The brothers: 3 months.

 The brothers are almost 4 months old, so how about a 3 month post!

This is the first month I only have a phone picture of them with their 3 month sign. Sorry brothers, I'm sure it won't be the last time. On that note, I need to either fix the camera on my phone or get a phone with a better camera, cause this one just isn't cutting it.

The brothers had a busy month three. They went on their first long car ride to see all of their Babas in Madison. They also got to hang out with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Frankly they were a little cranky about the change to their routine, but I'm sure they will enjoy their baba time more someday soon.

They were little troopers on the car ride though! It is about 6 hours of driving time and we only had to stop once each way. The stop was a long one, nursing, eating, changing, etc. But it only extended our trip by about an hour. Good work little buddies.

The brother are changing so much every day. They are giggling like little cuties and are so engaged in what we are doing. It is so much fun.

Audrey loves the brothers to pieces as well. She is always letting us know if they want to get out of bed and wants to help with all of the things. Here is your nook, brother. Here is your toy brother. Oh, brother I love you followed by a hug. She is a spectacular big sister.

Soren continues to demand individual attention in the form of very minor medical issues. He has moved on from the days of not feeding well to the world of torticollis. Basically he had a kink in his neck from being so smooshed in utero and does not like to turn his head left. Turns out he needs therapy for it so he doesn't end up with a misshapen head. So, he gets time alone with mom and dad once or twice a week when we go to OT and cranial sacral therapy. Hey, Soren if you want some individual attention just let us know bud, you don't have to keep seeking it in the form of medical issues. Deal?

Really, though both brothers are super healthy and developing great. We have no complaints there.

Other developments this month include:

• Smiles that come with barely any effort on our part
• The sweetest baby giggles
• Following people and toys with their eyes and heads
• Happy independent play on the floor
• They love to look around at the world, especially from babywearing devices, they spend a lot of time being worn because, three kids!
• Kicking their legs and rolling to their sides like champs

Those brothers are getting so big already. I am trying to really focus on enjoying this time as much as humanly possible because they will be our last babies. Somehow knowing there is no next time makes being up in the middle of the night and calming crying babies easier. Because this too shall pass, and we don't ever have to come back again.

Crunchy mama in training.

Audrey deserves a post today as well. She is so much fun right now. She has also started doing two things that have melted me. For real.

Well, maybe three because isn't it fun when she picks her own clothes.

Backstory: you may have figured out by now that we use some "crunchy" parenting practices (breast feeding, babywearing, cloth diapers). We did with Audrey too, nothing new. When the brothers were born "they" gave Audrey a baby carrier for her dolls/stuffed animals so she could wear them like mom and dad. She cast it aside and had not used it once.

Until recently. She came out holding Elmo to her belly one day and said "I wear him like mom and dad!" Be still my heart. Of course I ran and got her baby carrier for her. She has continued to ask to wear baby. Win!





















I also breastfeed the brothers. They get bottles when I am away but when I am here I nurse them, largely because I think it is so much easier than washing bottles but also because I enjoy nursing. Especially with twins, but that is a post for another time. I also volunteer at the local hospital helping new moms with breastfeeding difficulties. I am a believer. So it sort of breaks my heart when Audrey always gives her babies bottles. I often say "doesn't baby want mama milk from mama" to no avail. I definitely respect that each family should choose the feeding practice that works best for them, but I just really want her to grow up thinking breastfeeding is the norm. Silly? Perhaps, but I am not perfect. JT knows how it just kills me that she never pretends to breastfeed. He makes fun of me for it all the time.

The other day he shouted "get in here Audrey is nursing her baby!" Obviously I dropped whoever I was nursing and came running. And there was my sweet baby girl with Elmo under her shirt feeding him her mama milk. Then she asked me to feed Elmo my mama milk. Of course I obliged. Tonight while I was feeding a brother she helped her giraffe drink from my other breast, and when I was feeding both brothers at the same time she fed giraffe her mama milk. Love. Love. Love. I just love her so much.

I realize I sound like a crazy person to many of you, but I don't even care. That is how much I love my little crunchy mama in training. Keep it up sweet girl.

Tiny swimmer.

If you pay attention to JT's Facebook page you may know that Audrey has moved up to swimming lessons without a parent in the water. You may also know she cried so hard she puked at her first lesson. Yep. That happened.

We swallowed our embarrassment the day this happened and asked the deck supervisor what we should do. Should we go back to parent and child lessons? Should we try again?

She said, and I quote, "Yes, definitely try again next week! She did great until she threw up. Next week we will just be more mindful so she doesn't puke in the pool."

Umm, OK if THAT was great, what does it look like when things do not go well?!? She may have just been humoring us, but either way we decided to keep trying. We also decided to sit at the opposite end of the pool so Audrey could not see us during her lesson.

Fast forward four weeks to this week. JT dropped Audrey at the side of the pool and she shed approximately two tears. Then she jumped in and participated with gusto. She even wore he goggles the whole class, which up until this week were never on her head for more than 10 seconds and she got a ribbon that said she conquered her fears and had no more tears.

The parents get to come in for the last 5 minutes so the kids can show off what they learned. I was astounded to see that she has actually started to try to swim! Don't get me wrong, she still has a long way to go, but she has started to kick and pull like she is actually trying to get somewhere. Eons better than she was doing in the parent/child class.

This video does not actually capture her kicking and pulling very well but my phone was being a jerk and would not record when she was kicking and pulling. You get the idea.

Way to go tiny swimmer.

The thing about twins...

OK so here's the thing about having twins, they make you into a spectacle. Add a toddler to that pot and you will never again walk through Target without talking to a stranger. Never. Again.

I get it. Look, twins! It is novel. I know. But here is the thing, it is novel to every person we encounter. Every person is thinking the exact same thing as you. It seems at least 1 in 4 will start a conversation.

You may be thinking, jeez is talking to strangers that bad. No, not really. Though if you know JT and me you know we are pretty introverted so talking to strangers is pretty low on our list on things we'd like to do. But it isn't just the talking to them it is the conversation.

For example:

Random shopper: "Oh, my two babies. Are they twins?"

Me: "Yes" (of course they are!)

Random shopper: "Oh I always wanted twins! What are their names?"

Me: "Soren and Kai"

Random shopper: "Oh how cute, where did you get those names?"

Me: "They are Scandinavian like me" (I don't even know you)

Random shopper: "How many weeks were they when they were born? How big were they? Were they in the NICU? Are they identical?"

Me: Answers questions with smile because I am polite. But seriously I don't even KNOW you! I just met you 5 minutes ago. Are you going to ask me if I had a vaginal birth too?

Random shopper: "Are they your first?"

Me: "No, we have a two year old as well."

Random shopper: "Boy or girl?"

Me: "Girl."

Random shopper: "Oh, how perfect. They must keep you very busy!"

Me: "Yes, they do." (So leave me alone so I can finish my shopping)

Somehow I/we escape. Five minutes later random shopper number two. Start from the top...

Right now you are thinking most people cannot possibly ask that many questions. Yes. They can. Yes. They do. The only way we get away with just answering the are they twins questions is if we just keep walking. Seriously.

I totally understand that people are just interested and trying to be nice. But here is the thing, we just want to go somewhere, anywhere without having to have six million conversations with strangers. We refuse to be trapped in our home. We just want to get out and do things as a family. We do not want to be a spectacle. We just want to go about our lives with a normal amount of contact with strangers.

The guy we saw on the patio at Noodles and Company with a giant blue parrot - he wants to be a spectacle. Go ask him 856 questions. Please for the love of all things holy leave the parents with twins alone. Remember how busy we must be...

I can also go without the looks of pity. Yep, I have a kid strapped to my body, a kid in a carseat, and one holding my hand. This is my life. I'm good. I don't need any pity. Help with the door may be nice, pity I can do without.

Pro tip, wearing your babies significantly reduces the amount of attention. Since we have figured this out we only use the stroller if we have to.