T-Shirts & Tummies

Big boy t-shirts are the best.  There is nothing better than seeing a little tummy, except the sound of belly laughs after a zurbert...

 William...

 Alexander...

 Brotherly love...

 

Not so much love...

Hives

It turns out that Alexander and amoxicillin don't mix after all.  Red welts started appearing all over his body at an alarming rate yesterday evening.  We were told to give him doses of benadryl every four hours through the night and watch for signs of anaphylaxis.  Yet another visit to the doctor this morning confirmed that he is experiencing a "drug eruption" (sounds like a bad remix of a Van Halen song).  Basically Alexander's adverse reaction to the amoxicillin is showing up in the form of hives.  Apparently these hives look horrifying but don't cause any true discomfort or itching.  Since he looks so sad, I am posting a recent picture (sans hives) to help boost his ego...

Hugs to my tough little man!

34 Pounds of Perfection

 The latest stats (the one benefit of visiting the doctor every other week)...

Alexander (left) weighed in at 17 pounds 13 ounces 

William (right) tipped the scales at 16 pounds 3 ounces

Super Grandma

We battled yet another virus this week.  It all started to go down hill on Monday afternoon.  The boys were coughing until they changed color and their pink eye (which had just cleared up) came back in full force.  Tuesday morning I stayed home from work and took them into the doctor.  Luckily their lungs were clear, but the nasty new virus had also encouraged another round of ear infections.  I did my best to keep them comfortable while attempting to battle the viral monster myself (thanks for sharing boys).

Super Grandma jumped right in and saved the day on Wednesday and Thursday.  She stayed home with the boys and gave them plenty of love and cuddles.  They loved every minute of the stay home fun and apparently performed a few tricks while Grandpa was over visiting (next time Cirque du Soleil is in town, we will have them audition with the synchronized rolling).

Unfortunately, Aaron was the last one to succumb to the latest immune system attack.  He is still battling through it, while the boys and I are a few steps ahead in the cycle of healing.  I know there are plenty more battles on the horizon, but we are hoping for a few days when ALL of us are healthy again.  At this rate their first words will be "amoxicillin" and "erythromycin".

For now, we are all grateful to be moving forward.  Three cheers for modern medicine and Grandma Terry!

6 Months

You are both still growing fast and eating as much as you can.  In a few weeks, I think you will be ready to try out some rice cereal.  Nine month pajamas are fitting comfortably and you sat up in the baby tub like big boys today.  Apparently you love to gab with each other during the day and have been known to send each other into a fit of giggles.  Whenever one of you is really startled or upset, the other is either concerned or joins in with a matching cry.

Alexander...

You are constantly cooing and squealing, but your belly laughs always steal the show.  I laughed until I cried today because your expressions are priceless (especially when you are wearing fuzzy bunny ears).

Right now your favorite way to sleep is on your side.  Once you figure out how to maneuver your head and arms, you will be rolling over from your back to your tummy.  You are always looking for your brother and when you find him you have a smile ready.  Please don't stop snuggling close when I hold you, I am loving every second of it...

William...

Sophie is still your favorite thing to chew on but anything else that fits in your mouth is a close second.  The amount of drool that you produce during your gnawing sessions is truly impressive.

We call you "Kicken Wing" because your are always kicking your legs, especially during your bath when you can make big splashes.  You love being a big boy and sitting up whenever you can.  During the day you giggle at all of your friends from your perch in the exersaucer and when you are at home, the Bumbo is a new favorite hangout.  That proud, lopsided smile you flash never fails to make my day...

You two are sweeter than a basket full of candy and we simply can't get enough...

Toes Times Two

Oh how my little piggies have grown...

Sunday Spa

Look out Bonneville...

The soak, wrap and steam combination at our place is pretty invigorating.

Happy Sunday!

Twin Talk

I am constantly in awe of my two little wonders.  They are such individuals and yet, they are in tune with each other in so many different ways.  It is always the little things they do together that surprise me the most.  Yesterday for example, William pulled the musical toy on his chair for the first time.  Minutes later Alex did the same thing.  I suppose this connectivity captivates me because I am never looking for it when it happens.

People are also telling me that they are starting to look more and more alike.  While we can easily tell them apart, I always document who is wearing what when I drop them off each morning so they won't be mixed up.  Matching outfits really throw even the most confident people off.  I can only imagine how interesting it will be when they realize they can use this confusion to their advantage...

Wondering if you can tell them apart?  William is on the left in all of these photos and Alexander is on the top in the second one. 

Pink

The past few weeks have been an adventure.  Will and Alex were officially diagnosed with RSV, their ear infections earned them their first round of the "pink stuff" and (for the trifecta) they each developed pink eye this week.

By Wednesday night, poor Alex looked like Muhammad Ali after 12 rounds.  His eyes were nearly swollen shut and the ointment we are smearing on them made him look even worse.  Will just started showing signs of trouble yesterday morning.  They are doing their best to coo and giggle through it all even though the coughing has taken a toll on their throats.  Poor Alex's voice is so hoarse today that his cries come out as squeaks.

Luckily, we have had some wonderful moments mixed in with the epic battle of viruses.  We celebrated my nephew's birthday this past weekend.  Gramma Kat even drove up to join the festivities.  Nothing is better than watching little ones play together, tear open presents and gobble birthday cake.   

Thank goodness we have an adorable niece because with a house full of boys, the only pink that I actually enjoyed these past few weeks involved her sweet little self, a bunch of tulips and these goodies...

(And yes, my fingers are crossed that I don't get pink eye next.)