Our Journey: Babies at 6 Months!

Happy 6 month birthday, sweet babies!! And, as I sit down to write this, I realize you are almost 6 1/2 months now. Phew - where does the time go?!

You two are truly the sweetest babies, although I have to admit I am quite biased!! You have made a lot of changes this month!

Sleeping - Is FINALLY better!!!! You are healthy (for the moment) and we completely revamped your schedule and as of the last 5 or so nights you are sleeping through 12 hours! PRAISE GOD! We know there will be some hiccups along the way and you are bound to get sick and it will mess things up, but we are so, so, so, so very thankful for the nights you sleep through and we don't have to give you a bottle! It took a couple nights of letting sweet Katelyn cry up to 40 minutes, which is seriously excruciating for me! But so far, she has responded well. Phew - night sleep is a BIG one! We pray this sticks!

You are now out of your swaddles and have transitioned beautifully to these Berlin Magic Sleepsuits. My mom did all this research on what to use to transition from a swaddle. I was totally reluctant when she sent these to us, but they are working. Can you believe it?! I can't! And, as an added bonus, these work great as a cold weather suit to zip up over your clothes to take you out and about in the cold weather.

We have also moved you long ways in your cribs and you still like those pacifiers...just like your brothers! You are down to one mini-nap in the morning in the stroller (I walk you and two older boys to school every day) and one longer nap in your cribs from 12:30-2ish. You are down for the night about 6:15.

Eating - Again, huge changes in this department! I am still hanging in there with the breastmilk, but we have made some major changes! Once you hit 6 months, I decided we had to see how much milk you were getting so I could feel at peace with letting you cry at night if you woke up, knowing you were not hungry. Well, kiddos, let me tell you, you can pack it away and this mom just CANNOT keep up any more! We burned through 2 shelves full of frozen breastmilk and now that you are eating 32-34 oz each a day (yes that is a GALLON of milk a day between the two of you!), I simply just cannot keep up. So the schedule is like this...

7 am - Nurse, 6-8 oz formula top-off
10:30 am - 8 oz formula
2:30 pm - 8 oz breastmilk
6 pm - 8-10 oz breastmilk

As you can see, I am still a pumping machine and making about half of what the babies require, or 30 oz a day, but that is as good as I can do! Transitioning to formula was ugly...the babies (especially Katelyn) did not like it, but I think we have found one she will take and seeing how much she hates it makes me more motivated to try to keep making as much milk as I can.

You are starting on solids, but not liking it!! We have a cool double feeding table coming, but for now we feed you in your BUMBO seats. Hopefully we can make some progress in this area!

Stats - The babies are both small for their age measuring:

Katelyn - 24.5 inches (7%) 13 lb 13 oz (12%)
KJ - 25.25 inches (6%) 13 lb 8 oz (0%)

Yes, Katelyn now out weighs KJ by just a bit! But he eats more!! Not fair, I say!! But they are of course beautiful and perfect in my eyes!

Interests - There favorite things are being read to, sung to, playing in the exersaucer and jumperoo, practicing rolling, batting at things on their activity mats, holding hands, being with their brothers, getting outside, and being held and cuddled with. They are both incredibly social, which I am forever grateful for! KJ has REALLY come out of his shell and can shriek and squeal like no other! He also is starting to make consonant sounds. Katelyn is developing a little stranger danger already...yes she is early, but she is now the needier of the two and is so sensitive. If I walk into a room and leave without holding her, she goes ballistic. This girl may have some serious seperation anxiety.

Here are some sweet pictures of them at the park and in the BUMBO seat. To say I love these two is such an understatement. Their lives have brightened and completed our family more than I thought possible! And, what a relief to make it to 6 months!! Those first months for me are SO very, very, very difficult and to see these sweet babies growing into little people more and more each day is one of the greatest gifts in life! We truly are continually in awe at what we have been given. Lots and lots and lots of love sweet ones!!

Our one and only little girl - who has her daddy's heart!