Three Weeks

It's time for a three week update! Happy due date baby twins!!! This will probably be a pretty long post since a while has passed since I've blogged. I'll say the babies have gotten a bit more needy over the past week or so - hence the lack of posts. I've spent a little more time holding & snuggling my sweet babes than I did the first few weeks.

Why the fussiness? I'm attributing it to two things - the babies waking up a little more (they really mostly just slept the first two weeks - except, of course, at night) and a growth spurt. They have definitely started eating more often. I'm lucky if I can go three hours without feeding one or both of them. I remember Maddex going through a growth spurt/fussy time around 3 weeks, so I'm hoping this is short lived! Mornings are definitely our best time. They tend to settle pretty easily & I'm able to take a bath and do one or two things around the house. Night time is still a bit of a challenge. They usually go one or two stretches where they eat every 3 hours, but then will eat more often at some points as well. They are still 100% nursing, so it's a big job for this mommy. Mitch is great and usually stays with me and helps me get them situated. He will also take the job of comforting/holding them after their 9ish feeding so that I can sleep. They're also still a little unsettled/awake at night and prefer to be sleeping next to one of us. Definitely not my favorite arrangement, but we're still in survival mode! We've gotten the swings out, but they don't rely on those for sleep right now and will get fussy when we lay them in the pack & play. We keep trying, but halfway through the night I'm too tired to care!!!

We had a great success with wake time & napping today. After feeding the twins late this morning, I kept them unswaddled and had them in the boppy on the playmat. When they started to fuss, I swaddled them back up & laid them in the pack & play. Major just went right to sleep (good boy!) and Harper needed a little extra love to get to sleep, but eventually went down pretty easily and somewhat on her own. I am hoping that as they spend more time awake that they'll learn the swaddle is a trigger for sleep & be able to put themselves to sleep. That's the goal anyway - and it's a far reaching goal bc we still do plenty of snuggling them to sleep right now!

We have also had great success with bottles! Mitch and I each gave the babies a bottle last night and they took to them with ease. Hallelujah! I plan for them to have a bottle each day as I get ready to go back to work. Of course it'd be easy and great to say Mitch could give them a bottle while I sleep, buuuuut I'd still need to wake up to pump. So I'm not sure that arrangement will happen! Speaking of going back to work, I found out yesterday that I go back on December 20th. That is already 3 short weeks away! :( The silver lining is that I work for 2 days and then we have Christmas break. When I go back in January, the twins will be 8.5 weeks & hopefully sleeping a little easier at night! Please pray that I will have rest in those days and weeks and that the Lord will continue to sustain me as He has so far.

I spent time with all three kids alone this weekend! I had the three of them some on Saturday and Sunday and it went better than I could have expected! Maddex was sweet and so good and the babes just ate and slept! Mitch is going to brave the three kids alone tomorrow night while I go to our women's Christmas party. Pray for him ;)

Overall, I'm feeling pretty tired and am starting to feel "over" waking up at night. I'm doing much more groaning when I hear them cry in those wee hours than I did the first weeks. However, I'm trying desperately to enjoy the snuggles and love on these babies as much as I can. Soon I'll be gone from them all day and will miss those kisses. And before I know it they'll be all grown and won't snuggle anymore! I'll start wrapping things up with some stats on the babes & pictures...

-Babies still eat every 3 hours or more often. Always sleep between eating, but are starting to spend some time awake after their daytime feedings.
-They love being swaddled :)
-Harper has been very congested in her nose the last week or so. We are constantly sucking out snot and boogers :( I'm also concerned she could have some reflux. I'm not sure if it's reflux or gas...I plan to make a call to the doctor tomorrow about that.
-Major is still Mr. Laid Back. His favorite song is "Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man? Do you know the muffin man? His name is Major Crain."
-Both babies lost their umbilical cords right after my last blog post :) We have transitioned to baths in the bathtub instead of on the counter and they seem to enjoy those a bit more. I usually bathe them in the morning b/c 3 baths at night is kind of a lot right now!
-We don't go back to the doctor until December 10th for their 1 month check-up.
-The twins seem to be a bit more aware of each other. They've ended up holding hand some and seemed to be looking at each other the other day when I was feeding them.
-Maddex nursed her stuffed giraffe the other day. I laughed so much. I know little girls do this often, but I just didn't think she was old enough to make all of those connections. She made sure I knew she was doing it, too.

OK, picture time :)

Got all three of my babies!

"Playing"

She knows what to do with the snot sucker...

All three babies playing together

Maddex holding Harper's hand

Harper trying to hold Major's hand

Major kissing his sister (in reality he was still hungry and was trying to eat her face)

Maddex nursing her giraffe (notice she is nursing and eating - very talented!)

First Thanksgiving & TWO weeks old!

The sweet babes celebrated their first Thanksgiving and two week birthday yesterday! Looks like Thanksgiving also brought Harper some gas. She spent most of the day crying out at random times & was very squirmy. Maybe she just wanted some extra snuggles :)

My immediate family came over for Thanksgiving lunch. I made tea & Mitch made a pecan pie, but then the fam brought the rest of the food. We also managed to get some serious cleaning done around the house this week thanks to Nana. I really am amazed we cleaned and picked up what we did with Maddex running around. Maddex LOVED playing and reading books with her big cousins Hannah and Sarah. She was hilarious - she would holler "HEEEYYYYY" to people and holler out their names. She certainly kept us laughing. The twins got lots of love from their aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandparents.

After lunch & dessert Mitch took Maddex out to his big family gathering. I did miss getting to see his family, but I will say it made things a little easier not to have to rush around and I am not quite ready to bring the twins out around a larger crowd. Maddex had a lot of fun playing with her cousins there and I got some down time with the baby twins. Overall, I think the day was a success, but I was pretty tired by the evening! The babies had a pretty good night last night - they are still difficult to settle at night. I guess they still have their "days and nights mixed up." And Harper still seemed to be battling gas. They mostly slept on the couch near me, which is not my favorite arrangement, but it's the best way for all of us to get sleep. They sleep pretty well in the pack & play during the day, but it's just must harder to get them down in there at night. They are also staying up a little more during the day. After a feeding they don't immediately fall asleep. I think Harper was awake for at least an hour yesterday when my family was just getting here!

So, overall at two weeks the babies are:
-Sleeping pretty well during the day & starting to stay awake some after feedings
-Developing some tendencies toward gas pains & needing extra snuggles
-Eating every 3 hours (at least - usually there's an extra feeding late at night) and are exclusively nursing. In the past week I think each baby has gotten formula once as a snack or filler-upper.
-Both babies still have their umbilical cords - I'm so ready for those to fall off! Bath time makes me so sad having to sponge bathe them. I know they're cold :(
-Just starting to get to wear outfits & spend a little time unswaddled. They've been in gowns & swaddled for pretty much the first 2 weeks. The past couple of days I have put them in sleep & plays or an outfit. They still love their swaddlers.
-They are pretty hit & miss with pacifiers. They will take them, but don't seem dependent on them.
-Fighting blocked tear ducts - both of Major's eyes have had one & Harper still has one in her left eye.
-Harper still is full of boogers. Poor girl is always snorting and we are forever sucking snot and boogers out of her nose!

That's about it...goals for the next week are to start giving the babies some specific activities for "wake time" - boppy pillows, swings, playmat, tummy time, etc. I also am going to try to introduce regular bottles in the next week. They have done fine with the enfamil samples from the hospital, but I want to get them used to a regular bottle. I have several different kinds for them to choose from, so hopefully it will be a success. I did not do a great job with bottles for Maddex and it was a fight for months until she eventually just took to sippy cups. Hoping for the twins to do well with both bottles & nursing!

OK - here are some pictures to finish the entry...

How can I not be forever thankful???

Turkey dress & tiger hat :) What else would you wear on Thanksgiving day?

Major's Thanksgiving day outfit. Love this onesie from some sweet friends @ church.

Harper's Thanksgiving day outfit. They also have a burp cloth, bib, and blanket to match :)

Two Week Check-up

Since the babies will be two weeks old on Thanksgiving, we had their two week check-up today. Both babies looks fantastic! Here's a run down of their stats.

-Harper: 6 lbs. 13 oz.
-Major: 6 lbs. 9 oz.
-Both babies are well past their birthweight and growing!
-Both babies measured 19 inches long. Harper was 19.5 at birth, but the doctor said they sometimes have discrepancies between their measurements & the hospital measurements so not to worry. They're both growing wonderfully.
-Major's head was 1 cm bigger than Harper's.
-Their percentile measurements were all under 20%. It was especially weird to hear their head measurements in such a low percentile since Crain babies tend to have large heads :)
-Both babies have a blocked tear duct making them have lots of eye boogers. These should resolve on their own soon.
-Jaundice is looking better! So nothing to worry about there!
-Overall, they are amazing, and we are unbelievably blessed!

Sweet baby twins are still sleeping all day mostly. I feed them and put them down in the pack & play and they will almost always go to sleep on their own. It's miraculous. BUT, nighttime is not quite as easy. The last few nights they've continued to be more restless and taken more work to get them settled and asleep. They end up in our arms a lot more at night! I do think it's getting better and they'll start to wake up more during the day & sleep more at night soon. I have hope!!!!!

They are nursing wonderfully. We are hardly using formula anymore. Last night Mitch gave Harper some formula because she still seemed hungry and I was just out of it tired. The first feeding of the night is always the most difficult for me because I've gotten the least amount of sleep. Once I get one or two more stretches I find it easier to wake up and take care of their needs. We are pretty much all sleeping in the living room since that's where all of the feeding and diapering takes place. Once they start to settle a little better then we'll move them into our room.

We've taken a couple of walks and they do great! They just stay all swaddled in their blankets in the carseats and take a nice nap. Maddex joined us on a couple walks (when there's two adults to push two strollers) and she looooooves going out in the stroller. She's been doing a pretty good job at home this week. She had a great day yesterday, but she was definitely more whiny today. She's only napping for about an hour and still waking up earlier than usual. All things considered, I think she's handling the big sister transition pretty well. :)

We had two sets of pictures taken of the twins this weekend. One set-up involves Maddex laying between the twins. I can't wait to see the pictures! They are going to be absolutely phenomenal! Speaking of pictures, I'll finish up with some sweet shots that we got of the babes today!

Bright eyes

They love each other!!! Insert "aaawwwwww" here :)

Twin Facts

So I told our sweet dinner bringers earlier tonight that I just don't have much to blog about right now when it comes to the twins. I soon realized that I was totally wrong! It's true that, at this time, they basically eat, poop, and sleep, but I think there's a lot more to my two tiny people than those three habits. Here's a little rundown of what my baby twins are like (as far as I can tell at 9 days old)...

Harper Elle

• Harpy was born last, so she is our youngest, babiest girl.
• Since she came out 2nd, she didn't spend as much time in the birth canal. This has caused her to be more mucusy (if that's a word) the first few days of life. She definitely spit up more and was more fussy during those first few days.
• Harper is a nursing champ. She's usually fairly easy to wake up and seems to get her fill at each meal.
• I have nicknamed her "Snorts" because she is always snorting like a little piggy! I think it may have to do with her having more mucus or the constant boogers I'm getting out of her nose!
• She is still slightly more high maintenance than her twin brother. She likes to be snuggled so sleep a little bit more than he does.
• In case I haven't mentioned it before, Harp is Maddex Jr. She looks just like big sis!
• Harper has had some jaundice, but not enough to be treated (thankfully! b/c those bilibeds are a pain!)
• I think Harper will be our blonde child. She has the lightest hair right now of all three kids and I am assuming it will likely get even lighter as it really starts to come in. Mitch and I were both blonde for years, so it's likely we could have a blondey.
• Surprisingly, she has given me more trouble with diaper changes! Harper has pooped and peed during several diaper changes!

Major Joseph

• Major is technically our middle child. He was a tad bit smaller than sis at birth, but seems to be catching up to her quickly.
• This boy makes the best faces! I have more pictures of him than his sister because he's always making the funniest faces when he's falling asleep. My favorite involves him pursing his lips to get some kisses from mommy.
• Major has the darkest & most hair of all of our kids. Of course that doesn't mean he has a lot of hair - we are destined to have bald kids!
• Major's nickname is "Squirts" because the boy poops every time he eats. And you can always hear when he poops!
• Maj is the one to wake when he's hungry. When I hear stirring or fussing in the middle of the night, it's always him. BUT he is a lazier eater and I usually have to work harder to wake him and keep him awake during a feeding.
• He is our calm child. He's almost always awake after eating and will let me put him down wide-eyed. He'll eventually fall asleep after laying there. Let's ALL pray this habit continues!!!
• The last 2 nights Major has spit up during the night and he seems to be trying to get it on his sister :) It was in her hair the first night! Boys are gross.
• I love having a little boy. He just melts my heart every moment I hold him.

I am so excited to see how their personalities develop over the next few weeks. They love sleeping swaddled and next to one another. We currently have their pack & play mattress with a slight incline and I think that is helping them sleep peacefully. I'm curious to see what happens as they start to spend more time awake over the next few weeks and months. Perhaps their personalities will be somewhat similar to their newborn ones!

Big Sis

I think it's time to devote another post to my sweet biggest girl. I have really been missing her this past week since so much of my time is devoted to the baby twins. Thankfully they've been doing a lot of sleeping, so I am able to give some attention to Maddex when she comes home. Usually when she wakes in the morning I'm feeding the babies, so I don't get to hold, cuddle, or snuggle her much, if at all, before she leaves for the sitter. By the time she gets home, we only have two hours or so before bedtime, and I'm usually feeding the babies for part of that. I am so looking forward to the day (hopefully soon) where I can take her out for some special mommy/daughter time. She is getting plenty of daddy/daughter time which does make my heart happy. At first, I was nervous about her being home for the whole week of Thanksgiving so soon after the babies were born, but now I am so excited to have her here. I'm sure it won't be easy to juggle the babes and entertaining sweet girl, but I'm desperate to spend some quality time with her.

She has been so great with the twins. She mostly does her own thing, but she is definitely interested in her little sister and little brother. When she comes in she always wants to see them or kiss them. She's been pretty gentle with them so far. They are mostly sleeping in the pack & play though, so it's hard for her to get her hands on them :)

With all of my hormones I've been having feelings of guilt about bringing these babies into our family & taking away time and attention from Maddex. I just keep feeling like I've done her a disservice because I'm not able to give her as much attention now that the babies are here. Thankfully, a sweet friend pointed out that as they grow up and I can watch them play together then I'll realize that giving her a sister & brother was a great thing for her. Mitch also told me that Maddex needed a brother and sister to love forever. I can't wait to watch her interact with them and love them in the future.

And because I love to include pictures in my posts - here are some pictures of our sweet big sis!

This was from her sitter today. Look at the CHEESE on that sweet girls' face!

This picture is from the day we came home from the hospital. She got to eat a cookie for breakfast :)

We came home from the hospital on Saturday. On Sunday she was just loving on her baby dolls. Right before this picture she was holding the baby and saying "It's OK baby." Later that night she went to church and I'm told she just stood in one spot and held and rocked a baby doll for a long while. Sweet girl!

Sharing mommy's dinner at the hospital.

Doctor's Appointment

The twins went in for their newborn appointment today. Let me first say that I am very impressed we made it on time! I had to be ready an hour ahead of time to be sure we got them fed, changed, and all packed for the trip.

They look great! The doctor wasn't concerned about their jaundice levels and we just have to watch that they don't get more yellow. Both babies are 6 pounds 2 ounces which means they are back up to birth weight! They like to see this by 2 weeks, but these babies are ahead of the schedule!

I am just so overcome with thankfulness for these healthy babies. The Lord has blessed us beyond measure.

They were pretty pooped after their outing and have slept well most of the afternoon and evening. I even got to sleep for an hour and a half! Praying they settle in for the night and I get one or two more stretches of rest.

Big sis has developed an awful cough. We gave her Zyrtec and put Vicks on her based on doc's recommendation, but she is still having trouble sleeping. I am so sad for her and really want her to get some rest. All 3 of my babies are just squirmy and unsettled at the moment. Please pray for rest for my sweet family.

Here are the twins snuggled up to one another after their trip to the doctor...

First few days at home

I'm hoping I can catch a few moments to describe our first few days at home! If I don't do it now, I'll forget...

Oh wait - a baby is crying...

Ok, I'm back :)

We are surviving pretty well in our first 48 hours or so at home! Maddex loves her baby brother and baby sister. She's very interested to see them in the morning and any time she comes home from an errand or church with daddy. She loves to give them kisses :) Yesterday she said "Baby Harper" and "Baby Major" for the first time, but hasn't said it much since.

Night one was pretty rough. The newborn phase with Maddex was fairly easy for me. I would feed her & sleep while Mitch took the "late" shift if she was fussy. Then we'd trade off and he'd sleep. I think I usually had the better shift  and she slept while I slept some more in between feedings. Well, two babies means no shifts! They're usually fussy at the same times night, so we each have a baby. The babies are great at sleeping together in the pack & play during the day, but we haven't quite gotten them to settle in at night. I think we may have gotten a few short stretches of sleep that first night. The best sleep was from about 6 - 7:30...the twins finally settled in as the sun came up!!!

Last night was better. I think I may have gotten one stretch of 2 & a half hours! I'm sure this is probably a miracle :) We are pretty much all sleeping in the living room right now. I'm not sure when one of us will get to make the transition to the bed!

Feeding is going pretty good. Both babies have gotten really good at nursing and I'm trying to do that exclusively, but don't mind supplementing with some formula. The babes seem hungrier at night & we are usually giving them a bit of formula after nursing at night to help get those bellies good and full. I think I'll just give a quick run down of facts and then include some pictures of our beautiful miracles :)

-Harper's jaundice levels are higher than Major's. They are not high enough to be treated yet, but we'll follow up with their pediatrician at their first appointment tomorrow afternoon.
-Both babies were 5 lbs 9 oz before we left the hospital.
-We had a great ride home and our back seat is very entertaining. The below picture shows how BIG Maddex is next to her baby siblings!
-We have had wonderful visitors including friends and family who have provided us with lunches and dinners since we've been home. It's been amazing because there's no way we would be cooking anything. We've been lucky to get a couple loads of laundry, one load of dishes, and our bodies cleaned since we've been home!!!
-I've been home with the twins by myself a few times and it's really not so bad. So far they are such good babies :) Mitch took Maddex to church twice yesterday and then ran some errands this afternoon. He'll be doing some work this week, so we'll be on our own to figure things out :)
-I got a 30 minute nap in earlier! So amazing - I can go all night now :)

I'll hopefully update again soon after we go see the pediatrician tomorrow. Until then, pictures of our baby boy and babiest (daddy's term) girl :)

Holding her baby

Major & Harper snuggling

Ready to go home! Geaux tigers!

Really ready to go home!!! My tiny babes!

Handsome boy

My beautiful girl!!

Major & Harper 

Headed home!

We looooove each other (Major/Harper)

Spooning (Major/Harper)

Birth Story & Blessings

Our sweet twins are being so good! Daddy is home with Maddex and Mommy is with the twins until the nursery opens at 11 (they are short staffed), so I thought I'd take the chance to share their birth story. It's a quick and simple but great one :)

I started having contractions Thursday evening and eventually decided to head to the assessment center (our favorite place). I felt like the contractions were a little more intense & consistent than in the past. I was hoping that if they determined I wasn't in active labor that they'd maybe still keep me overnight and induce me in the morning since I'd be 37 weeks. Our friend Kerri came over after we put Maddex to bed to stay with her for the night in case we ended up staying. Once we decided to go to the hospital I took a quick bath, Mitch showered, I packed some snacks & made sure everything was set up for Maddex for the next day. I was uncomfortable, but still managing & figured a little more movement would help move things right along.

Off we went to the hospital & visited our favorite place! The assessment center! We spent a miserable hour there with some of the worst service that we've had. It was very frustrating. Thankfully they determined I was in labor and admitted me to labor and delivery. Of course everything was WAY better up there!! We let our parents know that this was it and I got in touch with my sweet friend Maegan who was going to come take pictures of the babies' birth. I got settled in labor & delivery in the 11:00 hour and by midnight had been given my epidural. Things started moving quite quickly after that! I progressed about 2 cm in less than an hour; 30 minutes later I was about 3 more and very close to being ready to push. They started prepping the operating room & Mitch and Maegan got all dolled up in their scrubs. The twins were going to be delivered in the OR just in case Harper had turned breech or turned after Major was born & they couldn't get her out. From my understanding, they always deliver twins in the OR. At this point, I was starting to feel some pressure and was ready to push!

Next, they wheeled me down to the operating room and continued to get everything set up. I was starting to feel uncomfortable despite my epidural, but I was really excited. I honestly didn't feel nervous or afraid...the Lord just gave me peace and excitement! And there's really not much more to the story! We got ready, they told me to push, I basically had one big push and sweet Major boy was out! Mitch cut his cord and they brought him over to the warmer to get him all checked out. The nurses pushed and pushed on my belly to make sure that Harper stayed down. I pushed a few more minutes & out she came! Sweet babies were just five minutes apart. Mitch was checking on the babes, Maegan was snapping pics, and everyone was just telling me what a rock star I was. Let me interject here that if you ever want to feel good about yourself - birth twins :) All day yesterday I was just so "high" on what a great job I had done - people just kept saying it!!!

Major was doing great, but Harper was having a little trouble getting her color good and pink. I think they gave her a little bit of oxygen and kept her on the warmer a little longer. Pretty soon I had them both in my arms and we were being wheeled back to my labor and delivery room. Our parents came in and the nurses cleaned them up & got them all warm & snuggly. I was feeling great & just SO happy that they were finally here and healthy. We hung out in labor and delivery for my recovery time then headed on up to our room! We got settled in around 4:30 and that was it!

There's the story of their birth! Pretty simple and quick and I cannot tell you how thankful we are for that. I don't think the Lord could have blessed us more than He has in the last 48 hours!!!!

We've had a good stay at the hospital. Maddex has come up both nights. She seems to like them but is not incredibly interested. We'll see if that changes when they come to her home and invade her space!!!
The babies love sleeping in the crib together which makes for sweet pictures like these...

Harper (aka Maddex Jr.) and Major

Major and Harper

Finally, since being pregnant with twins, I have learned to shamelessly ask for help when needed :) Our sweet friends at church have set up a meal rotation for us when we go home with the twins. Although our first two days with the twins have been smooth, I imagine things will be crazy when we go home! It took me about an hour and a half to feed & change the babes tonight. Just in time to start again ;) Anyway, if you are interested in blessing us during these next few, busy weeks, we would appreciate it so very much. A simple meal would give you a great excuse to come love on some babies :) 

You can sign up to provide us with a meal by going to www.takethemameal.com. To find our schedule, enter Crain as the name & password. The schedule will allow you to sign up for a specific day & fill in your meal of choice.

Baby Crains are here!!!

Yep folks, you read it right...the twins have arrived!!!! I'll write about the whole experience later when I can post from something other than my phone. For now, their stats and pictures!

Major Joseph Crain
November 8, 2012
1:46 AM
6 lbs 1 oz
19 inches

Harper Elle Crain
November 8, 2012
1:51 AM
6 lbs 2 oz
19.5 inches

We had a fantastic delivery and are doing GREAT!!!!

The big day

We went for our check-up yesterday and finally scheduled these babies' birth! Looks like Monday morning will be the big day if the babes don't come before then! Here's a run-down of our appointment yesterday.

-Babies looked great on the ultrasound. Fluid levels were great and Harper has flipped to head down!!!! This is huge b/c I'm hoping for a vaginal delivery & NO c-section!

-Major measured 5 lbs 7 oz & Harper was 5 lbs 15 oz. The tech had trouble getting all of Major's measurements, so she didn't feel that the weight was incredibly accurate.

-Accurate weight or not, he's measuring in the 13th percentile, so the maternal fetal doc recommended delivery between 37 & 37.5 weeks.

-Despite Major's small size, his head is in the 90th percentile. Typical Crain kids w/ big heads :)

-I am still about 2-3 cm dilated. Major's head is very low. The doctor asked Mitch if he wanted to feel it. That may be TMI, but it was hilarious.

-We scheduled the induction for Monday morning - I will be 37 weeks, 4 days. Hopefully Harper will stay head down until then!! We will deliver in the OR just in case she turns and they end up having to do a c-section. PLEASE pray this doesn't happen!

I think that covers all the stats from yesterday! I voted before our appointments, and then we went to Target afterwards. It was a short trip but completely wore. me. out. After resting for a few hours, I felt better, but I was really struggling! I've wanted to declare myself off of bed rest since we're so close to the end, but I don't think it's physically possible for me to do much more than sit these days!

Check out these heads (excuse the glare)! Major's head is on the right & Harper's on the left. You can tell how much bigger his is than hers!!!! Sometimes I STILL can't believe there are TWO babies in there!

Gotta give another shout out to my husband for my treat yesterday! He loaded Maddex up to go get me a coke icee while I took a bath. It was amazing :)

Baby pool

Isn't that what it's called when you have people guess when the baby will arrive? I think it would be fun to hear your guesses!! Let me remind you of a few facts, then leave a comment on the blog or Facebook about when you think the babies will be born.

-I was 36 weeks yesterday. My official due date (if I were having one baby) is November 29.
-My doctor has said they will deliver between weeks 37 & 38.
-On Monday I was still 2-3 cm dilated.
-The doctor felt Major's head on Monday.
-Still on bed (couch) rest.
-Maddex wouldn't nap or sleep in her bed last night.
-At our last ultrasound (almost 3 weeks ago) Major was measuring 4 lbs 11 oz and Harper was 5 lbs.
-My stomach is huge.
-I've had unexplained bouts of tears today that I just can't stop!
-I still have contractions daily, but nothing consistent.

So - what do you think? WHEN will they be here?!?! Include the date, time of day you think they'll be born, and take some guesses at what their weights may be. It'll be really fun for me to see your responses!!!

PS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY to this stud right here

Interview with a father

People always ask me questions about Mitch's reaction to the twins and how he feels about their impending arrival. I thought it would be fun to ask him some questions, interview fashion, and record their answers on the blog. First, I thought I'd bore you with my own responses to the same questions. I'm sure you're all dying to know our answers and it'll be fun to look back on these responses later.

1. What was your reaction when the sonogram tech said "looks like there's two in there?"

I'm sure I said "WHAT?!!?" and did a little screaming and a little crying. Maddex was in there with her and we kinda freaked her out!

2. What has been the best part about expecting twins?

The support we've received from friends, family, and other twin mamas.

3. What has been the worst part about expecting twins?

My large belly which makes sleeping and comfort difficult.

4. What is your biggest concern about their arrival?

That they'll have to spend time in the NICU - more specifically that one will be in NICU and one will come home. I'm not sure how I could balance time between the babes. At this point, I'm believing the Lord is keeping them in long enough to keep that from happening!

5. What is your biggest concern about raising twins?

Spending time with all of our kids equally...making them feel special and loved as separate, whole people.

6. What are you most looking forward to with the twins?

Snuggling and baby kisses

7. What are you least looking forward to with the twins?

Nighttime. I already dread going to bed because I'm not sleeping well. I imagine I'll be a basket case every night because I'm going to be so afraid of not getting any sleep.

8. How would you describe your overall attitude toward having twins?

Bring it on!



Now for Mitch's responses and a few extra daddy-specific questions.

1. What was your reaction when the sonogram tech said "looks like there's two in there?"

Surprised. I asked if the machine was broken.

2. What has been the best part about expecting twins?

We don't have to get pregnant again. Gonna knock it all out right here.

3. What has been the worst part about expecting twins?

Having to buy two of everything.

4. What is your biggest concern about their arrival?

Everyone to be healthy - mom & babies.

5. What is your biggest concern about raising twins?

Being fair and hearing everyone say "Oh, are they twins?" Maddex being left out of activities meant for two kids.

6. What are you most looking forward to with the twins?

Being able to hold them at the same time.

7. What are you least looking forward to with the twins?

Buying two of everything (at the same time).

8. How would you describe your overall attitude toward having twins?

I'm gonna do the best I can with what I've got.

9. What is the craziest pregnancy request to which you have obliged?

Buying cups of ice from Sonic. 

10. Is there a minivan in your future?

I sure hope not.

11. Did your beard contribute to your ability to conceive twins?

Absolutely it did!

12. What are you most looking forward to about having a son?

Sitting around in our underwear and peeing off the back patio. That's bonding right there.

13. How would you feel if the twins are born on your birthday?

I think it would be a great birthday present.

That's the end of the interview so far. If you have questions for either of us about the twins, let me know and I'll tell you our responses!

I'll leave you with my 36 weeks picture. Getting BIG!!!