Toddler beds already!?!?'

We have a couple of big boys and crib climber-outers. Last Wednesday they both made a break for it. They escaped while I was refilling bottles and took off for mommy who wad in bed.

The following night, we converted their cribs to toddler beds. We got a gate for their door and new bedspreads. Jacob has Mickey set, which he picked out and Jasper has Cars, which he picked out.

Bedtime has been challenge but not as bad as nap time. I have been staying in the room with them between their beds trying to keep them in their beds. I'm doing that right now while they're drinking their bottles.

The rule is that they have to keep their booties in bed. Jasper has been laying his head on my lap while the rest of his body stays in the crib. Jacob likes to take off as soon as he notices I'm distracted with Jasper. Jacob also lays diagonally by the bars of his bed and slowly moves his legs over the bars till he's off the bed. Super cute but ornery!

I have been able to get them to sleep at night but haven't been lucky with nap. I gave up the last two days and put a movie on till they falls asleep.

Today however is the first day I got them to nap!! Yay!!



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We're cutting back the milk

We are attempting to cut back the milk consumption for our boys. We go through about three gallons a milk a week, sometimes four. For some reason milk really helps them go to sleep at night and also nap time. I sometimes give them as much as two and half bottles at night.

So it's not wise to give the boys so much milk and with cost that goes into buying so much milk, we're starting to cut back.

We've been working on giving them one bottle of milk and substituting the rest with water. Last night was the first night of success and I believe Joy had success during nap time.

I think it's the laying down to concentrate on drinking that helps them go into dream land. We tried water before but usually they ended up just spitting it out.

Last night, Jasper was having so much fun taking his sheet off his bed. Joy and I were in the living room watching a movie while the boys were supposed to be sleeping but rather jumping and playing in their cribs. I heard Jasper pulling his sheet off and when I went in their room, Jacob was playing with Jasper's sheet. They're such good sharers.

I had a hard time getting Jasper to keep his sheet on so I gave up putting the sheet back on. He eventually went to sleep without a sheet. I was able to put a sheet on his crib and move him without waking him, only minutes after he went to sleep. Either I'm good or he was really tired.

They are both doing a great job at talking. Still gibberish with an occasional "da da" or "ma ma". This week Jacob started doing hand motions while he talks. It's really cutest thing. Some of his hand motions look like gangsta symbols. Hehe

Today, Joy said they all went to the store with Joy's mom and Jacob was talking to everyone. Sometimes people would talk back. I wish I were there!

This week, they also advanced their climbing abilities. They can now climb up into their highchairs. They have also been able to release their trays.

At one point, Jacob was climbing the high chair, holding on to the tray when Jasper released it on him. Jacob went falling down to the ground. Luckily, he was not hurt or even cry but that prompted me to put the highchairs away into the closet. Joy had to do the same thing after breakfast and lunch the next day and so on.

Last week, Jasper was main buddy. This week is Jacob. They really take turns with me.





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They are becoming toddlers!

The boys are growing so fast. Every day they are acting and look more like toddlers. It's crazy to think about how much time has past by.

Jacob will now show you his nose whenever you ask. Jasper still selectively shows when you ask but he knows where it is as well as his head. I'm working on ears with them too.

Joy has rearranged the house again. This time making the living room more accessible. We can all get to the couch now. The boys have done well at not falling off the couch and sometimes they just sit on the couch.

The other night, Jacob enjoyed a nice sitting on the couch session playing with my iPhone. I don't know how he open it up but he was writing emails.

The dinning room however has been reduced to a table and high chairs. The chairs and computer have been removed. The boys were climbing the chairs and trying to get on the table. The computer was moved after they were beating the printer with blocks and once removed they could easy get to the computer.

Bedtime has gotten a lot better. They like when I come in to read to them. I usually read to them till they fall asleep. They have both been doing a great job at sleeping through the night. Usually if anything I go in there to give them a bottle and then walk out around 3 or 4am.

Last night, Jasper started running in place. Joy stated running in place too. He got a kick out of it. Then Jacob and I stared running in place. I then started jumping and Jacob started jumping. Joy responded with "they're not supposed to be able to do that yet." They are smart.



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Darn those molars!

Darn those molars. It appears the boys have molars sticking out. This has made the boys very comfortable during the last few days. They have had trouble eating. Jacob has had trouble sleeping. They both want to be held constantly. Poor little dudes.

Sleeping has still been pretty solid except Jacob waking up upset. With the exception of last night, the boys have been going to sleep on their own with a bottle at night.

Last night, Jacob had finished his bottle and got up in his crib pretty upset. Even trying to give him tylenol was a struggle.

At this point Jasper was awake and also bit upset, mostly because he wanted out of his crib.

After everything was taken care of. Joy and I switched off with reading from a Disney book. I rubbed Jasper's back because he became upset about being put to sleep.

After Joy read a couple stories, I took over and started reading more. After I read the Hunchback of Notre Dame I looked up and Jasper, Jacob, Joy, and our dog were all sleeping. I tapped Joy on the shoulder and we headed to bed.

Jacob had then woken up again around 4am quite upset again. After we couldn't get him to settle down, Joy picked him up and brought him to the couch.

I then took him and he fell asleep on me and I was able to take him back to his crib around 5am.

Jasper slept through it all like a champ. He moved around slightly at first but ever fully got up.

They both got up again around 8:30 and took a two hour nap at 11am.

We kept a pretty chill weekend. We had to cancel on going to my niece Sarah's graduation party. Even Joy wasn't feeling good. I got our cars an oil change and Joy fixed the window on our car.


- ps the pictures in this post and last were taken at the Nature Realm on memorial day.

Crying It Out

Sleeping at night has gotten so much better. However there is need for improvement. Usually after an hour or if we're lucky four hours, Jacob will wake up and want to go held to sleep on the couch with me. He will not have it anywhere else. He doesn't not like to be taken to bed.

Jasper on the other hand loves being taken to bed. So during the night I will grab Jacob and head off to the couch and Joy will grab Jasper to take to bed.

Well, one night this week I took Jasper to the couch. Jacob woke up in his crib and Joy tried to take him to bed with her. Jacob would not have and had a fit.

This made Joy come to the conclusion that this is not working. I agree although at the moment I just wanted to go to bed. 

Joy held Jacob for awhile but he was still freaking. So she put him in his crib and like the doctor said "let them cry it out." 

About 2 hours later, he finally passed out. I was then able to put Jasper in his crib and got to go to bed.

We were awaken a bit later to them crying. However, this time we didn't get them.  Then for some reason they started laughing, followed by silence. They both fell asleep on their own! So proud of them.

The next night, we got them to sleep in their cribs and they slept pretty darn good! For now on, we will let them cry it out a bit longer before getting them.