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:-)

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!

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.

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:-)

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:-)

Bad mommy, bad mommy

Oh my gosh - how the days escape me. I'm so sorry I've been so absent. I'd like to say I've been busy, but mostly I've just been tired and lazy:-)

The girls are amazing. The are still crawling every where. Natalie is really working on pulling up. She gets to her knees and gets stuck. Not only can she not really get her feet up to stand, but she doesn't know how to sit back down. During her naps, I often have to keep going in and laying her back down so she can go to sleep. In the last two days, she has been trying to figure out how to get one foot flat on the ground. After that, she just has to learn to push up on it, pull with her arms, and pop up the other leg, and then - she's standing! It sounds easy, but I think it's kind of hard. I think it may take another few weeks for her to master it.

Abby is such a funny, inquisitive baby. She's definately the explorer. We finally have gates or she'd be every where. Abby loves to take trips down the hall. We close all the doors so it's a safe track. She'll meander down the hall with a little toy in her mouth. She'll then stop for a while, bang on the walls, and take a break. Then she'll roll over and crawl a little more before she stops, rolls over, and takes another little break. Eventually, she emerges from the tunnel back into the living room. It's so cute.

Both girls are in love with the cats. They chase them everywhere. Poor kitties have little means of escape - or maybe they aren't that creative:-) KitKat tries to hide under the chairs, but the babies just climb under too! KitKat will hop up on the ottoman for safety, but somehow leave his tail hanging down which quickly becomes fair game. The kitties really must get smarter.

Well, the babies are stirring from their naps...hopefully this will keep you all happy for a little while. There will be more soon - I promise:-)

Absentee Blogger

I know, I know...I've been very, very bad and I'm behind in my blogging. I appreciate all of you who are checking every day hoping for the latest news. The last 5 days have been very busy. Aunt Kimmy was here and we had our own "Clean House" episode. Cleaning, organizing, boxes, yelling, tears, painting, bags of good will... Loads of fun. But the house has been a mess, my office in disarray, and blogging took a back seat.

I'm just putting things back together, and hopefully I'll find time to catch up very soon.

Thank you for your patience:-)

Natalie is talking too!

Today is the first day I have heard Natalie making ba-ba-ba sounds! I'm so excited. I have some video, but I have to edit it. I'll get it on the blog as soon as possible.

As a note, we also enjoyed a wonderful field trip to Laura's house today. Laura is a friend from church who has been so wonderful about visiting the girls and providing me with company. This time we went out to her house. It was a really beautiful day and it was nice to get out of the house. Natalie and Abby took a few minutes to check out their surroundings, but very soon they were crawling around - both on the floor and all over Laura! Laura - thanks again for letting us visit - and for dinner. It was yummy:-)

11 months old...and counting

The countdown has begun...one year old is just around the corner! Here are this month's pictures. I couldn't decide which one I liked better. Feel free to cast your vote!

Our Own Personal Taylor:-)

Our good friend, Kathryn, knitted these beautiful sweaters for Natalie and Abby. They fit them perfectly - even in the arms. It's as if she measured them herself. I have to add: these are the first pieces of clothing Kathryn has ever made! I am personally amazed.

Thank you so much Kathryn! We love our sweaters!


ps - I know I spelled tailor wrong - it's an inside joke:-)

Something happened on the way to Natalie's side of the bed...

Once the girls are in their own beds, I'm going to really miss these little moments.

It seems Abby grew tired in the midst of her trip to Natalie's side of the bed. She just stopped, used the dividing foam for a pillow, and fell fast asleep. She found this so comfortable, she actually assumed the same position for her next nap!

So, so, so cute - I just want to eat them up:-)

This is Why We Love Twins

The whole point of having twins is to get really cute pictures of them together. I figure if you can't capture pictures like this, then you're missing the point!

I captured this Kodak moment during one of their naps. This time, Natalie was the invader. Abby retaliated, however, by pinning her down and sleeping on her. Since we moved them before they woke up, it's hard to know who to proclaim the victor!

No Child Left Behind

Not to be outdone by her "little" sister, Natalie is intent on keeping up. Today when I went in to get them up from their nap, I found Natalie on ABBY's side of the crib. I think we need a taller barrier. Actually, Ben is going to get the other cribs from storage (hint, hint) so we can solve this little problem.

When they figure out how to get from one crib to the other, then we are really in trouble.

You're invited...

A Day of Celebration

Please join us
Saturday, May 17, 2008
3:30pm-5:00pm
as we celebrate
Natalie and Abigail
with a
Baby Dedication Service
and
1st Birthday Celebration


We would be so happy for any of our friends and family to join us to celebrate Natalie and Abigail's first year. Birthday Cake and refreshments will follow the Dedication Service. We will have a causal cookout dinner about 6pm. All are invited to stay for dinner. Please RSVP by phone or email or comment box. I will send address information as requested. We look forward to celebrating with you!

The Magical Mysterious Dissappearing Abalina

As you can see from the picture, the girls have a big foam rectangle that divides their crib into two sections. Abby sleeps on the right, and Natalie on the left. Today, hearing a bit of fussiness, I went in to get the girls up from their nap. I walked in, looked to Abby's side and to my great surprise, it was empty!

Oh no! Where could she be? A quick glance at Natalie gave the answer. Her mischievous little sister had somehow climbed over the divider and was now crowding Natalie's space. Ironically, Natalie didn't seem to mind while Abby was rather unhappy about it.

I immediately called Ben who didn't believe me at first. He said I must have put them on the same side accidentally. Hmm, nope. Then he said he'll stop by the storage building and get the other crib. I think the time has come.

I just can't believe how quickly they can learn new things. Abby just started crawling a few days ago. Yesterday, she tryied to pull herself up on her knees by grabbing the ottoman, and now she's scaling mountains. Right after I got her up from her nap, I put her on the floor in the living room about 5 feet from where KitKat was lying down. She promptly crawled over and pulled his tail. (KitKat then had the good sense to move).

The babies are on the move - now the fun really begins!

I'm crawling too!

I can crawl too! I can crawl too!

Officially crawling

After weeks of scooting backwards and forwards, I think Abby can officially be called a crawler! I see independent use of legs and arms resulting in a forward motion. That's crawling in my book! I'm so excited they have reached this important milestone - but a little sad too. My babies are growing up. It also won't be long before I can't go to the bathroom by myself - for the next 3 years!!

ps - Ben is not calling her Abby - he's trying to get Natalie to race her:-)

Intro to Wally World 101

We took our first family trip to Walmart today. The girls were perfect. Natalie fell asleep on the way there and sleep through half the trip. Abby just looked around and chewed her turtle. We only had a few "are they twins" comments. Walmart was unusually empty.

We did a little grocery shopping and checked out the toys in anticipation of their birthday. Daddy has already purchased his present for them, but Mommy is still looking.

It was nice to go out as a family. We have been inspired by "Jon and Kate Plus 8" to do more "normal" family things. If they can take 8 kids out, then we can take two. Especially now that the winter season is winding up and the girls have done so well not getting sick. I still certainly don't want strange people touching them, but I don't think they are as fragile as they were.

Maybe next week I'll get really bold and take them somewhere myself!

Look Who's Talking Now!

Listen to the cute sounds Abby is making! Mommy and Daddy are so proud.

No catchy title today

I usually spend several minutes trying to come up with some catchy or funny title for my posts. I guess my English teachers drove into me that every essay needs a good title. Right now, though, I'm not sure there is an appropriate title for what I feel.

We are planning a Baby Dedication service for Natalie and Abigail, so I have spent the last hour researching to find prayers, blessing, liturgies, and songs. Somehow, my search for songs led me to uTube and a dedication for a little baby. Along the side were related videos that included dedications and memorials to babies that had died. Some of the babies had died of SIDS, others of prematurity.

One video showed two tiny, tiny twin boys, Cody and Kyle. Born weighing 1lb 8.5 and 1 lb 6.5, Kyle died on his birthday. His twin died the next day. The video is heartbreaking. The parents, daughter, and grandma were able to hold and spend time with the little boys after they passed away. Wrapped in little blankets, they were so tiny.

I looked at the teeny, tiny babies and was once again reminded of how easily our lives could have been completely different. Against the odds, our babies survived. Against even greater odds, our babies have thrived. Natalie and Abigail are happy, contented, smiley, joyful, inquisitive, beautiful, curious, good babies who fill us with joy and happiness. So, they don't eat and I get so frustrated and feel like such a failure. Then they smile at me and reach for me and it just doesn't matter.

The internet is a fickle friend. It can suck your time away into some black hole where you look up and suddenly you've been doing absolutely nothing for hours. Or, it can provide a medium through which we can communicate with family and friends about our little girls. It can give you a window into all things perverse and unseemly, or it can allow you access to resources that can help plan a dedication service that will reflect the joy and thankfulness we feel for Natalie and Abby. The internet can fan the flames of worry and doubt by linking you to every manner of sickness or disaster that can strike a soul, or it can remind you that for whatever reason, you have escaped the unimaginable grief so many parents endure when they lose a child.

I have to feed, or try to feed my babies now. They are asleep, so at least it won't be a fight. Even if they eat well, they will still only top out at about 500mls for the day. But, they are here to feed, and I am so grateful. Instead of holding my girls in my arms while they sleep, I could be staring at an empty nursery and an empty crib.

Life is so tenuous. I take for granted so much so often. I get tired and cranky and frustrated and forget how it could have all been so different in an instant. I've just spent nearly 3 hours on the computer when I could have been doing any number of productive things: laundry, cleaning, reading. However, I've been reminded once again of what is really important and how overwhelmingly fortunate we are to have our baby girls. Maybe there are clothes that need folding, dishes to put away, a kitchen to clean and more clothes to wash, but all in all, I think it was time well spent.

My babies and a bottle wait for me...I shall greet them with joy and thanksgiving.

Peer Pressure

There will soon be some changes to the photo-video site. I've received several complaints about the redundancy and quantity of pictures posted on the picture site. I've tried explaining that my favorite picture may not be someone else's favorite picture and I'm trying to give those of you that download and print options, but they aren't buying it.

So, beginning in March, I will post two sets for each month. One - the "best of the best" AKA the short version. The second group will be variations of those that may highlight a certain smile, moment, or slight difference. If you are in a hurry, you can quickly click through the short version. If you have more time, you may leisurely stroll through all the babies' smiles, head tilts, and cuteness and decide if you like sweet and pretty pictures or cute and quirky.

Oh - February pictures are up as well. They aren't labeled yet though - give me a few more days. Be sure to check out the ones in the red dresses. They are just precious. Here's a sneak peak:-)

Weigh-In

We had a doctor's appointment today for their monthly synegis shot (for RSV) and a weight check. Heavyweight Abigail weighed in at 6375g or 14lb 0.8oz. In the lightweight category, Natalie is 5935g or 13lb 1.45oz.

In general, this is good news. They have gained very well since their last visit on March 7 which was post-illness. Abby was then 12.11lb - up 1.5 lbs. Natalie was last 11.132lbs - up 1.4lbs. That's really good for 3 weeks and 3 days.

However, when you at the specifics, it doesn't look as good. They were at the pediatrician Feb 28 - pre-sickness. Abby then weighed 13.84lbs. So, she's only really gained about 8-9 oz in a month. Natalie was 12.66lb. She's gained about 11-12 oz. I guess it's not too bad really. If they had stayed on their previous curve, they would have gained a little over a pound each. So, I guess they are only down from 4-7oz.

The bad part is that they have nearly stopped eating again, especially for me. I am most distressed. They will eat okay for Ben, but I can barely get 80mls in them. I'd like to think it's because they have colds, but somehow I don't think so. We are back to the crying, fighting, squirming behavior. Their totals have been really down. Abby didn't even hit 500mls yesterday.

I keep thinking that one day I will get to stop worrying about how much they eat and how much they weigh. I really dread feeding times. They are the worst times of the day. The only time I don't hate it is the last feed, when they are asleep. It's the only time they don't fight me tooth and nail.

Cruising The World

I have just discovered how I want to spend my retirement years, or at least a few of them. I saw today on the Travel Channel today this incredible marvel called The World. It's a ship managed by ResidenSea (clever, isn't it). You BUY an apartment or small studio and live on the ship as it travels to ports of call all over the world. It's a floating condo. It's incredible.

The apartments are two bedroom/two bath with hot tubs on the verandas. You can sit in the hot tub on the deck and watch the ocean go by. The apartments have their own kitchens or you can eat at one of the restaurants on board. If I read it correctly, the food and drink are included in your yearly maintenance fees.

The apartments go for about $3.5-$4 million. Maintenance fees on the 2 bedroom, including food, are about $270,000 a year. No problem. So, I figure we have 30 years...if we save about $135,000 a year we can purchase the apartment outright. Then we only need an income of about $$350,000-$400,000 a year for fees and travel expenses at all the ports. That should cover a spa treatment or two at the on-board spa -after I work out in the fitness center following a few laps in the pool.

Seriously, it's the coolest thing I've ever seen. If I win the lottery - I'm buying me a floating apartment!! You can all meet us at the different ports and stay in the guest room:-)

UNC - Final Four

Woo Hoo - once again the TarHeels have shown why they are the #1 team in the country. There were a few tense minutes when Louisville pulled within one point, but in the end we won by a hearty 10 points. Now, we are Texas bound!

Ben had the good and unexpected fortune to attend the game and watch the Heels in action. I'm not sure of the details, but there were tickets roaming around at his work and he was asked if he would like a ticket. He and a few co-workers left this afternoon for the game and will return around 2 or 3 this morning.

I'm very happy Ben was able to go to the game. Nevermind that I'm the UNC grad. I'm not jealous at all. No, no, not me...

Poppy and Nanny Surprise

Poppy and Nanny were visiting Manteo, NC this weekend and decided to stop for a surprise visit Saturday afternoon. It turned into a brief overnight stay. They have to leave very early in the morning to continue to Ingram, VA for a church service.

However brief, Natalie and Abigail were thrilled to see Nanny and Poppy for a little play time. The one thing that binds us to this area (or at least NC and VA) is having grandparents and aunts and uncles so close. At least 3 or 4 times a week, I wish we could check out that job we turned down in Maui. Hawaii calls to me. Then, I think of how happy Natalie and Abby will be getting to know their grandparents and aunts and uncle. I also think of how happy getting to see Natalie and Abby makes the grandparents. I know it would just break all their hearts. I have the most amazing relationship with my grandmother. I hope so much for Natalie and Abby to have a similar relationship. I know it can only come from personal contact and time spent together. Phone calls and letters just aren't the same. So, for the sake of the girls, and our parents, Hawaii must wait and we will rejoice in the time we all have together.

Mommy's Frustrations

Well, it seems I spoke too soon about the miracle of the babies' eating. They are reverting to their old ways: the struggling, the crying, the barely eating. Mommy is frustrated, annoyed and did I mention frustrated. I can barely get them to eat anything. Fortunately, Daddy has better luck. But, since I have the girls for at least two feeds on my own, it does not make make for a happy day for Mommy.

On a very slightly good note: When at their 7ish feeding tonight, they refused to eat, I tried some baby sweet potatoes instead. To my great surprise, they ended up eating the whole jar. Even Abby, who usually clamps her mouth shut, ate quite a bit. It certainly didn't make up for the calories they would have received in a bottle, but at least it was something.

I know I whine a lot about them eating, but when they are fighting me so much, it greatly affects my mood. I really dread meal times and get very easily frustrated and ready to give up.
I try to stay calm, but I'm not very good at it. It's a combination of annoyance that they aren't cooperating and worry that they will stop gaining weight and we will be back where we started.

We do have a doctor's appointment Monday. They have to get their, hopefully last, synegsis shot (for RSV) and a weight check. That will give me more information as to whether I should start worrying again.

Eating Update

Natalie and Abigail have had a stellar last 10 days of eating. They have consistently hit 700mls and even over 800mls one or twice. We are so proud of them!

The last two days haven't been as good, however. We are just making 700ml - barely and with much fighting. They just don't seem to want to eat as much anymore. But, they are eating more than they weer before they were sick so we are still a few steps ahead.

We weighed them tonight on our special baby scale. The results were pretty good. March 16, 10 days ago, Abby weighed 13 lbs 9.5 oz. Natalie was 12lb 4oz. Tonight, Abby was 14lb 0.5 oz and Natalie was 12 lb 15oz. So, 7 ounces in 10 days for Abby and 11 ounces for Natalie! That's amazing for Natalie. If the scale is right, this is by far the most they have ever gained since being off the NG tube.

If I do a little math based on what they should have weighed had they not gotten sick taking into consideration their usual 4 oz a week weight gain and using the last weights on Feb 29 at the doctor's office...

Abby should weigh about 14 lbs 6-7 oz. She's only off about 5 ounces - about 1 week of growth. Natalie should be about 13 lbs 4-5 ounces. She's also only down about 5 or 6 ounces. This is fantastic considering they lost nearly a month's growth in the week they were sick. We go back to the doctor on March 31 and I'm anxious to see what their scales say. But, so far - so good. Yeah Natalie and Abigail!!

NBC Preemie News Report

My friend, Amy, graciously called and told us that NBC was running a segment on Preemie babies and long-term developmental effects. Duke was actually the featured hospital. The segment started rather dramatically suggesting prematurity is a sentence of doom. I turned to Ben and said, "hmm, maybe we shouldn't watch this". We did anyway, and it really wasn't that bad. The bottom line was that some preemie babies have later difficulties - and some don't. And they can't tell until it happens. Well now, that's informative.

Al in all, it wasn't anything we didn't already know. The only one particular bit of info I found interesting was some evidence that female preemie babies can have high-risk pregnancies themselves. The doctor suggested that it may be a good idea for those mothers-to-be to see a high-risk ob from the beginning. That's definately something I'll store away for later use.

One of our doctors, Dr. Ricki Goldstein, was one of the main doctors they interviewed. We also caught a glimpse of one of our nurses. It was strange seeing all the NICU rooms and the little babies. It's hard to believe that Natalie and Abigail were once two of those tiny, tiny babies hooked up to a dozen machines. They have really come so far.

One bizarre bit of possible trivia: while watching the report, they showed a birthing room with a women lying in the bed and three doctors that entered the room to talk to her. Ben and I both started and said, "is that ME?" We re-ran it (gotta love DVR) over and over, and we still aren't convinced it wasn't. It looks just like me. We saw so many doctors that I honestly can't remember if we met the three that came in the room on the film. I definately don't remember any camera men. But, seriously, it looks just like me!! We still have it saved and I am going to embark on some detective work using the photos we took in the room and the video we have to see if I can pick up any clues that confirm it was my room. I'm intrigued. If you want to see my possible nation-wide debut and cast your vote, just come on over to visit.

The Photographer Photographed

Since I'm usually the one behind the camera, there are comparatively few pictures of me and the girls. I've even taken to setting up the camera and taking self-photos.

For Easter, however, we finally got a few good pics of me and my babies. I'm determined to work harder at requesting pictures of us so that I don't look back and realize there aren't any! I have to say that Ben is very willing to take the pictures - when I remember to ask.

Note to all dads out there (or whoever is NOT the "picture-taker": take the camera every now and then and photograph the photographer. Your loved one and your children will thank you later.

Gotta Love Grandmas

Natalie and Abigail were so happy to spend their first Easter with Gramy and Mema. The Easter Bunny AKA Gramy was kind enough to bring the girls formula and pampers along with an Easter bunny.



It should come as no surprise that the wooden baskets the bunnies are in were actually from my and my sister's childhood. Have I ever mentioned that my mother keeps everything:-)





We were happy to be able to attend church, and the girls were so good. They ate a little bit and just looked around and checked everything out. Natalie started talking a little so Ben had to take her out for a few minutes. She probably wasn't really that loud, we just didn't want to disturb anyone. They wore the cutest peach dresses and sweaters with matching hats. They really were so cute.

After church, Uncle Wayne came over again to visit for a while. The girls napped, mommy napped, the Tar Heels beat the snot out of Arkansas, and the girls went to bed without a fuss. All in all - it was a pretty good first Easter.

Grandparents, Aunts, and Cousins, Oh My!

It has been quite an Easter weekend. We really just need to have our own little motel. If I could build the perfect house, it would have a guest wing with about 4 small, yet comfortable rooms and two baths. We are among the few that actually use our guest room (and the couch and the air mattress).

Our most special visitors have been two aunts and a cousin that were able to meet the girls for the first time. Aunt Susie, Richard's sister, was in from Michigan and Aunt Judy, Richard's former sister-in-law, and her daughter, Becky, were visiting from northern Virginia. They had all attended our other cousin's graduate voice recital in Atlanta and decided to visit her as well.

Aunt Susie, especially, has been amazing keeping up with the girls and checking on them. She was so excited to meet them, and of course, Natalie and Abigail loved their Aunt Susie. We will get to hang out with her more Monday and maybe even Tuesday.

We had a great time Saturday with a hamburger and hotdog cookout and some of Ya-Yai's amazing egg rolls for an appetizer. The weather was just beautiful and we were able to eat out on the deck. Aunt Susie especially appreciated that since they have had something like 80 inches of snow this winter. We put the girls outside on a playmat and let them just enjoy the weather and check out the grass. It was really so much fun.

Somehow we missed getting a group shot of everyone, which I really, really hate. I don't know what we were thinking. We had everyone outside, and naturally we had the camera taking pictures of the girls. We took some shots of Aunt Sue and the girls, but missed Becky and Judy. If you are reading this - I'm so sorry. I really wish we had taken a group picture:-(

It was a great day though with lots of family around: Yai-Ya, Grandpa, Aunt Susie, Aunt Judy, Becky, Kimberly, Jeff and Reagan, Gramy, Mema, my uncle Wayne, Ben, me, and Natalie and Abigail. It was really a houseful of love.

Official 10-month group shot

I tired to post this a few days ago, but it wouldn't work for some reason. But, here is their official "together" shot. It was a last ditch effort with a poor background, but at least we got something. If I kept trying every day to get the perfect picture, it would have become the 10 1/2 month picture, and honestly, that's just getting ridiculous. Of course the 86 pictures I took trying to get the perfect shot aren't ridiculous at all.

A Visit from Poppy

Natalie and Abigail had a great time visiting with Poppy on their first Easter weekend. He was able to come down Wednesday night and stay until Saturday morning. I know he would have liked to stay all weekend but Easter Sunday is usually one of the days ministers are required to work.

As always, the girls had so much fun playing and laughing with Poppy. They all took a walk together in the beautiful spring time weather we have had. We missed Nanny this time since she was visiting with her children. Natalie and Abigail are so lucky to have grandparents who love them so much!

IOU - our tab is running...

My sister has been here for a few days for Easter. Kimberly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, but more importantly, she is a professional child care consultant and sleep trainer. As I mentioned previously, the girls' nap schedule has been erratic and putting them to bed at night has been awful. When she arrived, we decided it was time to sleep train.

I must say, my babies are the smartest in the world. Of course there was a little crying, but tonight, after only 4 days, they were asleep within 5 minutes of being put in their beds. My sister is a genius. So far, her system is virtually fail-proof. She's even sleep-trained babies who have been through the Ferber Clinic. She is working on a web-based consulting business - www.parentingunlimited.com. It's not up yet, but if you have kids I would bookmark it for future use.

As far as our tab...her usual rate is $500 a night. She was here two nights and two days. I figure we owe her about $2000. I'm hoping we will get a 99% discount.

I have to say, however, I can fully understand why people hire her. Babies that sleep are worth every penny - so is my sister:-)

10 month pics - TAKE TWO

I tried more pictures today. What can I say - I'm a perfectionist and I like playing with my camera. Today's pictures would have been amazing. I took them outside and used the blooming flowers as a background. It was sunny and beautiful and...too cold. It wasn't really cold exactly, but a little too cool for the girls when the wind was blowing. I am using the cutest coordinating summer outfits and it was just too cold. I only took a handful of shots of Natalie because she didn't look very happy.

The few I did get were cute, and I got some good ones of Abby. I still don't have any good ones of them together.

Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer, so I will try once again. Maybe third time's the charm...

ps - check out the cute little bow in their hair. I can't decide if I like it better with or without. Anyone wanting to weigh in can leave a comment.

Happy 10 Month Birthday!!

Today, Natalie and Abigail are 10 months old. Unbelievable. I know I say that every month, but I really feel that way every month! They will be one whole year old in two short months. How did this happen? Where did the time go?? How is this possible??? Where are my Baaabies??????? I'm crying already. I did take some 10-month birthday pictures, but I wasn't very pleased with them. It was cloudy here and my light wasn't very good. Neither was feeling particularly photogenic either. Abby would only gape her mouth wide open with her tongue hanging out. I couldn't get any good pictures of them together. I'm going to try again Sunday.

I am officially declaring the girls getting sick one of the best things that's happened to them. Maybe it's coincidence, maybe they decided they didn't like being hungry, maybe their bodies were starving for a week and decided that was BAD...I don't know, but for whatever reason, the babies have gotten the hang of this eating thing. Here are there totals for the last 3 days:
Wed
Nat - 635mls
Abby - 745ml

Thurs
Nat - 645ml
Abby - 830ml

Fri
Nat - 700ml
Abby - 740ml

Currently, they are sitting at 660ml for Nat and 630ml for Abby. They each have one more feed. I'm speechless.

Hehe - right this second, the girls are lying on their play mat in our office...they both are lying on their backs holding on to their little feet. They are just so cute:-)

On the downside, in exchange for eating well, they've decided not to sleep they way the should. They still sleep great through the night, for which I am very grateful. But, their nap schedule is a mess. They WERE taking a short nap between 7:30/8pm to 8:30-9pm, then having their 9pm bottle. Then they would go back to sleep for the night. They were usually asleep again by 10:30pm. I would feed them again at midnight, but they never even woke up.

Currently, it's 11:46pm and they are still up. Wait - Abby is trying to chew on a phone cord - okay, fixed. (Nat is sucking a toe:-) The only good thing about their new sleeping plan is that they sleep until about 11am. I'm afraid they have their mommy's sleep habits. Next week's task: Nap training.

A New Record

Woo Hoo!! It's 1:13am, Thursday morning, and I just finished feeding Abby her last feed. She had 740mls today!! That's the most EVER! I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it. Natalie should hit about 600mls which is fantastic for her. 740mls translates into about 24.5 oz. Wow. Maybe one day we will be able to start measuring in ounces and not mls. Yeah Abby!

Thank God for Digital

If you check out the picture/video site, you will notice that there are 200 pictures for January. If this seems like a lot, I just thought I would put it in perspective for you.

Total pics for January - 464
Total pics for Feb - 739

Total pics since birth - 7,746

Yes, that's in thousands.

So, if you get tired of clicking through pictures - it could be worse!

ps - Anyone who would like to view all 7,746 pictures is welcome to join us for a weekend - or two! Maybe three if you want to see the videos too! There are nearly 400 of those.

January pics and videos are up!

I have added pictures and videos from January to the picture site. Be sure to look at their 8 month pictures. They are so cute!

Keep an eye out for February's pictures. They are coming soon!

Better than Ever!

I hate to say it, but maybe getting sick was a good thing. Abby is eating better than ever. Yesterday and today she drank 150mls in one sitting! That's the most ever. She also had several 120-130mls.

Natalie is eating about the same as before as far as the bottle goes. But, she is chowing down on homemade applesauce. She loves it.

Maybe they discovered what real hunger was like and decided to make sure that didn't happen again. Whatever the reason, YEAH!!

Hopefully this means they will gain a little more than their usual 4 oz each week and start gaining back a little of what they lost.

That's What you get for Panicking

The doctor's assistant called me Monday and it was far better than I expected. She said there was no need to do anything drastic. Kids get sick and lose weight. We just need to work on getting them back to eating like they wore and weight them in about two weeks to make sure they've started gaining weight. Eventually, they would catch back up.

WOW! I was so surprised. I was completely prepared to haul the girls in for a painful, tearful tube decision. That's what I get for panicking. I've never really been one for excessive worrying and panic. Family members have had biopsys and PET scans and other tests, and honestly, I just don't worry about it until the results come back and I need to. My mema has always said, "show me how worrying helps and I'll worry for you!". I kind of live by that. HOWEVER, I was in full-out panic mode Friday and Saturday. And, it was all for nothing.

In any event, I'm so happy the girls are clear to recover without drastic intervention. They are doing so much better. Sunday they finally started playing and eating better. They are a little weak and their muscle tone is a little low, so we have to go back to working on that. Natalie is not sitting up as well as before and Abby isn't "crawling" backwards around the room as well. But, they are getting their strength back and eating quite well.

Speaking of eating, I think I mentioned before, but just call me Martha Stewart! Homemade applesauce is a huge hit! Natalie absolutely loves it. She grabs at the spoon tries to put it in her mouth. Abby is less enthusiastic, but still shows more interest than she did in anything else.

We have also tried some yogurt, but they don't like that quite as much. And, no, I didn't make that from scratch! I will try some pears shortly and see how they like those.

It's really nice to have my smiling and laughing babies back. Today, we all lay on the floor and I read them books. Abby would just cackle every time I turned a page. She was so funny. I really missed their personalities while they were sick. Although, now I do kind of miss their really long naps!

Damage Control

It's been a pretty rough week. Friday I decided to take the girls to the doctor just to make myself feel better. I didn't think there was anything they could do, but I figured I'd go anyway. The girls were still not eating well and weren't playing or perky at all.

The appointment left me even more worried and quite honestly, panicked, If you know me well, it takes a good bit to panic me. Their weigh-ins were worse than I thought. Natalie weighed in at 11 lb 13.2 oz. One week prior she was 12lb 6.6 oz. She had lost about 8 oz in a week. Abby weighed 12lb 11oz down from 13lb 8.4oz - down over 12 oz. If you add the 4 oz they usually , gain each week, it's even worse. It's almost a pound each. That's a whole month's worth of growth gone in a week.

And, then I panicked. I just don't know what we need to do for the girls. I'm so afraid the doctor will want to put in a g-tube immediately. Or, we may need to ng tube for several weeks to try to put on some weight. I absolutely hate both those ideas. I know they will be so miserable if we have to ng tube (tube in nose) them. It breaks my heart to think they may get g-tubes just because of being sick. They were doing so well.

I will have to talk to Dr. Malcolm tomorrow and see what he wants to do. I'm so worried about them. The only thing that makes me feel better is that today they have eaten much better and played more. They still aren't quite themselves, but we are getting closer.

UNC tragedy

It may not make the news in all places, but this week UNC has suffered a terrible tragedy. Early Wednesday morning, the Student Body President, Eve Carson, was found murdered a few miles from campus. She was found shot several times and lying in the middle of the road. As her car was missing, it is surmised that it was some kind of carjacking. She was a senior, a Morehead Scholar, and a Carolina Fellow.

The campus, is, of course, in mourning. Once the story broke, thousands of students filled the quad to hear Chancellor Moeser speak. Thursday night a candle light Vigil was held at the Pit. From the view on TV, I suspect at least a thousand were there as well. Right now, the police aren't saying if they have suspects. I can't imagine what her family is feeling. Oddly, I actually had a class with her my last semester. She was in my recitation of my Gnosticism class. She was very friendly.

There are actually very few murders in Chapel Hill and crimes such as this are unusual around campus. It's very scary for everyone. Please keep Eve's family and friends in your prayers.

I think we are getting better

I am definately at full strength again. Full ability to take care of the girls, full ability to avoid housework; full ability to eat normally. Shoot - I've always wished that loss of appitetie thing would hang around even after I'm well.

Natalie and Abigail are mysterious. They are definately not themselves, although Abby played a little today. They are still throwing up a few times a day, but I think it's reflux related and not sickness related. They are doing a lot of "swallowing" in the reflux way you do to keep food down. The downside of that as well is that they throw up their reflux meds. Then we have a vicious circle. Natalie, especially, acts very tired and hasn't shown much interest in playing at all. I'm really not quite sure what to do about it all. They are drinking enough to not be dehydrated, but they are not nearly at their pre-sick intake. I think I'm going to take them to the doctor tomorrow, although I'm not sure what good it will do. They aren't exactly sick, but they aren't exactly well either. The doctor will think I'm silly, but I think it will make me feel better.

On a good note - I made some homemade applesauce a few days ago and the girls LOVED it. We also tried some yogurt yesterday and today and they like that too. They actually move their tongues around and swallow. Natalie is so cute. She tries to grab the spoon and put it in her mouth. I'm not sure why the light bulb went off in the middle of being sick, but hey, I'm not complaining. We'll take food in any way we can get it.

It's Official

Well, a week after a new station broke the story, Ben's work, Motricity, confirmed that they were indeed laying off 250 employees and moving headquarters to Washington State. Ben will likely have his job until June. So, the job hunt, begun in earnest last week, shall continue.


The good news is we aren't at the panic stage yet. We are really quite thankful this didn't happen last year when the girls were critical. That would have been horrible. Also, thanks to some aggressive savings, a few bonuses, our expected tax refund and Bush's stimulus check, we are in better shape than ever before to weather this storm, if necessary. And, there's always my mom's basement:-)...or Maui:-)

On the mend...

I think we are on the mend. Yesterday was pretty tough - for Ben and Doy anyway. I was pretty useless. I feel MUCH better today though. The girls are starting to eat formula and are not throwing up. Natalie has been very tired today and has slept most of the time between eating. Abby has been tired and grumpy, and not wanting to sleep like she should between eating. Abby has also gotten used to sleeping in the swing and being rocked and cuddled to sleep. When you put her down in her bed, she promptly wakes up. Hmmm. Tomorrow will be spent getting the girls back on a real schedule and back to their old habits.

We are going to weigh them tonight (we have a special baby scale) to see how much damage this illness has done. It's kind of disheartening since they were doing so well. But, such is life and we'll just have to hope they rebound well.

So far, Ben is still well. He's just understandably tired. Hopefully, he can get to bed a decent hour tonight and get some rest. Thank goodness for Doy who has been extremely helpful both with the girls and with cooking and keeping the kitchen clean. We are so grateful.

And then there were 3

Sick people, that is. Natalie and I started throwing up Sunday night. Ben is the last one standing. We called in reinforcements and Richard brought Doy in at midnight - God bless him - and her. We are all mostly not throwing up anymore, but Abby and I are weak and whinny. Natalie seems rather chipper - talking and playing with her feet. What a trooper.

Just a little trivia - we recently discovered that the job Ben was offered in Maui is still open. Tempting.... When I started getting sick too and we were able to call Doy, my first thought was, "thank God we aren't in Maui!"

ER drama

We have had our first middle-of-the-night ER visit. Don't worry - no one panic. All is well, but it was, as ER visits always are, a long, long night.


So, Abby started throwing up during her 9pm feed. She ate about 60ml, threw up, then ate 60 more. It wasn't a big deal at first. We figured it was just a little reflux. After eating, she went to sleep. About 10ish, she threw up in her bed and woke up. Then, she threw up a couple of more times to the point where she was dry heaving and then throwing up yellow bile. At this point, we are thinking this is a little concerning. She's never thrown up like that before. But, she didn't have a fever or anything. We were a little concerned about her getting de-hydrated but I wasn't too concerned. But my mom and grandmother had just arrived and they were concerned and so was Ben. So we called the nurse on call and she recommended Pedialyte and gave us all the instructions on what to do. But because of their cortisol issues (remember they were on hydrocortisone for a while), she connected us to the Pediatric Endocrinologist on call at Duke. Ironically, we had just seen the Endo that day at Duke. We were supposed to go Monday am to have a cortisol stimulation test done to make sure they are doing okay without the hydrocortisone (which they haven't had since December). The endo on call said we should take her in and have the stim test done to see if she needed the booster shot of hydrocortisone to be on the safe side.

So, about 12am, off we went. It was very fortunate mom and mema were here since mom could stay with Nat. Otherwise I would have had to go by myself. It would have been fine, but I was worried about her throwing up and choking in the car. For the first time EVER I sat with her in the back to make sure she was okay.

Once we arrived at the ER, we fed her sips of Pediolyte and she did throw up again. In the end, we were there until about 4am. They drew blood (after putting in an IV which was so sad involving much crying and crying). Then it turned out the lab doesn't even run that test at that hour, so they gave her the meds just in case. We are supposed to call today to see the results - if they have them.

Poor Abby was so tired, but did manage to drink more Pediplyte and keep it down. We all finally got to bed about 4:30am. At 6ish Abby woke up fussing. I think she was hungry. I gave her some more pediolyte and she fell back to sleep. She did have a fever though - 99.8. We got up about 10 to feed Nat and give Abby a mix of pediolyte and formula. She did well. She was up for a while then went to sleep. At 12ish, I gave her another mix, but she threw up. So it's back to pedalyte. She's been asleep mostly today and thrown up a few more times. I'm just waiting for Natalie to catch whatever it is and start throwing up too.

So - that's our ER drama. Abby will be fine, poor little girl. The good news is that being sick is the best time to test the coritsol reaction, so now we will know how well she really is doing. We will still have to take Natalie Monday morning though.

We are pretty tired today, so it's nice having my mom here to help. Ben had a nap already, and mine will come after the UNC BB game.

Testing 1-2-3

Okay - this is a test of picture and video posting. If you happen to catch it while it's up - don't be confused:-)




I'm trying to figure out how to put little videos on here ...bear with me!

Play Dates Times Two

Wow - two play dates in one week! We are regular social butterflies. Today my friend, Paula, and her darling daughters, Rachel and Michelle, came to visit. They were all so sweet with the girls. It was so great for mommy to have someone to talk to as well. I'm honestly not sure when I last left the house. I'm trying hard to organize some kind of social interaction every week. So, if anyone wants to sign up...

Watching Rachel and Michelle interact and play was fun. At one point they were running in a circle from the living room to dining room to kitchen to living room. One was pulling a string with a ball on it (a cat toy) and the other chasing her. I just laughed and said, "that's what I have to look forward to". There's something about running in circles kids love. Walker and Blaire always did that - ran round and round through the house pulling their stuffed animals or riding a little car. It was so cute. When Ben came home just before everyone left, he watched the girls with the biggest grin. He too commented, "that's what we have to look forward to". Then he added, "and I can't wait." He almost looked like he had tears in his eyes:-)


Thanks so much to Paula and the girls for keeping us company. We're happy to have you anytime.

A Play Date

Today was a pretty good day. Mostly:-)

The day actually didn't start very well. I over slept, and at 11am, the girls refused to eat anything. That put me in a rather ill mood. I've been very worried about Natalie and her weight gain. We weighed her last Tuesday and she had only gained 4 oz in the two weeks prior. Every ml she doesn't eat worries me.

Ben was home for lunch, of course, and that always helps with the feeding. I had managed to get a shower and clean up a little. If you've seen my house, you'll know this is quite an accomplishment. I tell people when they come over they have to play the "Pretend Game". You have to pretend you don't see the mess.

At 1:45, we had a play date. The children I was babysitting for when I was pregnant came over. Liam, Abbey, and their mom, Kelly, had not yet met the girls. It had been about 5 or 6 months since I had seen the kids, and they were so big! Especially Abbey. There is a big difference between 15 months old and 19 months old! It was so great to see them and Kelly and talk to an adult - and kids who can talk back.

Kelly and I talked about their feeding issues. Kelly made the point that it's hard to look past the present to the future. At whatever stage one is in, it's easy to think it will always be this way. For instance, when a newborn doesn't sleep through the night the first few months, you think she'll NEVER sleep through the night. A few months later, it's all forgotten. I thought she had a great point. Yes, the girls don't eat well, but 3 months ago, we were trying to get them to eat 30mls per feed. Now we already up to 100mls. In three more months, we may be at 130mls. This too shall pass.

Here at the end of the day, Abby has had a pretty good day. Natalie - not so much. But, we weighed them earlier and our scale says Natalie has gained 6 oz since last Tuesday. If it's correct, that's amazing. Maybe I am obsessing after nothing.

Another good thing is that for the first time in weeks, okay, months, our house looks half-way decent. As long as you don't go into the office, you can see the floor is every room. Now that is a good day.

Happy 9 month birthday!

Wow - Natalie and Abigail are 9 months old. How did that happen! Check out their adorable pictures. At the 8 month mark, Abby hammed it up for the camera. This time it was all Natalie. She was just beautiful. I'll post the full photo shoot as soon as possible.

At 9 months (5.5 months adjusted) here's what they are up to:

Both girls are officially sitting up! Well, they can sit up for several minutes on their own, so I guess that's official. I wouldn't leave them alone like that though. Abby is getting really good and pulling her body up and straighting her back to sit up straight. We've really been working on those ab muscles and it shows!

Natalie and Abigail have also discovered their toes (an important ab muscle exercise). Again, Abby is a bit more interested. Sometimes she just holds on to them and looks around. They also like to kick a lot - sometimes up in the air and sometimes at toys I hang or hold in front of them.

Abby is really on the move. Just in the two-three days since when I started this post and now, she has advanced in leaps and bounds. She has begun to scoot backwards while on her tummy. She can also turn in all directions to reach for toys. She will lean and balance on one hand while reaching for or holding a toy. She is also trying SO hard to move forward. She will see something in front of her that she wants and she reaches and reaches and just can't quite get there. But, she's very close. Today (Thursday) she has really been trying to rock up on her knees. She got very close several times. Crawling is just around the corner...

Natalie can also turn around on her tummy and as of today, I think is starting to get the idea of pushing backwards. Natalie is much better at flipping from her back to her tummy than Abby though. She can turn over very well. Natalie is more content to be more still and play with one toy than reach for everything in sight (like Abby).

Both girls are very vocal and love to "talk" and talk. They will engage in "conversation" with you and it's delightful. They are still the happiest babies I've ever seen. The only times they fuss are when we wrap them up and put them to bed and they aren't ready to sleep, or when we try to feed them. The smile and laugh and play all day.

We are solucky to have the most beautiful, happy babies in the world.

Okay - I'm back!

Good grief ! How the time flies. Have we already been home from my dad's for over a week? I think I'm still recovering. Part of recovery is catching up on blogging, and I have a lot to report.

Be sure to scroll down and catch up on all the latest news!

The Parent Test

Yesterday was quite an adventure. We left my dad´s in Luray, VA around 11am. The trip is generally 5.5 - 6 hours. With the girls, you have to add at least an hour for a feeding stop. Natalie also had a very bad diaper rash that we wanted to stay on top of with frequent changes. We figured we'd be home about 7ish.

We were moving right along despite multiple stops: several diapers changes, two feedings, and a fussy Abby who we checked a few times just in case of a poopy diaper. Around 6pm, we were about 35 miles from Durham. We were very happy. The girls, who are really amazing travelers, had had about enough and were getting fussy.

Just ahead, we begin to see the bright lights of the big ole city of Durham. But wait, that's not Durham. It's the site all parents traveling with children dread: the tail lights of slowing traffic.

We were around exit 212 on I-85 South. We were in the left lane and our first mistake was not immediately getting over and taking the exit before it was too late. But, it was too late. Much too late. Through conversations with Jeff and my mom, we learned of brush fires in the area closing down parts of the interstate as well as other highways. Traffic was being re-routed at exit 209 onto highway 158 to a spot further down 85. So, 3 miles. That can't take but so long, right?

Almost two and a half hours, a road-side pee break, and a half-a-dozen broken traffic laws and behavior that would initiate a DCS investigation, we finally made it to Highway 158. We reached our home around 9:30pm - 10 hours later.

10 hours in a car with two screaming babies is not a lot of fun. I can't say that I blame them. They were so tired of being cramped and strapped into their car seats. On the plus side, both girls had a chance to practice driving with Daddy.

It was certainly quite a trip. But, I suppose you aren't really a parent until you've been trapped in a car with a screaming kid. Well, we've passed the test. For the traveling gods keeping score, we no longer EVER need to take that test again. We consider ourselves to have passed with flying colors. No further instruction needed.

Did you miss us?

Hi all! I know I've been absent of late. The girls and I are actually at my dad's in Luray, VA. We've been here since Driday adn will be returning home Sunday. My dad has *horror of horrors* DIAL-UP, and doing anything on the computer takes more patience than I have.

The girls are doing well and I will have updates and pictures in a few days once we are home.

Thanks for checking in!