5 Months Old!

5 months old! Man, it sounds so old! I feel like the last month went by in a flash. Friends of ours just had twin boys on October 25th, so we've spent a bit of time reflecting on the last five months. It's truly incredible to look back at pictures of our 5.5 and 6.5 pound girls. The baby learning curve really is quite steep!

Anyways, here's a shot of our 5-month olds and a few quick points from the past month...

Quinn (L) & Teagan (R)

• Teagan is a rolling machine, rolling back and forth non-stop. She rolls onto her stomach the second she's placed on the mat. She actually enjoys tummy time now. 
• Quinn is Miss Inquisitive. She's always looking at her hands, sizing people up, grabbing onto things, looking around etc. I can already tell that she's going to be that little kid who is constantly asking, "why?"
• Teagan is all smiles. Yes, she is still fussy at times but for the most part, she is a really happy baby. When she smiles, it shows on her entire face. 
• Quinn has perfected her "jump." She LOVES the Jolly Jumper and will jump for 40 minutes straight (Yes, I know that there are now jumping time limits but she has way too much fun). 

Happy 5-month birthday to my two beautiful little girls :)

{this moment}

A ritual inspired by SouleMama. A single photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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Love,
Ashleigh, Jenn, Riley, Finn, Teagan and Quinn

Product Review: Cory.zalia (Homeopathic Cold Treatment)

Our girls came down with their first minor cold a couple of weeks ago. They weren't too affected by it, apart from some congestion and runny noses. Otherwise, they were in good spirits.

As a holistic nutritionist, I'm often looking for natural remedies for my family. Having used Boiron's homeopathic products in the past and homeopathy in general, I purchased Cory.zalia ahead of time. Inevitably, the girls were going to get colds and I didn't want to be running out to the store at that point. Cory.zalia is a homeopathic cold remedy that helps relieve cold symptoms, including runny noses, congestion and sneezing. The remedy is tasteless and does not contain any alcohol, sugar or additives.

Homeopathy is one of the safest forms of medicine. It is safe for adults, babies, children and even pregnant women. I actually took a homeopathic remedy while I was pregnant with the twins. Homeopathy dates back to the days of Hippocrates and has been used for over 200 years.

On the first night of their cold, Teagan woke up in the middle of the night (which she hadn't done in two months). She woke up due to her congestion. I grabbed one of the small tubes of Cory.zalia and gave it to her. Within minutes her congestion started to subside. For the next two days, I gave them three doses each day. Like over-the-counter cold medicines, Cory.zalia provides temporary symptomatic relief.

Cory.zalia turned out to be a godsend for those few days, especially in the evenings. It allowed the girls to breathe easier and sleep more soundly. I felt good knowing that I was giving my babies something that was completely natural and safe.

Cory.zalia is a must have for the medicine cabinet of all parents!

Disclaimer: This blog receives no payment or other compensation for reviews of products or services. Unless explicitly stated, I have no affiliation or relationship with the supplier of a product being reviewed.

The Queen Bee and The Monkey

We took the girls to a Halloween party at the 519 Community Centre today. We ran into a bunch of people from our prenatal class. All of the babies are within a few months of each other. Quinn was dressed as the queen bee and Teagan was a monkey. As we were leaving, I was telling Jenn how fun the party was. She thinks it may have been more fun for us than them :) As you can see from the last two pictures, the party was exhausting!

A Sweet Twin Moment

This morning the girls were lying on their mat while I was scrambling around to get things ready for us to leave for yoga. Quinn woke up on the wrong side of the crib this morning, so she was quite cranky. She started crying...loudly. After a few moments, the crying stopped suddenly. I look over the couch to see that Teagan had taken Quinn's hand and rolled herself so that she was looking at her. Quinn was staring back at her. Where is a camera when you need one?! I need to have my camera ready and waiting to capture precious moments like this :)

Weddings, Nail Cutting, NoHo and More!

We just got back from a week-long roadtrip. We drove from Toronto down to Connecticut for Jenn's sister's wedding. We then drove to Western Massachusetts to visit friends.

First off, the drive down and back with two 4-month olds wasn't nearly as bad as one would expect! On the way down, the girls did very well and only melted down for the last 45 minutes! Jenn and I sat in the back seat a few times to entertain them :) For the most part, they slept, talked to their stuffed animals or played with their toys. 

Jenn's sister's wedding was beautiful! It was a perfect October day in New England. The ceremony was held outside and the reception was held in a venue on a lake surrounded by fall-coloured trees. It was a beautiful day for a beautiful bride (and groom!). I don't have any pictures to post right now but definitely will soon!

Nail Cutting...If you've ever cut a baby's nails, you know how challenging it can be. If you've never cut a baby's nails but have seen a baby's hands, you know how tiny their fingers are! I had finally gotten comfortable cutting their nails. I've been doing it when they're feeding. They're distracted and less fidgety. It worked well, up until this past weekend when I practically maimed Quinn...ok that's a massive exaggeration, but that's how I felt! She cried for all of 15 seconds. I cried (inside) for about 3 hours while we put compression on her little thumb to try and get the bleeding to stop. 3 hours! I felt awful!! After a lengthy text exchange with Eva, she advised us to bandage her thumb up and leave it. See below. It's only been a few days but it's already healed. 

On Monday, we drove to Western Mass to stay with our friends, Hannah and Kate. They live near Northampton. It's an adorable little town with several universities, great cafes, restaurants, parks and more...typical New England! Jenn spent a good amount of time in Northampton while she was living in Boston (it's a 1 1/2 hour drive) and loves it! We spent the first day grabbing breakfast and walking around with the girls. Yesterday, our friend Hannah took us to one of her favourite cafes, Essalon. I was in desperate need of a good Americano and I definitely got it! It was a rainy, cold day so we ended up hanging out for a while, chatting with a co-worker of Hannah's. We then walked around NoHo a bit more and did some shopping. 

Hannah and Kate have an adorable black lab named Connor. He and Riley became good buddies a few years back. Connor is definitely spoiled, just like Riley and Finn :) 

Last night, we hung out at their place and enjoyed a delicious meal cooked by Hannah. Quinny preferred to stay in so that she could catch up on her gossip. 

Indian Summer for Thanksgiving Weekend

Today we spent some time in the park with our friend and her 16 month old daughter. Toronto is unseasonably warm for October (nearing 80 degrees!). Her daughter is almost one year older than the girls. It is amazing to see the difference a year makes...next summer we'll be chasing after TWO little ones!

Mom and Teagan

Quinn gets a kiss from T

Giving one baby and one toddler a whirl

Teagan wants some delicious Cobs Bakery bread

Mommy and Teagan

Flying Quinny!

Some tummy time in the park

Quinny and T. We are convinced that T thought Quinn was
a doll!

Pause.

You know when you read something that really hits home? All day long it pops back into your head? That happened to me today. I came across the blog of another mom of multiples. Her twins are about 3. She said, "I have been looking at baby pictures of you guys a lot this month. It makes me realize that the one thing that is almost impossible when you have twins (or multiples in general) is the luxury of being able to stop and really enjoy the moment."
I am often thinking about what we'll be able to do with the girls when they're a bit older. I think about the sports we'll play, the activities we'll do, the trips we'll take...

Day to day life with infant twins is challenging, I will admit. I've said it before, I feel like a hamster on a wheel. I'm constantly feeding the girls, changing them, running around. As I expressed in a previous post, sometimes I feel like they're short-changed because they're twins. Would I spend more time just enjoying them if they were singletons? Maybe, who knows. It doesn't really matter. I have twins and couldn't be happier.

This mom's comment about how difficult it is to just enjoy the moment really hit me today. Our girls are only 4 months old, but before we know it, they'll be 1, then 2 and then 12. They're only babies once so I need to soak up all the time I can. That's one reason I'm so grateful for this blog. Perhaps some of the entries aren't the most interesting to the average reader but they'll be a great reminder for me in the future :) But for now, I'm going to remind myself to stop and enjoy the moment.

4 Month Quick Stats!

The girls had their 4-month doctor's check up today.

Teagan
Weight: 14lbs 12oz
Length: 24.8 inches
Head: 16.3 inches
She's in the 50th percentile for height and weight.

Quinn
Weight: 11lbs 14oz
Length: 23.6 inches
Head: 15.7 inches
She's just over the 25th percentile for height and weight.

Both girls are on the growth curve so she was very pleased. Quinny is smaller than the average baby but she wasn't concerned in the least. She's small but mighty! They are both eating and gaining very well in relation to their birth weights!

October 1, 2010.

One year ago today, I was convinced that I wasn't pregnant. It was a Friday. We were planning on heading to the cottage for the weekend with my parents.

As I was packing our things to get ready to go, something possessed me to take a pregnancy test. I did it and placed it on the bathroom vanity. I'll never forget looking down at it in utter disbelief. "What the....?!" I say to Riley and Finn (who were in the bathroom with me, of course). "Riley, look at this?!" I say to him. He was shocked as well and had no words. :)

Not believing the test, I ran out to Shoppers Drug Mart (like CVS, Walgreens etc) to get a 2-pack of "real" pregnancy tests. I had been using these no-frills cheaper versions that work exactly the same but don't have the nice packaging. I rush home and take another test. Sure enough, it was positive.

Jenn was at client's office. I was picking her up around 3pm. At this point, it was only noon. I was pacing, like a chicken with my head cut off! I texted her to see if she could leave early. She was in meetings so she obviously couldn't. I didn't want to tell her over the phone. October 1st just happens to be the anniversary of Jenn and I getting together. So, I wrapped up the positive pregnancy test and put it in a gourmet chocolate shop's bag. I wrote a card as well. I packed up everything, got in the car and headed up to Jenn's client. I was there about 45 minutes early.

After what seems like hours, she comes out of the office to find her "gift" on the passenger's seat. Once she realized what it was, she was beaming. As was I. Despite my two tests, I still couldn't believe it. I refused to tell my parents the good news until I had taken yet another test. Sure enough, the following morning's test was also positive and the rest is history!!

On this October 1st, we sit here with our two beautiful baby girls having their nap upstairs :)