Climbing up a pole

Here are the kids today playing in and on the jumper. I think it's funny that Charlotte tried to climb the pole at the end. By the way that is Cooper laughing...Charlotte's laugh is quieter. (Sorry for the bad quality...that's on our Sony Cybershot...the video camera uses such new software that it isn't easy to transfer it into something that can be uploaded to blogger.)

Zombie Days

We are feeling slightly better, but still under the weather.  Charlotte and I only got mildly sick for a day or two, but Chris and Cooper got it pretty bad.  Chris still has a bad cough and Cooper is still pretty sick. 

I feel a bit like a zombie.  Cooper was waking up every 45 min the first night he was sick, then the next night every 2 hours and the last couple nights every 3-4 hours.  Last night he was up from 2 am until 6 am crying non-stop.  Now he has lots of gas, maybe from breathing through his mouth.  He is still congested and is spitting up more from the extra drool from teething and the draining sinuses.  I feel so bad for him.

On a good note, I got another raise at work.  This is another 7% raise.  This year alone my pay has increased by 42%.  That is just unreal!  Maybe I'll stick with this industry a little while longer...from what I understand companies in Denver are paying higher salaries than what I make now.  Either way, money will go so much further in Denver than here in California.

Besides being sick and teething, both babies are doing well.  Charlotte is FAST with her army crawling.  Cooper is very close to rolling from tummy to back, which will allow him more mobility.  Cooper does this really loud growling and now Charlotte has picked it up from him.  It's funny to listen to her because it's not a normal sound she makes. 

Charlotte also steals all of Cooper's toys.  Cooper has learned to get a good grip on things and hold on to prevent her from taking the toy away.  Well, now he's found Charlotte's hair.  He gets a handful and really pulls then grabs her clothes with the other hand and yanks her around.  She's not too happy about it.  We'll see what she comes up with to fight back...she already knows how to hit him pretty good.  This will be fun when they are going through the 'mine' stage!

We're looking forward to my dad and brother coming into town next weekend.  We sold the Eclipse to my brother, so they are flying out to pick it up and drive it back.  It will be a super short visit, but it will be good to see them anyhow.

Chris has his first foster parenting class this Thursday.  Only one of is required to get licensed, and since he is home with them all day, we thought it makes sense for him to do it.  He's looking forward to having something to get him out of the house without the kids, and I'm looking forward to learning how to handle both kids by myself.

Fun pics lately:

The not so tasty peaches

She some how maneuvered her way into here:

Cooper giving the pillow some love:

Cooper having fun in the jumper:

Charlotte, the next scholar:

Sick Family

Since we came back from vacation it has been a rough week.  I tried giving Cooper cereal twice this past week and both times he woke up around 2:30 am covered in throw up.  Enough that I had to change his pj's and sheets.  Then over the weekend we all woke up not feeling well.  Some sort of a head cold.  Charlotte's been waking up several times at night and Cooper can't sleep for more than 45 minutes at a time because he's so stuffed up.  I tried breastmilk up the nose, and it worked okay, but he's still congested.  Christopher and I are both exhausted on not feeling well either.  This picture of Cooper about sums up how we are all feeling:

(Of course we are hoping that it is not the 4/5 month and 8/9  month wakeful period we are experiencing on top of not feeling well.)

And to give you an update on the crockpot meals, from the Crockpot Blog.  The 3 Packet Pot Roast is delicious and full of flavor...we added carrots and potatoes, yum!  The Layered Steak and Potatoes Dinner is also awesome, especially the corn on the cob.  We recommend using more flavoring for the meat, and lower quality steak.  The Jamaican Salmon was by far my favorite!  It had excellent flavor, cooked quickly, the fish was cooked perfectly, and it was easy clean up.  We only used 1/8 of tsp of the cayenne pepper.  Chris said he would have liked it a little more spicy, but I thought it was perfect.  The French Toast was just plain gross.  It was a soggy mess and didn't taste much like french toast.  Maybe more like a bread pudding?  I did like the nuts and brown sugar on it though, so I might try traditional french toast done this way.

Okay, off to bed in hopes of feeling better tomorrow!

Trouble Walking One Block

We had Charlotte's 9 month check-up on Wednesday.  When we showed up they told us that our appointment was on Thursday.  I showed them the card they gave me to prove I was told the appointment was on Wednesday.  They decided to 'squeeze' us in, but gave us the option of coming back the next day.  We decided to stay.

Squeeze us in = 3 hours of waiting + seriously cranky, tired babies

I went to get us some snacks and water to make a bottle for Charlotte.  We ended up giving her some of our snacks too...she loved the bits of apple and small pieces of goldfish.  We survived the appointment, but barely.  Both kids were so tired and cranky by the end. 

We filled out Charlotte's medical history.  I really think they need to revamp this paperwork for babies.  Trouble walking one block?  Um, yes, she can't walk yet.  Last premenstrual cycle?  What?!?  Okay to leave a message with someone else?  No, ur, I mean yes, she can't talk yet so it's probably best to leave a message with her mommy or daddy.  I honestly feel like I don't know how to fill those things out for a baby.

Charlotte weighs 19 lb, 4 oz and is 27.5 in long.  She is finally as tall as Cooper, assuming he hasn't grown in the last month (probably a poor assumption).  This puts her at the 50th percentile for height and 50-75th percentile for weight.  Her head circumference is at the 95th percentile.  The doctor said it's not an issue unless it changes percentile and she will likely grow into her head.  If I remember correctly her biological siblings also have larger heads.

Her Hep B vaccine is slightly off schedule, so we have to give her an extra dose at her 1 year appointment.  The pediatrician says she is meeting her milestones as expected, and looking wonderful.  She says her using a sippy cup is advanced for her age and we are doing things right when it comes to nutrition (the biggest concern we have since we are so new to it).

Charlotte is really amazing us these days.  Here are all the things she is doing:  mimicking chewing when we do it, army crawling forward and backward, transitioning from sitting to laying, waving hi/bye, raising her arms up for 'touchdown', babbling up a storm (da-da, ba-ba, ma-ma, ta-ta), putting weight on flat feet in the standing position, and eating table foods (her favorite is chicken breast and tomatoes).

Cooper is so close to sitting on his own.  He is also enjoying the jumper now.  Solids are going okay.  Baby oatmeal is his favorite.  Avocado makes him gassy and have stomach problems.  He hates pears and peaches (I don't get that...those are so yummy!).  I think we're going to stick to cereal for another couple of weeks and then slowly try to introduce other things.  He doesn't seem quite ready for the other stuff.

We received news that the termination hearing for Charlotte is Oct 20, 2008.  We originally thought that since we are family and she has been in our care that the adoption would move quickly after the termination hearing.  We found out that there is quite a bit of paperwork that goes along with adoption.  We had hoped for finalizing the adoption in November, but it looks like the absolute earliest would be February, but it could be a couple months later.  We are a little bummed, but it will be fine.  We are just excited to make it permanent.  So, I think I'm going to move forward with making Charlotte's announcements now, and then maybe do a 'We're official!' sort of announcement later.

I think we are going to move forward with taking the classes to become certified foster parents.  In order to receive assistance from the state of CO we are required to be licensed.  There are 7 classes to take and we will have to get certified in CPR and first aid, as well as do another round of background checks and finger printing.  We can use the assistance to help provide for the family as well as put money away for college educations.

Denver Trip Sept 2008

We're back!  Wow, what a trip!  We are tired and attempting to get back to our normal routine.  The first day back was a little rough.  I have so much to write about!!  I will have to break it up a little bit.  I've been writing this over 3 days now.  After this I have to catch everyone up on the other things in our lives!

Plane Ride

The airport went very smooth on the way out.  We checked the carseats at the counter with carseat bags.  It was free since they are considered a travel item.  We stuffed some extra stuff in the bags so our 2 pieces of luggage were under 50 lbs each.  Then we decided to gate check the stroller.  At security they wanted us to break down the double stroller to send it through the conveyer and we had to convince them it wouldn't fit.  We were successfuly but they were s..l..o..w at hand checking, which meant we had to attempt to collect our belongings and get dressed all while holding the babies.  Pretty tough.

The plane ride to Denver was nice because we got aisle seats across from each other.  (You can't sit in the same row on the same side with two lap babies because there aren't enough oxygen masks.)  On the way back we sat in window seats one row apart from each other, so we couldn't hand off the babies.

On the way out Cooper wasn't feeling well.  He doesn't normally spit up and usually poops once a day in the morning.  He ended up spitting up no less than 6 times all over me and pooped and leaked on me on the plane.  I didn't bring a change of clothes for me.  He also spit up on the lady next to me and I know she didn't have a change of clothes either.  Charlotte had a melt down the last 20 minutes of the flight and nothing would soothe her.  Once we landed and got off the plane she was perfectly fine.  At least they were both great on the way back.  Some KFC chicken breast works w onders for a baby who is now curious about finger foods.

The Visit

We got to see so many people while we were there.  It was wonderful to see my dad every day and my sister Savannah, brother Larry, and my mom also stopped by.  Heather and her cute pregnant belly were able to stop by for a short time and we even saw Christina Stack from college!  We went and visited Chris' mom and grandma, and also drove out to see my sister Lisa for about 30 minutes. 

We were able to have a late date night after the kids went to bed.  This was the first time we've been on a date since Cooper was born and we had a great time!!  We saw the new Batman movie, Dark Knight--great movie!!  Each of us also had a night out with friends while the other stayed home with the kids.  Then on Sunday we watched the Broncos game and loved every minute.  Nothing like watching the Broncos in Denver, especially with such a close game! 

The kids did okay with all the new faces, new places, and changes in their routine.  They got stressed out at times and seemed to get tired quicker.  Charlotte was really unsure about everyone, but Cooper did really well.  I think it's mostly their age difference since Charlotte is going through stranger danger, and Cooper isn't yet.  At the same time it is a little bit of their personalities.  Cooper is just more social than Charlotte.

The kids had a blast playing with Maile.  Mikael and Che inspire us to be better parents.  They are SO patient and Maile is so sweet!

We didn't take many pictures, so I hope my dad and Che send me their pictures!

Maile has a healthy obsession with shoes:

And not just wearing our shoes, but also putting them on our feet:

Cooper has become super flexible:

Cooper loved Grandpa:

Cooper especially loved Grandpa's beard:

Maile and Charlotte at dinner time (with my brother in the background)...Charlotte wasn't so happy:

Spaghetti face:

Mango face (I think):

Cooper and Raeann.  Where's the milk?  (Chris says this is Cooper's first realization that not all women are created equal):

Maile 'holding' Cooper.  We stood them next to each other and Maile was only an inch or two taller than Cooper:

Cooper so exhausted:

Laundry basket rides, all fun and games:

Until Cooper joins in:

Girls' night out with Che and Nicole:

Family photos taken by Che (Che Day Photography).  They turned out beautiful!!  I wish we would have had more time to get more poses.  The kids were a little tired and it was tough to get them both to cooperate.  Cooper and Chris always seemed to be preoccupied with the football game taking place at the park:

Cooper's 5 month pictures (more in the header)

Charlotte's 9 month old pictures (more in the header):

Remaining photos will be uploaded to the shutterfly sites soon.

Wipes Incident

Oh, I forgot to blog about the wipes!

When we had our home study done the social worker recommended putting the Clorox Wipes on a high shelf because one of the babies could get to it, pull some out and suck on them.  Boy am I glad we did that!

We have a diaper changing station in the living room now.  I had just changed one of their diapers and left the wipes open.  Within a few minutes, here is what we found:

Apparently Charlotte thinks we need to bathe her a little more often.  She used about 6 wipes.

Playing Video

I didn't get video of them laughing at each other since I was too busy taking pictures (see the Getting Ready for Denver post below), but it was fun to watch them.

Getting Ready for Denver

We are finally realizing that we leave for Denver in a couple days.  Every day kind of runs into the next for us so the trip snuck up on us.  We are excited to see everyone!!

We are not so excited about getting ready nor are we looking forward to airport travel with the two little ones.  It's so much work to just travel as adults, we are a little stressed about doing it with two babies.  I think we're going to ask for special screening because I can't imagine undressing myself to go through security, plus somehow manage to break down the stroller and carseats, while holding a baby.  I need to grow some extra arms before Tuesday!

We plan to pack everything tomorrow and then pack last minute stuff Monday night.  We will also clean on Monday.  Caren has kindly agreed to take us to the airport and then pick us up when we come back.  It saves us about $20 a day in parking fees, so it's a big help!

I took the kids out by myself again today.  I have to tell you, it is a ton of work!!  Getting in and out of the car takes awhile and is incredibly exhausting.  This is only the second time I've done it by myself and it was easier this time, so I hope each time gets even easier.

I took them to the mall so I could go to Children's Place.  I bought some really cute outfits for family pictures.  (Che is taking them while we're in town.)  I can't wait to see what they will look like!!  I also went to Target to get some baby stuff.

Charlotte used to yell for a few minutes before falling asleep.  For the last week she has started all out crying and it's lasting about 20 min.  She doesn't cry for the entire 20 min, but we still can't take it.  Neither one of us agree with cry it out (see my last blog post on CIO), until maybe they are like 13 and slam the door and cry.  It just feels cruel when the only way they can communicate is through their cry.  We are all for teaching them how to soothe themselves, though, so that they don't rely on us to do it for them.

Well, intermittent soothing from us (back rubbing, talking, singing, etc.) seems to make her more hysterical and more food, a diaper change, or other soothers (lovey, musical toy, blanket, etc) don't seem to help.  So, I bought her a new aquarium crib soother.  It has a soft light, nice music, and little fishes that swim across the screen.  It made me sleepy looking at it in the store.  We've used it for one nap and for bedtime and no more crying!!  I think we've helped her find something to soothe herself.  It feels so much better to not have to hear her little cries.

Charlotte is also catching onto finger foods.  We gave her some pieces of chicken breast tonight and she loved it.  She hasn't figured out 'pinching' with her thumb and forefinger yet, so she puts everything in her fist.  I love her little chewing motions and how she picks things up and then scrapes her fingers in her mouth to get it off her hands and into her mouth.  She also likes to eat directly from the bowl of pureed food and is losing patience for the spoon.  Tonight I let her pick the carrot puree up with her fingers/hand and then lick it off.  She loved getting messy and having the independence.  We both were messy, but we had fun. 

She has almost figured out the sippy cup too.  She doesn't bite on it as much and instead will close her lips around the sipper to drink.  She loves the half apple juice/water and the water with a touch of lemonade in it.

The kids are really starting to interact with each other now that Cooper rolls over more.  Every time they make eye contact they smile or laugh at each other.  Here are some good ones of them playing today.

The hand is coming down...

Whap!  Right on his face.  He's still smiling.

Here it goes again:

And just as she's about to touch him, he really starts laughing.

"Roarrrr!"

So cute.  I'll post some video on the next post.

Blog Stalkers

I'm loving my new visitor counter.  There are about 35 people a day who check my blog and many people who return to it every couple of hours.  I sort of feel bad for not blogging more often!  Did you know there are readers from Georgia, Oregon and Indiana and I don't think I know anybody in those states??  I'm sure they have been linked to me from other people's blogs.  I think I read all of the blogs linked to the Schrenks' blog and I don't know but a few of those people.  Looks like I'm not the only blog stalker. 

This counter is really quite amazing!  Here's my visitor map:

 

Charlotte is getting closer to crawling.  She's starting to put her legs underneath her and do this funny frog catapult thing to inch forward.  She also prefers to sit up now instead of laying down.  She hasn't figured out how to go from laying to sitting or from sitting to laying yet.

Here's her recent run in with peas.  She's taken to putting her fingers in her mouth and then rubbing them all the way up her face and through her hair.  So fun.

This is our new clean up system:

Cooper is loving the cereal.  After the first two bites, he wants more, more, more.  And his sense of independence hasn't slowed one bit...it used to be he had to put himself on my boob even before he could control his head.  Now he has to help put the spoon in his mouth.  At every bite.  I think he might do finger foods around the same time Charlotte finally accepts them!

Cooper's First Food!

Cooper had is first taste of solids this weekend!  We were feeding Charlotte some avocado for dinner and I thought, what the heck, we'll see if Cooper still has his tongue thrust.  I gave him a bite and he didn't push it out with his tongue, but his face was priceless.

The next night we tried a little bit of baby oatmeal.  He sat in the high chair really well and was very curious about this new experience.  He wasn't sure what to do with the bib, but he opened up for the spoon!  Again his face says it all.

So we'll keep giving him cereal for a few days, watch for any allergies and then move on to the next food.  Not sure what we'll do next.

:: Runs off to fix Cooper.  He's stuck on his belly and can't roll back. ::

Charlotte is loving her new finger foods.  Her favorite is zwieback toast (love that name!).  I don' t know why it's called zwieback toast, but it looks like regular toast to us.  She also has two different flavors of puffs (banana and sweet potato), but she doesn't know how to get them in her mouth.  She puts them in her fist and can't get them out.  With as quick as she learns things I think it will be another week or so and then she'll figure it out.

We have also started giving her a bowl and spoon to hold/play with while she eats since she gets bored.  I also spoon a little bit of the baby food on her tray so she can play in it.  Every once in awhile she will lick her fingers.  (Chris won't do that because he hates when she gets messy.)  We've been introducing the sippy cup too.  She doesn't know what to do with it yet, but she'll get there.

::  Runs off to fix Cooper again.  ::

We keep the tv off during the day and don't watch it until the kids go to bed.  Cooper in particular will turn toward any screen that is on.  He loves Chris' video game because of the colors.  Looks like Chris is starting him early.

::  Cooper is stuck again.  ::

We've found that the kids like to have all their toys in a bucket so they can dump them out and empty the bucket.  Cooper just sticks his whole head in the bucket.

My new favorite thing we do on the weekends is our family evening walks.  Charlotte gets particularly grumpy about an hour before bed.  She loves the outdoors so we take a walk around the neighborhood.  Scout visits with her friends Ace and Scarlet and then we wander around the harbor neighborhood daydreaming about what kind of house we'll own when we move back.  I love spending time talking to each other like this.

Did anyone go to the Democratic National Convention?  We were excited to watch it on tv...looked like a lot of fun.  We wish we could have gone to both the DNC and RNC.  Just seems like a great atmosphere.  Very exciting time in politics right now!

::  Fixing Cooper again.  ::

We've been trying some of the crockpot recipes from the Crockpot Blog.  So far we've had the Brown Sugar Chicken and Orange Chipotle Ribs.  The chicken was so, so.  I think our crockpot is too big to cook so little chicken because it seemed to over-cook it and lacked flavor.  Maybe we're just too picky since Chris makes awesome Orange Molasses Pork Chops (or Chicken).  The ribs were delicious!  We didn't have chipotle chili powder, so we used regular chili powder and it turned out fine.  Next we plan to try 3 Packet Pot Roast, Layered Steak and Potatoes Dinner, French Toast, and Jamaican Salmon.  We'll let you know how they taste.

I've added a blog counter so I can see how many people visit my blog.  Fun to watch!