sleep

In the almost 3 weeks that we've been home, sleep has been our only real issue. Once they fall asleep, they sleep deeply and for a long time. However, getting them to fall asleep is another story entirely. About a half an hour before I want them to go to sleep, I turn everything off (we typically listen to music during our morning playtime), clean up the toys, and I carry them into their room. I put the two kids on the glider while I sit on the ottoman and read them stories as I gently rock them. Then I spend a couple of minutes holding each of them and talking gently to them. Finally, I give them 3 kisses, and tuck them into their beds.

We were trying to do the 2 nap thing, and sometimes it worked beautifully, but more often than not they would just start screaming. So now we have a morning "chillaxing" time where they quietly play in their cribs for about 1/2 an hour (by "play" I mean babble through the bars at one another or look at their soft photo albums, or cuddle their stuffed animals which are the only "toy" items I allow them to have in their beds).

I wish they would sleep, because I think they need the extra rest, and I feel like it would make them sleep even better at night, but I'm not going to push the issue. I'd rather they get comfortable in their cribs.

We've finally gotten into a pattern where they take a good solid 1.5 to 2 hour nap in the afternoons (usually from about 1:30-3:30). They still cry a bit when I first put them down, but they are learning to self-sooth, and I check on them constantly.

Izzie usually wakes up first, so I get to spend some one on one time with her. She's so silly. She does this funny little "heh heh" laugh whenever I do anything remotely amusing. I love it!

Elijah's teething, so he's been a little grumpy and very drooly, but even so he's super sweet and very happy.

I'm really enjoying watching their little personalities emerge. Playtime is lots of fun. But they're so darn cute when they sleep!