8 Months Old

That's right!  Elissa and Ellie are 8 months old.  I just really can't believe it.  I feel that we have run a marathon and I feel like things are getting a tad bit easier, but then I also know we have a long road still to come with these babies. 

They still aren't sleeping through the night, but I will have to say that the past week we have seen a little improvement.  We got baby swings as a gift when they were born and Sid put those up a few days ago.  They seem to do a little better sleeping the first part of the night when we do something outside just before bedtime, so lately that has been swinging.  Used to, bedtime was a 2 man show, sometimes more depending on Bailey's attitude.  Just recently, I've been able to get them down with no extra help.  They don't eat at the same time any other time of the day except that bedtime bottle and when they were newborns, whoever didn't get fed just screamed. I couldn't stand that, so we got into the habit of having 2 people at bedtime and them getting fed at the same time.  This was fine except it meant that if Sid or I was gone from home at bedtime, then somebody had to come help.  We also couldn't have a sitter over b/c one person couldn't do it.  So just the thought of only one person doing bedtime feels like pure freedom.

(I tried to take some pictures today but they were not having them.  I didn't even edit these, but i thought I would post them for a good laugh!)  (I didn't intend on the road being in the background, I do know better than that, but I stepped in ant bed where I wanted them to sit so that was out and Elissa would not sit down until we turned her this was because she appeared to be trying to catch the wind in her mouth! haha!)

Checking on Baby A!

Now checking on Baby B!

I think I said "say happy birthday to Mason" because we were headed to his party!  Bailey was really excited to say it!  Apparently, that's probably too long of a phrase to say when getting one's picture taken!

Trying to hold them up!

My sweet Bailey face!

Love this big sister!

Eyes on something!

I'm getting over it Mom!

Then it was time to try just the babies.  Still, nobody was having it!  Well, maybe Elissa was trying.

And she's off............

Never to return.........

I think it was grass..........

Or maybe the ant bed because this was back in that direction.........

Whoops! Somebody put her back.....

But it didn't work.......

So, I just got Elissa........

Was going to try one more time, but still not having it.......

Dad says, "let's just go."  And that was it!

So back to the 8 month update:

We have tried to start solids, or at least move up the level 3 foods because i feel like they eat the same things over and over again with the stage 2 stuff.  But Elissa ha 3 teeth, one on top and two on bottle and Ellie has none, so they really don't get into real food as much as I had hoped.  They don't finger feed themselves as well as they should to get total nutrition from real food so I have to mash up whatever it is good enough to spoon feed and when you do that, you might as well just use stage 2.  They also don't drink from a cup like I think they should at 8 months old either.  We have tried a few different kinds, but I think the problem is they don't get to sit and practice as much as Bailey did because once you get 2 babies fed, it's time to move on.  We have tried and like yogurt and bananas. Also things like crackers and bread, which we give them nibbles of if we are eating out.  I made scrambled egg yolks Saturday morning and Elissa's mouth broke out so I had to stop.  I also gave them small bits of real green beans and Ellie had a hard time with them.  So for now, we will stick with the stage 2, while practicing on the real stuff. 

They have both moved up a size in diapers again, Ellie to 3 and Elissa to a bigger style of 4.  It won't be long until she moves to 5's which I think is funny because Bailey was wearing 5's when she was 3 and started to be potty trained.  Elissa is just a stocky thing.  Ellie eats more then Elissa does though!

They both take a pretty good morning nap and usually take a good short afternoon nap.  Sometimes they skip the afternoon nap and then are very sleepy before bedtime.  We try to keep them up until at least 6, but most of the time 6:30 or 7.  We have had to do some cry it out with Ellie to break her from waking every 2 or 3 hours at night.  It has worked a little but we still have some issues to get through.  They wake up about 6 each morning, but stay in the bed until about 7, sleeping on and off.

Ellie is crawling all over the place and can sit from a crawl and get into the crawling position from sitting.  She is starting to pull up on furniture and in her bed. I'm not ready for that!  Elissa sits really good with no help, and loves to sit and play, but she is no where interested in moving her body from one place to the next.  Ellie does some squealing and movements to communicate with you, but Elissa has the whole baby talk thing down.  She can say "mamamamama" and 'byebyebyebyebyebye".  She has started to say "daddddaddadddad". 

It seems like it is getting easier and easier to get them out of the house now that they are on a the same schedule every day. We don't get them out much through the week because by the time we get home from work, get them fed, play outside, get baths and get ready for bed - it's bed time!  But on the weekends, we try to get them out.  They love to ride in their big girl seats and their big girl stroller.  They don't cry very much and are generally happy babies, so that helps to want to get them out.

We haven't had any trips to the doctor lately, everybody seems to be doing good!  We go back in May for their 9 month appointments. I don't really know what they weigh right now, but I would say Elissa is still at least 6-7 pound bigger then Ellie.  It's so funny what people have to say about them and their size. 

Last, but not least, I do think I see the light at the end of the tunnel where big sister is concerned.  She still has her moments but I think those are mostly due to being 3 and not a big sister to 2 babies. 

Only about 6 more weeks and we will be out for the summer!  I cannot wait to have fun all summer long with my 3 princesses!