Cheeks!

Daddy sure is a funny guy! Look at those cheeks!!!

Hoarders

I've yet to see the TV show Hoarders but I'm pretty sure the girls
would be prime candidates for an episode.

Tummy Time

Apparently you can text an image and words direcly to your blog... I
wonder if it works?

Here is Rowan enjoying tummy time.

Rowan's 2 Month Checkup

Technically, she's already 9 weeks old but we went in for her two month check up today to hear some things we already knew (she's perfect) and some we didn't (she's not so small anymore).

Here are the stats, with the one everyone is dying to hear first:

~ Head circumference: 39 1/2 cm --> 75th% percentile

~ Weight: 14 pounds --> >97th% percentile

~ Height: 23 3/4 inches --> 95th% percentile

Our little girl is a big girl! A big girl that is sleeping very well at night, even as she fights her first cold. She's had the cold for almost a week now and before that was sleeping in 6-8 hour stretches so we are hoping that continues once she starts feeling better. She's still sleeping in 4-5 hour stretches now though so we can't complain. God bless "healthy" (i.e. plump) babies! I had heard that once they hit a magical number in pounds they tend to sleep the night and with Rowan I would say that is more than true. With the girls... not so much. I think their magical number must be in the 30's somewhere... Also on the sleeping note, she can't stay up more than an hour or so during the day before she has to take a nap. Kinda nice but if she sleeps too long during the day then we have a very unhappy baby before she finally goes to sleep (after a nice nap on the dryer in her carseat or a car ride with Dad!) I've been waking her up during the mornings after about an hour and half and after 4pm I'll only let her sleep about 30 minutes. It seems to have worked. Our pediatrician said he thought she might have been colicky for those couple weeks (i.e. dryer and car rides and 12am bedtimes) but that she should be leveling off now, which she is.

She is cooing more and will smile if you do something she likes which is so much fun! She is holding her head up really well also. We're thinking she can get a job once she has full head control, she needs to earn her keep - cuteness only goes so far in this house! The girls are still very much in love with their new baby sister. They LOVE getting thisclose to her face as much as possible (see: second paragraph, third sentence, fourth word). Once thing I've been surprised about is that they don't seem to mind when she cries. This is especially helpful at night when Rowan tends to be most "active" and before Stephen gets home. I can't wait until she can start interacting with them a bit more - I think they'll really have fun with her (until the next Dora episode comes on and then Rowan can play by herself!).

We do have several nicknames for her. The girls like to call her Rowie or Little Girl Girl. We have no idea why they have instituted the double "girl" but I find myself calling her that when they are gone. She is also known as Ro, Buddha, Sweeters, Ro-ster or Roaster (whichever you prefer) and too many more to name.

After the shots today she is tuckered out. She's been sleeping pretty much ever since and if memory serves this is normal. Although I am kinda anticipating a LONG night...

Bandaids over her boo-boos... so sad. We had an AWESOME nurse that was quick as lightning and the worst was over before we knew it. I managed to hold it together and did not cry I'm happy to report!

All in all, one big happy baby and one big happy family!

Rowan Update - 7 weeks

Wow! We can't believe it's already been almost 7 weeks since Rowan joined the family!

She is doing great! We think she might be tipping the scales around 12 pounds right now... we'll get the real numbers come May 17 when we go see the doctor for her 2 month check-up. Nursing is going really well (as you can see below!) however this child REFUSES to take a bottle! I mean, she's a baby - the bottle should be no problem, right? I've given daycare a heads up and they've assured me that this is somewhat common and that she'll figure it out eventually. Luckily, we still have around 5 weeks left to get this ironed out. Fingers crossed!

We should have seen her lack of enthusiasm for the bottle coming - as she has not been interested in a pacifier either. I had heard of this breed of baby but thought, like unicorns, they didn't exist. I just couldn't believe moms who said they're kids didn't take pacifiers. They're babies after all! But now I know unicorns are real. I mean, now I know these mythical babies do exist, right in our own house!

She might be a basketball player...I think she got the tall gene!

Other than not taking a bottle or pacifier, Rowan is doing lots of fun things:

* She is starting to smile at us more (this stage came pretty late with the girls since they were 6 weeks early so we are really enjoying seeing it in her at this early stage)

* She is holding her head up like a champ! (Like every other new parent, we assume she is the ONLY one her age doing this so well!)

* She has started to pull up with her arms when I hold her hands! Impressive, no? (see above)

* She is very alert during the days and thankfully very sleepy during the night! We've had one night where she slept from 10pm - 6am! Of course this will never happen again but generally she'll go between 4, 5 or 6 hour stretches once a night and then go right back to sleep after her feeding. Rowan, have we told you how much we LOVE you?

* She LOVES her baths. We totally thought she would hate them (she would always cry when we changed her diaper in the beginning) but she just lays back and takes it all in! We use this as one of our weapons should she get into one of her "I'm so tired I'd rather cry than fall asleep for three hours" spells. It generally doesn't work but for some reason we always think it will! :) Silly parents we should know who's in charge by this point!

I know there's lots more to update with but I'll save them for our 2 month check-up post which will have the stat I know you all are looking forward to: head circumference!

The shirt says it all!

Child Labor Part 2

Here are some pictures from the girls recent attempt to earn their keep here at home.

(Some of you may remember another way we've put them to work.)

We did some yard work a couple weeks ago and by we, I mean, Stephen and my brother. They did an awesome job and the yard looks great. We did need to go back and put a weed barrier underneath the pavers we got for the side of the garden and I thought this was a great opportunity for us all to be outside since it was such a nice night.

The girls were more than happy to assist!

Here's Dad telling the girls the plan.

Almost as important as the plan is how to use the tools!

Looks like Peyton has it down!

Monkey see, monkey do has its advantages!

Also, all yard work should be level. Contractors take note. Love, Peyton

Again, we have nothing against child labor.

And now onto the flowers. Peyton looks on as Grace starting watering.

Time is money! Peyton gets to work!

And where was Rowan while this family outing was taken place? She was learning and absorbing all the techniques being used by her sisters. We weren't going to let this teaching experience pass us by!

She is LOVING the infant carrier! Can't you tell??

The Big Reward

Daddy, with the help of Nana, took the girls to the Orpheum Theater to see Storytime Live! Nickelodeon has strategically been running commericals and "behind the scenes" bits (read: more commercials) so the girls have been asking to go for a while. We told them yesterday, as a surprise for being "big girls" at night, they had tickets to the show. They were ecstatic and off they went while Mommy stayed home with Baby Rowan and enjoyed some "quiet time".

Here they are leaning over the balcony checking out the action!

Here's the action! This was the Wonder Pets portion of the show.

Nana was a big help!

Also, Daddy breathed a big sigh of relief he didn't have to handle the bathroom duties!

I'm not certain what Grace is doing here but I'm pretty sure if someone wielding a flashlight saw her we wouldn't be allowed back...

Although I do think it's funny her father is the one taking this picture.

The girls had a great time at the show and the rewards seems to still be working! Now we have to think of a reward big enough to make sure they don't start dating until they are 30... If you have any ideas, let us know!

Dare we say it? Part 2

We're potty trained!!!

(Disclaimer: 2 out of 3 kids)

Now, for my (two) devout followers that read this blog daily (big shout out to Mom & Dad!), I've actually typed these words before so let me explain.

The girls have been potty trained for a while now, during the day. Ever since they were about 2 1/2 or so. I guess this could be "late" for some but I am so glad we waited. I was dreading this time and it was about as easy (with twins no less!) as I could have imagined. Yes, we bought diapers for longer but in the end waiting for them to be ready was worth it. All that being said, our daycare took the brunt of the training. I sent them to school with 10 pairs of shorts and within 3 days and 3 pairs of washed shorts they were trained. I do recognize that we are very lucky we got a "free pass" for this otherwise difficult milestone. However I think it might be due to the fact that we didn't sleep for 8 months in the beginning, or that formula cost $25 a can every 2 1/2 days, or I could on - but I'll stop, you get the point I'm sure.

We decided (against convention maybe?) to keep them in pull-ups at night. We knew I was pregnant and didn't want to rock the boat even more. We also had a not so great habit of letting them have their sippy cups before bedtime which we knew would have to stop when we made this transition. They were sick most of the winter leading up to Christmas so trying to do it then wouldn't have worked. After Christmas I was in my 3rd trimester, big as a house, and with Rowan on the way we didn't want to deal with regression after the baby got here so we just waited.

So 6 nights ago the girls asked to asked to be "big girls" at night. We were planning on this day once our last pull-ups were gone which would have been in a week or so but they beat us to the punch! We told them they could have a couple sips of water before bed but they had to give us their sippy cups after dinner. They obliged without whining, much to our surprise! They've been "big girls" for 6 mornings in a row now and we couldn't be happier!

I realize waiting this long is not normal but it worked for us and has not, at any point, given us a headache. A lot of it I think has to do with the fact that there are two of them so it will be interesting to see how we handle this milestone with Rowan. I say this of course as she is wearing size 1 diapers. We have a LONG way to go before we need to think about pull-ups again!

And the big reward for being "big girls" all day long?
(Because really, would you do this without expecting something in return? Not our kids!)

More on that in the next post!

Rowan is a Growin'

Wow!

That's the feeling we left the doctor's office with last Friday for Rowan's 2 week (and 2 days) check-up.

When Rowan was born she weighed 8lbs and 11.6oz (fine, 12 ounces).

When she left the hospital on Day 4 she weighed 8lbs even. Totally normal and within range of what newborns are expected to lose.

We took her for her first check-up when she was 7 days old and she weighed 8lbs 4oz. Our doctor told us he thought she would get back up to her birth weight (8lbs 12 oz) by her 2 week check-up. With us nursing, we were really hoping she would be back to her birth weight as it is a good sign of a successful start. Our fingers were crossed!

We took her in for her 2 week check-up (she was actually 16 days old) and laid our precious, fragile newborn on the scale...

... which tipped to 9lbs 10oz!!! (95th percentile)

That's 68 grams a day that she gained. Apparently, I need to stop eating Easter candy yesterday!

The poor nurse that weighed her asked if we wanted her re-weighed. We said no, we trusted her, we just couldn't believe what the scale said. It was like we were first time parents again, we kept asking our doctor if this was normal - had he seen this before?! I mean, she doesn't look that big but the scale doesn't lie, right? He said it was completely normal and that with her height at 21 3/4 inches being in the 95th percentile as well (up from 21 at birth) she was doing just fine. He said she could start to slow down in her weight gain but he wouldn't be surprised if she was 13lbs at her 2 month check-up!!! Oh my!

This is all new territory for us as the girls weighed 4lbs 9oz and 4lbs 11oz at birth and are only 30lbs now at 3 years old. The girls weights combined is only 8oz more than Rowan weighed AT BIRTH.

My plan for Rowan to be fully clothed in her sister's outfits until she can pay for her own clothes may have already come to an end! We will see!

Here's our "little" girl after her bath last night.

Rowan Elizabeth

Meet Rowan Elizabeth Fuller!

She was born at 39 weeks on March 17,2010 at 7:52am.
She was 21 inches long and weighed...

That's right, 8lbs 11.6 oz!!!

Mommy and Daddy were very surprised when that number was announced in the operating room to say the least!

After an hour in the recovery room and Daddy sharing the good news with our family in the lobby we were able to head up to our postpartum room. Rowan was still getting a bath in the nursery when we arrived in the room so the girls (and our family) were able to come in and "check on Mommy". After about 30 minutes Rowan made her way to the room and Daddy grabbed her Big Sisters in the waiting room to come meet their new baby sister.

Here's Peyton (L) and Grace (R) seeing Rowan for the first time.

To which Peyton announced, "She's beautiful!". We couldn't agree more!

Rowan then played her first (and I'm sure not last) game of hot potato!

Here she is with Grandma & Grandpa.


Ganmamma, Popa, Nana, and Daddy.


Luv


Uncle Ryan


Not even a couple hours old and we decided to test Rowan by playing with fire as we put our newborn daughter into the hands of toddlers!

Peyton was first...

...with the help of Grandma.


Then it was Grace's turn...

Grandma again played a very important role!


Daddy's Girls...
(Peyton, Mommy, Rowan, & Grace)

I beg you to remember that I had just had surgery about two hours earlier... thank you.


Here is Daddy getting back into the groove.


Although with just one baby to change this time around I don't expect any complaining, which will be nice.

Here is Rowan all geared up and ready to ride to her new home in the outfit her big sister Grace picked out for her. That will be our explanation when she grows up at least.

Our little bunny!

So far (on Day 13) we couldn't ask for a better baby! She rarely cries, only when she's hungry or getting her diaper changed, if that. She's been sleeping well and we haven't had to use a bottle yet. Coming from our last experience of running the dishwasher 3 times a day and using around 16 bottles or more a day - this has been a HUGE change from what we are used to. She rolls with the many hugs & kisses, excited shouting, and singing her big sisters throw at her at any given moment with the grace one would expect of a third child. She left the hospital weighing 8lbs even and when we went to the doctor 4 days later for a check-up she was already up to 8lbs 4oz. Our doctor thought she was on pace to exceed her birth weight by the time we go back for our 2 week check-up (this Friday).

She was declared "perfect" by our doctor after the check-up and we couldn't agree more!

We are so happy she is finally a part of our family and can't wait for the memories to come!

Although in full disclosure, we are a tad terrified of the three weddings in our future.

Thanks to everyone for the sweet wishes in person, through the mail, and on Facebook! We are so lucky to have such great friends share in these exciting times!

Am I crazy?!

I get asked a lot if the girls are ready for the new addition. To be honest, it seems like right now that answer is an easy "yes". Maybe I am super naive but the girls couldn't be more excited about Baby Sister's arrival (tomorrow)! I am pretty sure they do actually grasp the concept. They know she's in my tummy, that she will come out when I'm at the hospital, and that she will come home with us soon. The only thing I'm not sure about is our hospital stay after the c-section when they'll come visit but won't be able to stay with Mommy & Daddy and Baby Sister... we'll see though. I know they have a lot of fun things ahead of them this week to keep their mind off of all of these changes which makes me feel much better about the whole situation.

In preparation for the new addition we started talking a while ago about the changes that would happen when Baby Sister gets here. Here is what we have all mutually agreed on:

1. They will split diaper changing duty - alternating who gets the stinky diapers every other day.
2. While they won't have to do the laundry they will be expected to fold it.
3. They will be expected to entertain and and stop any crying outbursts Baby Sister might have (although not
during the night - that would be cruel!)
4. And my favorite - other duties as assigned.

So obviously I'm kidding here, Peyton will only have to take care of #1 and #2 while Grace will be expected to complete #3 and #4.

About 20 or so days ago we made a "Countdown Chain". You know, like the kind you did in school for Christmas where you would tear off a ring every day as you anticipated your presents on Christmas morning? Same concept. I gave the girls each a sheet of paper and had them use crayons and stickers to decorate their pages. Once the stickers came into play the crayons might as well have been broccoli. They wouldn't touch them. I took their sticker books, aka pages, and cut out long strips that eventually made up our chain and put it on the mantle. I hoped this would give them an idea of the time frame we were talking about since weeks are a tad hard to grasp still. Days of the week we are good on, but once you get past Sunday into NEXT Monday I'm pretty sure we lose them. While I'm not sure it helped a whole lot regarding the time concept, I think they started to appreciate we were finally able to do some things for our baby sister, besides shop.

Which leads me to my super awesome and HIGHLY insane idea for our last weekend as a family of four (hence this post's title). Stephen had to work on Saturday morning for a couple hours so I thought, this would be the perfect time, at 9 months pregnant and by myself, to break out the easel that Grandma & Grandpa bought the girls for Christmas and PAINT a picture for Baby Sister! (By the way, Grandma & Grandpa, the drum set should be arriving today if not tomorrow at the latest!)

Here they are all smocked up and ready to go!

Peyton doesn't like the flash (who does?) and she's learned to anticipate it with great accuracy.


My Picasso's... (Peyton on the left, Grace on the right)



Here is Peyton showing me just how difficult it is to get the proper amount of paint on the brush so as to make sure it takes longer than 24 hours to dry.



Here is Grace double brushing it.



Here is Peyton showing Grace the intricacies and power of the color blue when applied correctly.



Grace proudly proclaiming, "Somebody get me a GALLERY!"



Here is Grace's painting for Baby Sister...

We are still working on smiling AT the camera.


Here is Peyton's finished painting for Baby Sister...

I like to call it "no stone/paper left unturned" for her use of the ENTIRE page. I promise she was very excited and happy about her painting for Baby Sister and I promise the kitchen is now clean.

This whole experience ended up being almost better than an hour of Play-doh (crazy I know!). The BEST was when either of them would go check out the others painting. It was hilarious! They would shout "It's beautiful, Grace!" or "I love it, Peyton!" Here is some video of one of those exchanges as Peyton goes over to view Grace's work. Look closely at Peyton really studying Grace's picture. Too cute!

I love Peyton's encouraging words for Grace, "It's beautiful".
She's not too excited when she says it but it's enough encouragement to propel Grace to do her very best for Baby Sister on this project.

Each of their paintings, 4 total (which have finally dried), are taped to Baby Sister's closet doors to welcome her home.

And show her what she's up against.