2 month stats

Ellis weighed in at 10lbs 6oz and measured 21.5 inches long.

Logan weighed a whopping 10lbs 12oz and measured 22 1/4 inches long.

Both boys received a clean bill of health after today's appointment -- we don't have to return until 4 months. Unfortunately, they had to get 4 of their immunizations today (3 in shot form and 1 orally). They did NOT like that at all, but who can blame them?!? Luckily I packed a bottle for each of them and we stayed in the room and fed them before we left. They have calmed down quite a bit and are now sleeping soundly. After lunch, Grandma Frahm and I are going to take a trip to the Rochester Hills Library. They have a summer reading program for kids of all age groups, birth to age 12, that I want to sign the boys up for. The program for babies born this year includes getting a new board book every month, and if you sign up today or tomorrow, you get an additional book for free. We are SO there! =)

Our sleepy heads

Last night we had a little surprise. Our little boys slept 7 hours straight!! I woke up around 4am (about the usual time they have been waking up lately) and felt the need to pump, so I got my pump supplies and brought bottles up to their room, assuming that they'd wake up sometime while I was up there. Much to my surprise, I was done pumping and was able to go back to bed for a half an hour, before waking up to them crying at 5am! Maybe a last minute birthday gift for me, but hey, I will take what I can get! We'll see if this happens more or if it was just luck (and pray that my boobs let me sleep a little longer next time too!) =)

2 months old

This second month has just flown by. This month, the boys:

• are now wearing their 0-3 month clothes.
• eat 5 oz. at a time -- around 30 oz. per day (sometimes more before bed)!
• are less fussy during diaper changes, but Ellis is not afraid to give a good scream to let us know he has a poopy diaper if we haven't changed him fast enough after eating.
• sleep an average of 5 hours per night (at one time), with a maximum of 6 hours of 15 minutes at a time.
• are very smiley especially when we have exaggerated smiles on our faces.

• enjoy their baths a bit more. Now, they only sometimes scream as we transition them from the bath to their towel. I can't blame them though. I hate getting out of the warm shower only to be hit by the cold air in the bathroom.
• track toys and people even better than before. They are quite good at watching toys that move in front of them. They also stare at us quite a bit while we are playing with them or feeding them, and will watch us if we walk away from them or hand them off to the other person.

Ellis apparently also likes Elvis! =)

• LOVE their swing. If all else fails and they are resisting their nap, put them in their swing and they are good to go! They also like to look at the little turtles and monkey hanging from the top of their swing. It's almost like it hypnotizes them to sleep..
• MUST be swaddled to fall asleep. I fear the day when they start to roll over and can no longer by swaddled, because they really need it to fall asleep or stay asleep.
• are getting much stronger. They kick their legs all the time when they are playing and can frequently get their arms out of their swaddle, regardless of how tight we make it. Unfortunately this is what wakes them (and me) up at 2-3 am at times. Usually I can reswaddle them and buy myself another hour before feeding them.

• are doing much better at tummy time. They can lift their heads much higher now and for longer periods of time. We have even put a rolled blanket (or here you see their musical centipede) under them to lift their body and therefore help them look up a bit more. I read that doing this will help them transition into using their arms to push themselves up as they get older.

• grab onto things around them. Whether it is our finger as we feed them, their bib, our shirt collar when we hold them, or even a toy for a brief time, they are definitely using their hands and fingers even more.

• are awake for longer periods of time -- sometimes up to 2 hours at a time, and they are definitely more active. They don't just fall asleep after eating - they now enjoy listening to music (daddy even plays his guitar for them), listening to a few books at story time, going on walks, playing under their activity mat or on a quilt as we hold toys in front of them, and having tummy time.

• have been lucky to be around lots of people! Throughout the month, they've met my co-workers and students, as well as seen Grandma and Grandpa Frahm, the Reaves family, Derek and Val, Bryan and Erin, Shaun and Julie, Sky, Jim, Joe, and Caryn and Cole.
• have been good boys when we go out to eat. Instead of always getting take-out when we decide to eat dinner out, we've taken the boys out with us a few times and they've done wonderfully each time.

We have our 2 month appointment on Thursday so we will see how much they've grown, then. Unfortunately they will also be receiving their first round of vaccinations -- not fun! Thankfully my mom will be going with us to the appointment since Troy has to work. I would not want to try to console two unhappy babies all by myself. I will give doctor updates then...

Happy Memorial Day!!

Our Memorial Day festivities took place yesterday -- unfortunately the rainiest day of the weekend, but regardless, we had a lot of fun!

Bryan and Erin came into town and Erin was able to meet the boys!

Val and Derek came over too!

Mark, Nicole, Parker, and Morgan came over as well, and we finally got a picture of the cousins!

Unfortunately, right as we were getting ready to eat outside, the sirens sounded and it started to rain and got really windy, so dinner was moved inside. After eating and chatting a bit, the rain cleared out and the guys went outside for a bocce tournament while the girls hung out inside.

First place winner was Derek -- the winner of a Cold Stone Creamery gift card.

Second place winner was Troy.

Third place winner was Bryan.

It was great hanging out with everyone and I'm glad everyone could make it over. Hopefully we can do it again soon!

Our love for reading

Our morning routine consists of having a bottle and then story time, before we play a little bit. We have quite a variety of Dr. Seuss books thanks to my mom (I had a Dr. Seuss themed baby shower) and the boys even have a stuffed Cat in the Hat in their room. One day, after reading a Dr. Seuss book, we took some time to hang out with the Cat in the Hat himself.

Logan looks a little freaked out by Cat in the Hat...

...but Ellis is really enjoying his time with Cat in the Hat and even

appears to be holding his hand.

By the way, did you know that "Green Eggs and Ham" has only 50 different words in it? I knew it was awfully repetitive as Dr. Seuss books tend to be (with rhyming and such), but I thought that was an interesting little tidbit of information.

7 week smiles

This week has been full of cute gummy little smiles. It wasn't until today though that we were able to catch them on camera...

Logan

Ellis

Other than that, I'm very thankful that the weather cleared today and we were able to get out and take a walk. Looks like tomorrow and Saturday are going to be nice too...excellent!

My sister, my idol

I always knew that my sister, Nicole, was a rockstar mom, but I had even more proof after visiting her, my niece Morgan, and nephew Parker, yesterday. First of all, as a teacher myself, I have always told Nicole that she better find a REALLY good school for her. She will be three next month, but she is absolutely beyond her years already. She is definitely going to challenge her teachers -- not in a bad way, but in a "I already know this -- please give me something harder to do" way. She has the most remarkable vocabulary already ("I didn't even recognize you mommy!" was a recent sentence she said to my sister), she is too smart for her own good already (she knows the difference between an alligator and a crocodile), and is extremely upbeat..most of the time, right Nicole?!? The activities Nicole does with Morgan and now Parker, are awesome and I've even bookmarked some of them on my own computer so when the boys are old enough, they can do some of them. Nicole talks to and plays with Morgan and Parker all the time --doesn't just sit them down in front of the tv and do her own thing. She takes "stay-at-home" mom to a new level. I remember going with Nicole to a well visit doctor appointment for both Parker and Morgan just weeks after Parker was born and Morgan (who just turned 2 at the time), asked Nicole if she could put up the window because it was too breezy. Um..breezy? Yeah, unreal huh? Morgan even enjoys putting her dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Really?? Yup!

Well, yesterday when I took the boys to visit their aunt and cousins, we were getting ready to eat lunch and I couldn't believe the lunch she prepared for Morgan. Nicole said that when she made it "fun" (see below), Morgan was more into eating it. Her lunch included a PB&J roll-up, yogurt with blueberries on top of it (that Nicole added), carrots and dip, and a small sliver of a magic bar for dessert, with a glass of milk. Seriously she needs to have her own magazine or write her own book or something -- "Making Daily Activities Fun for Kids" perhaps -- activities, how to make "chores" fun, recipes, etc. I don't know -- I'd read it!

I was hoping to get a picture of the boys with their cousins yesterday, but it simply didn't happen -- getting them to all be awake at the same time didn't really happen for long. The best I could do was when we were leaving. The boys were in their carseats already and a bit fussy during that transition, as I was gathering all our things. Nicole started rocking the car seats to calm them down. A couple minutes later, she went to go get something for me and after we got back near the boys, here is Morgan slowing rocking the car seats and the boys were fast asleep. You go Morgan!

We had a great visit, although it seemed way too short. I am excited that I'll have all summer off to visit even more, though. I can't wait for the four of them to grow up together and hopefully be as close as my sister and I are. If I can only be half the mother my sister is, I think I'll do just fine... You rock sis! xoxo