7 weeks!

Liam and Kadence are 7 weeks old today. So far they are still in the newborn stage and I'm getting anxious for those first smiles :-)

Photo shoot

Kadence and Liam had their "newborn" photos taken today by "Frame me... by Mamee". I only had the photographer take pictures of them together because I can take pretty decent pictures of them individually myself. There was a lot of work going into this photo shoot and we didn't get a million different poses for 2 hours of shooting. I'm guessing that a photo shoot with one baby would have a lot more diversity. With twins, one baby is either moving around, and the other one might be cooperating, but is getting out of position by the other one being so squirmish. In my case either Liam was trying to eat Kadence's face or Kadence was trying to propel herself off the bean bag. Fortunately, there was no screaming or crying and I think they got a lot of cute shots. I can't wait to see them all, I really like the photographers style. 

Attention

The twins are fussy today. The are taking turns crying and wanting to be held. I couldn't even make dinner tonight because I didn't have my hands free. I have a sling that works pretty nice, but it is so hot today and even though the air conditioner is on in my house I can still feel the humidity. The weather is a whole different topic that I am irritated about...I live in Wisconsin, it should be in the 80's, not 100's.

Anyway, Kadence's cry is not a cry at all, it is a scream. She doesn't know how to cry. Although all her movements and behavior are "newborn behaviors", you'd never guess she was only 6 weeks if you heard her. Liam, on the other hand, has the sweet newborn cry but because he is on oxygen I don't like to let him cry. His O2 levels always drop when he is distressed. So basically today has been me getting absolutely nothing done around the house, but I got a lot of quality baby holding time in!

MamaRoo

If you've never heard of these, it should be number one on your registry. Forget the baby swing, these things are AMAZING and I really really want one. I'm thinking about splurging and buying one but I already have a swing and I don't really need to spend the money on it. But that doesn't change the fact that I wish I had one for my babies.

Due Date!

Today is a milestone for my twins. Today is their due date. With my son I didn't even notice when his due date came and went. He was born at 38 weeks and 5 days. He wasn't considered early, he was on time and weighed in at 7lbs. 3oz. With my twins, I have been keeping an eye on their due date because it is an important day for preemies. Today they are considered full term and they are actually the same size as Noah when he was born. And they are 6 weeks!! I still think it is a little crazy how big they are now compared to when they were born and to other people, they still look so tiny. I think they look huge. Well, not huge. But the difference between a 4lb baby and a 7lb baby is a significant difference. 


Also, we don't take the twins out much because we were told by our pediatrician to keep them away from people and germs for 8 weeks. 8 weeks is a long time. So when we take them out it is usually outdoors or on short shopping trips to uncrowded places. Today we went to Shopko with my mom, and grandma. Kadence wanted out of her carseat right away. She was awake and alert and loved looking around. Typical girl, right!? She already likes to shop.

Liam and Kadence 6 weeks on their due date!

Noah loves his little brother.

And I'm done...

Formula and bottle warming

Forget the fancy bottle warmers I have a better idea that I remember hearing from either a twins book or website. Because you go through so many bottles a day it is easier to prepare your bottles of breastmilk or formula in advance. However, then you have to refrigerate it and then warm up the bottles and with two screaming hungry babies that 5-10 minutes it takes to warm up a bottle can seem like forever. So a suggestion I heard is to use a small crock pot and put water in it and keep it on all the time. This is such a great idea because whenever I warm up bottles in a cup with hot water the water cools off really fast and I have to keep refilling it with hot water. With a crock pot the water isnt going to cool down. The first time you warm a bottle this way be sure to time it to see how long it takes bc if you end up over heating it it could take awhile to cool off and your starving children will not be happy about that!

I bought this small crock pot for $15 at Menards but Walmart sells them too for around the same price or less.

Car Rides

Today I took my first solo ride with the babies and Noah. I drove all the way to Wautoma from my house (hour and 15 min each way) and luckily neither baby cried on the way their or the way back. Traveling with twins is so much more difficult than traveling with just one baby. Whether I am driving for an hour or going to a store that is 5 minutes away I still have to pack a bag full of stuff. Diapers, bottles, extra clothes and right now Liam's oxygen tank. Most people don't like to drive with screaming babies in the car so, of course, I have to feed the babies before I go anywhere. Sometimes it turns into a decision to leave right away after they eat or be forced to wait until after their next feeding which could be and hour and half to two hours later.  So, I have decided to make plans for the next day. No more waiting until noon to decide that I want to go somewhere. I need to decide the night before and get everything ready if I want to leave the house before 3pm. All in all, I did pretty well today. Noah is staying at Grandma and Papa's until Sunday and Stephen works 3rd shift tonight and tomorrow so I will actually get to "sleep when baby(s) sleep" :)  I do miss my Noah when he is gone tho.

Onesie Secret

I recently found this out about onesies. Did you know that the reason why they have that layered part at the neck is so that you can pull it down off the baby's body instead of pulling it up over their head in a case of a poopy explosion that gets all over their clothes?? I did not know when I had my first baby. It could have been very useful knowledge in one particular event. 


It is the most memorable trip to Barnes & Noble that I ever took. Noah was a little over a month old and my friend came to Arizona because both of our husbands were deployed to Iraq at the time. We decided to go shopping, of course, and brought the little guy. We ended up at Barnes & Noble which ended up being our last stop because Noah had what we like to call an "assplosion". His onesie was full of it, it car seat was full of it...it was awful. There was no way possible that the stuff was not going to get on my hands, I just had to go for it to clean him up as well as the car seat. (BTW I'm pretty sure I pulled the onesie up over his head b/c I didn't know about the purpose of the layered neck). It was pretty much the exact moment I understood that you need to pack your diaper bag for the unexpected b/c I didn't bring him extra clothes. So we drove home with Noah in just his diaper and cleaned out car seat (as much as could get clean). Don't worry he got a bath right away! 


The point of this story, is that onesie's are amazing in ways that you didn't even know. They aren't just cool because they have snappies at the crotch to easily access a diaper change. 

Weight Check

Today the twins had a weight check. Kadence weighed in at 6lbs. 2oz (birth weight was 4lbs) and Liam weighed in at 6lbs. 6oz (birth weight was 4lbs 2oz). I know that 6lb babies are still small and would be a small baby if they were born at this size, but seeing them at 4lbs and seeing them now makes them look so big already! Kadence is officially out of preemie clothes b/c she is getting too long. She's way to small for newborns but they don't make pre-newborn clothes unfortunately. Liam fits into his newborn clothes great, the sleepers are still a little long but he's filling them out fine. Omg, I just remember how fast Noah grew up and now he is a little man and not even wearing diapers (which is great because he is 3 1/2) but these two are going to grow up just as fast!! I want them to slow down already and stay little. Healthy and strong, of course! But little :)

March of Dimes

So I not only have had preemie babies, but this was my second time being a NICU mom. All 3 of my kids have spent time in the NICU. Noah got sick a week after he was born, and for those of you who don't know, when a baby gets sick they have to rule out any major problem which equals A LOT of tests. He ended up having an infection and spent a week in the NICU that was three hours from where I lived. We got to stay in the Ronald McDonald house, luckily.

I decided to make a "band" on the March of Dimes website and make a small donation each month. And I'm continuing to save my soda can tabs for the Ronald McDonald house. I felt like I needed a cause to give back to and since I am experienced now in the premature and NICU baby area, this is definitely something that I would like to be involved in.

Here is my link for donating in Kadence and Liam's name if you feel the urge to give back to the world in any way.

https://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/b_new.asp?band_id=71412

Itzbeen timers

My first official post on a baby product that I love!

The ITZBEEN timer!

I wish I would have know about this product when I had my first baby but I am very glad I found them when I had my second and third babies. Here's how they work...

The top button with the light bulb is a nightlight

The first timer button says how long Itzbeen since the last diaper change

The second timer button says how long Itzbeen since the last feeding

The third timer button says how long Itzbeen since they fell asleep or been awake (your choice)

The fourth timer button is miscellaneous, I use it for pumping.

The small button underneath that lights up the whole timer in order to see it in the dark. The light goes off on its own, unlike the top nightlight.

The switch at the bottom is to remind you what side you nursed on last.

There is also a clock on the bottom of the screen where you can set the time.

Each button has a timer that you can set. For example, I set my feeding button for 3 hours. So I push the button when I start feeding and when the timer reaches 3 hours it will alarm for 30 seconds and blink red until you push the button again!

Definitely recommend this for anyone who has a hard time keeping track of diaper changes or feeding, or if you have people that are coming to help you and you want an easy way to keep track of those changes without wondering if someone else changed your baby or fed them while you were busy or sleeping!

Here is the link for more information

http://itzbeen.com/

Mommy/Family blog

This blog is not just for families or mom's with multiples, it is for anyone who has kids. Sure I get a double dose of crying, diaper changes, feedings and sleep deprivation but I am basically on the same page as anyone else with a baby and/or toddler. Follow my blog and come with me on this journey where we can share ideas, suggestions and experiences on mommyhood and family life. 

Recap...NICU and coming home!

Because I am writing this after the fact, I wrote all my baby updates on Facebook. So now for my personal benefit and anyone who sees this who isn't on my Facebook I can have a nice timeline of how Kadence and Liam progress in the NICU.

June 14, 2012
Baby update: Liam got is oxygen tubes out today and is breathing good on room air. He is getting more food and digesting it which is a good preemie milestone. He is slowly starting to have a little more energy and opening his eyes more. Kadence is a little behind on being able to digest food and has a few brady's during the day (heart rate drops) but overall she is doing good and she loves to look around and especially loves when Daddy talks to her. Today they started their sunbathing under the bili lights and will be have to be under them for a couple days to help with jaundice. I'm leaving the hospital tomorrow morning and I'm pretty bummed out to be going home without them but they are in a good place and getting stronger and I will come and see them everyday as much as I can.

First time holding Kadence

First time holding Kadence

First time holding Liam

First time holding Liam

June 18, 2012
Baby update: the twins are a week old today! Kadence had her IV taken out so now people can hold her beside mom and dad. She is still working on eating more and gaining weight. She is back under the bili lights until tomorrow bc her boli levels are going back up but hopefully it will be resolved soon. Liam is at his max feeding for his size which is a little over an ounce and he is getting his IV out today. Both are doing good they just need to learn out to drink from a bottle and breathe thru their nose at the same time.

Liam and Kadence together for the first time after delivery
Me holding twins together for the first time
Grandma, Great Annie Krissie, and Cousin Alissa with Kadence.

June 21, 2012
Baby update!: Kadence is a little trooper! She is eating all her feedings on her own, meaning no feeding tube. She used to be in an enclosed isolette but for the last 48 hours she has been in an open bassinet and is able to regulate her body temperature. Her Dr said to get ready because she will be coming home soon :) Liam, is still having a harder time but the Dr said it's typical for preemie boys. He is back on oxygen mostly after feedings because he has a hard time breathing with a full stomach. He usually only eats half to 75% of his food and then falls asleep so the rest is put in his feeding tube. I'm sure he will catch up with his sister in the couple weeks so he can come home too.

June 23, 2012
Exactly one month before her due date Baby Kadence gets to come home! She is so tiny still (4lbs 5oz) but very healthy and the Dr has no reason to keep her in the Nicu longer. Liam is going to have a longer stay but he is in a bassinet now instead of an enclosed isolette. He's on oxygen all the time now but the Dr says it should help build up his stamina and hopefully he will join his sister at home in the next couple weeks :) thanks everyone for your prayers and support, they are really helping.

Car ride home

June 29. 2012
Baby update! Today Liam got to come home :) he is still on oxygen so the respiratory company came and set everything up. I think he is doing really good at home and him and his sister are so cute together.

First time together at home!

Recap Continued... Delivery time!

My personal goal for carrying the twins was at least 35 weeks. The thought of only going 34 weeks is really scary. I had two completely different pregnancies and two completely different deliveries. My first, I got a normal sized baby bump and went to 38.5 weeks. Noah was was 7.3lbs and 20.1inches. He stayed in my room with me while we were in the hospital, we left the hospital together... On the other hand, my second pregnancy I had two babies, not one. I had a million ultrasounds. I went on bedrest. I went to 34 weeks, and I was probably bigger at 34 weeks with the twins than I was at 38 weeks with Noah. When the Doctor comes into your room and tells you that in an hour you are going to be going into surgery for a C-Section (which was planned anyway since Twin A, the girl, was breech) you think of what you're going to miss out on. First, I was supposed to be pregnant for 3 more weeks at least. Second, the babies were immediately going to be taken to the NICU after being born. Third, I would be staying in the hospital for 5 days without the babies in the room with me. Fourth, I would be going home empty handed to an empty house. Finally, I wouldn't know when the babies would be coming home and wouldn't get the bonding time with them that I wanted since they were at the hospital and I couldn't be there all the time. So like I said, I had two very different experiences.

As far as the delivery goes, I had some great doctors who were very humorous and made the mood a little lighter. I had 4-6? NICU nurses in the room ready to take care of the twins. And this time my husband was actually with me! He was a great help and participated a lot more than I thought he would. He even took video of the babies being born...which I will not be sharing :-) And he cut both cords.

Both babies came out and were beautiful. Kadence was first at 3:42pm weighing 4lbs even and 15inches long. Liam was second at 3:43 weighing 4lbs 2.7oz and 17inches long. The different in size between the two was amazing. Kadence is a tiny little thing and Liam was tiny too! He just looked big compared to his sister.

After the surgery I went back to my room and threw up a couple times and hour until about 11pm. Thank you Mr. Anesthesiologist for not giving me nausea medication in my IV. That was great. I think it made my husband and I closer b/c he had to dump my vomit bucket for me :-)  What a great sport. By the time I got to go see the babies around 10pm I barely remember any of it. I was in pain and on pain medication and sick to my stomach. I feel a little jipped that I don't remember the first time I went to see them, although I remember them clearly in the operating room, which I think counts more.

So this was my delivery story. Besides being early, it was pretty uneventful. The real fun begins afterwards when I get to be a NICU mom for a few weeks.

Kadence's first picture

Liam's first picture

Tangled in cords

Had a panic attack at first, but relaxed soon after.

Recap and Birthday

I meant to keep up with this blog a lot better than this. Here is a recap of the last few weeks.

32 weeks pregnant: Had a Dr. appointment and ultrasound for a growth check and ended up finding out that my cervix was shortening... I was immediately put on bed rest/pelvic rest until further notice. I also got 2 steroid shots to develop the babies lungs. This also meant that I couldn't go back to work :(  I was happy and sad about that because I thought I had a little more time to say bye to people.

33 weeks pregnant: Had a Dr. appointment with fetal monitoring and an ffn test that came back negative which meant that I had a 1% chance of going into labor in the next two weeks.

34 weeks pregnant: Had a Dr. appointment, ultrasound, cervix check and fetal monitoring. Ultrasound showed further shortening of the cervix, cervix check found that I was 2cm and fetal monitoring showed that I was in labor! Ha ha, those contraction didn't feel strong enough for labor but I guess I built up a tolerance from the Braxton Hicks.

So at exactly 34 weeks pregnant (June 11, 2012) I was off to the hospital for further monitoring which turned into an emergency C-section. Luckily, my mom came with me to that 34 week appointment because my husband was working. This is how my phone conversation went while I was on my way to the hospital...
Me: Hi, honey. So don't panic or freak out but I'm on my way to the hospital because my contractions are
        2-3 minutes apart and I'm starting to dilate. This might not mean anything so don't worry and you don't
        have to hurry.
Hubby: What! Are you in labor!? I have court at 1 o'clock, I'm not gonna go, I'll meet you at the hospital.
Me: I said don't freak out!
Hubby: Okay I'll see you at the hospital.

So I get to the hospital, check in, and my husband gets there almost as quick as I did! I was hooked up to the monitors and after an hour I was checked again to see if I had dilated more. I was at 4cm. So...I checked in at 1230pm and at 3pm I was going into surgery! (Twin A was breech).

Me checking in

Stephen ready in scrubs

Hooked up to the monitors, and finding out I'm having the babies today!