As I've said before, the girls are now on the move, and they seem to get themselves into anything and everything they can find! It's quite entertaining just watching them, but we have to keep a close eye, since they seem to be most attracted to dangerous places (i.e. the fireplace), dirty flip flops, and Marley toys!! They spend their share of time looking at Marley through the window or playing with (or ON) her too...luckily, she's a pretty good sport! Macy is famous for diving over things and landing on her head or face, and, unfortunately, ends up with plenty of bumps and bruises. She's already had 2 "incident reports" from school as well! She's pretty confident that she can stand without holding on to anything...unfortunately, she can't...so she falls doing that too. Makayla probably moves around more than Macy, but she just seems to be a little more stable...I think she just moves farther, but more cautiously. It's funny to watch their "styles"! Fortunately, we haven't had any serious accidents yet, but we both realize that careful supervision is REQUIRED at all times!
We've gone on several adventures in the boat, but, unfortunately, we don't have any new pictures...mommy's hands are always FULL of squirmy babies, and daddy is busy with all of the usual boat "chores". The girls seem to like it on the water, and, except for sometimes getting HOT, they seem to have fun! Makayla even took her first LONG nap in the cabin on Saturday, and boy was that nice for all of us...unfortunately, Macy thought there was way too much going on to miss, and was having no part in it! Thanks to Grandma, Friday, Mom and Dad were able to escape for an "Adult" afternoon on the lake with mom's friends from work as well. It's fun taking the babies, but it's awfully relaxing to escape for an afternoon every now and then!
The girls both LOVE to listen to music, and it's SO cute to watch them dance. This isn't the best video (and excuse the MESS!) but it was all I had. They seem to prefer country or bluegrass, much to Papaw's pleasure, but they also break out into a good jig to the music that their toys make.
Eating has turned into a sort of battle of wills at the moment, and everything I've read tells me I just need to keep the experience "pleasant" and have plenty of PATIENCE...for those of you who know me well, you know that's NOT my strong-suit, so I've just accepted this as my next challenge. It complicates matters more since I decided from the start that I was going to provide the girls with fresh, homemade baby food. I had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into! It's been a LOT of fun, and I have no regrets, but it's required hours and hours...and hours...of scrapping, chopping, and steaming carrots, steaming peas, stringing, breaking, and cooking green beans, baking sweet potatoes and butternut squash, peeling, chopping and stewing pears, apples, and peaches (when I can get them), and even cooking up some delicious (??) chicken, then grinding and freezing all of it. I've truly enjoyed doing it, and feel happy that I've been able to provide the girls with such good, wholesome food...however, I think my expectations were a little less than realistic on when this would end!! I figured by the time teeth started coming in, they'd be eating a variety of finger foods and more solid consistency items...Makayla has proven me WRONG!!! Ironically enough, the girl LOVES Cheerios, Puffs, and Bananas...but try to even slip her ANYTHING else and out it comes...IF you get it in her closed lips to start with!! I've tried to give her more solid chunks of the same...carrots, pears, peas, etc...no dice...I've tried to give her new and exciting variety...turkey, cheese, bread, grapes...some days she eats it (but VERY rarely), some days she takes it into her mouth, holds it there for about 30 minutes, then it mysteriously "reappears" on the floor, and then other days she won't have any part. Macy is much less picky, and has taken on various "true solids" into her daily diet...but you never know when she'll "strike" against a particular item and that will be the end of that...at least for a while. It is SO frustrating. I know I should just be happy that they both love the purees and eat those so well...and I am...it's just that both of them are entirely capable of eating the soft, chewy options that I offer...but I also know they'll eat it when THEY'RE ready...NOT when I'm ready. I do say a regular prayer of thanks for my industrial size food processor provided by Uncle Jason (THANK YOU, JASON!), and am very happy that I didn't turn it away because of the size (Do I REALLY need something that purees 14 cups??) I've filled that puppy up MANY times, and I never dreamed I'd be making such mass quantities of MUSH!!! I know it's something I'll proudly look back on...one day. That's why I decided to take all of the boring pictures of VEGETABLES and FRUIT. Until then, say a quick prayer that Makayla's "gag reflex" will give me a break and we can move on to chopped, not mashed!! :)
