Month Three in Pictures

We recently asked the parents of 1 year old twin girls to give us any tips or advice for surviving the first year.  They blatantly told us that it doesn't get any easier after the first months of life, but it does get more fun.  The babies' third month of life definitely brought more fun into our lives, as both Maddie and Will smiled, laughed, and chattered more than ever.  They are no longer the little lumps that they were in their first weeks of life!

The babies' individual personalities continued to emerge during this third month.  Will, in particular, came out of his shell to show a playful, busy personality.  There is not a moment when that boy is not in motion!  It is nearly impossible to dress him, as his legs and arms are constantly flailing every which way!  Will began to flash many more smiles this month; he now passes them out more freely than Maddie does!  Not only does he often break into big, wide-mouth grins, but he has also begun to laugh!  He likes games of Peek-a-boo and Got You, but especially enjoys silly voices.  While Will is our busy beaver, Maddie is much more calm and observant.  As I attempted to capture the perfect 3-month picture of the two laying side by side, I found that Maddie posed nicely for shot after shot while her brother...well, acted like a spaz!  Maddie continues to enjoy connecting with others over playing with toys, though she has recently fallen in love with the Baby Einstein play mat.  When reading to the babies, I often notice Maddie looking not at the pictures in the book, but at my face and mouth.  She loves to look at her brother and often reaches out to touch him. 

Both Maddie and Will continued to grow bigger and stronger this month.  With no doctor appointment scheduled this month, we will not get any "official" measurements; it is clear, though, that they have grown when you look at their chubby cheeks and legs.  They have definitely grown stronger; both babies are able to lift and hold their heads up while on their tummies.  Will can even turn his head from side to side to take in a panoramic view of the room.  Will rolls from his tummy to his back at least once every other day, and is fighting to roll from his back to his belly.  Maddie has proven to be a regular Houdini when it comes to movement in her crib.  She can spin 180 degrees, using her legs to propel her around, all while swaddled. 

Speaking of the crib, Maddie and Will made a big move at the end of the third month, as they moved out of the bassinets next to our bed and into their cribs in the nursery.  The adjustment has quite possibly been more difficult for mommy and daddy than for the twins.  I bawled as we set them down in their cribs for the first night outside of our bedroom, while Jim spent several nights camping out on the floor of the nursery.  About a week and a half into sleep training, Maddie and Will, for all intents and purposes, are now sleeping through the night.  Will sleeps like a rock from dusk to dawn, while Maddie typically cries a little between 2 and 3.  Easily soothed with her pacifier, she quietly goes right back to sleep. 

Their third month brought the babies' first Fourth of July, which was quite uneventful other than a trip to the Sonic Drive-In and some pretty adorable pictures.  The babies felt their first raindrops this month when I, after many days of scorching heat and no rain, stood inside the screen door with each baby to rejoice in the raindrops.  The twins made their first trip to the Milwaukee lakefront at the end of the month to participate in their first organized walk. 

It doesn't sound like we should expect that life with twins gets much easier as they grow, but if the babies' third month of life is any indication, we are in for a whole lot of fun in the months and years ahead!

A Month of Maddie

A Month of Will

Maddie and Will's Third Month