The Scheidt Twins: December 2014

Since Cooper has a couple teeth now, we've been brushing his teeth twice a day..ya right, haha, no way we remember to do it that often. but we try! So of course Brinley has to brush her "teeth" too. They actually really love it. I'm sure it feels good on their gums.

Kala called this one an "usie"

These were the Christmas outfits for my twin brother/sister for their first Christmas in 1990!

Hanging out in our bed one Sunday morning.

This is how I found Brinley this past Saturday morning - standing up in her crib looking over at Cooper to see what he was doing! We lowered her crib down that night. She still obviously stands up in it but is actually doing pretty good about laying down and sleeping still. She was sooo proud of herself for doing this and gave me the biggest smile when I found her like this.

This was the first nap that Saturday before we lowered the crib down. I wasn't sure what she was going to do so thought we'd try it out. She immediately stood and looked like she was going to launch herself into Cooper's bed. He, of course, is sleeping through all of this. She ended up napping in the swing the rest of the day before we got the crib lowered.

Still standing even though the crib is on the bottom level. She can't even barely see out of it but is still pretty happy with herself.

Cooper thinks she's crazy for trying to get out of the crib. He just loves to cuddle on his pillow with his comfy blankie and lovie (with his feet up haha) and has no interest in getting out!

Not a very good 8 mo pic but we try!

Brinley and Cooper are now 9 months old! They've really developed their personalities over the last couple months.

Brinley is VERY active, busy, nosy, just all over the place! Almost immediately after she learned to sit, at about 6.5 months, she started "crawling". She gets on her belly and uses her arms to pull herself all over the place. She's just started using her legs to help her move around a little faster. She gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth as well. You can't leave her in one place anymore, she immediately starts getting into stuff - the TV cords are her favorite. She also always crawls over to our dog Ty to pet him and get licked. She really loves the dogs. At about 8.5 months, she started pulling herself up on certain pieces of toys, furniture, etc. She honestly just wants to stand now. She will not sit on the floor and play, she's either on her belly crawling around, or wanting to stand. If you're sitting on the floor with her, she'll crawl to you grasping at your arms to pull herself up. She just started cruising around the ottoman and will move from different standing spots to others when she wants. Which usually just involves her turning and letting go and falling down, but she has no issues falling down! She hardly ever cries when she falls (or really ever at all) and just wants to get right back up. She's sooo tough, and such a little go-getter. She has NO fear!

Brinley is definitely the aggressor over Cooper and when they are standing together she will rip his hands off the ottoman or toy. She doesn't want him touching her "stuff", BUT she always has to be right by him and bothering him all the time! But what's so funny is that I say she's very aggressive but she does all this with a smile on her face! She's so happy all the time, never gets mad or upset, and when you tell her "no" or get on to her, she just gives you the sweetest smile. And she absolutely loves her brother, and just beams at him. Even while knocking him over haha. He gets very frustrated with how aggressive she is with him, and with her always stealing his toys and pacifiers. It used to just end with him in tears, but recently he's starting fighting back and will hold onto his toys tight so she can't get them, and once she starts going after his pacifier, he will just sit there and hold it in his mouth with his hand so she can't get it!

Cooper started sitting right at 6 months and just loves to sit and play with his toys (and he's got amazing posture which is funny to see). For the longest time, he had zero interest in being on his belly and would get really mad but the past month or so he's been doing a lot better on his belly and seems like he might be thinking about crawling a little. He will turn himself in circles on his belly. Cooper is just extremely cautious. He's very serious and curious about things and is constantly studying his surroundings (especially outside) but so far has been just content looking at stuff while Brinley is all about touching stuff. Cooper can go from super happy to mad in a second, but his "happy" is just so happy and adorable it makes up for the "mad". He's really started getting into taking pictures and loves to smile for the camera. This has reversed where it used to be Brinley that loves the camera but now she just stares in a daze while Cooper puts on a show. Cooper really loves to jump in the jumperoo or the doorway jumper. He's much more of a cuddler than Brinley and especially in the mornings likes to sit on your lap and rock and watch cartoons. If he wakes up early, he likes to lay in our bed with the covers pulled up tight and watch cartoons while I get ready. He's definitely not as independent as Brinley and likes to know that someone is close by. When he's playing with his toys or standing at something, he'll turn and reach for you just to makes sure you're still there, and then will turn back around and keep playing. It's so adorable. This boy LOVES to sleep and does not want to be held or rocked to bed. He just loves being in his crib.

They both jabber all the time, and we've noticed a definite pattern to their "talking" where they seem to be talking to each to other. Especially when they are in the exersaucer/jumperoo. They laugh and squeal to each other and go back and forth like they're having a conversation. You can also get Brinley to do a fake cough sometimes, and Cooper went through a big growling phase where you could get him to growl back at you easily. They love when you place your hand to their mouth when they are talking/crying to make it sound funny (like an Indian sound I guess) so they started doing it to their selves and will move their finger in front of their mouth to make funny noises.

They still don't laugh a ton especially Brinley which is funny because she's so happy but she just doesn't outright giggle that much. She just gets so happy and excited she can't contain herself and will just scream. The one thing that does make her really laugh out loud is when you're changing her diaper, I'll take the new diaper and fan her naked bottom with it and for some reason she thinks that's super hilarious. Cooper also has started screaming in excitement, and does laugh when you tickle him. Cooper has also done a few things where I think he's figuring out how to "tease" us which he really thinks makes him funny.

Probably my favorite thing they've started doing is hold their arms up to you to be picked up or lean and reach for you if someone else is holding them. They have zero stranger anxiety so far (in fact, Brinley LOVES new people) so they don't have a problem with people holding them at all but we always love when they reach for us to be held after a bit.

Cooper finally got some teeth right before he turned 9 months old! We had one horrible night where he wouldn't sleep hardly at all which is very unusual for them and we were so confused we didn't know what was going on, and the next day he had a tooth come through. Then it turned out he got both bottom teeth at the same time! He's definitely been a little fussier than usual and is napping more than usual but it's not been too bad. No teeth yet for Brinley.

They both still sleep about 12 hours a night from about 7 to 7 but it's not been as smooth sailing as it once was. Since they've gotten more active and moving around and the teething (oh and colds), they've had some nights of not wanting to sleep and taking a lot of rocking and then multiple wake-ups in the first couple hours, but always by around midnight they are sound asleep so it's not been too bad. We finally have gotten them down to 2 longer naps a day, and they take 3 8-oz bottles a day. They are huge eaters and eat 3 meals a day and have eaten everything we've given them (even when you can tell they don't love it, like avocadoes and peas). I made their baby food purees so we've been doing that and then started with finger foods/snack items which they rake with their hands to pick up. We've been pretty open though about what they eat, and they had a full Thanksgiving dinner and have tried lots of "adult" food.

Their stats:

Brinley
Weight: 17 lbs 6 oz (25th percentile)
Height: 26.5 in (10th percentile)
Head Circumference: 17 in (25th percentile)

Cooper
Weight: 17 lbs 9 oz (10th percentile)
Height: 27.7 in (25th percentile)
Head Circumference: 17.5 in (25th percentile)

They are finally out of the 5th percentile for weight! They really gained well, and Brinley has almost caught up with Cooper. She was always a pound smaller than him, then at 6 months she was 13 oz smaller now she's just 3 oz smaller!

And now some pictures of the last couple weeks.

I couldn't quite capture how cute he was in the pic but I was trying to change his onesie because of all the teething drool and went through like 3 that were too small. This one wouldn't even button at all and he just looked so cute in his tiny t-shirt (his belly was showing!) and diaper and socks!

Still love sitting and watching the fish.

We started using the boppy pillow for Cooper to lay on when he had a cold and have not been able to get it away from him. He doesn't even end up on it that long before he slides down but seems to like having it around him. This is him waking from a nap.