My kids have narcolepsy

That's the diagnosis from this Dr. Mom

Sam goes through periods where he fights naptime and this is the result of lack of sleep. Falling asleep...

While eating mac n cheese


Wha?


Still hanging on to that plate...


One of the funniest things is watching a kid fight sleep while trying to eat the last bit of food on his plate.

Sign of the times

When the boys were about 6 months old, I wanted us to use sign language to communicate with them so I bought dvds and books to help. I had Tang learn the signs so that she could incorporate them into her day with them.

They would look at us make the signs and then go about their business. It just didn't seem like anything was sinking in. Then when they were about 17 months, they started signing milk. Sam used sign more then Dean. We tried to continue with simple words like car, bird, dog, cat, eat and more. Every once in a while, I would catch them signing bird if they saw a bird. But it just seemed that everything Sam signed was milk. We would say cat, Sam would sign milk. They knew "more" down pretty well too. More snack. More color. More outside.

I hoped that by communicating with sign, it has helped them develop speech more quickly. Now that their speech is advancing, the signs are not used as much. Sam does the occasional milk sign but they have moved on. Dean and Sam tell me what they want by stretching out their arm in front of them and grunting and whining until I walk them all through the house, touching and grabbing things and still never fully understanding what it is they want. So much for stress free communications with my toddlers.

This is Sam signing "cat"



I would recommend teaching kids sign early on. Constant visual stimulation with signs will help babies pick it up faster. We were not consistent with sign usage and I believe if we had used it in conjunction with conversation, pointing to objects and signing the word, they would have picked it up earlier and used more words. Kids are naturally whiny and when they get frustrated because they cannot communicate their needs for us to understand, it is frustrating all around.

I used Baby Signs because the graphics kept the boys interested. Here are other resources for learning about signing to your babies

Baby Signing Time

Mocobabies

Smart baby sign language

Baby I'm Amazed

I am constantly shocked and awed by the ability of babies to develop into little human beings. When D & S were brought home from NICU, they were so tiny, so helpless and fragile. I would cry because I could not believe the gift that we were given and yet so scared because I had no idea what to do with them. As they developed and hit various milestones like holding their held up, holding their bottle, sitting up, crawling, walking and climbing, even do a few signs, I would look at them and constantly remind myself that they grow so fast and to take it all in.

Now at 19 months, I am still even more amazed at the capacity that toddlers learn. At no other time in our lives are we able to absorb and learn as much as a toddler. D & S have been "talking" their own special toddler speak for months. Now they are starting to make sense. Dean has a great ear. He can listen to us say a word and he will repeat it. He is interested in his foam bath letters and as he puts them on the tub wall, he will say a random letter. He looks through books and points and says what he thinks the animal or object is. Right now, everything is "bucket" but we are working on it.

But the thing that makes me Rod smile and laugh is when the kids do something so out of the blue where we are ask each other if we taught them that. Rod was looking through an animal book with the boys and Rod was calling out the animals. He gets to the chicken and Rod says "chicken." Dean says chicken and flaps his arms like a chicken. I didn't teach him and Rod didn't teach him that so he must have learned in day care.

They are much more interactive these days and I am excited for them as they learn new words. I will be even more excited when they stop saying no every time I need them to do something. They get that from their father.

13 months

They are 13 and a half months now and it seems the older they get the harder it is for me to write their progress. I wish I was better at documenting their development because my memory stinks and I won't remember any of this.

Dean is...
• is so restless at bedtime, it takes forever for him to get to sleep and Rod is scared to sleep train, I might need to intervene.
• throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way (isn't that every child?)
• loves going outside and enjoys the wind in his face
• gets so excited when he sees cats and dogs but won't reach out to pet them
• is a ferocious corn on the cob eater. He will gum every last kernel off the cob.
• gets a diaper full of corn the next day
• He might have been slower to start learning to climb the stairs but he can now climb up the stairs in record time.
• has learned to crawl down the stairs and climb off furniture after only being shown once how to scoot off.
• his top teeth have yet to come in all the way.
• has become more clingy
• is destructive with paper, will tear it to shreds
• makes a mad dash for the fridge when he sees it open
• still a loud talker
• hates diaper changes
• forms attachments to bags filled with stuff and will drag it around the house. He dragged a paper decoration ball around for 3 days straight, a helium balloon for a week.
• still hates hats and anything place on his head
• loves play dates with Samantha, host family child of Tang's friend, another au pair.
• he does the sign for milk and all gone
• when asked where his ball is, he goes around the house looking for it.
• he kicks the ball around


Sam is...
• still climbs on everything and gets into every thing
• has a horrible temper and shrieks, clenches his fist and shakes and has resorted to biting Dean when they fight
• likes corn but not on the cob
• makes a mad dash for an open gate and goes for the cat food every time
• climbs stairs but has not mastered scooting down stairs
has not grasps the concept of sliding off furniture
• has 3 top teeth
• went through a rough time sleep training but now will get on his pillow and go to sleep with minimal to no fussing.
goes down for naps pretty easily
• becoming a picky eater and will squeeze food through his lips to protest
• still without a full head of hair but gets lots of pimples
• does not share toys
• squats to poop and sometimes finds a private corner or behind couch to do the deed. Hopefully potty training him will be easy.
• still a mama's boy
• has had croup twice and went to emergency room once
• thinks is is hilarious putting a bowl on his head
• he grabs my face and goes in like he is biting me but I think it is his way of giving kisses
• likes opening and closing the safety gates
• loves saying "uh-oh"


I am always so amazed at how far they have come. They are such sweet boys and I love hearing them laugh and play. Their smiles are so genuine. They give hugs. They show their love by wanting to be close to us. I know these times go by fast and they will one day not want to be so affectionate. So Rod and I will cherish these days.

11 months and then some

I don't know why I even bother with this since Dean and Sam will be a year old in a week. But I need to note their development lest I forget. And for their 12 month report, it will probably be about their party and not so much developmentally focussed.



Dean is...
• a better nighttime sleeper and does not wake in the night unless he is sick or gets stuffy
• so sweet and laid back until Sam takes a toy from him and then he goes crazy
• more interested in playing with the boob than nursing, he must be on strike
• not a picky eater and will take everything put in front of him or in his mouth
• more adventurous when trying new foods
• a fast eater. He scarfs Gerber treats like he is storing food for hibernation
• growing hair in a weird pattern and almost has a comb over
• slower at climbing stairs
• getting the hang of walking but is just as happy to crawl
• scared to go down the stairs even with assistance
• a big splasher in the tub
• a talker
• a very loud talker
• going be be taller than Sam
• never going to sit still again for photos

Sam is...
• a daredevil and climbs everything
• fussy and whiny whenever he does not get his way, which is almost all the time.
• catching up to Dean in weight
• does not like to be alone and is always in search of ways to escape his play area to find people
• climbs stairs so fast it is scary
• not afraid of anything, even climbing down stairs with assistance
• has started nursing again after a 2 month boob strike
• getting in his top tooth
• becoming a picky eater and will squeeze food through his lips to protest
• still without a full head of hair
• having a hard time with the concept of sharing
• a light sleeper and wakes to look for me, putting him to bed has been getting harder
• suffering from separation anxiety going on the 4th month
• the biggest mama's boy
• prone to get respiratory infections
• an eater of soap bubbles and a drinker or bath water

9 & 10 months

The boys are mobile! They have so much energy and are always on the go. They continue to amaze me with their development. I highlighted some but I am sure I am missing more, I just cannot keep up.

Both boys:
*clap their hands
*tummy sleepers
*won't sit still for diaper changes - as soon as the diaper is off, so is Dean, streaking across the room
*won't sit still for the camera either
*love bath time and splashing the water
*hate getting face wet
*self feeds puff-puffs, crunchies, wagon wheels and yogurt bites, they just started on tofu, pasta and orange
*are sippie cup drinkers - they get choked up once in awhile when they become overzealous suckers
*can drink out of big cup too but half ends up all over their shirt
*are lulled to sleep during car rides
*love their new side by side stroller
*walk around furniture and toys while holding on to them
*crawl at the speed of light and tile floors are the best
*are not picky eaters and have been great at trying new foods. (Except bananas which give them the runs and peas which are just gross. At least that is how I interpret the face they make when they eat peas.)
can laugh and play with each other. Until one has a toy the other one wants, then it's a throw down. Literally. They lunge at each other and we have pull the babies apart and into opposite corners.
*rather than playing with all the educational and developmental toys I get them, they would rather play with plastic plates, diaper cream and lotion tubes, cabinet knobs, dishwasher compartment that holds detergent, door stops, remote controls, real cell phones (when they have perfectly good play phones), my glasses, camera, paper
*still don't seen to exhibit any sign language we have been teaching them
*are really good about new places and faces and can be handed off to people. As long as mom is not around which cause separation anxiety and then a tantrum ensues.
*Favorite DVDs are Brainy baby right brain and signing times
*are generally happy babies and love to play tickle, footsies or peek-a-boo
*Their squeals of laughter make my heart overflow


9 months


10 months



Dean
*9 month check up stats: 27.5", 19 lbs 4 oz (25-50%)
*hates the car seat and will wiggle his way out of the straps
*does not like to sit in the stroller for too long and tries to wiggle out of that too.
*does not like things on his head, which is sad for me because I love putting hats on them
*loves TV too much. Thanks to his had, his eyes are glued to the tube whenever his dad watches them.
*says dada quite often
*is a restless sleeper, rolls around and circles the bed until he finds a comfortable spot
*entertains himself with the simplest things. He laughs at his reflection while wearing his monster bath towel. He cracks himself up when he sees his reflection on the dryer.
*has a bald spot on the right side, hair will not grow there it seems
*may not be as photogenic as his brother because every shot looks like he is drunk



9 months


10 months



Sam
*9 month check up stats: 27", 18 lbs 7 oz (10-25%)
*practices standing on his own, he can pull himself up without the help of furniture.
*can stand for well over a minute
*when he experiences new people and surroundings, has that look on his face like he is taking it all in, he stares and stares without a peep.
*Did sleep from 8 to 5, sometimes 6. But after he got over his cold, he is now only sleeping 7:30 to 4:00, then 5 to 6. Not sure how to get him to make it over that 4 am hump and just sleep through it.
*becoming more vocal, talks quite a bit now. Nothing coherent yet.
*I suspect he is doing the sign for "all gone" because when he finishes a bite, he raises his hand above his head and waves it like he is saying all gone.
*putting him to sleep for the night has gotten easier.
*teeth are death grips and can rip paper to shreds in second. If he manages to get a piece of paper in his mouth, and he knows I am trying to dig it out, his jaw clamps shut.
*loves climbing everything, his toys, the furniture, his favorite is climbing into the laundry basket and out the other side. He has now taught Dean to do this.

These are photos from December:

Head's down the funniest thing

Sam likes to do head stands now.



His shirt is a little big and it was covering his eyes so he decided to hold them back so he could see. It's his upside down version of peek-a-boo.

Standing tall

Sam stood up by himself tonight. He wasn't propped on anything. He wasn't holding onto anything. He stood. Arms outstretched. Looking a bit stunned and excited at the same time. And 6 seconds later, he fell back. He will be walking on his own before too long.

It just seems in the last month or so, they have really been developing. They can't stay babies forever. Sometimes I wish it would slow down so I can take it all in. I hardly get to see them during the week and weekends are never long enough. I know I will miss so much being away but that's how it is being a working mom. I need to win the lottery so I can be a stay at home mom.

Through their eyes

We took the boys to have their eyes examined today. Sam had his checked when he was a month old. The concern for him was due to his low birth weight, he may have retinopathy of prematurity. His exam at that time was very good and there were no signs of ROP. The doctor wanted another exam at 9 months. Our pediatrician said it was a good idea to have Dean examined too.

The waiting room was full. There were children with different abilities and special needs. I spoke to a woman who has a daughter with a neurological condition. Megan is confined to a chair. When her mom spoke to her about going to Starbucks way too much, she responded with smiles and laughs. It was so sweet. I was saddened for this mom and all parents who much adjust their way of thinking and way of living in order to give their children the best possible life. Then it occurred to me that children in general have that affect on people. A parent has to adjust their life and way of thinking to give their children the best life so they can thrive and be happy. We are just given hardships in different forms.

I never thought of myself as a loving individual or particularly fond of children. But I looked at these kids and felt such a surge in my heart. These parents are doing the best they can.

As I spoke to Megan's mom, I asked about where they came from. She spoke of the difficult time she was having with the school district. School systems do not look at case by case, they apply rules across the board. And when a parent has to pull a child out of school for treatment, how can that be unexcused? If a child needs physical therapy, why would that count against them in their school records?

I spoke about the difficulties we were having with sleeping through the night. I complained that Sam was such a mama's boy and that he had severe separation anxiety. I realized after the boy's exams were done that I had nothing to complain about. How can I compare sleepless nights with a lifelong condition? My kids will grow out of it but special needs kids don't grow of it.

I am so blessed to have our boys. They are healthy, they are happy and they are thriving. Would I have been strong enough to deal with a child with special needs? I don't know. But I look at special needs parents and am full of respect for their ability to make it work. I will think twice before I talk about hardships with my twins with other parents.

I like this site. It is so inspirational and has a wealth of information.

7 & 8 months

Didn't I just do a 6 month update? Man, time flies.

I am getting further behind with their updates. So much has happened in the last 2 months. Sam has his two bottom teeth and Dean is sprouting his right now. They are crawlers! They have eaten peas, carrots, apple, green beans and butternut squash. They tried bananas at the end of last week and both threw up on Tang. I am not sure if they just don't like it, if their tummy was upset or they are allergic. Maybe they didn't like what she was wearing. There was no breakout so I am not sure what it could be. I will try bananas later after they have had some other fruit.

They are both such sweet, happy babies. They love to fly around the room. Their ticklish spot is their lower back and they squeal when you tickle them. They are so curious and their eyes take everything in. They love all things electronic and would rather play with paper, trash cans, drawer knobs and DVD players than their toys. Bathtime is so much fun for them and they like to splash the water. But they hate getting their hair washed. They like to sit outside and look at the lights in the sky and down the street. At some point towards the end of their seventh month, they started flipping over in their sleep. These boys are belly sleepers. I cannot get them to stay of their backs.

Developments by baby:

Sam cut his first tooth about late September, early October and now has 2 big teeth sticking up. He loves to smile and show them off. And he likes to bite and has made nursing a painful problem. I think he might be on a strike. He has fierce separation anxiety and cries like a madman when he sees me and I don't pick him up or sees me leave in the morning. I try not to cater to him and let him know that I can't always hold him. For the most part he quiets down after I leave. He hits the milestones a bit earlier than Dean. His personality most resembles mine, he wants his own way, is competitive and a bit manipulative. At least that is what Rod says. He is a momma's boy and knows how to play me. Sam crawls like a champ and gets put in the playpen more often to keep him out of harm's way. He wants to stand so badly and can already pull himself up using various toys and furniture. Rod already caught him trying to pull himself up on the crib and we have had to lower the mattress. Sam's hemangioma is still present and doesn't seem to be getting to much larger. It is the size of a quarter and with it being bright red and on his right thigh, he wants to pick at it.



Dean started his teething about a week and a half ago. They are cutting right now and he is doing much better than Sam did. He always has something in his mouth and if you are holding him, he will grab your face and try to bite it. More hair is sprouting and he might actually need a haircut by his first birthday. His crawl has not quite developed yet but he can move around. Dean takes after his dad and is so laid back. He can sit for hours chewing on some toy. His current favorite is the cloth sword that came with his pirate costume. He is a restless sleeper and can't seem to find a comfortable position. He has bad sinus problems and gets stuffy with lots of big boogies and he hates having his nose suctioned. Dean is developing an aversion to hats and will yank them off as soon as I put them on. This I know is just like Rod.

Samuel the crawler

Last Friday, I was playing with Dean when I looked up at Sam and saw him coming our way.
He was very wobbly but it was obvious he was moving towards us.


or click here


Then tonight, he really crawled.


or click here

*sniff* Where does the time go?