last and here are pictures of all the boys. (Nobody is holding their own baby in the pic)

That'll teach me to complain...

I just thought I had it rough with the dishwasher out. Now the pipes from our kitchen and bathroom are not draining and we can't use either until our trusty home warrenty people (the same ones who haven't found an electrician after a whole week) send a plumber out. Looks like I'll be heating water on the stove to wash dishes/bottles outside.

In other exciting news...in the midst of a small weekend project to redo our laundry room, Dustin discovered the drywall and boards behind the washer/dryer are all wet and rotting. So that room will remain in upheaval for who knows how long now.

I'll be sure to document the mounding dishes and laundry.

I really love my house, but I sure don't like it right now.

4 Months!

I've been way too busy living my life to have time to write about it. The boys are doing great with the cereal! Eli was a little hesitant at first, but he is just scarfing it down. The cereal has done wonders for their sleep. They go to bed about 10 or 11 and don't get up until between 5:30 and 6:30...and that has done wonders for me!

As for the thumb sucking, I really appreciate all of your advice and encouragement. Landon definitely sucks his thumb sometimes, but overall, neither of them are too interested in their thumbs or pacifiers...for now at least.

We have definitely entered into the "awake most of the day and need to be entertained at all times" stage that my mom warned me about. The nice thing is, sometimes they will lay next to each other and "talk" or smile at each other. Just a perk of having two I guess.

The dishwasher is STILL not fixed which is the main reason for my absence of blogging. I feel like all I do is wash dishes and sterilize nipples and bottles. What is the point of having a homeowner's policy on all major appliances if they won't send someone to fix it in a reasonable amount of time?

The boys turned four months old yesterday. It feels like everytime I turn around, they are another month older. I very frequently remind myself to soak up each little stage because they pass too quickly. The good news is...each new stage brings more fun and more joy. They just keep getting better and better (and bigger and bigger!).

So much more to talk about, but the boys are wanting to "play" so play I must.

I'll leave you with some pictures Keva took for us last weekend. The boys were very uncooperative and Keva did a great job considering that fact.

Happy Four Month Birthday (Yesterday) Eli and Landon!!

Dustin and Landon

Dustin and Eli

Me and Eli

Sweet Landon

Lance and Dustin

Adventures in Cereal

The boys have been extra restless this week...and extra hungry. They were eating more ounces even more frequently and after a little google research, I decided to call and ask my doctor about it. Turns out they are eating over the recommended amout of milk for a 6-8 month old and they are only four months. The worst part is - they still aren't satisfied.

So after talking to the nurse, she suggested we go ahead and start cereal.

They both reacted the same way: it didn't take them long to figure out what to do with it and then I couldn't shovel it in fast enough for them. They are going to fit right in with the Grigsby men!

Eli decided about half way through that it was too slow and frustrating to eat from a spoon. He was quite relieved to be back in daddy's arms with a bottle. You can't really tell, but he's giving me his trademark sideways glare here, showing his disdain for the pain and suffering I just put him through.

Landon just scarfed it all down and then had a bottle to wash it down. These boys are going to be huge!

Landon's First Cereal Experience

Eli's First Cereal Experience

Nothing New

We didn't get off to a great start to the week yesterday. After almost no sleep Sunday night, I had two babies on different eating and sleeping schedules who wanted to be entertained at all waking moments. My house was an absolute disaster making me feel totally out of control. And to top it all off, my dishwasher went out. Excellent.

And even though they were up a lot last night (I guess I spoke too soon about the good sleep we were getting), they are eating and sleeping at the same time which helps tremendously and today is a much better day.

Still no dishwasher though. Do you know what a pain it is to wash 30 bottles, lids, and nipples, not to mention all the dishes I used to cook. I totally take my dishwasher for granted. I'm cooking in the crockpot tonight!

Here are a few more pictures Keva took for us a couple of months ago.

Landon

Eli

They really look alike from this view

Best Friends