Time sure has flown and I know I have neglected my blog something terrible. I figure most of you who want to keep up with my life are now following me on facebook, where I post several times a day and flood it with pictures of my little men..but I still want to post on here to remember things.
The boys are a few days shy of 5 months old...we have a great schedule going and it has gotten much easier. The first 3.5 months were rough...like, really rough..lack of sleep, no schedule and just trying to get a shower each day was a challenge. My guys were in a row nappers..one would nap at a time and they would take turns, I always had a baby awake and never got anything done.
When they hit 4 months, I said no more..we need a schedule and I worked hard and now we are on an awesome one.
They wake around 7am (yes, I would prefer later but it is what it is)
Have a bottle around 8ish
Nap about 2 hours later so around 9am, for one hour.
Wake at 10:00 - get up, change diapers, play for a few
My husband and I feed the boys "breakfast" at around 10:30 - cereal and a fruit or veggie
We play until 12:00, have bottles and they go down for a 2 hour nap
They wake and then we have our hard core play time, pull out all the toys and just stimulate!
Bottles sometime between 3 and 3:30
They take a short 45 minute cat nap around 4-4:15..
Are awake by 5:15...we get up, both boys get a bath, watch a little TV while the other gets his, and get all lotioned up and jammified...
We do bedtime bottles around 6:30...bed at 7pm....
Soon, we will be adding another solids feeding, probably after their cat nap and pushing bedtime bottles back a little bit..
But this schedule works well, and we all know what to expect.
The boys are doing wonderful..at their 4 month check up Luke weighed 15.5 pounds and was 23 3/4 inches long...in the 60th percentile! Such a HUGE gain from his 2 month check up where he weighed around 9 pounds ( I would have to go back and look) and was in the 2nd percentile.
Blake weighed 13.5 pounds and was 24 inches long...he is so much lighter than his brother! 2 pounds between them! He was in the 20th percentile.
I had to go out and buy some 9 month summer clothes to get through the rest of the summer!
We started solids about 7-10 days after they turned 4 months...we are doing one new thing every 3-4 days, so far they have had banana, peas and prunes...going to do a orange veggie next...they are doing well now but at first they didn't quite get it.
Sleep is going REALLY well...for a few weeks now Blake sleeps 9-11 hours at night eats and goes back to bed and the last 3 days Luke has only woken once as well, but closer to the 6 hour mark...I know the full night is close, and it is encouraging that they are doing so well. My husband still does any feedings that happen before 4 am and I go from 4 am on...usually Luke needs to bed fed by him and Blake by me.
The boys are giggling and smiling up a storm. Every where we take them people comment on how happy and non-crying they are, it makes me feel good. OUr boys are very good natured and really only cry when hungry or tired.
Their reflux is still in full force, they are on prevacid solutabs twice a day....
The boys are in size 2 diapers, size 3-6 and 6-9 month clothes...we broke out the excersaucer and jumperoo this month and they love love their playmat still. My little Luke makes the happiest of squeals all day long..he loves to look at his mobile and talk to them...Blake loves sleep and goes to bed a lot easier than Luke...I usually go in twice before Luke will fall asleep.
These boys are full of love, and loved beyond belief...I hope I can convey to them how much love I have for them...I sure try with all the kisses and smoothering I give them!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
,,
This is stolen from someone else's blog that I read, but boy does it sum up my life perfectly right now...
I have never been so exhausted and overwhelmed. I have never felt so underprepared and incompetent. And yet I have never been so happy. The kind of happy that is full and deep and peaceful. I am at peace.
Life with the boys is crazy..I doubt myself at least 15 times a day, wonder how I could be given such miracles and feel like I am failing my whole family all at once...there are ups and downs, and good days and bad days, there are very bad days when I count the minutes until my husband comes home from work, starting when he leaves out the door, there are really great days when I lay in bed with one or the other and nurse him and feel pure bliss.
It is a rollercoaster but one I am so excited and thankful to be on..
I have never been so exhausted and overwhelmed. I have never felt so underprepared and incompetent. And yet I have never been so happy. The kind of happy that is full and deep and peaceful. I am at peace.
Life with the boys is crazy..I doubt myself at least 15 times a day, wonder how I could be given such miracles and feel like I am failing my whole family all at once...there are ups and downs, and good days and bad days, there are very bad days when I count the minutes until my husband comes home from work, starting when he leaves out the door, there are really great days when I lay in bed with one or the other and nurse him and feel pure bliss.
It is a rollercoaster but one I am so excited and thankful to be on..
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Teeth!
I forgot to post that Luke has 2 teeth coming in, they have broken the skin and they are slowly dropping. I discovered them at 10 1/2 weeks old...no mistake about it, they are teeth! He has been pretty good about them but I can tell they bother him off and on...
Monday, June 6, 2011
Eons...
Since I have written. I am just so busy, and I update Facebook all the time rather than blogging. And I think most people who read my blog, follow me there, so everyone knows what my beans are up to...but just so I remember I want to jot a few things down here.
On May 12th, the boys had their 2 months well baby visit. Blake weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces and was 22 1/4 inches long and Luke weighed 9 pounds 13 ounces and was 22 inches long. Huge growth! But still in the 2-3% on the charts...17th for height.
We discovered teeth coming in on Luke when he was 10 weeks 2 days old...yes, way too early, but they are there, a tiny piece of sharp white is now poking through...he tries to chew everything, but can't hold anything himself. His favorite thing to chew is his brother when they are laying on their mat.
They sleep okay...4 hour stretches at night, it would be nice if it were longer but I know that will come....they start solids at 4 months and all will be well I hope!
We went to see a pediatric gastro doctor to see about some reflux and both were diagnosed with it...so now both babies are on prevacid and a different formula...
I am still nursing and pumping a lot. Both babies know how to nurse and will do it but they both are more used to the bottle and prefer that so either baby will take a whole meal from me yet...I hope one day to change that.
Our family got a new car, well van. We got a new Honda Odyssey due to lack of space for our family and love, love it.
The babies are pretty good babies, coming up on 3 months old now...they are overall pretty happy and healthy. We are blessed. They are smiling and will giggle if you work hard for it and they have the best little personalities...they are loved, for sure.
On May 12th, the boys had their 2 months well baby visit. Blake weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces and was 22 1/4 inches long and Luke weighed 9 pounds 13 ounces and was 22 inches long. Huge growth! But still in the 2-3% on the charts...17th for height.
We discovered teeth coming in on Luke when he was 10 weeks 2 days old...yes, way too early, but they are there, a tiny piece of sharp white is now poking through...he tries to chew everything, but can't hold anything himself. His favorite thing to chew is his brother when they are laying on their mat.
They sleep okay...4 hour stretches at night, it would be nice if it were longer but I know that will come....they start solids at 4 months and all will be well I hope!
We went to see a pediatric gastro doctor to see about some reflux and both were diagnosed with it...so now both babies are on prevacid and a different formula...
I am still nursing and pumping a lot. Both babies know how to nurse and will do it but they both are more used to the bottle and prefer that so either baby will take a whole meal from me yet...I hope one day to change that.
Our family got a new car, well van. We got a new Honda Odyssey due to lack of space for our family and love, love it.
The babies are pretty good babies, coming up on 3 months old now...they are overall pretty happy and healthy. We are blessed. They are smiling and will giggle if you work hard for it and they have the best little personalities...they are loved, for sure.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
find me on Facebook under Missy Stanton (michelle fleury). I will delete this in a few days!!! Follow me and my boys!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Quick update
I think most people who have an interest in my twins now follow me on facebook, where I update far more regularly with status updates and pictures. So I may not update here quite as frequently, but I do want to be able to jot down important facts here!
Yesterday I took the boys to the doctors. Blake weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces and Luke was 6 pounds 7 ounces. Both are now on the charts, Blake is in between 2-3 % and Luke is 2%...
We went to the doctors because it seemed like the boys were having a lot of pain/gas and were uncomfy and kicking their little legs and grunting and moaning and just not comfortable.
The doctor assured me they were fine and said that babies cry and kick because really that is all they know how to do. She took us off the 22 calorie preemie formula and we are on enfamil gentlese now to try...the babies are getting about 60% breastmilk and 40% formula...the numbers change now that they are eating a bit more...
We are still working on nursing...if I can get one or both to nurse then my milk supply will come back up...it's frustrating because I want them on all breastmilk, but even on my beszt day, I can't pump enough. Today Blake nursed twice, once for 25 mins and once for 20 mins...and only needed 1 ounce of breastmilk in the bottle...so I was really happy...we are going to keep working on it but I really hope now that they are growing it will get easier...Blake still gets tired from nursing, and it isn't as smooth and easy yet as it should be...but I am hopeful.
I think that is it for now. I am tired..and emotional...and often find myself doubting my abiolity to do all that needs doing and to be a good mom. It's a struggle sometimes, but my boys are so amazing, I wouldn't change it for the world. Sleep will come, and laundry will wait. it's hard for me to comprehend that, but my babies come first. We have been doing a lot of snuggling and it's amazing...
Yesterday I took the boys to the doctors. Blake weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces and Luke was 6 pounds 7 ounces. Both are now on the charts, Blake is in between 2-3 % and Luke is 2%...
We went to the doctors because it seemed like the boys were having a lot of pain/gas and were uncomfy and kicking their little legs and grunting and moaning and just not comfortable.
The doctor assured me they were fine and said that babies cry and kick because really that is all they know how to do. She took us off the 22 calorie preemie formula and we are on enfamil gentlese now to try...the babies are getting about 60% breastmilk and 40% formula...the numbers change now that they are eating a bit more...
We are still working on nursing...if I can get one or both to nurse then my milk supply will come back up...it's frustrating because I want them on all breastmilk, but even on my beszt day, I can't pump enough. Today Blake nursed twice, once for 25 mins and once for 20 mins...and only needed 1 ounce of breastmilk in the bottle...so I was really happy...we are going to keep working on it but I really hope now that they are growing it will get easier...Blake still gets tired from nursing, and it isn't as smooth and easy yet as it should be...but I am hopeful.
I think that is it for now. I am tired..and emotional...and often find myself doubting my abiolity to do all that needs doing and to be a good mom. It's a struggle sometimes, but my boys are so amazing, I wouldn't change it for the world. Sleep will come, and laundry will wait. it's hard for me to comprehend that, but my babies come first. We have been doing a lot of snuggling and it's amazing...
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Birth Story part 2-
So we get to this nice labor and delivery room and we do a lot of waiting to see what time the c-section will be...we know it won't be too long, but the waiting was nerve wracking. A lot of people kept coming in to talk to us...anesthesia, the surgeon, a doctor from the NICU came as well and we had a long talk with him about what to expect for our boys, who were being born at 35 weeks 2 days. Due to their gestational age they were going to be required to do 18-24 hours in the NICU for observation. He described what we could expect as far as an IV in them and a board on their arm, he said he had never had a 35 weeker not need an IV..and some leads on them to monitor their hearts and breathing. We talked about if they needed an extensive stay in the NICU that they would transfer them to the hospital we were going to deliver at back home, that they do that often, which made me feel much better.
We made some phone calls, it was still a bit early but we called my mom and we called Tim's dad, who actually happened to be in Boston for a work conference and had stayed overnight the night before. They were so excited and planned to come to the hospital after the babies were born.
After a lot of waiting, the hubs put his scrubs on and they came and said it was time to go. They put me in a wheel chair and to the OR we went. They made my husband wait outside while they did prep and the epidural.
The room was not very big and it was packed with stuff,,,2 incubators and a lot of people. Each baby had a team of nurses and a doctor for them ready. I sat on the table and they did some stuff and then it was time for the epidural. This sucked. I can not lie. They had to stick me about 6-8 times and they could not get it where it needed to be. She kept saying push your back out, lean forward more and I was trying but by now I was so upset. Being stuck hurt so much, despite them trying to numb it. It was the worst part of the whole procedure and at the end I was just begging to be knocked out. The anesthesiologist pulled out this lil toothpick sword thing you might get in a drink and started poking me and asking do you feel this do you feel that and I could feel it all and I was really worried that they were going to start before I was numb. They kept adding more medicine and tilting the table to get it to go where they wanted it, but the epidural did not work as it should have. Finally I was numb though.
They brought in my husband and they started the surgery. I was in tears from the epidural debacle and my husband was given a stool to sit in, but the anesthesiologist was in the way he couldn't even get very close to me. He asked if he promised not to pass out if he could stand up and watch and they said no, but they lowered the drape so he could see more.
Then came the babies. I didn't feel much of anything. I heard you feel pressure and tugging but I didn't feel that at all. I felt nothing. They pulled out baby A out and he cried right away. They took him to the warmer and did their thing with them. Then came baby B, he didn't cry right away, which made me concerned, but a few minutes later I heard him as well.
They asked me 10 times if I was sure that I wanted my tubes tied and I did, and so they did that. The closing up took much longer than getting the babies out.
We were then brought back to the same room we started in. The babies got to come and spend about 2 hours there with us since they were so healthy, they were given that time with us before being taken to the NICU. It was amazing. I did skin to skin time with them both and tried nursing them but they were too tired for it. We held them and just stared at them. They were perfect.
With an epidural they usually give you morphine in it which curbs pain for about 18 hours...but since the epidural did not work how it should have the morphine did not work so they gave me a pain pump to help with the pain. The pain was a bit intense, but it seemed muffled by the joy of holding and meeting my little men.
After about 2 hours they took the babies to the NICU and the hubs and I were left alone....his dad came shortly after that and visited for a while. Tim took him up to the NICU to see the babies...I couldn't go anywhere until my legs started working! They were so heavy and numb and I couldn't move them from the epidural.....
After a while they were ready to move me to a different floor where I would recover. They took me on the stretcher and our first stop was the NICU to see the boys. It was really wonderful to have them take me right there and see them. Then we went to our room on the 10th floor. Tim's dad and now his stepmom stopped by again to see us.
After we settled in, they had me order dinner. Let's talk about the food. The food was amazing..out of this world. You had a menu, like in a restaurant, and you called anytime between 7 am and 7 pm and ordered food. And it was OUT OF THIS WORLD. It was not cafeteria food at all, but instead amazingly fresh and wonderful. Fresh fruit, wonderful turkey clubs...just amazing. I was in heaven.
After a while I asked the nurse if I could go up and see the babies again. She said she was too busy to take me, which made me sad and angry. My husband said he would take me and she said I had to walk around first. I got up and walked some and it hurt like hell. THe 3rd shift nurse came on and I again asked if I could go see my babies and she was wonderful and got us a wheelchair and my husband was allowed to wheel me up to spend time with our boys.
It was midnight by this time, and we were also waiting for Tim's brother to arrive from CT with our bags and stuff. He was super kind to drive 3 hours after putting his kids to bed to come to Boston with our stuff so we could have what we needed/wanted. He got there late, around 12:30. Tim went down to greet him and put our stuff in our room and then brought him back to the NICU to see/hold his nephews. He stayed for about 20 minutes only and then started the long drive back home.
We were told the boys could come down to our floor and the regular nursery as early as 5 am but it would depend on the order the doctor saw babies in. We went back down and tried to sleep, but I didn't have much luck with sleeping.
Oh, during this time I started pumping...as soon as we got into our recovery room. Each room had a pump in it, which was nice. They hooked it up for me and I started pumping. I got very little and they actually had me put it on the long cotton swabs and the babies were given them to suck on...there was that little coming out. But I was determined to get them breastmilk, or the early stuff that is so wonderful for them.
Next to come...Sunday through Thursday.
We made some phone calls, it was still a bit early but we called my mom and we called Tim's dad, who actually happened to be in Boston for a work conference and had stayed overnight the night before. They were so excited and planned to come to the hospital after the babies were born.
After a lot of waiting, the hubs put his scrubs on and they came and said it was time to go. They put me in a wheel chair and to the OR we went. They made my husband wait outside while they did prep and the epidural.
The room was not very big and it was packed with stuff,,,2 incubators and a lot of people. Each baby had a team of nurses and a doctor for them ready. I sat on the table and they did some stuff and then it was time for the epidural. This sucked. I can not lie. They had to stick me about 6-8 times and they could not get it where it needed to be. She kept saying push your back out, lean forward more and I was trying but by now I was so upset. Being stuck hurt so much, despite them trying to numb it. It was the worst part of the whole procedure and at the end I was just begging to be knocked out. The anesthesiologist pulled out this lil toothpick sword thing you might get in a drink and started poking me and asking do you feel this do you feel that and I could feel it all and I was really worried that they were going to start before I was numb. They kept adding more medicine and tilting the table to get it to go where they wanted it, but the epidural did not work as it should have. Finally I was numb though.
They brought in my husband and they started the surgery. I was in tears from the epidural debacle and my husband was given a stool to sit in, but the anesthesiologist was in the way he couldn't even get very close to me. He asked if he promised not to pass out if he could stand up and watch and they said no, but they lowered the drape so he could see more.
Then came the babies. I didn't feel much of anything. I heard you feel pressure and tugging but I didn't feel that at all. I felt nothing. They pulled out baby A out and he cried right away. They took him to the warmer and did their thing with them. Then came baby B, he didn't cry right away, which made me concerned, but a few minutes later I heard him as well.
They asked me 10 times if I was sure that I wanted my tubes tied and I did, and so they did that. The closing up took much longer than getting the babies out.
We were then brought back to the same room we started in. The babies got to come and spend about 2 hours there with us since they were so healthy, they were given that time with us before being taken to the NICU. It was amazing. I did skin to skin time with them both and tried nursing them but they were too tired for it. We held them and just stared at them. They were perfect.
With an epidural they usually give you morphine in it which curbs pain for about 18 hours...but since the epidural did not work how it should have the morphine did not work so they gave me a pain pump to help with the pain. The pain was a bit intense, but it seemed muffled by the joy of holding and meeting my little men.
After about 2 hours they took the babies to the NICU and the hubs and I were left alone....his dad came shortly after that and visited for a while. Tim took him up to the NICU to see the babies...I couldn't go anywhere until my legs started working! They were so heavy and numb and I couldn't move them from the epidural.....
After a while they were ready to move me to a different floor where I would recover. They took me on the stretcher and our first stop was the NICU to see the boys. It was really wonderful to have them take me right there and see them. Then we went to our room on the 10th floor. Tim's dad and now his stepmom stopped by again to see us.
After we settled in, they had me order dinner. Let's talk about the food. The food was amazing..out of this world. You had a menu, like in a restaurant, and you called anytime between 7 am and 7 pm and ordered food. And it was OUT OF THIS WORLD. It was not cafeteria food at all, but instead amazingly fresh and wonderful. Fresh fruit, wonderful turkey clubs...just amazing. I was in heaven.
After a while I asked the nurse if I could go up and see the babies again. She said she was too busy to take me, which made me sad and angry. My husband said he would take me and she said I had to walk around first. I got up and walked some and it hurt like hell. THe 3rd shift nurse came on and I again asked if I could go see my babies and she was wonderful and got us a wheelchair and my husband was allowed to wheel me up to spend time with our boys.
It was midnight by this time, and we were also waiting for Tim's brother to arrive from CT with our bags and stuff. He was super kind to drive 3 hours after putting his kids to bed to come to Boston with our stuff so we could have what we needed/wanted. He got there late, around 12:30. Tim went down to greet him and put our stuff in our room and then brought him back to the NICU to see/hold his nephews. He stayed for about 20 minutes only and then started the long drive back home.
We were told the boys could come down to our floor and the regular nursery as early as 5 am but it would depend on the order the doctor saw babies in. We went back down and tried to sleep, but I didn't have much luck with sleeping.
Oh, during this time I started pumping...as soon as we got into our recovery room. Each room had a pump in it, which was nice. They hooked it up for me and I started pumping. I got very little and they actually had me put it on the long cotton swabs and the babies were given them to suck on...there was that little coming out. But I was determined to get them breastmilk, or the early stuff that is so wonderful for them.
Next to come...Sunday through Thursday.
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