The 9-Month Check-up...Lessons Learned...and Other Thoughts

Let's just be honest real quick.  Joe and I are a FAR cry from knowing everything about twins.  Each day brings something new and that told adage "just as soon as you think you've got something figured out with kids, it changes again" applies doubly (obviously) to twins as it does to single babies.  HOWEVER, we have come a L.O.N.G. way in 9 months.  When we first started this journey I had moments where I wondered what the Lord was thinking in giving us TWO babies at ONE time.  I do feel like now, however, we have a pretty good understanding of what to do with infant twins (most of the time, anyway......well, some of the time.....ok so maybe we still have no clue what we're doing!!).  It has been such an incredible adventure, quite wonderful and difficult at times, and very different from having one baby at one time.  I thought I was up for taking them to the doctor for the 9 month check up by myself...just another little mistake and lesson learned the hard way.  I've been running everybody to and from doctors appointments by myself quite frequently the past few months just between sicknesses and ear check-ups.  No big deal.  Joe told me he was in for a busy day at work so I just told him no worries, I would take the boys myself.  I thought for some reason that we wouldn't be getting any shots at this appointment.  Each baby ended up getting two.  It was tough not being able to comfort them individually after they got their shots...they gave Matthew his shots, then boom, I had to get John so he could get his sticks while Matthew was still screaming :(  I realized what a luxury it has been to have Joe along with me for all our past check-up appointments.  And we discovered at this appointment they each had another double ear infection :(  If these don't clear up we may be headed for the ENT and possibly tubes.  They had been fussy lately but I had chocked it up to teething.  The boys were not happy as we were making our exit and they wanted everyone in the place to know about it.  John weighed 18 lbs 8 oz and Matthew 18 lbs 6 oz.  They were each in the 25th percentile for both weight and height...still a little small but Dr. seems comfortable with how they're growing.  Our next check-up will be their one year appt.  My goodness!!!!!
This past weekend Matthew started waving and saying "bye-bye."  It is one of the sweetest, cutest things I've ever seen, if I do say so myself :)  They are both babbling incessantly.  Mostly
"ga-ga-ga's" :)
9 Months?!?!  When did THAT happen??  I'm glad I've written things down because it really and truly is all a blur.  Just some silly little memories from the past 9 months I'd like to store away:
1.  When I bathe the boys I have to get out FOUR bath cloths:  one for each baby to chew on
     while he is bathed and the other for actually bathing him.  I could never get the bath cloth out of their mouths long enough to bathe them without them fussing, so I'd just grab another one.  For the past several months now each evening when I go to bathe them I grab four bath cloths without even thinking about it.
2.  All three kids playing and laughing in Matthew's crib together.
3.  Neither Matthew nor John takes a paci, unlike their big sister.  But they both love to suck on
     2 fingers when they're sleepy.
4.  They cut their first tooth on the exact same day.
5.  Feeding the boys bottles in the boppy pillows on the sofa while they pull the fringes out on my
     throw pillows.
6.  Matthew shoving his fist into his mouth following EVERY SINGLE spoonful of food I offer him,
     as if he is helping to push it on down his throat.  
7.  John's bedhead after naptime.
8.  Figuring out how to ride "3-wide" in a double stroller and a two-seater wagon.

There are hundreds more but this is all I've got tonight...and it's late!  Bedtime calls...