St. Patty's Day...The Real Deal

Just a couple of quick shots of the girls on their first St Patrick's Day...the girls were happy as they "got ready for school" where they were able to show off their adorable little St Patty tees from Aunt Miss one more time!

No leprechaun visits yet, but they enjoyed coming home from school to visit with Marley instead!

Happy St Patty's To All!

Happy St Patty's Day!

I’m a little late posting the official 7 month update, but we’ve been a busy little family, so I have a lot to talk about! The girls have had chances to spend a lot of good, quality time with their extended family over the last several weeks, and they’ve had a great time and been spoiled rotten!  :)

First, they spent an entire weekend with Grandma and Papaw Childers while Daddy went out of town for work and Mommy took a Yoga instructor class! The class was a unique experience for me, and I'm glad I did it, but boy does yoga give you plenty of time to miss your babies! Luckily, I was able to see the girls in the morning and evening, so it really wasn’t so bad, and their grandma took good care of them!

The following week, they started daycare at Goddard school, and they seem to fit right in and love it there! The current schedule is for the girls to go to “school” Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and mom works those days and hangs out with the girls the rest of the week. Mrs Geneva and Mrs Sharon give Macy and Makayla top notch care and attention, and the girls are always happy to arrive back in their classroom each morning! They seem to be more and more aware and observant of the kids around them as well, so I’m sure they’ll have a room full of best friends before we know it!

Last weekend, we made a trip to Gainesville to meet up with Daddy and see Mimi, Grandpa, Aunt Sabrina, Uncle Clayton, Haley, Aunt Melissa, Uncle Whit, Aunt Sheryl, and Uncle Ryan…and, fortunately, even ended up squeezing in a visit with Uncle Nathan, Aunt Lauren, and Emmy Cate when they came up on Saturday for a cookout!! It was so much fun seeing every one, and the girls had a great time playing with their cousins, watching tv, and reading a few books!  Mom was especially proud to survive her first solo road trip with the babies! Fortunately, the girls aren’t too bad of travelers, and we made it there and back with hardly any drama! My nerves were a little tense, but I found that it wasn’t really necessary, so hopefully I’ll be able to relax a little more next time around!

Again, Papaw and Grandma Childers and Mamaw Eunice met us back at home for a quick lunch and a short visit with the girls on Sunday. My apologies to my parents, since I don’t seem to do a good job of taking pics of the girls hanging out with them at our house!

Monday the weather was beautiful, so Macy, Makayla, and I made a trip to Birkdale for lunch and a little walk on the new Cornelius Greenway…it was so great to get outside, and Dad met us back at home for dinner that night.

After a full week of the new work and daycare routine, Friday morning we packed up the car again and headed to Savannah for a little bit of St Patty’s Day celebration with Uncle Whit, Aunt Melissa, Uncle Clayton, Aunt Sabrina, and Haley! We started the weekend with a quick trip downtown and to the river for lunch on the way in before meeting Aunt Melissa and Uncle Whit for dinner.  On Saturday, we ate out a lot, went to the “mini” St Patrick’s Day parade on Tybee Island (I say “mini” since apparently that parade doesn’t compare to the “real deal” downtown on the 17th), and just hung out and played with everyone.

Aunt Melissa made adorable St Patty’s shirts for all of the girls, and they were able to show up in style for all of the festivities. After the parade, the weather turned pretty windy and chilly, but we still made a quick trip down to the beach to snap a few pics of the girls first trip to the ocean…we look forward to future visits with better weather so that we can show them the real experience! Aunt Melissa got the girls into a little bit of finger painting (brave soul, since Mom’s afraid to go there just yet) and they had a great time playing with their toys and singing with Haley and watching crazy Jake!

As I’m writing this, we’re on our way home…ALMOST there, and the girls have had way too much time in the car, and we’re all ready to settle back in at home!

It’s been a crazy few weeks, and it’s marked a great end to our first 7 months! The girls have grown by leaps and bounds, are so happy and energetic, and seem to get smarter and more personable every single day! It’s so fun to watch them explore and discover the world around them, and we can’t wait for the warm weather and many adventures that spring and summer will bring!

Good Bye, Mrs Bonnie!

The girls had their last day with Mrs Bonnie today, and were sad to say goodbye to her, her family, and their new friends! 

Fortunately they'll still get to see Taylor, and hopefully we'll make it by to visit Mrs Bonnie on occassion!  We truly believe that God put Mrs Bonnie in the right place at the right time for us, and she offered both the girls and I the perfect transition from spending every day at home together to spending days apart, allowing us to all feel confident that the girls would be safe, secure, and loved!

Thank you, Mrs Bonnie!!!

Official Half Year Update

Macy and Makayla have spent 6 days with Mrs. Bonnie and her daughters over the last 2 weeks and seem to have fallen in love!  :)  The first couple of days were hard for mommy, but Bonnie has been awesome to send pictures and texts throughout the day to give me an update and help me to be more comfortable.  The girls get LOTs of attention and have enjoyed time with the other 2 babies and Bonnie's puppies!   Unfortunately, Bonnie's gotten a good chance to see how reluctant our busy babies can be to nap as well, and I think it's compounded there, since they get so much attention and have so much fun!!  Next week is their last week there, and I'm sure things will go perfectly just in time for us to uproot them again to start daycare at Goddard School the following week!  I'm NOT looking forward to the transition, but we've decided it's still best, if, for no other reason than just to save us the time of driving all the way to Mooresville, since it can take up to an hour to go there and back from home!  I have vowed to take a few pictures of the girls with their new friends this week, since I haven't been able to remember my camera before now!

Besides that major transition, the girls are fantastic.  Macy is still very fixated on watching her hands, and, as usual, makes this funny grunting sound whenever she's concentrating on anything, especially her hands!  She still loves her Door Bouncer and Exersaucer, but we also still have to turn her around if she spends too long looking at the Alligator toy that is part of the saucer.  She can't quit figure out how to "work it", so she concentrates for a while, then ends up getting REALLY mad.  It's really funny, but we're sure she'll eventually make peace with it, so we usually let her fumble for a while before we spin her around!  :)  Macy has also figured out how to stick out her tongue, and thinks it's a hoot to do that and smile.  We know it's a habit we'll have to break eventually, but right now it's too darn cute to stop!  Macy LOVES Marley, and we've been surprised at how tolerant Marley has been!  Macy's still just got one tooth (she doesn't really teethe on corn cobs, but we had to take a picture just for old-time's sake!), but I'm pretty sure I can see the gum getting whiter right beside of it, so we expect a new tooth any day.

Makayla still likes to squeal, and sometimes does it with pure delight, and other times out of complete frustration. It's amazing how fast she can switch gears, so it can be tricky!  She is also very fixated on pulling her paci out of her mouth and chewing on the back or sides.  When she's really tired, this can be kind of frustrating, since she'll pull it out just to get mad that it's not back in there...and doesn't seem to get it that all she has to do is spin it around!  She sits up like a champ, and seems so proud of herself because of it!  While we know it will likely be a little while before she crawls (and hope so!) it seems like she'll be mobile any day!  She gets on her tummy and can wiggle much further than you'd ever expect...and is ALWAYS fixated on whatever the next object is that's just outside of her reach!  While it seems like she has ALL of the symptoms, we're still waiting on Makayla's first pearly white to make an appearance.

We've started letting the girls sip water from our cups, as well as to do some experimenting with a sippy cup, and they LOVE this new feat.  I'm not sure if it's just something new and exciting, or if it's the cold water that they're enjoying, but they can't seem to get enough...even when they wet the entire front of their shirts!

We finally went to an opthalmologist last week to make sure there was nothing seriously wrong or that we could do to fix their poor little eyes, and, as expected, the doctor thinks it's blocked tear ducts that will most likely take care of themselves within the next 3 months.  I know the girls are so sick of us cleaning their eyes, and they get so red and sore, so we're really hoping that the issue goes away quickly!

Friday we went for their 6 month checkup and the girls checked out great!  The girls seem to be exactly where they should be on all of their developmental milestones, and we found that we have some big girls!
Here are the stats:
Macy - Weight - 16.7 lbs - 80th percentile
             Height - 27 inches - 90th percentile
             Head - 43 cm - 65th percentile
Makayla - Weight - 16.4 lbs - 60th percentile
                 Height - 27.5 inches - 95th percentile
                 Head - 44 cm - 75th percentile

Unfortunately, between this round of shots (including H1N1) and teething, something has really taken a toll on the poor babies and they had a couple of rough days between Friday evening and Saturday.  They've never had any problems with shots before, so we were surprised when they seemed so fussy and lathargic, and, unfortunately, it seemed to last just long enough for Grandpa and Mimi's visit.  Saturday night they started getting back to normal, and they were completely back to their happy little selves when they woke up this morning!

We had an awesome little Sunday, having the unusual luxury of having Daddy home!  We went to church, then headed to Davidson to have lunch on Main Street at our favorite little spot, the Soda Shop.  After a quick escape attempt by Macy, we took a nice long walk on the greenway.  The weather was beautiful, so it was nice getting the whole family out for some fresh air! (even Marley!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day came a day early in the Ernst house this year, since Daddy had to fly until late on Valentine's Day!  Macy and Makayla enjoyed the celebration (and even got to do it in their "snowman" jammies!!), and loved "reading" (i.e. chewing on) their cards, feeding their piggies, and "cuddling with" (i.e. chewing on) thier stuffed animals!!  Thanks to Grandma and Papaw, Mimi and Grandpa, and Great Grandma and Grandpa Wibbenmeyer for our gifts and to our Uncles and Aunts for the cards!

(Notice that Makayla's SITTING UP on her own!  Small intervals for now, but she gets stronger every day!)

The red and black thing is their new puppy!  It's almost as obnoxious as our real puppy, Marley!  :-) This puppy sings really loud and dances around.  I showed this to them in Walmart and realized it was a must-have!  They are more perplexed than amused by it now that it's home!

I didn't get a picture, but today Macy also loved touching the roses Daddy got for Mommy and staring in fascination at the floating balloon that was attached! Daddy's going to have to buy 3 sets of roses and balloons next year!

Happy 6 Month Birthday Macy and Makayla!

Just a quick shot before going to bed on our 6 month Birthday!!  Mommy was slack and didn't take pics today while we were happier, but we're still CUTE, if we do say so ourselves!  :)

It's UNBELIEVABLE that 6 months have already passed! We're having SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Our First Pearly White...

SNOW...The girls got to see their first snow last weekend, which caught us all by surprise since, even though it was predicted, we don't usually get anything like what we had!  After a few days of hanging out in the house or at the neighbors, we were a bit stir crazy and all happy to see the snow melt! 

TOOTH...Macy started getting her first tooth last Sunday!  While we know there are LOTS of teeth in our future, and Macy's been a little more cranky than normal, it really hasn't been as bad as it could be, so I'm hoping that's a pattern for things to come as well. Given the excitement that the girls have over most every solid that we've fed them, I can't wait to watch them try all of the things that will be available once their little chompers are in!

AND BLACK BIRTHDAY CAKE...(only to look at, for now!)  The girls and I took a trip to Greensboro this weekend to celebrate our cousin Grant's 1st Birthday!  The "cow cake" was a hit with Grant, and Makayla tried her best to get her fingers into it as well, but mommy held her back just far enough!   While at the party, we got to see lots of aunts and cousins, including little Kensleigh, who's just a couple of months younger than the twins!

The girls seem to learn more and more every day.  Some of their new interests and abilities are:

• Both girls can roll to their fronts and their backs, and can get across the room before you know it! 
• They know their names and will look when called. 

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  They're getting very close to sitting up. They are spending more and more time in their boppy pillows and bumbo seats!
 
• They smile a LOT;  Makayla probably smiles more than Macy these days, although the pictures might make it seem otherwise...Makayla's just more intrigued by the camera, and changes from a smile to a stare more quickly than her sister. 
• They like to eat ALONE...their bottle slings and bouncy seats are all that are required!  Of course, we have to be on hand to help, but they're even getting pretty good at getting the bottle back to their mouths once it falls out! 

• They've taken a greater interest in Marley, and would love to hang onto her eyes, nose, and ears if she'd let them!  Macy is especially enchanted with her!
• They love being naked (or diapers only) and get a big kick out of taking baths.
• They LOVE solid foods! Some things upset their stomachs at this point, but we're just continuing to try new things, and will cycle back to the "riskier" things after a little bit of time has passed. Sweet Potatoes still seem to be a favorite, but other than that, we've tried Oatmeal, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Apples, Pears, Peaches, and Bananas. The next items ready in the freezer are peas, spinach, and green beans. We'll see how these less sweet vegetables go over after enjoying all of the sweet stuff first (going by doctor's orders!) They also enjoy chewing on cold celery and carrots!

On top of all of that...

We went to church again to stay with Ms Libby, who we're quickly learning to LOVE, and later that day attended our first Superbowl Party at the neighborhood clubhouse!  Mommy and Daddy forgot to take pictures, but we all had a great time! 

Last Monday, mom headed out for her first day back to work, and boy was that a weird feeling!  Dad was able to stay home with the girls, and I don't think I've ever been so happy to walk back in after a day at the office!  Luckily, there was NO traffic, due to the weather, so it didn't really turn out to be as long of a day as it could have been.  After Monday, I spent the rest of the week hanging out with the girls and trying to work at home as much as possible.  I think I ended up squeezing in a decent amount of work for the week, but boy was it a TOUGH week!  Normally the girls nap peacefully at least some during each day...but this week was a challenge!  We've decided it's finally time for Makayla to adjust to life outside the swaddle blanket (for numerous reasons), and she's done pretty good at night, but boy is she having a hard time settling down for a nap...and, not only is Macy getting to hear plenty of whines from the next crib over, but between that and her new tooth, she's been pretty uncomfortable herself!  While we had some fun times, we definitely didn't have a week full of our usual smiles and giggles!

Starting tomorrow, the girls will join their friend Taylor at a new sitter's home 3 days a week while I get on a more consistent part time schedule.  We met "Mrs Bonnie" for the first time Friday, and while I know she'll take good care of the girls, and it's only a few days a week for now, I'm still pretty nervous at the concept of not being with them all day every day, so it may be another rough week...and Daddy's out of town, so that makes it extra challenging!  Next month the girls will start at thier new daycare, and I think I've planned that long enough that I'm almost excited, so this month is definitely a month of transition for all of us!  I'm very blessed to have been able to stay home as long as I have, and I feel like working will allow me to get some time away to do something of my own, then I'll be able to truly enjoy every second that I do spend with my family.  Deciding to go back to work has been a very difficult decision to make, and I am very grateful to God and my husband for being able to make this choice, rather than being forced into something I'm not ready to do...and to my managers for taking me back after my long "hiatus"!  God seems to be opening the right doors in all directions, for both me and the girls, and I have come to feel very confident that the girls will be able to learn a lot of emotional, physical, and mental skills that I wouldn't be able to figure out how to teach them on my own! That being said, I think the anxiety is probably the worst part, and I'm boiling in that right now!  I'm sure it will be great, but all prayers are appreciated as we make this HUGE adjustment!