Looking back on this month for the boys, it is just crazy to see how they have transformed and changed. They are just hilarious and developing so well! We are truly blessed with them and I can't believe that we are coming up on a year, quickly!
Zachary is slowly gaining strength. His "low tone" is definitely still noticeable, but we are so proud of him when he practices moving with his legs and how he has improved on standing up (even up against objects and without our support, at times!)! He gets so proud of himself when he does it and looks so happy! He just grins so big and laughs. He knows he isn't able to move as much as Ayden and it is quite sad, because he cries, at times, over it. Breaks my heart, but we just encourage him and Alan is really good at telling him he is "Big and Strong." He continues to talk up a storm. He thinks he is HILARIOUS. He dances and it is just past adorable. He continues to love to make everyone laugh and smile. He continues to be sensitive, as well. He does not like his brother to touch or pull on him (or his cousin Jonathan for that matter!). He makes it known (and quite dramatically) whenever this happens. His blonde hair is just growing and he is looking more and more like a little boy, everyday.
Ayden is a true mess. He has begun to crawl and once he got the hang of going forward, he hasn't slowed down! He loves to move ALWAYS and is never in the same position we leave him, even in bed! He is loving climbing up on things and so proud of himself for climbing off the recliners….you should see the big grin on his face when that happens! He loves to dance, too. His dancing is much more of a bouncing and jumping. He has not started to truly "talk" yet but he is really good at growling and saying "Huh." His poor little bald head is staying bald, but we think his hair is turning blonde! We have had to lower his bed, too, for him climbing up the sides. He is our little monkey!
They love their Daddy and seeing him first thing in the morning and love him making them laugh, at night. Momma comes second at those times! They love their Lolli keeping them, too, while I work. They have had a new experience of a nanny keeping them on days when my mom couldn't and have adjusted really well! Ayden is clingy but it began before the nanny. They are such good social babies.
My new job is great! It has been an adjustment working 12 hour shifts, but not nearly as difficult as I thought. I love the work I am doing now, it is what I enjoyed before my neurosurgery stint and what I have wanted to do for a long time. I am happy I can go to work, work my shift, and come home without worrying about being on call, hospital calling me, or having to go back into work. The office is nice and so are the people I work with. It has been a BIG adjustment to have someone other than a family member take care of my children. Though when I'm writing this we are in the process of getting a new nanny, she was really good with the kids. I had a hard time with her telling me how much they loved her and how they did things. I really secretly wanted them to have a little bit of an issue since I'm their mom! It was nice, too, not having to worry about doing dishes or washing bottles or doing laundry. A nice perk!
I think the hardest part, this month, has been people asking if they are crawling and walking yet. It is a weekly struggle to not compare them to other babies their age (or even younger). I get a weekly e-mail about what they are to be doing that month, milestone wise, and several weeks I am just deleting it because I know they aren't doing those things. I started crying a few weeks ago when someone asked me if they were crawling yet, then proceeds to say, well why not? My sons started crying at 6-7 months. Yea, well thanks for making me extremely upset and even more sad for Zach. It's hard not to compare. Hard not to get upset. Hard to just focus on the moment and where they are right now knowing that it is going by WAY too fast and I'm not wanting them to move around like crazy yet. I want them to revert to my week old babies that just snuggle and eat! (Though really, I want them to grow and be healthy and still snuggle). I think society, and women in general, compare things with others way too much. So, I pray for my boys to develop regularly, be healthy, and me to focus on their achievements and not what they haven't done.
So, we will see what the next month holds and I will just stare and take pictures and video and play and take in every moment with these boys…..
