Walking Wonders - The Proof!

Check out Natalie and Abby walking! Aren't they the cutest things ever?? The amazing thing is this video is old now. We took it Monday and already they are walking almost twice as far. Yesterday, Abby even walked towards me, turned around, and walked towards Lindsey (our ST). It was incredible.

They have also figured out that walking can be used as a mode of transportation. Now, instead of automatically dropping to their knees, they will try to walk a few steps first. They can also go from squatting straight to standing up. I can't even do that.

Enjoy the video!

Mommy's weekend out

Ben is the greatest husband ever! He took the girls to his parents house for the whole weekend - well, at least from about 5pm Friday until about 1 or 2pm tomorrow.

Mommy is having a great time. I've been working on a photo book for the girls and catching up on all my Gilmore Girls episodes. I usually watch them at night while feeding the girls, but I've been watching the Olympics instead.

I have been somewhat domestically useful. I cleaned the kitchen including scrubbing the stove top pans and the area underneath them. I also folded all the clothes that have been on the guest bed for a week. Now, if I can just manage to put them away.

I love Mommy weekends. There's just never enough time to do what I WANT to do and what I SHOULD do - like clean the bathrooms and work on the yard. I wish I had a week. Maybe when the girls get older I can have a week. They can go to grandma's and mommy and daddy can have a grand ole' time.

I do miss my girls. I'll be happy to see them and play with them tomorrow. I should have plenty of time. Ben declares he's going straight to bed as soon as he gets home:-)

Thanks, honey - I love you!

10,000 calories - (Olympic spoilers ahead)

8-10,000 calories. That's how many calories USA Olympic Swimming Champion Michael Phelps gets to eat - in ONE DAY 10,000 calories!!! Can you imagine? I want to be Michael Phelps. Of course, then I'd also have to swim like 10 miles a day. That might not be as much fun. Michael said he actually has a hard time eating that many calories. Can you imagine...having to eat so much you can't eat enough - even when you are eating burgers, fries, eggs with cheese, pizza, Chinese food - pretty much anything you want. Wow.

Have you seen Michael swim? If you haven't, you have really missed a show. He is absolutely amazing. It's like watching a miracle take place. He can be in third place, and in the last turn and the last 50 meters, he can pull ahead an entire body length. It's unbelievable. If you haven't seen him swim, I highly recommend you try to find someone who has a race recorded and watch it. It just makes you proud to be an American.

Speaking of Americans, how 'bout our gymnasts. Bronze for our men and Silver for the women. And, Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson grabbed the gold and silver in the All Around competition. Go USA!!

As you can tell, I'm an Olympic junkie. I love the Olympics. I look forward to them every year - well every two years:-) Despite the vagrant human rights issues and the terrible smog (poor track and field and outdoor athletics), China has done a beautiful job. The event locations are gorgeous. The "Water Cube" is especially spectacular.

It's still a bit confusing to me how China ever procured the Olympics. And despite their extensive building projects and welcoming language, it sounds as if they made actually entering the country complicated. I guess the true success of these games will be measured in the future by whether or not the eyes and influences of the world community are able to have any effect on the politics and policies of China. We can only hope.

For now, go team USA!!

Walking Wonders

Natalie and Abby are amazing. Once they figure something out, they just go at it until they've got it.

They've been taking two or three steps for a couple of weeks. Yesterday, though, it clicked. All of a sudden they are taken 4,5 or 6 steps. They area also trying to go from one apparatus (sorry, I've been watching too much gymnastics) to another without holding on. It's really something to watch.

They are so pleased with themselves too. Natalie is especially funny. She will take several steps, fall on her face, and then laugh hysterically. I've been trying to catch it on video, but she hasn't cooperated yet. I'm going to keep trying.

I just can't believe they are walking. I know I predicted they would walk by their adjusted age birthday (Aug 20 - original due date), but still, I can hardly believe it. They are nearly toddlers. They will soon be toddling around. Toddling.

It makes me a little sad that they are growing up so fast, but it's gone to be so cute to see them going up and down the hallway. Then, they will start chasing each other. It's going to be adorable.

I have some video that I will post when I am on my computer (currently on the laptop). Stay tuned:-)

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...A Very Good Place to Start

Don't worry, we aren't going back to the VERY beginning, just a month or so.

We travel back in time to July and our many fun adventures...

July 6th

Ingram - Vernon Hill, VA
Poppy, Natalie, Harriett, Mommy and Abby

We took a Sunday morning to join my dad and Peggy at Ingram Christian Church. Many, many moons ago (when I was 9-11), my dad served two little churches in Vernon Hill. Some of the people at Ingram remained close friends of my dad's. Fifteen years ago, when my dad really needed them, they were there for him in a way no one else was. He began preaching there again twice a month. When he took his church in Luray, he and Peggy continued to travel to Ingram about once a month. Their trips are more infrequent now as their lives are busier and the dear congregants at Ingram grow older and more frail. Now they have services every few months and for special occasions.

The congregation at Ingram is very dear. With their matriarch, Harriett, at 97ish years strong, they embody the verse "where two or more are gathered in His name", God shall be in the midst of them. Sometimes, there are only two or three. These precious people have been so kind to our family throughout the years and they have followed and prayed for Natalie and Abigail and longed to see them. We were so happy to be able to take Natalie and Abby to visit them.

We arrived at the end of the service and were able to say hello to a number of people. We then joined Harriett at her daughter, Nancy's, house for a lovely lunch. It was so wonderful to visit with old friends. Natalie and Abby also discovered the joy of banging on a glass door.
Just for the record, I did offer to clean off the fingerprints.

The trip was short, but it was so good to see a place I called home for three years. I have a lot of good memories of Ingram: singing for the church (usually after being asked ON THE WAY to church); drinking the leftover grape juice after Communion (a PK perk); standing on the large grill-like heaters and making our skirts and dresses flare out; trying to read books during church and getting caught; helping light the candles as an acolyte; running around and playing in the church yard.

We were grateful to spend the day with Poppy, Nanny and the folks at Ingram. We are even more grateful for their support and prayers of our family. They have truly been a blessing.


July 19th - more long, lost friends


I guess July was the month to reconnect. July 19th we traveled to Greenville, NC to visit some more old friends, Nicole and Kevin and their little boy, Lucas. As a special treat, Nicole's parents, Jerry and Gayle, were also there. Our families go waaaaay back. Jerry and Gayle were in my parents wedding - 40 years ago. My mom and Gayle were pregnant with Nicole and I at the same time (I'm a month older). Together with Guye, their son 2 years older, and my sister, 2 years younger than me, we had so much fun together. We used to play tag around their house in Burlington. I also seem to remember an annual watching of The Wizard of Oz. We also got together nearly every New Year's Eve to ring in the new year. We kids would congregate in Kim's bedroom(the biggest and best complete with TV, VCR and bathroom), while the grown-ups toasted in the New Year.

It had been a long time since we had seen each other, however. Nicole and Gayle were at our wedding nearly 6.5 years ago, but it had been even longer since I'd sen Jerry or Kevin. Our first meeting with Lucas had just been at the girl's birthday party, but with all the chaos, we barely had time to say hello.

We had so much fun hanging out with everyone and sharing some Lexington BBQ. Lucas was also a very good sharer and pretty good about Natalie and Abby taking over his toys!

July was definately a month for catching up with old friends. My goal now is to not let so many months and years go by until we see our friends again and also reconnect with other friends we haven't seen in a while.

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I don't think I'm quite done with July, but it is getting late. Stay tuned for more news. I promise it won't be so long this time. I have a lot of catching up to do:)

I'm Baaaack!

I have been a very delinquent blogger. Bad Mommy, Bad, Bad, Bad Mommy. I've kept all our adoring fans on pins and needles. Actually, I know what that is like. There are a number of blogs (of other preemies) that I check almost daily. I hate it when there are no updates.

There's a reason why I am so behind. If you know me, you'll laugh. I'm actually very particular about my blogging. A perfectionist, if you will. I spend a great deal of time (well, a few minutes) thinking of just the right title. As in all writing, that's the hardest part. Then, I want to make sure I have the perfect pictures. Pictures have actually been my downfall. What happens is I go in to label and pick pictures and end up spending hours doing that. By the time I'm done, it's late, or my little wrists are tired and suitable only for surfing. Then there are the times I have so much to blog about that I know it will take forever and I don't feel like typing that long. So, between a mix of perfectionism and laziness - I'm behind.

I have much to report. The girls have been very busy traveling, seeing people, and doing all kinds of fun new things. I will try to touch on all our adventures so grab the popcorn, a coke, and let the show begin!!

Natalie

Natalie is on the move. Yesterday, she pulled up on the walker all by herself and starting pushing it! She had not shown much interest previously, so this was very exciting. She has also taken a step! She stands all the time and a few times yesterday, she moved one foot!

I will try to capture some video. The law of children says they should never perform when wanted - like on camera! We'll do our best to capture her brilliance!

Weigh-In

I'm not sure how, but somehow Natalie and Abigail just keep growing. I'm certain they aren't drinking as much formula as before. They are eating solids well, and we try hard to make those as caloric as possible, and it must be working.

Natalie weighed in today at 15lbs 11oz - up 2.5 oz. Abby is 16lbs 9oz and is up 3 oz.

I really don't know how they do it. They are the busiest little kids I've ever seen and must burn a ton of calories AND they don't eat like they should. But, somehow they keep growing. Whatever it is - we'll take it!

Dear God, Thank you for my babies

I've been doing a lot of blog reading lately. any of the moms from the preemie forum have blogs, and on their blogs they have links to other blogs for other preemies. So, I've been reading.

What I've discovered is that we are undeniably, undeservingly blessed beyond measure. I've read through stories where one twin or even two of triplets dies. I've read stories of multiple surgeries, ROP issues, feeding tubes, and oxygen tanks. I've read stories of Cerebral Palsy, handicaps, and milestones that may never be reached.

And, then I think about Natalie and Abigail. They were so small. In fact, Natalie, at 1lb 5oz, is among the smallest of many of the children I read about. Sometimes even babies born at an earlier gestation are bigger. One pound, five ounces is really small. Not that Abby's 1 lb, 13.5 oz is huge. Both were so, so small. But, neither have had any surgeries. That, in itself, is amazing. They are just so perfect. They are standing and almost walking, babbling, playing with toys, chasing the cat, and crawling on mommy and daddy and each other. They are perfect.

I make a big deal of their eating issues sometimes. It is a big deal, in a way. We do worry and want to make sure they are getting enough calories to grow and meet their nutritional needs, but the truth is, in comparison, they are amazing eaters. They aren't big bottle feeders, but they are incredible with their solids. Natalie and Abigail love to eat - and they will eat anything. They try anything we offer them and also beg for anything we are eating. When I read about many of the other children with eating issues, they are eating maybe, three bites of yogurt all day.

We are so blessed. The truth is, I have always wondered how we would have done with children with special needs. My fear is that I would have been a miserable failure. Could I have handled it? What would we have done? What would our life have been like? In my selfishness, I am glad we don't know. It's selfishness for me, but also for Natalie and Abigail. I want so much for them. I want everything for them. I want them to experience all the world has to offer. I want to take them to explore the world and learn of all its diversity, beauty and wonder.

Once again, I wonder why we have been so lucky when others have not. We have so much joy in our lives. Natalie and Abby are so wonderful. I love them so very much. Ever day I am grateful for them and so aware that it could be so different. I know I've espoused this sentiment before, but I really do think about it every day.

Dear God, Thank you for my babies and how incredibly perfect they are. Thank you for entrusting me with these precious souls. Never let me forget how close we came to losing them, and never let me take them for granted. Thank you, God. Thank you so, so much.

Poor Abby

Poor Abby. She's been crying now for at least an hour. I think her teeth hurt. I tried picking her up and holding her, but then she is just wide awake. She also stops crying which makes me wonder just how much her teeth are hurting or if she's just annoyed/bored/wanting to get up.

She's had tylanol, teething rings, and ambisol. I guess she's going to have to work it out. But, it's so, SO sad. I hate it. The girls don't cry much and I'm so glad because it just breaks my heart.

Also, I think Natalie would have some very strong words for Abby - if she could talk. If Abby makes this a habit, "shut-up sister" might be Natalie's first words.

Pearly Whites

Natalie has teeth now too! We've seen her two bottom teeth lurking below the surface for a few days. Yesterday, they popped up to where you can see them. Very exciting!

Abby also has one more new tooth. One of her top teeth is poking through - the top right one (if you are looking at her).

It seems like they are handling the teething well. At least I think so. They have been crying for the last 10 minutes in their beds. They usually go to sleep very well, but the last few days they wake up just after they are put down and then they fuss. It's hard to know if it's their teeth or not. They don't show any other fussiness at any other time of the day.


On an unrelated note: Natalie is standing up so well now! She stands and claps for herself. It's so cute. She's reluctant to take a step though. Soon.

Abby has decided she loves her walker car. She crawls over to it, stands up and pushes it around. She went about half way down the hall today - until she hit the wall. I've been working with Natalie on it, but she'd rather keep one hand on Mommy.

Surprisingly Good Weigh-In

We haven't felt like the girls have been eating well at all the past week. Yesterday was their weigh-in day, but I was busy being lazy with my birthday. I thought about weighing them today, then decided not to since I didn't want to get all upset. I figured weighing or not weighing doesn't actually change their weight and since we are doing all we can any way, I didn't see a point in getting upset.

But, then Lindssy, our new Speech Therapist arrived and asked about our weights. I figured we might as well see. So glad we did! Abby weighed in at 16.5lbs - up 5.5 oz. Natalie was 15.8.5lbs - up 3.5 oz. I was pretty surprised. It really seems to me that they have been drinking much less formula than usual. But, they have been eating lots of yogurt - which is highly caloric, so maybe it makes a difference.

In any case - for today at least, the scale is our friend.

We haven't got proof, but there were witnesses!

Abby has officially taken her first steps! Today at Ya-Yai and Grandpa's house she moved TWO feet! One and then the other - and that's walking in my book.

It's absolutely amazing to watch. I thought she's be walking before their one year adjusted birthday (Aug 20), but I can't actually believe it is happening. We will try to capture video tomorrow.

Natalie is catching up fast, too. She is standing more and more. Her first steps are just around the corner.

Abby's First "almost" Step

Marvelous, Magnificent Multiples

Abby and Natalie are just amazing. One of the best things about children is watching them discover the world around them and conquer it with delight. When I look at Natalie and Abby, it's just amazing to think that 6 months ago, they were barely sitting up. Now, they are eating solids, babbling and standing. Soon, they will be walking and talking and reading and writing. It's remarkable.

One of the ways Abby has been practicing her standing is to push off of you when you are lying on the ground. Before today, she was just playing around and it would happen accidentally. Today, however, she realized what she was doing and was absolutely thrilled with herself. She would push off again and again and clap and laugh when she was standing. She was so pleased with herself. After she realized what she could do, she would do it over and over from pieces of furniture for the rest of the day.

Abby is just days away from trying some steps. You can see her thinking about it. Sometimes, if she's hanging on to one thing and reaching for another, you can see her thinking about letting go first and then grabbing the next thing. She is also showing more interest in the walker (little car that converts to push walker) and actually tries to push it now. It's really a very exciting time. I'm just hoping she will wait and try those first steps when Ben is home. Oh - not related, but still exciting - Abby has added M's to her vocabulary. So, now it's mamamamamama or mmmmmmmm. Just like with dada, she's not assigning the sounds to me, but at least she has the sounds.

Natalie has skills too! She is letting go more often and standing for longer periods of time. She seems to run a few days behind Abby so she doesn't seem to have figured out exactly what she's doing yet. I'm sure she will any day now. She is walking much better when we hold her hands - picking up her feet and moving forward. Her favorite thing is clapping. She claps all the time. In fact, she can ask her to clap and she will - most of the time. But, she responds enough to the word that she does seem to understand it. She also seems to understand "ball", which is one of her favorite toys. She has one she especially likes and I've seen her rummage through the tent of toys to find just that one. A few times we have asked her to get her ball and she will do it. Both girls understand "no" and will react to it. Sometimes it's enough to stop their behavior, but sometimes they'll look at us and try it again just to see what we will do. They also both understand "hi" and "bye" and will wave accordingly. Today, I was calling people and getting only voice mails. I was telling the girls to "say hi" and they both started waving at the phone instead. Babbling on cue is not yet one of their tricks:-)

Above all else, what I love most about our girls is how incredibly happy they are. They laugh and play and clap and are just delighted by everything they do. They love each other too. They will touch each other and laugh and smile. Sometimes they climb on each other and plant big, wet, slobbery kisses on each other. They do have their moments and sharing will certainly be a much needed skill. Yesterday, Natalie had something Abby wanted. Nat kept crawling away with it, and Abby would chase after her whining. When she couldn't get it away from her, Abby would stop, sit and flail her arms and cry. Basically - a little tantrum. It was pretty funny though. Abby is generally the more aggressive and tends to swipe toys more. But, Natalie is learning how to evade and defend her toys and even swipe a few herself. She started off much more meek and mild, and it's been neat watching her become more assertive in response to Abby. It's so fun watching their personalities emerge and develop and adjust to each other. They have their own minds and know what they want. It always amazing me to watch them dig through the pile of toys to find just the one they want.

Natalie and Abby are really amazing. Joyful, fun, adventurous, happy, thoughtful, and the loves of our lives.

Natalie and Abigail - 14 months old

Natalie
Abigail


Yesterday was the girls' 14 month birthday. Yes, I'm still taking the monthly pictures. I'll stop one day.

This month, Natalie and Abigail are sporting "big girl" outfits supplied by Aunt Kimmy. The pink, flowered collar onesie is accented by a brown and paisley ruffled skirt/bloomer combo. Interested parties should contact Aunt Kimmy for purchasing info.

Weight and Teeth

So, we panicked a little yesterday. I'm still not happy about the weight loss and zero weight gain for Natalie, but we've decided to do what all good parents do - blame it on teething. Ben did a little research and it turns out that loss of appetite can be a teething side effect. Somewhere in my head, I'd heard this, but in the panic of the moment, I forgot. Of course, I'm not sure what that means for babies who will continue to get teeth for the next year and yet desperately need to eat as much as possible.

I did stay up a 2am bottle in addition to the 11pm bottle. They ate both very well, so I guess we will keep doing it. Whatever it takes.


One funny follow-up: I mentioned the girls really like holes now - ears, holes in shirts, the paci...That also includes noses. Natalie and Abby are now nose-pickers. At least they aren't trying to eat the buggers yet.

Monday weigh in

So, guess what happens if you are a baby and you don't eat well all week? Nothing good.

Tonight's weigh-in (moments ago) has left us in a severely depressed mood. For the first time EVER, Abby has lost weight. Last week she weighed in at 16lbs 2oz. This week, 15# 15.5 oz. Natalie remained exactly the same at 15# 5oz. At least she didn't lose any weight.

I'd just decided that I wasn't going to worry about them. They were wearing little outfits today that showed their thighs, and truthfully, they have pretty chunky thighs for babies who are supposed to be wasting away. I had decided that Natalie and Abigail seem to know what their bodies need and we'd just have to trust that they were drinking what they needed. Well. I'm throwing that theory right back out the window.

So, back to worrying, back to obsessing, back to trying to squeeze in every possible feed and every possible calorie. I'm not really sure what else to do. If we feed more solids, they seem to stop drinking formula...I guess I can try to fit in an extra bottle. Maybe I'll start doing an 11pm bottle and then staying up and doing a 1:30 bottle.

It's so sad. The babies don't seem to know they are dangerously close to malnutrition. They are currently on the floor beside me playing with envelopes. They are the kind with the plastic windows so they are nice and crinkly. They are laughing at each other. And, just now, Natalie let go and stood along for about 10 seconds - her record so far. Yet another developmental milestone on its way to being conquered. Not too shabby for starving babies.

But, man, I really hated seeing that weight go down.

Look Out Tooth Fairy!!

FINALLY!!!! Our babies won't attend kindergarten with dentures! Well, at least Abby won't. A few weeks ago, on the way back from Ohio, we noticed what appeared to be teeth just under the gums. So, we waited and waited and waited. Every day or so, we'd rub their gums to see if we felt anything. Nope.

Leave it to Aunt Kimmy to find the teeth. Today, she said, "I think Abby has teeth!". Sure enough, you can feel little tiny teeth on the bottom. They definately weren't here two days ago. We are very excited. The best part is that it doesn't seem to have bothered her at all. There has been no unusual crying or whining or chewing on things. No apparent fevers or rashes or anything teeth-myth related. It's amazing. My girls just keep getting better.

I'm sure Natalie's teeth are just below the surface waiting to emerge. Maybe she wanted to see how Abby handled it first before deciding if she wanted teeth. Hopefully, Abby has told her how cool it is and Natalie will give her teeth the go-ahead.

New Tricks

Natalie has a new trick today. This morning she was rolling around - over and over and over. It was so funny. She seems to really enjoy it. I guess somersaults are next.

Abby's new trick is less amusing. She has discovered holes - the most fascinating of which is one's ear. Other people's ears. Abby loves sticking her fingers in our ears. She likes other holes too. The holes in my t-shirts are a form of endless interest. She has also discovered she can stick her finger in the inside of her paci. So, she carries it around on her finger. That's actually pretty cute.

Oh - Abby does have a VERY impressive new trick. She is starting to STAND for several seconds at a time!! The longest was probably 15 or 20 seconds yesterday. I was talking to Kimberly on the phone and suddenly I was squealing. It's a lot longer than it sounds. Sometimes she just lets go of things and I think she forgets she's not holding on. It's really very exciting. Once she gets balance, walking is just around the corner.

EDITED TO ADD: Natalie has another new trick too! Today she stood alone for several seconds! I knew she wouldn't be far behind.

My little babies are growing up:-(

Weigh-In News

I weighed the girls today so see how our "stuff-them" plan has been working. The news was pretty good.

It's been exactly one week since I weighed them, and Natalie weighed in at 15# 5oz. She is up 5 ounces!! This is actually amazing. I think that is the most she's ever gained in a week since the ng tubes.

Abby did okay as well. She weighed in at 16#2oz. She's up only 3 ounces, but at least that's back on track with their average 3-4oz a week weight gain.

They actually haven't been eating very well. Especially Natalie. I'm not sure how they've gained weight. It must be that high-calorie, high fat yogurt. God bless it.

Mommy Bonk

Well, it's happened. It happens to every parent and thus to every child. At some point in a child's life, he or she falls off of or out of something. Parents freak out and blame themselves. Then, there's a story to tell for the next 70 years.

So, our time has come.

It's all Ben's fault, really. If he had not distracted me, it never would have happened.

On July 4th, I was finishing up feeding the girls. I wiped off Abby's mouth and her hands, took off her bib t-shirt, and removed the tray to her feeding chair. Then Ben said something to me. Still standing directly in front of the chair, I looked up. Then, BANG! Abby falls out of the chair face first. Not only did she fall out of the chair, she hit another wooden chair on the way down. The small wooden chair I sit in to feed them was a bit off-center (in between Nat and Abby's chairs) so she actually only swiped it with her cheek.

Of course, there was crying. Ben and I were actually quite calm. Ben was very kind in reassuring me that I'm not a terrible mother. It thought that was very generous of him - since it was really his fault after all:-)

Abby is fine, of course. Lots of hugs and kisses - and apologies - later, she was climbing on the couch happy as a lark. Just today she's developed a very small bruise on her lower right cheek. I was sure her whole cheek would swell and turn colors and we'd be housebound for a week.

Well, we've at least gotten Abby's mishap out of the way. Although Ben has dropped her on her head a few times, Natalie hasn't fallen off anything yet. I'm sure it's just a matter of time...

Where's Willy Wanka When You Need Him?

Of all the Willy Wanka delectable edibles Willy Wanka created, my favorite has always been the chewing gum that provided an entire meal as you chewed it - complete with dessert. Not only was it nutritious, you could taste every morsel going down your throat. Of course, there was the small problem of turning into a blueberry at the end, but I'm sure that could have been worked out.

I have always dreamed of a piece of chewing gum or little pill that one could swallow and just be done with the whole eating thing. Food is just too much trouble.

We have an interesting paradox taking place in our house. At the same time that we are trying to stuff Natalie and Abigail with as many calories and fat grams as possible, Ben and I are trying to cut as many as possible from our diet.

We have now been on Nutrisystem for 4(me) and 5(Ben) days. We are starving and miserable. We are so hungry. All we do is talk about food, think about food and wish we had food. Being on a diet sucks.

I suppose it will all be worth it in the end. We will be thin and beautiful and have lots of energy to chase around Natalie and Abigail. But, for right now, we will dream of ribeye steaks and mashed potatoes with lots of butter and sour cream and cheese and bacon bits. I think I'm going to cry.

A Not So Good Day

Well, the girls are doing great eating their solids. The problem is they have stopped drinking their bottles. They ate so badly today. Natalie all but refused to eat at all. For her bedtime bottle last night and twice this afternoon she only ate between 20-60mls each time. Bad, bad, bad. The only time they have eaten well is in their sleep.

I'm most distressed. I'm not sure if we should cut back on the solids again so they will drink their formula. My theory is that the extra calories and fat in the solids are making them feel full longer.

So now we don't know what to do. Do we cut back on the solids so they eat more, which doesn't solve our caloric intake problem. Or do we keep feeding solids at the risk of losing formula, which also doesn't solve our caloric intake problem. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Oh - thanks to those who have offered suggestions. We will give them a try.

The Not-So-Good News

Well, I weighed the girls today. They weighed in at just at 15lbs (Nat) and 15lbs 15oz (Abby). Since I weighed them last on June 18th (10 days), they've only gained 2.5 oz and 1.5oz, respectfully. In 3 weeks (since June 10th), they have each only gained 4.5 oz. This is very, very, very bad. They should have gained about 9-12 oz. I am most disheartened.

We aren't tracking their volumes anymore (although I am tempted to start again), but I'm sure they have only been eating around 600mls. I'm pretty sure that it's closer to 500-550mls on some days. We have also traveled quite a bit in the past three weeks. We have been to my mom and mema's and to Ohio. Those travel days are so rough on the girls. They just don't eat well on the run, so to speak, such as in the car, in a restaurant, or on the side of the road. In addition, Poppy and Aunt Kimmy were here this weekend, and although we had lots of fun, it did affect their nap schedules a little. Ben and I also went out one night, and while we were out, the girls ate very little of their bedtime bottles. All the travel and disarray have clearly taken a toll on them.


So - we've put a moratorium on travel for a while. I was supposed to take the girls to my mom's again this week, but we aren't going. We need to stay home and focus on the girls eating.

In addition to restricted travel, I'm going to tighten up their schedule and be more strict about where and when we go out (on our already rare Walmart/Target trips) to make sure they don't interfere with any feeding times. We are also increasing their solids to three times a day. This is one reason I'm tightening the schedule. Fitting in three feeds, 5 bottles and naps takes some organization. We are sprinkling everything with Duocal, sugar, or heavy whipping cream. Someone on one of my preemie blogs suggested adding cream to their formula. I'm willing to give that a try.

I'd been feeling okay about their weight. I'd slacked off worrying about exactly how much they eat. Hmmm, seems like that was a bad idea. So, I 'm back on monitor mode. Ben and I had yet another conversation about whether or not we should go ahead and get g-tubes. They currently only get about 600cal from formula a day. It's tired to determine the solid caloric intake, but it's probably less than 200cal. So on a good day, maybe 800 calories. They need at least 1000 cal. to grow normally, never mind catching up and pulling ahead. I have a growing concern over what the lack of calories is doing to their minds and bodies. Our greatest concern with the g-tubes is that we will find that their little tummies just can't handle a larger volume of food. My fear/suspicion is that if we try to pump them up with more food, they will just throw up - a lot. Then, we will have babies who are eating the same amount but had to have surgery. I guess we could at least be consistent with the tube. We can make sure they get their 600mls or even 700mls.

Ahhh, the rambling of a mother in a quandary. We honestly just don't know what to do. For now, we will push every fattening food we can find and hope something works.

Thanks for reading my ramblings....

Extra! Extra! Breaking News!!

We have sippy cup breakthrough!!! It's pretty early to say definitively, but Abby and Natalie both figured out how to suck on the sippy cup just moments ago. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's a different kind of sucking motion than a bottle, so they have to figure out how it's different. Of course, we'll have to try again a little later (maybe show off to Daddy) and hopefully they remember how to do it. I have a feeling though, that it's one of those things that once the figure it out - they've got it.

In even more exciting news - Abby was sucking on a straw!! Not just any straw, but a special baby cup straw (no-spill) that required that you bite down on it and suck at the same time in order to get the liquid out. It's very strange - and very hard. It took me several minutes to figure it out. It's very hard to see the liquid going through, but she was definitely sucking and sucking and appeared to be swallowing. Again, I'm hoping that this is one of those things that once it "clicks", they have it.

This is potentially big news. First of all, they can't/aren't supposed to use bottles after one (adjusted age for us). Our girls would have a pass for a while since eating is more important than anything, but I really didn't want them heading to kindergarten with bottles. So - sippy cup = yea!!!! Second, I have fantasies of Natalie and Abby loving their sippy cups SOOO much they they suddenly start drinking copious amounts of milk and are suddenly cured. We'll see.

Anyway - sippu cup mastery is big news and I just had to share:-) Yea Natalie and Abby!!

Third Times a Charm

This is a very long over due-post about our first-year picture taking experiences. Back in May, I wrote about our terrible experience at the Target Studio. What I've delayed in telling is about our second misadventure with Target and our final successful experience at Sears.

As I mentioned in my initial "we hate Target" post, I had forgotten our coupon and had to return the next day to bring it and choose our pictures. While reviewing them, the guy asked me if we'd be willing to take them again. He said he just wasn't "feeling it" with the pictures we were reviewing. I told him the whole story of our awful experience and said yes, we would come back and try again. I was excited because the guy was really nice and I thought he would do a great job. I'm not sure what happened but by the time we returned a few days later, he was just as un-excited and uninspiring as the first lady.

We did get a few shots, but honestly, I think I liked the first ones better. Unfortunately, he had already erased that session. But, we picked a few shots and at least got a couple of family pictures from the whole experience.

I still wasn't happy though. I wanted one-year old birthday pictures of the girls. I went through my coupon stash and as a last ditch effort, I made an appointment at the Sears Portrait Studio. Jackpot.

Our photographer, Jessica, was amazing. She did everything right and the pictures of the girls are amazing. She worked with us forever, let me loose on the editing computer, and I spent a large sum of money on pictures AND the CD. So, so, so sad for Target. I will only go to Sears in the future. I am saddened, however, to have learned a few days ago that our dear Jessica is moving to a store in Fayetteville. I am very sad. We will still try Sears again, but if the pictures aren't good, we just might drive to Fayetteville.

I was so happy to finally get good pictures of the girls. The pictures are now actually posted on the Phanfare site. You can look at them all and order or print at your leisure. For now, take a peak here:-)
(Nat is in the pink outfit and Abby in the pokadots)

New stuff

Waving: Abby has just decided to start waving. Natalie has been waving for a couple of weeks and even responds to the words "hi" and "bye-bye" by raising and waving her hands.

Standing: For the past few days, Abby has been accidentally letting go of things and standing for a second or two. Yesterday, she was "walking" with me holding her hands. We stopped, I let go, and she stood alone for at least 15 seconds!!! Okay, it doesn't sounds like long, but stop and count and you'll see that it is FOREVER! I don't think she's doing it on purpose or with control, but it's pretty amazing to watch:-)

Clapping: Natalie is also starting to clap. She used to just bring her hands together, then stick them in her mouth. But, a few times I have caught her bringing them back out again and back together. Neither Abby or Natalie do it very much, but they can, and I suspect we will see more clapping soon.

Eating: They are still hovering around 600mls of formula a day, but they are doing better with their solids. The last week or so, Abby especially has eaten very well. She's even finished a whole yogurt twice - all by herself. Natalie was doing very well, but has recently been distracted by her hands. She can't keep them out of her mouth. I'll put in a bite of yogurt and she immediately sticks her hands in. It causes the food to then dribble out her mouth. It's very annoying - and very messy.

Playing: Abby and Natalie love to play. I actually really love just sitting back and watching them sometimes. They have several "stations" and they make rounds. By the wall near the kitchen is a small wooden kids chair. They stand next to it and beat on it with their spoons, cups, letters and hands. They also like beating on the wall and trying desperately to figure out the (covered) electrical outlet. Speaking of outlets, the girls are fascinated by them. They are all properly covered, of course, but they are still intrigued. Their favorite place to bang on the wall in the hall is right beside the outlet. Right next to that is our wrought iron gate that blocks access to the kitchen. They like to stand against and shake it - or whine and beg for attention. I call it kiddie jail:-)

By the wall by the front door is their little kitchen. The beat on it as well and play with the cups and plates. Just beside that is the little bench and stool we use as a gate to the foyer. These are also popular standing/beating/cruising areas.

The couches and ottoman are also favorable spots for beating (see a pattern?) and cruising. An open PeaPod blocks the way to the sliding porch door. It is filled with toys and the girls sometimes climb in and play. A floor farm puzzle mat is often covered in toys as well and the little animals come out for chewing fun. Rolling on the floor is also time well spent.

It's amazing how quickly they can move form one activity to the other. What's really fun is when they are playing separately then one notices the other. She will stop what she is doing and crawl to join the other at whatever banging and beating is happening. It fills my heart with joy.

Daddy Games: The favorite game to play with daddy is what I call "Daddy-Weeee". It involves Daddy tossing the girls on the couch or, more recently, his big recliner. The girls LOVE it. They laugh and giggle and beg for more. They get so excited and it is so fun to watch.

Books: The girls do love books. When they aren't banging on the walls and benches, their favorite new game is to go into their room and pull all the books off the shelf. I believe Natalie is sporting a lovely bump/scratch from this pastime as I write. They also love to look at books, by theirselves and with Mommy and Daddy. Yesterday, when I went in after their nap, Natalie was happily looking at a book in her crib. Usually the girls are standing smiling and begging for me to get them out. After I took out Abby, I went for Natalie. She was still sitting with her back to me, "reading" her book.

Independent play time: If you spend any time with the girls, you will learn that they are very busy and play very well by themselves. This is partly by design, although I'm sure temperament has a little something to do with it, as well as having a twin to play with. My nanny/parenting philosophy has always been that children should learn to play independently as soon as possible. Not that they should be never be played with, they need that interaction and introduction to new toys, concepts and activities, but my experience is that babies who can't entertain themselves become toddlers that can't entertain themselves who become preschoolers who can't entertain themselves who ultimately become teenagers who can only entertain themselves with a TV. Children who must be constantly entertained have mothers who cook, clean, and use the bathroom with a child attached to them. No thank you.

Sleepy time: When the girls get tired, they do a very funny thing. First they start rolling around on the floor or lay on their sides playing with a toy. Abby then has a really cute move. She puts her head on the floor as if she's going to do a head stand. She then straightens out her legs and forms her body into a little V. It's really cute. I'll try to catch a picture.

There are other fun things the girls love to do: chewing on spoons, banging blocks, sucking on their plastic letters, chasing the cats...the list goes on and on. Watching them really is a delight. You just can't help but smile.

Speaking of sleepy time, the rolling has begun and Abby looks posed for a headstand any minute. Off to feed the babies....

OOOOOOO-hi-O

Oh - wait, that's the opening for Oklahoma...

We are back from our family reunion vacation in Ohio. It was a whirlwind trip - arriving after midnight on Thursday/Friday morning, and having to be at the airport at 8am Sunday morning. The girls were amazing though. They were perfect fliers - they either looked around and laughed and played or slept. They couldn't have been more perfect. Almost everyone was very kind too. People offered to help with our stroller and our stuff and the flight attendants were wonderful. There were two customers that complained a little because they had to change seats because of us. Parents with lap children have to sit on a certain side because only one side has 3 oxygen masks per row. We also had to sit separately - same reason. If we sat together, there would be 4 pairs of lungs for only 3 masks.

In any case, the girls were wonderful, and I feel good about future plane trips...

Friday, we had planned on visiting the Cleveland Zoo. I had been especially excited about this. But, after getting to bed so late (after 2 by the time we fed the girls), we decided it was just too much for everyone. The girls really needed to eat well and catch up on their sleep. And eat and sleep they did! They each had 3 full 150mls bottles plus 2 or 3 other martial bottles. We weren't keeping track, but I'm sure they each had at least 700mls. They were probably making up for the day before, but had that trend continued, I was ready to pack and move to Ohio. I have to admit we were tired too. Long naps were taken by all. So instead of the Zoo, we just hung out at the hotel and visited with Grandma, and all our aunts, uncles, and cousins. We also introduced the girls to the pool!



The "hot" tub wasn't actually working. It bubbled, but was cold. Unfortunately, this meant the babies could only stay about 10 minutes before they started getting too cold. They seemed to like it though. Well, at least they didn't cry:-)


We spent Saturday at Cousin Jackie's house near Vermillion, OH. Vermillion is a really cute, quaint little town on Lake Erie and about 30 minutes from Cleveland. She and Dan were kind enough to host over 30 people for an afternoon of food, games, cards, and general good fun. The weather was beautiful and everyone seemed to have a great time. Natalie and Abigail were well entertained by doting grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Mommy took advantage of this to read a little of a book and most importantly, take a nap. In the late afternoon, a storm rolled in and I snoozed in a reclining chair on a screened porch enjoying the winds from the storm and the sound of the rain. It was blissful.

Sunday required that we arrive at the airport at 8am. Most of the day was spent getting home, which was trickier than it seemed. We had the brilliant plan of sending most our bags to and from Ohio with Ben's parents and brother. That way we only had to carry a few things on the plane. It was really brilliant, until we approached our truck in the parking deck at RDU and realized Ben had packed the keys (to car and house) in his computer book bag. Said book bag was presently cruising down the interstate with brother Jeff and SIL Reagan. Oops. So, a cab ride and a break-in later, we were happily in our house once again. Everyone took a long nap in the afternoon. The girls were happy to be in their cribs and we were happy to be in our beds.

We had a lovely time in Ohio. Our many thanks to Aunt Susie and Cousin Jackie for organizing the whole thing. We especially thank Jackie for borrowing car seats and bringing over toys. It was so helpful to not have to lug car seats through the airport.

Most of Ben's relatives live in Michigan or Ohio with some in Virginia and Tennessee. Who knows when we will see them all again - there are rumors of a 90th birthday party in 3 years for Grandma, so maybe we will all get together then!

A few more pics from our weekend

Abby and Cousin Mary Beth
Nat and Aunt Susie

Waiting at the airport
Swimming in the Cold Hot tub

Vacation spot

I'm packing for our trip to Ohio, and I've decided what we really need to do is take a trip somewhere cold. We have all these really beautiful long-sleeved or fuzzy outfits that the girls have never had a chance to wear. They are mostly 3-6 months (which the girls are just now wearing), but of course, it's been 100 degrees outside.

It actually makes me feel really bad. So many people were so generous and we've never had a chance to wear all the clothes. And some of them are really just beautiful. I feel very guilty.

So, to alleviate my guilt, we must go on vacation. Alaska, Antarctica, Greenland? Hmm, I could just crank up the AC in the house. I wonder which would be cheaper....

Calling All Giant Babies

Seriously, who decides the sizes on baby clothes?



The picture above shows two onesies. The smaller one on top is labeled 3-6 months. The giant one underneath is labeled 3 months.



There are two pj's in this picture. If you look closely you can see the different patterns. The back one is 9 months (taller than my girls BTW). The one on top is labeled 0-3 months.

Seriously, who decides the sizes on baby clothes? Giants? People who have never seen a baby? It's crazy. Granted, my girls are small and still wearing mostly 3-6 months, but there's no way two outfits of the same size can be for a 3 month old OR a 9 month old.

Here's my solution: Baby clothes for the first year (at least) should be sized in inches. For onesies, the size should be the # inches from neck to crotch. Pants should also be measured in inches. Single shirts (not as an outfit) are a little tricky - maybe neck to waist.

One day, when I'm queen of the world....this is the way it will be done. So there.

We're baaaack....

Check out the view from my mom and mema's deck!



Sorry for the absence folks. I took the girls to my mom's on Thursday and returned Saturday. My mom's birthday was Sunday. Of course, it was also Father's Day so we returned early.

We had a great trip thanks in part to my little friend Elianna. If you remember, Abby is named after her - Abigail Elianna. My sister started babysitting for her family just before she was born, and then I picked it up when Kimberly moved to DC. That was over 11 years ago. Elianna and her family have been very special to us through all these years.

It was Elianna's first trip with me to the mountains, and we had a great time. We had a great time. She was an AMAZING help. She could sit in the backseat between the girls and distract them when they were crying. She could also sit in the car with them when I stopped to go to the bathroom which was FANTASTIC. (That's probably the hardest thing about traveling alone with the girls. Every time I have to go (which is a lot), I have to haul both car seats out. It's really a pain.) She learned how to change a diaper and had nearly miraculous success feeding them. In fact, we made amazing time on the way back because she figured out how to feed them in the car - while they were in their car seats. Even more amazing - they both ate about 130mls that way!

She was so helpful with watching the girls, but I did let her have a little fun:-) After a nice dinner for my mom's birthday, we stayed at the Fun Factory and played putt-putt, rode go-carts, and played tons of video games - including "Deal or No Deal". We also went Ruby Mining Saturday morning. We had fun, but didn't really find anything. We still have a huge bag of "gravel" to look through. My cousin used to have a ruby mine and my mom is going to see if he can come over and look through the rocks to see if we missed anything.

Elianna and Natalie
Fun on the Putt-putt course
Trying to strike it rich!

Elianna and her feeding magic! The girls ate so well for her!

The girls had fun too. Grammy bought a little pool and the girls had there first swimming lesson! It was so cute. They splashed and splashed. We put a few toys in the pool too, but Abby kept trying to drink water from them (and chocking herself), so we had to take those away. In addition to playing in the pool, the girls played with Mema and Grammy. We met Grammy for lunch one day and then went to dinner to celebrate her birthday. Natalie and Abby also went for their first Merry-Go-Round ride at the Fun Factory. My mom and I each held them on a horse. They actually did very well. I was afraid they might get upset but they did great. They didn't appear stressed or tense at all. Hopefully, they liked it!





All in all it was a good trip. It's just very tiring to travel. The girls are good fro the first few hours in the car. After that it gets tough. I can't blame them. I wouldn't want to be strapped in a car seat either! Later this week the traveling continues...our first airplane ride to a family reunion in Ohio!

(cue music) "I've been everywhere man, I've been everywhere..."

Happy Fathers Day!!

I know I don't post here much, but I wanted to give a quick shout-out to my father, Richard, and Johelen's dad, Eddie. Happy Fathers Day! You both are great examples of what being a father truly means and it makes me want to be a better father and husband myself. Thank-you for being you.
I'm a very lucky man to be the father of such wonderful babies. This morning I read a story of a man who has been through the same things Johelen and I have been through with our girls. By the end I was in tears (although it doesn't take much for me anymore). I really recommend reading his story.
I also got two wonderful gifts from Natalie and Abigail, although I think Mommy helped out a little. It's their footprints with a poem underneath which I also got last year from the nurses in the ICN. This time the footprints from last year are superimposed on the footprints from this year...it is amazing how much they've grown. Anyways, the poem reads:

I've come so far in just a year, when I had such tiny feet.
Since then I've learned to crawl and stand, and even how to eat!
I've followed you so far this year, and you've always led the way.
I couldn't ask for a better Daddy, to guide me every day.
I'm learning and I'm growing as each day goes past.
Keep walking up ahead of me, but still, please don't go too fast.
I love you Daddy!

I have such a wonderful wife and two awesome kids! I must admit both of my girls have excellent handwriting and they have that poetic-rhyming thing going on as well. Perhaps a couple poet laureates in our future?

Simple Pleasures

Right now, I am in my office, quickly checking email (and posting, obviously). The girls are clamoring around the foot of my chair and they are just so funny. Moments ago, after knocking over a cup and spilling old Pepsi on the floor, they were into the paper recycle spot. They each had fists-full of paper and were just shaking it and shaking it. It's was just so cute. Also, right now Abby is trying to eat an envelope. I guess I should stop that. She really loves paper. It's too bad they don't make paper-flavored baby food.

oh - the babies are bored with the paper and headed down the hall...off to the races!

A little weigh-in

I was getting curious, and decided to give the girls a quick weigh-in after their bath this morning.

Natalie weighed 14lbs 11.5oz and Abby 15lb 10.5 oz! This is great. We last weighed at the doctor's office on May 20 - exactly weeks ago. Natalie then weighed 14.1 lbs and Abby 15.1 lbs. If our scales are close to theirs, this is really great progress.

When I look back at our last home scale readings, they are still pretty good. We last weighed them at home on April 29 - 6 weeks ago. Natalie was 13 lbs 11.5 oz and Abby 14 lbs 13.5oz. So Nat has gained exactly a pound in 6 weeks, and Abby just under a pound.

I'm actually kind of surprised to see Natalie gaining faster. It always seems like she eats less. I'd be thrilled, however, if she caught up to Abby a little more. For some reason, I always feel bad that she's a little smaller - especially because she's older (by a whole minute!). My younger sister is at least 3 inches taller than me, and it's never seemed fair.

Their weight gain isn't the 8 oz a week "they" want, but it's consistent with their 4oz gain so this is very good. They really are growing up.

Sex in the City

Don't worry - this isn't about me and Ben...


I just saw the Sex and the City movie this afternoon. I went all by myself, and that in itself was a treat. But, the movie was just wonderful. Okay, it probably won't win an Oscar, but it honestly had everything a movie should have: I cried because it was sad; I cried when it was happy; I laughed when it funny and laughed even more when it was hysterical. There were surprises and plot twists and all the drama any movie should have. And, there were a lot of really expensive shoes - and, in my opinion, some just horrible outfits. But, then again, everyone knows I don't get the women and shoe thing (I think I have exactly 3 pairs of shoes), and I have no sense of fashion, so what do I know.

If you ever watched the show, you really have to see the movie. It's everything the series was, but better - and longer. It's a fun, entertaining and overall great movie. If you need a few laughs, check it out.

Stepping It Up

We've really been working on walking and taking steps. In hindsight, I'm not sure I'm ready for teetering toddlers. Fortunately, I think actual walking is still a few months away, but we have been making great strides.

Both Natalie and Abigail are old pros at pulling up - on anything and everything: furniture, their little kitchen, toys, mommy and daddy... pretty much anything slightly taller than they are. They are also quickly mastering the art of cruising. As I write, Abby just slide the whole length of the couch. They are also very good at holding on with one hand while they bend down and grab something from the floor. Abby is especially good at this.

The other thing we are working on is walking while holding mommy or daddy's hands. Natalie is doing really, really well at this. She really lifts her legs and bends her knees and a great marching motion. Abby will move her legs forward, but doesn't bend her legs as well as Natalie.

It's only a matter of time before someone lets go of a couch or chair and tests the waters of balancing. Then, walking is just around the corner.

Nat and Abby have it - Hands Down!

Abby: After a couple of days of teasing, I think we can safely say that Abby is clapping. At first she would bring her hands together in a clap, then stuff them in her mouth - usually laughing. She had not quite grasped the idea of repeating the action. Today, however, she had several instances of actual clapping. She finds it pretty funny and laughs while she does it. Than again, she could be laughing at Mommy and Daddy who squeal and clap like crazy people every time she does it. Natalie is still stuck on just pulling her hands together once. Stay tuned though, she never lets Abby is ahead of her for long.

Natalie: Natalie is mastering the art of waving. We really haven't worked much on waving bye-bye, but somehow she has picked it up. She's been doing it for a short time, but I wasn't really sure if it was a random movement or a deliberate attempt to wave. Today, however, when Grandpa and Ya-yai were leaving, Natalie just kept doing it. And when they would wave at her, she would wave back. I'm pretty sure it was on purpose. She will also wave at you from across a room - just to say hi. Again, she seems to look right at you and do it, so I think it's on purpose. Abby occasionally waves her arm around, but it still seems more random to me than purposeful. I'm not quite ready to check off the waving box for her.


It's amazing to watch how they learn new things every day. Stay tuned...I'm sure there is more to come.

Babies Get Domesticated AKA Let the Training Begin!

Everyone knows the only reason to have kids is so they can do all the chores the parents don't want to do. My sister and I are convinced this is why we were born - to do laundry and clean the kitchen.

Ben and I have started the training early with Natalie and Abby. In a few more years, they will be able to perform their chores unsupervised:-)

Natalie washing dishes.






Abby folding laundry.






Abby (L) and Natalie learning how to diaper.

Ahhh, someone bring the palms and strawberry dacaris. Mommy and Daddy are kicking back!

The Family that camps together...

Finally - the long awaited saga of our first camping trip - May 9 - May 12, 2008
Prelude

Friday, we went to pick up our new/used camper. I spent the day getting ready and had high hopes to leave around 3 when Ben came home. Of course, that meant we left closer to 5. The camper was a little over an hour away, and by then time we hooked it up, got the papers in order and started home, it was nearly 7:30pm. The babies needed to eat, it was a 4 hour drive to my uncle's cabin and we weren't sure the lights were working correctly. So, we headed home and decided to head out the next day. The up side was that we took the extra time to clean up the house so it was spiffy when when we came home.

The First 24 hours
All loaded up and ready to go! (Nat in foreground)

Saturday we had a great early start (about 8:30am) and we were eager to get on the road. The babies were fed and we were hoping they would sleep most of the way there. We must have forgotten to tell them.

Our first (mis)adventure occurred when we were trying to find a place to pull over and feed the girls - or at least take them out and give them a break. We went up a dead in road which ended in a field. Unfortunately, the turning radius was rather small and backing up and turning with a camper is not easy. Let's just say it didn't bring out the best in us. I finally had the idea to just unhook the camper, turn it around manually, and hook it back to the truck. While we were doing this, the owners of the property actually came and asked us what we were doing. Where they came from - who knows?? Ben explained our camper was stuck, our babies were crying and we were losing our minds. They kindly said we could hang out, picnic, and feed the girls.
Stopping to give the girls (and Mommy and Daddy) a break.

We finally arrived in West Jefferson and were very glad we had waited a day to come. We got very, very lost. Google maps failed us miserably. We ended up down a dead end road that ended in a person's YARD which involved yet another turning around fiasco. Thank goodness for cell phones. We were able to call Uncle Wayne and get the right directions - which is what we should have done in the first place.

By the time we arrived, the girls were pretty fussy and we were hungry. Just to give the girls a break - and get food - we stopped at the grocery store before we went out to the cabin. The little break was good for us - and meant we could have sandwiches as soon as we arrived.

Our Campsite
My aunt and uncle's cabin is in a beautiful spot in the West Jefferson mountains. There is a wonderful little cabin situated on a beautiful piece of property. We parked our camper on a flat section down a small hill and just out of sight of the creek and made camp. After feeding ourselves and the girls, setting up revealed a few "must-haves" that sent Ben on a trip to Walmart. The girls played in their pack-n-play while I made a campfire ring. That night, we cooked rib-eyes on an open fire and had baked potatoes cooked in the coals. Yum, yum, yum.

The night was actually quite cool. Thanks to the heavy duty, really, really long extension cord Ben got at Walmart, we had electricity in the camper which included a heater. We layered the girls and bundled them in their warmest pajamas and tucked them into their brand new PeaPods.



*** We pause for this commercial interruption and product placement. PeaPods by Kidco are my latest and greatest find. Our biggest challenge in camping was where the girls would sleep and how to keep them from crawling out of the beds. We only have one pack-n-play and even if we did have two, there was no where to put them. I did a little research and discovered PeaPods. They are basically little personal tents that zip up and contain the child while giving a comfy, safe place to sleep (or play). Genius. I found them for about $50 each and I think they are probably one of the smartest purchases we have ever made. We can take them to hotels, grandma's and even the beach. They are big enough for the girls to use a good 2 or 3 more years. If you have small children - you must check them out! http://www.kidco.com/main.taf?p=4,5 *** We now resume our regularly scheduled blogging.

Once they settled down, the girls actually slept very well in their little tents. Ben and I settled into our side of the camper and fell asleep to the sounds of the creek beside us and the great outdoors.

Our nighttime slumber was disrupted, however, in the middle of the night, with a loud crash right outside our window. Ben and I both sat up, grabbed each other, and said a few choice words. My first thought was, "BEAR!". I was certain there was a bear right below us. Ben was sure the camper was collapsing. Fortunately, we were both wrong and it was just the screen tent that had been blown over by the wind.

Sunday
On Sunday we were very grateful for the cabin for shelter, warmth, and the restroom. It was really the best of both worlds. We had our cozy little camper and our own personal bathhouse with fridge, stove, wood stove, bathroom, and beds. Sunday's weather left much to be desired. It was rainy, cold, and windy. Somehow the day passed by and we finally decided we should at least try to hit the parkway. The "Scenic Lookouts" looked something like this:

We traveled down the parkway a few miles and finally found a spot where the clouds were clear. Our first official family vacation photo overlooking Mount Jefferson.

It was a very short excursion on the parkway. It was apparent that the fog was settled in fairly well. So, we headed back to the cabin. With the cold, wind, and rain, we were very grateful for the warmth of the cabin. We stayed in it Sunday night and were cozy and warm. Despite the fact that it sounded like a tornado roaring down the mountain, shaking the cabin, knocking things off the porch and blowing open doors, we slept fairly well.

Oh - Sunday was also Mother's Day - my first. I blogged about it already. You can find it in the older posts.

MONDAY
Monday we decided to pack up and head home. Oh...if only it were that easy. Remember all that rain I mentioned? Remember the small hill I mentioned? Well, let me also mention that Ben's truck is not a 4-wheel drive. Can you see where this is going? Oh dear. We couldn't get the camper up the hill. To be clear, by hill I mean a VERY small incline that only barely missed qualifying as flat. But, the rain made it slippery and we were most assuredly stuck. Needless to say, this was less than ideal. Sure we could leave the camper, but my dad and step-mom were planning on staying in it that weekend during the party celebrations. Plus, coming back to get it meant an 8-hour round-trip and $100 in gas. But, after several futile attempts, we were resigned to Ben returning on Thursday to fetch the camper. As we prepared to leave, I called my Uncle to check on the procedures for closing the cabin and mentioned our predicament. He suggested we "go down the road" to ask his neighbor for help. If you know Ben, you know he would rather have teeth pulled than talk to strangers. But I encouraged him to go. The man he talked to didn't seem to know who Uncle Wayne was, so we gave up on the idea and prepared to leave. We were literally getting in the truck ready to leave when the neighbor's son came up the drive with his 4-wheel drive truck. We were saved!! At least out camper was. Ten minutes later, our camper was up the puny little hill. The neighbor kindly pulled it to the end of the very long bumpy, gravel driveway least we get stuck again. Soon we were on our way home - camper in tow. He was just wonderful and really saved us a ton of trouble. Thank goodness for good neighbors.

The trip home was uneventful. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner and the girls enjoyed some mashed potatoes and gravy. The family at the table next to us had a little boy who was also turning one the day after Natalie and Abby. Of course, he came in walking and was twice as big as the girls.

Summary

Overall, our trip was great. It wasn't exactly how we'd planned or imagined, but it was fun all the same. We loved our new camper and are excited about using it more this summer. The girls did well in their PeaPods. The only problem was they got a little bored just playing in the pack-n-play. They would rather crawl around. But, it was a positive experience and a good first vacation. It was nice to do "normal" family things.

We are definately looking forward to more vacations and more camping. I would personally love to hit the road and travel across the country visiting national parks. We might need a bigger camper for that:-)

A few more pics: Cooking on the fire

Playing in the cabin

Just a quick "milestone" update

I know... I have so much to blog. I'm trying to get things done now so I can blog tonight... but I wanted to get this down before I forgot.

Abby did some neat things yesterday. We've been working really hard on showing the girls how to drop things INTO a container. They are great at taking things out, but had not quite grasped the letting go and dropping motion. Yesterday (June 2), Abby dropped several things into a container - several separate times! It was pretty neat to see her finally "get" it. I'm sure Natalie will be doing the same in just a few days.

We've also been trying the sippy cup and the straw. Figuring those things out is much harder than you'd think. It's nearly impossible to show a baby how to suck. It's like trying to teach a toddler how to blow their nose. It's something we all do as second nature. We don't realize how my technique there is to it until you try to teach someone. In any case, we've been offering the sippy cup and straw at very irregular intervals. They mostly just try to chew on it. But, yesterday, Abby managed to suck enough to get a little water through the straw into her mouth! I was pretty excited since I know how hard it is, and since I have no idea how to help her learn it.

I'm going to make a real effort to offer the straw and sippy cup every now. I think trial and error is the only way to learn. It's a little sad though, watching them trying to figure out the sippy cup. They were trying and trying and trying today - turning all which way trying so hard to get to the juice** - and mostly failing. Poor babies. Hopefully they will catch on soon.

If anyone has any brilliant suggestions on teaching straw and sippy cup use - feel free to leave a comment:-)


**A word about juice...it's so true. Never say never. I don't think I said I would NEVER give my babies juice, but I definately was against the idea in general. It's mostly sugar (even the organic stuff) and as no significant nutritional value that they aren't getting somewhere else. I just never saw the point of juice. But, here I am - offering juice. My defeat is two-fold: one: I thought it would entice them more to try to straw and sippy cup, and two: juice has more calories than water, and at this point every calorie counts. So, I offer juice. The better not get too used to it though...once I'm not afraid they are wasting away it water and sugar-free lemonade for Natalie and Abigail!