Fifth Month Celebration

On the fifth month anniversary of the boys' birth, they had the pleasure of meeting many of their family members. We went to my aunt and uncle's house and introduced our little guys to a number of loving family members.

Elliott and Ezra with their Great-Grandpa Hudson.

Uncle Garry and Aunt Dava with the boys

My brother Hudson and Lindsey with the boys.

My cousin, Naomi, and Aunt Rowena holding Ezra and Elliott.

We managed to get a family picture and Eliza assured us that she could "hold" Elliott.

I was reminded, yet again, that it is hard to live so far away from half of our family, and I was happy we had the opportunity and the means to travel across the country to see so many loved ones.

At five months, Ezra and Elliott are giggling and smiling constantly. They love being held and will give smiles to just about anyone. Just recently, they both found their voice. By this, I mean they spent the majority of their waking hours squealing in delight. They aren't crying, they aren't laughing--they are making loud noises and trying desperately to talk. 

Recently, we like to face them towards each other and they laugh at each other and begin to make "dolphin noises" (as my mother describes it).

Ezra and Elliott definitely notice each other these days. We like to practice their "twintuition" because it is so much fun to watch them staring and then smiling at one another.

People constantly ask us, "How do you tell them apart from each other?"

Well, it can be difficult to the untrained eye. Although they have similar personalities and nearly identical appearances, they continue to be unique. Each baby has expressive eyes, but looking at them is a completely different experience. Ezra is typically serene and calm, while Elliott is wide-eyed and curious. That being said, the boys have a tendency to change things up and confuse us from time to time.

Both of the boys are sensitive to touch. If they are crying, as soon as you hold them, they instantly light up. In their sleep, they reach out to each other and sometimes (if they are really upset), just holding their tiny hands soothes them immensely.

And size wise, the boys are enormous (as you can see). My brother-in-law, Kenny, calls them "linebacker" babies, as they weigh nearly 18 pounds each. People always ask how they got so big so quickly, and I just explain that they still nurse every 2-3 hours. We implemented a tentative schedule, which has helped me maintain my sanity, but they still cannot manage to sleep through the night without being fed at least two times.

Nathan and I are still tired, but we love being parents to Eliza and these boys.

(p.s. One month to my nursing/pumping/breastfeeding goal!! Not like I'm counting, though...)