One Year Stats/Dr. Visit

**Edit** This is a long one! Once I started rambling about the boys, I realized I couldn't stop! :) **

Our doctor's visit went well. Alex came from work to help me out, and the boys did pretty good with the waiting around. It always seems like it takes forever!!! And it's hard to hold and contain two wiggly boys. Henry weighed in at 19 pounds, and is around the 15% for weight, and he's 29 1/4 inches long, and close to 25% for height. Holden was 19 pounds, 9 ounces which puts him closer to the 25% for weight, and they measured him at 28 3/4 inches for height or close to the 10%. (We're almost sure that's wrong, because we both think Holden is taller than Henry. But it's hard to measure them, I'm sure.) They were very good when the doctor examined them, but the shots were hard to deal with this time. They really cried, especially Henry. We got them a flu shot, so we have to go back this month and get the second shot. :( So that won't be fun, since I'm sure they're starting to figure out that doctor visit=shots.

I'll try to write a little about each boy. I wanted to do that, but it seems like they change all the time; it's so hard to write a definite statement about them before they change again!

Henry loves trucks and cars and pushing them around on the floor. He can make the "brrrr" car noise when he pushes them. It's SO cute. He makes lots of sounds, like clicking his tongue and raspberries and he still drools a ton! He can say dog and duck and he says dada but I still don't think it's directed at Alex. His favorite food is bananas! He LOVES them in the morning and starts kicking his feet and waving his hands around when he sees them at breakfast. He is the big eater, and really shovels it in! Especially with crackers like goldfish, he'll shove a huge handful in his mouth and then still be chewing them 10 minutes later.

Holden can say ball as well as duck and dog. He does like to find the balls and toss them around. He doesn't do as many funny sounds as Henry. He also says dada and other sounds but I still don't think they're real words yet. He's the pickier eater and it's harder to get him to try new things. He loves to eat what I'm eating, so sometimes I can get him to try some new things that way! They both love fruit, bread and yogurt, and getting them to eat meat and veggies is a little harder.

A good one with daddy! My three cute boys

They both drink whole milk just fine, and are still using bottles. We've had a hard time switching to sippy cups, but that's the goal. Meal times are extra messy now that the boys want to try and feed themselves. We haven't really started brushing teeth yet, but that's another thing we need to add to the routine. Henry has 7 teeth and Holden has 8! They both seem to be constantly teething, sticking everything into their mouths. They also bite each other now...that's going to be fun.

We're still on two naps a day, but they seem to be getting shorter. Holden could probably move to one nap a day because he's typically up first in the morning and wakes up first for naps. But that's where things get complicated with having two. I need them to be on the same schedule or I can't get anything done, but I don't think Henry's ready to change to one nap. I don't mind going in and getting Holden a little early, but by going in there and opening the door it usually wakes him up. :( So we'll see how this goes in the next month or so. I'm sure I'll be able to tell when they're really ready to drop a nap.



Our awesome doctor



In general, they're both still sweet and happy boys! They love to crawl under the table and chairs, and chase each other or be chased by an adult. They like to play and hide behind the curtains. They like their walker toys and shopping cart and they cruise around furniture fine. (I feel like walking is close, but I suppose it could still be a while! But this is a fun stage...I'm definitely going to miss when they don't crawl anymore.) We try to read books, but Holden especially is very rough on them and bends them/sits on them, etc. We sing songs, and Henry especially likes to dance to music. They LOVE being outside, and Holden will crawl all around the yard. Henry does sometimes, but he is usually content to stay on our nice blanket! They like to play with all their toys, but they really love to get into things that are not toys. If they can get into the den or bathroom or kitchen (which are usually closed or gated) they are thrilled to go through drawers, chew on cords or get into stuff they're not supposed to! They are getting very adventurous with climbing up onto the fireplace hearth and up the stairs at Grandma's. They are going to be a handful and I will be lucky to keep bumps and bruises to a minimum! They can wave now, (they don't always do it but they can) and give kisses. They love being held and picked up and are really friendly with anyone who comes over. Grandpa lifts them up to the ceiling, so they always point up when you pick them up! They also like to play with the light switches and turn them off and on. They're pretty good about being in the car and in car seats and they still like baths. The only thing Henry and Holden both hate are diaper and clothing changes. They hate having to lay on their backs and get lotion put on after a bath.

So we had a pretty great first year! I know we've been really lucky. Alex and I could use more sleep, and I definitely could get more done around the house, but we survived. The boys were both healthy. Only one ear infection and a few yucky colds, but I know it could have been worse! I was able to breastfeed for 10 months, supported by a great group of mom friends! I met a lot of awesome twin moms as well. Even though we can't get together much, it's fun to share stories with them! I was able to stay home with the boys for 9 months and then go back to work with a pretty flexible schedule. We had so much help and great babysitters, especially my mom. I'm sure I could go on and on! I'll write more later if I think of it, but I think this is long enough for now. What a great first year, Henry and Holden! :)