Six Month Check-ups

George and Abigail went to the pediatrician Monday for well-baby check-ups and immunizations. They are doing well and growing, slowly but surely.

George weighs 14 1/2 lbs. and measures 26.5 inches long, which is 50% for his length (average) but only 7% for his weight...basically, he's still long and skinny. Hard to believe since he eats sooooo much!! His head circumference is still steady at 50%.

Abigail weighs 13.6 lbs and measures 24 inches...she's a short little thing. Her length was 5% as was her weight, which is good to have the weight and length percentiles match. Her head circumference was also 50%.

The main hiccup this past week has been eating. They have both REFUSED to take a bottle of breastmilk. They wouldn't take it from Misty (she kept the babies last week as our nanny was out with the flu), Matt or myself. I'm flattered that they are so devoted to me, but really! I would like them to accept other means of getting their milk. So...after lots of stress and crying (the babies!), we tried the sippy cup. This would tell us if it was the bottle they were protesting or getting milk from another source. They were fascinated with it, but did not consume enough milk for it to be an acceptable alternative yet. The kicker was on Tuesday when George sucked down a bottle of apple juice in 30 seconds flat! It took Abs a few minutes to figure out that she liked it but then she didn't hesitate to take it either. The little turkeys WILL take the bottle after all! What to do????

Our pediatrician recommended that this is a good point to reduce two breastfeeding sessions and replace with solid food meal and juice from a bottle while I am at work. I can pump during their feeding time and mix oatmeal with breastmilk so they still get the good stuff from my milk. I will continue to come home at lunch to nurse. Yesterday was the trial run and they did okay, but were not happy with not being able to be close to mommy. They were fussy and feverish from their shots so they real reason they weren't happy was not clear. I guess this means we have to introduce a more "time-based" schedule so they will be hungry to nurse when I am able to be home. Unclear as to how that is going to go...we are not a "time-centered" family, as many of you know since we are late to everything, especially now that we have two babies! Sonya is here keeping the babies today but I botched the "time schedule" by allowing the babies to sleep until 8am instead of getting them up at 7am. I have such a hard time waking peacefully sleeping babies......

This new feeding schedule will be a work-in-progress for the few few weeks until we get the kinks ironed out. We go from one hurdle to the next...welcome to the marathon of parenthood!