We enjoy the convenience of eating solid food...

We have a good friend who makes up song lyrics to closely mirror the originals yet speak to what's happening in the moment (a la Weird Al). Some of his favorites include "Why'd you have to go and make Ayden constipated?" ("Complicated" by Avril Lavigne) and the reference above: "We enjoy the convenience of eating solid food..." ("Solitude" by Edwin McCain). The Crowder Girls are beginning the process of solids!

So far we've started with Mary Beth. As the biggest baby, she is the most physical and, therefore, has the most neck control. She gets to be the guinea pig! She's been getting rice cereal twice a day this week. She doesn't really like it and still has a lot of tongue thrusting going on , but we're getting there. We're going to start Sam this Sunday and Delaney the next Sunday, probably. Delaney is still so floppy!

Our friend Carrie recommends oatmeal instead of rice cereal. She's one of those moms: the kind I sometimes aspire to be. She tastes everything that goes into her babies (food, formula, medicine, etc.). She can tell me, firsthand, that rice cereal tastes "iron-y" and that oatmeal is way better. I'm just not feeling the whole tasting baby food thing. I wish I was that...empathetic? It just goes to show that it takes all different kinds of moms and kids to make the world go round! Not better, not worse, just different.

Pa, Carrie, and I are going to a yard sale tomorrow. I'm hoping to pick up high chairs (seems like we're gonna need them soon!), another Exersaucer, and maybe a Jumperoo. Our house keeps getting smaller and smaller as we add all this baby stuff, but we're in a constant search for things that will keep babies entertained and happy. If they also keep them relatively quiet and stationary, all the better!!! I'm just not sure who decided yard sales have to start at 7:00 in the morning. I feel like I have to get there early so I get the best stuff, but WOW! That means I have to leave here at 6:30. I don't even have to get up that early if I'm feeding babies, and tomorrow's my day off! Oh well, I can always take a nap later. Tomorrow night should be fun: Jessica and Scott are coming over for a Games and Ice Cream night! Bobby and I realized we used to play board games almost every night, but haven't played even a quick card game since The Girls were born. So, we're going to actually stay up past The Girls' bedtime and act like adults with lives!!! We can pretend, right?!

All worth it...

The past few days I haven't felt 100%. Call it PMS or migraines or lack of sleep or stress or whatever, but I just don't feel like myself. But, when you wake up and see this...:

...it's all worthwhile. The Girls are getting cuter by the second. It's important for me to remember and to look at pictures like this from time to time. Especially now, when they're all supposed to be taking naps and they're all awake and two of them are crying!

We've planned our first big trip: all the Crowders are going to GG's in Virginia Beach for Thanksgiving! I can get my "Black Friday" shopping fix, and we can see some family and friends! I think GG has already started taking appointments for everyone to meet The Girls.

Before that, though, I've planned my first trip away from The Girls. Jessica and I are going to Myrtle Beach for the weekend in August. I think it will be awesome and can hardly wait. Yes, I'll miss my babies, but it will be nice to have some "Mommy Time," too!

That's about it for updates. We're in the throes of teething (none coming through yet, though!), and will start solids probably in the next few weeks. More later: Sam and Mary Beth are having a screaming competition!!!

WE HATE SHOTS!!!

The older the babies get, the harder it is to see them get shots! They look at you like, "Why are you doing this to me?!"...

Anyway, we all went to the doctor today for the Girls' four-month checkup. Everyone is doing well:

Delaney weighs 10 pounds 9 ounces and is 23.5 inches long. She is still the floppiest of the three and does not want to hold her head up yet. I keep telling her that the sooner she does, the sooner she can eat real food (Yay, peaches and squash!), but she doesn't care yet. Soon...

Mary Beth is our giant baby: She weighs 11 pounds 6 ounces and is 24 inches long! She is also now our best sleeper. We've stopped swaddling all the babies at night. As soon as you put Mary Beth down, she flips over onto her tummy. She sleeps for 4 and 5-hour stretches like that!

Samantha, who used to be the biggest baby, is now the smallest: She weighs 10 pounds 4 ounces and is 23 inches long. We're going to try her on another kind of formula with easier-to-digest proteins. Maybe that will help her eat more...

But, the doctor was pleased, and says we're doing a good job! Yay for validation!

Greetings From the Land of the Rested!

Our new schedule ROCKS! The Girls are still getting used to sleeping for so long, and it may require some tweaking, but it's definitely cool to only have one nighttime feeding! Daddy and I take turns, so the nights I'm not on duty I get as much as 9.5 hours sleep! Samantha doesn't like sleeping so much yet, and she's only slept the whole time once. But, I don't mind getting up so much now!

The Girls are much more vocal now. Samantha, especially, loves to grunt and squeal and make any noise she can! Delaney loves when you imitate the noises she makes. She thinks it's so funny! I really think she's German or French, because most of her noises are very phlegmy-sounding! Mary Beth "talks" the least, but is coming along. She is definitely the most physical of the three. She can roll over both ways, but rarely will roll from front to back. She LOVES to be on her tummy.

We go for the four-month check-up next week. I bet they weigh 12 pounds! (Probably between 10 and 11, but still!) I dread the shots, but love taking The Girls to the doctor. It's reassuring to hear a medical professional tell us we're doing an okay job raising our angels!

Time to find Mommy some lunch before the 11:30 feeding...