Fall Flew by in a Flurry

Autumn is by far my favorite season. I love everything about it. The vibrant array of colors, that sound the leaves make when you crunch them with your feet, pumpkins and Halloween. The only disappointment is how quickly it's all over and we're thrust feet first into the bitter cold that is Pittsburgh winter.
Needless to say, we spent as much time outdoors that was possible given the fact that it takes significantly longer to get three kids ready to take a walk outside than just one. Luckily, I live right around the corner from an elementary school with a playground, so most of our time was spent there where we could easily return home if Gryffin or Olivia needed to be fed.

There were a few times when Hunter and I snuck away on our own for some much needed time together. All in all he has taken really well to Olivia and Gryffin. He loves them dearly and his presence and help has been invaluable especially on those nights when Tom is working and I feel as though the day will never end. I'm lucky to have such a sweet and compassionate child.
Olivia and Gryffin have just passed the four month mark and surprise me everyday with their incredible adaptability to this world. Their personalities are slightly different but they both have a sweet disposition. Olivia has just begun physical therapy for torticollis, a condition she was born with due to her position in the womb and lack of space to move around. It is defined by tight neck muscles and causes her head to have a slight tilt. With PT once a week and a lot of work at home, she should fully recover from the somewhat common condition. She's a little trooper and tolerates the treatment well. She's so smart she has already mimicked the sound to say Hi! Gryffin is my first chubby baby. Hunter was on the scrawny side and I call Olivia my little peanut because she is quite petite. Gryffin, however, is round and rolly and the jolliest little guy you'd ever meet. His smile is huge and lights up his whole face. He's also my singer. He coos and oohs and has the sweetest voice that melts the heart.
So far life with these little angel babies has been delightful. I don't take for granted that I am so lucky to have had three easy going babies. Don't get me wrong, twins are a lot of work. There are days where I just want to sit down and cry my eyes out and there have been a couple of times when I have. It does get easier and has. Tom and I make a great team and can get things running pretty smoothly. I'll start nursing a baby and Tom will get the other one changed and ready to eat next. If the first baby happens to take a bit long, than he'll entertain the baby in line. Occasionally, I'll nurse them at the same time with a special pillow I have. They look across and smile at each other while having their meal. It's quite amazing to watch the bond form that is only to grow stronger with each passing day.
This is the first year where Hunter is actually aware of Christmas before the actual day. He knows about Santa Clause and has been obsessively watching all the old Christmas classic movies. He received them in a box set last year for Christmas. He watched Rudolf The Red-Nosed-Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Santa is Coming to Town a few times today. He asks everyday if tomorrow is Chistmas even though we do the Advent calender together and he knows perfectly well that it's not. I can remember being that excited as a kid. We've revised his letter to the big man in red several times. Maybe he'll be ready to go see Santa this Saturday in Sewickley. This is also the first year he is not deathly afraid of Santa. Although, he is still a bit apprehensive about going to see him. I think this is the reasoning behind the revisions of the letter, to postpone the actual visit. It will be worth it just to see the look on his face when he finally does it.

I hope to do this at more regular intervals because the first year of a baby's life goes by so rapidly. I mean to say that time seems to go by more rapidly after having kids. Weeks escape me and days are a blur. I'm going to try for one more blog this year after Christmas, try being the operative word. Happy Holidays!