fake out

Trying the pediatrician's advice and replacing Audrey's night time bottle with water.

Somehow I'm guessing letting her get super cozy in your bed wasn't part of her sleep training solution. #babysteps

Happy Halloween

Better late than never? I wrote this on Halloween but it failed to publish.

Cousin Cameron came to visit and we had fun shopping.

apple bars

Today I whipped up a batch of apple bars (adapted from a recipe on allthingsgd.com). They were super simple to make and were delicious- the babies and adults alike loved them! I will definitely add this to my cooking repertoire- especially when this was the reaction I got from the babies:

9 months

The girls had their 9 month well-baby visit yesterday. It is hard to believe that the next time they see their doctor (barring any illness) they will be a year old! The girls keep on creeping up the growth chart- Claire was 16 lbs 12 oz (26th %) and 26.5 inches (12th %). Audrey was 22 lbs 4 oz (93rd%) and 28 3/4 inches.

Size wise, Claire is in mostly 9 month outfits (although I have a few 6 month items that she still wears). Audrey has moved into 18 month sizes for the most part... she was in 12 month sleepers for about a week, but then they got too difficult to zip up. Thankfully Claire should be able to use them. Audrey seems to skip sizes... she really jumped from 3 month clothes to 9 months, and now from 9 months to 18. Good thing I have two babies so everything gets worn :) 

The doctor said that there is no reason for the girls to be getting up for night feedings, and suggested letting them cry it out. I gave it a go last night, but I couldn't let them cry for more than five minutes. I did however listen to her suggestion of getting them water in their bottles... Audrey didn't seem to notice the difference.

Claire and Audrey are now ready to start table foods- it is kind of scary, but the doctor said that the girls should be eating whatever we are eating... time to get some meal ideas from Pinterest!

dolls

The girls have acquired quite the collection of dolls. I decided it was time to give them names. 

Starting with Claire we have Chloe, Amelia, Isla, Lila, and Madeleine. I also have it on good authority that Santa is bringing the girls another doll for Christmas, I'll have to start brainstorming more names.

new shoes

My awesome new shoes arrived in the mail today- I love them! They are sperry Pennington (available at Nordstroms) and are super comfortable!

I wear flats constantly these days and love that they make a statement. I also spied the most perfect pair of nude pumps at tj maxx the other day and am contemplating those, but in the last 2 months, I've bought 5 (okay, six...) pairs of shoes, and realize that is more than some people own, so we'll see what I end up doing. I also really want a pair if riding boots (hint hint Justin) so I'll have to decide what I want the very most (if this was a multiple choice test the answer would be all if the above!)

organized baby

Lately I've been working on baby proofing and organizing- I find an organized home is much easier to child proof. I have delusions of being the second coming of Martha Stewart (minus all those pesky legal issues) but in reality my home making skills are probably only a notch or two above Peg Bundy.

Having a semi organized home helps me keep my sanity (I detest clutter... although it isn't always obvious). Enter my current bffs- baskets, trays, and empty cabinets.

Rather than put locks on the cabinets, we decided to put our cleaning products out of reach- the basket helps the assortment of cleaners look more presentable... but here is my moment of pure genius- I left the cabinet under the sink empty, so when I want to spruce up the countertops it is as simple as moving a basket... come to think of it, now there is room for Justin's espresso maker too (I hate having two coffee making devices on the counter! As an aside, once in an organizing frenzy, I attempted to hide the toaster in a cabinet... Justin was not impressed).

Next up is my buddy the tray:

This helps keep the girls' formula, snacks, and face wipes corralled. There is also a super cute anthropologie bowl I received from Amanda that houses pacifiers and teethers. Our supply of pacifiers has dwindled, but I refuse to buy more, as I am half attempting to wean Audrey from them... If one is sitting around she will use it, but doesn't protest if it is taken away, so I figure out of sight out of mind (but easy for mom and dad to find in case of emergency).

Now for keeping bath time tidy:

When the girls used their infant tub, I stored all of their bath time paraphernalia in there. When they outgrew there tub I was in need of a new storage solution. This inexpensive laundry basket fit the bill- it is large enough to fit all their toys, plus can be hosed off in the event their baby wash leaks. The sink under the bathroom counter is also nearly empty, so the basket can be stored there if need be.

I don't have a picture of my final storage solution as I was going to risk waking the girls by snapping pics in their room, but if you go back to their closet post you can get a visual. Their top shelf in the closet houses diapers, wipes, and keepsakes... I figured why not add snacks? I purchased several puffs, but our pantry is full of other things that need to be immediately accessible (important stuff, like candy) so I decided to store them in the closet... Not the best long term solution, but it works for now.