Thought maybe we could camoflauge that big ole helmet with another hat, instead it made Jake look like a flying nun.
Anderson taking a helmet break and wearing a more stylish hat.
Jake trying to steal the toy from Anderson.
Shhh...Anderson is so excited about his helmet because we told him Maddox Jolie had one.
Bonus Pic: The twins out for a brisk spring walk to see the flowers in bloom.
The blue angels got their helmets today and it went pretty smoothly considering it took 3 hours and the poor babies didn't get to take their afternoon naps. Over the next week we will slowly increase the amount of time the boys wear the helmets. By next week they will be wearing them 23 out of 24 hours a day. So far Jake has been pretty cooperative even though he had it on for only 20 minutes and his head was soaked in sweat. Anderson has been a little crankier about it but then again it could just be from his lack of sleep today. Hopefully the boys will adjust quickly and get used to their new look.
Anderson having fun.Today we tried out our new bathtub seats with Anderson and Jake. Jake enjoyed himself but Anderson wasn't so sure. He did a lot of complaining but we were able to catch a happy moment. I think we'll stick with their infant tub for another few weeks and try again when they can sit up a little better.
Tomorrow the boys will begin wearing their helmets. We have an appointment in the afternoon at Children's hospital for a sort of orientation for parents on how it works and how to care for it. Even though the helmets were made from a mold they took of the boys' heads, they will also need to do more tweaking tomorrow to make sure it fits just right.
Yesterday we took the boys to a Mom to Mom sale happening in Rochester. They took their first ride in their baby bjorn carriers and LOVED it! They were so happy and content looking around at all the things for sale and at all the people that were smiling at them. Jake even held a bag that had one of purchases in it. We found some great deals! We got a pair of ROBEEZ that had only been worn a few times and were in excellent condition. I heard about ROBEEZ from my cousin who said the boys needed to have a pair because all the celebrity babies were wearing them. They are leather mocassin type shoes and our pair has cute little lions on them. http://www.robeez.com/product.aspx?ProductID=16&deptid=226&PriceCat=2&Lang=EN-US
We also bought a bottle warmer for our car and an adorable bee costume for Halloween. My mom said one baby should be the bee and the other a flower. I don't think Kevin will allow either boy to dress as a flower for Halloween!
Jake playing at tummy time.
We took Anderson out of the car to find him pulling his pant legs up over his knees.
Anderson fairly happy and not screeching at tummy time.
Anderson trying out his new bath seat.
Yesterday I was putting some pictures we had printed in a photo album when I realized that there were tons more pictures of Jake than there were of Anderson. I was trying to figure out how that happened and came to the conclusion that little Anderson sleeps more than Jake and that is probably why. Anderson usually falls asleep a half hour or more before Jake does for naps during the day. So to be fair, this post is all about Anderson.
Anderson is doing well, he is eating 6-8 ounces every 4 hours. He usually naps in his crib twice a day for 2 hours at a time and takes a catnap in the swing in the evening before bed. He is our little detective, always watching everyone around him waiting for them to look at him so he can smile at them. He doesn't get mad very often, but when he does look out. Anderson can scream with the best of them! Tummy time is not his favorite time but he is getting better at keeping his head up and looking around. Tummy time usually becomes sleep time for Anderson. He tires himself out from all the lifting of his head and then crashes his head down and falls asleep.
The other day he was playing with Jake on the floor and touching Jake's face. Jake didn't seem to mind so I let him continue what he was doing. Afterwards I picked Jake up only to find Anderson had cat scratched him all up and down his cheek. When I asked him if he scratched his brother all up he started to smile and laugh! It was too cute!
Jake's length being measured.
Today the boys had their 4 month check up. Here are their stats:
Anderson 15lbs. and 25 1/4 inches
Jake 15 lbs. 4 oz. 25 inches
Our little guys are doing great. The dr. is pleased with their developmental milestones, weight gain and growth. We are very lucky that the boys have been very healthy thus far. No colds, viruses or flu.
We took Jake to see the cranio/facial specialist last week to see if a cranial remolding orthosis (helmet) would be necessary and it will be. We also had her look at Anderson because we suspected that he might need correction as well and it turns out he does. Many people have been asking us lots of questions regarding the "helmets" they will wear and hopefully this will clear things up.....
Because the boys were twins and this was my first pregnancy (no prior uterine strecthing) the boys experienced a restricted uterine enviornment. Basically it means they were both pretty squished inside of me. There wasn't much room to move around and because of that their heads did not form perfectly round. Since Jake was on the bottom he also developed tortocolis. Tortocolis is a tight neck muscle. He was only able to turn his head one way in utero so his muscle on the opposite side is tight. That is why we take him to physical therapy, they do the proper exercises with him to stretch the muscle.
To correct the assymetry and flat spots on their cranium the boys have been fitted for a cranial remolding orthosis (helmet). We could do nothing and take a wait and see approach but the dr.'s have told us that the orthosis produces a 50% better result than doing nothing. Its a no brainer for us. They will wear the orthosis (helmet) 23 of 24 hours a day for 4-6 months. The helmet has nothing to do with their brain development or their intellectual abilities, it is merely a device to help give them a more round head. It is a temporary and minor problem in the big scheme of things. They will be sportin their new baby blue helmets in the next 3 weeks.
Anderson rinsing off in the shower with Daddy after the big swim.
Mommy and Jake.
