Whew! 4 months already??

Time is absolutely flying. Bayla and Harper celebrated their 4-month birthday yesterday with about 28 oz. of formula each, Brady got some Dora popsicles, and Shawn and I toasted with lots of caffeine. :)

These four months have been some of the happiest, most hectic, most frustrating, and most enjoyable of my life. We even got in a vacation to Savannah and woke up to the ocean every day. We saw lots of friends and family and just had a great time.

We went to the doctor today for their 4-month checkup, and they are doing just so, so well. My baby girls Bayla and Harper, who were born at 4 lbs, 13 oz, 16 inches and 4 lbs, 12 oz, 17 3/4 inches, are now 13 lbs, 13 oz, 23 inches and 13 lbs, 5 oz, 24 inches, respectively. They barely made the percentile chart at 2 months, and now they're comfortably in the middle. They're sleeping pretty well-- they wake up once a night, sometimes at 2:30, sometimes at 4:45 or anytime in between. Truthfully, Harper could probably sleep through the night, but I'm too chicken to try it. I would hate to wake up at 3 with Bayla and then 4:30 with Harper, so they get staggered feedings just like any other time of day. They're still sleeping in our room, but I don't know how much longer they'll be able to sleep in the Pack N Play because they're getting so big. (Shawn is ready to move them to their room-- I think he'd like his wife back. But I'm not ready for them to be down the hall yet!) They are smiling and extremely vocal, and they have terrific head and trunk control.

I am so darn proud of them and am feeling so fortunate I'm about to burst. I've said it before but I'll say it again-- these 2 girls together are easier than Brady was alone. I'm sure it won't last, so I'm enjoying it while I can. After all, these are MY girls, so we're in for some bullheaded d-r-a-m-a. (Sorry, Shawn. But this is why you love me, right? ;))

Brady started his new school today. His transitions are always harder for me than for him, but we both did pretty well today. Thankfully his girlfriend Elle is at his new school too, so they each have a familiar face for comfort. He's doing very well. He has his good days and bad days of course. He's about 80% potty trained, which is nice. He won't consistently poop in the potty, but we're working on it. This potty training is about the hardest thing I've ever had to do, INCLUDING being on hospital bed rest for 12 weeks. I'm completely serious. It's enough to drive a sane person crazy. I mean, for example, Brady had a day with no accidents of any kind-- even in a new environment -- then he thought it'd be fun to pee on the carpet right after his bath. He did it just for sh**s and giggles, I suppose, but it took a superhuman level of restraint for me not to bang my head against a wall. Can I just rub his nose in it?????

Work is busy, busy, busy, but I am enjoying having a little Becky time, and it's not the worst thing in the world to get a break from bottles and diapers every day. The hardest part is just trying to keep it all together-- the kids, the husband, the household, work-- but this is nothing new. Ask any mom of 1, 2, 5, or 10 and they'll tell you the same thing! Working outside the home, working from home, stay-at-home-- it's all a guilt- and anxiety-ridden guessing game. But then your 3-year-old tells you a story at the dinner table ("Once upon a time there was a baby. Him rode a fire truck, and an ambulance, and a dump truck. The end.") and sings "Rock-a-Bye Baby" to his crying sister while the other one brilliantly smiles at you, and all is right with the world.

More updates soon!