Sweet AK is 5 Months Old!

Dearest Ashton Kate,

What did Mommy & Daddy do to deserve a little one as sweet as you!? The answer is nothing =) Not a thing! By God’s grace, he gave us you-our bubbly, smiley, sweet as sugar little girl! You are nothing but fun most days and are more than the perfect addition to our family. Our love for you runs so deep miss AK! You are such a treasure. Your sisters adore you just as much and love being around you if you’re awake, which by the way most of the time you are a rockstar napper during the day. As long as we stick to your somewhat of a schedule you are like clockwork and we are loving it! Such a predictable baby lately. We are so blessed by your sweet, easy going countenance and your daddy looks forward to getting home to you every night. We know you’ll have your days ahead but right now you are a breath of fresh air with your almost always pleasant disposition. SO content best describes you. And for that we are ever so grateful! You love when mommy and daddy sing worship songs to you or read you stories-really you just love any and all attention you can steal from us! We’re so fortunate that you can entertain yourself for long periods of time, something your sisters were never very good at! We love you so deeply little Ashton Kate and we love watching you grow and develop. Time is flying by way too fast so we are savoring every little milestone and new thing that God grants you the ability to do. Not a day goes by where we are not so thankful for you Ashton Kate Currie. Your smile, your kisses, your drool running down mommy’s face, your chunky little thighs-every inch of you is perfectly fashioned! You are one loved girl not only by your family but even more so by your Maker! We pray with great anticipation for the day where you will worship Him as Creator and Savior of your life!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Memories & Milestones from 4-5 months olds:

-You weight roughly 16 lbs I believe and are wearing mostly 3 and 3-6month clothes for the most part. You can wear some 6 month sleepers but your legs get lost in there =)

-Still doing 6 feedings a day-starting around 5am and going down around 8pm…you nurse well if you’re asleep and are hit or miss if you’re awake! You usually take a pumped bottle before bedtime so we know how much you’re taking in in hopes of sleeping longer!

-We took you to the library for your 1st baby story time on 3/4- not sure if it was worth the effort but mommy will do the same “library” things at home with you if we don’t get out and do it again!

-Slight sleep regression at 4/4.5mo-have to put paci in once or twice and also feed in the 4am range now

-You have officially entered the everything must go in the mouth stage (just past 4mo)

-Your hands are still your favorite these days-you play with them, knaw on them all day long

-Bathtime is still really fun for you and you will kick and splash up until the time we scoop you up to wrap you up!

-Uh-oh! You are getting loose in your swaddle (at 4mo1wk) which is not good because you LOVE being swaddled to sleep & if we try to leave you unswaddled no sleep takes place!

-1st night in your own room!! March 10^th and you did great! No reason for waiting so long other than we were hoping to have you in one of the twins cribs but we still haven’t ordered their beds so we went and ahead and made the switch! Mommy & Daddy sleep so much better now that we’re not afraid of moving an inch and waking you up!

-You rolled from tummy to back 3/11

-New trick has been learned: you now can pull your paci in and out of your mouth

-You discovered your thumb on 3/19 and while you don’t suck it regularly when you do it is mighty adorable!

-So nice to let you start riding in stroller with no car seat-4mo 3 wks and you are SO content being outside in the stroller

-Had two of our best nights of sleep with you on 3/22-went 730-620 & 3/23- 830-610

-You stayed in first pres nursery for the first time on 3/23

-Made your 1^st trip to the Montgomery Zoo with lots of church friends on 3/25 and did AMAZING! Couldn’t have asked for better! 

-Giggling and Laughing A LOT is part of our day now! March 8-4.5mo

Turning 3 Calls For a Celebration: Cracker Barrel Style =)

First of all, can it really be true that our little preemies born at 3 and 4 lbs each are turning 3 years olds?!?! They are running and jumping and talking our ears off...boy time sure does fly by at rapid speed! So we decided early on that we would do their birthday dinner at Cracker Barrel for two reasons: 1. They LOVE that place...the rockers, the gift shop with baby dolls, the checkers, the fireplace...and 2. They will eat what we order! Especially if it's pancakes, eggs, & bacon (Makenzie's definite favorites!) which is an added plus! The plan was originally to eat there the night of their actual birthday but when their "tiny" little party turned into a larger party, we decided it would be too much to tackle in one day. Why not spread out the celebrating. So this was the beginning of their week of birthday celebrating! On the Saturday before, we headed to Cracker Barrel and Nana & GDad were gracious enough to make the drive up and join us there (which is only fitting since half of our fond memories from Cracker Barrel include them!! =) We had the best time! The girls scarfed down their meal and began eating off our plates! Ha! We're still not sure whether Nana got to actually eat any of her eggs before Makenzie polished them off! They were so kind and brought the girls each their own birthday dessert so they thought that was great fun! I think we all left about to pop and a little wild from all the sugar. They were definitely not ready for bed when we arrived home so we let them enjoy the grandparents for this special occasion! Cracker Barrel, you never disappoint! Always a fun time! Let the partying of turning 3 begin!!! (temper tantrums and all =)

Dentist Trip #2 + Operation Get Rid of Paci

We have been dreading this day for a LONG time...long being just the tip of the iceberg! If we thought things would go smoothly it would have been long gone, but for our challenging one who still doesn't sleep through the night, the thought of taking away her one comfort has sounded nightmarish for quite some time. But with their 3rd birthday rapidly approaching, we decided we would build up their dentist appt and tell Makenzie that would be THE DAY...the day of giving away her pacis once and for all. We knew once we committed to this, it was for real. We talked about it every day leading up to it. That we don't want to have crooked teeth forever, that Dr. Lyle says when you turn 3, you have to give your pacis to little babies who need them...and let's just say we were extremely shocked and blown away by how gracious the Lord has been to us in this regard! She passed them off like a champ and hasn't looked back once! The first naptime was rather unpleasant but truly since then, things have been smooth sailing in that department. Now the actual going to bed is still a nightmare but she never asks or talks about her paci and she will still run and get Ashton Kate's paci without blinking an eye! Every now and then, we'll catch her chewing on her hands or a baby paci or anything she can get in her mouth for that matter, but we've been amazed at this transition-one of the few that has gone off without a hitch! Added bonus: both girls' teeth look fantastic he said! Yay for Mommy & Daddy's brushing skills! =)

1st Trip to the Montgomery Zoo! (w/3!)

So by now you know that I try not to let the number of children I have or the difficulty of my particular circumstance hold me back from going and doing! =) This day was no different. I'm willing to try anything at least once and if it doesn't go so well we can leave and come home and never do it again try it again tomorrow, ha! So some ladies from First Pres invited us to join them at the Montgomery Zoo for a fun-filled day of surviving the hour-long car ride, loading up the double stroller + ergo with children, seeing the animals,  having a picnic lunch, and braving the restrooms with all the littles in tow. It could either be disastrous or a lot of fun. I was hoping for the latter. Especially since we have desperately missed being able to run to the zoo for a few hours like we did in Birmingham!

So not only was it fun and memorable, all three did amazing!! There, I said it. =) This outing went off without a hitch, even having to pump in a grassy field with my nursing cover on, while feeding AK her bottle in the stroller, passing bites of lunch to the twins, and grabbing a couple bites myself. We did it and it was SO.MUCH.FUN. Great time to spend with these ladies and their families for the day and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them better. I got home that night and for the first time I felt like we had friends in Auburn. Not just people we know, but friends and it felt so good to have community again! The Lord's faithfulness never ceases to amaze me, even if it's in His timing rather than mine! We will be back to the zoo before long I'm sure now that I know we can manage with 3 little ones (you can change up the arrangement with the double bob + ergo and switch out who rides where=) and still have a good time as a family! And we even made it home with smiles on our faces after getting stuck in non-moving traffic for over an hour...=)

An Atlanta Visit to the Auntie's!

 Well we did it! We successfully crammed our family of five into Auntie Sarah & Auntie Katie's two bedroom apartment for the weekend! =) And we actually all got a smidge of sleep and had some fun! Or was that just Mommy & Daddy who got some much needed rest? =) The two Aunts were gracious enough to let each twin sleep with them both nights! What a treat for our girls even if Maddie Grace did keep Aunt Sarah awake singing the B-I-B-L-E and playing peek-a-boo with her until midnight! =0) Despite the fact that they didn't fall asleep until around midnight both nights, they managed to sleep in until 9:30 and 10 each morning so we really can't complain too much! They were probably ready to see our entourage head on back to Auburn, along with all of our bags upon bags of necessary items to take care of three littles away from home! But seriously, we had the best time! Such special time to enjoy being outside, play at the park, venture out to dinner at Antico's, feast on some delicious gelato, and worship the Lord together! Such memories for our girls too who thought they were spending the night in a hotel! Ha, they were very disappointed when they were told they could not run and scream down the hallways! They are so blessed to have two aunts who love them like their own and even Ashton Kate managed to get in a little extra TLC while she was there! Aside from the difficulty of packing up the whole house to go anywhere, we really appreciate them cooking for us, helping get the girls to bed, taking trips to the potty, & helping us do anything we need! We praise God for such sweet sisters to share life with and to love on our kids! And our girls will be talking about their pink and purple toes for days to come...We love you Aunt Sarah & Aunt Katie! Thanks for hosting our wild family for the weekend! =)

Eeek! 1 Month from THREE year olds! (Update at 35 Months)

 2 YEARS 11 MONTHS (35 Month Update)

Weight: Mak: 29 lbs; MG: 30.8 lbs

Clothes: 2T

Shoes: Mak: size 6 ; MG: size 7

Teeth count: Mak: 16; MG: 16 & both are finally getting all their molars in!

A few things that stand out this month (from 34-35 months):

-Common phrases lately include: Maddie “Gwace,” I’ll meet you that way, I want to do it now, I do it all by myself, Maddie gwace makes me scream when she takes, I’m holding it in, Stand up and hold me, I’m talking to you, “Qwinkle qwinkle” little star, That's a great idea, I choose, I pick it out…definitely a pattern of desired “independence” around here!

-BEST FRIENDS-seriously these two are best buddies, they love to be with each other, they take care of each other, they interpret for each other, they help one another, they love to share with the other-the list goes on and on (including fighting too of course) but really there’s a special special bond that the two of them share & it melts our hearts! And just so one day they can laugh, Makenzie is still MG’s slave, aka runner-she will go get anything MG asks her to, even if that means she has to stop playing, watching a show, or being with mommy-she’ll even go upstairs for her sister which is so so sweet!

-Bedtime is still a battle so we’ve resorted to once again being willing to try anything-so…they are now sleeping together at night only and it seems to have helped a whole lot! (at least for Makenzie’s sake!) Granted, it’s a huge ball of fun being in the same bed and playing until they finally do fall asleep!

-Can’t get enough play time with their babies! They literally play with them all.day.long. They take them to “church school,” the library, play house with them, take them to the grocery store…anything I model for them to play, they then replicate! They also drag their stuffed animals everywhere too! They tuck their babies and animals in for bedtime/naptime and they don’t want us to wake them up! They are very serious about it too =) They change their diapers, feed them, discipline them…and they mean it when they need to throw away a perfectly clean “diaper” because it’s dirty!

-All day long around our house, every bag, purse, diaper bag, stroller is being used-they love covering up their babies and toting things around-there are never enough blankets to take care of all the animals/babies they own!

-They also love playing with the “real” thing-aka all of Ashton Kate’s things…they want to use her clothes, blankies, diapers, burp cloths-anything they can get their hands off for their babies =)

-They talk about and pretend they have a baby in their tummy all the time and it’s usually “Baby Jesus!”

-When you ask them what their babies names are, without fail these are the ones we hear: Ashton Kate, Harper, Hedda, Anna, Hannah

-Still love being outside and will rush to jump on their bikes whenever they can-they also enjoy playing in the backyard with their T-ball set (although MG’s form is quite a bit better than Mak’s girly attempt to swing the bat!) They also love going on walks around the neighborhood and have mastered riding their bikes using the pedals!

-They really got into the “Yimpics” as they called them…and enjoyed watching the Olympics on TV each night (Mg’s attention span is still quite a bit longer, surprise, surprise!)

-They love, love playing chase with daddy around the house when he gets home from work and that can get them laughing uncontrollably for quite a while!

-Love singing songs all day long and request quite a few at naptime and bedtime-they both know the words to a ton of them but especially Maddie Grace! She sings them all day long! (& very confidently I might add!)

-Really into using band-aids for their tiniest of boo boos and can’t stand it when they fall off…Mak will go so far as to hold her leg out of the water and cry hysterically at the thought of losing her band aid at bath time! (D-R-A-M-A =)

-Have gotten really great at sharing with each other and taking turns and they are always SO proud of themselves and start beaming when I recognize their sharing…they definitely enjoy affirmation for their sweet sharing of things!

-very into eating “snacks” this month and request them all day long and for every meal…so just so long as we call their meal “snacks” we’re good to go and of course they request to pick them out every time!

-they eat most of their meals at the bar stools unless we have a family dinner together-then we eat together at the table but they def prefer being out of their high chairs (no big surprise there!)

-one of their favorite things about this new house is “THEIR CUP DRAWER”- they love picking out their plates and cups each day…we have a rule…one per day for cups or else they would want a new one all day long! And Makenzie requests the pink plate or bowl every single time and MG doesn’t seem to care all that much, thankfully!

-When meeting new people, both can be very bashful and not speak at all…unless coerced but esp MG…once they warm up, they run wild so people are often deceived by their “calm” personality that they think exists, ha!

-Makenzie is still our little daredevil and dives over everything. She hits walls, falls off her bed, bonks her head on any and everything but it sure doesn’t slow her down. The child knows no fear in this regard! Maddie Grace on the other hand is still super cautious and slow & methodical in the way she does things…even her run is in slow motion…but of course she thinks she’s being crazy =) Such opposites!

-Love trying on clothes and changing multiple times a day, unless mom wants them to try on something-then it’s not as much fun!

-When one twin is being disciplined the other one will cover their ears so they don’t have to hear the loud crying-it really bothers them at all…loud things in general will get that kind of reaction from both of them…blenders, vacuums, motorcycles, planes, crying, you name it and they will have their ears covered until it stops!

-Slept in a big girl bed out of town for the first time at Mimi & Grandpa's house!

-All month long, ever since we had a heart to heart about having a thankful heart at meal time for what God has provided us with, they want to pray for the little boys and girls who don’t have food to eat-what started as just a teachable moment has turned into something and people we pray for all day long. They request to pray for them all the time and it breaks their hearts (especially our sweet and sensitive heart in Makenzie) that they don’t have food or people to love on them. It has truly been the sweetest thing to watch them take an interest in them and want to do things to help them-buy food for them, pray for them, want to tell them about Jesus-and has helped Kendall and I use that to shape their hearts and desire to care for orphans! Never too early to cultivate a love for those less fortunate so we talk about it all.day.long!

1st Visit to the Georgia Aquarium

We have been wanting to take the twins to the aquarium for quite some time and we realized time was quickly slipping by for them to still get in for free! =) We didn't want to miss that opportunity so we finally put it on the calendar and celebrated one part of their 3rd birthday a tad early! We met up with Aunt Mer and Connor & Harper and Mimi and Grandpa tagged along for the circus of an adventure too! We really had a ball and all the kids did fantastic! They seemed to really enjoy seeing all the animals and besides the show, it was a complete success. No major meltdowns, baby got fed, children had a blast, and the adults weren't too worn out to make the trek back to the car! Mommy had the privilege of missing all the "shows" to tend to the scaredy cat Makenzie =) We watched the dolphins just swim in their tank rather than watch the show. She was traumatized from the volume of the first performance that she was shaking and covering her ears before the 2nd one every began...not a good sign! Ha! When we recapped the fun adventure after returning back to Auburn, we asked the girls what their favorite part of the Aquarium was...Makenzie's response was, "NOT THE SHOWS..." =) Too funny! The penguins, "fishies" as they call them, and dolphins seemed to be the highlight! One day we'll take you back with us Ashton Kate when you're old enough to do something other than ride around in your car seat or be carried in the Ergo by Mommy! =0) So glad we finally checked this off the list! Now where to next?!?

Little Punkin' is 4 Months Old!

To our dear little punkin doodle,

We LOVE you to pieces! Cannot believe you are 4 months old already! Amidst the craziness and how fast it is flying by, we are savoring your sweetness fully. As fully as twin toddler sisters allow us to! =) We really do adore you and are loving watching you grow, develop, and see your personality begin to shine. You are a social butterfly these days, at least with mommy and daddy. You love to be played with and interacted with, but you also will kick your piano mat for an hour and be fairly content as well. We're truly so thankful for your spunky adorable self. You give out smiles freely and we just eat them up! We love undivided time with you during the twins naptime or at bedtime where we can just sit and ooh and ahh over every cute little noise you make or adorable face you give us! Thank you for letting us be your parents. We know we have so much to learn, but by God's grace we know we'll strive to keep Him at the center of all we do in parenting you. We pray your heart is softened by Christ sooner rather than later and we hope to instill a love for Him in the way we interact with you on a daily basis. That is our desire and we pray you find all you need from your relationship with Him. He is truly all you need. We love you sweet Ashton Kate! You make our days brighter that's for sure!

Love, Mommy & Daddy

Here are a few milestones for this third month of your life:

(from 3-4 months old)

-You eat 6 times a day still-usually 4/5am, 7/8am, 10/11am, 1/2pm, 4/5pm, 7/8pm and go down to sleep around 8:30/9 at the latest. We’re still having to feed you while you’re asleep because you are still in “pain” of some sort =( You will nurse wonderfully if you aren’t awake! Otherwise, it can be a huge battle and you nurse a little, then start screaming and then we end up pumping and doing a bottle-but we remind ourselves how thankful we are that you are healthy and that this is minor all things considered!

-You are usually a great napper and sleeper so far-we might have to run in and stick the paci back in but we are so thankful that this whole “schedule” thing has made you a more predictable baby in terms of knowing what you need!

-You moved to size 2 diapers right at 4 months and you wear 3 month clothes and some 3-6 month things

-You sat in the bumbo for the first time on 2/3…right at 3 months old!

-You discovered your tongue on 2/7 and love sticking it out and wiggling it around
-You are still a pretty social baby and love to be facing out to see all the action!
-Speaking of paci, you still LOVE it…such a comfort for you!
-Very drooly lately and you love blowing raspberries & spitting bubbles…you will soak the top of your outfits these days
-It’s hilarious to watch you crane your neck to see the TV, but if it’s on you are sure to follow the sounds and lights to watch it!

-You also made your first visit to the nursery at Lakeview Baptist during mommy’s bible study time on 2/19 (3.5mo)…you did great which was such a praise!
-You experienced your first time to "ride/sit" in stroller without car seat on 2/22 (almost 4mo)
-Very entertained by watching your older twin sisters and enjoy sitting in your bumbo while they eat meals and just observing them!
-In the car, you are now reaching for toys regularly and will hold onto rings and play with them
-We are so thankful that you are such a content baby-you’ll play for a while on your own on the piano play may kicking away or lay contentedly in a swing or bouncy seat…but the minute we look at you, you break into a huge, huge smile which we think is precious! You love interaction!!!
-You enjoy being sung to…hymns or nursery rhymes put big smiles on your face!
-You LOVE your hands right now-started becoming quite intrigued by them right at 3 months the drool is out of control from you sucking on your hands/fists…they stay in your mouth if you don’t have your paci in
-You enjoyed your first teeny little time in a swing at the park on 2/18 (3.5mo)
-Still a huge fan of the ergo-you rarely fuss when you’re in it, it keeps you from being flat on your back, allows you to see the world around you, and the added bonus is you usually fall asleep and take a nice little nap in it every.single.time! Great way for us to get out with the twins and do something without you missing your whole nap!

-Still fuss/despise being placed on your tummy…it’s fun for about 5 min and then you just get frustrated and cry =(
-Speaking of crying, you seem to be scared of strangers and will get so, so sad-you will pucker out that bottom lip and just cry hysterically! Not really sure why because once you warm up, you will then be all smiles…just takes you some time!
-You are still such a JOYFUL little one (when it’s not time to nurse in daylight hours awake!) and you smile ALL THE TIME…and lately you have started “squealing” with delight which we just eat up!
-And lastly, we think you’re adorable but people stop us all the time to comment on what a little doll baby you look like. Not just a few times but regularly people have said you are just a beautiful baby-we hope you always know how perfectly created in God’s image you are sweet girl!