Mirai and Taishi’s 8 Month Update

I feel like once a baby hits 6 months it feels like they are oh so close to a year old…but then there are still 6 whole months left until they get there and it actually takes a long time? Does that make any sense?

Anyway! Mirai and Taishi are 8 months old and basically just the cutest things ever. They still don’t have any teeth and I love those gummy smiles!

Our daily schedule tends to change a lot because we are still in the middle of the 3 to 2 nap transition. Some days they take 3 short naps and other days it’s 2. It’s actually quite challenging getting them on the same schedule (as it’s have been for the last few months) but we try to just go with the flow as much as possible.

Here’s our typical daily schedule:
7:00AM – Wake up for the day and nurse
7:30AM – Breakfast as a family then play time, nurse again
9:00AM – Nap 1 (Usually about one hour)
10:30AM – Go out to run errands or take a walk (nurse before and after going out)
1:00PM – Nap 2 (Usually around 1.5 hours)
3:30PM – Nurse and playtime while I cook dinner
4:30PM – Bathtime
5:30PM – Dinner time
6:00PM – Nurse and go to bed

Developments

Both babies are sitting up independently now and love to sit in the living room and play with their toys. I still put a pillow behind them because they do occasionally fall over but overall they can sit up really well! They are mostly still just mouthing and chewing on toys versus completing an activity (such as object permanence box) but they do enjoy exploring what’s in their various toy boxes. I tend to just put various toys of different textures in a box and let them pull them out one by one. They also still love watching their older brother play and interacting with him. He loves making them laugh (and revels in the attention I think!)

Eating

We’ve also started solids! We began baby led weaning when the babies were around 6.5 months and sitting up fairly well. We tend to do 1-2 meals per days depending on what makes sense for our schedule on that day. Overall, they are super into eating! They still don’t consume that much which is very normal for the early stages of BLW but they are definitely enthusiastic and love trying new foods. I don’t think they have particular likes and dislikes at this point but I’m sure they will soon!

Sleep

At this point sleep has settled down some for Mirai. She sleeps in the bed with me and I nurse her to sleep and throughout the night. She usually wakes up a couple of times before I go to bed at night and then a few times throughout the night as well. Taishi is currently transitioning from the Love to Dream swaddle and Dock A Tot so his sleep is slightly interrupted right now. He wakes up a few times per night as well. Recently, we have had some “split nights” and it is just the worst! I’m hoping we are passed it now.

For naps. Mirai still naps in the carrier because it’s just the easiest. Taishi naps in the crib in his normal sleepsack (not swaddled) and no Dock A Tot. He has been waking up a bit earlier from naps as he learns how to put the pacifier back in his mouth but we are getting there! Hopefully soon he will be in the regular sleep sack at night as well since he is growing out of the other swaddle. Also just to note that he is not rolling over completely still so I feel comfortable putting him in the swaddle still.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is going about the same as it was at 6 months. I think they are getting slightly better at nursing outside the house thankfully, but Taishi especially still gives me some trouble when the flow isn’t fast enough for him. He prefers to nurse with Mirai there as well since the letdown comes faster but I can’t always nurse them tandem. So far I haven’t seen any change in their milk intake since they started solids but it’s possible I will in the coming months!

Even after 8 months, I am still finding having twins to be tough. I am fortunate to have a very supportive husband who is able to be home much more than he has in previous years (thanks Covid) and to live in a place where my toddler can go to school three days a week. Even with this support I still often feel like I am hanging on by a thread, particularly because breastfeeding can feel overwhelming at this age and doubly so with two babies. We are taking it day by day and always trying to simply enjoy what we can. I am in love with these angels that’s for sure, but I can’t say I am not looking forward to them growing up justtttt a little more so I can have a bit more balance in my life. Anyone else feel that way at the 8 month mark?