Some (Belated) Thoughts on Mother's Day

This past Sunday, I got to celebrate my first Mother's Day. I have to admit it was pretty exciting to have a day that recognizes and celebrates this new role in my life. Jeremy was very good to me, and bought me the camera I have been wanting. I got a very nice new camera for Christmas, but it is pretty bulky and hard to carry around. I decided I will keep it at home and for special occasions. I got a Sony Cybershot, which I'm liking so far. It is a perfect size to stick in my purse or diaper bag to shoot these girls on the go. The gift was nice, but the best part was knowing that Jeremy appreciates me as the mother of his children. Life has changed so drastically for all of us since April 2, but it helps to know there's someone on my side who truly understands.
Besides being so thankful for my beautiful girls, who gave me a reason to celebrate this first Mother's Day, I am more appreciative than ever for my own fabulous mother. Mom has been amazing, not only in the help she's given since the girls arrived, but throughout our whole lives. She has always been willing to do whatever she can for Laura and me, without hesitation or question. I honestly could not have survived these past six weeks without my mom. I could not even begin to list all the reasons I'm thankful for my sweet mother, so I'll just say again that she is absolutely amazing, and the girls are so lucky to have such a wonderful "Jen-Jen." I hope I can be half the mom she is.
Moving on to the girls...Addison and Mackenzie are six weeks old today. I knew time would go by quickly, but it really is hard to believe just how quickly it does go! Things are getting a little easier (as we adjust ourselves to the girls' needs), and we are settling in to a routine that works for us. Jeremy went back to work this past week, which threw a wrench in the routine a little, but we're making it. I am having to learn to manage the evening routine on my own, since Jeremy works from 3pm-1am. I haven't had too many nights entirely on my own so far (thanks again to my mom and my sister!), but enough to know it can be done.
They say with multiples, schedule and routine are key, and I absolutely believe that is true. Here's a glance at our daily life these days:

5-6 am: wake-up time. The first feeding of the morning starts somewhere in here.
6-9 am: rest time. We usually head to the living room (where we spend most of the day). I hope the girls will sleep a little more, so I can as well!
9-10 am: Feed again (I can usually keep them calm enough to feed one at a time...the whole process takes an hour)
10am-1pm: Playtime, lunch for mama (maybe!), naptime
1-2 pm: Feeding time
2-4 pm: Playtime, naptime
4-5 pm: Feeding time
5-7 pm: Playtime, naptime (usually mostly naptime around this time)
7-8pm: Feeding time
8-9:30: Playtime, bathtime
9:30-10:30: Feeding, bedtime story, bed

I try to have them in bed between 10 and 10:30, although most of the other times on the schedule are estimates. Especially in the morning, I will let them sleep longer if they will. We are still pretty close to a 3-hour feeding schedule during the day though. After going to bed at 10:00, they will then sleep until sometime around 1:00 am, which works because Jeremy gets home in time to do that feeding so I can sleep until 5:00. I hope this doesn't jinx it, but our nighttime sleep situation is going much better over the past couple of weeks. The girls are sleeping in their crib in Boppies...it seems like they think they are being held when they are in the Boppies, and we will do whatever works! : )
I fully intended to add some pictures to this post, but it just doesn't seem like it's going to happen today. Both girls are finally asleep, so I'm heading to bed myself. The oft-quoted lesson is true...sleep when they sleep! It might very well be the only chance you get for quite some time.

Four Weeks

Four weeks ago today....

And now....

We've come a long way, baby!

We're still learning as we go, but it gets better all the time.

Some Things We've Learned So Far

Addison and Mackenzie are now two weeks and five days old, and we have been home for two weeks and two days. It's been an interesting journey so far, and thank goodness it gets a little better most days. Some days we do feel like we are starting all over on day one again, but other times we think we might be getting the hang of this stuff.

The past two weeks have taught us many, many things we never even dreamed we'd have to know. Here's a sampling of some of the more interesting lessons we have learned since bringing these two little bundles of joy into the world:

• It's not only little boys who pee on you when getting their diapers changed! Addison seems to particularly enjoy surprising us when her diaper is off for too long...I'm getting really fast at changing diapers in the middle of the night.
• Preemie clothes are meant for very short babies. At barely 5 lbs. each, Mackenzie and Addison are swallowed by newborn clothes, but most of their preemie-sized footed sleepers are too short already. Both girls are right at 18 inches now, so still a little on the short side (where they will probably stay, considering their parents' height!).
• Although it's still a little unpleasant at times (such as the 2 am feeding), Jeremy and I have discovered that we are indeed capable of feeding bottles to two tiny babies at the same time. We have now spent a couple of nights on our own, and that is the only way to work it so that either of us gets a minimal amount of sleep. We are on a three-hour feeding schedule until further notice, so feeding one infant at a time takes up entirely too much of the precious time between feedings (needed much more for washing a load of clothes, sterilizing bottles, or even- gasp!- catching a nap). When feeding both girls by myself, I find it works best to arrange them in their Boppies on the floor, then sit down between them and get a bottle in each mouth as quickly as possible.
• I've also learned that when feeding both babies by myself, it's okay if one has to scream bloody murder for just a couple of minutes while I change the other and get her settled. There is just no way one person can keep them both completely happy at all times. The screaming one is just hungry, and the screaming will stop as soon as she clamps down on her bottle. Similarly, it's perfectly fine if their clothes have to be changed after each of these tandem feedings because they have let a third of their bottles run down their chins. It's just one more load of laundry for the morning.
• I will indeed wash a load of clothes at 3 am, because my children LOVE noise, particularly music and the washer and dryer. If they need me to do extra housework to help them sleep, so be it.
• I'm learning to forgive myself for not breastfeeding as long as I could have. I did nurse both girls for several days, but it was just entirely too much for me to handle for the long term. I know many people exclusively breastfeed their twins for many months, and I have even more respect for them after having experienced it myself. I just couldn't deal with the 45-minute nursing sessions, and even the 20-minute pumping sessions took up too much of the aforementioned precious time on the three-hour schedule. I have had a lot of guilt over quitting, but as I said, I'm learning to let it go. I am a much less stressed mom this way, and in the end, that's better for us all.
• Contrary to our previously held beliefs, there is absolutely NO WAY we could have survived these two weeks without my mom. We hadn't planned for her to come and stay, but the day we came home from the hospital, we knew she was staying if we had to hide her car keys to make it happen! She has been amazing, as have the many others who have brought us meals, cleaned my house, and taken a turn washing bottles. We truly had no idea how hard this was going to be, but thanks to excellent help, we have survived.

In other news, our "itty-bittys" as we call them, are growing slowly but surely. We went to the pediatrician last Wednesday, and Addison weighed in at 5 lbs., 2 oz.-just two ounces away from her birthweight. Mackenzie weighed in at an impressive 5 lbs., 5 oz.-already surpassing her birthweight! Both girls are in the 1st and 2nd percentile for weight and height, making their appearance on the growth charts for the first time. It was kind of funny...the computer at the pediatrician's office still won't plot their growth on a graph because technically, they still aren't supposed to be born! It's odd too think that if I were still pregnant, I would just now be almost 38 weeks. I am so thankful that my girls are here safe and healthy, in my arms instead of in my belly!

Before I go (they are anxiously awaiting their first Gilmore Girls lesson this morning!)...a few pictures of the superstars...

Addison's first bath...they both love it!

Mackenzie in the bath

Addison enjoying some tummy time on her Boppy

Wide-awake Mackenzie

And, because I still can't quite believe it myself...this is me in pre-pregnancy jeans! (I'm holding Addison, I think.)

Proudly Presenting...

Mackenzie Ross

Born April 2, 2009

2:48 pm

5 lbs., 0 oz.

16 1/2 inches long

Mary Addison

Born April 2, 2009

2:47 pm

5 lbs., 4 oz.

18 inches long

I am so incredibly proud of these sweet girls! Born at 35 weeks and 1 day, they amazingly needed only two hours in NICU for monitoring, and have exceeded all the expectations that were set for them.

The birth story... Per the previous post, I was admitted to the hospital on Monday, March 30, with mild pre-eclampsia. The first three days were pretty restful, just a little long and boring. Wednesday night, things got interesting. My blood pressure suddenly went up pretty high, and an IV was started to give me some medicine to bring it down. The on-call doctor from my practice said to monitor my BP through the night and not to let me eat or drink anything overnight in case we had to have an early-morning c-section. It was kind of a stressful night, to say the least. The BP monitor stayed on my arm, taking a reading every 10 minutes for several hours (pretty much impossible to sleep through!). Jeremy was working, so my mom came and stayed the night with me.

Thursday morning, my doctor spoke with the nurses about the BP situation, which had improved since the medicine in the IV. She initially indicated she did not think delivery would be necessary, so I wolfed down a few grapes and was getting ready to order some breakfast (side note: breakfast is definitely the best meal at the Women's & Children's hospital! I had a cheese omelet and fresh fruit every morning I was there.) Mom and I made all the phone calls to inform everyone that it didn't look like we would be getting babies just yet. Just a little while later, my doctor came in on her morning rounds. She explained that she wasn't too worried about the BP situation, and she thought we should just continue to monitor it for a few more days. Then she checked the readings from the monitoring session the night before (where one monitor is attached to each baby's hearbeat and one more to measure my contractions). I had been contracting pretty regularly on the monitor, but nothing painful so we hadn't thought much about it. She decided to go ahead and examine me, and I was over 50% effaced and dilated 2 cm! I could tell by her expression that things were about to change. She initially suggested delivering the next day, then thought for a minute and said, "Actually, how about this afternoon?" Talk about a roller-coaster of emotions... : ) (oh, and I never did get any breakfast besides the few grapes I had managed to shovel in!)

Mom and I got back on the phones to let everyone know there had been another change in plans, that it was indeed "baby day." Jeremy had gone home after getting off at 1 am, promising to keep the phone close by. He is a very heavy sleeper, and about the only thing that wakes him up is his cell phone. Guess who had fallen asleep in the recliner and left his cell phone in the bedroom?? It took almost an hour of calling repeatedly, but he finally woke up and heard that it was the day he would become a dad. It was a very surreal day for both of us, I think.

The morning passed pretty quickly after that, and at 2:30 pm we headed off to the OR. Just a few short minutes later, we were parents! I cried when I heard the cat-like cries coming from my babies, feeling such relief that they were born making such big sounds. After a quick look and some kisses on the head, Jeremy and the doctor took them up to NICU to get cleaned up and monitored. My surgery was blessedly uncomplicated, and within an hour and a half I was back in my room. The babies were brought to us less than thirty minutes later, looking very tiny, but absolutely perfect.

I can't begin to express how grateful we are for these two little miracles. After a pregnancy filled with so many potential complications, and despite their having been born at only 35 weeks, we have been incredibly blessed with perfect, healthy babies. Many, many prayers of thanksgiving have passed our lips in the last two weeks (along with several prayers for sanity and sleep, but that's another story!!). We sincerely thank everyone who has prayed with us and for us during the last several months...these are truly children of God, just on loan to us for awhile, and we are so happy He chose us to be their parents! Parenting newborn twins is without a doubt THE hardest thing I have ever done, but it also already the most rewarding. We look forward to all that is to come.

My New (Temporary) Home

Well, the girls and I stuck it out as long as we could, but I'm writing today from the antepartum unit of Huntsville Hospital. This lovely little room will be my home until the girls make their appearance...or until they decide to move me to a different room, which I hear happens a lot.

My appointment last Monday was just fine; everything was normal, as it has been for awhile. Thursday, the monitoring was fine and the girls' heartrates were just as they should be and I was having no major contractions. My blood pressure, however, had jumped up and there were trace amounts of protein in my urine...signals of possible preeclampsia. I had some more tests done on Thursday and Friday, and when I got to my appointment yesterday, I got the news that I would be admitted to the hospital until it's time to deliver.

Basically, I'm here so my blood pressure and bloodwork can be monitored closely, since preeclampsia can escalate quickly. If that should happen, the only treatment is to deliver the babies. So the new plan is that I will lay around here for about a week and a half, and if nothing happens, Addison and Mackenzie's expected birthday is now April 8 (when I will be 36 weeks exactly). For now, I'm hanging out in the bed most of the time, catching up on some reading and watching lots of tv!

Still Here

I am still here, and no, we don't have babies yet! At Monday's appointment, I was still contracting pretty much the whole time. We had an ultrasound done, and the fluid looks good on both babies. They are weighing in at 4lbs. 6oz. and 4lbs. 8oz.!! Almost 9lbs of babies in there... no wonder my belly is feeling heavy.
At Thursdays appointment, I was having fewer contractions. The doctor said we will just have to see how long I stay pregnant! Comforting, right? Every few days they stay in there makes a huge difference, so I'm setting goals a few days at a time. The 10th is three weeks from yesterday, so right now we just hope to get through this week. Then we will move on to next week. The rest of our furniture came in this weeks, so we (Jeremy, actually) will be assembling it today. The replacement crib legs for one crib are still backordered, so it looks like there will be only one crib set up for the time being. That's okay, since I was planning on letting them share at first anyway. I will be glad to have the rest of the furniture up...one less thing to worry about.
As of yesterday at 4:30, I am officially on maternity leave. I had planned to work at least another week, but with all the action over the past couple of weeks, the doctor and I decided it was time. I have lots to keep me busy, but I tend to get lazy when I stay at home too long so I will really have to work to make myself focus on getting things accomplished. There will be plenty of resting involved too, I'm sure! Everything is starting to happen so fast all of a sudden...but we're coping! : )

Four More Weeks!

Wow...that sounds so close. At this point, I'm just hoping and praying we make it the next four weeks! At my NST yesterday, we discovered I was having contractions. I didn't feel anything, not even the Braxton-Hicks type I've been feeling every once in awhile! The girls did great for yesterday's testing, showing off their great movements and heart rates very quickly. It was pretty scary to hear the doctor say I was contracting, but she checked my cervix and decided I didn't need to go to the hospital at the moment. I started taking procardia, to hopefully stop the contractions, since they may have been triggered by the steroid shots earlier this week. It's just a little scary to know I was having contractions without even knowing it. I've been paying very close attention to my body since yesterday morning...trying not to worry, but of course that's much easier said than done. I can really tell the babies have dropped in the last week or so, and tonight I can feel a head (or other body part?) pressing on my left hip bone when I sit a certain way. It's still so strange to think there are two little beings in there, who are now fully formed and could theoretically be in my arms at almost any time (though hopefully not before April 10!). Isn't life amazing?
I am now under orders to begin "living a life of leisure" for the next couple of weeks, and to hang out on the couch a little more than usual. No more full days of work for me, though I plan to work a little next week to get things in order. It's strange to think of someone else having to cover my work for the next couple of months, and I want to tie everything up as neatly as possible for them. I have several projects to work on, but I'm so restless it's hard to focus on anything for more than a few minutes at a time. It's like my mind is going at three times the speed of my body lately (in case you can't tell by the disjointed tone of this post). I'm not sleeping well, and let me just tell you, nighttime tv pretty much stinks! I have seen more episodes of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" in the last week than I have seen in probably two years. It's all about my body's preparation for newborns, right? In just FOUR WEEKS I will be quite busy in the middle of the night, with little time to sit and stare at the tv!