Big Sister Love

Sophie has really reached a turning point with Michael and Emily. She still likes to be right on top of them, but is learning what makes them laugh and smile and loves to get a reaction out of them. My favorite is when she tries to mimic that "parentese" talk, the kind of high pitched talking that mothers use so babies respond. I came back into the room with a bottle for Michael the other day, and she was laying next to him stroking his cheek and saying, "It's ok, it's alright, Mommy will be right back with your bottle". I had to laugh, her tone was so sing-songy, it made me think: Is that what I sound like all day long??

Here are some new shots of Sophie with her twin baby dolls; you can take a wild guess as to what their names are. And another of her holding the real things on the couch. Our neighbor Becky is spotting her.

Sleep: A Parent's Best Friend

The big news in the Gould household? Michael and Emily are now down for the night between 8 and 9pm, and wake up only one time to eat. Quite an accomplishment in my book! The past couple of weeks had been rough, as Michael had been waking himself up every hour with his flailing arms. Between trying to find his thumb, and his very active startle reflex, he was miserable, and I was miserable, since his crying woke up Emily. Trying to settle two babies back to sleep at once at is not a fun job, espescially when Mom is sleep deprived and grumpy. I finally bought a special blanket at Babies R Us, which is made just for swaddling. It has a pocket for his feet, and velcro to secure the sides. We had been swaddling him earlier, but had stopped a month ago, as he got out of any blanket we used. Well, this blanket works like a charm. I never thought I would have to resort to such an item, but it is totally worth it. We also moved Emily to the guest room, and she will stay there until they are both sleeping all night long. I have not had the guts to let them cry it out, as they do take an entire 6 oz. when they eat at 3am. Sophie started sleeping through on her own at 10 weeks, and she was breastfed, I thought for sure my formula twins would be going all night at this point!

Buddies

Sophie has a buddy, and his name is Noah Elliot Amsterdam. I include his middle name, because that is how she often refers to him, as "Noah Elliot". And she is very adamant that he is not her friend, he is her buddy. She has lots of friends from preschool: Katie, Elizabeth, Leanne and Nate and their assorted younger siblings, but only one buddy. They met in Mothers Morning Out when they were 22 ms old, and immediately bonded. They have been in the same class for 3 years now, and this years teacher has told both me and Kathleen (Noah's mother) that in all her years of teaching, she has never seen such a sweet friendship. But make no mistake, they have their moments. Sophie loves to say things to get Noah's goat, and he loves to react....the perfect couple. Here are two pictures, one from early December when they were playing at his house. It is no doubt one of the many afternoons that Kathleen took Sophie home from school with her while I was adjusting to the twins. And the other is from a couple of weeks ago, when they had their first sleepover, again at Noah's house. But don't worry, Rufus dressed as Buzz Lightyear was guarding over them. We are so fortunate that our daughter has found such a wonderful friend, and so lucky that we love his parents and younger brother Samuel just as much.

Curious George

We had a great time at Curious George. Sophie was just enthralled with the big screen, the huge chairs, the drink holder....you name it, she loved it. The movie was great too, not scary, the kids could follow the story line, and the music wasn't sicky sweet. Two cute things that happened....While Kathleen was out getting the popcorn and drinks, I sat in the theatre with Noah and Sophie. We were early, so there was plenty of time for them to chat, which is always hilarious. At one point Sophie leaned over and said to him, "Noah, you know what? When we are growned, I'm going to married you." To which Noah replied, "Oh, I knew that." Must be nice to have your husband all picked out and agreeable at 4.

2nd cute thing....There was one part of the movie that a bit sad, but nothing compared to Bambi losing his mother. I heard some sniffing and when I looked down at Sophie, she had tears in her eyes which she was wiping away. I tried to comfort her and asked if she wanted to sit in my lap. She wanted none of this, just wanted to be left alone. So, she is a sensitive one....wonder where that comes from? Maybe from her mother who used to cry at every episode of Little House on the Prarie? It's nice to know the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Snow Alert

We had a fine dusting of snow this morning. It is obvious that Sophie is a southerner, she looked out the window and exclaimed "Wow, how will we EVER get out of the driveway with all that snow?" Trust me, the sun is now up and our "snow" will be history by 10 am. But, it is always pretty to see. Not sure that my sibs in the Northeast share this sentiment, though!

In other news, I am taking Sophie to see Curious George today. We are going with her best buddy Noah and his mom, Kathleen. She has never been to the movies before, so it should be an interesting experience. At this point, she is more excited about the prospect of her own bag of popcorn than the actual movie....that's my girl!

From the archives

My mother in law Pam, is a great photographer. She is always ready with her camera to document our most important family moments. She took so many photos the night the twins were born, and believe it or not, I am just now finding the time to go through them. I will spare you the photos of Michael and Emily right after birth, they are truely shots only a parent (or grandparent) could love. Here is my absolute favorite from the stay in the hospital, when Pam brought Sophie in to meet her brother and sister for the first time. This is me holding Emily and Sophie saying hello to her.

The next photo is another one of my favorites, I came across it when I was searching my files. The date on it says June 72, but that is most likely the date the film was developed, rather than when the photo was taken. Michael looks to be about 4-5 ms old, which would make me 6. I love how he has my pigtail in his hand. I can totally remember him in that bassinette, Mom probably put him in there for his own safety!

First smile

As a new parent, the first smile is such a welcome relief, you realize that you actually are doing something right, and your child really does know who you are. When Sophie first smiled it was great, and now that the twins are smiling for REAL, not just in their sleep, but in response to us talking to them, it is even better. One thing about baby smiles, they are hard to capture on film. Here is the closest I have come so far, this is Michael last week.

Learning all the time

In the last few weeks, all three kids have learned some new skills: Sophie used chopsticks for the first time, with much success, I might add. We went to Fuji Hana for Terry's birthday dinner, and she really enjoyed the show, although she didn't like the chef making that "big fire". Michael has learned how to reach out and grab the links that hang down from the swing or baby gym. Once he has them in his grasp, there is no prying them free. And Emily has the most coveted new skill of all.....drum roll please.....when on her stomach, she can finally get her thumb! Michael is still working on it, you can see the scratches on his face from his failed attempts. I will be happy when they both accomplish this skill, I know it will help them sleep thru the night. Any relief in that area would be welcomed!

See how they've grown

Here are some photos to show you how much Michael and Emily have grown since birth. The family shot is from Sophie's 4th bday party, the next day I went into the hospital and stayed on bedrest for 12 days till the twins arrived. Then a pic of Mike and Em on Em's first night home from the hospital, they were 9 days old. And the twins last week, right after their baths.
There is no way now that they could share the same blanket!