A New Reality

Hello everyone! I suppose it's time to sit down and reflect on the last two weeks, isn't it? I've probably been avoiding it a bit, since they've been bitter-sweet, really. I'll start off by saying that everyone is absolutely fine with everything, really. And maybe that's what makes it a bit bitter? Maybe I expected more upset, more upheaval. But we're just successfully enjoying a different kind of reality these days.
Alexis and Mathilde are fitting into their day-care situation with absolute ease. They are off and exploring from the second they're in the door. Upon pick-up, we always find them engaged in some sort of play and in very good spirits. But it's sometimes a bit emotional when they see us and realize that they've missed us. We can get a few tears, but nothing over the top. Ivan and I drop them off and pick them up together and Mathilde always heads directly for her Papa. So sweet.
This past week was even better than the first. Once the girls got used to their routine and became able to predict what came next, they really started enjoying themselves. It's fun to see Mathilde watch the bigger kids thundering around and try to join in! Alexis is very content to play with stuffed animals and do her finger painting. She always goes down happily for her naps and is the first to line up to be placed in her high chair for lunch or snacks. Mathilde is the Ham that she is at home and loves to make little faces. She scrunches up her nose and squints her eyes and smiles at you from her knees. She is quite content still to view the world from knee level. She can pull herself up and even stand on her own, but she prefers not to! Alexis on the other hand, can often be found standing up with a toy in her hand with no indication of how she got there in the first place. Perhaps she used Mathilde to get up, then Tilly crawled away leaving her sister standing there? You have to watch to find out!
But it's sad to know that the bulk of their day is spent with someone else. I could explore that more in depth, but just know that I'll always harbour the guilt associated with that fact. Enough said.
Mathilde celebrated the arrival of her 5th tooth today. On top of her crusty, stuffy nose, she's been teething as well! We kept her home on Thursday and with tons of cuddles, love and sleep, she was back in action the following day. I'm pretty sure that Lexi's already gone through her version of this cold, but Ivan just got it yesterday and mine has shown itself in a completely different way. It's hard to say. I really hope she doesn't come down with the same symptoms as Mathilde. We have to get them vaccinated again this week and it's better if they're not sick. Especially since they had a reaction to the last dose (high fever). I know I shouldn't say this, but they're so sweet when they're sick! I wouldn't want them to be sick very often, but when they are, the cuddles are the best in the world.
So that's all the news from this Lightwood house. We're looking forward to our trip to Thunder Bay in December. It seems like it's just around the corner! We won't be decorating for Christmas until the 13th so as not to interfere with Lexi and Tilly's birthday celebration. And no tree again this year. Next year though, look out! Don't tell Ivan, but I've been playing Christmas Carols for the past week.

Up Up Up and Away!

Just a quick note before I return to work tomorrow. I won't go on and on about how sad I am because it won't help me or the girls. Let's just say I'm sad and leave it at that, shall we?
What I do want to talk about is the fabulous milestone that both girls reached today. Alexis actually stood up yesterday on her own by scaling the patio window, but today we found her in all sorts of different places standing up. She stood up in the play yard and unfortunately for her, she found out how to stand up in her crib. Unfortunately because she doesn't yet know how to sit back down and she was stranded in her new-found favourite position! I was so happy to see her do this before I went back to work because I really wanted to be present for it. I was a little sad that I would miss Mathilde's big standing debut, but then Ivan and I found her standing in the play yard too! Talk about monkey see, monkey do! Hopefully they will wait until Christmas to do their walking, preferably after the flight home from Thunder Bay.
Also, Miss Alexis has another pearly white tooth, bringing her to 5. I'll bet that she'll have the next one through by the time I get to writing another entry.
So, I said it would be quick. I've a few more things to put together before I head off to bed. I'll have lots to talk about next time, I'm sure. Have a great week everybody.

The Great Pandemic

I had planned to write about this flu pandemic (Swine, H1N1, call it what you like). I wanted to have on record for the girls an account of what was going on around them at such an important time in their lives. They are starting day-care in a week during the weirdest time I've ever experienced in my 35 years. And it is weird. It's been stunning to listen to the news everyday, listen to them bungle around reporting about a fear so extensive; a fear that is largely perpetuated by the media itself. And as a new parent, I'm (we're) caught right in the middle of it. There is nothing as powerful as Mama Guilt, nothing can send a mother's brain into a maelstrom of what-ifs faster than a gamble with their kids' health. If I don't get the vaccine, I could harm my children. If I do get this potentially insufficiently untested vaccine, I could harm them. If I have to wait in line to get this vaccine, I could expose them to the virus. If I don't wait in the line, I could leave them unprotected. I'm sick of feeling sick about it. One day, I'm told they need two doses. The next day I'm told they only need one. If I don't keep my ear to the radio/Health Canada/WHO sites I might miss some vitally important information. While I am keeping my ears and eyes open, I'm subjected to images of huge line ups and panicked Canadians. As I write this I can barely make out the news on CBC Radio in the other room. I just picked out the words fear, terror and vaccination. Damn the media. Anyway, we will try to get the girls vaccinated as the clinics prepare for the Gullies group tomorrow afternoon. Ivan and I got in at work.
Anyway, enough about that. The girls are wonderful, as usual! So bright and happy and active. They are learning about their world now at a lightening pace. Each day they show us something new that they have absorbed. Mathilde is clapping, both girls adore giving a high-five. They understand many of our directions. If I say, Mathilde, where is your sister? She will look for her. They love walking around assisted by us and of course, standing. They still haven't figured out how to get up into that standing position, but I don't think that's any cause for concern.
They love to play peek-a-boo with each other. It is so fun for them when their sister appears around the corner, or peeks at them from around a chair leg. They look for objects when they roll away, or under a chair. Both girls adore playing in the baking cupboard that I've set aside for them. They love to bounce the metal bowls off the ceramic tiles. It makes such a tremendous sound!
We got a digital scale so we could weigh them at home. Alexis is 18.4lbs and Mathilde is 19lbs. We picked up their new Big Kid car seats yesterday. It's really and truly amazing to me how fast the time has gone this year. I was told that it would be so, and I vowed to pay attention and not let the time get away from me. But I guess I did anyway. I do grieve the loss of their littleness, but I excitedly embrace the adventures that await us.
Well, that's it for now. I've got a thousand things to do to get myself ready for work, and to get the girls ready for the sitter. We would all like to wish my Mom, JoAnn a very happy birthday tomorrow. Sorry we can't be there to celebrate with you. Have a wonderful day all the same.

The Babies Have Control of The House

Whew! I'm tired. It's been a long five days since Ivan left us for his European destination. And to think we toyed with the idea of all of us going with him. Ha! It's hard enough being home in my own environment, let alone traipsing around Belgium on my own with two 10 month olds. But, really, if I had to do it, I'd rather do it with our 10 month olds. They're so good. And I'm not just saying that because I'm their Mama. They are really that good.
So much has happened since I last posted. David and Jeanette arrived to keep us company on the same day that Ivan left. They stayed until Tuesday and spent some wonderful quality time with Mathilde and Alexis (and me too, of course!) D & J took the girls and I out to supper on Sunday night to the restaurant down the road. Ivan and I have been meaning to get out to this place since we arrived, but never quite made it. It was pretty good. The food was really nice, but maybe the service was a bit slow and confused. Slow service is tricky when dining with infants since by the time the meal arrives, they are pretty much at their melting point. But, really over all, I have to say that they did just fine. They dined on salmon and spaghetti bol and flirted mercilessly with a young gentleman seated at the next table. Alexis enjoyed watching the TV overhead as well. They used to get 10 minutes of Canada AM every morning while I nursed them, but I can't keep them on the bed with me anymore since they can crawl away and have no fear of ledges!
So, yes, you ready correctly. They can crawl. Both of them. Forwards, backwards, sideways. It's all the same to them. They are mobile and exploratory. What's even more fun is that Alexis can stand on her own, not holding on to anything for 20 seconds or more. She gets up on her knees as well and sort of looks like a meer cat when danger is afoot. She's not smelling the air or anything like that, but she crawls along, stands up on her knees, arms at her side, looks around and then continues crawling. I should probably capture that on video since it's probably just temporary until she discovers how to pull herself up onto her feet. Neither of them can do that yet. I'm not sure why.
We've been having fun though. Now that they are mobile they seem to enjoy crawling in and out of my lap. Alexis will crawl into my lap, snuggle in and suck her thumb for a minute or so and then once she's had her fill, she takes off in search of adventure. Then she'll return to fill up on Mama security for a bit and then she's off. Mathilde loves to crawl up for a rough sort of cuddle. She climbs up on me, grabs my shoulders and lays a big open mouth "kiss" on me and then crawls away. Yesterday my girlfriend, Krista, asked if I ever nursed them at the same time and I said no. I hadn't for about 7 months maybe. Well, now that they can get into my lap, they can also ask to nurse...at the same time. So we tried it. It was a little strange, I have to say, but wow, what a time saver!
Both of them wave bye bye. So now that the image is in your head of the action, it would be fair to note that they actually don't know the proper context of the wave. They wave at objects that please them, the ceiling, River, whatever. Waving is just fun. I tried to show River how to wave back, but it would seem that this will take more time than showing the girls when it's appropriate to wave. We're working on clapping next, and since I just figured out how to play Patty Cake, we're all set!
Well, this post is just as much for Ivan as anyone else. He called today and I was not in top form at all. I spent 8 hours of my precious day dialing and re-dialling the pediatric clinic on the only day they're accepting appointments for December trying to get the girls an appointment for their shots as well as their 1 year check up. I never did get through. Thank God my beautiful girls were still in excellent humour at the end of the day. They brought their Mama back from a very frustrated state. So Ivan didn't get any of the important Gully information when he called, just a blast of frustration over the technical difficulties I was having with the phone. I maintain our phone setup sucks, but it's not his fault that I couldn't get through to the clinic. I hope the video helps to ease the shock of dealing with this frustrated Mama. And I did squeeze your Lexi for you.
That's it from this Lightwood household for today. I'm still soliciting phone calls this week. Don't be afraid; I'm done dealing with Pediatric Clinics for this month!

To the Capital and Back

Can you believe that we are creeping up on 10 months of Gully bliss? It's unbelievable to me that I'm returning to work next month and that it's time to start getting them prepared for not having Mama around every moment. I will start weaning (not fully) this month, as well as trying to eliminate the morning nap in favour of a longer afternoon nap. We'd like to get them used to drinking from a sippy cup on their own and hopefully improve their pincer grasp so that they can do a little more self feeding.
But I don't think it's going to be as difficult as I thought it was going to be. We went to Ottawa last weekend to visit a girlfriend of mine and her husband. (Kyla and Nick) I thought the trip would only take 4 hours, but it ended up taking 6. The girls had absolutely no difficulties with this at all! In fact, they woke up just in time to hit traffic in Montreal and seemed to enjoy the sights from the back of the mini van that we rented. I was very worried about how they would adapt to sleeping in both a strange room and in a strange bed, but they slept through the night! I think we only had tears twice and both times it was little quick sniffles from Mathilde which were very quickly settled by a nearby grown up. We didn't even have high chairs for them. We just sat them on the dining room table and fed them until they tried to crawl away. The ride home was just as quiet, and everybody settled back into their schedule very nicely. It was inspirational! We're trying to figure out where we go next!
Since that last post, both girls can get into a sitting position from their bellies and both are pretty much crawling. They don't cruise along with ease yet, but they are figuring it out. I often find Mathilde sitting up in her crib when she is supposed to be napping. One time I went into see what she was crying about, and I found her sitting up with her legs through the bars, and holding on to them with her hands. It was like she was saying "Please help me! I'm tired and I want to go to sleep, but I don't know how to back up and lie down!" Poor thing. Alexis, on the other hand, has no difficulties with this sleep thing. She lets me know she's sleepy with a yawn, I put her down and she smiles, grabs her blanket, pops her thumb in her mouth and closes her eyes. That's it. You don't hear from her again, and in fact, I only go in to get her up because I hear Mathilde calling for me! I suppose she figures she doesn't need to fuss, Miss Mathilde does enough of that!
Well, that's not fair to Mathilde. I think that neither of them are particularly difficult. In fact, quite the opposite. I think that they are just going to settle into this day care thing with flying colours. I have a vision of them sitting down with little Magnolia (our care provider's 10 month old) and taking over the place. I hope that's true anyway. This is going to be very hard for me. Anyway, Ivan leaves on Saturday for two weeks, and this is going to be a long, hard haul for me with two infants on my own. If you have the time, please give me a call. I could certainly use the support. If you really have the time, please come and visit! That would be terrific! Until next time, all the very best.

Sock Monsters

Greetings from Quebec City once more! We are all very well here, settling into the glorious Fall weather and enjoying the girls and their antics every day. We had a fairly busy weekend. Mathilde and Alexis were invited to their first birthday party ever and I would say that they enjoyed themselves very much! Thank you to Anna and Maria for sharing their special day(s) with the Gullies. They enjoyed playing with someone else's toys for a change, and even got to have a veggie burger and some chocolate and carrot cake. They really loved watching the 'older' kids run around and some of the adult guests took turns jostling Mathilde about, which she just adored. After we left the party, we went over to another friend's place to return the baby swing that he loaned to us, and his daughter, Zoey, now three, handed over a whole box of her toys for the girls to use! They enjoyed meeting the little dog, Puppy, and very friendly cat, Kitty, who for some reason sat entirely still while the girls pulled their fur. Puppy even had his tongue and face fur in Mathilde's vice like grip for a minute before being rescued by Ivan. Silly thing even came back for more! We had such a wonderful sleep that night since the girls were pleasantly exhausted. If we could find a birthday party every weekend, we'd be set.
Mathilde has been finding her stride in terms of developing a wonderful sense of humour. She watches very intently for reactions to her antics and then looks at you with a devilish grin and breaks into laughter when she gets the reaction she wants. She is very much a social creature at this point. Alexis, on the other hand, has a shy smile that is heart-melting when she finally gives it up. Both girls are eating any and everything that is placed before them. I have not been encouraging self feeding too much yet, but next month will be training for day care.
The girls are very much on par in terms of their gross motor development. Both are up on their knees and rocking, and often I find them having gone from their bellies to a sitting position. I haven't witness how they do it yet. They can both stand for long periods when put up against something, but they haven't shown too much interest in pulling themselves up to standing. Fine by me! (note: before I edited this, Mathilde tried very hard to stand up on her own. Not quite there yet though).
They play wonderfully together. It's mostly side-by-side play, but they do it for long periods and quite happily. Mathilde has unfortunately developed a penchant for pulling hair. And too often it is her sister who is the target, so I do have to move them away from one another quite often. I'm a bit worried for the little girl at their day care, but she has a brother and a sister so she can probably take care of herself! Me on the other hand! I have to keep my hair in a constant pony tail!
Well that's it for us for this week. It's just about time to get the girls up from their morning nap and get them ready for a nice long and very wet walk. Have a terrific week everyone. Oh, and we're off to Ottawa this weekend to visit my girlfriend Kyla and her husband, Nick. Wish us luck!

And We're Off! Nine Months Old.

Hello all! We're back to "to work" on a cloudy, dreary Monday. Wow, Fall just sort of appeared out of no where! I look outside and there are red leaves about to fall from trees, and I need to get out and clean up the gardens. It's amazing that it's been a whole year since we came here to this house and started to prepare for the arrival of our beautiful girls.
Speaking of our beautiful girls! They have discovered that they can move themselves around in their environment! They're not crawling forward, yet, but they are scooting around backwards and moving from sitting to their tummies. It came at a good time, since Toys R Us is having their anniversary sale this week. We picked up a baby gate for the top of the stairs and a sort of baby corral to contain them when I can't watch them directly. Ivan and I did some re-organization of the living room down stairs to make room for the corral, and also to baby proof the space for when they are on the loose. There is really so much more to do, but I guess we'll let them show us what needs to be done. We've got all the immediate hazards covered and should be good until they start walking. Famous last words?
We've been enjoying getting out with them more and more. Sunday we took them to breakfast at Cora's before we went grocery shopping. Both of them are able to sit side by each in the grocery cart now. We actually had a lot of fun shopping! Alexis and Mathilde have started "singing" and so we sang our little song down the isles for the other shoppers. We were quite a hit! We also enjoyed our trip to Toys R Us with the girls on Friday after supper. Usually we would never dream of going anywhere after supper, but they were in good moods and fairly alert, so off we went. We knew it was time to go when Alexis had little half eyes while in her Papa's arms. They're just so cute and so fun to be with.
We'd like to shout out to our Sister In Law, Toni Lightwood. Today is her birthday! So Happy Birthday, Toni, the extra video is for you. We're thinking of you.

We Love September

Ivan suggested that I experiment with adding multiple photos to the blog rather than a video for a change. I agreed since we've been doing so many different activities that it would be nice to share some of the lovely shots we've taken. Well after sitting here wasting precious minutes of nap-time, I am unable to do so. Please accept the couple of images I was able to finally add and enjoy them despite their weird placement!

So, as I mentioned in the last post, my mom (Grammy), Richard (Opa) and Jonathan (Uncle John) visited us for the second time this summer. With a brief sojourn to Kingston, Ontario in the middle, they stayed for just over a week.We took advantage of the lovely weather to make several half-day trips to various attractions around the city, such as Battlefields Park, Old Quebec City and the Quebec Aquarium. This was Alexis and Mathilde's second visit to the aquarium, and they loved it even more. Grammy and Opa each carried a Gully in their arms and so both of them were able to see the fish while I managed the stroller. I think Alexis had the most fun during this particular trip, since she spent more time out of the stroller this time. We enjoyed a lovely lunch together and were treated afterwards to a display of the aquarium's seals and walruses. I'll say it again; I am a huge fan of the aquarium! Ivan and I would also like to again thank them for looking after the girls for us while we went into the city to enjoy some wood-fired pizza and the Bodies exibition! Mathilde wishes you know that she is working on her bed-time issues and will be happy to go down with no argument next time.
This weekend we hit the trails with our new baby back packs from MEC (and Toni and Hal). We found a nice loop just off the National Trail that gives us access to one of the lakes. This is probably River Heaven, since we were able to take him off-leash and give him a swim at the same time. Yesterday we climbed the 'mountain' on a different trail, which is maintained by the municipality of Lac-Beauport. It was a lovely trail, but strict leash rules are in place and River knows that trails mean freedom. He was a bit hard to manage. None-the-less we enjoyed the treck and the tea that Ivan packed to refresh ourselves after the ascent. Alexis and Mathilde do very well in their packs and even manaage to take little naps.
As for the girls themselves, there are all kinds of new things going on for them! Alexis' third tooth finally poked through this morning, so we've been sleeping a lot better. Mathilde has taken to growling like a tiger, which is sort of scary but mostly cute. Alexis waves at us, her reflection and perfect strangers. (As if we need to attract even more attention to ourselves!) The girls are also on the verge of mobility. They are rocking back and forth on their hands while seated and reaching for toys that have travelled way out of reach. I know it's just a matter of time, but still, it's nice that they mostly stay where they are put.
Ivan is leaving for Belgium in mid October. He'll be gone for two weeks. I'm trying to decide whether I should tough it out here on my own, or attempt a trip out East. This could only be pure madness! I've got a few days to think it through. On that note, I am off to get lunch ready for the girls. Ivan is making lamb tonight and so the girls will try that for supper. Have a wonderful week, all!

Day Tripper(s)

Hello all! Sorry my postin schedule is off, but we've just been having so much fun lately that there simply has not been enough time to post! Grammy, Opa and Uncle John arrive tomorrow, so I thought I'd get one out since I'll be even busier enjoying their company. It really is such a treat when we have visitors. First, the girls just seem to love all the attention. I often lament that I don't get to hold them as often as I think that they should be held, and when people are here, they get so much of it. It's wonderful for them. Secondly, I get opportunities to accomplish things that I wouldn't ordinarily be able to do (like have a shower!) Let's face it, more hands is just that; more hands!
As I eluded to, we've been having fun. We took a day on the weekend where no work was to take place and dubbed it "River's Day." The intention was to do something that River might enjoy for a change. We had been told that Fort Levis on the South Shore was the only off-leash dog park in city and it's environs, so we packed a picnic and everyone into the old Subaru and took off across the river to explore. Sadly, it turned out that it is really only an unofficial off-leash park and so Riv Dog remained on a long line, which Ivan thoughtfully packed just in case. Turns out he prefers to stick very close to his pack anyway, so we didn't have to give him much slack.
The girls enjoyed the explorations around the old fort very much and spent much of it laughing at River. (In case of potential boredom, add family pet). Ivan carried Mathilde around in the backpack cum child carrier that cousins Charlotte and Nicholas sent along for us to use (thank you, thank you, thank you!), and I toted Alexis around in the Baby Bjorn. (Which reminds me to return the second one that Tanya and Mike loaned to us. Yay, twins!) We completed the visit with a small picnic which everyone enjoyed. It's the only time River is permitted to partake in our meals. I figure, it's not like he can pack his own food, and he's working out too, so....
Well, as I say, we're looking forward to our visitor's arrival tomorrow. Ivan will be heading to Belgium for two weeks in October, so if there's anyone out there with some vacation time and no where to spend it, think of the girls and I! And with that, I'm off to bed.

Here Fishy Fishy!

Before I forget, Mathilde is pleased to announce the arrival of one pearly, white (sharp!) tooth. This arrived without the use of tylanol or even too much fussing. As I write this, the poor child is screaming over the baby monitor. (Papa is on scene). So Alexis has two and Mathilde has one. We are very proud and even sang her the Happy Toothday song, which goes to the tune of, you guessed it, Happy Birthday. She really liked that.
We took the Gullies to the Quebec Aquarium on Saturday as repose from the extreme heat and humidity that we've been experiencing. (Extreme to us, anyway). We were not sure what to expect from the girls, being so young, nor were we sure about how we would feed them and look after their needs while there, but off we went anyway. It was FABULOUS!!! It was the perfect activity to do with 8 month olds. They were able to get right up to the glass and watch as giant fish swam by them just centimeters away. I cannot think of anything more fun and interesting for them. In terms of how well they were set up for infants, the experience was excellent. They had a quiet eating area with a microwave, and I even felt comfortable enough to nurse there. There is a very fun glass elevator, which the girls enjoyed, to get you from level to level and most importantly, there is air conditioning! There are also wonderful tours and shows, but we'll save those for when the girls are older. There are even more activities outside the building, such as exhibits featuring polar bears, walruses and seals. There is also a water park to help the toddler set and above beat the heat, and a tree-to-tree obstacle course for older kids. And if you are so inclined, there are lovely gardens to enjoy. I just know that we could get so much mileage from this place. I'm already ready for our next visit! Thank you Quebec Aquarium!!! Oh, and before I forget, we also got a shot of Ivan with the old Quebec bridge as a backdrop. I'll have to beg Jocelyn for the details, but to the best of my knowledge, their Great Grandfather worked as a draftsman(?) on this project. I'll definatley get the details on that.
So, just a short post today. Everything is going very well despite the heat. We look forward to Fall's cool weather and beautiful show. Surely the time will pass quickly as my impending return to work looms ahead. Oh, and a happy belated birthday shout out to Jeanette (aka Grandma). We hope that you had a lovely day!

Bring On the Corn on the Cob!

We have two new teeth! Well, Alexis has them, really, but we are all going through it with her! She cut her first on on July 30th (the day my dad and Mary arrived for their visit) and the second one was in place this morning. We could tell it was on its way too because poor sweet Lexi has not been sleeping very well. Mathilde has two bottom teeth on their way, but she seems to be taking it all in stride.
We had a visit to the pediatrician last week. Alexis weighs 16lbs 2oz and Mathilde weighs 16lbs 10oz. (I may not have that exactly right, but that's close anyway). The important bit is that they are both in the 25th percentile for their height and Lexi is in the 25th for weight, while Mathilde is in the 30th. I always balk when I see 25 and percent in the same sentence, but these aren't math scores we're talking about. They're simply taking after me (for now) in the stature department, and their weights are just perfect for their heights. They are lovely, developing normally and doing very well. Dr Tremblay also gave us the green light on all foods. I thought this was strange, since there are many foods that normally aren't given until after the first year (egg whites, berries etc,) but he said that the American Pediatric Society has changed their opinion on allergic foods and it believes that earlier is better. I don't think Health Canada is on board with this yet (I just checked a couple of weeks ago), but since the girls seem to be doing so well with all the foods that we have given them so far, we'll enjoy the summer's bounty to its fullest without worrying too much about following guidelines. We'll follow gullies instead!
For those of you who don't know, we found child care for November when I return to work. One of our neighbours had a baby 4 days after Tilly and Lexi were born and we'd kept up with her here and there since we met her in the hospital. A while back she mentioned that she didn't want to return to work and thought she might open a daycare in her home. After a while, and much discussion on the subject, Ivan and I decided that we would prefer this type of arrangement over the daycare centre setting (which costs only $7.00/day in Quebec if you can get a spot). We approached her about it and she decided to do it; a decision that we were very excited and happy about. Today, she had us over to discuss the contract and general operation of her daycare and we got to see the work that she and her husband did to their home to prepare for it. It exceeded all of our expectations. It is as professional as any business can be, as warm and inviting as any home could be, and as fun, exciting and educational as any school could be. She will have our girls, her own girl (same age as ours) and her son (age 3). Once the three girls reach 18 months, she will take another 3 year old. There is a sweet little "classroom" where they will spend their indoor time with tables, mats and toys. There is a sepparate area gated off from the main area for the toddler-set where the only toys they will have access to are age appropriate and free of choking hazzards. Everywhere you look are pictures of the alphabet, objects with their names, how to properly wash your hands etc. I have no experience with day cares, so I imagine her ideas are not novel, but to us they indicated that we had made the right decision. She begins classes in September on First Aid, early childhood education etc and she is so enthusiastic about our girls. And they live across the street! Her husband works with mentally challenged youth in homes and hosptals and is darling. Well, they both are fantastic people and we have begun a friendship with them aside from our business relationship. I hate to call it that, but money will change hands, so I suppose that's appropriate. My biggiest fear now, aside from leaving them, is that they won't want to come home at the end of the day. I think that's the best fear we could have. I have to say, we certainly have been fortunate in life. We have so many blessings to be thankful for.
On that note, we are so very thankful that Dad and Mary (aka Grampy and Mimi) could make it for a visit. We all enjoyed their company, and after a very short warm-up period, the girls adopted them as part of their every day life. Family visits are so important to us and we cherish each second that we get to spend with you. So never ever feel like you are imposing on us; we'd rather you be here than be away. Just don't come all at once, please!
On that note, I'm off to sleep. It could very well be short lived, so getting to it sooner than later is imparative!
But before I forget, because this blog will probably end up ultimately being for Mathilde and Alexis, I must mention that the girls look to be on the verge of crawling. They're not actually crawling, but all of the gears are turning and the light has very obviously turned on for them. I will keep you posted! Have a great week everyone!

Lexi Talks (Well sort of)

Well, if you were starting to become annoyed with my more recent posts, you're not alone. I was annoyed by them myself! This is what happens when you spend too much time alone with infants and not enough with adults. Okay, it's a poor excuse, but I'm going to stick to it! I went back and edited last week's post a bit for sentence structure, spelling and grammar. I was in a hurry to get it out, but that's another poor excuse for laziness. I'll keep this post short and sweet in an attempt to get back on track; back to what's really important.
So, as the title implies; Alexis is finally babbling. Normally, babies start this by the end of 7 months, but Alexis decided to keep me guessing. Yesterday, in fact, I'd resigned myself to the fact that maybe she just wouldn't do it. That doesn't make any sense though, since I'm pretty sure that babbling is the necessary precursor to speaking. Anyway, this morning, while enjoying a luxurious sleep in, I dreamed that Alexis was in the next room and I could hear her saying Da da da da! very loudly. I went in and hugged her and praised her excitedly. But then I awoke from the dream to the same thing. Da da da da da! Over and over again. I called down to Ivan and asked if that was Alexis, expecting him to say that it was Mathilde, but it was indeed our Lexi! She'd begun babbling. And she hasn't shut up since! It is the sweetest sound, I can tell you. And the best part? Listening to both of my girls babbling away. We get Ma ma ma, Ba ba ba, Da da da and some ell sounds are starting to emerge too. It's so neat to see them try different things with their tongues. It seems to be related to eating too. As I give the girls progressively chewier things to eat, they need to figure out how to manage their tongues to avoid the food falling out of their mouths. It seems that as they do this, it gives them the idea to pair sound with the action and thus gives them more sounds to work with. I might be off the mark on this one, but it's what I've observed anyway. It's so fun to have new sounds filling the house.
I've included an extra, bonus feature for Nick and CJ, which includes our favourite furry beasty. I might add that this beasty is becomming more and more enamoured with his Gullies, while they just as in love with him. Alexis laughs and laughs at him and his antics, and of couse, they LOVE to pull his fur. River will put up with that for a little while but then he makes his escape shortly after the fur pulling has begun. Every once in a while though, he'll wander over to where his girls are and sniff at their necks, while wagging his tail wildly. When we return from being out, he greets them as missed members of his beloved pack, and he certainly loves them for the delicious morsels that fall on him as he waits below their high chairs. He's been so great with them and with me. He follows me upstairs when it's time to put the girls down for a nap and lies between their cribs until I'm done settling them, and he's with me when it's time to get them up. Mostly he leaves their toys alone unless he's being silly and trying to engage Ivan in a good game of Chase Me! Anyway, enough about River, though we'd be lost without him.
I apologize about the quality of the first video, (It's hard to film them when they're swinging), but I just had to get Lexi whacking Charles Tulo in the face while scolding him for being "bad bad bad." Well, not really, but one could imagine! Enjoy and we'll be back next week.

We're 7 Months Old!

It's hard to believe it but it's true! These Gullies have reached the ripe old age of 7 months, and suddenly they are completely different girls. Both Mathilde and Alexis are able to sit up unassisted for long periods of time (basically until they're bored or tired). They now sit on the floor with their toys and play together, which has been a God send for me. I can get up and do the odd thing while they entertain themselves and each other and so really, we've achieved a whole new level of independence from one another. It's also really fun to sit on the floor and either play with them, or just watch them play! I've become so juiced up about it all that I just ordered about 7 books on infant development, learning and play from the internet. This will probably only serve to drive me insane, but at least I can maximize our play time and set them on the right path.
We've made leaps and bounds in the food department. As you can see from the video, Ivan and I introduced fish to their diet last Sunday. It was a white fish (turbot), and we poached it in water on the stove to cook it. Then we just served it to them like that. They really seemed to like it, so I think we'll do that once a week. We're looking at starting them on tofu, yogurt and lentils next. Maybe we will even try some cooked egg yolk next week. They've been enjoying apples, pears, peaches, plums and bananas for their fruit, and vegetables include: squash, yellow beans, sweet potatoes, peas and carrots. For snack time they've been having rice crackers with some cottage cheese. I tried grated mild cheddar cheese, but we had a repeat of the avocado incident. Ugh.
So why fish? As you know, I've been a vegetarian for 20 years now, and I do not eat fish. Ivan, however eats meat occasionally and would enjoy more fish in his diet. I've never known exactly how I feel about raising children as vegetarians. I am reluctant to entertain the fact that is it unhealthy to raise them as such, because there is no scientific evidence (that I know of) to show that a child absolutely requires animal protein to grow up healthy. There is, however evidence that the introduction of the fatty acids that are found in fish can improve their chances of avoiding asthma, improve brain development and lower the risk for heart disease. On the other hand, we might consider the risks associated with exposure to mercury and PCBs. I might add as well, that we can derive the same benefits from eating what the fish eat (aquatic vegetables for example), but I do not know of a reliable source for such products. Dulse excluded, but I can't even get Ivan to eat that! How can you win? Ivan and I discussed what was important to us as parents and how our decisions would affect our children, and decided that although we both agree that a vegetarian diet is ultimately healthy, we have an obligation to expose the girls to all things that may be good for them. They will make this choice for themselves later in life. In the mean time, we can seek out the best sources for their meat (organic, locally produced, hormone-free etc). And for my vegetarian friends, yes I'm aware that it may be said that I have the ethical responsibility to teach my children about eating sustainable foods with the least impact on the environment while showing compassion to the creatures we share the planet with. I think I believe that you can do both. I, however, will remain a vegetarian as it is a choice that I've made for myself and works for me.
So enough of my lecturing. These last two posts have been fairly controversial, I suppose, but I want to include our beliefs in the blog somewhat for the girls. Ivan and I intend on collecting the posts and publishing them in a book at the end of the year. I think it's really important that they see our decision making process. They will always know that we love them, but it may not always be clear why we do the things we do. Next week, I'll be back to tales of the Gullies and their leaps and bounds, which is really what you want to read about. Never mind what the parents are up to!
Have a lovely weekend everybody!
P.S. Toni, the girls absolutely LOVE the books that the kids picked out for them. (I do too!) That little bee is delightful, and it's so much fun to dress the bear. Although I'm not sure exactly why he needs the mouse in his pocket....Thanks, and hugs and kisses to Nick and CJ from Tilly and Lexi. xoxoxo

Play Time

Yesterday on Oprah (yes, I get to watch Oprah sometimes) the show featured an eight year old girl who had been so severely neglected that she was essentially functioning at the level of a 6 month old baby. The story caught my attention for several reasons. First, while studying Developmental Psychology at university, I learned that in order to understand what role our environment plays on who we become, we need to essentially remove the environment to see what effects its absence has on us. For example; the best way see what effect play has on a children is to take it away at a critical period and see what happens. Well, that's unethical (good thing), so it becomes really hard to study such a thing. Basically, we wait until we find a child who has been very badly neglected, isolated and hope that the caregivers of the rescued child will allow us to study him or her. There are many studies conducted on children who grew up in orphanages where babies received very little stimulation; where there were 40 or more cribs lined up in a nursery and only the perfunctory care was provided. From these children we have learned that play (among other things) is absolutely essential to the well being of a child and future person. The other reason I was interested is because anything to do with 6 month-olds catches my attention these days.
So, what was the point of showing the world this little girl's story? There has to be some relevance or it doesn't make very interesting tv. It really just serves to fulfill the voyeuristic need in us. For me, at least, it brings home the importance of stimulating a child from her very first day on this planet. And not with TV, video games and stand-ins for human on human attention. Okay, I know that for some of you reading this blog, this viewpoint may offend, and it certainly is not my intention to do so. We don't have enough evidence yet to show us what effect (if any) all this has on our children. We will find out soon enough. But in the mean time, I can, with what I learned about how children develop, infer (as others have) about what might potentially happen. Oprah's guest (child Psychologist Bruce Perry) suggests that one potential outcome may be a generation of apathetic people with the inability to show empathy towards other human beings. As a result of reduced one on one interaction, these kids may end up simply not being able to relate to one another as adults.
Ivan and I have long discussed these issues. We don't have the solutions to the world's problems, that's for certain. But we do share an important philosophy about parenting. And that is that we both want to engage fully in our childrens' lives. That for us means, watching TV with our children (when they do start watching it), reading to them, playing on the floor with them and eating together as a family around our table. It means activating their imagination through play, pretend and games. As I write this I realize how arrogant I might come across. We didn't invent these concepts. Anybody who has been in the field of caring for or teaching children knows all of this and so much more. But it's something we both feel very strongly about, and we are always seeking out information on the subject. It sort of makes Mathilde and Alexis a hobby of ours, albeit a very important and time consuming hobby! And speaking of....I can hear said children upstairs, awake from their morning nap, "talking" with one another. That's my cue to get them dressed and saddle up the stroller for a nice, long walk.
Thanks again for reading, and have a wonderful weekend. P.S. check out the webpage for updated pics of The Gullies!

We Don't Like Avocado

We're late again with this Blog! Okay, I'm late again blame no one but myself. We've all been feeling a little under the weather these past few days, starting with Ivan and ending with me. Mathilde and Alexis didn't seem to suffer much from their colds, probably thanks to the antibodies that they receive from me. I actually don't mind them being exposed to a cold here and there for that reason. What does worry me, however, is the H1N1 virus. They would probably make out fine if they were to contract it, but it's that 'probably' that keeps me from taking any chances.
We are hoping to get out to some Canada Day celebrations tomorrow with our girls. Since our visit with Grammy and Opa, getting out hasn't been too much of a chore and Lexi and Tilly seem to like it. They stay awake longer and seem genuinely interested in the people and things around them. I try to get out for a walk every day with them, but the scenery is getting old. They like Rona, the Farmer's Market, the grocery store, and last weekend, they enjoyed breakfast with us at the restaurant down the street. I can't tell you how fantastic it was to get out first thing in the morning, walk down the street and have a really delicious breakfast all together as a family. Okay, it was just really nice to get out and do a grown up thing. I can't wait to do more of those. Of course, those are prime Swine Flu contracting spots aren't they? Argh, you can't win.
We had a wonderful visit with Hal last week. Make that Uncle Hal. Thank you again for taking the time away from your own family to spend it with your neices. I can't seem to find the words to express just how special I think you are for doing that. Certainly one of the hilights from the visit would have to be the introduction of avocado into the girls' diets. For those fortunate enough not to have been present, it went something like this. Ivan found an avocado, which I had purchased for Mexican Night, hidden away in a cupboard. By this time it was plenty ripe. Hal and Ivan thought it was surely too ripe and should be tossed. I, on the other hand determined that it was fine and that we should absolutely feed it to the girls. (You know, suddenly I see it so much more clearly; the logic in that was probably flawed.) Anyway, Ivan mashed it up as per my instructions and I went about spooning it into Mathilde's eager mouth. I should note that the avocado looked and tasted perfectly fine. I'm not that mean. The first bite seemed to go down a treat, so I moved on to Miss Alexis. She managed all right, so I offered her a second taste. Here is where things took a turn for the worse. Alexis got a strange, twisty look on her face, gagged and threw up her cereal, squash and the offending avocado. Ivan and I quickly rescued her from her high chair lest she actually choke and she was transported to the bathroom for clean up. So what does Mama do? Throw out the evil vegetable-fruit? Nope, she spoons another load of avocado into the other child's mouth. Mathilde, not to be outdone and pardon the expression, twins the event right down to the facial expression. Ahhh....It will probably be a really long time before we try avocado again. Sorry Uncle Hal.
Apart from all of the excitement, the girls are zooming along a mile a minute. Mathilde now says Ba Ba Ba, Ma Ma Ma etc and loves her new found vocabulary. It's especially fun to mimick her and wait for her to do it back. Both girls are sitting up for greater and greater periods and they are very involved with their toys. Well, all objects, really. They still love people who approach them with smiles and River is still their very best friend. He can make a Gully go from crying to laughing in 2 seconds flat. Somehow I think he knows it too. He's not terribly interested in them unless they are having breakfast or supper though. Wait until they get to the stage where they actually drop their food!
They love noses and beards and hair. Sometimes Alexis will stroke Mathilde's hair ever so gently. Mathilde on the other hand just loves to grab it and hang on! For those of you keeping track, they are not sleeping all night. I'm usually up twice through the night and then ridiculously early in the morning. Sometimes I can get them to go back to sleep. I've stopped worrying about it. There are two of them and they are babies. That doesn't make them bad, nor does it make us bad parents, that's just life. Anybody who's says differently either have never had twins or have short memories. Hey, that felt good. I might actually even believe it!
Anyway, I have some free time (I hope) while the Gullies are napping. I'm off to do something selfish like brush my hair, or rub some lotion on my feet. I wish you all a wonderful Canada Day tomorrow and hope that you can get out and enjoy some of the offerings in your town. Ivan and I are very keen to see what the National Capital has to offer. No, we're not going to Ottawa :) All the best!

Two Long Weeks Without Papa

Well, we've survived the Intermediate Mine Warfare course, and I must say, it was far more difficult the second time around! Okay, to explain...it was Ivan's turn to take this 5 week international course. Having already done it, I knew what to expect when Ivan approached me about doing it this Spring. I knew there would be about two weeks where he would have to work late and I would have to figure out how to bath the girls and put them to bed on my own. But what I didn't anticipate, was how hard it would be on Ivan to miss out on seeing his Gullies.
It makes for a long day, that's for sure. We'd get up around 7am when Ivan left for work. Most mornings he would at least get to kiss them while one nursed and the other lounged in the bed beside me watching Canada AM (that and A Baby Story are all they get to watch). Once everyone is fed and changed we head downstairs so I can gobble down some cereal, feed River and then get the girls' breakfast together. They have cereal, either oatmeal or barley, and now I also give them some homemade apple sauce. (They prefer Gala). Once they've eaten their fill, I quickly make up some bottles of formula for their bed time snack, dig out some purees from the stash in the freezer for their supper and do a quick clean up. Then I make a cup of coffee and we settle on the floor for some baby play action. We play for about 15 minutes and usually I have sleepy eyes and grumpy coughs indicating it's time to head back to bed.
The girls normally nap for about 45 minutes in the morning, during which I shower, do laundry, catch up on e-mail (Facebook) or I blog. Once they're awake, they get their vitamins, have their bums changed, faces washed, teeth "brushed" and they get dressed for the day. While one is on the change table, the other sits in the rocking chair beside the change table (for now, probably not much longer) with a toy. Then I carry them both downstairs for their next meal. River is ever present in this evolution.
After the girls have been fed, I check their diapers again (normally they are full), and then I put their sun screen on, hats, jackets or whatever the weather dictates, load them into the stroller, get River ready, put my shoes, sunscreen etc on and we head out the door for an hour walk. They may or may not sleep during their walk.
When we get home, I unload them one at a time and settle them into their swings or what have you so that I can wolf down some lunch. Then we might play a bit more, or I might vacuum, hang laundry or whatever until it's time to feed them again. After they're fed, we try for a second nap. This one usually lasts an hour and I relax during this time by knitting, or lately making cards (I'm no expert at this by any means!). After this, the girls get up and I'll get the supper prep done (if Ivan's coming home) while the girls are in their high chairs watching. Lately, Ivan hasn't been home, so we've used this time to play and practice sitting up and rolling over.
By 5pm, it's time to feed Alexis and Mathilde their supper. They get rice cereal and usually two vegetables. So far they've had squash, peas, carrots and sweet potatoes. All of the are their favourites!
Because of the sunscreen, we're bathing them more often. If it's a bath night, I take them into the bathroom (after setting it up), put one in a bouncy chair and then bathe the other. Then we switch. Once that's done, they get a bit more play time while I find something resembling supper and then I heat their formula. We go upstairs and I put Alexis in her rocking chair and she sucks her thumb while I feed Mathilde. Then we switch and the girls get put to bed for the night. Whether they stay that way is another story.....
So it's been busy. Okay, it's always busy, it's just been busier than usual. We've also had a tremendous amount of fun. So far the sixth month has been a really exciting and social time and I wake up looking forward to greeting each new day. That said, I'm so glad it's the weekend! Happy Father's Day to all the Dads, and of course to my wonderful husband. I don't think anyone could ask for a more devoted Papa.
As I finish this entry I realize that I should have written about Ivan and the Gullies. And part of me wants to erase what I've written and start over. Time is too short for that though. I'll just say instead that we love you very much, Ivan. And I do thank you for all that you do for us. It must be hard to have to leave your family each day and head out the door to work. When you come home it must be like entereing a secret world, one which constantly evolves withought you. I think it takes a very strong person to be able to set your resolve to penetrate that world and include yourself. Mathilde and Alexis are so much better for it, and I have an equal partener to help me make the hardest and most important decisions I've ever had to make. We appreciate you, Papa. Come home soon so we can get our Weekend ON!!!

You are 6 Months Old

You are 6 months old today. And I love you so very much. What big girls you have become, with so much personality and so much presence in our house and in our lives. When you go to sleep I miss you. Papa has been working so late this week and he has missed you terribly. I can tell by the way he drinks you in when he does get a chance to see you. It's hard for me to remember what life was like before you came along. It certainly couldn't have been as fulfilling as it is now. What did we live for before you? I wonder this because each breath I take, I take for you.
Mathilde, you are such a nice girl. Maybe nice isn't the best word, because to say a baby is nice, implies that a baby could be mean. Ridiculous. So what is the word to describe how sweet you are? You smile at your sister when she cries, and you engage yourself so fully with people and yes, even objects around you. I often watch you chat with your toys and attempt to make friends with that ever elusive dog. You are a social creature.
Mathilde, you love to eat and try new food. You've even learned to chew by watching me eat my breakfast in the mornings. Today you chewed your mashed banana while locking your eyes on mine the entire time. Yes, you did a great job!
You would rather share a bed with us than sleep alone, which is bit of a challenge. The real problem here is that I would also rather share our bed with you than have you sleep alone! At least at 4am that's how it feels.
You are funny. Sometimes Papa and I call you our Ham Sandwich. You flirt by scrunching your shoulders up, squeezing your eyes shut, smiling and squealing. You are constantly engaging us with your facial expressions and that beautiful and sweet smile. Your personality seems to be firming up, and if what I've seen is any indication of what is to become, you may be a very social person who loves deeply and is very affected by the actions of others. You are sensitive, to be sure, but not overly. When you are not happy, you are very easy to bring around. And you are very nearly always happy when you wake up to greet the day.
And finally, Mathilde, you give the best hugs. You are so snugly and cuddly. Thank you for being you.
Alexis, if all parents had you for a first baby, they would be lulled into having a hundred more. You found your thumb, and it seems to fix just about anything and everything. This makes you a very easy going baby. You sleep until you wake up and then if nobody comes to get you, you go to sleep again. Often I hear you entertaining yourself in your crib by banging your legs and feet against the wall and bars of your crib. You are very vocal too. You babble and scream and make raspberries. You suck in your breath and cough and even for a short period you did a mean Darth Vader impersonation. I thought this was very odd until I heard River walk by you one day panting. Maybe you were mimicking him?!
You enjoy all foods, but are not a big eater yet. Often we have to coax your thumb out of your mouth in order to get the food in. You want to be in charge of the spoon, and when I let you, you eat very well! It won't be long before I'm forced to just give you pile of food and let you go to it.
Alexis, you don't seem to play with your toys so much as inspect, analyze and compare them. Today I watched you in your swing as you held a toy in either hand. You were shaking each toy and looking back and forth at them as you did so. You don't smile when you're "playing", in fact you are very serious. You seem to be trying to figure out the world, while Mathilde seems happy just to be in it.
Alexis, you love music and rhythm. You love to be held while we dance, and you are often banging your foot or a toy to the beat of whatever is on the radio. All I have to do is strum a chord on the guitar and you are smiling. You love it when I sing, so I sing to you often. When we go for walks sometimes you lose patience and so I make up silly nonsense songs until you stop crying.
You have a funny, independent way about you. You are happy to be held on a lap, but you are not so eager for a cuddle. We referred to you as the Non-Bendy one for a few weeks because you were adamant that you would have your legs as straight as can be. And to your credit, you were quick to bear your weight on your legs, you enjoy your tummy time and look to be on the verge of crawling. You have energy to burn, and have a quick, light manner.
But for all your seriousness, Alexis, you are incredibly sweet. You always have a smile for Mama and Papa, and you have huge inviting eyes. I feel so lucky to know you and can't wait to know you better.
So, Gullies, congratulations on meeting this huge milestone! Think of all of the things that you have learned to do! It's incredible. I am so happy to have had this time with you, and I am so excited to share the future with you. You are so good, and we are so extraordinarily proud of you girls. Thank you.

Where Do Gullies Come From?

My Sister In Law, Toni, asked the question. I was asked it by someone last night as well. So for those who don't know....When the Gullies were about two months old, they started to make this funny vocalization when they were sucking on their pacifiers. Both of them would get a very serious look on their faces as though the were about to lecture us on something that we'd done, and very clearly and very loudly say "Gully, gully, gully, gully!" It turns out that my brother, Jonathan, used to do the same thing! We just picked it up and started to refer to them as the Gullies. Part of it too is that the term "The Twins" has always had a very negative connotation for us. We knew from very early on that we wanted our daughters to be unique and independant from one another and one way of doing that was to not refer to them as a unit (The Twins). Now here's where you say, "Ah! But The Gullies is a unit term!". You'd be right. We ended up doing it anyway. I do try to refer to them by their many names (Mathilde, Tilly, Tilda, Matty Jo, Alexis, Lexi, Ali, Lex, Lexis, Lex Lou etc) rather than as one term as much as I can though. Sometimes brevity is necessary and the term Gully is one of endearment. We still dislike the "The Twins" by the way. It really rubs me the wrong way when I hear it. Sorry if I've offended anyone. (I am aware that they are twins though!)
Toni pointed out once that it's funny when we end up doing the very things that we set out not to do. Ivan and I swore we would not dress our children alike, but sometimes I find myself dressing all three of us in a similar manner. This, as it turns, has more to do with what the temperature is outside. Ivan and I also dress alike. Never on purpose, but more often then not we'll be out and realize that we're wearing the same shoes, pants and shirt. This is obviously because we share the same lifestyle and maybe is also in part due to the fact that we wear a uniform to work every day too.
We also said that we would never let them cry. I think I even made a negative comment about Dr Ferber in an earlier post. Now, I've never even read his work, only summaries of it and I "knew" enough to judge his methods and everyone on the planet who followed them. We soon went from never letting them cry themselves to sleep to often letting them cry for a bit to see if they'll fall asleep. Guess what? They do! I absolutely apologize to anyone out there that may have read that post. Likely though, if you're anything like me, you'll have done and said practically the same thing yourself. Thank you Toni, for reminding me that we're human and in the nicest way, that parenting is something you learn on the way. You don't know it all from day one. Well, you might think you do! Thank goodness for flexibility.
Well, I've got a Gully (Lexi Gully) waiting for her lunch. Mathilde Gully is still sleeping away. She's getting harder and harder to put down these days. (She does a lot of crying.) I may or may not have a bad habit of bringing her into bed with me in the middle of the night. Hmmm...I think I had some choice opinions about that too....! Well, you reap what you sow, right? Who wouldn't love a warm, snuggly gully in the middle of the night though? Have a wonderful week everyone!

Grammy and Opa's Visit

We missed last week! I'm so sorry if you were looking for our post, I just didn't find the time to get it out. My Mom and Step-Father (aka Grammy and Opa) arrived last weekend for a week-long visit and we've been enjoying every moment with them.
The girls have been in their glory since their arrival. The visit came at a really great time in their development where they are such charm machines. No opportunity for a smile or giggle is wasted with these girls at the moment. They flirt, charm and are so very aware of the responses that their expressions evoke. The word clown doesn't even begin to describe them! They are just so funny.
We've gotten back track with their solid foods. They've added oatmeal and apple sauce to their repertoire, though they don't think much of my home-made applesauce. I made it with stewed and pureed apples thinned with formula, but alas it's still a bit tart for their taste. As you can see from the video, squash is the clear winner. Tonight I'll do up some peas and we'll try that by week's end. So far the only reaction or side effect of the food is in the product that comes out the other side. This has proved very shocking to me! I realize that I'm in for a long and poop-filled two years with these girls. (sigh). Thankfully their other attributes far outweigh their diaper frights!
There are no teeth yet, but a great deal of drool and chewing are probably good indications that they are on their way. They are just beginning to sit up on their own, but really only for a few seconds at a time. I'm looking forward to the day when I can sit them up with some toys and sit back for a break. They are also very aware of one another now, and interact quite often with smiles and touches to each other's head and arms. They really are such a pleasure to be around.
So we had a wonderful visit with Grammy and Opa, and hope that Mathilde and Alexis continue to enjoy the company of family and friends. Perhaps we'll get lucky and that shy stage that we hear about will allude us. I hope to have more next week, but for now, I'm signing off to go and rescue a Gully from her nap. Take care everyone!

Another Week with the Gullies

It's started! They're starting to sleep like normal people! Not all the time, and never two nights in a row, and with no predictablility, but I can safely say it's starting to happen. Since last week, we've had 3 nights where the girls have slept for up to 11 hours at a stretch and in doing so, allowed me to sleep as well. To be sure, I wake up every few hours and check the clock to see what's going on, but for the most part I feel pretty well rested! It's life changing, really. It tells me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that someday soon, I will be able to stay up past 8:30pm and still get a decent amount of sleep. We'll be able to have grown-up time together and do things like have a late dinner, or even a bubble bath! Basically, me time in chunks greater than 20 minutes. Sounds heavenly!
We've made a few changes to the girl's diets since our visit to the pediatrician last week. Mathilde weighs 14lbs and Alexis is around 13 1/2lbs. This puts them in the 50th and 25th percentile respectively. Both measured in the 50th for their height. Dr Tremblay certainly was not concerned, but I'd been thinking that maybe Alexis was a little thin, so we picked up her calorie intake by adding a bottle of formula right before bed. It has the added effect that it helps her sleep longer too, which doesn't hurt. We've been offering Tilly formula too, but she's not particular about taking a bottle, so some nights she'll take it and others she won't. No big deal either way.
I made squash puree yesterday and made the introduction to them. I made it too thick though and it nearly choked them. We'll wait a week and then thin it out with formula and see how that goes. I felt like a big heal, after supper last night. Between the near drowning at the hospital when I gave them their first bath and this new choking incident, I keep waiting for child services to show up. I suppose I shouldn't joke about that. First of all, they're pretty hardy little people, and second, there are children out there in real danger from their care givers. Still, I felt bad. Sorry Gullies, I'm sure it won't be the last time that I inadvertently put your lives in jeopardy though. Be grateful you have your Papa to keep you safe!
I don't have much time to keep up my blog. I'll do my best to get an entry out every week. As I write the girls are waking from their nap and I'll have to wrap this up. Ivan's spare time at home is spent getting to the chores that I can't do during the week. This weekend we're (he is) getting the arbri de solei up (sun shelter/gazebo?). Next weekend My Mom and Richard will be here to meet the girls.
Enjoy the long weekend everyone!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! As Ivan pointed out (because it is his way to do so), Mother's Day was (probably) invented to add another day to Hallmark's list of days for which to sell cards. Even so, I am able to write today because my loving husband seems to think that I deserve a break from my full-time job of mothering. I am, at 10:45 am, sitting in bed, after having had my breakfast of choice in my bed, with no children (that I'm aware of?). It is BLISS.
It is weird too. I spend probably 5 minutes in total of every day wishing for a few moments to myself before I scold myself for having such depraved thoughts. Now that I have those moments, I find myself looking for excuses to steal downstairs to kiss one of my girls. I haven't yet, because my husband has given me a gift. And I'm going to enjoy it. That and every 30 minutes a baby seems to appear looking for attention anyway. Like, right at this moment I'm in bed. But I'm no longer alone. River is at my feet, Ivan is beside me with Mathilde and Alexis is in the next room napping. I am learning that a big part of being a Mom is never being alone. I can find comfort in that.
It is both exhausting and wonderful to know that I am so fully needed. Every creature in the household is dependent on me for some facet of its existence. River-dog needs to be fed, walked and indeed even cuddled. The Gullies need me for absolutely everything, and even my husband relies on me for clean clothes, and the occasional kick in the butt out of bed in the morning to get him to work on time. Some days I scream inside my head "Oh, everyone leave me alone, just for a little bit!". But when it actually happens I think "Where is everyone, and why don't they need me?"
So what am I going to do with the rest of my alone time? I think I'll revisit my beloved hobby. I'm going to knit. I'm going to knit, and I'm going to nurse, and I'm going to cuddle visiting creatures and I'm going to think about how wonderful this day is, not only because I'm getting a break, but that I'm getting a break because of who I am. I am a Mom.

Alexis Sucks Her Thumb!

Greetings, as Mathilde would say if she could talk. I'm writing today with no particular direction in mind. I'm trying, as I write, to create a video montage of Alexis displaying her new found addiction; thumb sucking. I'm of no particular opinion about this, of course I think it's cute, everything she does is cute. It seems to give her great pleasure and instantly calms her down when she is distressed. I'm not about to mess with that. The only downfall of this new found distraction that I can see is that sometimes she calms herself down from being hungry. Mathilde gets ahead of her in terms of number of feedings. Last night, for example, Tilly was up twice as often as Alexis looking for something to eat. Normally I wake Lexi up and feed her anyway when this happens, but last night Tilly was hungrier than usual. It will be interesting to see what comes out in the wash on Monday when we see Dr Tremblay.
We're pretty fortunate to have such happy and easy-going girls. They smile easily and are starting to laugh more often. Generally, they wake up happy and go to sleep the same way. The occasional melt down happens when I've not paid attention to their sleepy cues. They are entertained by such things as hands, feet, each other and River when he chances to pass through the neighborhood. They do enjoy their toys (mostly rattles and the occasional plush). Mathilde loves to eat, and Alexis tolerates it.
We're walking quite often now and the girls stay awake for most of it. I try to go for an hour since I've got to go back to work with a decent level of fitness. I've started running again, but from guilt, I have to take River when I go and he's scared of, well, everything. He hates basketball, road hockey and city work vehicles (dump trucks, garbage trucks etc). Every kid here has a basketball net and kids are always out playing on our running route. It's sort of embarrassing when you're happily running along and your dog all of a sudden parks his butt nearly causing you to fall over. And he does NOT move. I've had to find alternate routes home on many occasions.
Well, I'm going to sign off. We changed our bedtime routine last night and I'm on call a bit more often. I was nursing them to sleep but we decided to stop this practice since their first teeth will be emerging soon and this can promote tooth decay. So tonight and last night they put themselves to sleep; a practice which I'm sure will pay off for all of us. Ivan still read them a story of course.
Have a tremendous weekend everyone!

The Darker Side - an Exploration of a Mother's Tragic Actions

Some of you have seen the video already, since I posted it immediately on Facebook. Alexis rolling over was such a huge thing for us this week, and to catch it on video was tremendous! I'm sorry Ivan wasn't there, but seeing it on video was the next best thing. She has not, incidentally, repeated the event.
So I was listening to the radio this morning, catching snippets here and there in between baby gurgles and raspberries. Some of you may be familiar with the story, I was not. A Winnipeg mom was convicted of Manslaughter yesterday in the death of her infant son: a triplet.
I only heard the 911 call and then a few details which caused me to break down into tears. I looked down at my girls, then wondered what about the story was affecting me so profoundly. Obviously the mere thought of an infant death is upsetting, but there was something more. I realized that I knew the thoughts that she had thought. I knew them because I have had them myself. I'd stood in the spot where she had moments before she made the decision to do what she did, but I'd had the presence of mind to shrug the impulse off and change gears. Thank God.
See the thing is, it's only happened once or twice. And not since they were really little. There are moments where there is only shear exhaustion, when there is only screaming and an almost animal-like instinct kicks in. It's the fight-or-flight response, no doubt. Your heart is racing, your airway is constricted, muscles tensed for action. But most of us have the presence of mind, somewhere in the midst of a desperate situation, to recognize it for what it is. We're told about this in pre-natal class, in the parenting books. Presumably this is because enough children have died or been injured because somehow, a parent's coping mechanism quits. Shaken baby syndrome is a syndrome because it's happened to enough babies to require a label.
It doesn't happen anymore. I can sit through some pretty good crying episodes and sometimes even laugh at how funny the situation is. In fact, I'm pretty sure I haven't wanted to leap out of my skin in a good long while. Once or twice I've wanted to cry, but that's fairly benign. What's the worst that could happen? The poor delivery man or whom ever comes knocking might leave bewildered by such a scene. But at least everyone is safe.
But triplets. Wow. See, a Twin Mom can say that and know just how much harder it would be to have one more baby. I have two arms, two breasts, two parents even. No, I don't know what it would be like, I can only imagine. But I can imagine it well enough to feel like I could have stood in that woman's shoes. I feel like I know exactly what she was feeling. And it makes me cry for her to almost be able to touch the grief that she will feel for the rest of her life. She knows that if she had only had the restraint to leave the impulse as a thought, her life and the tender life of her son would be so different.
The other side of this is that multiples are becoming more and more common. With so many of us requiring the assistance of medical technology to become pregnant, more and more multiple births result. I once thought that we might even have to begin consulting a fertility specialist. I worry a little bit for the children. I was very concerned when the public health nurse wouldn't leave us alone for the first two months of our girls' lives. But I can see why they came as often as they did. It's hard to care for one baby. It's really hard to care for two, and so on and so on.
I wanted to explore my feelings about what I had heard today. I just didn't know how I felt about it, or where those feelings that I was having came from. So, thanks for the indulgence, and please don't worry. Ivan and I knew from the beginning that we would have those moments. We were prepared and knew how to deal with them. We also knew how to recognize the moment in one another when it was time to step in and take over. Maybe education is the key in preventing further tragedies. Have a great weekend all.

Don't You Wish You Were Me?

After much thought and discussion, we decided that the girls were ready to try cereal. It wasn't an easy decisision; I suppose there aren't many easy decisions in parenting. The girls had gone from waking only once during the night to as much as 3 or 4 times and they were always ravenous when they did wake. During the day they seemed to get enough, but our supper plates were starting to generate interest to them. They are able to sit quite well in their chairs, and so it seemed time to give it a shot.
I make up a bowl with 1 tsp of rice cereal (the least allergenic of the lot) and add enough water to make a very runny gruel. I could use breast milk but we've still got thrush issues, and I could use formula, but the waste generated from mixing up a batch of formula would be very costly, so for now we use water. Sometimes the girls will take it, and sometimes not. I never force the issue and as soon as there are grumpy faces, we end the session. (Mathilde didn't last too much longer after the video was taken). I'll put off introducing other foods until 6 months, but for now the starving baby episodes have been drastically reduced and we're all getting more sleep! An unfortunate side effect of the introduction of solids are the bi-products that it produces. Alas, more of the ever-so-unpopular poopy diapers.
What else can I say about this week? The girls have been traveling around in their cribs a great deal. This started for both of them on the same day, which I think is weird. Yeah, I get that they are twins, but it's still odd that they should do the same thing on the same day. Often I will find them having rotated a complete 180deg from their put-down position. They use their legs and hips to sort of scoot around. They almost roll over from back to front, but still need a little extra boost. I think it comes down to incentive. I just have to find the right thing to reach for.
Their smiles are the absolute best. In the morning I am guaranteed huge baby grins when I go in to pick them up. Hands down, this is the best part of the day. Mathilde immediately cuddles her head into my neck when I pick her up and I just about melt. She is pretty much the ham. I took the girls on my own to the mall the other day, and every stranger who bent in to look at the girls was treated to a Tilly smile. For some reason she has taken to sticking her tongue out and smiling when she greets you. It's disarmingly funny. To be fair, Alexis has some super-charged mega-watt smiles as well. She just likes to make you earn them. She will also giggle at you which is the cutest thing in the entire world. I am not being biased here, it really is the cutest thing in the world.
So, as you can tell, things are going very well. We have our moments. There are times when they are crying that I feel like I want to cry too. There are certainly times where I just don't know that their needs are and I sort of look at them like the aliens that they sort of are. Sometimes I look at them and I think, "I gave you life? We gave you life? You came from us. Amazing!" I'm glad we waited to have children. I think it's nice that we got ourselves out of our way so that we can concentrate on these guys, because they are by far the best thing we ever did. How did we get so lucky? Two beautiful, happy, healthy babies and they came to us. It's astonishing. You can bet that I count my blessings every single day. Have a great weekend guys.

Toys Toys Toys!!!

I predicted that by the end of the week the girls would have perfected the art of getting anything and everything into their mouths. And I was right. This was pretty funny and exciting at first, until I stopped paying attention to Alexis the other day when she was on my lap at the dinner table and she got a mitt full of curry. We caught her before she could get it into her mouth, but let's just say "Game on!" We need to be on our toes now.
The girls are getting really fun to be with. They are very engaging and smile and laugh at you. Also they love to engage you in a "conversation", and once I caught them during nap time talking to one another from their cribs. So for the first time I got to say "Girls, stop talking and go to sleep!" I'm sure this was the first time of many to come. Last weekend we went to our friends' place for brunch. Alexis was thoroughly engaged with their 6 month daughter, Anna, and indeed gave us a chance to eat. It was a little shocking when I realized that I had not fussed with her for quite a while and saw what the reason for that was. She was in a baby chair, and Anna in her exersaucer and they were babbling back and forth. Amazing.
We're happy to be firmly entrenched in our long weekend. It's nice to have Ivan home during the day for a longer stretch. We're getting a few things done around the house, and I have more time to spend with each girl individually. I told Ivan the other day that if I could have anything in the world right now, it would be a day with each girl, where I could just hold her and focus my whole self on her. Maybe I'll be able to do that someday, but for now, especially while I'm nursing, that's simply impossible.
Speaking of nursing.... Ugh, after two treatments of gentian violet, we are still battling this darn thrush infection. I've about given up with it. Maybe it'll go away on it's own? No, we'll have to get back in to see the Dr. It's so frustrating! Also, I've bought some rice cereal, but we haven't cracked it open yet. I'm waiting for the girls to show me that they're ready. Alexis, is going to be ready before Mathilde, I'm certain. We practice drinking water from a cup, and Lexi's pretty well got it, but Tilly still has the reflex where babies push all foreign objects out of their mouths with their tongues. (this is thought to keep them from choking). Also, Lexi eyeballs our dinner plates like she'd devour their contents if she could just get off of Papa's lap! Part of me would love to try her on it tonight, but the other part of me knows that it's still a bit early. I'll be sure to ask the Dr when we are in to see him next.
Well, we wish we could be with family over Easter, but we're lucky enough to have friends that we can spend it with. Tomorrow we'll have a ham dinner and the girls can play with their friends Anna and Maria. We're also doing our first family Easter Bunny Cake. The girls will have to wait until next year to taste it though!
Happy Easter everyone, we'll be thinking of you all.

We Hate Thursdays

It's true! We really do hate Thursdays, well Thursday nights anyway. For whatever reason, any good sleep habits developed throughout the week are out the window come Thursday night. Why oh why?! Maybe it's because we come to expect a sleepless night, and somehow set ourselves up for failure during the day time? Whatever the reason, Thursday nights are the generally the worst and Fridays are always terrible days fraught with the inevitable exhaustion that follows a sleepless night. But enough about that. We are parents of infants and infants will cause sleepless nights. It's a certainty of life; better to just accept it!
This week passed quickly. Ivan was off on Monday and so we took advantage of the day to take care of the usual business that crops up. It's funny though, at the moment I couldn't tell you exactly what we did. My brain is so full of the things I need to remember to look after the girls that there is no room for unnecessary memories. Throughout the week though, I do remember that we had lots of walks up into the hill and then back down into the valley. Alexis and Mathilde do all right during the walks, but generally they hate having any sort of wind on their faces. We picked up a couple of sun hats for them and look forward to the warmer weather.
As the video shows, the girls are getting better at understanding what their hands are for. It means really having to watch out for your cups, plates or whatever is in front of you while you're holding them. We've been practicing drinking water from a cup this week. Alexis gets the idea, but Mathilde just lets it run out of her mouth. True, they used to drink formula from a small cup when first born, but that skill long ago disappeared and they're starting from scratch.
Well, I'm having a really hard time finding time to get this blog out, so I'm just going to sign off. I should have time to get a nice long entry done next Friday, since Ivan will be home for the Easter Weekend. I'll try to be creative with our video clip. All the best to you!

Angry Babies/Hard To Please

Okay, no, not really. How satisfying is it that when you are a Mama, you can pick up your baby and immediately fix what ever is wrong? Well, most of the time, anyway. Unfortunately, when you are a twin Mama, you don't always have enough arms for all the babies who are crying. Thankfully that only happens once in a while (like twice a day).
Anyway, we've had a busy week developmentally speaking. The girls have discovered that their hands are attached to their arms, which are attached to their bodies. They bring them together at the mid-line and then stare at them as though they were the best things they've ever seen. Then they watch carefully as they bring their hands to their ever eager mouths. This means less swaddling for us, since they can now fully realize the potential of their hands to sooth themselves. I skip it all together for naps, and often when I go in to get them, they are contentedly sucking away on their fingers. Sometimes it even wakes me up at night (they are pretty good at getting out of a swaddle) and I know it's time to go in and feed them.
Yesterday we went over to a girlfriend's home to visit with her, her 2.5 year old and 6 month old. The children (and Moms) sat around on the floor and my girls marveled at baby Anna, and young Maria. It was quite an evolution getting everyone out the door, but completely worth it. I'd like to start introducing the girls to more and more people, and we always look forward to visitors.
The girls are getting stronger on their bellies and hold their heads up at 90 degrees for longer and longer periods. I thought Tilly might roll over the other day, but she doesn't quite understand that she needs to giver herself some momentum to get all the way over. Since babies are now put on their backs to sleep, the age that babies roll over has been pushed back to around 7 months. That said, some babies do it earlier, and some skip it all together. Frankly, it's safer if they don't roll over, but I figure it might be more fun for them if they could do it.
Both girls are now openly laughing. In my opinion, this is the cutest thing in the whole entire universe. Even cuter than a herd of snowy white puppies and kittens. It really just gets better and better. I'm always told these things in advance by well meaning people, but it just doesn't hit home until it happens. Ivan's arrival home also invokes many super smiles and giggles. I imagine that must feel pretty good too.
Well, this will be a short post. I had an extra waking by Alexis this morning, and although it certainly was quality time, I am feeling the pain today. The girls are down for the count, (how long I couldn't say), and so I think that I will join them. All the very best to you all!

New Orleans is Sinking and I Don't Want To Swim

Well, not really, but I am currently grooving to that song while it plays on the radio. CBC doesn't play a great deal of music during the day, so when they do I like to take advantage of it. How weird that I would go from always having a pop music station on in the background to listening exclusively to CBC. Okay, it is the only English radio station in these parts and that may have something to do with it. I miss singing along with the radio though. I do try to make an effort to play music for the girls. They know the Barenaked Ladies, The Beatles and The Irish Rovers. Mostly they enjoy the musical stylings of their mother. Sometimes I play guitar for them, and always I sing to them. Alexis loves loves loves this. She just lights up when I sing for her, and when I play guitar she stares at me with wide eyes. I know this won't last forever. Soon she'll realize that I was too lazy to learn any more than 20 chords, and I only play songs from the one guitar tab book that I've had since I was 16. But for now I'm her Guitar Hero, and I'll play for her until she pleads for me to stop! Maybe.
The girls are making leaps in their abilities every day. They went from not being able to hold anything in their hands, so holding spoons, hairbrushes, blankets, whatever, in one day. It boggles the mind when I think about it. How did that happen? When did it happen? Why could they not do it one moment and then be able to the next? They babble and coo and talk to anything with a face. There are some stars and a moon that hang from the mobile on their bouncy chair that are often the recipients of a good yarn. I wonder what it is about two dots and a curve that are instantly recognizable to an infant as a friendly face.
Both girls are getting better at tummy time. They seem to enjoy being able to look at the world from this perspective. They also love looking at books, and just today, I put some toys on the tray of our infant swing for Mathilde, and she smiled at them and touched them. Alexis smiled at and touched a teddy bear this morning while I nursed her sister. She will mostly turn her head towards you when her name is said, but not Mathilde. Not yet anyway.
Both girls have been supporting their own weight on their legs for short periods for over a month now. We don't pay much attention to supporting their heads either. They can sit up right when propped up by a pillow, which is handy when one girl is waiting to get changed. It makes a big difference when you can hand your baby an object to ponder while you change the other.
Napping is getting better too. Alexis seems to go down without much of a fight (for the past two days that is), while Mathilde screams bloody murder the second she is in a hover over the crib. It's challenging for me, as I can hardly stand to let them cry. It would be so easy to nurse them to sleep, but then they'd need it to get themselves to sleep. I've stopped swaddling them for naps over the last 2 days, and unfortunately it has cut down on the amount of time that they are able to stay asleep, but we want to foster self-soothing behaviors that help them to fall back to sleep on their own. They love to suck their hands, but still lack total control over the fine motor skills required to always connect their hand to their mouths, and then keep it there. These skills really do fall apart when they are tired, and so swaddling is still essential for bedtime. They sleep a lot longer when they are swaddled.
They are darling. They smile and smile. Mathilde more readily gives up her gummy grins, but Alexis doesn't require much prodding either. The days seem less long now, and I am more relaxed as my confidence grows. This, I'm sure, reflects on them as well. I thought I'd up the level of difficulty yesterday by putting them in their cloth diapers. They hated them. They screamed and cried until I took them off. At least Mathilde tried hers out first before rejecting them. Alexis just said no! I feel some level of guilt about not pursuing this earlier, but I have enough going on without having to worry about adding yet another load of laundry every day. Enough about that.
Well, there you have it. An update and on the day I said I'd have it out. But time is short and so I'm off to get the girls up for their afternoon meal. Until next week.
Happy Spring everybody!