Ellasen is 4 and a 1/2!

Where has the time gone!! Our first born is 4 and a 1/2! This is a fact that she will point out to you if you ask. She is super excited to be "almost 5".  I don't know if it is the birth of the twins or if this happens to all parents, but she seems to have doubled in age and size right before my very eyes. She is getting really tall! She grew over an inch in 6 months! She has these big girl hands, and big girl feet and the vocabulary of a 12 year old. When she sits on my lap I really sense how grown up she is becoming. She is still the kindest, sweetest kid I know, and we are so lucky to be her parents!

At 4.5 Ellasen:

Weighs 35.5 lbs

Is 40.5 inches tall

Sleeps from 8-8

Goes to school M/W/F afternoons

At 4.5 Ellasen can:

*Write all her letters

*Sound out many words

*Figure out what almost all words start and end with

*Draw many things: flowers, people, mountains, birds etc

*Hold babies

*Read some words: Cat, Sat, Dog, And, The, End, Love, Can, Has, Had (and more)

*Count to at least 100

*Count by 10's and 5's

*Count backwards (and backwards by 10's and 5's) 

*Do simple addition and subtraction

At 4.5 Ellasen loves:

*To go to school

*To play with friends

*To watch sports with Daddy

*To do anything with Daddy

*To help with her sisters

*To color

*To paint

*To play play doh

*To work on learning to read

*To learn everything about everything (read: endless questions)

*To take baths

*Having babysitters

*To explore NYC

At 4.5 Ellasen doesn't like:

*To be told she can't do something

*To go to quiet time

*To miss out on anything

*To get her hair brushed 

*To try new foods (We are working on it!)

She is our sweet, funny, kind, wonderful first born! She is growing up to be such an awesome kid! We couldn't be prouder!  We love her to the moon and back! 

Jason, Valerie and Elias Visit

My brother, Jason, and his wife Valerie and their son Elias came for a visit this past weekend. We had a great time with them, and it was so great to meet my nephew for the first time! Elias was born the day after Eden and Everly. You would never know it though! He is so big and strong! Because the girls were early and twins they are a little behind the curve, and it was amazing to see how much of a difference a few weeks makes. He is the cutest little boy ever! Every where we went people stared at us. Many people asked us if they were triplets. We did so many NYC things during the time they were here.We did St. Catherine's park, Alice's Tea Cup, Central Park, a Mets game, Roosevelt Island Tram, Natural History Museum, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Bryant Park, New York Public Library, Wall Street, Staten Island Ferry, Statue of Liberty, Top of the Rock, Pony Bar, Times Square, Chinatown and Little Italy. It was so much fun, but we were tired at the end!

Ellasen and Elias

Mets Game We think Everly and Elias look alike! 

Funny face! 

Eliase has his hand on Everly's shoulder

We took Marion to the game with us, this is our selfie attempt

Eden and Mommy

Tim got the box so we got to hang out up there a lot

Ice cream!

Natural History Musuem

Butterfly exhibit!

Dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum

Valerie and Elias outside the Met

Lunch in Bryant Park

Uncle Jason and Everly

Carousel in Bryant Park

New York Stock Exchange

Max Brenner Chocolate Restaurant - brunch Sunday morning. That is smore's pizza

A giant vat of chocolate

Hug Mug

My breakfast

Our dessert

Dinner in Little Italy

Eden and Everly 5 Months!

Eden and Everly are 5 months old! They are such happy and sweet girls. We are so lucky to have them! We are able to get out more and more with them, and we are continuing to enjoy our last few months in NYC. Because we followed a pretty strict schedule with them we are now reaping the rewards. We can take them out places and be gone all day and they just really stick to the plan. When it is time to sleep they sleep, and when it is time to eat or be awake they just know what to do. It was hard to be home bound for the last few months, but it is so nice to be able to get out now without worrying about what it will do to their schedule. We have a couple of goals for this month. 1.To get the girls to nap flat on their backs in their crib. Their reflux still makes this difficult. 2. To get them taking some naps without swaddles. We would like them to be unswaddled by 6 months. 3 To get them to sleep overnight in their crib. We could do it now, but I don't want to unless they don't need the boppys anymore because it seems dangerous. This last one might be a longer term goal because we have some big things coming up in then next few months including our move!  We are so lucky to be their parents and we are really having fun raising these sweet, funny, cuddly little ones!

Here are some things we notice about the girls together:
*They nurse 6 times a day (7,10.1,4,7,10)
*They nap 3 times a day (8-10,11:30-1,2:30-4)
*They go to bed at 8 PM (They dream feed at 10PM)
*They sleep through the night (8-7 with a 10 PM dream feed)
*They take all their naps in the same crib
*They sleep at night in their bassinets
*They are still swaddled for all naps and overnight
*They both can laugh
*They both bring toys to their mouths

Here are some things we notice about Eden:
*She is getting better about tummy time
*She can roll from her tummy to her back
*She is putting more weight on her legs now
*Her neck lag is getting better too!
*She is in LOVE with Tim. She will stop nursing or playing to look at him if he comes in the room
*She drools all the time!!
*She probably weighs about 14 lbs

Here are some things we notice about Everly:
*She can roll from her back to her tummy
*She loves the jumpy and she does it really well!
*She is cutting a tooth on the bottom. She is not happy about it
*She still won't take a regular paci
*She still hates the bath
*She probably weighs just under 14 lbs

Eden 5 Months

Everly 5 months

Picture Post #1000

We have been keeping busy here in NYC. Nothing major happening here, but we have been really enjoying spring time! The weather seems to finally be warming up for good, and we are very thankful! Here are some pictures of what we have been up to lately!

Park Avenue Tulips

Tim's mom, Carol, came for a visit

Fairy wings!

When Eden is tired there is no keeping her awake...

Exhibit B

Not sure what happened to the flash! Notice Ellasen's outfit...she always wants to be monochromatic: all peach colored clothing matches.  

Cousins! Eva and her mom Rebecca (my cousins) came to town for a visit. Ellasen ADORES Eva, and she had so much fun! 

Sleeping Eden, exhibit C

Exhibit D

Exhibit E (you get the idea)

Sweet Everly

Eden and Ellasen

We are trying to get the babies to take all naps flat in the crib. Because of their reflux this has been a little difficult

A lot of the time they end up propped up a little. We are trying to get rid of the pillows

My head is huge! 

Cute little bunny!

In love with these two bugs

My first all Ellasen created Mother's Day card! 

The inside of the card...so sweet! Can you believe she STILL has another year of preschool! 

After bath time

Holding hands!

A new frozen yogurt place opened up across the street...dairy free, fat free sour apple with coconut and kiwi! 

Ellasen and her friends! 

Ellasen and Sam, I can't remember what they were doing, but they are such sweet friends

The girls have been laughing more and more. They are now giving us full belly laughs! So fun!

Next up is Eden and Everly's 5 month post, and Ellasen's 4 and 1/2 year post. We also have Jason and Valerie and their baby (my nephew) Elias coming for a visit!