7 Months Old!

January 17, 2014

Devyn and Kinley are seven months old today! Where does the time go? I can't believe how far these two have come!

                                September 7, 2013                                       January 17, 2014
                               almost 12 weeks old                                         7 months old

 The photo on the left is the day Devyn came home from the hospital. I put the girls down on the changing table to get a side-by-side photo (Devyn on right weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz., Kinley on left weighing approx. 6 lbs. 10 oz.). Today, I tried it again. These two little chunks don't even fit side-by-side anymore! In today's photo Kinley is on the right weighing 14 lbs. 9 oz. and Devyn, on the left, weighs around 16 lbs. 3 oz.

It seems like every day brings new discoveries and accomplishments. Devyn is rolling over consistently now (her first time was the day after her 1/2 birthday). As soon as you put her on her back she rolls over, and starts screaming once she's on her tummy because she doesn't like it. Kinley, on the other hand, is still working on it. She has rolled over twice from her tummy to her back.

The girls have recently noticed the TV and both LOVE watching their Baby Einstein videos. Mommy loves them too because Einstein time means Mom can wash dishes or make dinner!

TV time. Don't remember why Devyn has no clothes on!?!?

Devyn and Kinley continue to be excellent sleepers! Both girls sleep through the night....and then some! We're working on getting them into their cribs for sleeping. We've moved them into their own room, but haven't made it into the cribs yet. They still sleep in the Rock 'N Play sleepers.

"Go away Mom!"  -Devyn

 

Devyn continues to be our Sleeping Beauty. She loves to take one or two long naps during the day while Kinley prefers short catnaps here and there. In this photo I had tried to wake Devyn up....but this is all I got out of her. I'm already envisioning a teenage Devyn rolling over in bed to ignore her mother who's trying to wake her up!

The solid food adventure is still underway. Kinley has become somewhat more agreeable to eating her rice cereal. Devyn, however, has learned she can avoid the chore by refusing to open her mouth.

Our most recent blessing is the nanny we found to come watch the girls while we are at work. Her name is Lily and the girls love her! It is wonderful to come home everyday to two happy baby girls! Here are a couple pics Lily took this week:

 Kinley Grace

 

Sister Think Tank

And a few MORE photos from the past couple weeks:

Skyping with Grandma Marsh 

 

 Chatting with Daddy

 Devyn loves football, just like Dad.

 Naptime
 

Definition of multitasking: texting, bouncing Kinley with foot, and entertaining Devyn by letting her pull your hair.  

Happy Holidays

January 1, 2014

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our friends and family! We hope that 2013 was as good to you as it was to our family. Devyn and Kinley have had a very busy holiday season these past couple weeks!

Our holiday break started out with a trip to Albuquerque to visit Grammy and Grampy Marsh for Christmas. The last time the girls were in New Mexico, they were still in my belly for my baby shower and made their debut only hours after returning home.

We had a wonderful Christmas with the Marsh family!

 Their shirts say "All Mommy wants for Christmas is a Silent Night."

Playing poker with the guys.

 Merry Christmas Eve!

 Church on Christmas Eve

  

 Looks like Santa found Devyn in NM Christmas morning.

 Presents, presents, and more presents!

Kinley Grace opening presents.  

 

Devyn and Kinley finally got to meet their new friend Brodey! 

"Merry Christmas!"   -Devyn and Kinley

 

After a week in New Mexico we headed home. Unfortunately, Justin got sick while in NM and despite my efforts to keep the girls away from him, both girls ended up with a cough and the sniffles. Kinley got bad enough that we ended up on our first trip to Urgent Care. She is on antibiotics now and is doing somewhat better.

 

Yuck!

(One of our first attempts at rice cereal. You would think I'm putting vinegar in her mouth!)

 

Devyn and Kinley also got to meet their Grandma and Grandpa Ferson, who took a long detour from Minnesota on their way to Texas to meet the girls. They were even brave enough to volunteer to babysit so Mom and Dad could get a night out on New Years Eve!

 

Grandma and Grandpa Ferson

 

 

We look forward to many new adventures in 2014!

Happy 1/2 Birthday!!!

Tuesday, December 17

Devyn and Kinley are 6 months old today! Where has the time gone?!?! Words cannot express how blessed we feel for how well they have done since being brought into this world almost 12 weeks early. I know all parents get excited when their little ones start meeting milestones, but each time one of our girls does something new, I say another prayer of thanks for the progress she is making. Tonight the girls had a little party with Mom, Dad, and Nana to celebrate their 1/2 birthday!

 Blow out the candles girls!!!

(Turns out 1/2 birthday candles are harder to find than I thought....we had to improvise!)

Proud Papa!

The girls have loved spending time with Nana these past few weeks. We are so lucky she's been here to get to know the girls and take care of them while Mom and Dad were working. It will be sad when she leaves us this weekend to head back to Minnesota.

Twins?.....no problem!

 

The girls continue to do well health wise. Devyn is so big compared to her sister! At her most recent appointment she weighed 15 pounds 3 ounces (and that was a week and a half ago!). She is now wearing 6 month-sized clothes. Devyn has great head and upper body strength, and loves to play in her exersaucer. She is always on the move, constantly kicking and wiggling. She has recently learned to screech and scream...I'm hoping she learns a new trick soon!  She is very interactive now, and will smile and laugh when you talk to her.

 

She is growing so fast, she no longer fits in the leg/foot braces the doctor gave her. So, Dad took her in last week to be refitted. She will get new braces in a few weeks. Although I know she needs to ....it will be a bummer when she has to start wearing them again. She has been such a happy baby now that she doesn't have any uncomfortable casts or braces on her legs and feet! Her feet seem to be doing well, so hopefully she won't need to wear them much longer.  

 

 Devyn loves her exersaucer!

 

Look how high I can hold my head up!   -Devyn

 

Today Kinley had a checkup with her neurologist. She weighs 14 pounds 1 ounce, although she feels much lighter compared to Devyn.  Having twins, it's hard not to compare their progress. Devyn is bigger and stronger, but so far, all of Kinley's developmental assessments have come back in the normal range for her age and prematurity. Hopefully sitting up and rolling over won't be too far in their future.

 

Kinley isn't quite as verbal as Devyn. But, she has recently started to giggle. Such a wonderful sound! She loves to coo back and forth with Nana!

 

 Who needs a bottle when I can suck on my fingers?  -Kinley

 Kinley looks thrilled to be a Padres fan!

A few photos from the past couple weeks:

 The girls still don't notice each other much, but we're working on it!

Devyn looks jealous!

 Playtime

Devyn is such a big girl!

 

"That lamb is looking at me funny!"   -Kinley 

 Who's the tired one?

Devyn is taking over our bed already!

Thankful

Monday, December 2

Our family has so much to be thankful for this year! Our two little turkeys continue to do amazingly well! They are growing like crazy and are learning new things every day. Both girls are starting to reach for toys and grasp things.  Devyn has even started playing in her bouncer although she can just barely reach the bottom. Kinley doesn't sit up quite as well as her sister yet, but she twists around like crazy and we think she may be the first to roll over.

Play time!

We had a great Thanksgiving celebration with our family and friends last week. Followed, of course, by some Black Friday shopping. Yes....we're THOSE people:-)

 Devyn and Toni on Turkey Day!

Kinley and Mike

 Two little turkeys!

Off to find Santa!

 Devyn and Mommy

 

Christmas lights at Ethel M's

 

Meeting Santa

5 Months Old!

Sunday, November 24

Devyn and Kinley are already over 5 months old! I was just looking at some of the blog pictures from back in July. I can't believe how much they've grown! Both girls are doing great and growing like crazy. At all of their most recent appointments and evaluations they have been right where they should be in their development...which is somewhere between their actual age (5 months) and their adjusted age (2.5 months). They both are communicating, mostly with smiles and gurgles. And they're just starting to reach for and grasp some of their toys.  

 Rolling Over class with Professor Dad

 

Devyn loves to watch football with Daddy

Nana, the girls' great-grandmother, came in last weekend to meet her first great-granddaughters. I think she was surprised just how busy these gals can keep you!

 Kinley and Nana are pretty in pink.

 

I think the girls wore Nana out!

 I survived my return to work. I was sad to leave the girls, but it was much easier knowing they were home with Nana. Plus starting on a Thursday, and therefore having only a two-day work week, helped a bit too.

Grandma Carol and Keith are here for Thanksgiving too! So Devyn and Kinley have all sorts of people around to spoil them. Today we went to have our pictures taken (yes....again!) of the four generations. I didn't plan on taking, or buying, any photos of just the girls, since they've already had three sets of professional photos taken, but of course I couldn't turn them down once I saw them!

Grandpa Keith got right to work!

 Four Generations!

 Devyn was very cooperative today!
 

 Kinley was not in the mood!

Until.....

...the shoot was over!