James starts clapping on 8/1, and then in the days that follow he claps when he should sleep and when he's on his tummy (not sure how he worked that!). We also hear him clapping in the middle of the night which is when he also likes to sleep-flip and grab his feet. He's so eager to practice his new skills! Julia claps for the first time on 8/23, and she'll do it when happy or frustrated. On 9/2 James starts waving bye bye and Julia begins the following day. James also likes to fist pump likes he's on The Jersey Shore or Arsenio.
Holding Bottles
In early July our friend (and preschool teacher) Rachel R. comments on James's impressive fine motor skill accuracy. By mid-late July he's able to hold his own bottle at the correct angle for weeks (which makes double feeding so much easier on Mommy), and once he falls asleep while drinking (see the video). While he drinks he also likes to hit his bottle, and while Julia drinks she likes to hit her head. (I think it's because she's concentrating and it tastes good.) On 8/26 Julia holds her own bottle briefly and gets better at it as time goes on.
One of the first times James holds his bottle by himself. (7 months)
Bathtime
In July, baths begin to involve A LOT of kicking, especially by James, and the bather and the bathee get totally soaked.
Julia and her ducky turban. (7 1/2 months)
James is proud, yet still modest. (8 months)
Playtime
By late July if the twins see an out-of-reach toy that's on a blanket, they will cleverly pull the blanket toward them to get the toy. They both like new textures - Julia will kick the foam mat and James likes to hit the hardwood floor. James just likes to hit toys in general (or hit toy against toy) while Julia's much more gentle. We can only give James three toy links at a time because otherwise when he swings them he hits himself.
At the beginning of June, when James finishes a bottle he likes to have a smile contest with me and play tug-of-war with the burp cloth. Grandma tickles James for the first time on 6/8 and he giggles. They both love having blankets fluttered overhead (see the video), and Julia laughs for the first time on 6/11 - a giggle not a squeal - when Mark flutters one over her. To cool off babies after our walk, I strip them and apply cold washcloths to their skin. Then I blow on them. Their eyes get big and they smile.
Starting at the end of June, Julia likes to watch Mark make formula while she's seating on Grandma's lap. Mark will suddenly duck down peek-a-boo style and Julia will strain her neck to see him. Mark likes to drop pillows on the babies, and to my surprise they love it. James giggles hard when I rub noses with him and kiss his face, and both love having their chins tickled.
In late August, James likes to kick the door against the wall while on his tummy. Then it ricochets back and he continues kicking. Julia likes when I put my hand on my mouth, make a kissing/suction cup sound, and touch different parts of her body making the same loud kissing noise, and return my hand to my mouth and repeat. I enjoying playing "Mommy swing" with the babies where I put them in my lap facing away from me and rock them back and forth. By the beginning of September they both like to play with our faces.
Things They Do That Make Me Laugh
On two occasions right before inserting a thermometer into Julia's rectum, she poops. After the second time I ask if she'll always poop before I use a rectal thermometer and she says what sounds like, "Oh yeah." As Mark likes to say, "Julia poops more by 9 a.m. than most people do all day." Once after a bottle, Mark claims that James doesn't need burping and right then James burps. "Well played, James," I say.
One day as I hold Julia, burping her after finishing a bottle, James spits up, having finished his own bottle. But before I can put her down and clean him up, he flips himself out of his Bumbo chair and crawls out of reach, his squeaky clown shoe laugh trailing behind him, and when I laugh he laughs more.
Teeth
Julia's first tooth arrives in late July and her second is on it's way a few days later. James's first teeth come in about two weeks after Julia's. Thankfully there is not a lot of teething pain drama.
Eating
For their first solid food the babies try rice cereal. James tries it on 6/12, thinks about it and likes it. The next day Julia tries rice cereal. I give her 3 bites and it's clear at bite #2 she doesn't like it. Julia's not big on this whole "eating thing" until Papa somehow convinces her to eat while we're gone on our Jeopardy! trip. James on the other hand always enjoys eating and amuses us by sometimes making a chomp sound when eating solid food. He also cutely shivers when he takes first bites of foods and then smiles. Many of the twins' interactions these months take place when eating - they look at each other and laugh while in their Bumbo chairs.
James's first feeding. "It tastes better when Daddy feeds me." (6 months)
Julia's not thrilled to try food for the first time. (6 months)
Foods Tried
(All are from baby food jars except cereal and yogurt)
Rice cereal
Carrots (Julia tolerates; James makes a sour face but then opens his mouth, smiles and does a little shimmy; orange poo)
Peas (James opens mouth and seems to really like; makes Julia gassy)
Sweet Potatoes (James loves; Julia tolerates, seems to like more than other foods - she actually opens mouth a few times)
Oat Cereal
Pears (James makes "pear face" - one eye open, one closed - because of tartness?)
Apples (Julia's favorite thus far)
Bananas (James strains a lot and is uncomfortable while eating; produces his first turd!)
Peaches (a hit)
Squash
Green Beans and Brown Rice
Vanilla Yogurt
Mango
Julia's not so sure about this whole "food" thing. (7 1/2 months)
Weights and Lengths
12/07/09 (birth)
James - weight: 5 lbs., 9 oz.; length: 17.8" <5th percentile; weight for length: ~75th percentile
Julia - weight: 4 lbs., 9 oz.; length: 18.1" <5th percentile; weight for length: ~10th percentile
1/07/10 (1 month)
James - weight: 7 lbs., 2.9 oz.; length: ~21"
Julia - weight: 6 lbs., 4.4 oz.; length: ~18 1/2"
2/08/10 (2 months)
James - weight: 9 lbs., 0.0 oz <5th percentile; length: 21 1/4" <5th percentile; head: 14 3/4" ~8th percentile; weight for length: ~25th percentile
Julia - weight: 7 lbs., 11.5 oz. <5th percentile; length: 20 1/2" <5th percentile; head: 14 1/4" <5th percentile; weight for length: ~17th percentile
3/06/10 (3 months)
James - weight: 11 lbs., 2.6 oz. ~10th percentile
Julia - weight: 9 lbs., 8 oz. ~5th percentile
4/08/10 (4 months)
James - weight: 13 lbs., 14.5 oz. ~30th percentile; length: 24" ~18th percentile; head: 16 1/2" ~44th percentile; weight for length: ~60th percentile
Julia - weight: 12 lbs., 4 oz. ~21st percentile; length: 23" ~10th percentile; head: 16" ~42nd percentile; weight for length: ~58th percentile
6/07/10 (6 months)
James - weight: 18 lbs., 2 oz. ~62nd percentile; length: 26 1/4" ~48th percentile; head: 17 1/2" ~73rd percentile; weight for length: ~80th percentile
Julia - weight: 15 lbs., 6.5 oz. ~45th percentile; length: 25 3/4" ~50th percentile; head: 16 3/4" ~51st percentile; weight for length: ~44th percentile
9/17/10 (9 months)
James - weight: 21 lbs., 3.5 oz ~55th percentile; length: 29" ~62nd percentile; head: 18 1/2" ~87th percentile; weight for length: ~65th percentile
Julia - weight: 18 lbs., 7 oz. ~50th percentile; length: 27 3/8" ~50th percentile; head: 17 1/2" ~61st percentile; weight for length: ~50th percentile
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