6 months old

Wow, I really can't believe its been half a year since the little ladies decided to make their appearance ;) It has definitely been the craziest and most stressful time of my life, but we are so thankful for where we are now and how far we have come. We are settling more and more into a routine, and the girls are turning out to be pretty good sleepers since we've instituted more of a bedtime/nap routine. That makes for happier babies and happier parents :)

Crop circles around the babies..one of Norah's "creative" games ;) Also, what my living room usually looks like

We had their six month check up this week, and they have both hit the 10 pound mark! Mary finally passed up her sister and weighs 10 pounds 4 ounces, but Vivian isn't far behind at 10 pounds 3 ounces. Their heads are the exact same size and they are just a quarter off in length. They got their 6 month shots and their flu shots, and handled those pretty well. The doctor is very pleased with their progress, and says that we are doing a great job with them!

Whyyyy do you take so many pictures mom??!? Vivian left, Mary right.

We are following with the AEA early access program which helps us track the girls' development. They come out every other month just to check up. So far the girls are doing great and haven't needed any interventions. They had a follow up hearing screen a month or so ago and both passed. We also had an appointment with the developmental clinic at Blank to check how they are progressing. It is standard for all preemies to take part in the program. Overall they are doing great. The princesses were hungry and tired by the time they go to the assessment part, and so did not perform as well as they could have ;) The nurse practitioner gave us some exercises to do and encouraged more of the dreaded tummy time. Vivian does really well with it and holds her head up at 90 degrees the whole time, but Mary gets a little bit more tired and needs more support. Mary also started reaching for things this past week, but Vivian doesn't seem to be interested in that. Honestly though, I'm not sure Norah would have passed the assessment if I took her in when she was a baby...I did little to no tummy time with her and she crawled and walked perfectly fine. Babies develop at their own pace, and the girls improve every day so we're not worried.

Vivian. Not sure why she looks so terrified...

And Mary...who looks like shes gonna cry haha

They are exclusively breastfeeding still, except for bottles of breastmilk when I go to work AKA vacation every other weekend. They nurse frequently during the day, probably every 1.5-2 hours (its their favorite hobby), but go for one 6 hour stretch at night and eat and then sleep for another 5 hours so I really can't complain!! The doctor said we could try cereal/baby food but we aren't planning to start til at least 9 months actual/6 months adjusted. They are growing great on breastmilk so I figure why mess with a good thing? Plus I am wayyy to lazy to actually spoon feed ;) I'll probably wait til they have enough teeth to handle mashed steamed veggies and finger foods. I did that with Norah and it was awesome and didn't require much work at all.

So big!!! Mary left, Vivian right. I usually dress Mary in pink and Vivian in green. 

Speaking of teeth, they each have a tooth poking through!! For both of them on the bottom left. They are constantly gnawing on their fists and are drooling all over.

Booty shot! They are actually getting some rolls!

 They turn into pumpkins by 7 pm, and that last hour from 6-7 is not too fun haha. Generally they will sleep 7 pm- 1 am and then nurse and then sleep again til 5 or 6 and nurse, and then sleep again til 8 or 9. I am in heaven!!  It took a couple of rough nights and a little adjusting for all of us, but we are very happy with it now! Then they nap from 10 or 11 til 1 or 2 and are up for another 2-3 hours and then take a little 30-60 minute nap around 3-4 and then go down around 7. They need lots of sleep still...and since we have been more strict about nap/bedtimes (thanks to daddy) they have been sleeping more and better. We have them in one crib now with a little divider in the middle. I think they like being close to each other. It works great except for when one wakes up and then wakes the other one up. Twins, twins, twins. I do like to keep them on the same schedule though. Otherwise I get nothing done and have no downtime. Its taken me this long to figure out that I prefer it this way. So when one wakes to eat at night I wake the other even if they are sleeping. And they don't even fully wake, just nurse with eyes closed and then go back to sleep. A routine/schedule is a MUST with twins. I was driving myself crazy trying to go by what they wanted. And nobody likes a crazy mommy!!

They still act like 3-4 month olds instead of  6 month olds, which is completely normal since they were 3 months early. I am so ready though to be out of the immediate needs stage. Its like when they need to eat it has to be NOW, when they are tired they need a nap NOW. Playing only lasts about 15-20 minutes and then they want to be held. I'm hoping in another month or so they will be more interested in the world at large and will be more content to play with toys and sit on the floor. You can't blame them..the only things they are really good at are nursing and sleeping;) Oh, and talking...they love to talk and coo. They haven't laughed out loud yet, despite our best efforts. They are a tough crowd! No matter what you do, its just blank looks from two huge pairs of eyes. I think its probably gonna be Norah who finally gets them to belly laugh.

Mary leaning on Viv ;)

Norah is doing well too. She has been at Grammy and Gramps house this past week and is having a great time. I don't think she really wants to come home haha. She's been playing with her second cousins a lot and loving it. Grammy of course spoils her so why wouldn't she want to stay there ;) She says the funniest things these days, and I can't believe my chubby little baby is gonna be 3 in just a couple weeks!! I have missed her this week, but the break has also been very nice.

Sassy little lady

The girls also did qualify for the synagis shots, which will protect them/help them fight against RSV. Its not a vaccine, but a shot of antibodies that will lessen the severity of RSV if they get it this winter. It can be deadly for babies, especially preemies, so I'm so thankful that they qualified. The shots are really expensive, so its a process to apply and find out if insurance covers it. A home health nurse will come every month and administer the shots so we don't have to take them to the germy pediatricians office. We will be laying low this winter and avoiding crowds and mostly staying home and limiting visitors. So basically its gonna be a long winter, but that will just make the spring more exciting!! At least that's what I keep telling myself ;)

Modeling our pretty princess dresses from Grandma. Mary left, Vivian right.

Well, sorry this is so long and kind of boring, but I figured some people (probably only grandparents!) would want the full 6 month rundown ;)

This picture was taken right after bath time. They HATE baths. I mean...screaming bloody murder the instant they hit the water. I have no clue why. Norah LOVED baths...it was the only thing that made her stop screaming in the evenings.  Yet another reason they don't get bathed quite as frequently as Norah did;) #second+thirdkidprobs

Life with 3 kids under 3...just livin the dream ;)

Well, I had a feeling this would happen. I would get home and get too busy to post! I can't even remember the last time I posted. I so vaguely remember writing something about having twins not being so bad. HAHAHAHAHAH. Um yeah. The last 5 weeks or so have been kind of hellish. Good thing the little darlings are so adorable!!

The first few weeks they were home they were still so sleepy that all they did was sleep and eat. Starting about 4 weeks ago they woke up and became little divas;) They really aren't fussy babies...its just the fact that there are two of them and they generally want the same thing at the exact same time. Kyle and I spend our evenings trading them back and forth, and I take the louder one and nurse her for 20 minutes, and then we switch out because by that time the other one is screaming. And so on and so forth for 3-4 hours. Its super fun! I do tandem nurse at times, but they are so fussy at that point that I can't manage the both of them. Kyle has had a couple good quotes lately...one of them the other night around 9 pm when we were both incredibly exhausted and the girls were just ramping up for their nightly fuss fest was "It doesn't get much harder than this does it?" And the other day..."This is a nightmare." I think I just laughed, because its either that or cry lol. Of course we would never want it any other way, but gosh the days and nights are long! Our go to to calm them down is slings. Kyle wears one and I wear the other and we trade off when the one he has gets hungry. I can't imagine having a better husband to help me through this, he is such a good daddy!!

There is a little bit of tension, because sometimes I feel guilty that I'm not "enjoying every second," especially because of their birth circumstances and how far they have come and how blessed we are to have them. But at the same time, the reality of having newborn twins is one of the hardest things we will probably ever do. I think a lot of the pressure I feel is in part because I am their only food source, and I am constantly nursing or pumping it feels like. And on top of that making sure I'm drinking enough water and eating enough food (with all the extra time I have!). I am so glad that I am able to nurse them, but it is a huge undertaking. A lot of it is mental, and reminding myself that I can do this, and that other people have done it, and that it can only get easier the older they get. I saw a lactation consultant a few weeks ago and she helped tremendously and I am still in touch with her in case anything else comes up!

They are growing so much though, and it is amazing and fun to see them change. Kyle got the first smile out of Vivian last week. I was kind of mad haha.  And Mary smiled at me for the first time last Friday the 2nd. They are starting to try and coo which is adorable. I feel like wow, there is actually a person in there! One of the parts of having preemies that I didn't anticipate was the newborn phase lasting FOR FREAKING EVER!! Its not the poor little darlings faults, but I am so ready for a new phase. They are 4 months old actual age, but only 5 weeks adjusted. 5 weeks is still basically a newborn.

They do pretty good sleeping though, which I am so grateful for. After their fussy time they pass out for 5 hours on a good night. If I can get 4 hours uninterrupted sleep I can totally survive the next day so I'll take it!

I have been needing help during the day, because they are in the phase of if they are awake they want to be held. So my sisters and my mom and mother in law and sister in law and friends have been taking turns coming over during the day to hold babies. I can do it alone, but its not pretty and by the end of the day I am a nervous anxious wreck. Most all of them are teachers/in school so I will lose the help in a couple weeks which is sad :( I am going to hire a couple of mothers helpers to come for a few  hours every day so I don't completely lose what little sanity I have left.

Now on to weights and growth! We had their four month check today, and Mary weighs 8 pounds 1 oz, and Vivian weights 8 pounds 6 oz. Vivian is just a little bit longer than Mary, but their head circumference is exactly the same. They made it on the growth chart (3rd percentile) for head size. Not surprising because Norah was always in the 99th percentile for head size. They get it from their daddy;) The doctor is very pleased with their progress. They are doing a lot of things that are expected in 4 month olds (which is their actual age), so I'm thinking they will catch up pretty quickly! They also used to favor their right side, and always wanted their heads turned that way which can lead to a flat head on one side,but they don't anymore, and their heads are perfectly round now. Lots of times preemies need physical therapy to correct this, but the girls did it on their own! So proud of them. They are due for another hearing check in a couple months, and got their 4 month vaccines today. They cried for all of 20 seconds and then passed out and are still sleeping. It took my sister Emily and I to wrangle the both of them and Norah and even with two of us all 3 girls were crying by the end of the trip. Fun times!!! But thankfully the doctors office is right next to Dunkin Donuts so I got myself an iced coffee on the way home as a reward haha.

I went back to work a couple of weekends ago, and am just working every other weekend. It is very good for my mental state, plus I get paid! I love my job and my coworkers so I can't complain at all. Kyle had been doing awesome with the girls, and usually has help one of the evenings.

Alright, I will stop boring you with the mundane details of my life;) Here are the pictures!!

3 sissies. Mary left, Viv right

Secret time;) Mary orange, Viv blue

They love each other ;)

Nightly fussy time, some sling action outside

Two little bugs. They love to be swaddled and instantly calm down when I do, so I keep them wrapped up most of the time!

All the cousins. Kyle's sisters kids.

Viv looks a little concerned!

Pretty Mary

Two little girls on a big couch.

Norah and Vivian time

Two little swaddled bugs!

Mary is shocked!

Big yawn from Viv

Cute lil face

Daddy and both girls in the sling. Not sure why he looks so mad...haha

Big girls! Mary left Vivian right

All 3.

First time trying out the Bumbos. Vivian hated it, Mary loved it. 

Pictures as promised-warning cuteness overload!!!!

Norah and our very patient dog:)

Norah making cupcakes for the babies arrival home.

Proud big sis

Vivian left, Mary right

Vivian tends to always have a what in the world is happening expression

Mary pink, Vivian green. And have you ever seen anything cuter??

Look at their hands!!!

So nice to be home!

Norah and Vivian

Java meeting the babies

Norah and Mary

Two babies in one sling!

Sister tummy time!

Vivian left Mary center

Mary sleeping on Vivian

June 27

We have been home for almost 2 weeks now! It is hard to believe. Overall it is actually much easier than I thought it would be. I think a lot of it is just the relief of being out of the hospital and in our own space. It makes even the hard things seem not that bad! The twins are very good babies. I shouldn't speak too soon though, because I have heard all hell breaks loose a couple of weeks after their due date, which is tomorrow. So crazy!!  Tomorrow is also their 3 month birthday. They have been through so much in such a short amount of time.

We had a weight check and hemoglobin check at the doctor today, and Mary gained 8 ounces and Vivian gained 6 ounces. So Mary is 5 pounds 15 ounces, and Vivian is 6 pounds 5 ounces. Their hemoglobin levels are also rising and stabilizing out which is great! 

They are having more awake periods during the day. Well, I should say during the night haha. The last couple nights have been kinda rough. Its either they want to nurse a couple hours apart, which is bad because then I don't get much sleep, or they want to nurse at THE EXACT SAME TIME. And if they can't nurse when they want to it is not pretty and they let me know what they think of me;) On a good night I get a couple of 3 hour stretches of sleep. Their behavior is totally normal for newborns, so its not their faults! I feed them at 10 PM, and Kyle usually sleeps on the couch by them until 2 AM, and then I get up and feed them and sleep on the couch until their next feeding at 6 or 7. We have them sleeping in their rock-n-play bassinets in the living room for now. I absolutely love the bassinets, and highly recommend them! 

It is possible for me to nurse them at the same time, but none of us prefer it;) They are just too little at this point and don't have enough head control. I'm hoping it gets easier once they get a little older! They are still on the nipple shields, but I am working on weaning them off of those. I think that will make nursing a little bit smoother too once we don't have to worry about those darn things!!

It is interesting the difference between having your first and second(s). I really didn't trust Kyle with Norah when she was a newborn haha. Not that he wasn't capable, it was just me being super protective. I also didn't want her given a bottle (of breast milk) unless it was absolutely necessary. With these two I am completely different. I have left for a couple of afternoons and on errands and feel totally comfortable leaving them with Kyle. He is more than capable of taking care of them. He is pretty awesome actually. The other night I left for a couple hours and came home and Norah was in bed, the house was clean, and the twins were sleeping after just having had a bottle. Now that is impressive!!! Yesterday Norah and I went to one of my coworkers houses to swim and hang out with friends and left the babes with Kyle. Its nice to be able to hang out with just my big girl and get some bonding time in! The twin take bottles of breast milk totally fine, so that isn't an issue. They are also doing less choking and stopping breathing with feeds so that makes life a lot easier as well.

If the twins weren't 28 weekers I would just take them with us more places, but we have to be super careful that they don't get sick, especially with a respiratory illness. Even a little cold could put them back in the hospital on oxygen. So they are kind of on lockdown til they get bigger! By the time they turn 1 it won't be as big of a deal and we will be out and about more. It kind of sucks, and I think it will be a long winter, but its worth it to preserve their lung function for the rest of their lives.

Norah is doing so great with them. She doesn't seem to be jealous at all, and is very loving and protective of them. One night when one of them was crying, she started crying and saying "mommy, she needs you! Mommy, pick her up!" It was so precious. At the doctors today when the girls got their blood drawn and were crying Norah started crying too and saying "Mommy, help them! They got owie!" I think she is just relieved to have things semi back to normal and that Kyle and I are home with her all the time now. I missed her so much, and its great to be back home with her!

Here are some pictures...we are borrowing Lory's camera and have tons of great shots from the past couple weeks, but don't have a way to get them on our computer at this point. I know I know, how old are we?? Haha. We just don't have the right kind of USB cord. Annnyways...I will upload some really good ones once we get them on our computer!

In their rock-n-plays..Viv on the left, Mary on the right.

Vivian in a milk coma;)

Mary shushing Vivian

Two babies in one ring sling!

Vivian left, Mary right

Sister time!

They needed a "blanket" according to Norah