06.30.09
Ahhhh…
For those who have been praying, we have our A/C fixed!!!! 
They came yesterday around noonish. I’ve been enjoying sitting in my new recliner and watching the babies sit in their bouncy seats (or rocking them in the chair when need be).
Mornings and evenings/night seem to be the rough time with the twins. That’s when they’re the most awake. They sleep a lot from about 11-6. We really need to adjust that schedule. :/
06.29.09
Thoughts on caring for infant twins…
Random thoughts (in no particular order) after three weeks of parenting.
- There are times when it is way easier than I thought it would be… You know, when they’re sleeping.
- There are times when it’s every bit as hard as people try to warn… Like when they both just want to be held at the same time and there’s only one of you.
- Things that are cute at 3 in the afternoon aren’t nearly as cute at 3 in the morning.
- Twins go through a LOT of diapers! Thank goodness we got so many to start with!
- Twins also go through a LOT of formula. Time to go to Costco!
- It is inevitable that if one twin is asleep and the other is eating/getting attention/whatever, then the sleeping twin will wake and want the same.
- There is no comfortable position for feeding two infants at once. (at least, I have yet to find one. The quest continues.)
- Living in only one room of the house for a week makes a twin mommy very insane! (okay, this one is unique to me. Most others will never have to endure such torture.)
- Having one sided conversations all day long can become a bit tedious.
- At 3 in the morning, you can forget remembering who is who. Yes, even with boy/girl twins!
- Even when you think things are going great, there isa breaking point.
- Just when you get pretty good at anticipating their needs, they change.
- A Yaris is really not big enough for a family of four if two of them are infants.
- People seem to think it’s really funny to say they want to keep one or the other twin (after all, you’ve got two!). It’s not funny. It’s annoying.
- If people are wanting to come visit the twins, they have to speak up. The parents are not going to call you. They just don’t have that many brain cells left.
- While people may think it’s cool to carry both twins at once, all it does is send their mom into hyper-worry drive. Don’t do it. You can take turns.
- Jokes and teasing (particularly about the twins) are a lot less funny to the sleep-deprived parents than to the one joking/teasing.
- It’s amazing what one can do one-handed with another child screaming in the background.
- Using the restroom is a luxury a twin mommy (or any mommy?) can no longer afford.
- Watching a 60# dog leap over your kids (no matter how many times he misses) is downright scary!
- Sitting in the pink boppy or being wrapped in a pink blanket will not scar a boy for life! :/
- Emails, journal entries, message board posts… They all take 10x longer to write as a parent than they ever did before.
- Just when you think you can lay your head down, one of the babies will squeak.
- Babies do not pose. I don’t know how Ann Geddes does it!
- Just as you get one baby settled and think you might have a minute to go wash those bottles that have piled up throughout the day, the other will wake up wailing.
- Singing does the trick some of the time. Just enough to make you try it every time.
- This list will never end. So I’m ending it now.
06.26.09
Checking in.
Ahhh… It feels so good to be in my own house! Even if I am stuck in the bedroom because it’s the only room in the house with A/C. For whatever reason, it just feels so much nicer than carting the kids off to someone else’s house for the day.
Let’s see what I’ve accomplished today.
- Fed both kids.
- Bathed both kids.
- Showered myself and even put on makeup!
- Fed both kids (again).
- Fed myself.
- Updated Facebook (and now my blog).
Whatever will be next??? I’d thought about packing up the kids and heading to the bookstore and grocery store (they’re right next to each other, so I’d only have to park once). N doesn’t think it’s such a good idea. I’ve got it all planned out in my head! He just doesn’t want them to be among that many strangers. Which I understand. But we took them to the mall last weekend when he needed a new computer. What’s the difference? Oh, well. We’ll see how the day goes. For now, I’m content to surf the ‘net and read when they sleep.
06.24.09
Baby update!
In all the madness involving the A/C I forgot to give a baby update. They had their 2 week checkup on Monday. Kyla is now 4 oz over her birth weight (6 lbs 6 oz) and Lucas is 1 oz over his (6 lbs 14 oz). The pediatrician says that weight is the best indicator of how they’re doing, so our babies are doing great!
Lucas’s arm is healing, but it still pains him if he’s not tightly swaddled. I don’t remember if I posted about his orthopedist appointment last Thursday or not (sorry if I didn’t). The orthopedist said he’s healing just as he should and then he took off the splint he’d had on since his birthday and put him in a makeshift sling. Only problem is, that sling does not stay put well and frequently ends up around Lucas’s neck. :/ So most of the time we leave it off and just wrap him like a burrito. I was worried about doing that last night in the heat, but he was screaming and screaming until I wrapped him up, then silence. It’s amazing what a good swaddle can do (worked on Kyla this morning too!).
Today is N’s first day back at work since the twins were born. I know he’s going to be checking in frequently throughout the day. Especially since last night and this morning they were both crying manically at the same time. I had hoped to let N sleep and not need to help so he might be a bit more rested for work. The babies had other plans. Sorry N! However, this morning I dealt with the dual crying like a champ. Got one changed and settled, then the other. Now they’re both sleeping beside me. I’m sure they’ll be waking soon to eat, but I already have their bottles ready, so it shouldn’t be too bad (knock on wood).
With the A/C out, I can’t stay here in the heat of the day, so I’m trying to figure out where I will go. I can’t decide if I want to go where I’ll have help, or go where I can be alone and get the hang of taking care of them by myself. I guess we’ll see how frazzled I get between now and when I leave!
06.22.09
Home is where the heat is…
Well, we’re back home. But we’re regulated to just the bedroom. The warrantee people won’t be here to look into the A/C problem until tomorrow, but N and I just couldn’t take not sleeping in our own bed any longer (his back is killing him). So we had the brilliant idea to rent a window unit for the bedroom. We also rented one for the living room, but it’s such a large area that it really doesn’t work all that well.
At least we’ll be able to sleep in our own bed tonight. The babies are going naked for awhile, but they don’t seem to mind. We may have to leave during the heat of the day, but at least the evenings are bearable.
Ah, the adventures of home ownership…
06.20.09
Beat the heat
Ugh! For anyone who lives in Texas, you know it’s getting hot, hot, hot. Air conditioned homes and buildings are the only relief. Being a heart patient, heat can be quite taxing on me (often causing swollen fingers and ankles). However, most of the time a cool drink and time indoors will suffice…
Until the A/C breaks. Then it’s just sitting in your brand new faux leather recliners (which arrived THAT DAY) and melting into oblivion. Add in two 11 day old infants and you’ve got some major problems going on. Oh, then there’s the fact that it’s Friday afternoon and anyone who is willing to come out to look at the problem is going to charge you “overtime” fees on top of the usual rate.
In case your wondering, yes, this is exactly the state of being at our house yesterday. The A/C guy we did get to come out took one look and said it was going to require a whole new unit and coil (or something like that) and the soonest it could get done was maybe Monday. So the babies and I packed up (along with the smaller of our two dogs) and headed to my MIL’s house. Later N and Big Dog joined us. We don’t know how long we’ll be away from home, but pray it won’t be too long. No offense to MIL, but I want my own bed and to be able to actually enjoy my new recliner that I’ve been waiting for since Mother’s Day.
06.17.09
Already??
Okay, I know it’s been a long time since I took a child development class, but I’m pretty sure that 9 days old is NOT the time frame people generally expect a child to roll from her back to her front (and don’t they generally go front to back first?). Well, today Kyla did. I laid her on the couch next to Nathan while I went to grab a drink. When I came back, she was on her stomach. And she was none too happy when I turned her back over! She’s been sleeping on her side (her choice, not ours) for the last couple of nights, and I guess she just took it to the next level?
Wish I got pics of it, but I didn’t. Instead, how about this adorable pic of the brother/sister team doing an imitation of their time in the womb?
Oh, and here’s our first walk as a family (minus Chili, because she can’t keep up. N was taking the picture, so you just can’t see him).
06.13.09
Pediatrician
Today was our first appointment with the pediatrician. Apparently my fears that I am starving my children are almost correct… Kyla dropped to 5 lbs. 8 oz (a 10% loss) and Lucas dropped to 6 lbs. 5 oz (a 7% loss). And since the docs tend to start worrying with at 10% loss, they sent us over to visit with a lactation consultant.
The lactation consultant tried to get an assessment of how much they are getting from me, but neither would latch correctly. Apparently, Lucas has a tongue tie (the part that attaches his tongue to the bottom of his mouth is at the tip of his tongue), which makes it difficult for him to use is tongue correctly to get milk. While there the LC had me feed them formula using a tube and my finger. She also gave me some suggestions for improving my supply and showed me a few ways to supplement their feedings. She said they need to be eating at least 1 oz per feeding right now. Of course, I have no idea how much they get from me, but the pump doesn’t get that much, so I’m sure that is why they are losing so much weight (I know babies always lose some, but you know what I mean). She also told me I need to make sure to pump every time they eat, so I can signal to my body that it needs to make more milk. So apparently my days for awhile are going to be feed kid 1, feed kid 2, pump… feed kid 1, feed kid 2, pump… and that’s pretty much all I’ll be doing.
I have started giving them a bottle along with offering the breast, to make sure they get enough. Kyla seems to prefer my breast (I think the bottle is just to fast for her and she chokes), but Lucas is definitely preferring the bottle. I’m hoping that once we get his tongue tie taken care of (she said the ped can clip it) he will be more willing to eat from me. In the mean time, I’m trying my best to remember that at least he’s gotten (almost) exclusively breast milk, even if it isn’t directly from the “tap.”
Time to hit the sack. Two sleeping babies (for now) means we MIGHT get a bit of sleep ourselves!
06.10.09
Birth Story
Sorry to keep you hanging. We went back in Sunday night after food, naps, showers, and a walk. She was still 5-6 cm dilated.
But she had come to the point where she was done. She told the nurse to tell her OB that she wouldn’t leave until she was no longer pregnant. He said to get some rest and he’d come in the morning to break her water.
We were given our own (tiny) room and took the opportunity to get some sleep (as best we could on a hospital bed and cot (at least we have practice). Around 8:15 on Monday morning he broke her water and about 15 minutes later started her on a low dose (4) of pitocin. Contractions got a bit more frequent and a tad stronger, but still not enough… They upped the pitocin to 6 and things really picked up. I decided to go pump one last time (it was emotionally difficult watching LD go through so much for us). About 7 minutes later I get a text from Nathan to “wrap it up.” I pack up my things as fast as I can and rush back to the room. She’d gotten to 8 cm dilation and things were really picking up. Before we knew it she was saying she needed to push and the nursing staff jumped into action, wheeling her down to the OR (for “in case”).
Getting her settled into the OR felt like it took forever, but it probably only took minutes. As soon as Dr. K walked in, he got to work giving LD instructions.
Kyla Rose was born vaginally at 10:59 AM, weighing 6 lbs. 2 oz. and measuring 19.5 inches long. Through my tears I watched the nurses clean off my daughter (my daughter!).
Then I heard LD screaming. Lucas had turned breech and Dr. K was reaching in to turn him manually. Being unmedicated, LD was in a TON of pain (up until then she was very controlled). Finally, Dr. K pulled him out feet first. He didn’t start crying right away and the nurses shooed us away so the could take care of him. Just as they pulled out the O2 mask Lucas let out a great cry! He weighed 6 lbs 13 oz. and measured 20.5 inches long.
I felt torn between my daughter, my son, and LD. As I checked on her she told me to go be with my babies. I was handed Kyla and Nathan got Lucas. Just before we took them to the nursery to be weighed and such Dr. K came to take a look at Lucas and said to make sure they checked his arm because he had felt something pop.
In the nursery we each stayed with one of the twins, then switched. The nurse examining Lucas noticed that he wouldn’t move his right arm, so they contacted the orthopedist and would not let him be moved until after an xray and ortho consult.
I was torn, but Kyla needed to eat, so I went with her to our room and Nathan stayed with Lucas.
I can’t explain how wonderful it was to put Kyla to my breast and have her latch on the first try! She ate for a good 20 minutes before falling asleep.
Nathan called to say that Lucas’s blood sugar was low and they needed to give him vit. D (I think that’s right) either through a tube down his throat or a bottle. As much as I didn’t want to, I okayed the bottle. Later I got a text saying that Lucas’s right arm was broken and they were sending him to NICU until the ortho determined what to do so they could manage pain.
While I was waiting on word about Lucas I texted LD to find out how she was feeling. David texted back to say she was losing a lot of blood and they were taking her for a D&C. I immediately started praying and worrying.
In the mean time, the nursery came to take Kyla for her bath. I decided to take the opportunity to go see Lucas. Unfortunately, the NICU was at shift change and I wasn’t allowed in. So I returned to the room and waited on word from LD’s husband. Just as I was losing patience waiting for them to return Kyla to me I found out LD was back from the D&C (it may sound like it took very little time to get this news,but it felt like an eternity to me). So I went to the nursery and they were just finishing with Kyla. I asked if we could stop at LD’s room first so she could see her.
OMG, seeing LD so pale was heart wrenching. I hated knowing that we had played a part in her feeling lousy. We showed her Kyla, then left to give her some time to heal.
I was finally able to go see Lucas, so Nathan stayed with Kyla while I went to NICU. The orthopedist happened to come by while I was there (along with my SIL). He showed me the xray. Lucas’s humerus bone (the bone between the elbow and shoulder) had a complete break in the middle of it. So he decided to splint his whole arm, just to immobilize it for comfort, as baby bones heal very easily (if an older child or adult had the same break, they would need plates and pins :thud). I sat with Lucas, with my finger in his mouth for comfort, while the doctor wrapped his arm. The brave (or in shock?) boy didn’t cry at all. The only indications that he was in pain were facial expressions and he would suck harder on my finger… After he was done the doc said he saw no reason why Lucas needed to stay in NICU. Yea!!!
He was released to the nursery where they finally gave him a “bath.” While they did that, I went back to the room to try to feed Kyla again. Soon after, we had both babies together for the first time outside the womb. 
There is more to the story, of course, but for now I’m back to feeding my son (he’s doing great!). Both LD and the babies are being released today, so I’ll work on the rest at home.
06.07.09
No babies yet…
We went in to L&D last night around 9 PM. We found out that LD was 4 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and at “station 1″ (whatever that means). We expected the babies to make their appearance before the end of the night. N came up and arrived around 1 AM. However, at noon today she had only made it to 6 cm and we were given the option of giving her pitocin to speed things up, or coming home (LD’s home, not ours). We chose home. Looks like the babies just wanted to tease us. Please pray we’re back at L&D tonight and it’s the “real deal.” I know we’re all very anxious to meet Kyla and Lucas. Not to mention a tiny bit disappointed that they didn’t cooperate last night/this morning. If they don’t come tonight, we have an OB appointment tomorrow, so I’m pretty sure we’ll end up with babies tomorrow if nothing else (LD thinks he’ll push the pitocin and she might agree this time). I’d rather them come tonight, but God (and they) doesn’t always want the same things I do..
