We survived the first month!
The boys hit their one-month birthday on March 23. I can't believe it's been a month! Nor can I believe I survived it. Looking back to week 1 and 2 I honestly thought I'd have a mental breakdown before now. I can't believe how far we've come in these weeks.
It's still challenging and exhausting, but now that we have more a routine, we can really enjoy the boys and even get out of the house (rarely, but it happens). This week began regular meal deliveries from my wonderful friends. Cyndi arranged this food tree so now every Monday and Thursday through mid-May, we'll have friends drop by with dinner. This is immensely helpful considering that cooking and eating seem to be a low priority for us. Thank goodness for my friends or we'd be eating delivery every night!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
More Milestones
Activities that were so easy before are major milestones now with twins!
Mark and I managed to get out one evening with the boys to watch some basketball. It's amazing how hard it is to get out of the house. First you have to time the outing perfectly with eating and diaper schedules, then you need to pack up the back pack, and then finally... pack up the car. Whew! All for a couple hour dinner. But, it felt great to get out and see the outside world.
Then, we really went nuts.
Mark and I decided to walk down to our local bagel shop for lunch with the double stroller and Clementine in tow. Turned out to be a cinch... no problems at all and we were able to enjoy a beautiful day and nice walk.
Mark and I managed to get out one evening with the boys to watch some basketball. It's amazing how hard it is to get out of the house. First you have to time the outing perfectly with eating and diaper schedules, then you need to pack up the back pack, and then finally... pack up the car. Whew! All for a couple hour dinner. But, it felt great to get out and see the outside world.
Then, we really went nuts.Mark and I decided to walk down to our local bagel shop for lunch with the double stroller and Clementine in tow. Turned out to be a cinch... no problems at all and we were able to enjoy a beautiful day and nice walk.
March Madness!
For the first time in my life, I can (theoretically) watch every March Madness basketball game. Maternity leave rocks!
However...
Even though the TV is on, the volume is up, and my bracket is printed out, by no means am I actually able to watch the tourney. Sadly, I haven't yet figured out how to get nap time to match with the game schedule. Actually, I haven't even figured out how nap time works period.
Lucky for me, UCLA fell asleep during their 2nd round match up against Villanova. At least they had the courtesy to get knocked out of the tourney early so I could spend more time with the boys and less time with the TV.
However...
Even though the TV is on, the volume is up, and my bracket is printed out, by no means am I actually able to watch the tourney. Sadly, I haven't yet figured out how to get nap time to match with the game schedule. Actually, I haven't even figured out how nap time works period.
Lucky for me, UCLA fell asleep during their 2nd round match up against Villanova. At least they had the courtesy to get knocked out of the tourney early so I could spend more time with the boys and less time with the TV.
Friday, March 20, 2009
It had to happen at some point
After 3 1/2 weeks as parents, we are on our own. It had to happen at some point. I guess it was a little bit unrealistic to think that I'd make it through my whole maternity leave with help, eh?
We had a fantastic week with Mom Mom Cindy here to help. She really jumped in and rolled up her sleeves. Besides doing laundry, bottle cleaning and every feeding, Cindy volunteered for the dreaded night shift for almost every night of her stay! Glutton for punishment? We just hope she didn't get too over worked and will want to come back.
We had some big accomplishments while Cindy was visiting. We managed to get out of the house for the kid's first outing to Pearl Street. And, we managed to get the kids in the stroller for a walk with Clementine around the neighborhood lake. Minor feats, but major to me for my sanity.
Today is the official first day of me handling the night shift and full day by myself. And... it looks like I'm going to survive (I hope I didn't just jinx myself). The boys have been fairly cooperative. A little fussy here and there, but no total melt downs. The down side is that I spent all day in my pjs, no shower, and no teeth brushing. But, the kids have clean diapers, aren't crying and are well fed. The sacrifices we parents make :-)
We had a fantastic week with Mom Mom Cindy here to help. She really jumped in and rolled up her sleeves. Besides doing laundry, bottle cleaning and every feeding, Cindy volunteered for the dreaded night shift for almost every night of her stay! Glutton for punishment? We just hope she didn't get too over worked and will want to come back.
We had some big accomplishments while Cindy was visiting. We managed to get out of the house for the kid's first outing to Pearl Street. And, we managed to get the kids in the stroller for a walk with Clementine around the neighborhood lake. Minor feats, but major to me for my sanity.
Today is the official first day of me handling the night shift and full day by myself. And... it looks like I'm going to survive (I hope I didn't just jinx myself). The boys have been fairly cooperative. A little fussy here and there, but no total melt downs. The down side is that I spent all day in my pjs, no shower, and no teeth brushing. But, the kids have clean diapers, aren't crying and are well fed. The sacrifices we parents make :-)
Monday, March 16, 2009
Week 1 & 2 photos
Finally, I managed to come up for air to post photos from week 1 & 2. I'm hoping to get better about posting photos so don't give up on me yet! To see the latest, click here.
It's been a tough couple of weeks, but we are definitely getting the hang of it. Here's what the schedule looks like:
3:00am - first feeding
Right now Mom Mom Cindy is visiting so she meets either me or Mark in the babies room at 3:00 and we feed together for an hour or so. Mark and I have also taken turns doing it solo - not fun at 3:00am!
7:00am - second feeding
Mom Mom Cindy meets one of us back in the baby room for this next feeding. You would think that the 3:00am would be the worst, but I find that the 7:00am feeding is the hardest. I guess that's when the lack of sleep really catches up with you. After this feeding, we move the boys downstairs for the rest of the day. We have 'activity time' for an hour if we can which consists of tummy time on a mat, the swing, bouncy chair or just being held. Once they get drowsy, we move them to our office which is set up with a pack-n-play for naps.
11:00am - third feeding
Ditto from 7:00am. If they are due for baths, we would do it after this feeding most likely
3:00pm - fourth feeding
Ditto... starts to feel like GroundHog day at this point. I might get in a nap after this feeding if I'm lucky
7:00pm - fifth feeding
Mark gets home from work and helps with this feeding. The extra set of hands makes a HUGE difference. We'll try to get food down our throats before this feeding, but inevitably, we eat once the kids go down (around 8:30)
11:00pm - six feeding
Final feeding for the day. After this feeding, we move the boys back upstairs for the night so they can sleep in their cribs and nursery. We make a couple trips to move boys, blankets, clothes, bottles, etc.
And then it all starts again...
It's been a tough couple of weeks, but we are definitely getting the hang of it. Here's what the schedule looks like:
3:00am - first feeding
Right now Mom Mom Cindy is visiting so she meets either me or Mark in the babies room at 3:00 and we feed together for an hour or so. Mark and I have also taken turns doing it solo - not fun at 3:00am!
7:00am - second feeding
Mom Mom Cindy meets one of us back in the baby room for this next feeding. You would think that the 3:00am would be the worst, but I find that the 7:00am feeding is the hardest. I guess that's when the lack of sleep really catches up with you. After this feeding, we move the boys downstairs for the rest of the day. We have 'activity time' for an hour if we can which consists of tummy time on a mat, the swing, bouncy chair or just being held. Once they get drowsy, we move them to our office which is set up with a pack-n-play for naps.
11:00am - third feeding
Ditto from 7:00am. If they are due for baths, we would do it after this feeding most likely
3:00pm - fourth feeding
Ditto... starts to feel like GroundHog day at this point. I might get in a nap after this feeding if I'm lucky
7:00pm - fifth feeding
Mark gets home from work and helps with this feeding. The extra set of hands makes a HUGE difference. We'll try to get food down our throats before this feeding, but inevitably, we eat once the kids go down (around 8:30)
11:00pm - six feeding
Final feeding for the day. After this feeding, we move the boys back upstairs for the night so they can sleep in their cribs and nursery. We make a couple trips to move boys, blankets, clothes, bottles, etc.
And then it all starts again...
Thursday, March 12, 2009
2 week appointment
Today the boys went to their 2 week check-up and they both got an 'A'
We are thrilled that both boys' weight is improving. Nathan is doing fantastic... he was 4.5 oz at his 1 week appointment and hit 5 lbs at his appointment today! And, Jeremy improved as well... He was 6.10 oz at his 1 week appointment and manage to hit 7.5 oz today. Yippee!!!
Overall the doctor was pleased with both boys and thought they were looking great. Next appointment will be their 2 month check-up and first vaccinations.
We are thrilled that both boys' weight is improving. Nathan is doing fantastic... he was 4.5 oz at his 1 week appointment and hit 5 lbs at his appointment today! And, Jeremy improved as well... He was 6.10 oz at his 1 week appointment and manage to hit 7.5 oz today. Yippee!!!
Overall the doctor was pleased with both boys and thought they were looking great. Next appointment will be their 2 month check-up and first vaccinations.
Go Jeremy!
We need to document this. Jeremy rolled over at his 1 week pediatrician appointment... twice! What a super star. Now we really have to keep an eye on him!
First Baths!
Now that the umbilical cords have fallen off, we got the okay to give the boys their first bath.
Nathan was the first victim and he did great! No tears, no fussing... and a clean baby!
Next up... Jeremy. He didn't quite like the bath as much as his brother. He wailed through the whole bath. Poor baby!
Nathan was the first victim and he did great! No tears, no fussing... and a clean baby!
Next up... Jeremy. He didn't quite like the bath as much as his brother. He wailed through the whole bath. Poor baby!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Week 1
Now that I'm getting the hang of this motherhood thing, I'm going to get this blog up-to-date on what's been going on with the boys since we've been home.
Week 1 was tough... I mean TOUGH! I had prepared myself (or
so I thought) that parenting twins wouldn't be easy, but I would have never thought it would be this hard. What an adjustment. Between the lack of sleep and the emotional melt downs I was having constantly it seemed that I'd never be able to handle my new life. Fortunately, my parents were here for lots of extra help and the boys were fairly cooperative.
We were feeding every 3 hours when we first came home. Nathan was only able to bottle feed which in hindsight was great since anyone could chime in and feed him while I worked to breast feed and supplement Jeremy. It seemed like things were going pretty well, but Jeremy kept getting m
ore and more frustrated with breast feeding. It turned out that he wasn't getting the nourishment that he needed from me and ended up with Jaundice again. So heartbreaking! We ended up having Bily lights delivered to our house to reverse the Jaundice. We had to wrap Jeremy in a 'Bily blanket' while he was sleeping (see photo). Fortunately, after 2 days, we cured the Jaundice and had moved to bottle feeding exclusively to make sure he was well hydrated and fed.
Once we nailed the Jaundice, things seemed to get a lot easier. Both boys were moved to a 4 hour feeding schedule. I bought myself an hour! You wouldn't believe what a difference an hour makes. Suddenly I felt like I actually could accomplish something between feedings... nap, email, walks... I could see the light!
And, I decided that breast feeding was too risky for Jeremy and decided to exclusively bottle feed. This was a huge decision for me, but ultimately best for everyone's sanity. Jeremy was very upset everytime he tried to breast feed which was killing me! It's heartbreaking to have your child wail everytime he tries to feed from you. So, instead we moved to formula and I decided to pump as much as possible to still be able to provide both boys breast milk.
By the end of week 1, we developed a pretty good system for feedings. The boys ate at 11:00, 3:00 and 7:00 around the clock which isn't too bad. The 3:00 am feeding is the only real tough shift, but we took turns and muscle through it. The hard part is waking up, but once you see the boys, you just smile and get to work :-)
Week 1 was tough... I mean TOUGH! I had prepared myself (or
so I thought) that parenting twins wouldn't be easy, but I would have never thought it would be this hard. What an adjustment. Between the lack of sleep and the emotional melt downs I was having constantly it seemed that I'd never be able to handle my new life. Fortunately, my parents were here for lots of extra help and the boys were fairly cooperative.
We were feeding every 3 hours when we first came home. Nathan was only able to bottle feed which in hindsight was great since anyone could chime in and feed him while I worked to breast feed and supplement Jeremy. It seemed like things were going pretty well, but Jeremy kept getting m
ore and more frustrated with breast feeding. It turned out that he wasn't getting the nourishment that he needed from me and ended up with Jaundice again. So heartbreaking! We ended up having Bily lights delivered to our house to reverse the Jaundice. We had to wrap Jeremy in a 'Bily blanket' while he was sleeping (see photo). Fortunately, after 2 days, we cured the Jaundice and had moved to bottle feeding exclusively to make sure he was well hydrated and fed.Once we nailed the Jaundice, things seemed to get a lot easier. Both boys were moved to a 4 hour feeding schedule. I bought myself an hour! You wouldn't believe what a difference an hour makes. Suddenly I felt like I actually could accomplish something between feedings... nap, email, walks... I could see the light!
And, I decided that breast feeding was too risky for Jeremy and decided to exclusively bottle feed. This was a huge decision for me, but ultimately best for everyone's sanity. Jeremy was very upset everytime he tried to breast feed which was killing me! It's heartbreaking to have your child wail everytime he tries to feed from you. So, instead we moved to formula and I decided to pump as much as possible to still be able to provide both boys breast milk.
By the end of week 1, we developed a pretty good system for feedings. The boys ate at 11:00, 3:00 and 7:00 around the clock which isn't too bad. The 3:00 am feeding is the only real tough shift, but we took turns and muscle through it. The hard part is waking up, but once you see the boys, you just smile and get to work :-)
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Welcome Jeremy and Nathan
The long wait and anticipation has finally ended and our beautiful boys, Jeremy & Nathan are here! My pod no longer has 2 peas so the name of my blog has changed. I will do my best to post stories and photos about the new members of our family. However, as you can imagine, finding the time for posts might be a bit challenging. Let's catch up...
The birth story
February 23rd was not only the date of my intended induction, but clearly the day that the boys decided they wanted to enter this world as well. I ended up going into labor at home at 4:00am; a mere 4 hours before my induction. I woke up to a strange cramp that turned out to be a contraction which then lead to my water breaking. I woke up Mark and told him it was 'time' and then for some reason was inspired to take a shower. I think in my head I wouldn't be able to shower again for quite a long time so it was best to get one in right then. Mark and I started timing contractions with his new downloaded app for his iphone (very handy!). The contractions were about 4 minutes apart so we called the doc... she told us to make our way to the hospital. We ate a quick breakfast and headed off.
We arrived at the hospital and checked into labor and delivery. My favorite nurse was assigned to me so I knew we were in good hands. I changed into my hospital gown and got hooked up to fetal monitors within minutes. It didn't take long for the nurse to give me warning that she didn't like what she was seeing with Baby B (Nathan) and how he was responding to contractions. She said that a c-section would probably be likely. This news was a little scary considering that Baby B was potentially in jeopardy. We then waited for the doctor to arrive for her opinion.
In that amount of time, I labored to about 6cm and decided that I had experience enough of labor pains... bring on the epidural! I was very proud of myself that I was able to make it as long as I did without pain relief. However, I was in awe of how quick and effective the epidural was. Within about 15 minutes, I felt nothing. A miracle!
About 20 minutes after the epidural, the doctor came in to notify us that a c-section was in fact necessary. That's when things started moving incredibly fast. Suddenly I was being whisked away to the operating room. Barely enough time for Mark to call my parents to get them to the hospital. The anesthesiologist came back to turn up the power on my epidural. Within minutes I was numb from the chest to my toes. Mark changed into scrubs and before we knew it I was being wheeled down the hall to the operating room. The good news is that on my way, we passed my parents who were in the hall and had just arrived.
The surgery was completely painless and quite bizarre! All I could do was look at Mark since all the action was blocked by a curtain at my neck so we couldn't see anything too scary. The weirdest part was that I couldn't feel anything and literally didn't even know if they started surgery. All of a sudden, I heard a baby cry and I thought 'Oh... someone just had a baby!' Turns out that it was actually Jeremy! And 2 minutes later, I heard Nathan. What an experience!
Both babies were brought to me so I could meet them and announce their names for the first time. They were both perfectly pink and shockingly different looking. I was stunned that we ended up with a brunette and a blond, but how fantastic!
Jeremy Daniel was born at 9:51 am, 7.1 lbs and 19 inches
Nathan Louis was born at 9:53 am, 4.4 lbs and 19 inches
Both babies brought their own surprises. For Jeremy it appeared that the month of bedrest might have in fact benefited him more than his brother. He went from 5.11 lbs to 7.1 lbs in just a month!
Nathan was his own miracle. After analyzing the placenta, it was determined that Nathan's umbilical cord wasn't actually connected to the placenta. He was actually getting his nutrients through the membranes in the uterus which explains his challenged size throughout the pregnancy. The doctor and nurses were in awe that he did so well considering his compromised situation. Even more surprising, he was born very healthy with no apparent problems except his size.
We were moved to post op for documentation and recovery which is where I got to finally see my babies, Mark and my parents. Eventually we were moved to our room which we were to live in for the next 4 nights. Since Nathan required extra care, we were moved to a 'suite'. Jeremy and I were in a regular room with a queen size bed and bassinet, but connected to my room was another room where Nathan was cared for by his own nurse. Such a great set up! I was able to see Nathan from my bed and once I could walk, I could spend time at his bedside. The first couple days, Nathan was hooked up to an IV so he could get his sugars up and he was also connected to a heart monitor just to keep an eye on him. After a couple days it was determined that he could get off the IV and switch to bottle feeding (he was far too small to handle breast feeding)
Jeremy did fantastic at learning how to breast feed and even got to sleep in bed with me a couple nights since he was a bit fussy.
I found my recovery to be pretty easy from the c-section, but it might have seemed easy since I was so distracted from a terrible rash I developed a few days before by delivery. This rash is called PUPPPs and it common in mothers that have gained excessive weight, are pregnant with twins or pregnant with boys for some reason. My body was covered with a rash and welts that were ridiculously itchy. I was miserable! I guess it took my mind off the surgery recovery though.
At the end of day 2, it was determined that both babies had jaundice. Both kids were placed under lights for a couple days which was tough to watch, but the kids handled it really well.
As for discharge, we were told that Jeremy and I would be discharged on Friday. However, we were told that Nathan would likely need to stay a day or too more due to his size. If that was the case, we would have kept our room and been able to stay with Nathan, but Jeremy and I would no longer have a nurse assigned to us. But, Friday morning we received great news... Nathan was ready to be discharged with us! What a surprise! And how scary that we were going to be sent home... who says that we're responsible enough to handle 2 infants on our own?
So we started packing and got the kids ready for their circumcisions. My mom and I went into the room with the kids to be with them. They did great! Just a little crying when they got the numbing shot, but after that, not a peep!
We were sent home that Friday afternoon... 2 new parents scared to death and 2 beautiful babies. Let the fun begin!
The birth story
February 23rd was not only the date of my intended induction, but clearly the day that the boys decided they wanted to enter this world as well. I ended up going into labor at home at 4:00am; a mere 4 hours before my induction. I woke up to a strange cramp that turned out to be a contraction which then lead to my water breaking. I woke up Mark and told him it was 'time' and then for some reason was inspired to take a shower. I think in my head I wouldn't be able to shower again for quite a long time so it was best to get one in right then. Mark and I started timing contractions with his new downloaded app for his iphone (very handy!). The contractions were about 4 minutes apart so we called the doc... she told us to make our way to the hospital. We ate a quick breakfast and headed off.
We arrived at the hospital and checked into labor and delivery. My favorite nurse was assigned to me so I knew we were in good hands. I changed into my hospital gown and got hooked up to fetal monitors within minutes. It didn't take long for the nurse to give me warning that she didn't like what she was seeing with Baby B (Nathan) and how he was responding to contractions. She said that a c-section would probably be likely. This news was a little scary considering that Baby B was potentially in jeopardy. We then waited for the doctor to arrive for her opinion.
In that amount of time, I labored to about 6cm and decided that I had experience enough of labor pains... bring on the epidural! I was very proud of myself that I was able to make it as long as I did without pain relief. However, I was in awe of how quick and effective the epidural was. Within about 15 minutes, I felt nothing. A miracle!
About 20 minutes after the epidural, the doctor came in to notify us that a c-section was in fact necessary. That's when things started moving incredibly fast. Suddenly I was being whisked away to the operating room. Barely enough time for Mark to call my parents to get them to the hospital. The anesthesiologist came back to turn up the power on my epidural. Within minutes I was numb from the chest to my toes. Mark changed into scrubs and before we knew it I was being wheeled down the hall to the operating room. The good news is that on my way, we passed my parents who were in the hall and had just arrived.
The surgery was completely painless and quite bizarre! All I could do was look at Mark since all the action was blocked by a curtain at my neck so we couldn't see anything too scary. The weirdest part was that I couldn't feel anything and literally didn't even know if they started surgery. All of a sudden, I heard a baby cry and I thought 'Oh... someone just had a baby!' Turns out that it was actually Jeremy! And 2 minutes later, I heard Nathan. What an experience!
Both babies were brought to me so I could meet them and announce their names for the first time. They were both perfectly pink and shockingly different looking. I was stunned that we ended up with a brunette and a blond, but how fantastic!
Jeremy Daniel was born at 9:51 am, 7.1 lbs and 19 inches
Nathan Louis was born at 9:53 am, 4.4 lbs and 19 inches
Both babies brought their own surprises. For Jeremy it appeared that the month of bedrest might have in fact benefited him more than his brother. He went from 5.11 lbs to 7.1 lbs in just a month!
Nathan was his own miracle. After analyzing the placenta, it was determined that Nathan's umbilical cord wasn't actually connected to the placenta. He was actually getting his nutrients through the membranes in the uterus which explains his challenged size throughout the pregnancy. The doctor and nurses were in awe that he did so well considering his compromised situation. Even more surprising, he was born very healthy with no apparent problems except his size.
We were moved to post op for documentation and recovery which is where I got to finally see my babies, Mark and my parents. Eventually we were moved to our room which we were to live in for the next 4 nights. Since Nathan required extra care, we were moved to a 'suite'. Jeremy and I were in a regular room with a queen size bed and bassinet, but connected to my room was another room where Nathan was cared for by his own nurse. Such a great set up! I was able to see Nathan from my bed and once I could walk, I could spend time at his bedside. The first couple days, Nathan was hooked up to an IV so he could get his sugars up and he was also connected to a heart monitor just to keep an eye on him. After a couple days it was determined that he could get off the IV and switch to bottle feeding (he was far too small to handle breast feeding)
Jeremy did fantastic at learning how to breast feed and even got to sleep in bed with me a couple nights since he was a bit fussy.
I found my recovery to be pretty easy from the c-section, but it might have seemed easy since I was so distracted from a terrible rash I developed a few days before by delivery. This rash is called PUPPPs and it common in mothers that have gained excessive weight, are pregnant with twins or pregnant with boys for some reason. My body was covered with a rash and welts that were ridiculously itchy. I was miserable! I guess it took my mind off the surgery recovery though.
At the end of day 2, it was determined that both babies had jaundice. Both kids were placed under lights for a couple days which was tough to watch, but the kids handled it really well.
As for discharge, we were told that Jeremy and I would be discharged on Friday. However, we were told that Nathan would likely need to stay a day or too more due to his size. If that was the case, we would have kept our room and been able to stay with Nathan, but Jeremy and I would no longer have a nurse assigned to us. But, Friday morning we received great news... Nathan was ready to be discharged with us! What a surprise! And how scary that we were going to be sent home... who says that we're responsible enough to handle 2 infants on our own?
So we started packing and got the kids ready for their circumcisions. My mom and I went into the room with the kids to be with them. They did great! Just a little crying when they got the numbing shot, but after that, not a peep!
We were sent home that Friday afternoon... 2 new parents scared to death and 2 beautiful babies. Let the fun begin!
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