9 month checkup

Yesterday we went to see our new pediatrician, Dr. Herron, for our 9 month well baby check. Now that the boys are so wiggly it is near impossible for me to take them to the doctor by myself. Uncle Kris, who is not really their uncle at all but married to my cousin Maria, drew the short straw. He was very helpful. Both boys are doing well. Charlie weighs 22lbs 12oz and is 29.5 inches. Jack weighs 24lbs and is 28.5 inches.

When we got home the boys were exhausted but it was too close to dinner for a nap. They got fussy so we ate dinner early then went for a walk to stay amused before bath. When we got home from our walk they had both fallen asleep despite temps in the high 80's. I parked them in the shade out front and let them sleep for about 15 minutes.

Cheerios

I've been feeding the boys Cheerios for a couple of weeks now but I have to put them into their mouths. They haven't been self-feeding yet. They both like them but Jack seems to think they are one of the best foods he has tasted. Yesterday I put the trays on their highchairs really for the first time and poured out some Cheerios. To my surprise they both immediately grabbed a handful and tried to put them into their mouths. I made a huge fuss over them and they just kept trying. They don't get many in yet but it won't be long.

In the pool

So my mom got the boys a blow up pool. It has been pretty hot here and we needed a cool outside activity. They love it! Charlie especially is a water dog. They both love to kick and splash but Jack doesn't care too much for water in his face. He is getting a little better with it though. They are sitting up really well and that really helps them to enjoy it. Last night I just put them in the pool instead of giving them a regular bath. It really wears them out.

Moving and sitting still

It's happened. I've been looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time. They can move - in a direction, with a purpose. It's not so much that they can crawl. They've invented their own sort of inch worm way to get around. It basically involves laying on their bellies and folding themselves in half then pushing a little with their feet. For Jack it's actually kind of frustrating because its the same basic move he uses to turn over onto his back. about every third time he actually does turn over and then gets really mad. it takes him about 30 minutes to move about a foot and a half. Charlie is a little more efficient as he has figured out to bend one arm way back behind him (thus preventing that pesky roll over). He can move about 6 feet in 30 minutes. Last night he moved across the floor to get to his links on the playmat. After 30 minutes they are exhausted and so over it.

also, they can both sit up by themselves for about 10 minutes at a time now. Charlie has been doing this for a couple of weeks and can really "recover" when he gets off balance. Jack has been a little behind him and would only sit for a few seconds at a time until the last couple of days. Now he has caught up (as usually happens) and will probably figure out how to get in that position before Charlie does. That's what happens most of the time. Charlie practices and tries for weeks to do something and Jack shows almost no interest. Then one day Jack just does it and poor Charlie doesn't master it for a little while longer.

Bed Head

There is definitely some growing going on in our house. Everytime the boys sleep they seem to wake up with more hair. They've been sleeping quite a bit and at this rate we'll have to have their hair cut in no time at all. The other morning they both woke up with a really impressive case of bed head. Charlie's was especially wild. I just had to take some pictures. This one shows it off pretty well.

Off-line

So we've been off-line in lots of ways for a couple of weeks now. We made the big move! It was relatively uneventful thanks to lots of help from aunt Ria. But just before we left Jack came down with a cold and once we got here it just got worse. Then, as usually happens, Charlie got it too. After putting our entire routine aside for several days both boys are doing fine now.

Since our arrival we've had lots of help from family which is great. It's so great to know that the boys will grow up with lots of love and support. This weekend I went back to NC to visit Dah and go to some parties for his department. It was all hands on deck here. Maria, Phyllis, Mimi, Sara, Grandmomma and Grandpoppa all pitched in to watch the boys. It is wonderful to have help.

Here's a picture taken Friday morning before I left town. You can see the boys are already catching the volunteer spirit.