N14 Twins Check In (11/18)

absolutelymaybe · November 2014

We did it ladies! With the addition of @MissMolly520's Austin and Anthony on Nov. 14, we all have outside babies!

Sorry for the delay in the update, DH went back to work (half days) on Monday and I had no idea how much that would affect me. Oh my gosh. All I want to do is sleep! When will the fog clear? Ugh!

So how are we all adjusting? How are things going? Give us an update and feel free to AW those adorable baby photos!

N14 Twin Moms

@yess0311 - Welcome Erick and Arielle - born 9/17!

@amberej - Welcome Levi and Cora - born 10/05!

@KimmieS1756 - Welcome Grayson and Bodhi - born 10/7!

@lisalynnmama - Welcome Ella and Sadie - born 10/13!

@tiersa_smith - Welcome Lyric and Brooklyn - born 10/17!

@ktibbits1 - Welcome Miles and Sadie - born 10/22!

@Amandakea15 - Welcome William and Averie - born 10/22!

@Zamboni00-Welcome Garrett and Zoey - born 10/23!

@IntuitiveBlue - Welcome James and Elsa- born 10/26!

@morrkim - Welcome Levi and Evan - born 10/28!

@erinwithtwins - Welcome Baby Boy A and Baby Boy B - born 10/28!

@missvolvo - Welcome John and George - born 10/28!

@Mrs430 - Welcome April and Breanna - born 11/2!

@CPM13 - Welcome Salvatore and Josephine - born 11/3!

@absolutelymaybe - Welcome Ari and Willa - born 11/7!

@MsMolly520 - Welcome Austin and Anthony - born 11/14

As always, please let me know if you want to be added to this list or your information is incorrect.

absolutelymaybe · November 2014

I had no idea how much harder it would be with DH going back to work half days. But, really, it's more than a few extra hours of work for me because now I'm up doing the MOTN (2-3 a.m.) and early morning (6-7 a.m.) feedings by myself even though DH is still here (so he can get extra sleep). To top it off, Ari turns into a monster at night. He wakes up before his MOTN feeding (last night it was only an hour after the 11 p.m. feeding) and fusses for hours. He acts like he's hungry, but he won't really eat. He's not like this any other time of the day. It's like he turns into a different baby at night after his late night feeding. Momma's little Gremlin!

I'm exhausted. Words are hard. Here's some pictures...

Ari at 4 days

Willa at 4 days.

Ari's rage face. You won't like him when he's angry. Or hungry. (Same thing)

I'm not saying Willa is the "good" twin, but...

Holding hands while sleeping.

MrsC430 · November 2014

@absolutelymaybe‌ They are perfect!! So precious - love the dark, silky hair. April is the exact same way as Ari at night. She "grazes" on her bottles, then proceeds to fuss for hours. Must be the A names

The good - Overall, our girls are healthy & doing great. It still feels surreal that I'm finally a mom! Cliche, but nothing compares. And... for today's revelation, I'm finally back in my pre pregnancy jeans! Score.

The not so good - Adjusting to life at home is still a little rocky. The combo of sleep deprivation, April's feeding/formula issues, and DH being back to work full time have been causing some baby blues.

I'm still dealing w/ PP anemia. I've been getting nasty headaches, dizzy spells, & my skin tone is.. non existent. Ugh. The hospital had put me on iron supplements, but apparently my body isn't absorbing them fast enough. It's looking like I'll be getting a blood transfusion this week. Freaks me out a bit, but my OB seems to think I'll feel instantly better after the transfusion. Fingers crossed.

Hope everyone else + babies are doing well! I'll leave you w/ a couple of snuggle time pictures. My MIL is constantly nagging me about our girls' outfits needing to match? Because you know, that's the first thing on a twin mom's priority list. I still think they look pretty cute!

absolutelymaybe · November 2014

@MrsC430 - Damn those A names!

I'm sorry to hear you're going to have to have a blood transfusion. That's rough. I hope everything goes well and it isn't that bad.

The girls are totally coordinating, they don't need to match! Thankfully I think people have low expectations about matching when you have BG twins, no one has criticized me for not matching. Not that I really can since Willa is in preemie sizes and Ari is in newborns (barely). I kind of wish they would match occasionally, but as you said, that's not a twin mom priority.

As for fitting into your jeans... I HATE YOU! Kidding! Congratulations! I've actually done really well dropping the weight and I think I look pretty thin again (but maybe I just feel that way because anything smaller than twin pregnancy size is an improvement), but I gained a bunch of weight in my thighs and ass early on in my pregnancy and I have a feeling that's going to take a lot more than time to take off. So, yeah, pre- pregnancy jeans don't want to fit over my thighs.

And now my son is raging to be fed...

ktibbits1 · November 2014

Omg @absolutelymaybe‌ they are so cute! And @MrsC430‌ your girls are just precious!
It is definitely hard doing everything on your own. My husband had an overnight trip for work yesterday and I don't know why I didn't try to hire some help for the night. Both of my babies tend to cluster feed at night and it is overwhelming. There was a point last night when all three of us were crying...
I'm also having a hard time because I had planned on breastfeeding and that isn't working out. I have been pumping and was happy that I was producing a surplus but over the weekend my supply has decreased to the point where I think I'm going to have to use formula. I know there's nothing wrong with that, but it's just not what I wanted so I guess with the hormones that has me a bit upset.

Love seeing everyone's babies, good work mamas!

MrsC430 · November 2014

@absolutelymaybe‌ Thank you! LOL about the jeans. Mine may "fit", but not attractively! Serious muffin top. I'm going with "if it zips, it fits" on that one

@ktibbits1‌ FWIW, I give you (and any of the other twin moms) tons of credit for BFing / trying to BF. You ladies are rock stars. I was too overwhelmed by the idea of BFing / pumping for 2 to even try.

absolutelymaybe · November 2014

@ktibbits1‌ - I think the fact you've made BFing work this long is pretty awesome! I couldn't even get it started. Try not to beat yourself up to bad over the formula. You do what's right for your babies!

absolutelymaybe · November 2014

@ktibbits1‌ - and adorable pics!

morrkim · November 2014

We are doing pretty good. Evan passed his birth weight last week and Levi is finally making good progress. We are not there yet, but he gained 5 oz since Friday.

We have to take the sweat test again at 4 months since they didn't sweat enough. They did pass the second thyroid test this time. With all these tests coming out with the same results and them having the same blood type, we think they are identcal.

It hasn't been as bad as I thought doing bedtime with all 3 by myself. The hardest thing is when both boys want to be fed at the same time and when Alexis wants to be held at the same time (usually when she's sleepy). She is doing a lot better and has been less clingy.

Does anyone have issues telling their twins apart? What differences do you notice? Right now I go by the a m ount of hair, but that won't last forever. Dh notices a difference in the shape of their faces, but I can't see it.

erinwithtwins · November 2014

Hi ladies!

Can't believe the babies were three weeks today. I was a hormonal mess at the mere idea of DH going back to work. Cried the whole week when he was at home at the mere idea of it. I have no idea how you are managing alone! We hired help while he's gone and it can still be a lot.

I have one gremlin myself but it's during the witching hour. I've learned to stay on a schedule and up their food. Swaddling has really helped but the thing that has worked the best when they seem hungry and won't eat is the dreaded pacifier. UGH. I hated the idea of it but both my night nurse and pediatrician said it was what we should try if they are constantly acting hungry but not. It's apparently really comforting for them. It's really working. We won't do it for long (I hope). But it keeps them happy so I need to get over hating them. Anyone else using them?? I see it in your photo @absolutelymaybe‌ babies are adorable btw

I am pumping into bottles so we can keep track of exactly which baby is getting what. One is super slow eater while the other is a piggy. It's really hard to stay on schedule and overwhelming. I'll do it as long as I can though.

ktibbits1 · November 2014

@erinwithtwins‌ Unfortunately my two started liking the pacifier over the past two days. Before we were just using it for diaper changes but now they want it at other times and I hate it. So annoying when you have to keep popping it back in every two minutes! Hopefully we won't use them long either

MrsC430 · November 2014

@morrkim‌ Our girls are fraternal & seriously don't even look related (at this point anyway) lol. So no issues here, but I was nervous about that during pregnancy. I bet as your boys get older and start looking less "newborn", it'll get easier!

@erinwithtwins‌ +1 to using pacifiers. They seem to soothe our girls, and they've been saving my sanity. One of our girls will only take a specific kind though (think it's Nuk?), so there's usually a frantic "Nuk paci search" going on here!

zamboni00 · November 2014

@absolutelymaybe‌ I have a gremlin, too- Garrett. He cluster feeds non stop in the evening, and by golly if I make him wait... For the most part it's not too bad- unless Zoey decides to join the fun.

@MrsC430‌ GL with the transfusion. I had one the day after my csection, and I was feeling so much better before the transfusion was even finished. I don't remember much of the 24 hrs in between birth & the transfusion, so it was definitely helpful. And way to go on the jeans!!

@ktibbits1‌ I feel your pain on the cluster feeding. We are not quite EBF- If I get overwhelmed by the 3 hour tandem BF session, I send one of them with H for a bottle of formula. Thank goodness the NICU sent us home with practically a case of the ready to eat stuff. I just figure it's better to have full bellies & growing babies than hungry babies, no matter how that happens.

@morrkim‌ I have heard that belly buttons are good for telling babies apart- but that probably doesn't help with clothes on!! I have also heard nail polish (on their big toe) can help?

@erinwithtwins‌ Garrett was given a pacifier in the NICU, but he hasn't had any interest in it since coming home. He might take it for a minute if I hold it in his mouth for a while first, but he is way more interested in his thumbs! Zoey has all of a sudden become a huge fan. I'm a huge fan of anything that helps them sleep.

My update: Sorry I've been MIA. I had the ILs here (again) and while they are super helpful, I almost feel like we are postponing the inevitable. I will have to figure out how to do this alone at some point, so I might as well start. My mom has been stopping by everyday for a few hours, which has been perfect. I find that my days depend heavily on how well the nights go. If they behave & sleep well, my day goes well. If not? I'm a mess. I have started accepting visitors, which has also been a little overwhelming. I mean, I consider my day a win if at any point they are both fed, clothed, and a asleep. A shower is all bonus.

Babies are both past birth weight. We were thrilled with that, since Z was down 14% when we left the hospital, at 5 days. She was back to 7lbs at 2 weeks. Love my chunker!! Can't wait to see how big they are now- next appointment is Monday the 24th.

Our pup is slowly adjusting. He has been sleeping in our closet because he doesn't like to hear them crying.

. He has been getting closer to them when they are quiet, so I have hope!!

As for me- I have lost all 40+ lbs I gained while pg. I still have a belly, for sure, so I doubt I would fit into my pre pregnancy jeans- in reality, though, I actually just prefer my big comfy yoga pants.:) my rings are also fitting again. All good things!

My big accomplishment this week was to get out of the house alone. Lucky me, had to renew my DL.

I think we are all doing a fantastic job. We are some amazing mommas!

And since it seems I can finally upload pics: G on left, Z on right, in the OR. (Sorry if they are huge!!)

Sleeping like twins

:

Welcome home Garrett!!

CPM13 · November 2014

Hey, ladies!

We, too, have a little gremlin. (Although we call her the diva). Joesphine only wants to fall asleep being held. Yeah... that's easy, right? Luckily Salvatore is pretty chill. And big sister is adjusting pretty well. It was rocky there for a bit.

Having a tough time with the feedings although I did manage to tandem nurse a couple times yesterday. One time went well. Once was less successful. We're still supplementing both babies with formula and may always do that. I had a goal to EBF them, and I haven't given up yet, but am starting to realize it's not the end of the world if it doesn't happen.

They are decent sleepers (or else I was just such a bad pregnant sleeper myself that this seems normal?) They usually manage one 4 hour stretch at night which is amazing. Otherwise they are up every 2-3 hours... but we're making it work.

Husband went back to work part time this week. We miss him but have lots of help. But I wish we could get the help to go do his job and he could stay home with us.

We're also using pacifiers- I feel like they've been a godsend. Salvatore is totally hooked. Josephine isn't as into them but they do sometimes help.

What I really need is to grow one more boob and two more hands. Anyone else?

Congratulations to everyone!

missvolvo · November 2014

@erinwithtwins - my little guys are 3 weeks too and we are using pacifiers. They love to suck on something. Both my husband and I were thumb suckers so I am not surprised they love the pacifiers.

@ktibbits1 I totally feel you on the breastfeeding/pumping thing! John started off breastfeeding great, but then when he was hospitalized for 8 days we had to do bottles so I was pumping and exclusively breastfeeding George. Then I was having trouble keeping up with the pumping and found it really upsetting! I had a lactation consultant come to the house and with a nipple shield could get John back on the breast. I also had both boys' tongues clipped as that was impacting them as well. So now both boys are on the breast, but now I am having an oversupply problem because of all the pumping I was doing for the last 2 weeks. Seriously, I can't win

But I'm happy they have had almost all breastmilk from birth. It's really hard and stressful, but you've done great so far!!

We are glad to no longer be in the hospital with John and settling back in at home. Someone's crying! More later!

tiersa_smith · November 2014

@absolutelymaybe‌ Love the pics how sweet are Willa and Ari!

@MrsC430‌ I can relate to your excitement. At my 2 week checkup I found out that I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Just working on this pouch! Cheers to the road to being a hot mom again! Girls are gorgeous and they don't have to match! They compliment each other

@morrkim‌ I can relate to the challenge of telling babies apart. Right now I can tell from hairline too lol. One used to be way bigger but now they are evening up. We kept the hospital foot bracelet on it for the longest until it got too tight. My mom crocheted little bracelets one in purple (Lyric) and the other pink (Brooklyn) they also got necklaces with initials as a gift so they wear those as well

As for pacifiers my girls do use them and most times it helps to delay feedings.

The girls sleep pretty ok and I'm sticking to this schedule because I believe in it and the long run benefits. I did scheduling with my son and it still works well and I was able to get rest. I need this even more with the girls. Every once In a while they get up with little cries but they self soothe and go back to sleep. I need to learn to take naps in day with them cuz at night I'm sometimes I'm pooped and fighting to keep my eyes opened.

I don't go home until mid December. I'm anxious to get there and put finishing touches on girls nursery and have then Settle in.

Anybody getting ready to return to work?

Well what do you know it's time to feed! See ya later!

MrsC430 · November 2014

@tiersa_smith‌ Your girls are beautiful!

We have some seriously cute twins in this group.

My 12 week FMLA puts me to go back on January 5th. Feels so soon & I'm dreading it! I knew this would happen, but I feel "jipped" out of time w/ the girls because I had to start leave early @ 33 weeks (delivered @ 37). Hoping I'll win the lottery between now & then

When do you go back? Are you going back full time?

tiersa_smith · November 2014

@MrsC430‌ my leave allows me to go back January 23 but in not getting my full salary In January so I'm thinking of going back before the holidays. Early I know. I wanna win the lotto too! Lol.

morrkim · November 2014

@MrsC430‌ I'm going back in January. I was planning on going back before Christmas break, because I ran out of sick leave while I was working part time, but they decided to stay in longer than expected and I don't see the dr. till the week before break.

absolutelymaybe · November 2014

@zamboni00 - Your twins are so adorable! Love it! @tiersa_smith - I am out until the end of January (12 weeks of maternity leave started one week before I delivered). That was pretty much the only thing that got me through those final few weeks of work, knowing I would want the time afterward). I only have short-term disability for 8 weeks and it maxes out at $250 per week (which is nowhere near what I make) and then three weeks of vacation, but we're making it work. DH has been putting money away for the past nine months. It really sucks especially around Christmas.

N14 Twins Check In (11/18)

Re: N14 Twins Check In (11/18)

Choose Another Board

Search Boards