Lucy and Ellory- Four month photos.

I had meant to take three month pictures of the girls with my sister, and I saw her three different times in the last month and forgot each time. Oops. By the time we got around to it they were four months already. Taking pictures of babies is hard work! I'm no professional, but it was super fun, too, when they are this cute. :) 

My favorite (postpartum) clothing items.

Since becoming a mom, I've become more lax in how I dress, and also more choosy at the same time. When I say lax, I mean that I don't have to dress up for work, and when I say choosy, I mean that I am super active with the girls and I want to be very comfortable.

Also, with being pregnant twice in the last few years, my body has fluctuated a lot, so elastic waistbands are definitely my friend. So I've tried to find nice pairs so I look like I'm wearing real pants but feel like I'm wearing sweatpants. It's a tricky line. :) For tops, I've said that I'm looking for high and low- high (enough) on the top so you can't see anything when I bend over and when my children yank on it, and low (enough) on the bottom so I don't have to worry about it hiking up when I bend over or am holding children. This is crucial because I am bending over/on the floor, or holding kids, a great majority of my day.

As I've gotten older, I've also learned to appreciate quality pieces because I will wear them more and they last longer. Sometimes more expensive is worth it if it will be a staple and last for years.

So, here are some of my favorite pieces. (That are somewhat recently new, so you can still actually buy them. I still have a few old favorites that I love so much, but they are pretty old so they aren't available anymore. I definitely don't shop that much to have all my clothes be that current!)

1. Gap Breathe V Neck Tee- I have 4 of these, and I am not ashamed. They are amazing- very comfortable, long enough, and the v neck is perfect and I don't have to wear a tank underneath.

2. Nike Sportswear Gym Vintage Hoodie- This was a recent purchase and I am confident it will be a favorite. Everyone needs a classic gray zip up. The arms are nice and long (something I sometimes struggle to find), and it's very soft. I like wearing zip-ups much more than a regular sweatshirt.

3. Old Navy Go-Dry Semi Fitted Woven Tapered Pants- These are another recent purchase that I love. They are "nice sweatpants" so I don't feel bad wearing them out. They have an elastic waistband (perfect since I recently had twins), and they are the go dry material so they are easy to wipe spit up off of. Win. 

4. Old Navy Lightweight Lace-Up Top- This top definitely fits my "high-low" requirements, and it's loose and soft too. 

5. Reef Black Stargazer Sandals- Black flip-flops are a staple, and these fit the bill. I like the subtle glitter, and they are super comfy to walk in.

6. Athleta Trekkie Jogger- I have had two pairs of these for a couple years (navy and dark green), and they are a go-to pant for sure. Very comfortable, and easy to dress down or dress a tad nicer.

7. Athleta Batik Ankle Pant- These were an after twin gift, and I have loved them so far. They are elastic in the back, drawstring in the front, so very comfy for postpartum. I like the subtle pattern on them too- a bit different but not too wild.

If you have any favorite items I should know about, let me know!

Father's Day summer fun in Des Moines.

We went to Des Moines for the weekend to celebrate my dad's birthday and Father's Day. It was a fun time! My sister from Minneapolis was there too, so we got to see the whole family (except for Zack, her husband). Thankfully, Lucy and Ellory like their car seats and slept almost the whole way, and they slept well at night there too. Way to go, girls!

The past few visits, Norah has loved this car, but the battery wasn't working, so she would just sit on it in the garage and pretend drive. My parents got a new battery for it this time, but Norah was a little fearful of it actually moving. I'm sure she'll warm up to it!

Daddy trying to teach her how to drive it- she would sit in it while moving, but only if someone else pushed the pedal and steered her. 

We hit up the pool for some swimming and Norah had a blast. 

Norah is getting braver this summer! She is getting better about putting her face in/head under, and even went down the slide in the deep end where her head went under several times!

Kley, happy Father's Day! You are an amazing dad (along with my dad and father-in-law also!). Watching you with our girls is so great. I told him that I was so thankful he is so reliable, and he is so valuable, both to me and the girls. Having a Godly, stable man in their lives is such a blessing. I know there are many kids out there who don't have that, and I am so thankful for you, Kley! I hope that by you loving us so well, that they will be able to trust even more deeply how reliable their Heavenly Father is and how much He loves them.

Lucy and Ellory- Four months.

Lucy and Ellory are four months! This was a good month. They are such sweet babies! I remember the first two months being the hardest with Norah, and I would say the same this time around too. I feel better as they are sleeping better, and we are all figuring each other out more and getting into a new normal. Not that it's easy, but more manageable. I told Kley that we need to treasure this time before they start becoming mobile. That won't be bad, but will definitely keep us on our toes more! They are cooing and occasionally giggling and it's the best ever! We took our first trip to Des Moines this month and they did great- way better than I thought they would!

Stats/doctor visits: I took them to the doctor to be weighed on 6/12, at 15 weeks, specifically because I wanted to see what Lucy weighed to make sure she was gaining. Ellory was 12 lbs 15 oz, and Lucy was 11 lbs 1 oz. Since their last appointment at two months, Ellory had gained 3 lbs 1 oz, and Lucy had gained two pounds, so Ellory is only one ounce shy of being a full two pounds bigger. Thankfully, Lucy is doing okay and she is just a peanut. She had remained in her same percentile for weight, so she didn't go down at least.

At their four month appointment, Ellory was 24” (30%), 13 lbs 8 oz (35%), and head circumference 16” (52%). Those percentages are for the “normal” babies, but her adjusted percentages (because she was a preemie), are about 60% for weight, slightly below 50% for length, and about 80% for HC. Since her two month appointment, she had gained 3 lbs 10 oz. Lucy was 24.25” (41%), 11 lbs 6 oz (4%), and head circumference 15.75” (32%). Her adjusted percentages are slightly below 50% for weight, slightly less than 90% for length, and about 75% for HC. Since her two month appointment, she had gained 2 lbs 5 oz. Adjusted age is based off their due date, so since they were born 4.5 weeks early, those percentages are compared with that age instead of their chronological age (so basically comparing them to other three month babies instead of four month babies).

Feeding: Their feedings vary a tad depending on how they sleep at night, but overall still the same with eating about every three hours during the day and sometimes once at night. So, they have an early morning, midmorning, early afternoon, late afternoon, evening, and bedtime feeding. They have an evening bottle, and an afternoon bottle if I have help (because trying to get Norah to nap, bottle feed, and pump by myself is a lot!), with fortified milk (my breast milk mixed with special preemie formula to make it higher calorie) to help them gain weight. They bumped up a little, and Ellory drinks 4 oz and Lucy drinks 3.5. Ellory drinks/nurses like a champion and never leaves any behind. Lucy nurses pretty well, but sometimes has trouble with the bottle. She will either drink it fine without issue, or have big problems and gag/spit the nipple out. We can't figure out why!

Diapers/clothes: Both are still in size 1 diapers and 3 month clothes. Ellory is about maxing them out, but Lucy still fits well in them. I put away all the 0-3 month clothes at 14 weeks, so they just have 3 month and a few 3-6 month things (at 15 weeks). The 3-6 month are still a tad big, but I put one on Ellory and it wasn't as big as I thought it would be. They are growing quickly! Hard to believe they were only five pounds when they were born!

Sleeping: They are sleeping much better and we are so thankful! Getting more sleep at night feels so amazing. It already feels shocking that we were up with them so often in the night not that long ago. The first time they slept through the night was 5/30 at 13 weeks. After a trip to Des Moines where they slept in their own pack and plays, we kept it going and put them in their own cribs at 13 weeks. They are usually asleep by 11 and sometimes sleep through the night (hallelujah!) until 7:30-8, with sometimes just waking once around 5. Most mornings they go back to sleep until between 9:30-10:30. We are not taking for granted what a gift good sleep is! Lucy is easier to get to sleep than Ellory, and seems to nap a bit more than Ellory during the day.. Ellory sometimes cries when we lay her down and needs more rocking/coaxing to sleep.

Developments: The smiles, giggles, and coos are the best! Lucy is more talkative and Ellory is more smiley. We heard Ellory's first giggle at 14 weeks and Lucy's at 16 weeks. They are starting to grab things more, especially Lucy. Lucy loves to blow spit bubbles. We've said that Lucy has more leg strength and likes to be more straight out, and Ellory likes to be more balled up and has more core/head strength. Ellory is still the more content baby, but Lucy isn't bad- she just likes to be held more! They are moving more too, and aren't in the same spot you left them. You cannot leave Lucy alone on the Boppy loungers anymore, as she digs her heals in and throws her head off the back, and has even flung herself off onto the couch a couple times.

Favorites: Ellory still likes her paci sometimes, but not as much as she used to. She started sucking her right thumb, especially in her crib, just like Norah. Lucy doesn't like her paci or her thumb. They both really like taking baths and being in the water. They, thankfully, like their car seats and almost always sleep in the car. Ellory especially likes to face outward now when being held. Lucy likes to listen to quiet music, and it seems to calm her when upset. They like to look at the animals on their activity mat, and love to watch the fan spin. They don't really have a favorite seat or spot to be, and seem to like them all. We love you both so much!

Lucy kept trying to rip the sticker off!

We call this her bug eye look, she makes it quite often- whenever something remotely startling or different happens, like the camera flash!