Friday, May 30, 2008

T.G.I.F.

I don't know who invented the phrase, "Thank God It's Friday", but I have some idea.

Many probably believe it originated from some poor, tired, overworked, underpaid daily-grind worker who just couldn't wait for the weekend. I think it was coined by a stay-at-home-mom.

By Friday, I am beat. Especially now with Ben's new schedule, I do all but 1 feeding by myself. And, most of those I do rather badly. The girls just don't eat well for me. I'm afraid if Ben can't figure out a way to come home for lunch soon, the girls will starve. This morning for instance, they each only ate between 50-70mls. That's terrible. Very, very terrible. At times like that, I just want to take them in to the doctor's office and tell them to tube them. It's part frustration and part worry that they will be malnourished or their brains will starve. No one has really said exactly what will happen if they don't eat enough - other than they won't gain weight (obviously). But honestly, as far as the specific detrimental effects, I don't know. Maybe I should ask.

I know in the big scheme of things, my girls eat way better than most kids who have "feeding problems". My saving grace this morning was that after only eating about 50mls of her bottle, Natalie ate a whole container of baby sweet potatoes. Most kids with real eating disorders have never eaten a jar of anything in their lives. It's just very frustrating to feel like the life and health of your babies depends on every feed and the difference between a few ounces every day.

I've also found myself bemoaning our inability to go anywhere because of the babysitter situation. It's not only that I don't actually know who I would ask, but even if there was a line at the door, we can't actually leave the kids with anyone through a feeding because they wouldn't eat. For most babies, when they get hungry, you pop a bottle in their mouth. Fifteen minutes and 8 ounces later, they are full and happy. Not only do our babies not get hungry, feeding involves a whole "technique". Then 30 minutes later, you MIGHT have 5 ounces down, but instead are probably frustrated and concerned.

*sigh* It's just frustrating to worry ALL THE TIME about how much Natalie and Abby are eating. *sigh*

Only 5 more hours until Ben gets home. T.G.I.F.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Thank you


Since it's Memorial Day, I wanted to take a moment to thank all those who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces. We are privileged to live in the most wonderful country in the world. For all its issues, America is still a great and beautiful country - both in size, majesty and spirit. I am very proud to be an American and am thankful to those who have served to protect this country and its people. The daily sacrifices that our service men and women make are difficult for most of us to imagine. Even if the ultimate sacrifice is not required, service takes a toll on the families involved.

In what seems like a lifetime ago, I was once a navy wife for 4 years. I have never forgotten watching first hand what the military can do to families. Parents miss the every day miracles of their children's lives, not to mention birthdays, Christmases, and other special occasions. Time, once lost, that can never be regained. Young children cry while watching mom or dad leave, and then cry when they return months and months later because they no longer recognize them. Marriages are tested through financial strain, infidelity, and the sheer stress of leading separate lives linked tenuously by phone calls, email and letters. All this against the backdrop of knowing that when you say goodbye, you may never see each other again. This danger is even all the more real in today's reality of endless war.

I hold a special place in my heart for the military families - for those left behind when the service men and women leave. Married moms and dads that are essentially single parents with all the responsibilities that entails in addition to worrying about their loved one. My heart goes out to them along with my prayers and thanksgiving.

Our military men and women, along with their families, are some of today's heroes. To all of you...thank you for your service, your dedication, and your sacrifice. God bless you and, God Bless America.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

One downside of having identical twins

*shaking wrists* It's 4am (so much for resting on Mommy's day off), and I'm taking a short break from the literally HOURS I have spent labeling pictures. It's a write, copy, click, paste process, but it's very tedious. I think I am almost done. If I only had one child - I wouldn't have to do this. I'd know who it was. Or, if I had a boy and a girl, or a blonde and brunette. But, no, I have to have girls that look almost exactly alike.

Some of you are now exclaiming, "no they don't...they look completely different..." I invite you then to look back at pictures from 3 months ago and tell me who's who. It's nearly impossible. Especially if it's just one of them. Worse if in the preceding together shots they are wearing the same clothes. I honestly have a few from a few months ago that I am just guessing at.

Although right now, I can tell them apart easily, as they grow and I adjust to their "new" look, the older pics start blending together. My fear is that in 3 more months, I won't know who's who. So I label. And I label and I label. One day, when I can point back and show Natalie or Abby that "this" picture is most certainly them, they better appreciate all this work!

Guess who?

Saturday, May 24, 2008

God Bless Ben

I love my Ben
I love my Ben
Ben loves me
Ben loves me...

That's the beginning of our little family song. It's much more interesting when we sing it.

I do love my Ben. Especially tonight. He took the girls to his parents for the evening. They left straight from our awful photo shoot. They will return sometime tomorrow afternoon. (hopefully late, he,he).

Mommy is enjoying some special baby-free time. I don't have big plans. Mostly I'm going to label many, many pictures from the past month and a half. If I'm lucky, I may even get some of them posted to phanfare. (Don't forget to use the login and password posted at the top on the right side of the blog)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ben. I love my girls, but sometimes I just need a break. I am so lucky he is willing to take them away and give me a rest.

It's a little weird though. Just a few minutes ago, I swore I heard babies crying in my monitor...Maybe I miss them. Hmmmmmm. Not yet. Maybe by the morning:-)

Our Not-so-much Kodak Moments

We just returned from a rather miserable experience at the Target Portrait Studio. We were doing a family photo and hopefully some good "official" one year old shots of the girls. We were very excited. We organized the whole day of feedings and naps around getting ready for our 6pm appointment. I even ironed the girls multiple outfits. Then, I even did my hair and put on make-up! AND I wore a too-tight and uncomfortable (by my sensory integration disorder filters) shirt, which I promptly changed before we left the studio.

It was a miserable experience. To start, the girls were not especially cooperative. When trying to get shots of just the two of them, they wouldn't sit still. They just keep crawling away. Finally, we decided to focus on the family pictures. Even then, the girls wouldn't smile and/or look at the camera. They also decided that their favorite new thing is to eat their hands. We couldn't get them out of their mouths! But, they still could have been really cute, natural, candids. But...

The photographer was awful. She was not in the least helpful with poses or ideas. I don't think she smiled once. Plus, she wouldn't take pictures! At least, not as many as one should take if trying to capture a good shot of children. She would hold, hold, hold the shot waiting for the perfect shot. At one point, we were working on a family shot, and I told her to just shoot away. She said, "I can't do that. I can't take the same shot. Do you understand that?" I frankly responded, "no, we don't understand that. We want to get a good shot even it's it's 1 in the same 3 (or 10)". She then said that corporate "audits" them, and basically they get in trouble if they have too many of the same shot or pose. She said she couldn't do it.

So, the picture taking people have a policy to not take pictures???? What!!!???? It's digital, folks. I could understand if we were still working with film. But, there's absolutely no cost difference to taking one shot or 100. It's also seems to me, that the more shots you take, the more likely you are to get good ones, and the more likely people are to buy.

My other issue involved not being able to view the pictures as they were taken. "Policy" only lets you see them after they are loaded on the computer. I didn't want to see every one, but after the first group didn't seem to be going very well, I really wanted to see if we were getting anything good or if we should just quit and go home. Nope, not allowed. Like who was going to tell anyway? No one else was there. In the end the pictures actually came out much better than I expected. Had I seen them along the way, we would have been in much better moods and probably taken even more shots. As it was, we finally just got aggravated, disappointed and quit. By that time, we were really unhappy and I felt like we had wasted the last hour, not to mention the whole day preparing for it.

As I said, in the end, the pictures were better than I thought they would be. It's amazing what the right lighting can do. There were some cute ones of the four of us - even with the girls' hands in their mouths. There was a good one of me and the girls and a cute one of the girls in Ben's arms.

We get a free 8x12 just for going. I also have a coupon for sheets (like 2 5x7, 3 3.5x5, etc) for $3.99 (verses $9.99). I forgot the coupon though, and we weren't about to pay $9.99 for even one sheet after that experience. The photographer did say we could come in tomorrow and use the coupon and choose our free 8x10. We are kind of torn though. It was such a miserable experience, we aren't feeling especially inclined to fork over any money to them.

All in all, I wish I'd just taken the girls outside and done my own shots. They may not have the fancy lighting, but with the natural light, honestly, they are just as good to me as the "professional" ones. And they are free. The only problem is the family photo. Maybe we will get a few of those... We also may try to get those done again - but definately not at the Portrait Studio at Target.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Natalie Cruises!

Yesterday, May 22, I caught Natalie cruising around the baby bench and chair. She's not letting Abby get ahead of her! No ma'am. I have some cute video that I will post later. I have to cut it and make it smaller so it will fit in the post. It's on my list - I promise.

It's really amazing how quickly they pick things up. Just a few months ago they just started crawling. Before we know it, they will be walking. I can totally see Abby trying to stand on her own in a few weeks.

They are so funny now with the things they do that pictures don't really capture it. I find myself doing more and more video. The result is that I am running out of hard drive space on my computer. Plus, the videos take longer to process and edit so it takes me longer to post them. I'll get to them though, I promise. Oh, and Ben is getting me a new hard drive:-)

Cushy Motherhood is Over

Until this past week, my schedule with the girls has been pretty cushy. Ben would get up at 7am and feed them. They would then go back to sleep until 10am, or 10:30 or 11am. Mommy LOVED it. Especially since I'm usually up until about 2am. I was lucky; I knew it. But, now, those days are over.

For the past week or so, the girls have NOT been going back to sleep after their 7am bottle. I had hoped it was a short phase and they would start sleeping again, but no such luck. They are establishing new sleep/wake patterns - mostly involving less sleeping and more waking.

So, the current schedule goes something like this:
8ish - girls begin to stir. I absolutely refuse to get up before 8am. I'm trying to push for 8:30. I have no desire to get up at the crack of dawn for the next 4 years. So, they will play in their beds until about 8:30am.

9ish/10ish - Either first bottle then solids or solids then bottle. I'm still working out which way they will eat the most of their bottle.

11ish- 12ish - in beds for cat nap/quiet time

1ish - Second bottle

2ish - nap - (or in the case of right now - playing in crib NOT sleeping)

HOPEFULLY 4:30-5ish - babies up and third bottle
(more solids in here somewhere)
8-9ish - 4th bottle and bed

12ish - 5th and final bottle

Daddy really gets the good end of this deal. Obviously there's no reason for him to get up at 7 and feed them if they aren't going back to sleep. He now also no longer comes home at lunch. And their 3rd bottle is before he gets home. He might be home by the time I feed whoever is second around 5:30pm. So, Daddy is down to only one feeding a day! Lucky Daddy. It's not so great for the babies since they tend to eat better for him. I'm going to have to work hard to get them to eat as much as possible during the day.

Frankly, I don't love the new schedule. This morning was tough. I took a quick nap during their quiet time (maybe 30min). I finally just had to get out of the house (with the babies, of course). We went to Michael's Craft Store. It was only 12ish when we got back. It felt like I'd been up ALL day already. *sigh* Such is motherhood.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Phanfare

If any of you have tried to access the phanfare picture site in the past few days, you will have noticed you are now being asked to sign up. Phanfare has changed their access from public to private. Mostly it's so you have to give an email address and they can send you yummy emails telling you how great their services are.

I am creating a master "everyone access" account so individuals will not have to sign in. If you want to, obviously you can, but I will soon post a master login user name and password.

Just FYI - I haven't posted any new pics yet, so don't get too excited:-)

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Posting Catch-up

I have so many posts to catch up on. I still need to post about our camping trip and the girls' Dedication and Birthday Party - both of which were wonderful. I think I also need to post April pictures. I have tried to mollify the needy by posting more pictures within my posts. Hopefully that's getting me off the hook a little.

I promise I will get to it ASAP. It sounds weird, but my wrists actually hurt a lot. Between typing a lot and the way we hold the bottles to feed the girls, my wrists just stay sore. Sometimes, I just don't feel like typing so much. But, I will get to everything and post lots of pictures. Just hang in there...

Our first BIG test!

Today was developmental testing day at the Special Infant Care Clinic at Duke. Since they are now one year old, they wanted to see how they are coming along and see if any recommendations needed to be made for physical or occupational therapy.

Natalie and Abigail passed with flying colors! "They" (the doctors, testers, etc.) put their adjusted age at 9 months, 9 days. For those of you who are observant and like math, if you subtract 3.5 months from 12 months you get 8.5 months. Or even if you go by their due date of August 20, they would have been 9 months yesterday. Where they get 9 mo,9 days from, I don't know. They have some kind of weird formula they use. Anyway... Regardless, Natalie and Abigail tested at 10 months across the board for their cognitive and motor skill development. (Abby's new cruising trick didn't hurt!) Well, actually Nat tested at 7 month for verbal because she refused to make any real sounds while she was there. But, since we know she can ba-ba-ba and da-da-da, I'm giving her a 10 month rating.

I knew they were doing really well, and wasn't really worried, but it's great to get a stamp of approval. Oh, you can't really fail, BTW. It's not like development is a contest. But, it's one of those things that if your kid is ahead, you take all the credit. If they are behind, you blow it off and insist that averages are just averages. I've decided that since the girls are the spitting image of Ben, they must have gotten their brains from me:-)

Obviously, we won't get any recommendations for any kind of therapy. It's a good problem to have though. They only thing we are "Behind" in, is teeth. They have no teeth. But, hey, averages are averages and it's no big deal. If they don't have teeth by kindergarten, we'll get them pearly, white dentures.

Cruising...hopefully NOT for a bruising

Wow - when Abby does something - she does it all out. Just 5 days ago Abby first pulled herself up to standing. Today, she started cruising! No, not down the blvd. in a convertible, but shuffling her feet to move down furniture while holding on. It's absolutely amazing to watch. I have some video that I will post soon.

I just can't believe she picked it up so fast. She is also practicing holding on with one hand while reaching for a toy or something on the floor with the other. Or, she'll just reach into the air with one hand and hold on with just one. She actually does a really good job of not pitching forward and scraping her face or falling face first on the ground. She is so determined. She also seems to love it. She'll try to stand on anything that is a few inches of the ground.

At this rate, in a few more days, she'll be balancing, another week, standing alone, and by mid-June running down the hall! Oh my!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Finally! We love the Pediatrician!

We had our official one year check up today. For the first time ever, it was really good. The doctor said they were growing well and along their growth curve. The dreaded g-word was never mentioned and she was very happy with them. Yea! Yea! Yea!

She said she did want to try to add some weight to get them at least at the 3rd percentile. Yes, that's the 3rd percentile we are aiming for. I'm feeling pretty good about it since they are now eating solids so well. They are still eating about 600mls or 20 ounces a day of formula. I'm not sure if we can up that much, but we CAN add whipping cream and butter to everything they eat. After we bulk them up, we can worry about their arteries.

Here are the long awaited for stats:

Natalie:
last full peds appt. (Feb 28)
Weight: 12 lb 6.6oz (mar 31 - after sickness - 13.1lbs)
Height - 24.5 in
Head - 16 in

TODAY
weight: 14.1 lbs
height: 26.5 inches
head: 16.5in

Abigail:
Weight: 13.84lb (Feb 28) 14.08lb (Mar 31)
Height: 25 in
Head: 16.5 in

TODAY:
Weight: 15 lbs
Height: 27 in
Head: 17 1/3 in

We are very pleased, and I am very relieved. I've been really worried they weren't gaining enough weight - especially Natalie. It's amazing what a difference that pound makes. She feels SO light when you pick her up after Abby, It made me think she was falling behind more in weight.

Speaking of weight and eating issues...As of our camping trip last week, we are no longer recording how much they eat. No more charts. It's a big deal for me. Ben wanted to quit a few weeks ago, but I didn't want to. On the camping trip though, it was impossible to try to write everything down. When we came home, we just never did again. It's freeing. We still have a pretty good general idea, but we are no longer counting every last milliliter. Maybe our next big step can be to start talking in ounces and not MLs!

Friday, May 16, 2008

Happy Birthday Babies!!

Although this is posting On Friday, May 16, I'm still up so it's still birthday day for me!


Today was Natalie and Abigail's first birthday! I can't believe it is already here. How did they get to be a year old already? It seems like yesterday that we were in the hospital waiting and worrying about the girls. At any point we could have lost one or both of them. Having them both here today, happy, healthy and beautiful is just amazing.

Today was a happy day of celebration. To start, the girls had their promised Tea Party with Daddy. While they were in the hospital, Daddy promised them they would have a Tea Party on their first birthday. He made good on his promise. He even shopped and picked out the tea set - Barbie Princess - himself. As you can see, it was a big hit. Natalie and Abby are dressed in party dresses picked especially by Daddy. (He's very proud of the fact that he picked out these dresses. They are also the ONLY clothes he's bought for them.) Froggy and Ducky as well as Pink Bear and Pony were also in attendance. Mommy was not invited but was allowed to watch, video and take pictures. A very good time was had by all.

Following a liquid lunch, and a nap, we headed out to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. It's an awesome museum and I've just been waiting until the girls were old enough to go. I wanted us all to go for the first time. We arrived just as the clock struck 4:09pm - Natalie's official birthday. Abigail officially turned 1, a minute later at 4:10pm. I have to say they looked much better than they did a year ago.
Natalie at 4:09pm


Abby at 4:10pm

We had a great time at the Museum. We were there just in time to watch them feed some of the reptiles. We watched the alligators fish around for their frozen chucks of mice and the a snake gulping down live minnows. The girls really liked the snakes (children after my own heart:-)). I promise there is glass between Natalie and the Copperhead.


We also checked out an old train car where a nice man took our picture, and visited the Butterfly House.

Considering we only had an hour before closing, we did quite a bit. We purchased a year membership for 2 people (the girls don't count as people until they are 3). My plan is to take them during the week. If you want to join us while Ben is at work - you can be a people too!

Just after we returned home, Mema and Grammy arrived to start the celebration weekend. Nanny and Poppy arrived sooner after that. As you know, we have a big celebration planned for Saturday. Mommy has been working like a mad person in the yard to get everything ready. There are still a few things to do:clean the porch, make a cake, decorate cakes, shop for food, clean the house, move the camper, finish mowing the grass, pick up the tables and chairs, make a picture collage,...I'm sure there are a 1000 other things. Fortunately, we have lots of help now. Everyone was assigned their tasks before they went to bed. No, seriously, they really were.

We are really excited about the Dedication and party. Somehow, it's turned into this huge event. We are expecting about 50 people!! Some friends we haven't seen in years are coming. People are even coming from as far away as Wilmington and Boone. We are so honored and humbled that they would come so far, especially with the price of gas these days. What a tremendous gift. It's really amazing how loved and cared for Natalie and Abigail are. We are truly, truly blessed.

Happy First Birthday Natalie and Abigail. Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we are so very glad you are here.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

I almost forgot!

Yesterday, Wednesday, May 14, Abby pulled to stand for the first time! I was on the couch feeding Natalie and Abby was pulling at me, like they usually do if we are on the couch. I wasn't really paying much attention to her, then I looked down, and wha-la - she was standing up!

Go Abby!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Admist our Joy...

Some of you may remember that while in the hospital, we met a family from Caswell County (near Burlington). My dad grew up in Caswell so we felt a bond. Their little boy, Jacab aka Buddy, had Vacterl Association. Vacterl is defined as a "nonrandom association of birth defects" that affect multiple body systems.

Buddy was born around the same time as the girls; I think is birthday is in the next two weeks. He was in the hospital longer than the girls and readmitted several times. He had multiple surgeries, procedures, and complications.

In the end, it was too much for his little body. He died May 9 - just before Mother's Day.

I have kept up with his CarePage (like a blog) and was so saddened to read the news. I have thought of his family often. I can not imagine the heartbreak of his parents.

Reading about Buddy's death caused me to pause and once again reflect on the miracle of Natalie and Abigail. A Mother's Day without a child - it could have so easily been me. Once again, the guilt at having such healthy children hits me. Buddy's parents were faithful Christians. They prayed, their families prayed, their friends prayed, and perfect strangers prayed. They all prayed for a miracle and for healing. But God didn't grant their miracle.

I will never understand why some babies live and others die. I will never understand why my Natalie and Abby were graced with life and health. I will never understand, but I am so thankful.

Please remember little Buddy, his parents and his grandparents in your prayers. They are enduring the most horrific of pains - the loss of a beloved child.

May the peace of the Comforter promised by Jesus surround this family. May they find light in the darkness and hope in the promise that they will one day see their little boy again. Amen.

Facing the Giants

I'm catching the tail-end of a movie I first saw a few months ago. Facing the Giants is the story of a Christian High School football coach and his struggles, both on the field and at home. It's not the best movie in the world: the acting is so-so, the writing isn't great, and it's very predictable. But, it has a great story of the power of prayer and the rewards of faithfulness.

It's been on TV on the not-for-pay movie channels. If you have a chance, try to see it. It's quite inspiring.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Unemployed and Living in a Camper


As of May 9, Natalie and Abby have parents without jobs. We are both officially unemployed. Granted Ben has a job starting May 21, but until then, we are free of work obligations. Of course, that also means we are free of the paychecks that come with those obligations. Oh well. Can't win them all...

Monday, May 12, 2008

What A Difference a Year Makes

Since I didn't have access to the internet on Mother's Day, I'm having to post a day later...

It was a very low-key day. I'm not much of a Hallmark kind of gal, so gifts and such aren't a big deal. The only gifts I ever want are handmade cards, Popsicle-stick pencil holders and grand works of scribbled art. Since Natalie and Abby are a little young for even scribbles, I let them off the hook this year. Ben and I decided our new camper will count as gifts for all upcoming holidays, so he's off the hook too! Ben did fix me breakfast, but confessed later that it wasn't because he remembered it was Mother's Day. In fact, neither of us remembered until way after noon. Ben said he need to call his mom. I thought, "oh I need to call my mom too". It didn't even occur to me until a few minutes later that I was a mom too! I had to remind Ben. Poor Ben:-)

I mostly spent a lot of time thinking about last year's Mother's Day. What a difference a year makes.

Last year, Mother's Day was on May 13th. Nine days earlier we had learned about the danger our babies were in and it had changed all our plans. On that Mother's Day, I was supposed to be at Kenen Stadium finally graduating with my BA in Religious Studies from UNC. Instead, I was on bed rest. I was also supposed to have my "It's About Damn Time" graduation party. After all, it only took me 15 years. The truth is, I remained really disappointed I couldn't attend graduation. Maybe it's silly, but I've always felt like I missed something by not walking. I've never quite been convinced I'm really finished. I was always starting school, taking a break from school, starting school again. Sometimes, I think I'm still on a break.

So, instead of going to graduation and having a party, I was at home, getting fussed at if I took stood up longer than two minutes. Joking aside, last year, Mother's Day was spent worrying about the two little lives inside me, not knowing if both, or even if one, would survive. Mother's Day did yield one happy memory, or rather Kodak Moment. During one of my rare moments upright, Ben snapped this picture.

It's the only real picture of me pregnant. Since I was already a bit "round" when I got pregnant and only made it to 26 weeks, I never really looked pregnant. I had only just started to pop out in the week or two before this picture. (That probably had something to do with Abby's rapidly ballooning amniotic sac.) In any case, I'm actually very happy to have at least one picture proving I was pregnant. Since Natalie and Abby are the spitting images of Ben, people are beginning to question me:-)

Of course, the day after Mother's Day, we went in for yet another ultrasound and amniotic reduction. The results meant I was admitted for the long haul until the girls were to be born. For us, that meant 24 hours later, and the Journey began.

This Mother's Day was much more laid back and quiet. I was thankful to have both my little girls with me. Although I still worry about how much they eat, I am daily grateful for their health, smiles, and the joy they bring to me.

This year, I may not look very different, but I have two beautiful girls. Being with them is the best Mother's Day present ever. (But, I'm still hoping for a Popsicle-stick pencil holder one day:-)

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Babies...Meet the Great Outdoors

We are so excited. We found a great deal on a pop-up camper and we are now the proud owners of a vacation adventure extraordinarie. We are going to test it our this weekend. Ben and I have spent a great deal of time talking about camping with the girls and having wonderful, outdoor adventures. Now, we are making it a reality.

Be sure to check back next week for pictures, stories and hopefully, no regrets!

An Unwanted First

Well, this is one of those firsts you don't want to have. I have discovered Abby's first food sensitivity.

I gave the girls avocado and mango for breakfast today. I added a little cinnamon, since, well, it's avocado and I would want cinnamon, sugar and butter on mine. After several bites, I went into the kitchen to cut up more mango. When I came back, Abby had splotchy spots around her mouth. Fortunately, she wasn't showing any anaphylatic reactions such as trouble breathing. Obviously - that was the end of the cinnamon flavored avocado for Abby. The reaction didn't seem to bother her though. I changed to some fruity baby food and she gobbled it down.

I was quite surprised at the reaction. Last week they had some jar baby food that was some kind of fruity cinnamon oatmeal. They loved it and I didn't see any reaction then. Hmmm, maybe she had to be exposed to it the first time to develop the sensitivity. In any case, no more cinnamon for Abby. And alls well that ends well!

(The rash disappeared within an hour.)

A Few Firsts

To be honest - this post is more for my "bookkeeping" records than anything else. I've been terrible about their baby books so this is they way I keep up with all their little firsts - some of which will seem silly to others. Bear with me...

April 18 - First dinner out with the girls! With Aunt Kimmy, we dined at PF Changs. Abby had missed her nap earlier in the day, so she basically slept in her car seat the whole time. Natalie was awake and was so cute. We put her in a high chair and pulled her up to the table. It was so funny to see her. The high chairs are designed for children a good 6 inches taller or more. She was so little sitting at the table. Her little head barely came up over the table. We feed her a little rice, which she seemed to like. She was very, very good. She didn't cry or make much noise at all. She just looked around and checked everything out.

April 21 - This was a big day!
-- I first noticed Natalie pushing her knees straight and balancing on her feet while in a crawling position. It's a hard position to describe (or to catch on camera). My SIL, Reagan, informs me that in Yoga it's called the "dog-down" position. Hope that helps some of you...It's really cute though and Abby had been doing for several days, so I thought I'd write it down.

-- Found Natalie pulled to her knees in her crib. - with no way to get down, I might add. I had to lay her down - over and over and over for several days until she figured out how to sit back down herself.

-- First trip to Beth and Adam's and family. Aunt Kimberly generously took the girls out for the evening while Ben and I went to dinner. (We were craving Red Robin..yummmm). Later we were shocked to hear that Natalie cried the whole time! The whole time someone had to walk her around away from the room where everyone was hanging out. It was very odd since the girls never cry and haven't shown any stranger fear. I'm not sure what was going on.

Interestingly, when Ben and I went to their house for dinner the next week, she did the same thing! She didn't cry the whole time, but at first, she was very unhappy. We were quite perplexed. At first we thought it was their dog, a beautiful golden retriever. So, she was put outside. Later though, Jasmine came back in and Natalie was very excited to touch her and pull her hair. We're still not sure what the fuss was about.

We have been getting out more with the girls. I even took them with me to get my hair cut. (Once again Natalie was fussy.) We've been to Target and Kroger's (where 3 people came up to them and touched them!!!) They do really well. I've got some errands to run Tuesday, so we may hit Walgreens and Michael's craft store. Look out - Babies on the move!

Monday, May 5, 2008

A Visit from the CDSA



Mommy and Natalie

One of the side effects of having a preemie baby (or two) is that your life soon becomes a plethora of acronyms. NICU, CPAP, PDA, ROP, SICC, mls, ST, OP, PT, CDSA...

Today we had a visit from our case manager with the Durham CDSA - Children's Developmental Service's Agency. The CDSA is really a wonderful agency. It provides services, like Occupational, Physical, and Speech therapy to children who qualify - mostly free of charge. The girls receive their speech/feeding therapy through the Agency. They were also previously evaluated for physical therapy, but it was determined they didn't need it. Since it had been quite a while since we'd seen Elizabeth, it was time for an update.

She was very pleased with their progress. She observed their feeding therapy and we discussed their IEP (Individual Educational Plan - I think those are the right letters!). We discussed their goals for the future - obviously, eating more is at the top of the list. Others include: the next set of skills - waving, clapping, standing, walking. Since we have a complete developmental evaluation at Lenox Baker (Duke clinic) in a few weeks, we are waiting to see if they have any recommendations for PT or OT. But, Elizabeth is going to come by once a month to play with them and show me new exercises to do with them. I'm very excited about that.

It's also nice to hear how great the girls are doing and how healthy they look. I still worry about their size and weight. Our one year pediatrician appointment is just around the corner and I'm living in fear of the "g" word. G-tube, of course. Even though they appear healthy and even have little fat rolls on their legs and cute little pokey bellies, they do not consume enough milk/calories for their size. I'm still worried about their little brains starving.

Speaking of size, we were at church Sunday and we took the girls to the nursery for the first time. I confess that I never actually left. It wasn't that I was worried about leaving them, I was just really intrigued watching them with other people and other babies. They've never been around other babies and very few other people, so it was interesting to me. Anyway, there was an adorable little baby in the nursery as well. He was 3 months old and twice the size of Natalie and Abby - at least in width! His parents said he was 17lbs! He was so chubby and adorable.

There was also a 7 month old in the nursery. She was so tall! and had the cutest smile. It was interesting though to compare the girls to her since Natalie and Abigail are about 8 months adjusted. They seem to be right on track.

Watching the girls' development is an intriguing and joyful past time. I get such a joy from just watching them play. If anyone wants to join the fun for some really cheap entertainment - just come on by! I'll supply the popcorn:-)



Mommy and Abby

For the love of a twin...


It really is just delightful having twins. One of my favorite things is watching Natalie and Abigail play together and love each other.

Today, Ben observed the cutest thing. I was in the office with the door closed. Ben crawled down the hall with the girls and opened the door so they could peek in. After a quick visit, they all scooted back down the hall. After Ben closed my door, Abby stayed and kept patting the door trying to open it. Ben was already at the other end of the hall and Natalie was crawling towards him. Then she stopped, looked back and saw Abby patting the door. She looked at Ben, then at Abby and turned around and crawled back to her sister. Natalie then "helped" Abby with her efforts to open the door by helping her pat on it too.

I didn't get to see it, but I can imagine it, and it just brings tears to my eyes. I love the way they look for each other. I love the way they reach for each other. I love the way they crawl all over each other and suck on each other's heads. When one cries, the other turns her head. It's really a beautiful, beautiful thing to watch.

My hope is that they will always have a special bond. I hope they will be the best of friends and take care of each other. I can't wait for their special "twin language" to begin. Just watching them together makes my heart sing.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Natalie stands up!


So much for my theory that it would take several weeks for Natalie to figure out how to pull to stand...today Daddy caught her standing in her bed - twice! In the evening, she was playing on the floor and pulled up to her feet while holding on to the toy basket.

I'm amazed that she has learned to stand up so quickly. I'm kind of proud of her too. Usually Abby is the one who does everything first. This time Natalie is one up on her:-)

Saturday, May 3, 2008

NICU Reunion


Last weekend we attended the annual Duke NICU reunion. It was nice to go back and see some of the girls' nurses and doctors. I was proud to show them how big and healthy Natalie and Abigail are. We did miss seeing a few of our favorite nurses, but I guess someone had to work that day!

There were a number of door prizes and gift bags for everyone. We ended up with several nice things. We almost won some of the "special" give-aways. They had a prize for the smallest baby (at birth). Natalie was very close at 1.5lbs, but there were 2 1.4lb babies. There was also the "longest NICU stay" award. Again, we were close with 4.5 months, but were beat once again by the same two babies as above who each had 5 month stays. Granted, these are not prizes for which one wants to have an experience that qualifies, but since we already did - might as well win prizes:-)

In actuality, it made me realize once again how blessed and down right lucky we are. Natalie was born at 604g which is really, really, really small. The fact that she has done so well is truly a miracle. When I realized that we'd had one of the longest NICU stays, I was kind of surprised. I guess I thought all babies stayed in the NICU that long. It's weird how one's perception of "normal" becomes skewed.

Every day I read a blog or hear a story that reminds me of the miracles that surround me. I am so amazingly grateful.

Natalie and Abigail develop a will


For whatever reason, Nat and Abby have decided to start expression themselves. As they have no words other than da-da and ba-ba, this has begun to take the form of...whining. Yes, at nearly a year, the girls are beginning to whine.

This new self-expression is actually a pretty important milestone in their development. They now know what they want and how to express their displeasure when they don't get what they want.

Examples:
Baby Abby crawls eagerly down the hall towards an open door through which she saw KitKat disappear. Mommy reaches door about a two feet ahead of Abby and shuts the door. Abby screws up her face and crying begins.

Mommy goes into the kitchen (probably to prepare bottles). New fancy, wrought-iron looking gate closes behind her. Natalie crawls to the gate, grabs it and pulls to her knees. She pokes out her bottom lip and crying begins.

Crying is also likely to commence if a toy, ie. remote control or mommy's phone, is removed from sight.

Since it's new, I still find it cute and funny. I suspect that will pass soon enough.

photo: Natalie

Yeah Daddy!

Ben has a new job! He received a terrific offer with an incredible company on Wednesday. He actually received two offers within 24 hours (he's that good:-)), but we are really happy with the company he's chosen.

His current company has been great about him only given a week's notice so he can have some time between jobs. His last day is May 9 and he starts his new job May 21. We are going to take a few days and visit my aunt and uncle's cabin in Jefferson, NC for a mini-vacation before the girls' birthday festivities.

It will actually be our first real trip with Natalie and Abby - not counting visiting family. I think we are going to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway and do the scenic thing. We are taking the tripod for some quality "First Vacation Family Photos" - probably about a hundred:-)