Changing So Fast!

I don't write many sappy, sentimental Mommy blogs, but I might now. My babies are GROWING UP!! They are 7 1/2 months old now and everyday they learn something new and grow up just a little more. Even when they were sick last week, they kept exploring and doing new things!!

Both babies are now rolling both ways, and can get from tummy to sitting independently. Gillian, as you have seen, has developed a crazy land-shark way of crawling. Sometimes I think she's going to get moving on her hands and knees, but the belly crawl is so functional for her, that I doubt it. She has also pulled herself to stand several times now! Colin is still not fully crawling, but he's getting closer each day. He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks, then lunges onto his belly. He's a pretty good scooter too, and he'll roll sometimes too. He patches it all together. They will both "walk" if you hold their fingers! It's so funny to see such tiny little babies (they're still in the 5th percentile for weight/height) do such "big" things!

They are so eating so many solids, and so well! We started off so slowly with solid food, but they are really enjoying it and seem to like a lot of different things! Gillian will eat just about anything you offer her. The only thing Colin doesn't seem to like is avocado. He does prefer carrots to pretty much anything though! They started eating the little Gerber Puffs last week too! Colin just scoops them up and tries to stuff his hand in his mouth without much success in getting the Puff released into his mouth, but he tries! If you put the Puff in his mouth though, he'll eat it up! Gillian hasn't really tried to put one in her mouth herself yet, but she'll eat them out of your hand.

About a 5 weeks ago, Colin and Gillian started sleeping through the night. Finally. FINALLY! I was beginning to suspect that this event would never, ever, in my life, happen. I thought it was a mythical event that only happened to other parents. But, one night, TA DA! Since then, we have really solidified our naps and, most of the time, our night time sleep! They are usually asleep before 8:00 and, most mornings, make it until 6:00 or after. Gillian is actually the one prone to wake up at 5:30 am, which is funny as all get-out considering she has been the better sleeper for the past 6 months. See me laugh at how funny that is???? Anyway, I am very proud of how well they sleep at night and how well they nap. Michael and I worked very, very hard on this front over the past 7 months and it is WONDERFUL.

Colin and Gillian are also becoming such social creatures. Gillian, in particular, notices her brother and what he's doing. Mostly I think she keeps tabs on him in case he's doing something more fun than what she's doing so she can go steal his fun. She crawls to him and steals his toys, or tackles him. Most of the time he takes it in stride, but occasionally, he'll let out an unhappy wail that I can imagine will someday sound like, "MOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!" They are not strange with people at all; they will pretty much go to anyone who wants to hold them and be happy as clams. They are full of smiles and giggles, and are really starting to babble! Of course, I would love to hear more consonants out of them, but they are starting to razz and I've heard some "mmmmm" sounds too. They will take turns back and forth "talking" with me too, which I love!

I look at them sometimes, sitting up like big kids, playing contently with all sorts of toys and think, "Wow, this is going so fast!" Sometimes I think, they are going to be babies FOREVER! Hurry UP, already! So, it evens out! My days are still hard sometimes, and still LONG a lot of the time. The work is just neverending, as any mother (or father) can attest to. It is such a huge responsibility, and honor, to be charged with molding these little creatures into adults that will make the world a better place. Wow.

See, told ya, sappy.