Crazy Eight!

I can't think of a more perfect title for this post because truly, life is C.R.A.Z.Y. and we LOVE it :)  The past month has been filled with a lot of learning, new skills, new food, many smiles, much laughter, new interests, and as always a WHOLE lot of love!  My girls are growing at a rapid speed.  I'm not just referring to their physical "chunkiness" but their development in general.  I mean, they are crawling and sitting up, people!  They are going on play dates and attending birthday parties!  They are growing up before my very eyes and while I love it, it makes me so, very sad.  I feel like I'm going to go to sleep one night and wake up as a grandma!  Regardless of how fast it continues to fly by, we are enjoying every.last.second. of it and wouldn't trade any of it for the world!

At 8 months you girls:

• Are wearing a variety of sizes depending on brand.  These sizes consist of: 3-6, 6, and 6-9 (12's in swimsuits).
• Just started wearing size 3 diapers during the day and size 4 at night.
• Are taking 2 naps a day, one from about 10am-11am and the other from about 2pm-5pm (this is give or take on any given day).
• Are still sleeping for about 10-12 hours a night....and sometimes even closer to 13 to 14 hours!  We thank you for this :)
• Even though you don't always choose to, you clearly are capable of holding your own bottles.
• Have mastered the army crawl and are now crawling ALL over the place.  Yes, this includes crawling ALL over your mommy and daddy!  Oh, and we never get to go the bathroom alone now.
• Avari~You do this cute little thing where you are crying and then start laughing suddenly.  I think you just can't decide if you are happy or sad ;)
• Have a new little, cute as a button, friend, Lilah Elizabeth!
• Have been to yet ANOTHER birthday party for a sweet little friend.
• Made daddy super proud and honored to celebrate this very special, first Father's Day!
• Are officially members of the Little Gym (in the "bugs" class) and although it's a busy morning for us with it being immediately after bible study, you seem to really love it!
• Have made a lot of new little friends at the above mentioned Little Gym.
• Thanks to great friends, were able to attend another play group with our ABF gang at the Firethorne splash pad!
• For some odd reason, you love to play with water bottles!  This is okay with us as it is a cheap form of entertainment ;)
• Are starting to really interact with one another and we pray this is the start of a beautiful, lifelong friendship!
• Can now sit in big girl high chairs at restaurants and in grocery carts at the grocery store!
• Emeri~You are such a little climber and have taught your mom and dad a few lessons on baby proofing ;)
• Have a weird obsession with door stoppers.  I guess it has something to do with the fact that when you hit it, it makes this fun little noise :) This has also caused us to go around and take off all the little bitty white pieces that you could so easily swallow....and yes, you helped us take them all off!
• Are starting to smile more FOR.THE.CAMERA.  It's a miracle...truly!
• Have now experienced drinking juice...and I have to say, it's clearly a winner.
• LOVE to play with shoes of any kind and especially love daddy's tennis shoes...they have laces that we can untie ;)
• Really take the whole "twin" thing seriously.  It never fails that if one of you gets a bruise, the other one will get one soon after in the EXACT same spot!
• Are super difficult to change (diapers and clothes), feed, and burp right now as you ALWAYS want to be on the move!
• Are both teething something terrible which has made for some rough nights....for you guys and us :(
• Love, love, love to be tickled.....whether it be on your tummy or on the bottom of your feet, this always brings out your sweet little giggles :)
• Have had our first sleepover with our friend Sophia....it just so happens it was because her momma was in labor!
• Have participated in our first play date and love that it was with our good pal, Owen :)
• Are officially sitting up!  It's interesting that this came after crawling but whatever order it happened in, you are now able to do it and do it well!  Avari~you started sitting up on 6/9 and Emeri~you started sitting up on 6/12.  Mommy and Daddy are so, so proud of you both :)
• Are taking 6-9 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours and eating baby food 3 times a day.  We have now added several things to our menu consisting of: asparagus, carrots, peaches, avocado, and cottage cheese.  Asparagus and cottage cheese are not your favorite....and here I was thinking we'd NEVER find something you didn't like to eat ;)
• Always put your hands in your mouth while eating and LOVE to squish the food between your fingers....mommy sure does love cleaning up your messes (*sigh*)
• Emeri~You started pulling up on 6/27 making us realize just how much trouble we are really in for :)
• Avari~You love to growl which is the funniest thing!  It has become a game for us.  We will growl, and you growl in return :)
• Emeri~You poor little thing....you still have the goopiest eyes and hate, hate, hate to get them cleaned :(
• Love the dogs and have now started chasing them...they kind of don't have a chance with two coming towards them at once.
• Melt our hearts every time you "crawl" to us.  We love that y'all want to be with us and make such a valiant effort to get to where we are.
• Love spending time with your Soph!  That girl can make you laugh like no other :)
• Have finally stayed with your very first babysitter, Lauren!  Although this was very difficult for us, we needed a night out with some friends (yes, mommy and daddy do need "us" time).  But don't worry, we did the necessary research to make sure that you were absolutely safe with this girl.  She turned out to be pretty amazing and I'm pretty sure y'all loved her :)
• Both have a birth mark (just like mommy) on one leg opposite from each other (mirror image twins?!).
• Avari~You are such a little poser and love to lie on your side as if you are modeling....is this a sign of things to come?!
• Were right in the middle of your FIRST mini-vacation when you turned 8 months old therefore have attended your first minor league baseball game, celebrated your first 4th of July, experienced your first overnight stay in a hotel, taken a big girl bath, and went to the beach for the first time...and loved it all :)
• Have an uncanny way of making mommy happy even when I am sad!
• Are still, forever and always, the absolute loves of your mommy's and daddy's lives!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

8 Months Old

(actual date: Wednesday, July 4, 2012)

Avari Hope

Emeri Faith

 Sisters & Best Friends