Eden testing the water
Sebastien was holding on pretty tight to Daddy.
Family picture
Looking cool in his sunglasses
Pineapple princess
Daddy, those are MY sunglasses!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Summer Fun
Sebastien and Eden went for their first swim in Grandma Tuls' big pool today. They were both a little nervous at first, but seemed to be more comfortable after awhile. It does seem like it might take some practice. Luckily their mommy loves to go swimming in Grandma's pool, so we'll have lots of opportunities to get wet.
Eden testing the water
Sebastien was holding on pretty tight to Daddy.
Family picture
Looking cool in his sunglasses
Pineapple princess
Daddy, those are MY sunglasses!
Eden testing the water
Sebastien was holding on pretty tight to Daddy.
Family picture
Looking cool in his sunglasses
Pineapple princess
Daddy, those are MY sunglasses!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Individuals
With twins, you try to keep a lot of things the same for your own sake - same sleeping/eating schedule, same food, same method of feeding... Which brings me to my point. We can keep things the same all we want, but (thankfully!) individual personalities are going to show. Take eating, for instance. These days, Eden tends to get through a meal unscathed....
(Note the clean tray, the relatively clean face.)
While Sebastien makes a mess of himself and everything around him.
Other things they're into...
Standing. Sebastien is a pro at standing (not on his own yet) while Eden still wants to stick her little booty out most of the time.
Walking. Sebastien wants to walk whenever and wherever he can. Eden also likes to walk but often gets so excited she forgets to step.
Waving. This is Eden. Yes, Eden wearing blue.
Feeding themselves.
While I don't have a picture to prove it yet, we're also experimenting with a lot more finger food. Admittedly, they were probably ready for this earlier than I was. They've done great with Cheerios for awhile, but I have this fear of them choking... I finally just had to get over it for the sake of their development. So, we're trying "new" things like bread, peas, carrots, bananas, etc. They've done great, and have had some interesting diapers since. (Sorry, but it had to be said.)
Being goofy. Ok this was just an excuse for me to post this picture.
I don't want to perpetuate any myths here. People often ask me if they still share a crib. They haven't shared a crib since before they were 3 months old. If they shared a crib these days, they would steamroll each other all night long and nobody would get any sleep. :)
(Note the clean tray, the relatively clean face.)
While Sebastien makes a mess of himself and everything around him.
Other things they're into...
Standing. Sebastien is a pro at standing (not on his own yet) while Eden still wants to stick her little booty out most of the time.
Walking. Sebastien wants to walk whenever and wherever he can. Eden also likes to walk but often gets so excited she forgets to step.
Waving. This is Eden. Yes, Eden wearing blue.
Feeding themselves.
While I don't have a picture to prove it yet, we're also experimenting with a lot more finger food. Admittedly, they were probably ready for this earlier than I was. They've done great with Cheerios for awhile, but I have this fear of them choking... I finally just had to get over it for the sake of their development. So, we're trying "new" things like bread, peas, carrots, bananas, etc. They've done great, and have had some interesting diapers since. (Sorry, but it had to be said.)
Being goofy. Ok this was just an excuse for me to post this picture.
I don't want to perpetuate any myths here. People often ask me if they still share a crib. They haven't shared a crib since before they were 3 months old. If they shared a crib these days, they would steamroll each other all night long and nobody would get any sleep. :)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
New Challenges at 9 Months
Things are changing around here. While no one is crawling yet, I think it's safe to say that our days of sitting nicely on a blanket and playing are over. Sebastien is wanting to be on the move all the time, which is fun to see. He loves to roll around, and uses that as his primary means of transportation. He also now loves to hold fingers and try to walk, and wants to be standing rather than sitting most of the time.
Eden has been experiencing some changes as well. She has reached a point in her development where she wants to spend a lot of her time being with her mommy. By this, I mean being in some sort of physical contact with mom - standing on mom's lap, holding on to mom's fingers, sitting in mom's lap to play, touching mom's face, etc. Eden's arms are often reaching out to be held. (She's such a sweetie.)
Now those who know Eden's mommy (who is the affectionate type) knows that this is heavenly for her. However, it is also somewhat of a challenge, given Sebastien's need for safety, support and supervision, and some cuddling as well. I can't help Sebastien stand and walk around while I have Eden on my lap. Or, actually, I CAN, or at least I try, but not to either of their satisfaction. So I feel as though I am juggling between what the two of them want/need, and there is often one at least semi-unhappy child.
Again, those of you who know me know that I like to please people. And I especially want to please these little darlings who I adore so much. So, this has been draining on me.
I am optimistic that it will not always be exactly like this. But I also understand that I will spend more and more time chasing these two the more mobile they become. I think I am just finding, as any mom finds, that things are always changing and that with each new and exciting stage, there are new challenges that come with it.
Mostly, though, I try to remember to not wish away time. There is so much that I enjoy about my two little nine-monthers, and keeping those things in mind helps to energize me in the midst of the challenges.
Eden has been experiencing some changes as well. She has reached a point in her development where she wants to spend a lot of her time being with her mommy. By this, I mean being in some sort of physical contact with mom - standing on mom's lap, holding on to mom's fingers, sitting in mom's lap to play, touching mom's face, etc. Eden's arms are often reaching out to be held. (She's such a sweetie.)
Now those who know Eden's mommy (who is the affectionate type) knows that this is heavenly for her. However, it is also somewhat of a challenge, given Sebastien's need for safety, support and supervision, and some cuddling as well. I can't help Sebastien stand and walk around while I have Eden on my lap. Or, actually, I CAN, or at least I try, but not to either of their satisfaction. So I feel as though I am juggling between what the two of them want/need, and there is often one at least semi-unhappy child.
Again, those of you who know me know that I like to please people. And I especially want to please these little darlings who I adore so much. So, this has been draining on me.
I am optimistic that it will not always be exactly like this. But I also understand that I will spend more and more time chasing these two the more mobile they become. I think I am just finding, as any mom finds, that things are always changing and that with each new and exciting stage, there are new challenges that come with it.
Mostly, though, I try to remember to not wish away time. There is so much that I enjoy about my two little nine-monthers, and keeping those things in mind helps to energize me in the midst of the challenges.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Sleep
For as long as I can remember, I (Caryn) have had a tough time falling asleep. I can sleep great once I fall asleep, and I can nap with the best of them... but falling asleep has always been a struggle. I think it's hereditary.
During the first half of my pregnancy, I was exhausted all of the time. Luckily, and to my surprise, I could go to bed early and fall right to sleep. Within seconds of hitting the pillow, I would be sound asleep. It was a new feeling. I liked it.
When mid-pregnancy hit, so did bed-rest, discomfort, using the bathroom every hour during the night, etc. And I was back to sleeping troubles.
Eden and Sebastien were born, and naturally I went mostly without sleep. A good day contained about two to three hours of sleep total. That lasted for the first few months. But even after Sebastien and Eden dropped their night feedings, they both woke up needing this or that quite frequently, and I still felt somewhat zombie-like and sleep deprived.
During that time, I fell asleep very easily because I was beyond exhausted. I felt as though I would never have trouble sleeping again. I thought I would never again lie awake in bed, practicing different guided imagery, taking deep breaths, counting the passing hours, or any other various practices that I have used over the years.
Just over 7 months, something magical happened. Sebastien (who at that time was the one keeping us up more) learned to roll to his stomach. Now, I know "back to sleep" so we lay him on his back at night, but he started to roll himself over and sleep very soundly all night long. It was and is a beautiful thing. And I thought, Great! They're sleeping all night, now I can too!
So, here we are at nearly 9 months... and sure enough, Eden and Sebastien generally sleep fairly soundly most nights. And sure enough, I don't. I'm back to insomnia. I'm tired, I really am. But I lay there at night, back to my old ways. Strange, isn't it?
Oh, and here are some cute pictures of the kids, because I know I have certain readers who are really only interested in seeing Sebastien and Eden.
Here's Eden doing her thing - she reaches out a lot, trying to wave, trying to touch faces, sharing toys, sharing her paci. She's a very sweet little girl.
This is something funny Sebastien does a lot with mirrors. I hope it doesn't mean that he has vision problems or something. But he likes to put his face up really close and look in his own eyes.
During the first half of my pregnancy, I was exhausted all of the time. Luckily, and to my surprise, I could go to bed early and fall right to sleep. Within seconds of hitting the pillow, I would be sound asleep. It was a new feeling. I liked it.
When mid-pregnancy hit, so did bed-rest, discomfort, using the bathroom every hour during the night, etc. And I was back to sleeping troubles.
Eden and Sebastien were born, and naturally I went mostly without sleep. A good day contained about two to three hours of sleep total. That lasted for the first few months. But even after Sebastien and Eden dropped their night feedings, they both woke up needing this or that quite frequently, and I still felt somewhat zombie-like and sleep deprived.
During that time, I fell asleep very easily because I was beyond exhausted. I felt as though I would never have trouble sleeping again. I thought I would never again lie awake in bed, practicing different guided imagery, taking deep breaths, counting the passing hours, or any other various practices that I have used over the years.
Just over 7 months, something magical happened. Sebastien (who at that time was the one keeping us up more) learned to roll to his stomach. Now, I know "back to sleep" so we lay him on his back at night, but he started to roll himself over and sleep very soundly all night long. It was and is a beautiful thing. And I thought, Great! They're sleeping all night, now I can too!
So, here we are at nearly 9 months... and sure enough, Eden and Sebastien generally sleep fairly soundly most nights. And sure enough, I don't. I'm back to insomnia. I'm tired, I really am. But I lay there at night, back to my old ways. Strange, isn't it?
Oh, and here are some cute pictures of the kids, because I know I have certain readers who are really only interested in seeing Sebastien and Eden.
Here's Eden doing her thing - she reaches out a lot, trying to wave, trying to touch faces, sharing toys, sharing her paci. She's a very sweet little girl.
This is something funny Sebastien does a lot with mirrors. I hope it doesn't mean that he has vision problems or something. But he likes to put his face up really close and look in his own eyes.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Life at 7 Months
Eden and Sebastien are doing so well! They both are sitting up with confidence now, although they are not above doing a nose dive or toppling backwards every now and then. They are doing lots of babbling - mamama, dadadada, babababa, etc. Especially Sebastien - he is quite a talker. He has also learned to blow little spit bubbles (raspberries) and he enjoys that quite a bit.
Rolling over is still a bit of a challenge. Eden can roll tummy to back, but doesn't do it very often. Sebastien hasn't rolled either way yet without help from us. They are both getting close to rolling back to tummy, but haven't quite figured out how to get their arm out of the way.
Night time sleep is going much better. They have not needed night time feedings since they were three months old, but both of them woke up a lot during the night needing their paci replaced. About a month ago, we realized that Eden was consistently sleeping very well, with only 1 or 2 times that she needed us; we were mostly getting up to help Sebastien (sometimes 8-9 times a night!) However, recently he seems to have turned a corner, and only needs us about 3 times a night. Over all, we feel very lucky. They are never inconsolable when they wake up in the middle of the night - they just need a little soothing, a paci, and they're right back to sleep.
Nap times are a different story. They take 3 naps a day, but they are short naps, sometimes only a half-hour. It is a very rare occurrence that either sleep over an hour. This can be frustrating, but we have a pretty steady and consistent rhythm to our days, so it's tough to complain.
Now, before you tell us about sleep cycles and letting them cry it out... let me tell you... My twins wake each other up with their crying, so crying it out does not seem to be a real option for us. The times that we have tried it, it has left Sebastien and Eden frustrated and tired. Just as one has finally calmed down and drifted off to almost sleep, the other's loud cries wake him/her up, and it starts all over again. Now, granted, our kids fall asleep very easily, so we do not have to do this at night. We have only tried it for naps, and only once they wake up after only 25 or 30 minutes. So maybe this is not what "crying it out" is intended for.
Besides being our big talker, Sebastien continues to have a pretty easy going personality. He is good at playing independently, and is pretty happy a lot of the time. His laugh is completely contagious and we stand on our heads trying to keep it going! Sebastien is also very cuddly. He melts our hearts when he buries his head in our chest or shoulder and wraps his arms around our necks, as if giving us a hug. (Eden does that too, by the way. We love it!)
Eden has tricked a lot of people into thinking that she is "serious." She's not! Eden's smile is like sunshine. Her eyes get bright and her mouth opens so wide with her smile. She has fooled people because she continues to our more "sensitive" child. She takes her time taking it all in when we go out of the house or when people come to see us, and she focuses on her surrounding by furrowing her brow. But rest assured she is a very happy baby, smiling and giggling at us frequently. Especially at daddy, she thinks he is hilarious. She is also still our little wiggle box, always on the move.
Sebastien and Eden are eating very well and gaining weight. At their six month appointment, Sebastien weighed 16 1/2 pounds and Eden weighed 14 lbs 15 oz. They're eating cereal, vegetables and fruit at two feedings a day along with a bottle, and really seem to enjoy it. They are also still nursing at 3 feedings a day.
Overall, things are going so great! Sebastien and Eden fill our lives with joy and our hearts melt with their smiles and their voices. We are having so much fun watching them grow and learn.
Rolling over is still a bit of a challenge. Eden can roll tummy to back, but doesn't do it very often. Sebastien hasn't rolled either way yet without help from us. They are both getting close to rolling back to tummy, but haven't quite figured out how to get their arm out of the way.
Night time sleep is going much better. They have not needed night time feedings since they were three months old, but both of them woke up a lot during the night needing their paci replaced. About a month ago, we realized that Eden was consistently sleeping very well, with only 1 or 2 times that she needed us; we were mostly getting up to help Sebastien (sometimes 8-9 times a night!) However, recently he seems to have turned a corner, and only needs us about 3 times a night. Over all, we feel very lucky. They are never inconsolable when they wake up in the middle of the night - they just need a little soothing, a paci, and they're right back to sleep.
Nap times are a different story. They take 3 naps a day, but they are short naps, sometimes only a half-hour. It is a very rare occurrence that either sleep over an hour. This can be frustrating, but we have a pretty steady and consistent rhythm to our days, so it's tough to complain.
Now, before you tell us about sleep cycles and letting them cry it out... let me tell you... My twins wake each other up with their crying, so crying it out does not seem to be a real option for us. The times that we have tried it, it has left Sebastien and Eden frustrated and tired. Just as one has finally calmed down and drifted off to almost sleep, the other's loud cries wake him/her up, and it starts all over again. Now, granted, our kids fall asleep very easily, so we do not have to do this at night. We have only tried it for naps, and only once they wake up after only 25 or 30 minutes. So maybe this is not what "crying it out" is intended for.
Besides being our big talker, Sebastien continues to have a pretty easy going personality. He is good at playing independently, and is pretty happy a lot of the time. His laugh is completely contagious and we stand on our heads trying to keep it going! Sebastien is also very cuddly. He melts our hearts when he buries his head in our chest or shoulder and wraps his arms around our necks, as if giving us a hug. (Eden does that too, by the way. We love it!)
Eden has tricked a lot of people into thinking that she is "serious." She's not! Eden's smile is like sunshine. Her eyes get bright and her mouth opens so wide with her smile. She has fooled people because she continues to our more "sensitive" child. She takes her time taking it all in when we go out of the house or when people come to see us, and she focuses on her surrounding by furrowing her brow. But rest assured she is a very happy baby, smiling and giggling at us frequently. Especially at daddy, she thinks he is hilarious. She is also still our little wiggle box, always on the move.
Sebastien and Eden are eating very well and gaining weight. At their six month appointment, Sebastien weighed 16 1/2 pounds and Eden weighed 14 lbs 15 oz. They're eating cereal, vegetables and fruit at two feedings a day along with a bottle, and really seem to enjoy it. They are also still nursing at 3 feedings a day.
Overall, things are going so great! Sebastien and Eden fill our lives with joy and our hearts melt with their smiles and their voices. We are having so much fun watching them grow and learn.
Friday, January 16, 2009
6 Months Old!
We celebrated Sebastien and Eden's half-birthday by looking back at that gajillions of pictures that we've taken. We smiled at all the photos of the tiny little babies that we brought home for the hospital. What an amazing blessing to take those little peanuts home and watch them grow into healthy, strong 6-month-olds.
We have our doctor appointment next week so I don't have a weight update yet. In the meantime, you can marvel with us at how far we've come already in the past 6 months.
Little Eden in her swing
Tiny Sebastien getting his tiny diaper changed
All small and wriggly in their baggy preemie clothes
And here are pictures of them from yesterday.
We have our doctor appointment next week so I don't have a weight update yet. In the meantime, you can marvel with us at how far we've come already in the past 6 months.
Little Eden in her swing
Tiny Sebastien getting his tiny diaper changed
All small and wriggly in their baggy preemie clothes
And here are pictures of them from yesterday.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Merry Christmas
This year we decided to send a Christmas letter via email - however, I don't think everyone realized that there was a letter attached the email. So, I'm posting the letter on our blog, just in case you missed it. :)
Merry Christmas!
We find ourselves celebrating and feeling very thankful this holiday season. This has been a year of abundant blessings for us.
After a high risk pregnancy and 12 weeks of bed rest, we welcomed Sebastien and Eden into our family! They joined us on July 15, beautiful and totally healthy. Since then, life has been completely different! But it is a change we longed for and are thrilled with.
Eden Kay is our little wiggle worm. She already loves to stand on our laps (with our help of course) and is working really hard at rolling over. She is very sweet and wakes up smiling most mornings.
Sebastien Adam is pretty easy going. He weighs about two pounds more than Eden, and continues to grow like a weed. Sebastien loves to suck his thumb and he is becoming quite a talker. He is also very cuddly.
Adam is working full time at Words of Hope in Grand Rapids. He works on an International Radio program called Spotlight. He enjoys this work and hopes to be able to continue doing it for awhile.
Caryn started the year working full time at Bethany Christian Services, where she works in the Counseling Center doing individual and family therapy. However, for baby-related reasons, Caryn was off from work for over six months. Upon returning to Bethany this fall, Caryn is now working just a couple days a week. She is thankful for two jobs she loves – one at home with Sebastien and Eden, and one outside the home at Bethany.
We are praying that this letter finds you all happy, healthy and celebrating the birth of Christ this holiday season.
Merry Christmas!
We find ourselves celebrating and feeling very thankful this holiday season. This has been a year of abundant blessings for us.
After a high risk pregnancy and 12 weeks of bed rest, we welcomed Sebastien and Eden into our family! They joined us on July 15, beautiful and totally healthy. Since then, life has been completely different! But it is a change we longed for and are thrilled with.
Eden Kay is our little wiggle worm. She already loves to stand on our laps (with our help of course) and is working really hard at rolling over. She is very sweet and wakes up smiling most mornings.
Sebastien Adam is pretty easy going. He weighs about two pounds more than Eden, and continues to grow like a weed. Sebastien loves to suck his thumb and he is becoming quite a talker. He is also very cuddly.
Adam is working full time at Words of Hope in Grand Rapids. He works on an International Radio program called Spotlight. He enjoys this work and hopes to be able to continue doing it for awhile.
Caryn started the year working full time at Bethany Christian Services, where she works in the Counseling Center doing individual and family therapy. However, for baby-related reasons, Caryn was off from work for over six months. Upon returning to Bethany this fall, Caryn is now working just a couple days a week. She is thankful for two jobs she loves – one at home with Sebastien and Eden, and one outside the home at Bethany.
We are praying that this letter finds you all happy, healthy and celebrating the birth of Christ this holiday season.
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