4 Months

Yeah, I'm late. Again. I have a really good excuse this time. My sister went back to California on Thursday. We're so grateful she basically put her life on hold and moved halfway across the country to help us out for 5 months. She was a huge help at the end of my pregnancy when I couldn't do too much for Abby, then in these first months with the babies. I couldn't have gotten through it without her. It's definitely scary being on my own now, but at least she was able to help through the really tough first months when no one slept. The hardest phase is behind us.

Damon was able to take Friday afternoon and Monday afternoon off to help me out, but now he's spending the night in Kansas City. It's just me and the kids until late tomorrow night. Today actually went a lot smoother than I expected it to. Last night was rough with Emma, but I got Cora up at 7:20 when Emma woke up and they stayed on the same schedule the rest of the day. They took 3 naps, all at the same time! The first one lasted about 1.5 hours, the second THREE hours, and the third about 1/2 hour. Emma went to bed for the night at 8, and Cora around 8:45. I got 3 loads of laundry done, all the bathrooms cleaned but the master, the basement picked up, the dishwasher loaded and run, and even a nap! We're having a small birthday party for Abby on Thursday afternoon, so I have to get the house clean by then. Tomorrow, I'll attempt my first solo trip to Target with the kids.

The babies had their 4-month checkups yesterday. Cora weighs 13lbs. 4oz. (50th percentile) and is 25 inches tall (75th), and Emma weighs 13lbs. 1oz. (50th) and is 23.75 inches tall (50th). Cora was 10th for weight and 25th for height, and Emma was 10th and 10th at their 2-month visit! Cora's been upped to half a pill twice a day on the Prevacid because she still spits up like crazy. On bad days, she can go through an entire load of laundry in a day! Even on good days, she can go through several bibs and 2-3 clothes changes. Emma's also been approved for up to 2 oz. of prune juice since she's constantly severely constipated. She won't go for a few days, then she screams in pain when she finally does. Cora also has a bad case of eczema, particularly on her elbows and shoulders, so we're to try Eucerin, Cetaphil (both of which made Abby's eczema worse), and Aquaphor. We've also been given the ok to start solids, and the doctor suggested it might help with Cora's spit up, so they'll get their first taste of cereal this weekend.

Milestones:

*As you can see from the pictures, both girls are now holding their heads high when on their tummies.

*Cora hasn't rolled again since that first time, but Emma rolls constantly.

*She's also trying really hard to roll from back to belly. She has become extremely squirmy when on her back!

*Cora LOVES Abby's old Exersaucer while Emma could care less.

*They both also love the bouncy chairs, but will only tolerate the swings for short periods of time.

*Cora sleeps a good 12 hours a night while Emma still gets up at least once a night, but more often 2-3 times.

*They're both very chatty, but Emma tends to be pretty soft-spoken when she babbles. She's the mellow twin while Cora is more excitable.

*Emma loves to take baths, but Cora is terrified of them and screams the entire time. Even with me in the tub with her.