Whenever the babes are down it would be wise if I were also resting but there is always something to do and it has been almost one month since I last posted. Tsk, tsk.
These two little people are ruling my world and most days there is little time for anything else. I wouldn't have it any other way. Words cannot express how much I love them, though I am going to try.
This boy has my heart. Look at his gorgeous eyes and luscious cheeks. Constantly the boy is barraged by my nibbles and caresses. He is sweet and for the most part pretty chill. He cries when he is uncomfortable with gas. Once the bubble has cleared he is relaxed as ever. My sweet boy spits up a lot and I don't know if it is just Max, if his little GI system is still immature, is he over eating, dairy sensitivity, on and on the list could go. He doesn't seem to be in pain though when he spits up other than the usual gas discomfort.
I was doing some research and came across some information that seemed to describe Max. He always sounds stuffy and congested though his little button nose is clear when suctioned. Persistent congestion and a lot of spit up could be indicative of dairy (or more accurately the protein in dairy) sensitivity.
It has been almost two weeks without dairy and it is hard! I shamefully admit that I haven't been 100% and had a bit of cheese with my eggs yesterday, and haven't been extreme in reading labels. I have not had any cow's milk or yogurt though instead I use soy milk and almond milk and a butter wannabe.
I am recommitting myself wholly and am now a label reader and dairy is out of the diet until further notice. But spitting up hasn't stopped the boy from gaining weight. He loves to eat! He weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces November 20th and now weighs 9 pounds 9 ounces. That is over 2 pounds in one month! Sheesh, maybe he is just over eating. He is in size 1 diapers now. Love him.
Perhaps this is not the most flattering picture of the Princess Kate but she is darling none the less. This peanut is the apple of her daddy's eye and is my sweetie. She has started smiling and will coo and talk to you. She loves her bouncer that plays music and flashes lights and gets her arms and legs a moving! She is also a good baby and doesn't cry or fuss unless she is tired or needs to burp. Kate is our fire cracker and can fight sleep like no other. If we aren't diligent about watching her sleep cues and keeping her right on schedule she will stay up for hours. Not good! The other night she was up from 4:30 till almost 11pm! This is with me nursing her, rocking her, pacifying her, etc. She will drift into sleep and then pops her beautiful eyes right open and protests.
Kate weighed 6 pounds 9 ounces in November and yesterday weighed in at 8 pounds even. Still a peanut but progressing well. She still wears her newborn clothes and diapers and a lot of her outfits are still to big on her.
We have been doing sleep training with Babywise and I have modified it to meet our needs but still want the kids to learn to sleep on their own without props or an elaborate routine. We eat, burp, play and then when they start showing yawns and tiredness I swaddle them up and with a baby in each arm we rock for a few minutes, I sing a few songs and when they are drowsy but still awake they are placed in their crib and the idea is for them to drift to sleep on their own. We have our good days and we have our bad where I question everything I know.
Nursing is going wonderfully and they eat every 3 hours and hopefully someday they will sleep through the night. I know our schedule will pay off and the kids will get there and are benefiting from a routine. We all do.
They had the second half of their 2 month shots with the second dose of RSV shot and didn't handle them as well as last month. Max was so sore and just cried in pain whenever we touched his legs or I shifted him when nursing or burping. Kate had a low grade fever. A dose of Tylenol did the trick and today they are back to their happy selves.
Life is a blur and my days are full of constant care of Max and Kate. I have certainly adjusted to a bed full of clean laundry, cluttered counter tops and baby paraphernalia slowly overtaking my house. Dinner is a goal and I hope to be more consistent. I am inside all day more often than not and my once or twice weekly excursion is the hour long trip to the grocery store or some other errand usually on the weekend when Phil is home.
Phil is a wonderful father, very attentive and interactive with the kids. He still helps me during the night if I need it. We actually are both sleeping in the kids room since I get up with them so often, it is easier to be right there and get them before they start crying a lot and wake up more.
I am going to try and document life better. Be warned that most posts are going to be about Max and Kate. They are our life now and I have nothing more to contribute other than them at this point in time.
We all hang out in our jammies most of the day. On our good days I am showered and at least get to swipe on some mascara, maybe some real clothes and do my hair! But all I am is a milk buffet at this point in time so I figure at least I am clean!
20 comments:
Are you kidding me with all that cuteness??!! They are amazing and seem to be growing and developing so well... thanks to a loving and dedicated Mom (and Dad). We continue to be so happy for you both.
Just adorable! This brought back lots of memories. Call me if you need any nondair support/ideas! FYI, babies that are sensitive to cow proteins are usually sensitive to soy proteins also. I stuck to rice milk...usually added nondairy creamer.
So you have transformed into a Mom : ) Sweetie, most of us don't get out of our PJ's . . even when we DO go somewhere ! At least that's how I roll : ) I LOVE these kids, seriously. Could they be any more precious ? It's great to hear how well they are growing. And it sounds like they are getting the hang of things - you know, Kate figuring out how to stay up and party instead of sleep. Let me tell you, Douglas is FOUR and he still does that. We have to pretty much bribe him to go to bed on time ! You do what you have to do. But I love these little ones and am SO happy to hear they are doing well. And look at my Blog . . how much do I write about Tyler and I ? Seriously, it is usually always about Douglas and I think that's okay. So I look forward to hearing about you and Phil from time to time, but I REALLY look forward to hearing about and seeing pictures of those cuties : )
If you need any help, email me. I would be happy to bring dinner again or come help put laundry away. I am always here : )
I'm glad to hear things are going well. Giving up dairy is so hard! I tried that with Kyson when he was so fussy (obviously that wasn't the problem) but it's amazing how dairy seems to be in everything!
I love to see pictures of those babies. I especially love that picture of Max. They are both so dang cute!
They are so cute. You are doing great. And just so you know, there are times that I don't get out of my PJ's and my youngest is 15 months.
Wow they are getting so big! AND sooo cute! Of course!!!
You are surviving twins and finding joy in it in the process!! Go Heather!!!! I'll be your sometimes shower-less, usually mascara-less, PJ clad cross country buddy while we are continuing to adjust to our new lives!! :)
I agree. I feel mostly like a big bottle of milk some days and because my kid is not on a great schedule I'm more often than not a leaky bottle. So when Ted will watch both the kids, you can find me in the shower or washing my delicates. We all have our own struggles, no?
Thanks for the Kate & Max update. I really enjoy hearing about your kiddos, formerly kidlets.
As for blogging, I guess I can keep up on it because it keeps me sane, gives me a good outlet for my thoughts, and keeps me connected with my friends and family. I probably need it more than any reader needs to read it, that's for sure. It's mostly for me.
I hope that all of your posts are about Max and Kate because they are so cute!! (Not that you and Phil aren't cute and didn't make for great posts :) ) You're doing such a wonderful job with the twins. Seriously, you're my hero to be able to do it all with 2!
For what its worth, I feel like I smell like milk all of the time. Not my favorite fragrance.
cameron had a lot of the same symptoms your describing with max. since birth although the "spitting up" ended around 1-ish. then he had vomiting episodes about twice a month that lasted 3-5 days. just about a month ago we had a blood test from a pediatric gi doctor- Dr, McComber from phoenix children's, he is absolutely the greatest man EVER so if you can see him, i highly recommend him. but cameron has zero ability to digest lactose- (milk sugar). it's called a- lactasia. so most people have over 15 micromoles of lactace- which aids in the digestion of lactose, cam has zero which is pretty rare for a young child. we don't have evidence if this is what he's had since birth- (literally the first time i breast fed him he threw it up) and is this the whole reason for his vomiting? we're not sure, so we just keep him lactose free as much as we can and he does really good. i'm sure you hear everyone's stories and i hope you don't mind mine. both max and kate sure are beautiful and thanks for taking the time to update!
They are gotten so big and are both so cute. I have been meaning to get over there, but Andy caught a cold and then gave it to me, so I have stayed away. You are doing such an amazing job. As soon as this cold is over, I will be there!
YIPPE! I loved reading all about your happiness and hardness! I love it! Hang in there friend...this too shall pass!
Love the pic's! They are so adorable. Sounds like you are doing a great job mommy...keep it up. It will pay off to get a routine, the best you can anyway!
Pretty much every word of this post resonates with me...except for the whole "twin" part of the post. But...adjusting to a neatly cluttered home, not going outside all day, running errands on weekends, pj's and little make-up, and a full-fledged, rarely updated mommy blog...yep, every word--that's my life! But it's great! And, no worries--once you have kids, reading about other people's kids and experiences becomes interesting...so, thanks for sharing. Those are some cute babes, btw!
I'm glad I checked for an update.
We are at 6 months and I still don't manage more than a shower every other day and a little dab of make-up. Pajamas are my friend.
And just so you know, I probably did the same research on spit-up prone babies. I think through my research I just concluded that my girls have extra mucousy tummies and a weak flap that keeps the food down. Sorry for the no milk thing. I only lasted 5 or 6 days.
Hang in there Heather. You are strong.
Okay, I just noticed the full body shot from the previous post. Did you have the doctor give you a tummy tuck while you were at it? Your stomach looks amazing. Mine it still working on looking that good.
The routine is the best... we for sure learned that the hard way with Madisyn. Ella came along and I was the routine nazi. They are sweet as ever! You guys look great!
Heather I am so sorry I have missed so mcuh our this amazing journey you and Phil are on. Enjoy these two little ones every second you can. Teach them the things they need to know and be a very mean Mom, the kind that loves their children with discipline so they will know what choices are the right ones. May Heavenly Father continue to bless you always and forever.
Sounds like you are doing great!! both my kiddos had the milk sensitivity. With Alyssa, I was able to bring milk back into my diet at about 6 months. (But she had to drink Lactaid and soy stuff until she was almost four! She couldn't have a drop of dairy, even mozzerella cheese, until she was 18 months! If she even had a drop of milk, her poop would burn her bum and cause it to bleed. It was bad!) But with Logan, he was WAY sensitive to my milk. I couldn't eat anything with a drop of dairy until he was almost a year. The spit up decreased a ton, but didn't go away until around 6 months. After that, if I had dairy, he would just get really gassy and have more diaper rash. He outgrew his milk intolerances a lot quicker than alyssa, at about 18 months. I couldn't stomach soy and I just couldn't get used to the after taste. But, almond milk was much better! I just drank a lot of juices and water. Somedays, I just dealt with the spitup because I HAD to add cheese to my dinner! Chances are, a lot of his sensitivity is due to being premature. Most babies outgrow it with a few months. Oh...and you might want to watch your chocolate intake (HARD!) because babies can be really sensitive to that, too! Good Luck!
Loved the update! Your babes are so adorable. Funny expression on Kate's face in the second to last picture! Good luck with being dairy free. I hope it helps Max be more comfortable. And good luck with miss firecracker. I swear, some babies will do anything to fight sleep! But they win your heart anyway. <3
Post a Comment