4 Months of Awesome

Max & Harper are four months old!!!

They are growing and changing everyday. Here are some random happenings of the last month:

• They giggle out loud and on purpose. Max loves when we hold him in the air. Harper loves when we blow raspberries on her tummy. 
• They talk A LOT. I crack up at their babbles. I swear they talk to each other. One will wake up in the night and chatter to wake the other one (not so awesome!) and it is so cute.
• They eat like champs. We went through a bout of stomach bugs in our house but when healthy they eat 7 ounces every 3-4 hours. 
• At night they sleep a pretty consistent 10 hours. They are asleep in bed around 7pm each night. This is great for getting grading and things done around the house...but sad that I lose cuddle time, especially when I have to stay late at school. 
• They are teething. In fact, Harper has her first tooth barely poking through. We got them the Baltic amber necklaces. They are great! So far, it has really cut down on their drooling. They were drooling so much that they would puke up clear fluid. Gross!
• They love play time. Tummy time doesn't last too long anymore since they roll everywhere. Max has even mastered the scoot. He will spin and turn until he gets where he wants, which usually means to see the TV to watch sports (just like his dad!). Max is super close to being able to roll from back to tummy. 
• They pull out their pacifiers to smile and talk and then put them back in! So cute. 
• They notice their hands and are completely mesmerized by them. Max laid in his crib for a good 30 minutes watching his hands. He didn't cry but I stood out of sight watching him. Hilarious!
• Max holds his own bottle. We don't quite trust them to hold them completely but we are getting there. 
• They love to be in the sitting position but can't quite do it with their awkward balance. The Bumbos are their favorites right now. 
• They love their daycare teachers and their teachers love them too. I have to say picking them up in the evening is my all time favorite part of the day!
• They are starting to realize that Bella, our beagle, is there now. They reach to touch her or stare at her. I have to wonder what they think she is. 
• They wear mostly 3-6 month clothing. I packed away all 0-3 and some 3 month too. Max is even wearing some 6  month clothes. So sad how fast they are growing!

Now for some pictures. Sorry for the rushed post but baby snuggles await me...

Sitting pretty

The tongue is always out!

Tiny beauty

Near rolling to tummy from back...

You did what?!

I love you, Mom!

Using the Bumbo so they could take a bath together for the first time

Notice our pretty Amber necklaces to help with teething

Loving the tummy time

Our favorite boy cousin!

We have lots of cousins to help us!

No way!

That's hilarious!

I was loving the camera!

They woke me up for this?!

Muscles!

Tired baby

Four months old!

Daddy is doing funny things but we aren't amused

-Lisa-

The Best IUI Ever!! (Oh and some Dirty Thirty)

I know that I keep reminiscing about the last year. I have had quite a few "OMG" moments lately. I can't help but be in complete and utter awe of God.

On Friday, November 9, 2012, I was feeling uncomfortable all day. After my follicle check at Dr. Kim's office, I was cleared to trigger the next night and have our IUI the next Monday. However, with my IVF debacle of early ovulation...I knew that the uncomfortable crampiness meant that I was ovulating. So, I peed on ovulation sticks with every pee that day. I soon found out that I was right. Here is my post from that night (I was devastated!): click here. 

I thought for sure our chance of parenting was over for a bit longer. I then got a little more positive when I focused on God's plan here. Then here is the post from the actual day of the IUI.

We had our IUI on Sunday, November 11, 2012. The IUI that brought us Max and Harper. The IUI that wasn't supposed to work. The IUI the doctors thought wasn't possible. The IUI that was "ruined" by natural ovulation. 

I love that the day our babies were "conceived" is also their FOUR MONTH birthday! Eight seemingly long months after the IUI, my babies were born. 

I plan on posting about the babies four month birthday next week. I can't believe they are four months old! 

By the way...my 30th birthday was a blast! I quickly realized that I am old. Skating was fun but a lot more painful than I remember. We lasted about an hour before we ready to move on. Still a great time reliving my childhood. (Yes, I need to lose the baby weight which is seen in the pictures but I am so TIRED that I don't even have the energy to try and work out. I will eventually get my crap together.)

My brother is funny (or funny looking!)

Praising God that I made it through Limbo

I fell after making it through Limbo bar...I'm old!

My gorgeous sis

One of my Best friends!

-Lisa-

First Halloween & Holy Cow I am 30!

Halloween...for many a time of scary masks, too much candy, fall leaves, and for teachers...hyperactive students!

Well, for me growing up, it meant my birthday was tomorrow! So, I looked forward to November 1, not October 31. Today, I am thirty. 3-0! It was a marker of being officially "old" for so long and now that I am officially 30, it is so YOUNG! But seriously, how did this happen?

Tomorrow, I am having an old fashioned roller skating party. For my tween years of 11-13, I had a roller skating party. So I figured it would be the best chance to recapture my childhood. I am hoping I don't break an arm or throw out a hip. It also means that I am going to be out without the babies.

My mom is going to watch the babies for us while we party like it's 1995. I was going to initially leave them overnight but I just can't. We are going to pick them up after the festivities but leaving them on a weekend is a big step for me. Weekends are sacred time for a working mom!

Speaking of babies...Max and Harper celebrated their first big holiday. They had two costumes because that's how they roll. They were adorable glow in the dark skeletons at daycare yesterday for their "school" party. Then they changed into adorable tree creatures...a monkey and koala. They seemed to enjoy their day and costumes. Seeing all of the adorable toddlers trick or treating made me so excited for next Halloween when they may actually have a clue about what is going on!

They were also 16 weeks old yesterday. More craziness! Time seriously needs to slow down. I feel like I blink...then they look older and are more mobile. (Max now rolls both ways! They are starting to teeth. And they both laugh out loud which is by far the most adorable thing they have done so far. And that's a tall order considering they ooze cuteness!)

Enjoy the pictures and will post about my 30th birthday party soon.

We love tummy time!

My cute bags of bones

Seriously cute

Looking stylish for church

Love pats and fat bellies

My tree creatures

Sweet Koala Harper

Monkey Max

My MIL doesn't mess around when it comes to Halloween!

Gosh I love these two so much!

-Lisa-

One Year Ago!!

One year ago on October 28...I started the cycle that would bring Max and Harper to us.

It literally blows my mind!

We weren't even sure we wanted to keep doing fertility treatments. We considered exploring adoption or doing another round of IVF. But on day 1 (10/28/12) of the cycle, we spontaneously decided that we might as well do an IUI while we figured out our plans. I am SO glad that we made this decision.

We never would have guessed in a million years that this is the AWESOME plan that God had for us. A year ago Monday, it all started. Our life is significantly better because of that miraculous cycle.

God is good.

I think I have posted it before but here is my statement of God's goodness. This was when I was 10 weeks pregnant and we knew we were having twins.

Watch Video Here






-Lisa-

No Hair Part Deux

Ok...Mr. Bigglesworth Take Two!

Around this time last year, I was experiencing hair loss due to the IVF drugs and bout with OHSS. Here is that post here. I was shocked at the inconvenience. I don't know how long it would have lasted but I lost quite a bit of hair before I got pregnant and my hair started growing back.

Now...pregnancy has done the same thing to my long locks. I am losing hair by the hand full. My poor house has long, blond hairs everywhere. My poor babies have hair stuck to their clothes, in their hands, and, strangely, in their diaper!

I keep wondering if it is going to slow down at all. It started falling out a small bit at around 6 weeks postpartum. But here we are, now 15 weeks and still happening.

When is it going to stop?!

No hair is better than no babies but I really would like both please.



-Lisa-

Working Mom Blues

I never thought I would be THAT woman that would be a stay at home mom. I always have loved working and loved teaching. I still love being a teacher (most days!) and love the people I work with. BUT...I would absolutely love to stay with my beautiful babies.

I am glad I started back to work a couple weeks before they started daycare. I had time to adjust to being away from them. I knew they were in good, loving hands when they were their daddy.

Tuesday, our world and their world changed. They are attending a Christian based school three whole blocks from our house. The women there are amazing and so caring. Although that makes it easier, it is still so hard to accept the fact that they are essentially being raised by other people.

Tuesday, Jeremy got them dressed and ready for their first day of "school". As he set them down in the infant room. He handed over the last of the supplies we needed to bring. He kissed them and started to prepare to leave. Harper gave him the frowniest frown and let one tear drip down her cheek. This act, of course, left Jeremy feeling awful. Although, he swears he didn't cry-cry...he did leave in a hurry. Luckily, I will hardly ever be the one dropping them off in the morning.

I get the pleasure of picking them up and seeing their sweet faces. I swear they look at me like they are SO happy to see me. They seem to love daycare and they have them on a pretty strict schedule. We thought we did but they take scheduling to a whole other level.

I can't get over that they are "teaching" 3 month old babies. They have done all kinds of activities this week. Here are their day sheets we get each day:

Colors in Spanish! What?! We are going to have genius babies!

They are still sleeping through the night and going down for bed with no issues. They are just awesome babies!

More twin spam for you. Have a great weekend!

-Lisa-

3 Months with a Full Heart

Three months ago, Max and Harper came into our lives! How crazy is that?!

We get a lot of comments about how hard it must be...we either don't know any different or our babies are rockstars. It isn't difficult. They are the happiest and easiest babies. I know that at any milestone this could quickly change but they are amazing.

We have been battling a stint of stomach bugs between the two of them, but they are still cooing and smiling even though I know they must not feel well. What champs!

They are on a pretty consistent schedule now. Just in time for them to start daycare on Tuesday! I know we are leaving them in very capable hands but I still worry daycare will disturb our flow. Here is a good run down of their day (granted I am back to work but Jeremy has done awesome at adhering to a consistent schedule):

Go to bed between 7:30-8:00pm (This is after our bedtime routine which I have posted about before)
Wake around 4:00-5:00am
They eat and go right back to sleep.
Wake for the day around 7:30am.
They play until late morning and eat around noon.
After they eat, they have been going down for a 1-2 hour nap.
They will play a couple of hours and eat again around 4:30pm.
They will sometimes nap another 1 to 2 hours or have another play session. Then they are ready to eat and do it all again.

They are still rocking the whole sleeping in their cribs thing. We are also getting great sleep because of this. I know some babies have a hard time transitioning to the cribs but we have really just been lucky. They LOVE their cribs. I love hearing them when they wake in the middle of the night. Yes, I just said that! But they don't cry. They just squeal or yell to get our attention. When we go in the nursery, they are kicking and cooing. It is the best part of having to wake up in the middle of the night!

They have upgraded to the larger bottles. Max eats 6 ounces consistently at every feeding. We probably need to up this because he is getting to where he acts hungry still. They only have around 5 feedings in 24 hours. The doctor says to figure 2.5 ounces for every pound of baby when figuring the amount of formula in 24 hours. I think he is close to 13.5 pounds so he could easily have 6.5 ounces at each feeding. Harper hasn't been eating as well as Max. In fact, we took her to the doctor on Tuesday and she only weighed 10 pounds 15 ounces. This is only a couple ounce gain since her two month check up. We think she lost a pound during this sickness she has had. She is on the mend so she should be packing on the pounds now. She eats anywhere from 4-5 ounces. We are hoping she will start eating more when she is feeling 100% again.

They both roll all over the place now. It is almost instant to placing them down for tummy time. Max is close to rolling from tummy to back. Either way, they can maneuver themselves all over their cribs during the night. We never know where they will end up in the morning!

Going back to work has been difficult but is getting easier. I miss them terribly during the day but cherish our weekends and evenings a lot more. I still have great hopes that I won't have to teach next year and I can stay home with them. Just praying that it is possible for our finances. I hate the thought that "strangers" will be spending more time with them than I do!

Here are a few recent pictures. I also included a couple pictures from our family session nearly a month ago now. Our friend, Rachel, did an amazing job and we love them!

-Lisa-

Sad, sad day!!

This will be brief since it is my LAST DAY of maternity leave. I have snuggled Max and Harper most of the day knowing I will be in baby snuggle withdrawals the next 8 months of my life. Jeremy and I are in talks and plans to see if this will be my last year teaching for awhile. I would love to be a stay at home mama until they are in school or much older.

Tomorrow morning will be a tough one. But Jeremy is home with them (BY HIMSELF!) for the next two weeks. They start daycare October 15. We took all of their "stuff" to daycare today and met some of the teachers. It is a great place and they will be in great hands...but I am SO SAD.

Here is a bit of what I will be missing!

Max loves to talk and coo!

So serious

They love their Bumbo seats!

Sleeping in

This is a common expression from Harper when she isn't smiling!

-Lisa-

What Does the Fox Say??

**Max does not have a hernia. Woo-hoo!! Instead it is fluid that they expect to dissipate in a few months and isn't dangerous. Prayers answered for sure!**

Some milestones for the babies this weekend...(all a tad sad for Mommy).

1. We started transitioning them to their cribs on Friday night.

I was not ready. However, Dr. C said it is best to do this when I am off of work. He also recommended doing this before they were 3 months old. I felt so far away from them. I wanted to sleep but a part of me also wanted them to NEED me so I could go snuggle them. But they slept! Wonderfully. And...we slept. Wonderfully. We use our same bedtime rituals and so that made it easy on all of us. Here is our bedtime ritual:

• Wipe down or bath time (We give baths on Wednesdays and Saturdays.)
• Lotion them up with calming, lavender lotion
• Dress in their jammies
• Feed them in low lit nursery
• Storytime (We read together as a family. I got lots of books as gifts but we also have made trips to the library for more variety.)
• Turn on their "Baby go to Sleep" music. (It is lullabies with heartbeat sounds in the background.)
• Lay them down when they are drowsy.
• Sometimes Max takes his paci but not always.

2. We both went out without Max and Harper.

Jeremy and I are huge baseball fans, especially our home team-the Kansas City Royals. We usually go to several games a season. We didn't pre-purchase our tickets this year because of the twins. I was hugely pregnant for the first half of the season and even on bedrest. So we didn't go. Then we weren't going to take newborn babies to a baseball stadium. So...we decided since this past Sunday was the last home game, we needed to go. My sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and niece kept them while we went. I felt much better leaving them because they were in great hands. They love those babies so much! It was odd for both of us to be together without them. By the end of the 8th inning, I started staring at pictures of them on my phone. And wouldn't you know...it went into extra innings! I was ready to abandon the game at 0-0. But I am glad that Jeremy convinced us to see the amazing bottom of the 10th inning to see the game winning homerun. The babies were fine and Mom and Dad survived too!

I forgot how much I missed one on one time with Jeremy.

3. This next one has nothing to do with a milestone but the title. I am so obsessed with this ridiculous fox song. If you haven't heard it, you must. Jeremy is fed up with me singing it or humming it constantly. Last night, I sang it to the babies. I think it is a great way for them to learn the animal sounds--ha! You must know what the fox says!

-Lisa-

Max update and some really cute videos!

I took Max for his ultrasound on his (for lack of a better term) balls! I made sure the ultrasound tech covered him with a wash cloth. And of course, he peed through the wash cloth and another one. By the end of the ultrasound, he started giving me his "I am going to poop" face. I asked her to hurry because it was coming. As soon as she finished, I had a diaper ready and he filled it before I had his shorts back on! 

The ultrasound tech couldn't share the findings since a doctor and radiologist are the only ones that can. However, listening to her conversation with the radiologist...I think he has a double hernia. This will most likely require surgery. Poor guy! I am just waiting to get the call from Dr. C's office to confirm. 

Here are some videos of my darlings. Harper dancing on her two month birthday. She loves music and it calms her instantly. She was just in a crying fit of rage about 5 minutes before the video. Max rolling over. I finally got it on camera. He has been doing this for a couple weeks now. 

-Lisa-

Weight gain, hernias, and shots...Oh my!

Today was a happening day for me and the babies.

Max and Harper are 10 weeks old tomorrow!! They had their two month check up which included...the dreaded shots! (More on that later)

Max weighed in at a whopping 12 pounds 2 ounces, 21 inches long. It puts him in the 52% for weight and a sad 6% for length. He is my short, fat baby. Just love that chunky monkey!


Harper weighed in at 10 pounds, 14 ounces, 21.5 inches long. It puts her in the 44% for weight and 28% for length. She is just so dainty and petite compared to my Max. She is becoming more and more beautiful everyday.

Not only are they putting on weight...so am I!!! I kind of forgot that I am no longer pregnant where I can eat ice cream and cookies and it not matter. Oops! So I have put on around 5 pounds in the last 4 weeks. Yikes. I am going to get back on track as soon as I eat the rest of the cookies that my mom brought over today (thanks, Mom!).

I also got my IUD put in today. Dr. Abney and her nurse have bets that I am back in to have it out in a couple years because they think we will want more babies! (Not if Jeremy has anything to do with it!)

They had to get FOUR shots a piece. I literally cried at the sound of their cries. They had two nurses tag team them. They leaned against their little, chubby legs while they one after one plunged those needles into their thighs. Max was smiling about 10 seconds after the traumatic event but tender-hearted Harper wanted snuggles from me and her Nonnie. (My mom was able to come and help me because I worried about how I would console them both.)

It was a great report from the doctor except for one hiccup. Dr. C noticed that Max has a possible hernia. We have noticed that his "sack" was uneven. We go in for an ultrasound tomorrow at Children's Mercy. If it is indeed a hernia (which Dr. C is pretty positive about) then Max will need surgery around the 6 month mark. This was more disturbing than the shots! I just can't imagine my baby boy having to endure surgery. So I pray that it is just fluid but glad they are catching this now in case it is a hernia. When I told Jeremy about the hernia, he was so upset and concerned. We are both worried about our little man.

I will keep you all updated on the hernia situation. I also will post some family pictures from over the weekend sometime soon too. I am so glad that otherwise we have two very happy and healthy babies. Dr. C said they are VERY much advanced in developmental milestones. They smile, coo, track with eyes, and rolling from tummy to back. I am proud of my over achievers!

-Lisa-

Love, Mommy

**In Max and Harper's baby books, there are special sections to write letters to your babies. I finished mine over the weekend. There isn't a large space to write in so they are shorter than I would have liked. I also realize that I repeated some of the some things in Max's and Harper's. Jeremy is working on his letters still. I didn't make a first draft and just thought of things as I went. He is a perfectionist and has several drafts in the works. I will post his letters when he finishes them.**

My dear Max,
I fell in love with you instantly and you have brought so much joy and happiness into my life. I only hope that you will continue to be a Mama's boy! You will continue to grow even though I'm never ready for that. I wish for you a lifetime of happiness. Life will not be easy. I learned this in my search for you. When life gets too difficult or you feel no one understands, God does and He is always there for you. He made you and has great plans for you. Trust in Him always. I want you to be a good boy who respects others, especially women. Have good manners when you are in school and always respect your elders. You are attractive and beautiful on the outside but it is what is inside you that really matters. Be smart! Don't be too gullible and easy to trust those that may get you to stray from your beliefs. Education is very important so never stop learning. And never think you are too smart or too good for anything. Nothing comes easy so always work hard. I love you always and forever no matter what.
Love,
Mommy


My gorgeous Harper,
I love you more than words could ever express. You are a beautiful gift from God and I thank Him everyday for you. You are going to grow even if I want you to slow down. I only want the very best life for you. However, life isn't easy. You will have experiences that make you doubt yourself and God. When life gets difficult, turn to God for strength. He always understands. He made you and has a plan. I know this through the journey to get you. Trust in Him always. Never doubt your beauty. You are gorgeous and let no one convince you otherwise. Make sure your inner beauty shows as wel because that's what counts. Always give respect even when you feel disrespected. Never let anyone convince you to sway from your values and morals. Respect yourself. Be smart and don't always trust others as they aren't always worthy of your trust. Education is important so never stop learning. But don't think you are too smart or good for anything. Nothing comes easy so work hard. I love you always and forever.
Love,
Mommy


I also created my first photo book with Shutterfly. It was free! I have about 4-5 codes for free books so plan on getting those all completed before the codes expire. This first book was about their arrival into the world. I am happy with the way it turned out. Here is a glimpse at it and if you haven't made a photo book yet...you should!!

Click link below to see our photo book and then click the front cover on the Shutterfly website to view the rest:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/projectdetail.sfly?fid=c54918a74738ee71c9f3edf1ebadc1fb&sid=0QbtWThwzcMnNA

-Lisa-