Night time is not the right time

Sorry its been so long since we updated the website. Despite continued help from family, we are pretty busy. During the few moments we have free, Gwen and I are catching up on work around the house, or if we are lucky, getting out of the house. We went and saw Transformers on Friday and went to dinner at the Basil Leaf in Chicago on Saturday while my parent's watched the babies. Its funny watching them with the kids. They are wonderful. My mom and dad both get a gleam in their eyes when they see the kids. By the end of the weekend though, its easy to see they need a break. I guess that's the beauty of being a grandparent.

We always have grand ideas about getting work done when people come to help, but time is never long enough. We did finish all the laundry and dishes, but the basket is already full again.

The kids are starting to do new things. More smiling and interaction with the outside world.

We also discovered, thanks to some reading by Gwen, that really loud white noise is the best to soothe them. We bought the sound of waves on itunes, but, funny as it seems, the vacuum cleaner seems to really work well too.

The last two or three weeks has been the hardest yet in some ways. They have been really struggling to fall asleep at night. The last two nights my girl went to sleep at 1 am and 2 am respectively. They still aren't sleeping more than three hours, so when the scream from 7pm until 2 am, it makes you want to join them in a chorus. Tonight, so far, Rowan, who I have, seems to be doing well. I might just try to get some sleep myself here in a minute.

By the way, check out the video link I put up. It is of Saoirse and Rowan and it cracks me up.

Hope all is well out there and we'll try to put another post out sooner next time.

Cheers!

First overnight stay...

The Papp family made a trip to Michigan this past weekend. Rowan and Saoirse visited Grandma and Grandpa H. for the first time, staying overnight while Mom and Dad went to a wedding in Muskegon. It went pretty well, although the girls did get formula for the first time, due to Mom's miscalculation about how long they'd be apart. (sorry girls) They drank it alright, but the diapers have been a whole lot worse to change since then. It was definitely motivation to keep pumping. While we were there, the girls also met their first other baby, their cousin Lindsay (6 months). They didn't seem to notice all that much, but we look forward to when they're bigger and they can all play together. It made Chris and I a little sad, thinking that in a few months our babies will be so big. It's always so conflicted, wishing that they'd be bigger so that it would get easier and yet wanting them to stay so cute and small and cuddly for longer. They seem so perfect the way they are.

Two months old

So yesterday the girls were two months old. Rowan celebrated by sleeping through the night, although of course she did it on a night when her Grandma Haack was taking care of her. So Mom and Dad didn't get the full benefit. Last night she was back to her usual self, sleeping in 3 hour chunks and only while being held. Saoirse got her cast off last week, and we've been doing physical therapy exercises with her. Some of you may remember that we did this before, but her leg tightened right back up and the foot turned back in. It doesn't seem to be doing that this time, so we're hopeful that there will be no more casts.

The girls had their two month check-up today and each got 3 shots. Fun stuff. They're doing fine, though. And Mom survived too, even though I had to take two infants to the doctor at the same time. I'd have rather gotten three shots...;)

Enjoy the photos, taken on their two month birthday.

Sorry its been so long

Well, things here have been very busy lately, as you can imagine. The girls are still doing well and growing quickly. They are both over 7 pounds now. They are sleeping for longer stretches, but still not near through the night. We have spent a few more days and nights where it was just Gwen and I and it is tough, but I don't feel like it is something that we won't be able to handle anymore. It will just be the hardest thing we have ever had to do.

Both girls are starting to hold their heads up. They are only able to do it for a little while, but we are very proud of them. Also, they have both been able to roll over once. Its not consistent but we were very impressed.

Here are some pictures I hope you enjoy. The top picture shows the girls resting together, which rarely happens. Almost always, one of them is unhappy about something. And nothing disturbs them more than hearing their sister cry. It is endearing but it also is frustrating when you get one of them down and she is woken up by her crying sibling. At this very moment I am typing with one hand shile Rowan sleeps in her baby bjorn and Saoirse rests in my hand. Neither of them will sleep without beimg held.

The bottom picture is more normal with them messing with each other.

On the right you see my brother with them before he left for Washington DC.