We started the babies on whole milk this past week and things are going well. They both didn't love it and the little guy especially did NOT like it initially so we had to change up the plan a bit. We had wanted to move them to sippy cups while moving to whole milk but it didn't work out. They didn't like it, and they aren't as coordinated as I had thought, spilling most of the milk (which could have been on purpose). Either way, I wasn't comfortable not knowing how much they were actually drinking, so we decided to first transition them to whole milk and then work on getting rid of the bottles.
The first day, for every bottle they got 5 ounces of breastmilk and 1 ounce of wholemilk. We increased their whole milk by one ounce every 2nd day, slowly decreasing the amount of breastmilk. They would drink it all, though not as enthusiastically as they did their breastmilk. As of yesterday they get a full 6 ounces of whole milk in each bottle. Since I still have to pump, they get all breastmilk in their last bottle...which secretly makes me happy.
As for pumping, its been easier than I thought to cut out some pumping sessions. I'm glad I did it while on vacation because it was a bit uncomfortable and I had some seriously ridiculous boobs. I felt like a hooker, no joke. I'm down to one pumping session per day, which is so so nice. I get more time to play with the babies, and sleep, and just do anything else other than PUMP.
I still nurse the big guy at night, and will continue doing so until he is ready to wean. Its not a big deal anymore as I barely even wake up to nurse him. The sleep issues were mostly related to having to get up every 4 hours to pump. Now that I only pump once, I do it in the morning before I get ready for work, so it doesn't interfere with my day and the boys are sleeping anyway.
Emotionally it is so much harder than I ever thought it would be. I don't think I'll miss the pumping but I am already missing being able to give them breastmilk. Part of me feels guilty for stopping since I had the supply. It also feels kind of wasteful, if that makes sense. I used to pump about 100 ounces, then went down to 50 and now I'm pumping about 15 ounces in one session. I'm probably producing enough for one baby if you count the night nursing. So strange. I've never had so little milk before. I know someday there isn't going to be any milk for the big guy to have at night and the thought of it makes me sad. I'm cherishing our nursing sessions so much more now.
My wife reminds me that this is all part of the process and their growing up, but I'm already missing it. I don't like this growing up part one bit.
Showing posts with label Milestones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milestones. Show all posts
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Happy Memorial Day!
This weekend we introduced the boys to the summer by spending every day in the pool and they LOVED it! The weather has been great and last year we didn't get out at all, so we are making up for lost time and getting some color back on our skin!
We were invited over to our friends' place for swimming and some BBQ to celebrate Memorial Day. As part of my initiative to start taking the boys out more, I said yes. We weren't sure how they would be, since they hadn't ever been in a pool, so Saturday and Sunday we made it our mission to "practice" with them. We took them to our own pool first to see if they would like it and, as expected they loved every minute.
Once we lathered them up with sunscreen (their least favorite part) and got their suits on, into their floaties they went. We got them these floaties with canopies over them which worked wonderfully and kept them out of the direct sun. We were also working on keeping their hats on as practice for our mini vacation later this month. With their light skin, and the big guy's light hair (and lack thereof), we really want them to start wearing hats when they go out. They usually leave them on for all of 5 seconds and them throw them off, but we learned that if we distract them quickly after putting it on, they'll leave it alone.
I loved being able to relax in the pool watching the boys enjoy the water. My wife and I have such a good system going that we were both able to swim, eat, and enjoy being out with the babies and our friends. The boys are so much easier now and were really good babies. They ate, played, swam and went down for their mid-afternoon naps on a blanket on the grass. Ah the life of a baby... I wish I remember what it was like!
We were invited over to our friends' place for swimming and some BBQ to celebrate Memorial Day. As part of my initiative to start taking the boys out more, I said yes. We weren't sure how they would be, since they hadn't ever been in a pool, so Saturday and Sunday we made it our mission to "practice" with them. We took them to our own pool first to see if they would like it and, as expected they loved every minute.
Once we lathered them up with sunscreen (their least favorite part) and got their suits on, into their floaties they went. We got them these floaties with canopies over them which worked wonderfully and kept them out of the direct sun. We were also working on keeping their hats on as practice for our mini vacation later this month. With their light skin, and the big guy's light hair (and lack thereof), we really want them to start wearing hats when they go out. They usually leave them on for all of 5 seconds and them throw them off, but we learned that if we distract them quickly after putting it on, they'll leave it alone.
I loved being able to relax in the pool watching the boys enjoy the water. My wife and I have such a good system going that we were both able to swim, eat, and enjoy being out with the babies and our friends. The boys are so much easier now and were really good babies. They ate, played, swam and went down for their mid-afternoon naps on a blanket on the grass. Ah the life of a baby... I wish I remember what it was like!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
We're Back!
Ok, I know its been months, and I just haven't had the energy to gather my thoughts and post something. Its 5am here now, and this is my best attempt at getting this blog up to date.
Lets start with the biggest news: THE TWINS ARE ONE! Holy monkey! We have one year old TWINS! It is still amazing to me that we were lucky to get TWO babies. I still have no idea when that will wear off.
The big guy is walking...or should I say RUNNING all day long! The little on, my little pajarito, is still a going at his own pace, but walking is definitely on the horizon. He cruises along anything he can hold on to, but is just hesitant to let go and try on his own. I've been taking his hands and walking with him, slowly releasing my grip so that he's really walking on his own and as long as his hands are touching mine, he is good, but as soon as I let go he goes down! Yesterday he was watching his brother jammin all over the place and he finally let go and took 2 steps on his own, so I know pretty soon we are going to be in big trouble. :)
They are both talking up a storm (in their own language of course) and I'm wondering if they do it on purpose to keep us guessing. In English they say: Mama, Nana, Toot (hahaha), Hi, Bye (or "Ba"), and they do the cookie monster laugh! Which totally cracks us up! The big guy is also saying "wow wow", which is how we refer to our dogs.
On the health front, we made it a whole year without them getting sick and then, not only did they catch something but I ended up in emergency with both of them (while my wife stayed home with the other) within a week apart - so NOT fun. The big guy had croup, which sounds scarier than it is and he was wheezing and uncomfortable, he even woke himself up from a nap struggling to breathe (hence the emergency room visit). They gave him a breathing treatment and steroids to help open up his lungs and within days he was good as new. Of course, I panicked wondering if the little guy was going to catch it, and how badly it would be for him given his lung issues. We tried our best to keep them separated, and disinfected everything, to no avail. Luckily, when he did finally get sick a week later, he didn't get croup, just a cold. I ended up taking him to the ER because he started having retractions again (where his breathing causes big indentations under his rib cage) which he hadn't done since he had been taken off the oxygen. I thought for sure we'd have to put him back on, but again, it looked scarier than it was. His oxygenation levels were in the mid 90's so he was getting all the oxygen he needed, just working harder to get it.
I was a wreck, mostly because we were so close to the official end of RSV season and the boys were doing so well. I had this silly notion that I'd be able to protect them forever, which proved impossible no matter what I did. I am happy that at least they were bigger and stronger, and survived just fine without having to be admitted into the hospital, but I don't want them to be sick again for a long LONG time. It is just too stressful, and I'm still exhausted from their being born! ha!
Now on to the only thing since pregnancy that I have been able to control, Breastfeeding. Yes, the boys are still drinking breastmilk exclusively (in addition to solid foods now) and have not had any cow's milk yet. I can't believe we made it to a year! I calculated that I have spent roughly 2300 hours of my life pumping! and that doesn't include the hours on end of nursing day and night.
I still nurse the big guy when we are together and the little guy gets bottles of expressed breastmilk from my wife. When I am at work they both get bottles from my mom with no problems. Since they are eating 3-4 meals a day, plus snacks, their milk intake has dropped to 20-25 ounces each, which is about half of what they used to drink. It has been so nice to not have the pressure of pumping 80-100 ounces a day!
My ultimate goal was June 12th (the babies' due date) since that is when they "really" turn one. So far, it looks like I'm on my way to achieving that goal, and then some. If I didn't have to pump and could just nurse I'd do it alot longer, but lugging my pumping gear, coolers, bottles, etc. to work everyday is really a pain in the butt, and I just don't know how much longer I can do it. So as of June 12th we will officially be transitioning over to cow's milk. Hopefully their little bodies can handle it and they won't have any adverse reactions to it. If all goes well, I will start decreasing my pumping as they increase their cow's milk intake and I think by August I will be done, for a total of 16 months of breastfeeding twins. Crazy! I never thought I'd make it and as we got closer to a year I started to set goals by the day rather than the week because I was just so exhausted.
Lastly, we took their one year photos with the same photographer from last time so I will be posting those shortly. They have both grown so much in the last 6 months, and are so much fun. We take them with us everywhere now, and they are such good babies. They eat, nap and play pretty much on schedule no matter where we are, so its been much easier to go places. We took them to get their first hair cut shortly after they turned one, which the little guy needed desperately (their photos are pre-haircut) and they didn't like it one bit! I was sad. They no longer look like babies, now they are little boys.
Lets start with the biggest news: THE TWINS ARE ONE! Holy monkey! We have one year old TWINS! It is still amazing to me that we were lucky to get TWO babies. I still have no idea when that will wear off.
The big guy is walking...or should I say RUNNING all day long! The little on, my little pajarito, is still a going at his own pace, but walking is definitely on the horizon. He cruises along anything he can hold on to, but is just hesitant to let go and try on his own. I've been taking his hands and walking with him, slowly releasing my grip so that he's really walking on his own and as long as his hands are touching mine, he is good, but as soon as I let go he goes down! Yesterday he was watching his brother jammin all over the place and he finally let go and took 2 steps on his own, so I know pretty soon we are going to be in big trouble. :)
They are both talking up a storm (in their own language of course) and I'm wondering if they do it on purpose to keep us guessing. In English they say: Mama, Nana, Toot (hahaha), Hi, Bye (or "Ba"), and they do the cookie monster laugh! Which totally cracks us up! The big guy is also saying "wow wow", which is how we refer to our dogs.
On the health front, we made it a whole year without them getting sick and then, not only did they catch something but I ended up in emergency with both of them (while my wife stayed home with the other) within a week apart - so NOT fun. The big guy had croup, which sounds scarier than it is and he was wheezing and uncomfortable, he even woke himself up from a nap struggling to breathe (hence the emergency room visit). They gave him a breathing treatment and steroids to help open up his lungs and within days he was good as new. Of course, I panicked wondering if the little guy was going to catch it, and how badly it would be for him given his lung issues. We tried our best to keep them separated, and disinfected everything, to no avail. Luckily, when he did finally get sick a week later, he didn't get croup, just a cold. I ended up taking him to the ER because he started having retractions again (where his breathing causes big indentations under his rib cage) which he hadn't done since he had been taken off the oxygen. I thought for sure we'd have to put him back on, but again, it looked scarier than it was. His oxygenation levels were in the mid 90's so he was getting all the oxygen he needed, just working harder to get it.
I was a wreck, mostly because we were so close to the official end of RSV season and the boys were doing so well. I had this silly notion that I'd be able to protect them forever, which proved impossible no matter what I did. I am happy that at least they were bigger and stronger, and survived just fine without having to be admitted into the hospital, but I don't want them to be sick again for a long LONG time. It is just too stressful, and I'm still exhausted from their being born! ha!
Now on to the only thing since pregnancy that I have been able to control, Breastfeeding. Yes, the boys are still drinking breastmilk exclusively (in addition to solid foods now) and have not had any cow's milk yet. I can't believe we made it to a year! I calculated that I have spent roughly 2300 hours of my life pumping! and that doesn't include the hours on end of nursing day and night.
I still nurse the big guy when we are together and the little guy gets bottles of expressed breastmilk from my wife. When I am at work they both get bottles from my mom with no problems. Since they are eating 3-4 meals a day, plus snacks, their milk intake has dropped to 20-25 ounces each, which is about half of what they used to drink. It has been so nice to not have the pressure of pumping 80-100 ounces a day!
My ultimate goal was June 12th (the babies' due date) since that is when they "really" turn one. So far, it looks like I'm on my way to achieving that goal, and then some. If I didn't have to pump and could just nurse I'd do it alot longer, but lugging my pumping gear, coolers, bottles, etc. to work everyday is really a pain in the butt, and I just don't know how much longer I can do it. So as of June 12th we will officially be transitioning over to cow's milk. Hopefully their little bodies can handle it and they won't have any adverse reactions to it. If all goes well, I will start decreasing my pumping as they increase their cow's milk intake and I think by August I will be done, for a total of 16 months of breastfeeding twins. Crazy! I never thought I'd make it and as we got closer to a year I started to set goals by the day rather than the week because I was just so exhausted.
Lastly, we took their one year photos with the same photographer from last time so I will be posting those shortly. They have both grown so much in the last 6 months, and are so much fun. We take them with us everywhere now, and they are such good babies. They eat, nap and play pretty much on schedule no matter where we are, so its been much easier to go places. We took them to get their first hair cut shortly after they turned one, which the little guy needed desperately (their photos are pre-haircut) and they didn't like it one bit! I was sad. They no longer look like babies, now they are little boys.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
10 Months!
Here we go again.... Its been a long and exhausting month. I've been back to work a little over a month now, and its HARD. I love my new job, but leaving my baby boys every morning hasn't gotten much easier. I miss them more than I ever thought I could, and spending just a few hours a day with them has been really tough. The idea of work-life balance seems less like "balance" and more like a "trade-off". I'm still finding my stride, but for now this is the best I can do. My days are super long, and some days blend right in with the next depending on how demanding the babies are when we get home. I am constantly amazed at how well I am able to function on little to no sleep!
The boys have adjusted nicely to the new routine, and while Mondays are harder on them, they have been really good boys. They are both crawling, pulling themselves up on furniture, and the big guy is standing pretty much on his own. We think he will be walking very very soon!
They babble all day long, and the little guy is clapping up a storm. He even found this crazy scream that scares his brother, makes him cry and then he claps for him. Its cute and mean at the same time!
They have been eating solids for about the last 3 months, though we got off to a really slow start. The first 2 months was mainly rice cereal and oatmeal, but this last month we have really made some progress. So far they have had: green beans, sweet potato, regular potato, green squash, yellow squash, carrots, asparagus, apples, bananas, peaches, blueberries, pears, avocado, and chicken. This week they will add mango, peas, pasta and ground meat. They are eating solids three times a day in addition to their milk, and they love food! We bought this baby food making machine and it works great! I usually make their food for the week on Sunday evening and store it in these trays especially for baby food that look like ice trays but have lids and a labeling surface that you can write on with dry-erase markers. They are really easy to stack in either the fridge or freezer and make meal planning so much easier. Yes... I MAKE THEIR FOOD! Again, if you know me in real life, you are probably wondering what the hell happened to the "old" non-cooking, non-domesticated me. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine my self as a baby-wearing, breastfeeding, home-made-babyfood-making mama of TWINS! Crazy right? Its amazing what being a mom can do to a girl. ;)
We are starting to introduce finger foods, and so far so good. So far they have only had sweet potato "puffs" that we bought at the store, and they are doing well with them. I am going to start moving away from mushing everything to allowing them small pieces to self-feed. We'll see how that goes! I think this is where the dogs will come in for clean-up duty.
As for their milk, they take about 5 ounces each, every three hours throughout the day and are still exclusively on breast milk! I think at this point I am fairly confident that I will make my one year goal, and probably can go longer if I can manage the pumping at work. My milk supply dipped a little when I first started back at work, but has slowly increased now that I have found my routine.
In other news this month also marks the return of aunt flow. Yup, the bitch is back! I got a nice 10 months and though I was hoping she wouldn't show her face until I was done breastfeeding, I'll take what I can get.
So I think that about wraps it up! In two short months I will be celebrating the one year anniversary of the birth of our twin boys, and my becoming a Mama. While we are still in survival mode, everyday it gets easier. I'm still utterly in love with these two little people we have created and still in disbelief that they are here. I have loved every second of being a Mama, so much so that we have already started talking about baby number THREE. I won't go into details now, but we are definitely in agreement that we will be trying for our third by the time the boys are about to start pre-school. Stay tuned...
p.s. As soon as we get our hard drive back I will be updating our pictures. The boys have certainly changed since Christmas!
The boys have adjusted nicely to the new routine, and while Mondays are harder on them, they have been really good boys. They are both crawling, pulling themselves up on furniture, and the big guy is standing pretty much on his own. We think he will be walking very very soon!
They babble all day long, and the little guy is clapping up a storm. He even found this crazy scream that scares his brother, makes him cry and then he claps for him. Its cute and mean at the same time!
They have been eating solids for about the last 3 months, though we got off to a really slow start. The first 2 months was mainly rice cereal and oatmeal, but this last month we have really made some progress. So far they have had: green beans, sweet potato, regular potato, green squash, yellow squash, carrots, asparagus, apples, bananas, peaches, blueberries, pears, avocado, and chicken. This week they will add mango, peas, pasta and ground meat. They are eating solids three times a day in addition to their milk, and they love food! We bought this baby food making machine and it works great! I usually make their food for the week on Sunday evening and store it in these trays especially for baby food that look like ice trays but have lids and a labeling surface that you can write on with dry-erase markers. They are really easy to stack in either the fridge or freezer and make meal planning so much easier. Yes... I MAKE THEIR FOOD! Again, if you know me in real life, you are probably wondering what the hell happened to the "old" non-cooking, non-domesticated me. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine my self as a baby-wearing, breastfeeding, home-made-babyfood-making mama of TWINS! Crazy right? Its amazing what being a mom can do to a girl. ;)
We are starting to introduce finger foods, and so far so good. So far they have only had sweet potato "puffs" that we bought at the store, and they are doing well with them. I am going to start moving away from mushing everything to allowing them small pieces to self-feed. We'll see how that goes! I think this is where the dogs will come in for clean-up duty.
As for their milk, they take about 5 ounces each, every three hours throughout the day and are still exclusively on breast milk! I think at this point I am fairly confident that I will make my one year goal, and probably can go longer if I can manage the pumping at work. My milk supply dipped a little when I first started back at work, but has slowly increased now that I have found my routine.
In other news this month also marks the return of aunt flow. Yup, the bitch is back! I got a nice 10 months and though I was hoping she wouldn't show her face until I was done breastfeeding, I'll take what I can get.
So I think that about wraps it up! In two short months I will be celebrating the one year anniversary of the birth of our twin boys, and my becoming a Mama. While we are still in survival mode, everyday it gets easier. I'm still utterly in love with these two little people we have created and still in disbelief that they are here. I have loved every second of being a Mama, so much so that we have already started talking about baby number THREE. I won't go into details now, but we are definitely in agreement that we will be trying for our third by the time the boys are about to start pre-school. Stay tuned...
p.s. As soon as we get our hard drive back I will be updating our pictures. The boys have certainly changed since Christmas!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Reminiscing
Going back to work has made me feel like I did when the twins first came home from the hospital...EXHAUSTED!
Though I really love my new job, by the time I get there, I already feel like I worked a full day. Since I have to pump for two, I am still having to get up throughout the night/early morning to pump so that I can leave enough milk for both without having to go into our freezer storage (which I am saving for emergency use only). The boys each get 5 ounces every 3 hours plus three snacks which consist of either rice cereal, oatmeal, or solid foods mixed with about 2 ounces of milk (solids need less milk) bringing their milk intake to a whopping 40 ounces JUST for the time that I am at work. So while everyone is asleep, I MUST drag my butt out of bed to pump.
My day officially starts at 4-4:30am when I start my second pumping of the day (I also pump at 1am), by 5am I am supposed to be in the shower and getting ready for work. This may or may not happen depending on whether one or two babies are awake and in need of breakfast. My wife and I switch off with baby duties so we can both get ready for work. She leaves before I do, so I have to do the stuff I can't do while alone with them before she leaves (like pump and shower). Then I juggle getting ready while trying to keep one or both babies entertained long enough before I can rock them back to sleep. She usually gets the lil guy back to sleep before she leaves so that I only have the big guy awake on my own.
My mom gets to our house at 7:30am and usually one or both babies are asleep. I leave as soon as she gets there so that I can be at work by 8am. So far, I've only been late once by like 20 minutes, so my routine is working out pretty well. Once I get to work I go through my email and list of "to dos" and plan my day. By 9am I wheel my very big bag of tricks down to the lactation room for my first pumping of my work day. Luckily, I have a blackberry which is nice because we have an IM system at work so that even though I'm not at my desk I can still connect with the people I need to. I usually take my work with me to the lactation room and do what I can and send out emails. I also use my pumping time to check in on the boys and see how their days are going.
By 10am I am back at my desk. So far I have a ton of meetings to go to so I usually don't get to spend much time actually sitting at my desk. Since 10am is a popular meeting time, I am usually in a meeting until about noon.
Which is my next pumping time, so I run down to the cafeteria to grab some lunch and take it with me to eat while I pump.
By 1pm I am finally able to get some work done (if I'm not in another meeting) and I get through as much of my "to do" list as possible. What I love about my job is that I am surrounded by smart people who are willing to share their knowledge, so I have learned to pick their brains as much as I can.
At around 3pm I go down for my last pumping session of my work day and I try to take reading material with me to wind down. Since I work in the regulatory arena, there are always a multitude of briefs and filings to read, so I always have something new.
When 4pm rolls around I go back to my desk (though lately I've had meetings) and start organizing myself for the next day. I respond to emails, send off any projects I've been working on to the appropriate recipients, and make my "to do" list for the next day. If my boss is in her office, I will check-in with her and then head home.
That is my half way point.
As soon as I walk in the door, I run to my room to change and wash-up (a must after coming home from a germy office where every other person is coughing). Then I spend a little time with the babies and the wife, and try and eat a very quick dinner before I sit down to pump. As soon as I am done pumping I have about an hour of play time with the kiddos before we start their bedtime routine. I usually nurse the big guy til he falls asleep while my wife gives the lil one a bottle. As soon as the big guy falls asleep I jump out of bed and try to catch the lil one before he goes to sleep and if I can, I take over his feeding or rocking so I can get some one-on-one with him too.
Once both babies are asleep its about 9pm and time to pump. I sit at the computer while I pump and talk with my wife about our days. She is usually washing dishes, and going through my work bag to take out the pumping gear I used throughout the day and replace it with freshly washed ones for the next day. As soon as I'm done we head straight to bed. I get about 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep (less if the big guy wakes up to nurse) before I have to get up to pump again, and then another 2 hours after that. During the time that I pump my wife sleeps with the big guy and goes back and forth between him and the lil one rocking them back to sleep if they wake up.
At 1am I get up to pump again....rinse and repeat.
While I am very thankful that we are at 9.5 months and I am still able to provide breastmilk exclusively for my boys, I won't pretend that it is by any means easy. There are days that I just want to toss my pump out the window and buy a case of formula on my way home. Of course I come to my senses and continue with my routine, but sometimes just the thought of the freedom from my pump is exciting.
Its not that I think formula is bad, I was formula fed as a baby, its just that being able to breastfeed my babies is the only part of this whole process that I have been able to control - from pregnancy to delivery and beyond, nothing went as planned. This is something I've always wanted to give to my babies, and luckily I have been able to do so, and that is why I stick with it.
So many people have asked how long I plan to breastfeed and saying my goal out loud is very daunting, and so I've changed it. For now, my goal is one week. Every Monday I say to myself that I just need to do it for one more week.
By the end of next week, I will have completed my first month pumping while working. While its been harder than I thought it would be, I've survived so far and hope that I can hang on just a little longer.
Though I really love my new job, by the time I get there, I already feel like I worked a full day. Since I have to pump for two, I am still having to get up throughout the night/early morning to pump so that I can leave enough milk for both without having to go into our freezer storage (which I am saving for emergency use only). The boys each get 5 ounces every 3 hours plus three snacks which consist of either rice cereal, oatmeal, or solid foods mixed with about 2 ounces of milk (solids need less milk) bringing their milk intake to a whopping 40 ounces JUST for the time that I am at work. So while everyone is asleep, I MUST drag my butt out of bed to pump.
My day officially starts at 4-4:30am when I start my second pumping of the day (I also pump at 1am), by 5am I am supposed to be in the shower and getting ready for work. This may or may not happen depending on whether one or two babies are awake and in need of breakfast. My wife and I switch off with baby duties so we can both get ready for work. She leaves before I do, so I have to do the stuff I can't do while alone with them before she leaves (like pump and shower). Then I juggle getting ready while trying to keep one or both babies entertained long enough before I can rock them back to sleep. She usually gets the lil guy back to sleep before she leaves so that I only have the big guy awake on my own.
My mom gets to our house at 7:30am and usually one or both babies are asleep. I leave as soon as she gets there so that I can be at work by 8am. So far, I've only been late once by like 20 minutes, so my routine is working out pretty well. Once I get to work I go through my email and list of "to dos" and plan my day. By 9am I wheel my very big bag of tricks down to the lactation room for my first pumping of my work day. Luckily, I have a blackberry which is nice because we have an IM system at work so that even though I'm not at my desk I can still connect with the people I need to. I usually take my work with me to the lactation room and do what I can and send out emails. I also use my pumping time to check in on the boys and see how their days are going.
By 10am I am back at my desk. So far I have a ton of meetings to go to so I usually don't get to spend much time actually sitting at my desk. Since 10am is a popular meeting time, I am usually in a meeting until about noon.
Which is my next pumping time, so I run down to the cafeteria to grab some lunch and take it with me to eat while I pump.
By 1pm I am finally able to get some work done (if I'm not in another meeting) and I get through as much of my "to do" list as possible. What I love about my job is that I am surrounded by smart people who are willing to share their knowledge, so I have learned to pick their brains as much as I can.
At around 3pm I go down for my last pumping session of my work day and I try to take reading material with me to wind down. Since I work in the regulatory arena, there are always a multitude of briefs and filings to read, so I always have something new.
When 4pm rolls around I go back to my desk (though lately I've had meetings) and start organizing myself for the next day. I respond to emails, send off any projects I've been working on to the appropriate recipients, and make my "to do" list for the next day. If my boss is in her office, I will check-in with her and then head home.
That is my half way point.
As soon as I walk in the door, I run to my room to change and wash-up (a must after coming home from a germy office where every other person is coughing). Then I spend a little time with the babies and the wife, and try and eat a very quick dinner before I sit down to pump. As soon as I am done pumping I have about an hour of play time with the kiddos before we start their bedtime routine. I usually nurse the big guy til he falls asleep while my wife gives the lil one a bottle. As soon as the big guy falls asleep I jump out of bed and try to catch the lil one before he goes to sleep and if I can, I take over his feeding or rocking so I can get some one-on-one with him too.
Once both babies are asleep its about 9pm and time to pump. I sit at the computer while I pump and talk with my wife about our days. She is usually washing dishes, and going through my work bag to take out the pumping gear I used throughout the day and replace it with freshly washed ones for the next day. As soon as I'm done we head straight to bed. I get about 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep (less if the big guy wakes up to nurse) before I have to get up to pump again, and then another 2 hours after that. During the time that I pump my wife sleeps with the big guy and goes back and forth between him and the lil one rocking them back to sleep if they wake up.
At 1am I get up to pump again....rinse and repeat.
While I am very thankful that we are at 9.5 months and I am still able to provide breastmilk exclusively for my boys, I won't pretend that it is by any means easy. There are days that I just want to toss my pump out the window and buy a case of formula on my way home. Of course I come to my senses and continue with my routine, but sometimes just the thought of the freedom from my pump is exciting.
Its not that I think formula is bad, I was formula fed as a baby, its just that being able to breastfeed my babies is the only part of this whole process that I have been able to control - from pregnancy to delivery and beyond, nothing went as planned. This is something I've always wanted to give to my babies, and luckily I have been able to do so, and that is why I stick with it.
So many people have asked how long I plan to breastfeed and saying my goal out loud is very daunting, and so I've changed it. For now, my goal is one week. Every Monday I say to myself that I just need to do it for one more week.
By the end of next week, I will have completed my first month pumping while working. While its been harder than I thought it would be, I've survived so far and hope that I can hang on just a little longer.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
9 Months
I almost didn't even realize we were here already! 9 Months... in 90 days we will be having a birthday party for TWINS, OUR twins!
So much has happened in this last month I don't even know where to start. My time as "Stay at Home Mama" has ended and though I miss them more than I ever thought possible, this has been the plan for a while now. "When the boys are 9 months old..." I'm happy that they are bigger and stronger and I think/hope that they are "ready" now. I'm still getting used to the idea of leaving them and don't know if I will ever be "ready", but I'm making the best of it. They are both adjusting ok to being left with my mom at home, and I think it will be just a matter of time before we all find our stride.
The big guy has made one very important milestone, he has said "Mama". He uses it to his advantage, and only says it now when he really wants me to get him and adds in the saddest little face to make me drop whatever it is I am doing to rescue him. He has also started waving at us. Like when he is crawling superfast in a direction he shouldn't be, I am usually calling his name and saying "no, no, no, come over HERE" he will stop and turn and wave at me! Like "bye Mama, I've got things to do over HERE!". Its really cute, though I'm sure that will wear off very soon!
The little guy has met lots of milestones in this month, took his first exam, sits up without falling over, gets on his hands and knees and tries to crawl (he will be on the move any day now), and has become the easiest, happiest baby ever. Only cries when he is hungry, plays for hours with us on the floor, goes down for nice long naps without a fuss, and sleeps through the night! He understands who "Mama" is but hasn't figured out how to say it. Its the thought that counts my lil pajarito!
They are both making their way through veggies and HATE greenbeans! They are tolerating carrots, and will be trying some peas and avocado this week. Still exclusively breastfed, they are growing nice and big and as of yesterday are about 17 pounds each. They haven't been sick not even once in their 9 months of life, and we are half way through the winter here, so just a few more months until we can ease up on the outings.
Speaking of outings, we finally got the courage to take them shopping with us, and they went to Vo.ns and Tar.get. They don't mind their carseats anymore and love going out with us. They were so good in the shopping baskets, although they are still kinda small to ride in the basket part, we used those cart covers and put a few blankets behind them. They loved being able to look around, and since we each had one in our basket, we didn't get all the "twin" oohs and aahs since we spent most of the time divided to conquer. Which is nice. I hate attention and when you go anywhere with twins, everyone wants to see, touch or ask and I'm not that person.
One thing I miss the most about my days at home with my babies is our daily walks. We would walk in our little gated community and the weather was great, everyone was at work so we were never bothered, and it was just me and my little monkeys just like when I was pregnant. Never thought I'd miss being pregnant, but at least I always had them with me.
I love you boys, all 9 months of you!
So much has happened in this last month I don't even know where to start. My time as "Stay at Home Mama" has ended and though I miss them more than I ever thought possible, this has been the plan for a while now. "When the boys are 9 months old..." I'm happy that they are bigger and stronger and I think/hope that they are "ready" now. I'm still getting used to the idea of leaving them and don't know if I will ever be "ready", but I'm making the best of it. They are both adjusting ok to being left with my mom at home, and I think it will be just a matter of time before we all find our stride.
The big guy has made one very important milestone, he has said "Mama". He uses it to his advantage, and only says it now when he really wants me to get him and adds in the saddest little face to make me drop whatever it is I am doing to rescue him. He has also started waving at us. Like when he is crawling superfast in a direction he shouldn't be, I am usually calling his name and saying "no, no, no, come over HERE" he will stop and turn and wave at me! Like "bye Mama, I've got things to do over HERE!". Its really cute, though I'm sure that will wear off very soon!
The little guy has met lots of milestones in this month, took his first exam, sits up without falling over, gets on his hands and knees and tries to crawl (he will be on the move any day now), and has become the easiest, happiest baby ever. Only cries when he is hungry, plays for hours with us on the floor, goes down for nice long naps without a fuss, and sleeps through the night! He understands who "Mama" is but hasn't figured out how to say it. Its the thought that counts my lil pajarito!
They are both making their way through veggies and HATE greenbeans! They are tolerating carrots, and will be trying some peas and avocado this week. Still exclusively breastfed, they are growing nice and big and as of yesterday are about 17 pounds each. They haven't been sick not even once in their 9 months of life, and we are half way through the winter here, so just a few more months until we can ease up on the outings.
Speaking of outings, we finally got the courage to take them shopping with us, and they went to Vo.ns and Tar.get. They don't mind their carseats anymore and love going out with us. They were so good in the shopping baskets, although they are still kinda small to ride in the basket part, we used those cart covers and put a few blankets behind them. They loved being able to look around, and since we each had one in our basket, we didn't get all the "twin" oohs and aahs since we spent most of the time divided to conquer. Which is nice. I hate attention and when you go anywhere with twins, everyone wants to see, touch or ask and I'm not that person.
One thing I miss the most about my days at home with my babies is our daily walks. We would walk in our little gated community and the weather was great, everyone was at work so we were never bothered, and it was just me and my little monkeys just like when I was pregnant. Never thought I'd miss being pregnant, but at least I always had them with me.
I love you boys, all 9 months of you!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Our first Christmas...
...as a family of FOUR! I still can't believe it. Its like the new toy that never gets old.
Christmas morning my wife brought the boys, all decked out in their new Christmas jammies, to our bed while I slept. I got to wake up to two smiling, laughing, toe sucking, babbling faces! This alone was the best gift I could ever get. After several rounds of "good morning" kisses, we made our way to the opening of the Christmas stockings. My wife recorded while I helped the little guy with his stocking and then we switched so she could help the big guy. It is times like this, where having TWO babies comes in handy! As expected, the boys could care less about the gifts, and spent their entire time trying to eat every last piece of wrapping paper.
When we were done, we went over to the living room so I could pump (yup, even on Christmas), while my wife and I opened our gifts to eachother as the babies played and watched from their saucers. My favorite gifts from my wife were two web cams (one to set up at home and one to set up at work) so I can see the babies and they could see me once I'm back at work, a digital photo keychain with 50 photos of us and the boys loaded up on it, and a portable DVD player to take with me to work so that I can watch videos of the boys while I am in the lactation room pumping. Needless to say, I cried. Not just at the thoughtfulness of her gifts, but the fact that I will need all these things to stay and feel close to my babies, since I will no longer be just an arms length away. *sigh* I miss them already.
After we opened our gifts we fed the boys and got ready to go. Our first stop was my moms house. We didn't actually go in because they are all sick with colds and the flu, but we wanted to drop off their gifts and my mom wanted to come out so she could look through the car window and see the boys in their Christmas jammies. Poor grandma!
We then headed off to my mother-in-law's house and had a delicious breakfast followed by the opening of 200 gifts. Yes, there were over 200 gifts under the tree! and its not like they have a big family. Its only my wife and her brother and they have 2 kids and we have our boys. Its just that my MIL loves to shop and likes for everyone to open a ton of gifts, so she goes nuts during the holidays. If we didn't pay attention, we could have lost one of the boys in the mountains of paper and boxes that soon took over the living room. It took several hours for everybody to get through all their gifts, we even took a break to feed the boys and put them down for a short nap!
My favorite part of the day was watching our nieces and nephews play with the boys. Our nephew is 17 and niece is 13 and the boys just love them! It really is amazing that the boys don't have any problems going with them considering they don't see them that often. They are very sweet to them, and its funny to watch their whole family argue over whose turn it is to hold/play with them.
The boys had a great time and by the end of the day, they were exhausted! We tried to get them down for naps but with everything going on, they wouldn't stay asleep for long. They fell asleep in the car and when we got home, they ate and went straight to bed.
My wife and I took some time to process the events of the day and how lucky we are to have such beautiful boys. Christmas with our babies was everything I hoped it would be and more. I love being their Mama more than anything in the world and I hope they always feel how much I love them, even when they stop letting me shower them with kisses every second.
Christmas morning my wife brought the boys, all decked out in their new Christmas jammies, to our bed while I slept. I got to wake up to two smiling, laughing, toe sucking, babbling faces! This alone was the best gift I could ever get. After several rounds of "good morning" kisses, we made our way to the opening of the Christmas stockings. My wife recorded while I helped the little guy with his stocking and then we switched so she could help the big guy. It is times like this, where having TWO babies comes in handy! As expected, the boys could care less about the gifts, and spent their entire time trying to eat every last piece of wrapping paper.
When we were done, we went over to the living room so I could pump (yup, even on Christmas), while my wife and I opened our gifts to eachother as the babies played and watched from their saucers. My favorite gifts from my wife were two web cams (one to set up at home and one to set up at work) so I can see the babies and they could see me once I'm back at work, a digital photo keychain with 50 photos of us and the boys loaded up on it, and a portable DVD player to take with me to work so that I can watch videos of the boys while I am in the lactation room pumping. Needless to say, I cried. Not just at the thoughtfulness of her gifts, but the fact that I will need all these things to stay and feel close to my babies, since I will no longer be just an arms length away. *sigh* I miss them already.
After we opened our gifts we fed the boys and got ready to go. Our first stop was my moms house. We didn't actually go in because they are all sick with colds and the flu, but we wanted to drop off their gifts and my mom wanted to come out so she could look through the car window and see the boys in their Christmas jammies. Poor grandma!
We then headed off to my mother-in-law's house and had a delicious breakfast followed by the opening of 200 gifts. Yes, there were over 200 gifts under the tree! and its not like they have a big family. Its only my wife and her brother and they have 2 kids and we have our boys. Its just that my MIL loves to shop and likes for everyone to open a ton of gifts, so she goes nuts during the holidays. If we didn't pay attention, we could have lost one of the boys in the mountains of paper and boxes that soon took over the living room. It took several hours for everybody to get through all their gifts, we even took a break to feed the boys and put them down for a short nap!
My favorite part of the day was watching our nieces and nephews play with the boys. Our nephew is 17 and niece is 13 and the boys just love them! It really is amazing that the boys don't have any problems going with them considering they don't see them that often. They are very sweet to them, and its funny to watch their whole family argue over whose turn it is to hold/play with them.
The boys had a great time and by the end of the day, they were exhausted! We tried to get them down for naps but with everything going on, they wouldn't stay asleep for long. They fell asleep in the car and when we got home, they ate and went straight to bed.
My wife and I took some time to process the events of the day and how lucky we are to have such beautiful boys. Christmas with our babies was everything I hoped it would be and more. I love being their Mama more than anything in the world and I hope they always feel how much I love them, even when they stop letting me shower them with kisses every second.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Catching up...
Today we took the boys to our local Children's Hospital so the little guy could be assessed on his developmental progress. Since the big guy wasn't on oxygen and didn't have any issues other then being born early, they only really check on the little guy. I'm fine with it since the big guy is a few steps ahead of his brother anyway, and I can use what I learn in the lil ones assessments to do my own with the big guy if I felt it were necessary.
The funny part is, they brought out this sheet of paper with different activities (crawling, standing, sitting and then crawling, etc.) that demonstrate where the boys should be by 9 months (so in about a month) and we both laughed because the big guy has been doing all these things since he was 7 months! Further demonstrating the fact that he doesn't need any physical or occupational therapy.
As for the little one, he did very well! He played with the two women as he was expected to and he passed all his assessments with good scores. They don't even want to see him for another 6-8 months! Of course we were relieved (and oh so proud of our little baby boy), because with 31 weekers, you are generally told to prepare yourself for delays and they offer lots of assistance both in-home and at the clinic. Luckily, we don't have to worry about scheduling any more appointments and can just enjoy the next few months without stressing over whether or not the little guy is where he should be.
As cheesy as it sounds my wife and I were just so proud of our little baby as we watched him play so good with complete strangers and take his first real test! One of the women even asked if he would cry if she took him from me and I wasn't even sure how to answer. I usually never hand him over to a stranger! But he wasn't phased by it at all, he just sat down and started taking her toys.
On another note, this was the longest we've been out with the boys (the appointment took about 5 hours) without any meltdowns! They didn't even cry or fuss once! They really enjoy going out now, and sit so quietly while in their carseats and stroller. At one point, I looked back as we were driving home and they were both asleep! *bliss* our babies are growing up!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Operation "Get a photo with Santa" COMPLETE!
Yes we did it! We trecked our butts off to the mall at 9am this morning to get the boys a photo with Santa. I looked up what time they open so we could get their early and avoid a line, and would you believe there were already people there! Ugh! The nerve! Luckily we only waited about 20 minutes before it was our turn and aside from the lady behind us coughing up a lung, it was pretty uneventful. I just don't get why people feel the need to spread their germs.
The little guy had a bottle and fell asleep 10 minutes into our wait so we had to wake him up for his photo shoot, and he wasn't exactly all smiles about it. The big guy wasn't sure what the heck was going on and wasn't amused by the photographer dressed like an elf and shouting his name at him. It doesn't really help that I hardly call them by their names!
All in all, the boys enjoyed their first mall experience and well, I survived it. I really hate the mall, even pre-twins, I just don't like being around so many people. Therefore, I am thankful that our yearly trip to the mall is now complete and we don't have to go back until next year, when Santa returns.
Here are the photos we bought and a few my wife took with our camera. Is it me, or did my babies turn into little boys overnight??
The little guy had a bottle and fell asleep 10 minutes into our wait so we had to wake him up for his photo shoot, and he wasn't exactly all smiles about it. The big guy wasn't sure what the heck was going on and wasn't amused by the photographer dressed like an elf and shouting his name at him. It doesn't really help that I hardly call them by their names!
All in all, the boys enjoyed their first mall experience and well, I survived it. I really hate the mall, even pre-twins, I just don't like being around so many people. Therefore, I am thankful that our yearly trip to the mall is now complete and we don't have to go back until next year, when Santa returns.
Here are the photos we bought and a few my wife took with our camera. Is it me, or did my babies turn into little boys overnight??
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Creating Traditions
Being that its the twins first "everything" this year, we are trying to start our own family traditions by pulling from those we both grew up with and making up our own as we go along. So far, I am borrowing some of the newer traditions my mom started when my little sister was born (12 years ago) and putting my own twist on them.
One of the traditions she had started with my sis is to fill a jumbo sized stocking with all her gifts and on Christmas morning while she was asleep, sneak into her room and put the stocking filled with gifts on her bed with her. When she would wake up she would be so excited to open her gifts and always surprised Santa was able to sneak it in without waking her.
This year I got the boys their own jumbo stockings from Pott.ery.Bar.N and planned on filling them with all their wrapped gifts and sneaking them into their nursery Christmas morning. This doesn't really make sense this year since they are babies and #1 too small to get out of bed and be excited to open gifts, and #2 the stocking is much bigger than they are and could be dangerous if placed in their crib. So for this year we will bring the babies out and just take photos of them with their stockings and opening their gifts with our help. It should be neat to see them with this huge stocking, and over the years watch as they grow bigger and the stocking looks smaller.
We are also going to start collecting ornaments for them. Every year we are going to get them one ornament each (for them to open on Christmas Eve and add to the tree) something symbolic of their life in that year. The idea is to collect them over the years so that when they are older and have their own family and trees, we will give them their lifetime collection of ornaments to take with them. This year I had ornaments made for them that have their names and "Twins 1st Christmas'' written on them with the year.
I wanted to do the Christmas Jammies as a gift they could open on Christmas Eve and wear that night, but there were just so many cute designs that I bought several (way too many) sets of jammies and had them start wearing them on Dec 1st! Luckily, I saved one last pair as their gift on Christmas Eve so they could wear a new set that night. ;)
When they get older I want to do the "leave some cookies for santa" bit and make fresh cookies with the boys. That way Mommy and I can have a little snack as we stay up wrapping!
Christmas just got so much more exciting now that the boys are here! I can't wait to watch them open their gifts this year and try and eat all that paper!
One of the traditions she had started with my sis is to fill a jumbo sized stocking with all her gifts and on Christmas morning while she was asleep, sneak into her room and put the stocking filled with gifts on her bed with her. When she would wake up she would be so excited to open her gifts and always surprised Santa was able to sneak it in without waking her.
This year I got the boys their own jumbo stockings from Pott.ery.Bar.N and planned on filling them with all their wrapped gifts and sneaking them into their nursery Christmas morning. This doesn't really make sense this year since they are babies and #1 too small to get out of bed and be excited to open gifts, and #2 the stocking is much bigger than they are and could be dangerous if placed in their crib. So for this year we will bring the babies out and just take photos of them with their stockings and opening their gifts with our help. It should be neat to see them with this huge stocking, and over the years watch as they grow bigger and the stocking looks smaller.
We are also going to start collecting ornaments for them. Every year we are going to get them one ornament each (for them to open on Christmas Eve and add to the tree) something symbolic of their life in that year. The idea is to collect them over the years so that when they are older and have their own family and trees, we will give them their lifetime collection of ornaments to take with them. This year I had ornaments made for them that have their names and "Twins 1st Christmas'' written on them with the year.
I wanted to do the Christmas Jammies as a gift they could open on Christmas Eve and wear that night, but there were just so many cute designs that I bought several (way too many) sets of jammies and had them start wearing them on Dec 1st! Luckily, I saved one last pair as their gift on Christmas Eve so they could wear a new set that night. ;)
When they get older I want to do the "leave some cookies for santa" bit and make fresh cookies with the boys. That way Mommy and I can have a little snack as we stay up wrapping!
Christmas just got so much more exciting now that the boys are here! I can't wait to watch them open their gifts this year and try and eat all that paper!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
8 Months and Flying By! (Warning: SUPER Long post)
So I've turned into one of those people who started off blogging pretty regularly to now going over a month without a word! I just can't believe its been a month... time is really flying by now!
With the holidays upon us, the boys CRAWLING and me getting ready to go back to work after about a year off... I am all over the place...literally!
I'm going to try and do one LONG catch up post and then I will add/update the photos on the next run. Lets start with an update on my boys:
They are crawling! I can't believe it! One day we were sitting over them calmly as they lay on the ground playing with their toys and the next, I'm chasing the big guy and trying to keep him in the living room and out from underneath the desk! Gone are the days where I can lay them down and expect to find them in the same spot in five minutes. The lil guy crawls backwards...its so funny! He is like a worm, lying on his back he pushes with his feet and inches along all the while looking where he is going practically upside down on his head. Its the craziest thing. The big guy is full up on his knees and jammin. He is also lifting himself up using the crib rails and sitting up like its nobody's business.
This last month has been so much fun, and I feel like everyday is going by faster and faster. The first 3 months were the longest but it seems like these last 3 have really flown by. In 4 months we will be celebrating their first birthday... I still can't believe it.
We have been getting the babies their RSV shots every month, and I think thats been helping to keep them healthy. We got our H1N1 shots in early November, and that was a mission but I felt better knowing we all (including my mom and little sister) got them, and it would hopefully help us in the event one of us got the virus. So far, I think that was the most crowded place we have ever taken the boys, and anxiety was running high on my end. I even yelled at a worker for smoking nearby (and I mean YELL, where the 100,000 people in line all got quiet and looked at the crazy lady with the baby strapped to her chest). Yup, that is who I've become. But really, who smokes in front of a bunch of people waiting in line for something to help them avoid getting sick! Geez mister, use some damn common sense!
Luckily, nobody in our house has gotten sick, including the babies in their whole 8 months, so I am pretty happy about that. I don't think I have ever taken such good care of myself not t0 mention that I have NEVER gotten a flu shot until now. Its amazing the things you do for your kids. I really don't believe they work, and really, its just the flu so I never thought it was big deal if I got it, but with two little ones (one with Chronic Lung Disease), I will do whatever our doctor says if it means one more month that they get to grow and be healthy and not be dealing with an illness.
The little guy has been amazingly good with all his health issues, that I am afraid to even type this so as not to jinx it! His breathing has been so good that we have taken him off his monitor at night and really just have it in case he were to get sick. He hasn't needed his oxygen in months, and so far his growth is right up there with his brother, they are within a few ounces of eachother for the first time since they were born. 17 pounds and counting! He still gets one breathing treatment every morning, but aside from that, he is your average (small) baby. Wow, I never thought we'd get here.
I am still breastfeeding/pumping exclusively which even I am amazed at! My mom jokes that she never thought I'd still be b'feeding AND pumping this long and for TWINS! Ha! I'm showing her! In her defense, I'm so not the "breastfeed beyond the point where your kids have teeth" type of girl! Did I mention the lil guy has a tooth? a very sharp tooth at that!
Yeah well he doesn't get his milk straight from the source anymore, but I do pump 4-5 times daily so that he gets his fair share. He never really was a good nurser, and with that lil shark tooth sprouting so early, he was cutoff and I think we are both ok with that. I will pump for him for as long as I nurse his brother and when I'm done, they will both be done. I have been trying not to set any long-term goals with the whole breastfeeding thing, just because until now, its been pretty easy because I am home and I can pump and nurse whenever I need to, but when I go back to work that will be a different story. My unofficial goal is 14 months (a year +2 months, to make up for the 2 months they were early) but I'm happy I've made it this long and will take what I can get. So far my milk supply has been abundant (I think all the extra pumping has kicked it up a notch) so I am starting to freeze again for when I go back to work.
The boys also started eating by mouth. So far we haven't tried much other than rice cereal, oatmeal and little sweet potato on Thanksgiving, but we bought a babyfood maker that should be coming in soon, and my mom and I are going to try making our own food and freezing it. We'll see how that works out, if you know me, you know I'm totally not the "make your own baby food" type of girl either, so this should be interesting. I think its just another reason to buy a kitchen gadget and at least my mom is excited to use it!
Speaking of Thanksgiving... it was the boys first big holiday and I was especially thankful to have them in my arms this year, rather than in my belly. I was so sick last year, I skipped Thanksgiving alltogether! What a difference a year makes. Of course, I spent most of the day in awe of the fact that they are here, they are healthy and counting my blessings that I get to be their Mama. I pulled out their ultrasound pictures and I know I say this all the time, but it really is crazy that they are here, in my arms, trying to eat my face, HERE! God I love these boys!
This month also marked their "out longer than in month" since I delivered at 31 weeks they have officially been in our lives longer than in my belly, again, I enjoy them so much better on the outside! Its so crazy how much has happened and changed since they have been born, I am doing things I have never thought I would do, and I feel like a totally different person now. In a way, I think I am a different person, and I think that is natural considering how much has changed in my life over the past year, and I couldn't be happier.
I especially love this time of year and the fact that the boys are big enough to experience a little of it is just a bonus. Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year, but this year I got a really late start on all my decorating (on account of two little people I have to chase around all day) but tonight we set up our little tree (and I mean little, like the boys are about as tall as our tree, little) and got all our stuff out. Now that the boys are crawling, and their gigantic saucers, jumperoos, and playmats are taking up all our floor space, we opted for a small (tiny) tree that we can put on top of our ottoman. It looks nice, and is perfect for their "first" tree. So far they were very interested in it as I decorated and put the lights on. Let's hope they don't knock it off the table!
We still have to hunt down Santa to get their first Santa photo, but I'm so not looking forward to it! I hate the mall, and the boys so far have never even been there, but I may try and do it during the week like right when they open to avoid the holiday rush. We haven't even sent our Christmas cards yet on account of the boys new found mobility, its hard to get them still enough to get a good photo! I think I may just go with a photo of them crawling away, that should capture this time in our lives perfectly!
Lastly, I've been dealing with the fact that my days as a stay at home Mama are counted and running out very quickly. I go back to work on January 4, 2010. If you count the 3 months I was off work due to crazy morning sickness, it will be a year that I've been home. Some people are lucky if they get 6 weeks, so I know I am blessed and I am grateful for all this time every.single.day. I go back with mixed feelings though, I do miss my friends at work, and being able to conversate about something other than a poop diaper. It seems like forever since I've even sat at my desk and I know its going to be hard to walk out the door knowing it will be hours before I return. I'm trying not to think about it too much and just enjoy every second I get to be home, but its tugging on my heart even when I'm not looking.
I've gone on this insane shopping spree both in stores and online replacing my entire work wardrobe (since I've lost so much weight b'feeding, I am now MUCH smaller than before I got pregnant) but I think I've gone overboard! Well, I know I have! My mom says its my way of making my transition back to work a little easier but I know that it won't matter what I wear, it will still be drenched in tears as I drive away. I am trying to take comfort in knowing my boys are in good hands, my mom has been here everyday for 4.5 months helping me take care of them, and learning everything there is to know about them so that she is ready to fly solo when I go back. She loves them more than anyone else (aside from us of course) and they love her too! She has seen how I do things, and has either found her own way or copied mine and it works. The boys look for her every morning and I think they will handle the transition much better than I will. I am happy that they will get to stay in their own environment, they will keep their schedule (or lack of schedule) and for them the only thing different will be that I am not here. I know, minor detail right.
The good news is, I got a new job! With my same company but in a different department. Who gets a promotion while on maternity leave you ask? ME! I must have been a seriously good person in another life because this could not come at a better time. My job, though I loved it, was not family-friendly AT ALL. I worked insane hours under huge amounts of stress and there was no room for trivial things... like lunch! I was already preparing my speech to my boss about work-life balance and how I must be home everyday BEFORE my babies go to sleep, and then one fine day in October, I get a call from a very good friend of mine who works at the same company and she offered me a job in her group with more pay, a better title and the best part... NO interview! Sold!
It truly was a no brainer since I had worked with her before, when I first started with the company, and we worked really well together. Its actually how we became friends. She is a great friend and knows everything I've been through with the twins and about my wanting to be home more. She and her wife were at our baby shower (which ended up being after the twins were born) and were 2 of the very few people we allowed over to visit the boys shortly after they came home from the NICU. And yup, I said her WIFE. Could it be more perfect? She also agreed on a reduced schedule (Fridays off) and gave me a week in my old department to pack my stuff and transition over to her group, which means my first week I can go home early if I am having a hard time, since I won't have any work.
So, while I know leaving my babies everyday is going to be tough, I am doing so under the best possible circumstances. The boys are big and healthy enough that I am comfortable leaving them, I have my wonderful mom to love and care for my babies while I'm gone, I have a new job that I know I'm going to love, and tons of new clothes to wear. If that doesn't do the trick... nothing will!
With the holidays upon us, the boys CRAWLING and me getting ready to go back to work after about a year off... I am all over the place...literally!
I'm going to try and do one LONG catch up post and then I will add/update the photos on the next run. Lets start with an update on my boys:
They are crawling! I can't believe it! One day we were sitting over them calmly as they lay on the ground playing with their toys and the next, I'm chasing the big guy and trying to keep him in the living room and out from underneath the desk! Gone are the days where I can lay them down and expect to find them in the same spot in five minutes. The lil guy crawls backwards...its so funny! He is like a worm, lying on his back he pushes with his feet and inches along all the while looking where he is going practically upside down on his head. Its the craziest thing. The big guy is full up on his knees and jammin. He is also lifting himself up using the crib rails and sitting up like its nobody's business.
This last month has been so much fun, and I feel like everyday is going by faster and faster. The first 3 months were the longest but it seems like these last 3 have really flown by. In 4 months we will be celebrating their first birthday... I still can't believe it.
We have been getting the babies their RSV shots every month, and I think thats been helping to keep them healthy. We got our H1N1 shots in early November, and that was a mission but I felt better knowing we all (including my mom and little sister) got them, and it would hopefully help us in the event one of us got the virus. So far, I think that was the most crowded place we have ever taken the boys, and anxiety was running high on my end. I even yelled at a worker for smoking nearby (and I mean YELL, where the 100,000 people in line all got quiet and looked at the crazy lady with the baby strapped to her chest). Yup, that is who I've become. But really, who smokes in front of a bunch of people waiting in line for something to help them avoid getting sick! Geez mister, use some damn common sense!
Luckily, nobody in our house has gotten sick, including the babies in their whole 8 months, so I am pretty happy about that. I don't think I have ever taken such good care of myself not t0 mention that I have NEVER gotten a flu shot until now. Its amazing the things you do for your kids. I really don't believe they work, and really, its just the flu so I never thought it was big deal if I got it, but with two little ones (one with Chronic Lung Disease), I will do whatever our doctor says if it means one more month that they get to grow and be healthy and not be dealing with an illness.
The little guy has been amazingly good with all his health issues, that I am afraid to even type this so as not to jinx it! His breathing has been so good that we have taken him off his monitor at night and really just have it in case he were to get sick. He hasn't needed his oxygen in months, and so far his growth is right up there with his brother, they are within a few ounces of eachother for the first time since they were born. 17 pounds and counting! He still gets one breathing treatment every morning, but aside from that, he is your average (small) baby. Wow, I never thought we'd get here.
I am still breastfeeding/pumping exclusively which even I am amazed at! My mom jokes that she never thought I'd still be b'feeding AND pumping this long and for TWINS! Ha! I'm showing her! In her defense, I'm so not the "breastfeed beyond the point where your kids have teeth" type of girl! Did I mention the lil guy has a tooth? a very sharp tooth at that!
Yeah well he doesn't get his milk straight from the source anymore, but I do pump 4-5 times daily so that he gets his fair share. He never really was a good nurser, and with that lil shark tooth sprouting so early, he was cutoff and I think we are both ok with that. I will pump for him for as long as I nurse his brother and when I'm done, they will both be done. I have been trying not to set any long-term goals with the whole breastfeeding thing, just because until now, its been pretty easy because I am home and I can pump and nurse whenever I need to, but when I go back to work that will be a different story. My unofficial goal is 14 months (a year +2 months, to make up for the 2 months they were early) but I'm happy I've made it this long and will take what I can get. So far my milk supply has been abundant (I think all the extra pumping has kicked it up a notch) so I am starting to freeze again for when I go back to work.
The boys also started eating by mouth. So far we haven't tried much other than rice cereal, oatmeal and little sweet potato on Thanksgiving, but we bought a babyfood maker that should be coming in soon, and my mom and I are going to try making our own food and freezing it. We'll see how that works out, if you know me, you know I'm totally not the "make your own baby food" type of girl either, so this should be interesting. I think its just another reason to buy a kitchen gadget and at least my mom is excited to use it!
Speaking of Thanksgiving... it was the boys first big holiday and I was especially thankful to have them in my arms this year, rather than in my belly. I was so sick last year, I skipped Thanksgiving alltogether! What a difference a year makes. Of course, I spent most of the day in awe of the fact that they are here, they are healthy and counting my blessings that I get to be their Mama. I pulled out their ultrasound pictures and I know I say this all the time, but it really is crazy that they are here, in my arms, trying to eat my face, HERE! God I love these boys!
This month also marked their "out longer than in month" since I delivered at 31 weeks they have officially been in our lives longer than in my belly, again, I enjoy them so much better on the outside! Its so crazy how much has happened and changed since they have been born, I am doing things I have never thought I would do, and I feel like a totally different person now. In a way, I think I am a different person, and I think that is natural considering how much has changed in my life over the past year, and I couldn't be happier.
I especially love this time of year and the fact that the boys are big enough to experience a little of it is just a bonus. Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year, but this year I got a really late start on all my decorating (on account of two little people I have to chase around all day) but tonight we set up our little tree (and I mean little, like the boys are about as tall as our tree, little) and got all our stuff out. Now that the boys are crawling, and their gigantic saucers, jumperoos, and playmats are taking up all our floor space, we opted for a small (tiny) tree that we can put on top of our ottoman. It looks nice, and is perfect for their "first" tree. So far they were very interested in it as I decorated and put the lights on. Let's hope they don't knock it off the table!
We still have to hunt down Santa to get their first Santa photo, but I'm so not looking forward to it! I hate the mall, and the boys so far have never even been there, but I may try and do it during the week like right when they open to avoid the holiday rush. We haven't even sent our Christmas cards yet on account of the boys new found mobility, its hard to get them still enough to get a good photo! I think I may just go with a photo of them crawling away, that should capture this time in our lives perfectly!
Lastly, I've been dealing with the fact that my days as a stay at home Mama are counted and running out very quickly. I go back to work on January 4, 2010. If you count the 3 months I was off work due to crazy morning sickness, it will be a year that I've been home. Some people are lucky if they get 6 weeks, so I know I am blessed and I am grateful for all this time every.single.day. I go back with mixed feelings though, I do miss my friends at work, and being able to conversate about something other than a poop diaper. It seems like forever since I've even sat at my desk and I know its going to be hard to walk out the door knowing it will be hours before I return. I'm trying not to think about it too much and just enjoy every second I get to be home, but its tugging on my heart even when I'm not looking.
I've gone on this insane shopping spree both in stores and online replacing my entire work wardrobe (since I've lost so much weight b'feeding, I am now MUCH smaller than before I got pregnant) but I think I've gone overboard! Well, I know I have! My mom says its my way of making my transition back to work a little easier but I know that it won't matter what I wear, it will still be drenched in tears as I drive away. I am trying to take comfort in knowing my boys are in good hands, my mom has been here everyday for 4.5 months helping me take care of them, and learning everything there is to know about them so that she is ready to fly solo when I go back. She loves them more than anyone else (aside from us of course) and they love her too! She has seen how I do things, and has either found her own way or copied mine and it works. The boys look for her every morning and I think they will handle the transition much better than I will. I am happy that they will get to stay in their own environment, they will keep their schedule (or lack of schedule) and for them the only thing different will be that I am not here. I know, minor detail right.
The good news is, I got a new job! With my same company but in a different department. Who gets a promotion while on maternity leave you ask? ME! I must have been a seriously good person in another life because this could not come at a better time. My job, though I loved it, was not family-friendly AT ALL. I worked insane hours under huge amounts of stress and there was no room for trivial things... like lunch! I was already preparing my speech to my boss about work-life balance and how I must be home everyday BEFORE my babies go to sleep, and then one fine day in October, I get a call from a very good friend of mine who works at the same company and she offered me a job in her group with more pay, a better title and the best part... NO interview! Sold!
It truly was a no brainer since I had worked with her before, when I first started with the company, and we worked really well together. Its actually how we became friends. She is a great friend and knows everything I've been through with the twins and about my wanting to be home more. She and her wife were at our baby shower (which ended up being after the twins were born) and were 2 of the very few people we allowed over to visit the boys shortly after they came home from the NICU. And yup, I said her WIFE. Could it be more perfect? She also agreed on a reduced schedule (Fridays off) and gave me a week in my old department to pack my stuff and transition over to her group, which means my first week I can go home early if I am having a hard time, since I won't have any work.
So, while I know leaving my babies everyday is going to be tough, I am doing so under the best possible circumstances. The boys are big and healthy enough that I am comfortable leaving them, I have my wonderful mom to love and care for my babies while I'm gone, I have a new job that I know I'm going to love, and tons of new clothes to wear. If that doesn't do the trick... nothing will!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
7 months!
7 months!! This last month went by super fast I can't even believe we are already here. Its amazing how much has changed in just one month... this has been a big one in terms of milestones.
You are both growing so much! You are gaining weight and have finally made it on to the growth charts at the doctors office! Honey Papa is 15 lbs, 6 oz, and Pajarito is 15lbs even! Back to 6 ounces apart like you were at birth, Pajarito will be passing your brother up very soon with those extra calories you get!
Honey Papa: You are EATING! Finally, the doctor ok'd rice cereal and while you have been drooling over every meal I eat in front of you, you are oh so excited to get your own now. You have had your cereal in a bottle, a cup, a sippie cup, and by spoon and you will take it any way you can get it. We are going to expand your selection this month, hope you like it!
You are rolling back and forth and have started getting up on your knees trying to crawl! If I sit you up, you can balance on your own for a little while holding your self up with your hands. You are hilarious when playing in your crib when you realize we walked in to check on you, you quickly roll onto your tummy and look over the rail (and bumper) to see who it is, and flash your gorgeus smile in hopes of getting picked up! You do love being in arms my Mama's boy!
You also love to try and eat my face! You grab my head with your hands and lunge at me with your big wide open mouth! Its a nice drooly event that we both laugh at! You can get both feet in your mouth, although only one at a time for now. Socks are rarely left on, and you especially like to pull the left one off.
Pajarito: You are also having cereal, but only like it in a bottle for now, something about mushiness on your tounge freaks you out! You are also moving around like a worm! When lying on your back you use your legs to push yourself wherever you want to go! You can go from one side of the room to the other in a matter of seconds as long as your brother isn't in your way! You have been rolling over back to front to back and once you get going you can roll like 3 to 4 times in a row! and you think its so much fun! You are getting better at tummy time and are also trying to use your knees to crawl.. grandma is going to have fun chasing you two!
You have figured out how to get your toes in your mouth and thoroughly enjoy sucking on them. I love watching you do this, and you flash me a big smile when you catch me staring. Your smile is going to get you far my dear. You have a very sweet demeanor, and love when Mama cuddles you and smothers you with kisses... your giggles just melt my heart.
You have had several (not in a row) nights without your monitor on your foot (OMG Mama let you sleep without it?? Yes, although I did NOT sleep to well since I had to check on you a million times). We started to let you sleep without it since you wake up and play with the little red light on your foot now, and kick it off causing the alarm to sound... and we DON'T like hearing that alarm! You haven't desatted in such a long time, so as long as you continue to do well, you will get a few nights off here and there! (Mama needs to sleep too you know!)
The big one for you this month is a new TOOTH! Yup, your little natal tooth that came out just after you were born is back! You beat your brother on this one little sharky! Its already broken through, so we are anxiously awaiting its full on showing so we can start snapping the photos!
Noises: Grandma is to blame for many of your strange noises. You first learned how to make an indian howl when someone helps you cover your mouth with your hands. This is a good distraction when you start crying, we do this and you both smile and forget why you were even crying! She also taught you to growl like a lion and sometimes you both take it too far! Last week you were growling at the nurses who were trying to give you shots and I had to explain that it was just a new sound you discovered. God, please don't start barking.
Pajarito is Mama's lil squawker! When you aren't happy with something you squawk as LOUD as your little body can muster until I fix whatever is the problem...which is fine as long as we aren't in an elevator with 5 other people when you lose your toy!
The most important milestone for you both is 7 months illness free!!! Neither one of you has had anthing more than a little congestion and Mama is so so happy about that. My crazy antics are justified every month you both manage to stay healthy. Thank you, you make every look I get worth it a million times over.
Having you both has been filled with so much fun, love, exhaustion, laughter, amazement, pride, and just pure joy and I am trying my best to make every second count. I can't imagine what it will be like when I go back to work, so for now, I am just making the very most of my time home with my baby boys...Twins, who would have thought! I still wake up every day and can't believe I am so lucky to have you both. My love for you both is almost overwhelming. I love you more than words can express... you are my saving grace.
You are both growing so much! You are gaining weight and have finally made it on to the growth charts at the doctors office! Honey Papa is 15 lbs, 6 oz, and Pajarito is 15lbs even! Back to 6 ounces apart like you were at birth, Pajarito will be passing your brother up very soon with those extra calories you get!
Honey Papa: You are EATING! Finally, the doctor ok'd rice cereal and while you have been drooling over every meal I eat in front of you, you are oh so excited to get your own now. You have had your cereal in a bottle, a cup, a sippie cup, and by spoon and you will take it any way you can get it. We are going to expand your selection this month, hope you like it!
You are rolling back and forth and have started getting up on your knees trying to crawl! If I sit you up, you can balance on your own for a little while holding your self up with your hands. You are hilarious when playing in your crib when you realize we walked in to check on you, you quickly roll onto your tummy and look over the rail (and bumper) to see who it is, and flash your gorgeus smile in hopes of getting picked up! You do love being in arms my Mama's boy!
You also love to try and eat my face! You grab my head with your hands and lunge at me with your big wide open mouth! Its a nice drooly event that we both laugh at! You can get both feet in your mouth, although only one at a time for now. Socks are rarely left on, and you especially like to pull the left one off.
Pajarito: You are also having cereal, but only like it in a bottle for now, something about mushiness on your tounge freaks you out! You are also moving around like a worm! When lying on your back you use your legs to push yourself wherever you want to go! You can go from one side of the room to the other in a matter of seconds as long as your brother isn't in your way! You have been rolling over back to front to back and once you get going you can roll like 3 to 4 times in a row! and you think its so much fun! You are getting better at tummy time and are also trying to use your knees to crawl.. grandma is going to have fun chasing you two!
You have figured out how to get your toes in your mouth and thoroughly enjoy sucking on them. I love watching you do this, and you flash me a big smile when you catch me staring. Your smile is going to get you far my dear. You have a very sweet demeanor, and love when Mama cuddles you and smothers you with kisses... your giggles just melt my heart.
You have had several (not in a row) nights without your monitor on your foot (OMG Mama let you sleep without it?? Yes, although I did NOT sleep to well since I had to check on you a million times). We started to let you sleep without it since you wake up and play with the little red light on your foot now, and kick it off causing the alarm to sound... and we DON'T like hearing that alarm! You haven't desatted in such a long time, so as long as you continue to do well, you will get a few nights off here and there! (Mama needs to sleep too you know!)
The big one for you this month is a new TOOTH! Yup, your little natal tooth that came out just after you were born is back! You beat your brother on this one little sharky! Its already broken through, so we are anxiously awaiting its full on showing so we can start snapping the photos!
Noises: Grandma is to blame for many of your strange noises. You first learned how to make an indian howl when someone helps you cover your mouth with your hands. This is a good distraction when you start crying, we do this and you both smile and forget why you were even crying! She also taught you to growl like a lion and sometimes you both take it too far! Last week you were growling at the nurses who were trying to give you shots and I had to explain that it was just a new sound you discovered. God, please don't start barking.
Pajarito is Mama's lil squawker! When you aren't happy with something you squawk as LOUD as your little body can muster until I fix whatever is the problem...which is fine as long as we aren't in an elevator with 5 other people when you lose your toy!
The most important milestone for you both is 7 months illness free!!! Neither one of you has had anthing more than a little congestion and Mama is so so happy about that. My crazy antics are justified every month you both manage to stay healthy. Thank you, you make every look I get worth it a million times over.
Having you both has been filled with so much fun, love, exhaustion, laughter, amazement, pride, and just pure joy and I am trying my best to make every second count. I can't imagine what it will be like when I go back to work, so for now, I am just making the very most of my time home with my baby boys...Twins, who would have thought! I still wake up every day and can't believe I am so lucky to have you both. My love for you both is almost overwhelming. I love you more than words can express... you are my saving grace.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Changes...
We had an appointment with our pediatrican on Friday and he suggested we start mixing rice cereal and breastmilk a few times a day and slowly progress to oatmeal, solids, etc. The boys are 6 months old but again, with the adjustments for their early arrival, we are just getting to the fun parts!
So far so good with the rice cereal. I am pumping extra milk for their two snacks each and that is working out pretty well also. Everyday I thank my lucky stars that we still have enough milk for both babies. I don't think I'd be able to keep up if I had gone back to work as originally planned.
I'm hoping to breastfeed for a year, but I'm not writing that in stone. Since I will be going back to work in January, and the boys will be 9 months old, it will be 3 LONG months of pumping at work. Hopefully we can make it that long at least, longer if possible. I'm thinking they will be eating more food by then so their milk requirement won't be so high, but with their delays, who knows! I may have to pack a few milk gallons to fill up while I'm gone, cause I swear that is how much they eat!
I'm hoping to breastfeed for a year, but I'm not writing that in stone. Since I will be going back to work in January, and the boys will be 9 months old, it will be 3 LONG months of pumping at work. Hopefully we can make it that long at least, longer if possible. I'm thinking they will be eating more food by then so their milk requirement won't be so high, but with their delays, who knows! I may have to pack a few milk gallons to fill up while I'm gone, cause I swear that is how much they eat!
One of the benefits of adding in this twice daily snack, is that it allows the big guy to practice drinking from a bottle again (since its been 3 months of exclusive breastfeeding and he swears the bottle is now some alien object!). He has been pretty good about it though... now if only I can get him to stay asleep without having to keep me within arms distance. That boy has some sort of radar going on!
In other news, the pediatrician also agreed that the boys DO need their full 6-7 RSV doses and that the nurse who told us otherwise was "misinformed". That is a one way of putting it! Whatever, as long as they get them.
Healthwise our pajarito is doing awesome in every way, and is now growing right along with his brother. They weigh approx. 14 lbs and are 23.5 and 24 inches long. Pajarito is getting better at tummy time, has now found his feet and is working on getting them to stay in his mouth. Now I get to look for 4 socks everytime they go down for a nap. =)
As for life with twins, it is finally getting to be more manageable. Its a ton of work, and somedays I'm not sure I'm gonna survive, but we do and at the end of the day, I'm grateful I've been able to stay home with them this long. Aside from the endless loads of laundry, things are definitely looking up!
As for life with twins, it is finally getting to be more manageable. Its a ton of work, and somedays I'm not sure I'm gonna survive, but we do and at the end of the day, I'm grateful I've been able to stay home with them this long. Aside from the endless loads of laundry, things are definitely looking up!
P.S. I love Halloween jammies!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
6 Months
Half way through your first year of life...wow, time sure went by. Its been a crazy and wonderful all wrapped together, and I've learned so much about you, and even more about myself. Being your mama has been the most amazing gift, and I love it more than anything in the world.
Watching you wake up and realize I'm there, is the best part of my day. You have both grown so much and are making some fun discoveries. You have also hit some big milestones, and while I look forward to those yet to come, I am holding you close for as long as I can.
Lukey, you are healthier in so many ways, and have been catching up to your brother in both height and weight. I wish so much for you to be all better, and you are making your way there. You have rolled over, and have started grabbing things, you love your star, and are patient when you want to be. You have found your voice, and sometimes forget your brother is still sleeping! You love your baths and always splash around! You have been nursing regularly, mostly when you are sleepy. I love cuddling with you, and your sweet smelling breath. Your smile and your excitement melt my heart. I love you so much my lil Pajarito.
Drew, my honey papa, you are rolling over, trying to sit up, grabbing things, and yelling at me when I take too long to feed you! You sure are our spunky little one! You smile all day and have started laughing so adorably. You found your feet and they are making their way to your mouth, you pull off your socks when you are supposed to be napping, and you love going for our afternoon walks. You won't sleep without me, and that's ok. I can't think of a better way to sleep then cuddled between my baby boys. I love how you hold on to me while you sleep and I love you my honey papa bear.
Having you both has been the greatest adventure of my life, and I truly cherish every minute.
With all my heart, Mama
Watching you wake up and realize I'm there, is the best part of my day. You have both grown so much and are making some fun discoveries. You have also hit some big milestones, and while I look forward to those yet to come, I am holding you close for as long as I can.
Lukey, you are healthier in so many ways, and have been catching up to your brother in both height and weight. I wish so much for you to be all better, and you are making your way there. You have rolled over, and have started grabbing things, you love your star, and are patient when you want to be. You have found your voice, and sometimes forget your brother is still sleeping! You love your baths and always splash around! You have been nursing regularly, mostly when you are sleepy. I love cuddling with you, and your sweet smelling breath. Your smile and your excitement melt my heart. I love you so much my lil Pajarito.
Drew, my honey papa, you are rolling over, trying to sit up, grabbing things, and yelling at me when I take too long to feed you! You sure are our spunky little one! You smile all day and have started laughing so adorably. You found your feet and they are making their way to your mouth, you pull off your socks when you are supposed to be napping, and you love going for our afternoon walks. You won't sleep without me, and that's ok. I can't think of a better way to sleep then cuddled between my baby boys. I love how you hold on to me while you sleep and I love you my honey papa bear.
Having you both has been the greatest adventure of my life, and I truly cherish every minute.
With all my heart, Mama
Monday, September 14, 2009
He ROLLED!!
Today my son, the big guy AKA "Honey Papa" ROLLED. From his back to his tummy, ROLLED. To many people, no big deal, but for us its a huge deal. Usually most babies have rolled one way or the other by now, but with preemies you never know. Since ours were born 2 months early, everything is on a different timeline. Even between them two, they are different. Pajarito is a few weeks behind the big guy in some things but ahead in others, and they were only born a minute apart!
Either way, I'm excited and worried. Now I can't lay him on the ottoman while I run to the kitchen or else I will find him on the floor!
Here are some pictures of his reaction just after he realized what had just happened:
Thursday, September 10, 2009
5 Months
Honey Papa & Pajarito
Today you are both 5 months old. I still can't believe you are here! You are smiling and cooing, drooling like crazy and laughing all day. You love to be in arms (and we love to carry you), and you fall asleep when you are in your Moby. You even have grandma wearing that thing!
"Honey Papa" is learning to sit up while "Pajarito" is making a new tooth! Everyday is a new adventure with you both and your Mommy and I love you to pieces. I take at least 50 pictures of you boys every day, and lots of videos too! I never want to forget how fun you are at this age, so I try and capture all the memories I can. I love holding you and watching you look at yourselves in the mirror and I love how you laugh so loud now, especially when you are supposed to be sleeping!
You have both found your hands and will stick them down your throat if we let you and Honey Papa, you are a step away from finding your feet. You can pull yourself up and can almost roll over. Pajarito isn't quite there yet, but getting close! You both sleep through the night with just one snack somewhere in between, and we really love this part!
I cherish everyday I get to spend with you, and have been trying to figure out how I can fit you in my purse to take you to work with me when I go back...God knows its big enough!
You have both grown so much since birth, I find myself wondering what happened to my lil preemies? We love you more than you know and we are so grateful that you are both here. Happy 5 month birthday boys, your Mommy and I are truly blessed to have had you.
You have both found your hands and will stick them down your throat if we let you and Honey Papa, you are a step away from finding your feet. You can pull yourself up and can almost roll over. Pajarito isn't quite there yet, but getting close! You both sleep through the night with just one snack somewhere in between, and we really love this part!
I cherish everyday I get to spend with you, and have been trying to figure out how I can fit you in my purse to take you to work with me when I go back...God knows its big enough!
You have both grown so much since birth, I find myself wondering what happened to my lil preemies? We love you more than you know and we are so grateful that you are both here. Happy 5 month birthday boys, your Mommy and I are truly blessed to have had you.
Love you always, Mama & Mommy
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Transitions
I haven't posted lately because we have been busy adjusting to our new routine. With the wife back at work its been my mom and I, and its been going very well. Although I am a little more tired than usual, I can't complain.
Then we just hang out until nap time around 11'ish. Sometimes they nap and sometimes they don't, but I like to pretend we have some sort of schedule going! I generally use this time to take more pictures of them, have some play time and then, I pump.
They continue to eat about every 3 hours until the evening and my mom leaves around 4:30pm when my wife comes home. We try to have bath time at 7pm and then put the boys to bed, but again, it isn't always the case. Once the babies are asleep, I pump again.
They generally stay asleep until about midnight, when they wake up to eat again, but they go right back to sleep and then, I pump. I finally make it in to bed around 2am and then at 3am the little guy wakes up to eat, and since my wife is back at work, I have been nursing him so she can sleep. Once he is done the big guy wakes up around 4am to eat and then I nurse him and burp him and he goes back to sleep. At 5am I get up to pump and then get the little guys bottle ready for his 6am feeding. Sometimes I get a 30 minute nap in, and then we start again.
Its a crazy schedule but we are adjusting to it. I miss my wife when she is gone, and I know she has been missing us like crazy, its just different not having her home with us all day. I think I'm going to have a very hard time leaving the babies when I finally do go back to work. Its not for a few months but I am already dreading it. I am happy that at least I have my mom to watch them, making the transition easier on all of us. The babies absolutely love her, and she is so so good with them.
Speaking of the babies, they are amazing and I love every single day with them. They are such fun and happy boys! I love their smiles when they first wake up and realize I'm there, and its fun to watch them learn and discover new things. They have been growing so fast, the big guy weighs 13 lbs 3 ounces and 24 inches long, and the lil one is 11 pounds 15 ounces and 23.5 inches long. Not much of a difference anymore! The little guy has also been taken off another medication, leaving only one 5 min breathing treatment per day, and his reflux med twice per day. Much easier! We have also been working on breastfeeding and I nurse him twice a day now. Thursday we have a check-up with their pediatrician and I'm hoping he gives me the ok to nurse the little guy more often. I would love to be able to nurse them both exclusively and only pump when I go back to work.
They have also been learning new "tricks": the big guy understands "UP" and he makes his arms tight and pulls his whole body up for you to carry him and the lil guy has discovered how to splash in the bath. They have both been kicking like crazy and the big guy has found his feet! He can't reach them yet, but there will be some toe sucking when he does!
Our day goes like this: My wife leaves to work at 6:30am and usually the boys are eating when she leaves. When they are done we all take a nap until around 9am when I get up for the day. My mom usually comes around 7:30am while we are all asleep and finds something to clean or laundry to fold until we wake up. At 9am they eat again (I nurse the big guy exclusively and my mom bottle feeds the lil guy). Then I pump, which I hate.
Then we just hang out until nap time around 11'ish. Sometimes they nap and sometimes they don't, but I like to pretend we have some sort of schedule going! I generally use this time to take more pictures of them, have some play time and then, I pump.
They continue to eat about every 3 hours until the evening and my mom leaves around 4:30pm when my wife comes home. We try to have bath time at 7pm and then put the boys to bed, but again, it isn't always the case. Once the babies are asleep, I pump again.
They generally stay asleep until about midnight, when they wake up to eat again, but they go right back to sleep and then, I pump. I finally make it in to bed around 2am and then at 3am the little guy wakes up to eat, and since my wife is back at work, I have been nursing him so she can sleep. Once he is done the big guy wakes up around 4am to eat and then I nurse him and burp him and he goes back to sleep. At 5am I get up to pump and then get the little guys bottle ready for his 6am feeding. Sometimes I get a 30 minute nap in, and then we start again.
Its a crazy schedule but we are adjusting to it. I miss my wife when she is gone, and I know she has been missing us like crazy, its just different not having her home with us all day. I think I'm going to have a very hard time leaving the babies when I finally do go back to work. Its not for a few months but I am already dreading it. I am happy that at least I have my mom to watch them, making the transition easier on all of us. The babies absolutely love her, and she is so so good with them.
Speaking of the babies, they are amazing and I love every single day with them. They are such fun and happy boys! I love their smiles when they first wake up and realize I'm there, and its fun to watch them learn and discover new things. They have been growing so fast, the big guy weighs 13 lbs 3 ounces and 24 inches long, and the lil one is 11 pounds 15 ounces and 23.5 inches long. Not much of a difference anymore! The little guy has also been taken off another medication, leaving only one 5 min breathing treatment per day, and his reflux med twice per day. Much easier! We have also been working on breastfeeding and I nurse him twice a day now. Thursday we have a check-up with their pediatrician and I'm hoping he gives me the ok to nurse the little guy more often. I would love to be able to nurse them both exclusively and only pump when I go back to work.
They have also been learning new "tricks": the big guy understands "UP" and he makes his arms tight and pulls his whole body up for you to carry him and the lil guy has discovered how to splash in the bath. They have both been kicking like crazy and the big guy has found his feet! He can't reach them yet, but there will be some toe sucking when he does!
And now, pictures:
Friday, August 21, 2009
TGIF
So today my mom came over to clean our house, and when she cleans, SHE CLEANS. Since the cleaners we use can smell kinda strong, I don't like to be home when she is cleaning. Usually my wife and I will pack the boys up and head out shopping until she is done. This also helps to get us out of her way.
Since my wife is back at work, I was on my own with the boys and not brave enough to take them shopping alone. Luckily, I had just ordered a Mo.by.Wrap and it came in a few days ago. This is really helpful with holding a baby while doing other things. Not so helpful with holding two babies. I decided to let my mom start on the furthest part of the house and try and stay as long as possible. I nursed the big guy while bottlefeeding the little guy, but they didn't want to go to sleep. So, we went into the nursery and the little guy had some tummy time while the big guy was practicing sitting up in one of those Bu.mb.o chair thingys. This kept them occupied for about 30 minutes. Then we went back to our bed and I entertained them with songs for a while.
Once it started to smell, I got the boys and strapped the big guy in the moby and put the little guy in the stroller and took them for a walk around our gated community. IT WAS HOT outside so that did not last long.
The big guy fell asleep, but the little guy was wide awake so instead of walking endlessly around waiting for my mom to be done we stopped by her house (she lives up the street from me) and visited Nana (my grandmother who lives with my mom). Nana held the little guy and he was very chatty. The big guy slept in the mo.by the entire time. We spent a little over an hour there and then came home.
By this time it was time for them to eat, so rather than make a bottle and dirty the nice clean kitchen, I decided to nurse them both at the same time. Since we have been practicing, this went pretty well. They both fell asleep, and I prayed that my wife would hurry up and come home before they woke up. Two babies are ehausting!
My wife came home around 2pm, and made us lunch (because I didn't have time to eat with the two of them all day) and then took the big guy and rocked him to sleep. I kept the little guy on my lap while I pumped and then put him down once he fell asleep.
I don't know how some moms do it on their own after 3 months when the second parent goes back to work. I have a friend who just had twins in July and his girlfriend has been home with them ALONE for like a month now. She is my hero. I guess when you have no other choice, you manage, and they get used to whatever routine you give them. But logistically, it is not easy! Especially when venturing out of the house!
Our boys are used to being carried and attended to 24/7 because there were two of us and we were home with them all day. Monday thru Thursday my mom is with me so we resumed our same routine, but Fridays she is off baby duty so she can clean, so that just leaves me. I can handle them just fine on my own at home, but I've never gone anywhere with them alone. Usually, you get to practice this when you have small babies that just sleep, but since ours were in the NICU during that 'honeymoon' phase, we didn't get to do that. So I'm just figuring it out now.
The boys are getting heavy together (25 pounds combined, and they are only getting heavier!) and since they are both holding up their heads and kicking when they get excited, its tiring to hold them while trying to make sure they dont head bunt eachother while moving around!
I think it went ok considering it was our first "Friday", but I'm hoping next week goes a little better. I think I spent most of the time stressed that they were about to cry that I didn't really enjoy just being with them, and they didn't even cry! Next week I plan to pack up ahead of time and maybe take them out, somewhere with A/C!
Since my wife is back at work, I was on my own with the boys and not brave enough to take them shopping alone. Luckily, I had just ordered a Mo.by.Wrap and it came in a few days ago. This is really helpful with holding a baby while doing other things. Not so helpful with holding two babies. I decided to let my mom start on the furthest part of the house and try and stay as long as possible. I nursed the big guy while bottlefeeding the little guy, but they didn't want to go to sleep. So, we went into the nursery and the little guy had some tummy time while the big guy was practicing sitting up in one of those Bu.mb.o chair thingys. This kept them occupied for about 30 minutes. Then we went back to our bed and I entertained them with songs for a while.
Once it started to smell, I got the boys and strapped the big guy in the moby and put the little guy in the stroller and took them for a walk around our gated community. IT WAS HOT outside so that did not last long.
The big guy fell asleep, but the little guy was wide awake so instead of walking endlessly around waiting for my mom to be done we stopped by her house (she lives up the street from me) and visited Nana (my grandmother who lives with my mom). Nana held the little guy and he was very chatty. The big guy slept in the mo.by the entire time. We spent a little over an hour there and then came home.
By this time it was time for them to eat, so rather than make a bottle and dirty the nice clean kitchen, I decided to nurse them both at the same time. Since we have been practicing, this went pretty well. They both fell asleep, and I prayed that my wife would hurry up and come home before they woke up. Two babies are ehausting!
My wife came home around 2pm, and made us lunch (because I didn't have time to eat with the two of them all day) and then took the big guy and rocked him to sleep. I kept the little guy on my lap while I pumped and then put him down once he fell asleep.
I don't know how some moms do it on their own after 3 months when the second parent goes back to work. I have a friend who just had twins in July and his girlfriend has been home with them ALONE for like a month now. She is my hero. I guess when you have no other choice, you manage, and they get used to whatever routine you give them. But logistically, it is not easy! Especially when venturing out of the house!
Our boys are used to being carried and attended to 24/7 because there were two of us and we were home with them all day. Monday thru Thursday my mom is with me so we resumed our same routine, but Fridays she is off baby duty so she can clean, so that just leaves me. I can handle them just fine on my own at home, but I've never gone anywhere with them alone. Usually, you get to practice this when you have small babies that just sleep, but since ours were in the NICU during that 'honeymoon' phase, we didn't get to do that. So I'm just figuring it out now.
The boys are getting heavy together (25 pounds combined, and they are only getting heavier!) and since they are both holding up their heads and kicking when they get excited, its tiring to hold them while trying to make sure they dont head bunt eachother while moving around!
I think it went ok considering it was our first "Friday", but I'm hoping next week goes a little better. I think I spent most of the time stressed that they were about to cry that I didn't really enjoy just being with them, and they didn't even cry! Next week I plan to pack up ahead of time and maybe take them out, somewhere with A/C!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Back To School
This week my wife goes back to school both as a teacher and a student. Its going to be a busy year for her. Aside from teaching, coaching, and being her school's Athletic Director, she is going to be starting her Masters Program and will have class once a week in the evening. Add that to the job of "Mommy" and you have one heavy plate!
We have had all summer together with our babies and for this we are thankful, but with the end of summer comes the beginning of a new routine. Now that my wife will be gone during the day my mom will step in and help out full time.
I'm going to miss having our little family all together all day long, but I'm happy we have made it this far. Closing this chapter means letting go of the toughest first months of our parenting lives...and although I never really will, I'm happy to try. I remember sitting in between the boys incubators praying to fast forward to where we are today. All I wanted was to bring my babies home, for them to be happy and healthy and for the four of us to start our lives together and finally, FINALLY we are here.
Since it will be a few more months before I have to go back to work, I am going to cherish every second I get to be a stay at home mom. The boys are finally at the stage where I can handle them on my own, for the most part, but there are still times when a second pair of hands comes in ..."handy". I've mastered nursing the big guy while bottle feeding the little one, and as long as we keep moving, all is good. The evenings when my wife isn't here will be the hardest, but I will figure it out. As the boys get older it should get easier.
In preparation of flying solo, I spent a few hours at the spa today "re-energizing" and came home sleepier than I've been in months! I got a massage, facial and a foot treatment but most importantly I got a NAP! You would think I would be ready to go! So not the case! Hopefully I snap out of it by tomorrow.
The boys were good while I was gone, the big guy got his breastmilk in a bottle (which he hasn't had in over 3 weeks) and although hesitant, took it without a fuss. My mom was here helping out with the little guy and even made us some chicken wraps for dinner. We skipped bath time because I just couldn't get to bed fast enough and the boys fell asleep by 8:30pm. All in all, a great day!
We have had all summer together with our babies and for this we are thankful, but with the end of summer comes the beginning of a new routine. Now that my wife will be gone during the day my mom will step in and help out full time.
I'm going to miss having our little family all together all day long, but I'm happy we have made it this far. Closing this chapter means letting go of the toughest first months of our parenting lives...and although I never really will, I'm happy to try. I remember sitting in between the boys incubators praying to fast forward to where we are today. All I wanted was to bring my babies home, for them to be happy and healthy and for the four of us to start our lives together and finally, FINALLY we are here.
Since it will be a few more months before I have to go back to work, I am going to cherish every second I get to be a stay at home mom. The boys are finally at the stage where I can handle them on my own, for the most part, but there are still times when a second pair of hands comes in ..."handy". I've mastered nursing the big guy while bottle feeding the little one, and as long as we keep moving, all is good. The evenings when my wife isn't here will be the hardest, but I will figure it out. As the boys get older it should get easier.
In preparation of flying solo, I spent a few hours at the spa today "re-energizing" and came home sleepier than I've been in months! I got a massage, facial and a foot treatment but most importantly I got a NAP! You would think I would be ready to go! So not the case! Hopefully I snap out of it by tomorrow.
The boys were good while I was gone, the big guy got his breastmilk in a bottle (which he hasn't had in over 3 weeks) and although hesitant, took it without a fuss. My mom was here helping out with the little guy and even made us some chicken wraps for dinner. We skipped bath time because I just couldn't get to bed fast enough and the boys fell asleep by 8:30pm. All in all, a great day!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A Day in the Life...
The Big Guy getting ready for football season:
Changing:
The Twins getting ready for bed:
Hanging out:
I think I'm going to have to come up with new nicknames because the little guy isn't so little anymore and has caught up to his brother. I think he is even chubbier now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
