Two Months!

Two Months Old!

07/05/14

We are still alive!

The second month has been a lot more demanding. During the first month all they did was eat, sleep, and poop. Now Riley & MacKenzie are more aware of their surroundings and have longer wake times. We had to bring out the swing which seems to work better then the boppy. The girls will sit in the swing wide awake just taking in the day. 

Peter and I are able to tell who is who by their looks. Riley (right) has a longer and skinnier head...overall she is smaller then MacKenzie (left). 

We have a great routine going and the girls have taken well to it..thank goodness! At 8pm I prep and begin giving the girls their bath (one at a time). I'll rub them down with some lavender lotion, put on their diaper, and onesie and then swaddle them tight. Next is feeding time, lately I have mastered the art of tandem feeding. For some reason when I tandem feed the girls seem to eat longer and get more milk. They usually pass out around 9pm or quarter after and then we take them up to our room to lay them down. That gives Peter and I some time to relax together. 

Speaking of tandem feeding, I can cross that off my bucket list. (: It really does make life easier. 

I finally ventured out to the grocery store alone...with all four kids. Luke and Madison held hands the entire time so they had a buddy. There were a few attempts to throw items in the cart like fruit snacks, cereal, and frozen pops but I caught them. haha! The more time I spend as a mother to four kids the easier it becomes. 

This past month the girls also got baptized. We asked their Uncle John and Aunt Cassie to be Riley's God Parents and Uncle Matt and Aunt Anna to be MacKenzie's God Parents. 

Riley, Aunt Cassie, Uncle John, and Father Mike.

MacKenzie, Aunt Anna, Uncle Matt, and Father Mike.

When they cry we can tell who is who. MacKenzie always starts high pitched and Riley has a tremble during her cry. They both LOVE to cuddle on my chest..I love it too. They each wake up once a night but will sometimes stay awake longer then they should (hour or two). They eat every two hours & on occasion more if they hit a growth spurt.

Oh yeah, did I mention that MacKenzie has her bottom two teeth coming already! The tops already poked through, no wonder why she has been drooling!

MacKenzie making faces while I talk to her.

Riley's First Smile.

A friend of the family hand made some beautiful hats for Riley & MacKenzie! I wish I had the patience and talent to knit like this, they're beautiful!

Peter & I are doing great. Haven't killed each other yet which is amazing compared to how it was during my pregnancy. Father's Day has come & gone and he loved his t-shirt the kiddos made. See a photo of it here. 

Luke & Madison are still great helpers. They fetch diapers, wipes, & pacifiers when asked. They love to hold the girls & give them kisses too. Maddie helps me give the twins their bath while Luke tries to help put them to sleep. He accomplished that once by singing a song from Cinderella to MacKenzie. 

The Fourth of July has come and gone, you can read about that here. So now we move on to their third month and see what else the girls have in store for us to enjoy.(:

One Month Old!

Riley and MacKenzie are going to be a month old next week already. Where in world does the time go? Seriously. I feel like it's been just a week since they've been born. 

They are still in newborn clothing but are gaining great weight. 

I can see it in their faces already.

 They are eating constantly and I think are going through a growth spurt right now. 

Did I mention that they are waking once a night to eat?! Sometimes they'll wake and as soon as I lay them in bed with me to eat they pass out before I can even try.
They're staying awake for longer periods of time.

We have them on a good schedule that they are starting to get use to thankfully! 

The following are some photos of the girls recently:

Riley

MacKenzie

MacKenzie and Riley

Riley

MacKenzie and Riley

Riley

Oh My Gosh TWINS?!

The title is just one of the many statements I get when out in public with the girls. Strangers no longer seem like strangers after having a conversation together about raising twins and "how adorable they are". I already wrote the post about what people would ask me while I was pregnant after they found out I was having twins here. This post is going to feature questions I get when I go out with Riley & MacKenzie. 

Questions:

"Oh my gosh, Twins?!" 

  Usually I answer with, "Yeah. Identical girls." *Smile* While I think to myself "Nope, I just stole this one. The other is mine."

"Are they identical?"

   A common question which I expect. 

"How old are they?"

"Can I see them?"

Sure.

"How do you tell them apart?"

  I tell them that Riley has a skinnier nose and MacKenzie has a rounder face. I also add that I do not dress Riley in pink or pink-ish colors (that is MacKenzie's signature color) and MacKenzie does not wear the color purple (Riley's signature color). 

"Which one is older?"

Riley.

"Do they have different personalities?"

It changes day to day. Once day Riley could be amazingly good the next she could cry all day unless being held.  

"Do twins run in your families?"

They do but distant on both sides. Neither of us realized it either until we spoke with our parents. 

   

"Are you done having kids?"

Sometimes I respond with "I hope so!" or "We aren't sure yet."

2 Week Check-Up

The girls went for their two week check-up today in Towanda with Dr. Bista. This is the first time meeting her & I must say she is a super nice lady. haha. I can also say that I will never again go by myself! Luke & Madison were with my parents so it was just me & the girls but it was still so stressful. Two naked, crying at the top of their lungs babies because they were hungry & wanted to sleep. 

The following are their current stats:

Riley Lynn

19.25" long

6lbs 1oz

No Vaccination

Breastfeeding like a champ

VitD Prescription

MacKenzie Rose

19.25" long

6lbs 3oz

No Vaccinations

Breastfeeding like a champ

VitD Prescription

The prescription is in liquid form to be inserted via mouth. Since they are being breastfed & were born early they need the extra vitamins. 

Both have been great sleepers at night. They will wake once (sometimes together, sometimes different) but once they wake to eat they tend to stay awake longer then we would like.  haha.  

They are in between preemie & newborn clothing.  Preemie onesies are too small but newborn jumpsuits are too big. 

They are also starting to have longer wake times during the day which means I get to see those pretty eyes. 

So far we are still taking it one day at a time. The house isn't as clean as it use to be & the dishes may pile up every few days but I get done what needs to be done. Happy kids, Happy husband, Happy mommy. 

Siblings. (Picture post)

Just a quick siblings picture post!  I have yet to get one of all 4 together. I haven't been that brave yet but as soon as I do it will be shared! (:

33 Week Appointment: Big News, Small News, and Some in Between!

Today I had my bi-weekly appointment to see Dr. Dolkart. It was definitely an informative and exciting one to say the least! See below!

*= see the bottom of the post

The Girls

The girls are measuring about 4.8 pounds each, give or take an ounce or two, which is fantastic! There are no issues or worries about them at all! Their belly's are measuring perfect and I got to see them practice breathing and swallow fluid during the ultrasound. 

Myself

The amniotic fluid is still great, no leaking at all. My cervix on the other hand is not behaving. While a normal cervix measures at 39 mine is now at 18. So due to my cervix being so short I had to receive a steroid shot* in my right butt cheek. NO. FUN. The needle wasn't bad but the medicine was like a rush of pain through my butt cheek which soon after went numb.

The Outcome

Tomorrow I will go to my OB's office to receive the second dose of steroids. Dr. Dolkart didn't put me on bed rest but did tell me to take it easy and to relax. At 36-37 weeks (if they don't come on their own) I will be induced. Identical twin pregnancies tend to have more complications after the 36 week mark which is why they plan to induce. 

So overall....the twins can arrive anytime within the next 3-4 weeks!
We are both excited but very nervous! 

*The steroid shot is to help the twins lungs develop in case of early delivery. The steroids cut the risk of lung disease and reduces a premature babies risk of dying by up to 40%. 

Family Photos!

Thanks to my SIL Anna who took the photos below we now have a complete family photo. The last time we had photos taken as a family was when Madison was still in my belly! I can't wait to get some of these blown up to hang!

30 Weeks!

Development: Their heads are more proportionate to their bodies. They can open their eyes and move their heads. 

How Far Along:  30 Weeks

Weight Gain/Loss:  Gained 3 more pounds, making it a total of 7lbs this entire pregnancy.

Sleep: Not good. Going to the bathroom 3x a night, tossing and turning, pain in my lower abdomen.

Best Moment This Week:  Hearing the girls heartbeats.

Movement: The girls move a lot but have recently slowed down a bit.

Food Cravings/Aversions: Still Rita's & anything spicy!

What I Miss: Sleep & not being pregnant. I'm ready to have these babies.

Stretch Marks:  Not lately.

Belly Button:  Outtie!

Wedding Rings:  Adjustable.

Mood: Exhausted but ready for the babies to come!

Labor Signs:  Light contractions, slower fetal movement. 

Milestones:  Only 6-8 weeks left!

Upcoming Appointments/Events: I had an appointment with Dr. Wood yesterday. I'll see Dr. Dolkart again next Tuesday. May be starting my NST soon. 

What I look forward to: Having these babies out & holding them!

27 Weeks.

How Far Along:  27 Weeks! 

Weight Gain/Loss:  Still have not gained anything.

Sleep:  Uncomfortable again!

Best Moment This Week:  Seeing my girls again.

Movement: All the time & they are getting stronger.

Food Cravings/Aversions: Pizza & Gummy Worms.

What I Miss: Being more active with Luke & Maddie. 

Stretch Marks:  A few have popped up.

Belly Button:  Flat! haha

Wedding Rings:  Adjustable.

Mood: Good. Slightly tired but still motivated.

Labor Signs:  Light contractions.

Milestones:  So close to the third trimester!

Upcoming Appointments/Events: I will see Doctor Wood & hear the girls heart beats next Tuesday.

What I look forward to: Baby items arriving!

26 Weeks.

"Hi Little Sisters!"

The girls weigh about 2 pounds and measure 9 1/4 inches long. Their eyelashes are forming and the hair on their head is still coming in.

How Far Along:  26 Weeks exactly and only 98 days to go!

Weight Gain/Loss:  Still have not gained anything.

Sleep:  I'm able to turn to the other side easier then before.

Best Moment This Week:  Receiving more of my maternity clothing from Old Navy!

Movement: All the time.

Food Cravings/Aversions: Sugar. Cookies, Chocolate, anything!

What I Miss: Painting my toenails. I think I painted them for the last time myself a day ago. 

Stretch Marks:  Not yet.

Belly Button:  Flat! haha

Wedding Rings:  Adjustable.

Mood: Becoming tired again. Not wanting to go to work and not interested in leaving the house if I don't have to. 

Labor Signs:  Light cramping.

Milestones:  So close to the third trimester!

Upcoming Appointments/Events: I will see Doctor Dolkart & the twins next Tuesday.

What I look forward to: Continuing to order the rest of the items we need and want for the girls. Putting together the crib that Luke, Peter, his siblings, and his father used as a baby(:

24 Week Ultrasound!

There really wasn't much to this appointment, they just wanted to check to make sure the girls are the right weight and size. I told the nurse when she started that the screen just looks like a jumbled mess of babies haha! I don't know how they do their job when it get's to this point, it's all crammed and confusing in there!

At this point both babes are breech but Dr. Dolkart doesn't mind since we have plenty of time for them to flip. Both girls are perfectly sized and have great blood flow through their cords.

Below is the video, just skip to 1:12 for it to begin(:

25 Weeks!

How Far Along:  25 Weeks.

Weight Gain/Loss:  I get weighed next week.

Sleep:  Better!

Best Moment This Week:  Seeing the girls for the first time in a month.

Movement: All the time.

Food Cravings/Aversions: Anything salty.

What I Miss: Not waddling. lol

Stretch Marks:  Not yet.

Belly Button:  Close to popping out!

Wedding Rings:  Still tight.

Mood: Tired. In the mood to just stay home all the time.

Labor Signs:  Light cramping.

Milestones:  The twins are now able to survive if they were to be delivered.

Upcoming Appointments/Events: I will see Doctor Wood next Tuesday.

What I look forward to: Getting closer to my due date and my pregnancy clothes coming from Old Navy!

15 Week Check Up & Gender Determination!

So last Tuesday I had another doctor's appointment with the specialist for a routine ultrasound. I'm at the 15 week point in the pregnancy so the babies are getting to the point where you can see their facial features a little better. They look like babies now, no more blobs(: 

The first ultrasound with the specialist showed that baby A wasn't growing as much as baby B but at this appointment we learned that they are both equal size now! Thank goodness. They are growing perfectly just as they should be! I see the specialist every two weeks who is about 45mins away from where we live (woo hoo), long drive but makes me feel better knowing that the doctor knows what he is talking about! 

15 weeks is still early to determine the sex but we were able to find out anyways! Turns out little A & B are going to be identical GIRLS(: Making the family  Girls:4 Boys:2! Luke is going to be a great big brother to all of his sister's(: 

Names are slowly coming to me but boy is it hard having to come up with TWO names instead of one. I personally think boy's names are so much easier to pick. 

If you have any idea's throw them my way!
Just remember, the last name will be Hamburger so she can't be named Patty (Hamburger Patty) or anything like that! haha.