Bye Bye Bottles!

Yesterday the babies slept until 9:30. I decided it would be a perfect day to "forget" to give them their morning bottle. They weaned themselves down to just their morning baba months ago and I swore that the day they turned 1 bottles would be history. The day after their birthday I wasn't going to give them their bottle when they woke up. They quickly let me know that was not acceptable. They screamed, and screamed, and screamed until I caved. (Hey, I'm outnumbered! You would cave too!) So, they have continued receiving their morning bottles since their birthday :)

So as of yesterday, no tears, no fits, no whining. Kenzie and Lexie gave up their bottle without a fuss. Yahoo! So we are officially bottle free in this house. Now, if I could just get them to like milk. So far, they will play with their sippy cups full of milk and occasionally get a mouthful and spit it out. Madison didn't like milk until she was about 2 and boycotted in again between the ages of 3 1/2 to 5. She just isn't a huge milk drinker. And, guess what? I hate milk. Despise milk. It's nasty. So I can't say I am really surprised that my girls are not the biggest fans either. I will continue to offer it to them once or twice a day, but I won't force the issue. We will just make sure they eat lots of yogurt, cheese, etc., to make sure they get the calcium they need. The doctor was not concerned about the issue, so I'm not either.

Next stop, binkie breaking. No fun there.

One Year Old!

The youngest Phillips' women have made it through their first year! Yikes! Where did that time go? Seriously. I am amazed by them everyday and I love watching them hit all of their new milestones. All in all, life is busy but great!

Kenzie is growing like a weed. Already in 18 month clothing. Size 4-5 shoe. Size 3 diapers. She definitely has a mind of her own and likes to test every boundary we have on her. She is talking more and more. Mama, dada, baba, oggie (doggie), yeah, hi, uh-oh, nana, num num. She knows where her mouth is, claps and waves, plays peek-a-boo, loves to walk. Oh yeah, I said it. She is walking. All over. It came suddenly for her. She was cruising for weeks and then just took off one day. She loves the independence. Kenzie is all about testing me. She loves to throw fits. Major tantrums. And the word "no" doesn't phase her. She just looks at you and smiles. Little stinker.

Lexie is still more petite than Kenzie. She is also in 18 month clothing, size 4 shoe and size 3 diapers. She has a very sensitive spirit and cries if/when Kenzie takes something from her, or if she falls down. She is a big time kisser. Loves to make funny faces. If you tell her "no" she breaks down in tears. She is practically running now. If you chase her, she takes off as fast as she can. Lexie has also mastered standing up from the sitting position. :) Such a big girl!

These little girls bring so much joy to me. They are adorable and so precious. Although my days are stressful and I am exhausted each night, I wouldn't change a thing!

Their birthday party was a blast. Lexie went crazy in her cake. I have never seen anything like it. Kenzie wasn't too sure at first, but she started to enjoy it toward the end. My mom bought them a wagon complete with seatbelts. They love it! We have taken a few walks around the neighborhood since the weather has been so nice. Can't wait to use it more! Madison also loves to pull them around inside the house. Daddy and I bought them their first car. It's a little white convertible. They are a little small to drive it alone, but Madi has taken on the role of the driver so happily. Imagine that! We also just ordered a small trampoline for the backyard. It just arrived today so we will be getting that set up shortly. So excited for all the outdoor activities we will be doing!

Bedtime is between 7-7:30. They wake up around 7:30-8. Still taking (2) 2+ hour naps a day. They are full of energy and spunk and have a blast playing outside and inside with big sis!

11 Months!

Kenzie Grace

The "serious" baby

Lexie Noelle

We are one month away from celebrating the big "one"! So excited and sad all at once. So many emotions have been flowing through me these past few weeks. Part of me is so excited for the stages we are entering, the other part of me wants to curl up in a ball and cry my eyes out. My babies are 11 months old! Here we go...

Kenzie continues to be the bully in the house, but she is so darn cute. She is the rebel. The fighter. The opinionated of the 3. If she doesn't like something, she will let you know. She doesn't like to be away from mama at all. In fact, we tried going to church the other evening and it blew up in my face. I was in worship service for a whole 10 minutes when the nursery paged me because she was having a complete meltdown. Lexie was totally content playing by herself and didn't even care that Kenzie was crying or that I was in the room :) She is continuing to cruise all over the house and has attempted to take some steps by herself. She is now saying hi, which is the cutest thing ever. Her vocabulary: mama, dada, nana (banana), hi, num num (when she wants to eat) and baba (bottle). Still working on trying to get them to say sissy :) Quickest to smile, first to throw a fit. Loves all foods, loves her sippy cup (finally!) loves her binkie (only at nap/bedtime). Loves music and dancing.

Lexie is definitely the princess. If she gets knocked down or something is taken away from her, she cries. Not the same kind of cry as Kenzie, she has real tears. She is walking a lot now. Such a little squirt but it's so cute! She enjoys playing with Madison but is also quite content to play by herself. Her vocabulary: mama, dada, nana, num num and baba. Loves her big sissy. Loves all foods. Loves her binkie. Loves jumping. Lexie is hilarious around familiar people. Smiles, goofy faces, etc. When someone new comes over, or someone she hasn't seen in a few days, she gets totally serious and just stares at them. Hardcore starer. The doctor asked me last time we were there if she smiles a lot. Uh, yeah.

Both girls have weened themselves to one bottle a day, when they wake up at 8:00. Easy peasy. Three meals a day, sometimes a snack. Bedtime is between 7-8. Still taking (2) 2+ hour naps a day.

We are looking to purchase big girl carseats soon! And a new stroller. All of the baby stuff is long gone and our house is full of big girl toys. Sigh.

Random things the girls are doing:

Playing peek-a-boo together. One will hide on the side of the couch and poke around the corner to make the other laugh. So cute.

When I go into their room after naptime, they hand me their binkies in order to get out of their cribs. They are so smart!

Kenzie dances whenever I sing "go baby, go baby go!" to her. The faster I sing, the faster she goes.

Lexie shakes her head no when I sing, "no, no, no, no baby. no, no, no, no baby, don't cry"

Lexie prefers bananas to pancakes and Kenzie prefers pancakes to bananas. On more than one occasion, I have caught them trading. :)

They are happier when Madison is home. If she is visiting grandma or granny, they are grouchy. period.

No one can make them giggle the way their big sister can.

10 Months!

The girls turned 10 months on the 22nd. Amazing. Everyone is still doing awesome. Here is the scoop.

Kenzie is cruising everywhere! I really don't think it will be long before they are walking. She has the best smile that just warms my heart everytime. Her favorite word is dada. She also says mama, but only when she is upset. She is definitely the bully in the house. Constantly taking things away from Lexie and pushing her over. She absolutely loves music and dances everytime she hears it. She is still a mama's girl and usually starts wailing when I am out of her sight.

Lexie is taking her role as "baby of the family" very seriously. She cries when she falls, cries when Kenzie takes her toys, cries when she wants to be held, etc. She is making the funniest faces lately and always makes me laugh. She is standing independently all the time and has tried to take a couple of steps, until she realizes she isn't holding on to anything and then she falls down. She also cruises all over the house and will walk while holding someone's hands. Her favorite word is also dada, and she can say mama as well.

Kenzie loves all food and Lexie is trying to be picky. Baby food is a thing of the past in this house. Give these kids some real food! They are both great eaters and are doing well despite the lack of teeth. Things they love: Cheerios, pasta, potatoes, steak, ham, cucumber, grapes, cheese, banana, pears, pancakes, french toast, dried apples, yams, carrots, broccoli, peas. Things they tolerate: waffles, chicken, peanut butter & jelly, grilled cheese. If Lexie doesn't like what's on the menu, she grabs it by the handful and throws it on the floor. Oops. Neither one are too interested in sippy cups at this point, but they don't want bottles either! We are down to 2 bottles a day!

Bedtime is around 7 pm, wake up at 8 am. (2) 2 hour naps a day. Lovely schedule. They refuse to sleep anywhere other than their cribs which make errands somewhat difficult. They will not sleep in their carseats. But, I can usually keep them awake for about 4 hours at a time now if I need to be out and about.

Both are obsessed with Madison. I mean, really obsessed. They want to be wherever she is and fight over her attention. Madison just eats this up. She is great with them, always playing with them and sharing her toys.

Loving the giggles and kisses. Loving the milestones, can't wait for more!

Kenzie's first tooth made it's appearance on December 23, 2011 (10 months 1 day old)

Lexie's first tooth showed up on January 3, 2012 (10 months 12 days old)

(Madison got her first tooth when she was 10 months & 8 days so these 2 are following her footsteps!)

My Little Girl Turns 5!

My little girl is 5! I really cannot believe it! She is an absolute joy and such a blessing to our family. Madison is such a sweet child. And smart. And funny. And such a love. I thought this would be a difficult year for her. Going from an only child for 4+ years to the big sister of not one, but two littles ones... Yikes! But Madison has handled it with maturity and grace that are well beyond her years. This little girl is so amazing. She loves everyone she meets and loves to take care of others. I am so excited to see what the world has in store for her. I know that she will do great things in life and I am so proud of the little lady she is becoming.

Madison came into the world on December 20, 2006 at 12:10 am. She made quite the grand entrance. I was at work on December 19th and felt kinda weird all day. Not really in pain, just not quite right. I didn't eat lunch that day, I felt nauseous. I went home around 5:00 pm and decided to take a shower to relax my back which was aching like crazy! At this point, I knew I was having contractions and so I called the on call doctor because, wouldn't you know, my doctor was on vacation! He told me that since this was my first pregnancy, I would most likely be in labor until sometime late tomorrow morning (December 20th). By 7:00 I was in quite a bit of pain, so David decided we were not going to wait much longer. We lived in Yreka, CA at the time and I was going to deliver in Ashland, OR (about a 45 minute drive). I convinced him to wait a bit longer, but at 9:00 I finally agreed to head out to the hospital. We arrived around 10:00 pm. We finally got checked into labor and delivery and the nurse confirmed that I was in active labor and dilated to a 4. She also informed me that it would be a while before our little one made her entrance. By 11:30 I was in so much pain, I didn't think I could go on much longer. I kept telling the nurse that the contractions were getting worse and I thought the baby was coming. She refused to check! Finally, I felt the need to push, and I did! The nurse looked and saw that Madison was on her way out! One more push and I delivered a healthy 6 lb 8 oz baby girl on the bed at 12:10, only 2 hours after checking in! No doctor, no nurse in the room! :) So, yeah, Madison has made her mark on this world. Look out.

Thank you for being my first born Madison. I love you so much. Happy 5th Birthday Madi Bug.

Lyrics

Music lyrics I heard on the radio today that really hit me...

Your picking up toys on the living room floor for the 15th time today
Matching up socks
Sweeping up lost cheerios that got away

You put a baby on your hip
Color on your lips and head out the door

While I may not know you,
I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes, does it matter at all?

Well let me remind you, it all matters just as long
As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,
Cause he made you,
To do
Every little thing that you do
To bring a smile to His face
Tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/steven_curtis_chapman/#share

Sometimes I just need to be reminded that my job as a stay at home mom is a very important one. And it is one that I need to be thankful for. Give all the glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 Months Old!

The babies have made it to 9 months! Yahoo! They are continuing to amaze me everyday and I love them so much! Here's what is happening around here...

Kenzie is on the move! Standing up, cruising, crawling all over. She is everywhere! She was so proud the day she pulled herself up to a stand. She is still a bit wobbly when standing, but, that won't last much longer! Her favorite word is still dada. She says is all the time. So cute and annoying all at the same time ;) She loves music and dancing. She loves to play with Madison. She is a bully. She is jealous if Lexie is in my lap. Today, Lexie crawled over to me while I was sitting in the floor and climbed in my lap. Kenzie was perfectly content playing with a toy nearby until she saw that Lexie was in my lap. She crawled over screaming and then pushed Lexie over. Such a little stinker! She is definitely the mama's girl of the two. She has also learned to clap which is so adorable! She has the cutest smile ever and is quicker to smile at strangers than Lexie. Latest stats from the Doctor: Weight, 18 lbs 9 ozs! She is in the 60% for her weight. And, 29" in length, which is the 80%! I've got me some tall girls!

Lexie is more mobile than Kenzie at this point. She pulled herself up and started cruising before Kenzie. She is very steady on her feet and stood up without holding on to anything yesterday. She also lets go of the couch and reaches for toys. She has taken a couple of steps without holding on but quickly realizes that she isn't holding on and grabs for the nearest security object. I know she will be walking in no time! She continues to be my little ""starer". She loves to look at people and it usually takes her a little while to start talking and smiling at new people. This is funny to me because she is my little squeaker. She has a fake laugh she uses to imitate me that is hilarious! She is always talking! Her latest weight check put her at 17 lbs 8 ozs! (40% for weight) and 28.3" for her length (60%). Oh yeah, did I mention they both weigh more than Madison did at 10 months?!

Both babies love to eat solids more than their bottles. We have started doing more table foods and they are loving it. These girls can eat! They have 3 meals a day, and most days, 3 bottles. Some days only 2 bottles. They are still sleeping at least 12 hours a night and still taking 2 naps a day, usually for 2 hours each nap.

All in all, we are doing great! Loving all our girls! Bring on the holidays!