Saturday, May 29, 2010

Temper temper...

Grr...the title is appropriate for 2 reasons now. One, I just wrote the entire post and when I tried to publish it, it erased it and said there were conflicting edits! Grrr. Two, Mr. Colin has been showing his little temper lately. They both love playing in the exersaucers. Colin, however, gets very angry when he cannot pull off the toys that are attached to it. He starts out kind of whining and fussing a little and then moves to what we call "the meltdown". He throws a fit and hits the toy or tries to bite it. At this point, he is removed from the exersaucer and consoled. We have removed all of the toys from the exersaucer that clip in and can be removed. There are two though that spin and make noise that are actually attached to it. These he hates. In place of all of the toys that were clipped on there are now loose toys that we put up there.

Leah doesn't seem to have the temper like Colin. She's very impatient though and when she wants something you better get it fast - bottle, nap, changed, played with, to swing....whatever it is she wants it now. She's still not much of a fan of tummy time (Colin rolls over and sleeps on his belly most of the time). She is doing better though and will tolerate it more and more. I think she doesn't mind it as much though because she constantly rolls over to her back. So it's more like tummy time for a second, then on her back, then us rolling her back to her tummy. She's been having on and off days with spitting up. Some days she won't spit up any and some it's every feeding. We'll be calling the doctor if it doesn't get better since she is on acid reflux medicine.

They are both sleeping all night for the most part. They each had one night this week where they woke up and we moved them to the pack-n-play in our room so they wouldn't wake up the other. Colin, we have realized, does not like having his bed elevated. We had slightly propped up one side of his crib since he had been having some allergies and congestion. Well, Thursday night he was not having it. So I moved him to the pack-n-play in our room and he fell back asleep no problem and slept until 7:30. This was the same night Leah slept until 7:00 and we are quite sure this was a rare occurence that we won't see for many years - like a solar eclipse or something. Well, Leah spit up in her sleep last night and woke up but was not wanting to go back to sleep. So I had to stand by the pack-n-play and make sure her pacifier didn't fall out - so fun at 12:30am :).

We went bathing suit shopping last night for me and the twins. Either I didn't get the memo about skirt bottoms being out this year or everyone wanting the skirt bottoms went early to make sure they got them. Either way, I hate bathing suit shopping and stores should be required to have skirt bottoms in stock on Memorial Day weekend for us women who have had babies this year and are wanting to make sure we're covered up and have waited until the last minute to buy a bathing suit because we were hoping for some miracle to happen and wake up with a sculpted Carrie Underwood body. So, pretty much I did not have a good time swim suit shopping for myself. I did, however, have a BLAST swim suit shopping for the twins. My mom and I went and she found Leah the pink tutu bathing suit at Target I have been eyeing but all of the hangers said sizes 12 months and up. Leah needs a 9 month size to last for the summer. Well, I looked online and no luck - all 12 months and up. My mom said one looked smaller than the others and looked at the tag. It was a 9 month size on a 12 month hanger!!! Okay, it may seem silly to get this excited but it's their first bathing suit and IT'S A PINK TUTU!! We found Colin some adorable blue Hawaiian print swim trunks and found them both swim shirts to match their suits, already had hats, and we're ready to go! I'm pretty sure they're going to look like little baby models in their pink and blue suits :). We also bought two float tubes for them to sit in with sun shades. We'll probably get to my uncle's house today (who has the pool) and they'll want to take a nap lol! I really won't be at all surprised though if Colin is less than thrilled about getting in the pool since he's not a fan of baths yet :). I will definitely post pics though of them in their bathing suits!!

Friday, May 21, 2010

4 months and counting...

Well, I know it's been a while when my address bar doesn't remember my blog's address :). So, what's new with us...

Well, the twins are now 4 months old. I really try not to say "the twins" but it just happens sometimes and it's just easier than always typing or saying their names. I do try though to say their names so that I don't get in the habit of saying it and they know their individuals. Okay off the subject but just typing out loud. They had their 4 month appointment on Tuesday this week. Stats:

Colin:
weight - 16#12.5oz (90th percentile)
height - 24 inches (25th percentile)
head - not sure on cm (75th percentile)

Leah
weight - 14#8oz (75th percentile)
height - 24.5 inches (75th percentile)
head - once again not sure (75th percentile)

So, Colin is a chunky monkey and Leah is too but just more proportionate :). Their first round of shots, they did fine. Ran a slight fever but were just sleepy for the most part. This time not quite so easy. They were both super fussy Tuesday night and wanted held and bounced. They ran a fever Tuesday night so we gave them Tylenol (well the generic kind since the recall). Wednesday morning they both slept in a little but seemed okay when they woke up. My mom called me at 11:00 and I could hear both of them screaming in the background and she asked if I could come home to help. Even though I hated it that they weren't feeling good, I really loved spending the afternoon with them especially since they wanted to be held and snuggle :). They've also been battling some head congestion on top of this (it seems allergy related). We were going to go to KC this weekend but with all of this and them having not felt so great this week, we opted to stay here and not make the 6 hour drive up (takes a little bit longer with baby stops). So we are going to go up the weekend after Memorial Day instead.

Colin is rolling over and over now and actually enjoys being on his belly. He wants to crawl so badly but just can't quite figure out the arm coordination yet. Leah still hates tummy time but we're working on it and she's becoming more tolerant at least. She'll roll over when she gets good and mad but she's still not too interested in laying on her tummy. They're both smiling all the time and are starting to giggle a little too. They are so much fun and we are just having so much fun every day with them!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

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!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

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!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

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!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

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.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

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!