Back to work...

Well I went back to work a few weeks ago (3 to be exact). It was definitely hard but I am so glad my mom is watching Colin and Leah. I cried of course and Sunday nights and Monday mornings are still hard but thankfully the week does go by fast. I am also thankful that I do really like my job so if I have to work, I'm glad it's there.

Colin and Leah are both getting so big. Leah LOVES the rainforrest playmat. She kicks the little chimes that hang down and grabs at the stuffed frog. She does "lizzard lips" (a phrase coined by her grandparents about her mother :) where she sticks out her tongue and licks her lips. It's so adorable!

Colin actually enjoys tummy time now. He pushes himself up (although I don't know how since he's so chubby!) and looks around. He's so close to rolling from his back to his belly. He gets on his side but just can't quite get all the way over. Leah still hates tummy time so we usually have to do "naked" tummy time with just a diaper on. She will tolerate it like this but does not actually like it by any means!

We found out Leah has acid reflux so she is on liquid Zantac now which is definitely helping. They are both sleeping all night (YAY!!!). They go to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 and usually wake up between 6:00 and 7:00am. This morning they woke up at 5:30 but ate a bottle and went back to sleep until 9:30 (Colin) and 10:30 (Leah). It was pretty amazing. :)

I finally found the usb to download pictures. They are getting so big!

So my life has been a little crazy lately.... :)

Leah...

Colin...

I haven't found the USB to download new pics from the camera but abobe are some pictures we had taken by the photographer who also did our maternity pics (they were 3 weeks old for these) and some other pics...

Wow. Looking at their pictures from my last post is crazy! They were so so little! Well, they are 8 weeks old today and their 2 month birthday is on Friday which I totally cannot believe. We closed on our house we were building on February 19th (still waiting on sod though...) and that same weekend both Colin and Leah had RSV. Yep, my little babies got RSV. I took Leah to the doctor on Friday, the 19th, and everything sounded fine as far as her breathing and oxygen level went so the nurse practitioner said to just keep an eye on her. Well Friday night I just felt like Colin's breathing wasn't normal so we made a trip to the pediatric urgent care. He also checked out fine but tested positive for RSV. The ped at urgent care said his oxygen level and breathing were fine but to watch for any difficulties breathing and to call 911 if he turned blue. Well, this new mom and dad took shifts Friday night (after moving all day and taking a late night trip to the urgent care) staying up all night and basically watching to make sure both of our babies didn't turn blue. It was a loooooong day on Saturday and we ended up breaking from moving around dinner time. Brad's dad came down and helped us move and cooked dinner for us Saturday night which was great since we were both exhausted. We both turned in around 8:00 that night. I still woke up several times throughout the night to make sure they were both breathing. They slept in their bouncers (to stay more elevated) right beside the bed and we left the bathroom light on so I could just wake up and see them. I have noticed that my senses are like superman now that I'm a mom. I can hear them breathing and see the smallest movements to indicate breathing in half light. I did actually read an article that moms have hightened senses and I believe it! Leah recovered fine from the RSV but Colin's cough got worse so we took him back to the pediatrician and he has been doing breathing treatments which have definitely helped his cough which is almost gone now.

Some things I have noticed after becoming a mom....

• Time, which went so slowly during my pregnancy, is now at warp speed. Has anyone else noticed this? Is it a conspiracy and all the clocks were programmed to speed up?
  
• I went from being a fast lane driver (I may have been a little speedy) to driving like a "grandma".
  
• Life involves feeding, pumping, changing diapers, and sometimes napping. Yes, I admit I do miss sleep sometimes but it's wonderful cuddling Colin and Leah at all hours of the day or night :).
  
• I have never been so excited about poop in my life. Leah would go 2-3 days between dirty diapers. She is now doing better since we switched formula and I am attempting a dairy free diet.
  
• The papsan swing is a twin mom's best friend especially when they both decide that they're hungry. Leah will almost not even tolerate the regular travel swing. Colin will swing in either. Colin is also the more patient and laid back of the two. Leah demands when she's hungry/wants picked up/etc. She's definitely a little princess lol :).
  
• Even though I like my job, I am totally dreading going back to work and have tried to think of some invention to make millions or a job I can do from home - nothing so far but I have 4 weeks left....The whole powerball thing hasn't worked out yet either.... :(

So as noted above I have been attempting a dairy free diet to see if that helps with Leah's gassiness and mild constipation. I think I've only actually gone 2 days total in the last week or so as it seems everything has dairy in it! Things I never would have guessed have dairy in them and some things that I would think do have dairy don't (like Oreos which I am totally addicted to) :). I have tried soy milk and just bought some almond milk last night which I haven't tried straight yet. The vanilla soy milk is okay. I have used it on cereal and for dunking my Oreos which thank goodness are dairy free and it's fine for those. I don't crave a big glass of it to just drink straight or anything. The plain soy milk works fine for substituting in recipes. I haven't noticed any difference in flavor or anything by using it. It's funny because I had never been a big milk drinker and then craved it when I was pregnant. Unfotunately, it made me sick especially if I had any milk or ice cream before bed.

To sum it up life has been crazy lately with two sick babies and moving but it's still been wonderful. I mostly facebook because I can do this on my blackberry while pumping (oh how I am thankful for staying connected with my blackberry) :). We are all looking forward to our trip to KC the weekend of March 19th! It's been since October that we've been there and we sure miss everyone!

Colin and Leah's Arrival

Just before we went home on Thursday. Look at all that blond hair! :)


Colin Lee


Leah Colleen


The proud dad to be just before going to the operating room for delivery


Right after delivery...our new beautiful family

Colin's first bath - he was NOT happy at all (he hates to be naked)


Leah's first bath - she cried a little but was okay after a minute or two

Daddy has mastered the art of holding two babies at once!

Colin and Leah 1 week old. It went by so fast!

They are here! Colin Lee was born at 3:49pm on 1/12/10 and was 6#5oz and 17 3/4" long. Leah Colleen was born at 3:52pm on 1/12/10 and was 6#10oz and 19 1/2" long. They are absolutely perfect and the most beautiful babies I've ever seen. They are so precious and we are so blessed.

We went into the hospital on Monday evening at 7:30pm and they got the process going with cytotec and then started the pitocin Tuesday morning at 6:30am. My contractions were starting to get stronger so I got my epidural around 10:00am and it was super easy after that. At about 2:45pm I was dilated to a 5 and then it felt like Colin was about to drop out at 3:00pm so I called the nurse back in and sure enough I was dilated to 10! It was crazy. My doctor was at another hospital so she called him and he came right over and we went to the operating room at about 3:30 (in case a c-section was necessary). I pushed for probably 15 minutes with Colin and then it only took 2 pushes with Leah. It was actually really easy and I can't complain about my labor and delivery at all. I was so glad we didn't have to do a c-section at all.

So the labor and delivery was a piece of cake but I do have to say that the 4 days afterwards were pretty uncomfortable...okay they were REALLY uncomfortable. On day 5 though I started to be able to move around a lot better and have been feeling better and better ever since.

They didn't have to stay in the NICU at all which was awesome. They were a littel jaundice but didn't have to do the lights or anything. We just had to have them checked the first 3 days after they left the hospital to make sure their levels didn't get too high. They did lose some weight since we were just breast feeding but we started supplementing some formula and now their almost back up to their birth weights.

I have to brag a little and say that they awesome babies. They stay pretty much on the same schedule. They may get off a little bit but catch back up within a feeding or two. They really aren't fussy unless their hungry or when Leah has gas. They have been going 2-3 hours between feedings during the day and 3-4 hours between feedings at night on average which is nice :). They are so super cute and make the funniest little faces and just crack us up on a daily basis! I don't know what we did before them!

Breuer Babies Coming Soon!

Well, we went to our doctor yesterday for our 36 week appointment and we scheduled a date to be induced! It may be tmi but I am about 80% effaced but have not dialated at all. Dr. Sterling has been very surprised about how well I have done carrying them :). When I asked about setting a date though since it seems that they're just going to stay put, I wasn't really expecting him to ask about THIS TUESDAY! I just nodded and smiled when he asked if that would work. Then when we left, I did kind of panic a little. Brad and I went to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant (who doesn't love free queso and sopapillas with every meal?!). He obviously knew something was up when I basically didn't talk all through dinner. It's not that I'm not so excited. It's just a reality check that I will be delivering two babies in just a few days. Plus, there's the whole unknown about what kind of delivery I will have - both vaginally, Colin vaginally and Leah C-section, or both by C-section. They are both head down so we are trying both vaginally but things could happen that could cause option 2 or 3 to occur. They could become distressed during labor or Leah could turn to be breach after Colin is delivered.

In addition to the actual delivery part of Tuesday, there's the fact that I will instantly become a mom and that's kind of scary too. It's a huge responsibility that I definitely don't take lightly so I'm a little nervous about it as well. There's also so many questions about breastfeeding, whether they'll adapt to the same schedule, and just how will I take care of two babies once Brad and my mom and others who help me at first go back to work?

Above all the scariness though is an incredible amount of excitement to finally meet the two babies that have been with me now for 8+ months. After all of the waiting and feeling like time was going so slow, I will finally get to meet them and hold them and snuggle with them. I cannot wait to see what they look like and who they look like and to hear their little coos and cries - hopefully not too much on the crying though :). I am really trying to enjoy the feeling of them moving around these last few days as well since I will miss that. They both got the hiccups on Tuesday and I'm really glad I got to experience that. It was such an interesting feeling with them both hiccupping in my belly at the same time! It will definitely be so worth it to hold them though and I look forward to that more than anything.

35 weeks and going strong!

Well we had our ultrasound on Monday and Lindsay, Dr. Sterling's nurse, called me today to let me know everything was great and that they are perfect! She actually said I should carry twins every time I'm pregnant. I think this is the one and only time but I am glad that it is going so well. The ultrasound Monday estimated Colin's weight at 5#8oz and Leah's at 5#9 oz so they are very close together which is great. We got some great face shots of Leah but Colin, who has been camera shy for pretty much every ultrasound, would start to turn his head towards us and then would turn away like he knew we were trying to get a picture of him. I may be a little bias but based on the ultrasound pics Leah is the most beautiful baby girl I've seen and Colin (based on his profile) is the cutest little boy I've seen :). I can't wait to meet them in person!

We had our 35 week appointment this afternoon and I am not showing any signs of going into labor anytime soon. Dr. Sterling was amazed :). He is also the best doctor ever as he told us that if we go into labor on a night he is not on call to have the nurse call him because he wants to be the one to deliver them. It was such a relief for this mom-to-be to know that my doctor who has been there the whole time and who I am familiar with will be the one to deliver them no matter what. He is so excited which I just love! He said I will only be the second patient of his to deliver twins vaginally in the last 4+ years. I am so excited about it too with them both being head down. I was a little nervous about it when Leah was not head down but she has turned and should stay that way at this point.

3 more weeks will be great for them to develop and fatten up. I just hope it flies by because I can't wait!

34 Week Update

We had our 34 week appointment last Wednesday which went great. Dr. Sterling said he would love for me to make it 3 more weeks but is thinking I will probably go sooner. The ultrasound estimated Colin's weight at 5#3oz and Leah's weight at 6#2oz. We are also having an ultrasound tomorrow (Monday) at the hospital we are delivering at just to check their weights there and also their fluid. Our doctor is not able to see much anymore on the ultrasound machines in the exam rooms so he wants to have everything checked out since we are getting so close to delivery. My parents are going to go with us tomorrow which will be fun especially since the twins are so big now. Colin and Leah have both had the hiccups lately so I wonder if they will while we're having the ultrasound tomorrow. It also sometimes feels like they're blowing bubbles so I wonder if we'll see that too. Pretty much the only thing we can see now on Dr. Sterling's ultrasound machines are their heads!

It was crazy to think this was our last Christmas just the 2 of us. We had a white Christmas (which I had been hoping for) so that was exciting. I could have done without the ice though. Our neighborhood is one solid sheet of ice and I don't know when it's going to warm up enough to melt it. We were at my brother's house on Christmas Eve when it really hit. One of Brad's windshield wipers broke so we drove home with only the driver's side windshield wiper working. It took us about an hour for a usually 15 minute drive. This is the first time in years (like 20) that Tulsa's seen a white Christmas. I hope the twins will get to experience one.

We are going to my uncle's house for New Year's Eve if the twins have not made an appearance yet and the roads have cleared by then. It should be a great time although I highly doubt we'll make it to midnight :). The only time I see midnight is when I'm waking up for a bathroom run!

We finished the twins' room and organizing their closet. We also have our bag and their bag packed and ready. I had a couple contractions early this morning but after I turned over to my other side they stopped so no real progress yet. It's getting so close now and I wonder if they will be born in 2009 or wait until 2010....I believe at 35 weeks there is no mandatory NICU stay at St. Francis where we're delivering but I need to double check this. Brad or I will update our Facebook probably from the hospital (since it's on our blackberries) and I will try to update the blog when we get home but I'm not making any promises on how soon it will be :).

Random thoughts

Well I don't necessarily have anything in particular to write about - just some thoughts on what I've been thinking about lately. I'm getting very anxious and excited about the twins' arrival. I am also a little nervous about giving birth. Dr. Sterling said I have the option of scheduling a C-section or I can try the vaginal delivery since Colin is head down but Leah has not been for the last month or so. Since she is not head down she may have to be turned once Colin is delivered if she does not turn on her own but there is a chance that she will not turn or cannot be turned and will have to be delivered via C-section. So essentially I could have a vaginal birth and a C-section. I have decided though that since my doctor believes that we can have a successful vaginal delivery for both of them I am going for that. I may end up having both but I would rather at least try for a vaginal delivery. Our next appointment is on Wednesday so hopefully Leah will have turned :).

It's so crazy that it's getting so close. I'm really only 3-4 weeks out at the most and it could be anytime. My bag is packed and the nursery is done and I believe I am as ready as I will ever be for them! Of course I'm still nervous about becoming a mom and taking care of two newborns at once but I can't wait for them to be here!

We had our birthing class on 12/12. It was an all day Saturday class which I'm glad we did instead of the4 week shorter classes. It was actually very informative and I felt like I learned quite a bit from it especially the postpartum and newborn care. I think Brad learned a lot too. I think my favorite part of the class was when the guys practiced the masssage techniques they learned :). It was kind of funny how they timed the birthing video. It was actually right before lunch! I am usually kind of squeamish (okay I passed out after getting a TB test once) but I did okay during both the vaginal birth and the C-section. I have to say I was very proud of myself. I've really tried to get over my issues with blood and haven't passed out at all when I've had blood drawn during my pregnancy (let me tell you that this is quite a feat for me).

If I do not post before then, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!