Six Months

Mary Thorne and Poppy are six months!  I can't believe how fast and slow the past six months have been.  We are in our rhythm now and I can honestly say that most days are a lot more fun than hard!  I don't feel like they cry nearly as much and their little personalities are really coming out.  We can hop in the car or in the stroller and head to the Tot Lot with about 5 minutes of prep time.....considering that it took 1/2 an hour to load the car earlier this summer....we've come a long way!

Mary Thorne looks the most like Elizabeth Magee (and me).  She has the sweetest temperament and is generally very laid back.  A good example -- today at their 6 month appointment Dr. Wilson was able to feel teeth -- she's been so laid back that I hadn't even noticed!  We've started solids and Mary Thorne is the neatest eater I've ever seen.  I only put a bib on her because Poppy needs one.  Her favorites so far are avocado and spinach/potatoes.  

Mary Thorne's six month stats - 14.1 pounds and 26 3/4 inches long.

Poppy's six month stats - 13.13 pounds and 25 3/4 inches long.

Both girls were in the 10th percentile for weight and 50th for height.

Poppy is our pistol with a capital P.  The ladies in the nursery in church call her (very lovingly) the "bad twin."  If she's not 100% happy.....your going to hear about it.  She wants to stand all the time.  She won't sit up for more than 2 seconds because she's trying to stand.  She started crawling a week ago.  Poppy is by far the better eater as far as liquids are concerned.  She can hold her own bottle and still nurses great.  I believe they are both eating about 32 oz of milk a day.  They each get 1.5 bottles of formula.

Some people think the twins look identical.  Sometimes they do....but the biggest difference so far is their smiles.  Poppy's smile is huge and she either opens her whole mouth or smiles with her mouth closed.  Mary Thorne on the other hand has an open mouthed but wide smile.....

Two of Poppy's Big Mouthed Smile -- I mean doesn't this smile make you happy????

Mary Thorne at Six Months -- I'll have to update one with her smiling :)

Trip to Greenwood

These three and I went to Greenwood for a few days last week.  I have always known I was lucky to love my in-laws but I seriously have the best in-laws and am beyond blessed with not just a wonderful mother in law and father in law, but grandparents in law, cousins in laws, etc......I told Oliver half-way through our trip that I wanted to move to Greenwood ASAP.  And I mean it.....Elizabeth Magee told me on Friday night, "I have lots of cousins."  It warmed my heart.  I love that she has so many cousins in Greenwood and loves to be there with them!

I had a CLE on Friday at the Alluvian and the girls went to Pillow for Homecoming.

Poppy and her dear friend, Sue, kept the girls all day.....and took them to Pillow.  Elizabeth Magee talked about going to "Daddy's school" all week.

 I love these two pictures.  We think Poppy looks a lot like Strain (cousin that is holding her).....after seeing them together and looking at Strain's baby pictures --- she favors him a lot!

 Sam and Elizabeth Magee got to play several times while we were in Greenwood.  She loved that he liked to play babydolls with her.  She didn't love that she had to share HIS babydolls :)

Almost My Birthday

Two and a half is a really fun, cute age.  She is really into birthdays.  Everytime we pass a house with a ballon on the mailbox she says, "It's someone's birthday."  "It's almost my birthday."  "I'll be three on my birthday."

Elizabeth Magee carries her two baby dolls around all over the house.  She gives them solids when I give the twins solids.  They get their diapers changed (notice we use rubber bands to hold them on because of course they must have real diapers), they put on clothes each morning and pajamas (or socks as EM calls them) at night.  The dolls names are Baby Reese and Baby Reese's baby sister.  Hum...think long names are the norm around here!

I want to walk around with a recorder and record all the cute things Elizabeth Magee says.  She says a lot.  She repeats most of what I say.  We can have a conversation.  On our walk Saturday, a conversation went like this:

EM: "I took a big nap." (she didn't at all)

Me: "I wish."

EM: "I wish."

She can say her entire ABC's.

She and Annie scream "Hotty Toddy" when they swing at the same time.  They scream really loud the whole time they are on the tire swing and think it's really funny.

The twins liked her yogurt.....food coloring makes any color yogurt you want possible -- we spend A LOT of time on the kitchen floor!

Last Thursday I took the twins to their first storytime -- I told Oliver I was the only parent in there that didn't hold their baby the entire time -- but I was also the only one with twins!

These two.  Yikes.  Kind of like an old married couple.  Here is a conversation:

Ticer: Says something to EM.

EM:  "Why?"

Ticer:  "I already told you."

Holly picks them up from Mother's Morning Out and says they have this conversation almost every time.

We went for popsicles at Steel City Pops yesterday.  Ticer shared his with Poppy -- she liked it!  For some reason it felt like telling summer goodbye -- I think the cooler mornings have me thinking about fall and how we won't be going to get popsicles for much longer!

First Grove and a Great Weekend

Mary Thorne and Poppy had their first Grove experience this weekend!  We went to Senatobia Friday night and spent the night with Net.  Then Saturday morning we played at the church playground (EM's favorite place in Senatobia - she says "Mama Daddy got married here" ) and then headed to Oxford around noon.  All three girls did GREAT in the Grove...I was nervous because my parents were not there....but it turned out great!

Sunday morning Net cooked a big breakfast and our cousins came to play before church!  It was the first time we've seen them ALL year -- can you believe that?  I can't -- we will NOT go that long again without seeing them.  EM loved playing with her cousins and I loved getting to meet Lawes!

Splash Pad and Carousel

 Last week we visited the splash pad at the zoo twice.  I'm not sure why we haven't been going all summer -- it's easier than the pool and no risk of drowning!

The carousel is right next to the splash pad - Elizabeth Magee could ride the carousel all day.  We rode it twice on Friday with Annie and the girls were in pure heaven the whole time!

Elizabeth Magee's vocabulary is really amazing.  Her new favorite questions are, "What are you doing?" Right after I took this picture she said, "turkey....I had turkey at Annie's house."  Amazing that she knew turkey meat came from a bird like this....where do they learn these things?

Mary Thorne was the only one brave enough to touch the goat in the petting zoo -- I was hoping it would give Elizabeth Magee and Annie the courage to touch it but no such luck!

Here's a flashback to September last year -- the carousel in Memphis that we loved so much!  How much has my girl changed in a year????  This was her first carousel ride with me and Siggi!