Merry Christmas from the Clines!

Celebrating the birth of Jesus at the Cline household is a fun & exciting event!

First Christmas

 

 

6 Months Old

The last 6 months have pasted in a blurr, but also felt like they were dragging at times. There were many days we wished the time away. However, as we look back, we realize that it only seems terrible in the moment. Our boys are SO precious, & we are SO blessed to be their parents!

NEW THINGS this MONTH

• Max - rolling to his belly like a pro! Derek - can do it, but chooses not to. He usually just stays balances on his side.
• Max & Derek - noticing each other. We have a feeling they're going to give mom & dad a lot of trouble :)
• Max & Derek - love to make noises: moaning, grunting, gurgling, and more.
• Max - makes you work for a laugh, but has a huge gummy smile when he does. Derek - laughs at almost anything you do or say.
• Max & Derek - really enjoy just laying on the changing pad whether it's naked or in their diaper. I think it's the sound the pad makes, when the cover is off, that they love to listen to.
• Max & Derek - are now eating 5 to 6 times a day. Usually eating 5-6 ounces with a random 4 or even 7 once in a while.
• Max & Derek - starting to teeth (or so we think). They're putting EverythinG in their mouths & whine when it's not working the way they want it to.
• Max & Derek - got sick for the first time. We came home from a Thanksgiving vacation with the Freedom team & both had a nasty cough/stuffy nose. Derek ended up getting it worse than Max, & unfortunately, still has a lingering cough.
• Max & Derek - no pacifier babies here (& crossing our fingers on the thumb suckers); however, they both put their fists and/or fingers (any one) in their mouths All The Time!
• Max - grabs onto anything within reach. Derek - watches you wherever you go.
• Max & Derek - can switch hands with a toy & reach for anything you place in front of them.
• Max & Derek - know when they're alone. Both have become more alert & love to be around other people :)

We are excited, like always, when they've reached another monthly birthday! Each day we notice how much they're growing & how they're learning new things. Still no mobility, but they're trying so hard to sit up. Soon they'll be moving non-stop, & we'll wish for the times when we could just set them on the mat to play :)

Happy 6 Months Max & Derek!

5 Months Old

Wow! Are they really 5 months old already?! It's amazing to think back over the last month & almost hard to remember what it was like in the beginning. Max & Derek have made serious strides in their growth this last week. We've experienced so many firsts that I could probably write a book :)

They've rolled to their stomachs - Derek before Max. They've started to grab their feet - Max before Derek. Both of them are grabbing onto toys when we put them close to their hands. They have also started to sit in the bumbo. This only lasts for a minute or two, but is so much fun to watch! Now that they can hold their heads up, we have to hold them facing out. This also means that we can pull them to a seated position by their hands. They laugh on command & love to hear us talk. Almost any noise gets them smiling. It's one of the greatest feelings we have experienced to date :) Like last month, we know our little boys so much better & can usual figure out what's bothering them. 

|Max|                                       |Derek|
15 lbs 8 oz (in the 27% for weight)             14 lbs 10 oz (in the 14% for weight)
64 cm (22% for height)                               63 cm (12% for height)
44 (69% for head CC)                                 43 cm (40% for head CC)

Some of Their Favorites

Word = Pizza     |     Phrase = You Silly Boy     |     Toy =  Rattles & Squeaky Toys (anything that makes noise)

Place to Be = On the Mat     |     Time of Day = After Eating     |     Place to Sleep = Bouncy Chair

Song = I Love You (made up by mommy)     |     Book = There's a Wocket in My Pocket

     Person(s) = Mommy & Daddy     |     Activity = Bathtime

Happy 5 Months Max & Derek!

Halloween

Even though we're far away from the festivities, Grammy Cline encouraged us to have fun with Halloween. I almost didn't do it, but couldn't help myself after having some trick or treaters stop by :) Happy Halloween!

Introducing Mario (Max) & Luigi (Derek)

4 Months Old

We were so excited to spent this past month in the states! Max & Derek traveled overseas for the first time to see family & friends. They did a fantastic job flying! The second flight on the way there, they slept the entire time. It was amazing :)

The biggest transformation we noticed from month 3 to 4 was that they both became more alert. We got a whole lot more smiles & laughs! It was fun to watch them watch us. Our interaction with them went from just feeding and burping to feeding, burping, playing & talking. This is what I call perfect timing since we spent the month showing the boys off :)

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Likes & Dislikes Both boys love being around people, taking baths & just being naked! They’re not very fond of the sun (it’s just too bright), but they do really well outside in a Bjorn. They’re still not big fans of wearing clothes, which was a challenge at first because it was much cooler in the states. They eventually got used to being in clothes & did much better at the end of our trip. One of their favorite things was playtime on the mat. They LOVED to fling their arms around & hit their toys. Also, the bouncy seat became a lifesaver for us. We realized that the best way to get them to sleep was to bounce, so we took advantage of the bouncy seat & an exercise ball :)

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Eating & Sleeping They dropped to only one feeding a night, usually around 3:30 or 4. At each feeding, they took about 4 ounces. We started to push for 5, but it was still too much. Most days they would eat seven times; however, we started to see a transition to six as they got closer to 4 months old. This resulted in a much longer nights sleep. They both slept through the night (from 10:00 to 6:30) on October 13th at Grammy and Gramps Cline’s house! We were all super excited even if it was a one time thing.

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Growth Max & Derek both weighed over 10 lbs. Max was 12 lbs 10 oz & Derek hit 12 lbs on the mark. They both were 23 inches long & received a great report from the doctor. The only thing we were told was to work on adding tummy time to our routine. Both boys hated being on their stomachs, but it was important for their neck strength (and we can’t wait until they can hold their heads up).

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To say the least, we’ve come so far this month. I feel like we are much more comfortable with taking care of the boys & have a better grasp on what makes them “tick.” Life isn’t quite as complicated, & everyone is much happier these days. We are really looking forward to month five as they become more active & maybe even mobile!
 

Happy 4 Months Max & Derek!

3 Months Old

This post is super late! I guess the saying, "Better late than never," can truly be applied here. Unfortunately, this also means that I can barely remember what happened.

What I do remember is this... the rest of the Freedom team traveled to the states, so Kurt & I spent the entire month taking care of babies. We learned how to work together & communicate extremely well! It was nice to have this extra time to figure out how to be parents. Especially since the previous month was such a struggle.

Growth 

  Max                                                           Derek 

10 lbs                                                               10 lbs

21 inches                                                           21 inches

7 feedings                                                       7-8 feedings

28-29 ounces                                                   26-28 ounces

Both boys have done well this month & are growing steadily. They smile & laugh randomly (which is actually kind of funny). We are all looking forward to seeing friends & family this coming month!

 

Happy 3 Months Max & Derek!