Baby Update

Disclaimer: This is very long! You don't have to read it! I'm not expecting people to read it, but I wanted to post it b/c I want all this in our family blog book....it's our family journal. If you would like to read it, go ahead, but just know: it is LONG!

General:
We have two beautiful, healthy boys! Micah and Noah had their well check Tuesday. They are both very healthy...no more colds, ear infections, reflux (well, they are still on meds for that). The Dr says they are developing just great. They are sitting up and grabbing at lots of stuff with their hands/fingers. They roll over back and forth all the time and Noah even scoots around on his back (head and feet on the ground, back arched, bum in the air).
They love cuddling with their Daddy...especially Noah. Almost anytime Cory picks him up, he just cuddles up to him. He rarely does it with me, but then Cory has always been more of a cuddler. They are just so much fun lately. They are so easy to make smile and fun to play with. We got a doorway jumper and they LOVE it. They just giggle and laugh and jump and jump. They put everything in their mouths. They especially love their socks! I've had to start being careful what I leave on the ground (we are going to have to do some real baby proofing soon). The other day I caught Noah putting the plastic bag that the newspaper came in in his mouth. Scary...
They LOVE "Baby Einstein" I can't believe how much they love it! Whoever invented that must be RICH. Anyway, here are some pics of us watching it:
Solids:
They love eating. They eat barley, oat and rice cereal, peas, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, mixed veggies, peaches, prunes, apricots, applesauce, bananas, pears, chicken and we just started beef yesterday. They will eat just about everything, but sometimes have trouble with peas and the mixed veggies. They are also starting to use sippy cups/cups. We have them practice drinking from a cup every time they eat solids. They usually end up soaking wet, but are getting better. It scares them a bit when the water comes out, but I think they are starting to get the idea and like it...they get really excited when we hand them their cups. When the lids are on, they just like to chew on the tip (it is soft). I'm not quite sure they get the sippy cup idea yet.
Weight:
Micah is almost 2 lbs heavier than Noah! (He was 1 lb smaller at birth). He gained a full pound since his last Dr. visit 11 days ago...that is 1 1/2 oz/day! Noah only gained 3 oz in the same time period. So, Micah weighs 18 lbs 6 oz and Noah weighs 16 lbs 11 oz. Micah was 60% and Noah was 25%. Micah's head is bigger too...he is in the 90%, and Noah is only in the 75%! Crazy! Noah still looks bigger to me! They are both really short still...10%. Funny stuff...
Formula:
They are both taking formula bottles now. They are up to three oz twice a day (we are taking it slow for my sake...mastitis). Micah actually gets excited now when he sees his bottle...he quivers with excitement, actually. So, that is a HUGE milestone for us. Although I haven't had mastitis in the last few weeks, I have had plugged ducts and so I have to be EXTREMELY careful to not miss any feedings/pump etc. It will be a huge relief to not have to worry about it so much. Not to mention the fact that it will be easier for others (Cory, Lori, my parents in a few weeks) to feed them...nice.
Sleeping:
They are doing AWESOME! We have completely weaned them off their last night feeding, and have them sleeping separately. Well, Micah in the crib and Noah in the pack and play, but still in the same room. At their Dr appt yesterday, she said it is time to let them cry it out. She said given their weight/lack of health concerns, they should be going 11-12 hrs w/o eating. She said if we are still feeding them at night at 9 mo old (in 2 1/2 mo), we will be doing more damage than good. So, she recommend letting them cry it out. As much as I want to start sleeping normal again, I have really been dreading this b/c it was SO TOUGH last time we tried it and didn't really seem to work. However, I decided I would rather do it now than in a few months when they can stand up. So, we started last night. I slept out on the couch and closed our bedroom door so Cory wouldn't have to deal with it and could get some sleep (he has finals next week), and braced myself for a long night. They woke up 4-5 times and every time I would cringe expecting hours of crying, but the longest crying period was only 7 minutes! Most were only 1-2 min. AWESOME! We will see how tonight goes, but hopefully they are just ready and will do well.
Interaction:
They love each other! I can set them on the ground facing each other with a bunch of toys between them and they will keep each other entertained for a while (10-15 min or so). Funny though, Noah always ends up with all the toys. No matter what toy he has, he always seems to be more interested in what Micah has, so he takes it from him. So Micah finds another toy and pretty soon Noah takes that from him too...eventually they run out of toys and that's when they stop "entertaining" each other. They will still just smile and giggle at each other when they are lying next to each other. When one is in the walker ( I know...walkers are bad, but they just LOVE it, so I can't help it) and one in the jumper, the one in the walker scoots right over to be next to his brother.Okay, I guess I am finally done. They are wonderful little boys and we love them so much. We are just have a blast being parents.