Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! This was the first Halloween that I didn't dress up, but instead I got to dress up the girls. Natalie was a pumpkin and Audrey was a lady bug. We went to Bryan's parent's house to "trick-or-treat" for a little while. We had to cut it short because I forgot the diaper bag - oops! To be fair, this was the first time the girls left our house, so I'm not used to it just yet. I can't wait until next year when we can go to a pumpkin patch and Boo in the Zoo.

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Sleepless Days!

So not only are the girls waking up a lot at night, they are staying up a lot during the day (I won't need a zombie costume for Halloween). Bryan and I took them on their first walk the other day. Even though it was in the 70s here, we bundled them up. The girls slept during most of the walk, but halfway through woke up screaming. So we each ended up carrying a baby, and Bryan pushed an empty stroller back home.

Today I let the girls play with a few toys. Even though they really didn't notice they existed, I thought it was pretty cute.

And here is a picture of them during the only real nap they took all day long.

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Trying out the Crib

I'm hoping to get the girls into their cribs this week. So far they've been staying in our room with us. And let's just say they are not quiet sleepers. I swear they sound like a small herd of farm animals. Sleep has been getting a bit better. They've adjusted to taking more food during feedings and are sleeping 3-4 hours in between instead of 1-2. Here are some pictures of them trying out their cribs, and a video of the girls as well (can you hear the grunting??).

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Another Sleepless Night...

Yet another sleepless night. The girls do so well during the day. They take their bottles, get burped and changed, and then can either fall asleep, do tummy time or get hugged on. However, night is a totally different story! Last night Bryan and I fed them around midnight, and they did not go to sleep until almost 5:00 am. I swear as soon as we finished feeding/burping/diapering they were ready for more food! Hopefully this is just a growth spurt and not a vision of the future. Because if it is, you might find a listing for Cute Twin Girls Free to Good Home on Craigslist!

The girls got to meet their one and only cousin Ava today. However, by May the girls will have THREE more cousins! All three of my sisters-in-law are pregnant! Audrey is in brown, Natalie is in pink, and Ava is the big girl.

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Ahhh, Sleep!

Bryan works Sunday-Wednesday, so he spends those nights in the guest room and I take care of the girls. He is really good at helping Wednesday-Saturday, letting me get some time sleeping in the guest room. Last night was the first night of good sleep for me and the girls! I used the Swaddle Me blankets and the girls quickly fell asleep and slept for three hours in a row. The past week they fought off sleep, demanded to be held, and would not sleep in their Pack n Play next to my bed. I had always said no babies in bed with me, but you quickly cave when you have two sweeties who want extra love and attention at 4:00am - and you want sleep!

Here they are napping in the living room:

And here they are in their Pack n Play, all ready for bed (well, Audrey is fighting sleep):


And in "me" news, I've decided to start supplementing with formula. This has been a really hard decision for me. Since the girls' birth, I've dealt with mastitis, engorgement, milk blisters, you name it. On top of that, I'm making just enough for one feeding at a time. Which means in the middle of the night I have to feed, burp and diaper two babies and then pump for 20 minutes. By the time I'm done, I've got an hour and a half to sleep before doing it all over again. I still plan on pumping, but I am going to add Neosure to the bottles. The NICU doctors raved about Neosure, saying it is the best formula for preemies. And at the price it costs, it better be! I'm just ready to go back to feeling like me again. I spent four months confined to bed with little human contact, worrying daily about my girls. My body was stretched and beaten up with the pregnancy. I'd like to not feel tied to my pump, and my girls deserve a happy mommy.

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Visitors

Whew, tons of visitors today! The girls got to meet their Great Grandma Jones and Great Aunt Karen, along with Cousin Shelby. Then they also hung out with both Grandmas and their Aunt Jennifer. And a very tired me got a nice nap when Bryan came home.

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A Few Pics

Here are a few pics Bryan took of the girls. I had Michigan dresses made for them for NEXT fall, but he couldn't wait to get them geared up for game day!
Audrey

Natalie

Little Cheerleaders

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So Tired

Another night of really bad sleep. Bryan took the girls from 1-4:30am and let me sleep in the guest room. And then we switched and I had the girls until we woke up around 1:00 pm. We were both pooped, peed and spit up on. Natalie has been having some reflux problems, so we tried her on a new bottle and everything is going well (knock on wood). I think the lack of sleep is killing my milk supply, as well as their increasing appetites. Last night I had to give a bottle of formula to the girls :(

Here is a picture of the girls (Audrey on the left, Natalie on the right).

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First Doctor's Appointment

The girls had their first doctors appointment today. I swear every nurse came running at the sight of our two car seats. Their doctor said that they won "cutest babies of the day" hands down. And the good news is that they are gaining weight! Audrey is now 4lbs 8.5oz and Natalie is 4lbs 3.5oz. We also gave the girls their first bath this afternoon. Natalie: Audrey: And they LOVE their swings!

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Whoa!

Someone stole my sweet, sleepy babies and replaced them with little monsters last night! The girls took turns grunting and fussing all night (not a whole lot of cyring still). I was pooped, peed and barfed on. They would NOT let me put them back down after feedings, so I finally just let them fall asleep on my chest for 30 minutes and placed them in their pack n play.

My mom came over today for a short while to play with the girls. And Bryan came home and took charge so I could take a nap and shower. He is off on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays so I'm sure we'll have a much easier time tonight.

Here is a pic of the girls during tummy time.

And to think that Audrey was the smaller one in my belly - she's a little chunker now!

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The First Night

So the first night wasn't THAT bad. I had the girls down in their crib, and we were going to stick to an 8, 11, 2, 5 schedule. By the time 11 rolled around, I was tired of watching them on the baby monitor and hearing static, so I moved them into their pack n play and put them right beside my bed. Natalie was sneezing and I was so afraid she'd stop breathing. Both girls slept well right up until time for their feedings, then they'd start to get a little fussy. I'd feed Audrey and then change her, and then feed Natalie and change her. It took about 30 minutes total, and then I'd pump for 10-15 for their next feeding. We all just woke up at 11:00 for the day. I haven't been this tired in a loooong time. I'm glad I got so many months of bedrest!

Now, the girls are chilaxing in their boppys, waiting for Grandma Foster to come visit. I can't tell you how hard it is to get two babies to look cute at the same time - but here are a few pictures.




And considering how hard this pregnancy was, I've been lucky enough to lose all the weight in two weeks, and am almost back to my pre-pregnancy size. I still have a little water weight (can't wear my wedding rings still), but am sure that will come off soon. Maybe I'll get brave and post a belly picture. I didn't get any stretch marks, but I still have a linea negra.

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The Girls Are Home!

The girls are home! I went in today, fully prepared for the girls NOT to come home. When I got there, they alread had written the discharge papers for Natalie and the doctor was on his way to write Audrey's. So the only thing left to do was pack up our stuff (and the TONS of stuff the NICU gave us), change the girls, and load them in the carseats. Little Miss Audrey is being a fussy butt right now, so I put her in the boppy.

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NICU Day 12

Both girls passed hearing tests and car seat tests. They've also maintained their temps and SHOULD get to come home tomorrow! We only spent about an hour and a half there today, as Bryan worked a full day and I had TONS of stuff to get done here (build bouncer and pack n play, sterilize a dozen bottles and nipples, etc).

Keep your fingers crossed!

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NICU Day 11

Yay! Natalie got put into a big girl crib today! We didn't head up to the NICU until a little later today, since we stayed until 1:00am last night. Talk about a stressful day! So far our girls have slept 3 hours, get changed, and take a bottle. They were wide awake and fussing 45 minutes before they were supposed to be awake. Both had dirty diapers, and Natalie projectile vomited twice. And no sooner did we get both changed, when they pooped again. And then Natalie spit up on her new bedding and clothes. So what should have been a 25 minute changing/feeding turned into an hour long fiasco. I guess they are preparing us for home! And speaking of home, the nurse today said they will probably keep Audrey an extra few hours so they both can come home (probably Monday).

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