My Babes

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Holding hands

Smoosh face

This is the face you see when Barrett is about to wrestle you...watch out!

Chris and Heather's Wedding

Barrett with his buddies Cayden and Damian

Barrett and me before the ceremony. I was a reader!!!

Yesterday was Chris and Heather's wedding. The ceremony was at St. Patrick's and then the reception was in DeWitt. I was a reader in the ceremony so Ben (who was the best man) and I along with our kids went to the rehearsal the night before. I was nervous realizing that I was going to be speaking in front of so many people and in a microphone, no less! Ben was quick to remind me though that he had to give his best man speech which was much tougher. I guess he was right! :) The ceremony was beautiful, but of course I left my camera in the diaper bag which was several rows back with my kids (Sheryl, Ben's aunt was watching them during the ceremony), so I have no pictures of the event. :( After the ceremony, we waited for pictures, since they wanted a few with the whole family. At this point I am feeling pretty good...feeling like I had thought of everything. Ben's cousin even got our car keys to drive our car to the reception hall, since we were both going to be riding the bus. Then after the pictures were taken, I was starting to head over to the air-conditioned building next door to feed my babies before they were to be picked up by my dad and stepmom. It was then that I realized that all the baby stuff that was to be handed over for the evening to my dad was in the car that I sent to the reception hall! I had no formula to feed one of my girls and they were ready to eat! So I quickly called my stepmom and she said "Guess what?!? We're already at the church! Yea" and I then had to ask them to quickly head out to where our car was (thankfully it hadn't made it all the way to the reception hall yet) and retrieve the overnight supplies. So while I waited for them to return, I continued over to the other building deciding that I was going to have to nurse simultaneously so that the party bus didn't have to wait for me (although they still had to...sorry). So here I am in this building with many windows completely exposed nursing my two girls at the same time! One of the bridesmaids stayed back to help move the girls if I needed them to be move, etc. One too many people now know me on a way more personal level! It's one of those memories that I'd soon rather forget. Anyway, Sue and Del stayed back with our kids and waited for my dad and Trina to arrive so that we could move along to the bus. Once on the bus I finally relaxed a bit and began to enjoy myself. The reception was also very beautiful. The hall was decorated with many deep pink roses and petals. Another mishap that occurred was that during the fiasco after the ceremony my camera got thrown back in the diaper bag that was now with my dad and Trina, so I don't have any pictures of the night, either!!! Can you believe that?!?! People have told me that they'd email me some, so I'll post some when I get them. Ben's best man speech was wonderful and made many people tear up. It was a special moment, indeed. We danced and danced and Ben and I even dramatized the Meatloaf song "Paradise by the Dashboard Light". It was fun! Congrats to Chris and Heather.

Silly Boy!

He climbed on in!

He climbed in this toy and got out then got back in with his blankie. He stayed here for about 30 minutes watching cartoons!! I asked him if he wanted out and he said "nope". :)

Yesterday I decided to get out a few toys for the girls even though the girls are still on the small side. I wanted to wipe the toys down and get them ready to be used again. Barrett took in onto himself to climb into both of the toys and entertain himself. He was a bit big and kept getting stuck on the way into the toys, but once he was in he had a blast. It was so funny to watch him in his "old" toys. I think after multiple attempts at climbing in them and getting stuck, though, he finally believed me that these toys are for the babies! :)

On another note, Barrett has started using the potty at least once a day!! He tells us he has to go and then we rush him to the toilet. Hopefully it's a good start. We'll just have to wait and see!

2 Month Check-up

Yesterday I took all three kids in to see the doctor. Barrett just needed to get his ears check because he had an ear infection a few weeks ago. He got a clean bill of health! Then the girls had their 2 month physical (they'll be three months old this Friday). Raina weighed in at 10 lbs. 10 oz. and Lauren weighed in at 12 lbs. 1 oz! I missed their lengths and their percentiles...it was quite busy in the room. Grandma Sue came along to give me a hand, which I was very thankful for since we had a lot going on in the doctor's room. The girls did get a round of immunizations, which made them cry and almost me, too. It's so hard to watch your kids cry like that! Overall their health is great. They are both a little stuffy, but they say this is common in newborns. Here are their stats @ 2 months:

Raina:
**Weighs 10 lsn. 10 oz.
**Can roll over from her belly to her back
**Can lift her head all the way off the floor during tummy time
**While on her back, moves is a complete circle around and around
**Loves to suck on her hands...would prefer to suck a thumb or something, but just can't quite decide which finger would work best! :)
**Spits up often!!! (and a lot)
**Still loves to curl her legs up, but her arms have to have room to spread out
**Sleeps from about 10:30 pm to 5:30 am
**Alternates breastfeeding and formula throughout the day eating about 3 oz. at each feeding
**Loves to smile and coo

Lauren:
**Weighs 12 lbs. 1 oz.
**Working on her neck strength, almost able to lift it all the way
**LOVES to coo and make conversation
**Doesn't really spit up, but she makes a lot of other nosies in the opposite end!! Never knew a baby could make such loud noises!! Hee Hee
**Sleeps very still, doesn't move much
**Sleeps from about 10:30 pm to 5:30 am
**Alternates breastfeeding and formula throughout the day eating about 3 oz. at each feeding

Mini Vacay

4th of July Weekend 2008

We went up to Ben's grandma's house (she lives on a lake) last Wednesday and came home yesterday. It was a nice extended stay and we were able to rest and relax and get some sun.

The first day we were there a big storm rolled through and cut the power. We had to "rough" it and use kerosene lamps and the outhouse. The power didn't come back on until Friday afternoon! We did get a few generators hooked up on Thursday, though, so we didn't have to rough it for too long. Thursday was a day of relaxing in the sun, then that night Barrett went home with Aunt Sheryl to spend the 4th with Ryan and Alissa and their boys. Barrett went to the local parade and rode on the ponies and the small ferris wheel. Alissa took pictures, so when I get those I'll share. Friday there was a big golf tournament that the men and a few women participated in. When they returned there was a celebration and a handing out of awards. It was fun. This is an annual thing that they are already planning for next year. Saturday and Sunday were more sun filled days (honestly couldn't of asked for a better weekend for weather). The days were filled with boat rides, water splashing fights, and even a painted turtle race! There were so many memories made this past weekend! The girls were great and Barrett had a lot of fun.

Just a Few Pics!

Raina

Lauren

Raina & Lauren

Here's to flipping!

Yesterday I had the girls on the floor doing "tummy time" and Ben and Barrett were wrestling off to the side. I was watching the boys and when I looked back over at the girls Raina was on her side...all by herself! Then I just kept watching her and she flipped all the way over! Yea! She flipped from her belly to her back! Now we just need to get Lauren to do it! Man, it has been an exciting week with all the nights in a row of full night sleep and now this...wow!

On a not-so-good note, Barrett has a cold. His nose started running a few days ago and now it won't stop. His spirits are still up, which is good. He just has a yucky nose. The only down side really at this point is that he constantly wants to kiss the girls, but he'll kiss them before I can get to him to wipe his nose, so I end up wiping the girls heads instead. Gross, I know. I think it just comes with having kids! :)

The Blond is Back

Before

After

I Don't Want to Jinx it.....BUT

the girls have slept through the night again!! Lauren has actually slept through the night the past three nights (Raina slept through the night three nights ago and last night....the night in between she woke up one time). I feed them at their regular feeding times throughout the day, stretching the feedings to at least 3 hours apart (no more than 4 hours...but they can hardly wait that long). I was feeding them earlier than that sometimes and the feedings were becoming "snack" feedings and not really filling them up. So now when they eat, they are hungry and they eat well. Then at the end of the day I feed them before I go to bed at 10 pm. Even if they just ate at 8 pm, I'll still feed them at 10 pm for a last minute filler. This has seemed to work the past few nights. Raina's waking up a few nights ago was due to the fact that she didn't eat well during the day. She has been spitting up a lot and she sounds slightly congested. Yesterday she ate better and she slept through the night. Lauren, on the other hand, has been consistently eating well, hardly spits up, and has been sleeping through the night. :)

Yesterday I went to an Osteopathic Manipulator to fix my hip problem. Since delivering my girls I have had a lot of pelvic and hip pain. I haven't been able to sleep on my sides or work out. Even if I went on a long grocery shopping trip I would be waddling by the end. It was bad. Well, the doctor concluded that I have a short leg! My left leg is shorter than my right (I guess it's been this way since puberty) so now I have to wear a heel lift in my left shoe for the rest of my life! Pregnancy loosens everything up and then after pregnancy things tighten back up. In my case things tightened back up, but exaggerated the already existing problem. The short leg made my entire body have to compensate so my body is one long S shape. The doctor also said that on top of the curve, I am also twisted. All this can explain my migraines and my TMJ (my jaw problems), too. He did some manipulating (which actually hurt at some points) and hopefully I start seeing a difference. I have to go back in two weeks for a check up.

Today I go in to get my hair done. This last pregnancy dramatically changed my hair color (I was blond before and now I am quite brunette), so I am going back to being blond. Pregnancy hormones do strange things to your body, I must say!

A Weekend Up North

Cabin and Williams Wedding

We went up to my cabin early Thursday morning to hang out with family and friends. Friday Sue and Del arrived to help out with the kids. Saturday was the wedding over in Interlochen for Trevor and Katie. Sunday was Father's Day so we left the cabin early and then headed over to Sue and Del's for dinner. It was a busy, busy few days, but so much fun! Also, on a positive note, the girls slept through the night last night. I think they were as worn out as we were! :)

Having family fun

Bumbos and Swingsets

Here are some recent pics of our new swing set and the girls' new bumbos. Barrett absolutely loves the swing set and I think all we need now is a sandbox for him and he would be all set. He literally could be outside playing in sand or climbing things all day everyday. :) As for the bumbos, the girls love them! They make cooing sounds and smile so much when they are in them. I think they like being able to sit upright and see what's going on around them. It also helps me to work on keeping them awake after feedings. I want the sleeping through the night thing to become a regular occurrence (which it hasn't happen again since that one night).

Grandpa & Grandma w/their 5 Grandbabies!

So this is what it feels like....

to get a full nights sleep!!! Yes, you read correctly, the girls slept a straight 7 hours last night!!! Yea!!! Eight weeks to the day. This may not be regular yet, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that it becomes more normal. At least its a start. :)

On Thursday night we went over to Grandma and Grandpa's house to celebrate Sue and Pat's birthdays. It was a nice evening with lots of family and food. The boys got to play outside on the merry-go-round that Grandpa made. Then yesterday cousin Dewey and I went into town and walked the river trail. We also went to the local park and stopped by my mother's tree. It was nice. Barrett then had a haircut appointment. It was so cute watching him sit there sucking his sucker while his hair got cut. He was such a good little boy.


The boys on the merry-go-round.

Say 'Cheese'

My kids by my mother's tree on the river.

An Afternoon @ Dad's

Bouncing on the old wood beam to the fort.

Peek-a-boo!

Look at those eyes!

Of course he had to have his "broom, broom".

Today Ben had a golf tournament all day, so we headed over to my dad's to hang out. Unfortunately I did not get pictures of their new barn and sand box (next time...I promise). Barrett played in the sand box for what seemed like hours! :) He loved it. The girls slept peacefully most of the afternoon in the house. Dad, Trina, and I enjoyed the outdoor by playing a little dice. We ended the day with a great meal and headed home. What a wonderful day with family!

We've Got a Climber!

We left Barrett for a few moments and during that time he had moved the chair from the far left corner of the room to this new location.

He proceeded to climb into the crib and this is where we found him. We used to think the crib was a "safe" place to put the babies.

My babies.

Pacifier drunk...too funny!

This past weekend was Memorial Day and we decided to venture off to the north for the first time with all the kids. We had to take the truck since we couldn't fit all of us plus the dog in our other vehicle. We are quite the full load these days. :) We got up to the cabin Friday and went right to dinner at the local restaurant. It was busy, but very enjoyable. Barrett wanted to move around and Lauren couldn't sit still. The rest of the weekend was nice, too. The weather was great. We did a lot of hot-tubbing and lounging around. The docks were put in Saturday and the big family dinner was Sunday night. Long road trip like this one are interesting now with kids, because you can't just do it all in one shot, but rather you need to take at least one break along the way. On the way north we stopped in Clare (at Jay's Sporting Goods store so Ben could buy some waiters) and there I nursed the girls. Then on the way home we stopped off of M-57 and I nursed the girls while Ben walked Barrett around and then washed the truck. It made for a much longer trip both ways. Overall the weekend was great and we'll be doing it all again here in a few weeks for my cousin Trevor's wedding. :)

How's the Sleep Going?

So the girls are almost 6 weeks old and I thought I would share how the nighttime sleep thing is going. The whole "waking up every three hours" is definitely ringing true in our household. A typical night for us begins with a feeding around 10 pm. I nurse both girls at the same time and then sometimes we follow this with 2 oz. of formula each. We burp both girls, swaddle them, and then put them to bed. This usually goes really well (with the occasional grunting from the girls before they fall asleep). We are usually in bed by 11 pm. Then I am awakened around 1:30 am by one girl. It is usually only one of them (the other one still sleeping peacefully) and so then I change the awake baby's diaper and put her back in her crib. She cries and cries, but I have to wake up the sleeping baby to change her diaper, too. All the literature that I read says to wake the sleeping baby, too. Anyway, I quickly change the second baby's diaper. I then nurse both babies simultaneously. This is only tricky when one detaches before the other and needs to burp before the other baby is ready. Usually what I do is detach the other and burp them both, then I am able to have them both finish the feeding. By feeding them at the same time I can usually finish up the feeding in 30 minutes and then I am back in bed within 45 minutes. If I feed them separately it would take much longer. After this 1:30 am feeding back to bed by a little after 2 am, I am usually awakened around 4:30 am. Again, usually only by one baby. The procedure repeats itself. The girls have not been able to sync up in the night yet. I'm beginning to think that Raina is ready to sleep longer at night, but I haven't given it a try yet. If she is not ready and I wait it out to see if she is, then she'll wake up soon after I hit the bed and I am not ready to give up more sleep at this point. My maybe 2 hour spurts of sleep are very important to me! I think around 8 weeks I'll give it a try. That is when Barrett started sleeping through the night, so maybe one (or both...if I'm lucky) will start to at that point, also. We'll just have to wait and see.

Some of My Favs

Lauren

Raina

"Super" Barrett

Aunt Jocelyn with the girls (Raina on left and Lauren on right)

This past week and weekend was very enjoyable to say the least. Jocelyn came over from Wednesday until Saturday to help with housework and taking care of the girls. She wanted to help out where she could. She also helped get the house ready for the "meet the twins" party that was on Saturday. I didn't take any pics of the party (and actually the above pics are Jocelyn's, too), so you'll have to check out Jocelyn's blog to see party pics. The party was wonderful. A lot of people came by to meet the girls. We definitely felt the love and everyone was so kind and generous. It was great for me, too, to get out of the house and visit with people for a while. This party also allowed for several people to help out with the girls, so that was nice, too. I didn't have to do most of the diaper changes that day! That really is saying a lot since we go through diapers like it's going out of style. I forgot to mention that earlier that day Trina and I went over to my co-worker's house and went through a bunch of her daughters' baby clothes. She had twin girls a year ago, so there was double of most of the clothes and the seasons line up with my girls. We felt like we hit the jackpot! We left with so many clothes...I think I need another dresser for the girls' room! :) Girl clothes are just way too cute!

Sunday (Mother's Day) was a rainy day, so Ben and I lounged around (as best we could with 3 kids) and tried to fit in a few naps. During breakfast I left the room for a minute and when I came back Barrett was holding a card and saying "momma". It was so cute. It was a card from the kids and Ben for Mother's Day. I cried, because it was so sweet. We have quite the amazing family! Later that day we headed over to Bob and Sandy's for dinner and to visit with family. It was a nice relaxing day.

Starting the Competition Early :)

A gift from my friend, Rachel. Hee Hee!

Four Weeks Old Tomorrow

Raina

Lauren and Raina

Lauren

The girls will be 4 weeks old tomorrow! The time has flown by in some ways and then been in a snails pace in other ways. They had a doctor's appointment yesterday and they are growing well. Raina weighed in at 8 lbs. 1 oz. and Lauren weighed in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. They are still very small, but doing well. On good nights they wake up around 2-ish and then again at 5-ish to eat. They are pretty set on their "every three hour" meal. I am primarily breastfeeding with some formula feedings after about 3 meals a day. It seems to work for them (and me). I just can't seem to get enough milk for them throughout the day, so some formula is necessary. I tried to do all bottles on day with pumping in between and I hated it. I don't know how people manage to do the whole bottle thing during the night feedings. More power to you if you can do it, but breastfeeding in the middle of the night is so much easier, in my opinion. Anyway, the girls'' personalities are beginning to really come through now. Raina is very mellow and only cries when she is hungry. She is very curious and often has her eyes open and is looking around the room. She loves tummy time and working on her neck muscles. I also think she enjoys the freedom of not being bundled up. She loves to waves her arms and kick her legs. She has been smiling a lot and has started to show off her adorable dimples! Lauren, on the other had, loves to be swaddled and held as much as possible. She has what I refer to as the "hold me, hold mes". She is happiest being cuddled. She cries a lot more than Raina. Lauren cries with any movement. She cries when she's hungry, but also for no apparent reason. She is more difficult to soothe in these situations. I guess she just wants to make herself known! :) She has adorable little features and very blue eyes. She's started to smile, but only really in her sleep. Both girls have the most beautiful smiles. I can't wait to see them more often!

Jocelyn came to visit yesterday and she is staying for the next few days. She is hepling out with the girls and getting ready for the party. Yesterday after the girls appointment we decided to go out shopping for a bit. It was interesting to say the least. Lauren had to be held most of the time and I tired quickly. We were both able to leave the mall with at least one new cute thing, so we felt pretty good about that. I did have to run out to the car for something though and I left Jocelyn in the store with the girls. I guess someone came up to her and asked her how old the girls were and she told them. They resonded with a "you look GREAT for having 3 week olds!". She did clear this up, but I thought it was hilarious! When I came back into the store Jocelyn was at the register with Raina in the double stroller, Lauren in one hand, and she was paying with the other hand. She was doing the ultimate double (or is it triple) tasking! It was funny!

Today also marks Barrett's 20 month birthday! He is talking more and more every day. He is so much fun to be around. He does struggle with the girls sometimes. We find that we are having to discipline him a lot more often now for hitting the girls. We sit him in time out. Sometimes after he does something that we tell him "no" to he'll put himself in time out. It never lasts long, but I think it is starting to work. He does give the girls kisses and wants to hold them (which we allow with a lot of guidance). I think he's just getting used to the idea of these two new babies, but overall I think he is a great big brother. I love him so much!!!

Happy Birthday To Me

Great Grandpa and Great Grandma meeting the girls for the first time.

Proud Papa

Raina practicing her neck strength.

Lauren and Raina

One tired momma with my girls.

Can't forget about our adorable little man!

So yesterday was my birthday and I was (still am) sick! Three days ago I went to the doctor for my official two week post-op incision check. I wasn't feeling good again and they found my blood pressure to be high and I had a slight temp. So they drew some blood to check for signs of infection. The next day I was feeling extremely sick! I got a call from the drs. office and they told me that my blood work came back and there was some concern for infection, so they wanted to see me again. I went in yesterday and they put me on antibiotics for a uterine lining infection. The dr. told me it's not bad yet, but the medicine should help prevent it from getting worse. The fact that it was my birthday came up and the dr. told me to eat ice cream from bed. :( I needed to sleep she said! So Trina came over that afternoon and I slept in between feedings for the girls and then later my Dad and Dillon came over to celebrate my birthday. They brought dinner and Trina had made a cake. It was a relaxing and fun night, although I felt crummy. Trina spent the night, too, and helped with all the mid-night feedings and burpings. It was great! Many of you called, wrote emails, or sent my birthday cards...sorry I haven't responded. I definitely felt loved yesterday with all the birthday wishes...thank you!

Today I'm feeling a little better. The dr. said that I should begin to turn the corner after 24 hours on the antibiotic, so by this afternoon I'm hoping to be feeling a lot better. I have to go back to the dr. for a check up on Monday. I am ready to start feeling better that's for sure! It's been a real challenge taking care of two newborns feeling so sick. But the kids are healthy and that is a great thing!! The girls are now 3 weeks old and doing well. On good nights I only have to get up twice to feed them. Around 1 am and then again at 4 am. Raina is very active, but gassy (she spits up a lot more). Lauren is very stil and calm when she sleeps, but watch out when she is awake...she definitely makes herself known. They go back to the dr. on Wednesday so I'll know more about their growth then. Jocelyn comes to stay Wednesday until the party. She's going to help out where she can. I am excited to have the sister time with her, too.