We had their 6 month checkup on the day they turned 7 months. Ha! They are both healthy and growing. Here are their stats:
William James
Weight: 20 pounds, 6 ounces (84th percentile)
Height: 27.5 inches (63rd percentile)
Head: 46 cm (94th percentile)
Mary Elizabeth:
Weight: 17 pounds, 13 ounces (68th percentile)
Height: 27 inches (71st percentile)
Head: 44.5 cm (89th percentile)
As far as eating goes, they get both breastmilk and formula (I give them everything I can pump, and they get formula the rest of the time). They also get 2-3 spoon feedings per day. They had a reaction to carrots but have otherwise tolerated everything pretty well. They love bananas, oatmeal, pears, apples, peas, apricots, mango, papaya, squash, sweet potatoes, and yogurt. We recently added blueberries, and they were a smashing success. They were not crazy about avocado, which surprised me, but have eaten basically everything they have been offered. We have introduced the sippy cup, and they LOVE water. Mary Elizabeth is especially interested when she sees us eat, and she always begins smacking her lips and reaching for whatever we are eating.
Developmentally, they are making big strides. Mary Elizabeth was our first twin to pull up and begin standing, and William was not far behind (especially when he saw how much fun she was having pulling up in the crib). This past week (at just under 7.5 months), both babies officially began to crawl. William was first, but Mary Elizabeth wouldn't be outdone and decided to crawl herself the very next day! Both babies are also pulling up on almost everything and love to stand - though they often forget to hang on and come crashing down. I love this part of baby-hood. They will stand up and WANT to sit down, but not really know how to do it, or they'll stand up and want to stay standing -- but fall down instead.
Here are a couple of videos of our new crawlers:
William also has one tooth that broke through a few days after turning 7 months old. The second bottom tooth is definitely working its way through, and it doesn't look like Mary Elizabeth is on the verge of cutting anything yet. (Robert didn't get his first tooth until he was 9 months old, so I really was surprised when William's popped through!).
The new mobility (and teething) has caused a huge hiccup in sleeping. We had worked hard to develop a pretty good sleep schedule, which had developed into bedtime at about 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. The babies would generally sleep about 7 or 8 hours, wake for a bottle, and then go back to sleep until about 5:30 or 6:00 a.m., sometimes later. Typically, we give them their last daytime bottle right before sleeping. Now, I know all the "experts" say don't give the babies a bottle in their cribs, but the vast majority of the babies' bottles are given using a bottle propping technique (lay them in their carseats or on a boppy and prop the bottle so that both can eat at the same time). So, it's generally easier to just give them the final bottle propped on a boppy in the crib. I sit just outside the door to make sure they're okay, then go back in, remove the boppy, and they drift into dreamland. It was a perfect little routine. Until mobility. Now, I lay them down to take the bottle, and they take about 1/2 then decide they want to stand up and laugh at each other. Or, I finally get the bottle down them and leave, only to hear them up and screaming/laughing/talking to one another. The bedtime hour has become PARTY TIME. We will work through it, I'm sure -- but last night I found myself bent over so that Mary Elizabeth couldn't make eye contact with me while I kept a firm hand on her belly to prevent her from popping up while she was taking her bottle. At the same time, William in the other crib was standing up and pulling on the hair of my bent-over head. When M.E. was finished eating, I left the room, and about an hour and a half later, they finally went to sleep. Whew!
Here is a video this week of Mary Elizabeth's bedtime fun.... at the end, I pan over to William (who you can barely see --- sound asleep!). Also, excuse the sound machine. :-)
For some reason, I can't get the video to embed -- so here is the link:
And here is another funny video of Mary Elizabeth keeping herself awake...
They are such good babies, and we are so lucky in that regard. They are independent little guys and do not require a lot of attention, though they love to receive it. Robert remains their favorite person, and their little faces light up when he enters the room. Mary Elizabeth immediately begins kicking her feet in excitement, and William begins flapping his arms! They love their big brother! And, Robert loves them. He has shown very little jealousy and instead loves to help out with them however he can. When we are out in public and people approach, he always puts his body between the person and the babies, and he always introduces them and points out who is the girl and who is the boy!
And one more 7-month video, just for fun --- Friday night excitement at the Armes house!
So, that's the 6/7 month update. I should publish this thing and go babyproof something!!
Before I go, here are some of my favorite pictures from this month.
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