Getting Out

The past week was a busy one for us. I have several "facebook friends" who are twin moms. Many of them had been talking about getting out of the house with their twins. I had not ventured out with just the babies yet. I always have a "support' person. On Sunday, the weather was nice and Kenny was grocery shopping so I decided to go out. We went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Target. I was very proud of myself and proud of the girls...they slept the whole time.

Each time I go somewhere with our limousine stroller, I always get curious glances and sometimes people make comments. Here are some of the most common (sometimes I wish I was witty and had an interesting answer for some of the "less intelligent" questions:
"Are they twins?" (The babies are the same size)
"Are they girls?" (They are often wearing pink and their car seats are pink.)
"How do you do it? or "How do you manage? (Just fine, thank you!)
"Are they identical?" (An OK question unless I say "No" and some ladies say, "Are you sure?")
On Wednesday, I went to JCPenney's with a friend from church. She asked me if people always comment when we are out. She thought it was funny...the stares, people turning their heads, or yelling out "Ooooh, twins!"
A twin mom on one of the message boards mentioned that we should hang a sign from the stroller with answers to all the questions people ask.
I know that people mean well, but I don't know if mothers with one baby get asked all these questions when they go out with their child.

Some new pictures from this week:

Rachel and Jenna

Smiling Rachel

Jenna and Rachel

Smiling Rachel

Many new moms talk about the difficulty of trying to get a shower each day. I found a solution that works for us. Each morning, after the girls are fed and dressed, I put their Rock and Play sleepers in the bathroom. They love the sound of the bathroom fan and the sound of the shower. I'm able to get a shower every day!! Most of time, they fall asleep:

3 months already!

On Saturday, the girls were 3 months old. I was thinking about how much has changed since they first came home from the hospital. The first month was so hard with feeding every 1-2 hours, lots of fussy times (2 babies screaming at the same time is heartbreaking!) and nights where I only got 1 or 2 hours the entire night. They are not sleeping through the night but they sleep 3 -4 hours at a time and go right back to sleep after eating!

I kept reading about how it would get better and it has. We are finding some sort of daily routine and that seems to be making the days better!

I love how they are developing their own personalities.
Jenna was our pensive newborn who didn't make much noise (unless it was the evening) but just looked around and took in the sights and sounds. Now she is more vocal and loves to smile. She is very active and is always moving her arms and legs. Sometimes it looks like she's trying to run while she's in the bouncy seat. She loves when there is music and when we sing with her.

Rachel was the active baby while I was pregnant and she still is!! I love when she smiles because it's like her whole body is smiling. For the first month she really let us know when she needed something... She also loves music and if she's fussy, I'll play piano and sing and she moves her arms and legs like she's dancing. Rachel continues to make lots of sounds and she LOVES "talking" with me and Kenny.

The girls sleep better at night when they are swaddled. I took these pictures of them swaddled and unswaddled. These pictures make me smile!

Smile!

Smiling Babies!
The girls have really been smiling lately. They smile when we talk to them and have started cooing and "talking" back to us. I can't wait until they start giggling. I know it will be any day now!

Jenna's looking at daddy:

Rachel's happy in the morning:

We hadn't been to church since the girls were born. Kenny and I like to go to the 8:30 service so we are home by 10:00. Last Sunday, everything worked and we were able to go. I don't often dress the Jenna and Rachel in matching outfits but I did on Sunday because they were so cute!!

Why so serious?

Jenna and Rachel in Action

Kenny and I bought a little video camera on Black Friday with the hopes of taking lots of videos of the new babies. I've had fun taking videos and then watching and seeing how much the girls have changed in a short period of time. I thought I would try and post a few here. Enjoy!

December 26, 2010


January 2, 2011


March 13, 2011

It's been so long!

It's been a long time since I posted something new and a few people have asked me if I have updated this.
In the month of January we had Kenny's mom and my mom come stay with us...which was a fantastic help!!
With Grandma G:

With Grandma T:

In February, Aunt Katie, Uncle Tim, and cousin Jabin came to visit for a long weekend. It was fun seeing how big Jabin has gotten. He is such a smiley baby!
The cousins on the way to Target:

Sandra was able to come visit at the end of February. It was so much fun and I LOVED having her help.
Aunt Sandra with Rachel:


Jenna and Rachel are growing and changing right before my eyes. Last week they had their 2 month check-up.
Rachel gained 4 pounds since birth and is now 8 lbs, 14 oz.

Jenna gained 3 pounds and is now 8 lbs, 7 oz.



They look so big to me, but I guess they are the size of a "full-term" newborn baby!
In the past month, both girls have begun smiling and looking intently at faces. They love to play on their floor mat and make their toys rattle.
Jenna loves being on the changing table. Maybe it's because she has some one-on-one time with mommy!! Rachel loves to chatter, squeak, grunt, coo...she's full of noises and always makes me smile. I love seeing their different personalities emerge and grow.
We have had several night where they are sleeping for longer stretches. Because I am only breastfeeding them (no bottles right now), I look forward to those longer stretches of uninterrupted sleep!
I am truly loving that I am able to be home with the girls. Each day we experience something new!!
A few more pictures:

Weekend Excitement and Updates!

We had a fun weekend. The daughter of one of Kenny's coworkers is a photographer. She came over on Saturday to do a "photo shoot" with the girls. The pictures and poses we saw so far were so precious. Soon, she will have them edited and we will be able to choose our favorites. Here's one of the pictures:


It's been so wonderful to be surrounded by good friends. Many of my coworkers have come to visit and have brought meals for me and Kenny. We have been so blessed!
On Tuesday, we went to the doctor's office for the two week check-up. Both girls were almost to their birth weights. Jenna was 5lbs 6.5oz and Rachel was 4lbs 13oz. I was so pleased because this tells us that they are eating enough and will continue to gain weight.
We are truly enjoying Jenna and Rachel. They make funny faces and cute noises. We are finding a routine that seems to work for us but it will change some when Kenny goes back to work next week.

Here's some new pictures:

Welcome Jenna and Rachel! Birth story...

The Girls are Here!! Birth Story and more...

I've been meaning to update this blog for a week now, but it has been busy!!
Last Saturday (Christmas) was a normal day. Kenny and I went to a Christmas breakfast at the Johnson's house and then played games in the afternoon. We made a delicious ham dinner at night and then went to bed.
A little before midnight, I woke up feeling different and thinking something wasn't right. It turns out my water broke. I wasn't sure what was happening so I woke up Kenny and called the hospital around midnight. The nurse I talked with said we need to come in.
We were not thinking clearly and I didn't bring anything to the hospital except for my purse. On the way to the hospital, I began having contractions. I was admitted around 12:45, checked and found to be 3cm dilated. These girls were coming! I was hooked up to a machine to measure contractions and to check on the girls (like the non-stress test from before)
My doctor arrived around 3am and I was 6cm dilated. The nurses and my doctor encouraged me to get an epidural because of the possibility of having a C-Section. An ultrasound was done, and both babies were in the head down position so it looked good to give birth vaginally. The contractions weren't getting stronger so I was given pitocin.
Kenny left and went home get the camera and some other things we might need at the hospital.
Around 8:00, I was 9.5 cm dilated and I could feel stronger contractions (the epidural helped with pain, but I could still feel contractions).
I was wheeled into the operating room, still because of the uncertainty of what "Baby B" would do. Pushing began and "Baby A" was born at 8:36. After taking a short break, pushing began again and "Baby B" was born at 8:49.
The babies were taken to warming tables and checked. I could hear their cries and knew they were healthy!!

Baby A: Jenna Kathryn, 5lbs 7oz, 17.5 inches long


Baby B: Rachel Elizabeth, 4lbs 14 oz, 18 inches long


Both babies were breathing on their own with no need for oxygen(something that is often needed for babies born 35 weeks and sooner). Rachel had low blood sugar and needed an IV with glucose. Because of this, I wasn't able to see her right away, but I knew the nurses were taking good care of her.

I was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday 12/28 but stayed in another room while the girls were monitored for an extra day. We were all able to go home on Wednesday 12/29 because the girls were eating well, didn't show signs of jaundice, and were ready!!



I am in love and in complete awe of these two beautiful girls.