Baby girl's got her first tooth!

V-R has her first tooth! Isn't it adorable?



And I hear that her brother has his first 2 teeth coming in at the same time!

1st Thanksgiving Dinner-9 months 4 days

Time to pack up the pump?

The babes are 9 months and 10 days and I think I'm just about done pumping. I only got 11.5 oz today. I've been waiting for the output to not be worth the effort and I think we're just about there. Technically, I was supposed to stop at the end of November, but it's really been hard to stop this time. Partly because the amounts have been so high and perhaps partly because I don't really know if I'll ever have this opportunity again. I just hadn't really been ready to give it up, but I think the time is coming soon. Perhaps by the end of the week even.

Such sweet siblings

I love these pictures so much! It really captures just how big they all are. B & V-R are almost 9 months old and are crawling all over now. They just look so darn sweet-and who can resist a sister's nose.
There were several shots of all four kids, but I love this one in particular. L is such a great big sister-you can see how much she loves V-R and how good she is with her. And if you look closely P is being very sweet with his brother's hand.
I can only imagine how wonderful Christmas will be at their house this year!

Pre-Halloween Fun

I can't believe I never realized I could drag pictures onto the blog. Here are the cuties!

Happy Halloween

Aren't they all adorable!!

Happy 8 months B & V-R!!

Today the babes are 8 months old! They are getting so big and really becoming little individuals. They have their preferences and are so different, but then there are little things that will remind you of their siblings.
They are getting more mobile and more interested in 'big people' stuff.

It's amazing to think that they are getting so big!!

Happy 8 months little guys!!

The Twins'

I've stumbled upon an easy way to steal/share pictures of the kiddos. I love this picture because it's a snippet of I believe lunch time at their home. There's no food on the laptop, which leads me to believe they have not eaten yet.

P & L are 3 years 1 month now and have just returned to preschool. This is a project that they made. These two are a tad obsessed/thrilled with space shuttles right now and the school used their enthusiasm as a project for the day (how great is that?)

Behind them you can see V-R & B ready for lunch (they look clean so I don't think they've eaten yet). V-R & B are 7 months old now and looking so big in their little Bumbo seats.

I've spent all day viewing this picture, I can't find a focal point with all 4 faces in there.

Many Celebrations!

Today S & S celebrate their 13 Wedding Anniversary! They make it look SO easy!

On Saturday the 22nd, V-R & B celebrate 6 months! They are growing fast and are gearing up for some big changes. They've been rolling for a while now and it looks as though food is of great interest to them.

On Tuesday the 25th, P & L turn 3 YEARS OLD!! Where has the time gone? They've handled the transition to older siblings so well. They sleep in their own beds, go potty all by themselves (have been for years), they are talking all the time and are so creative and fun to watch. They are an absolute delight to watch grow and learn.

As for me, I am still pumping 3 times a day and producing 55-60 oz a day. When will I stop? When I stop getting so much milk. I'm finding it much harder to stop this time around since I'm producing so much with so few sessions (although a session can last for nearly an hour). I will probably drop down to twice a day soon and see what happens to the supply.

1 year ago

It's hard to believe, but 1 year ago we were all waiting to see if 2 perfect little embryos would snuggle in for the long haul. 1 year ago today I got my first faint BFP and couldn't wait to see the line get darker and darker.

P & L seemed so little and yet just 1 year later they seem incredibly grown up!
1 year later and V & B are sitting around in bumbo seats and giggling like crazy!

It's amazing the difference a year can make!

16 weeks PP

I am officially shedding! The hair loss has begun and I'm finding hairs everywhere. Handfuls of hair! I'm back to clogging the tub with all of the hair. I knew this was coming, but I was really enjoying the break. I lost tons of hair for almost 2 years after P & L, so we'll see how long it lasts this time.

I have reports that BOTH babies are now rolling over and they are both holding their heads up so well while on their tummies. They appear to be getting very big and they look as precious as ever!

14 weeks-So many changes!

The babes are now 14 weeks old! They are getting SO big and B, the smaller of the two at birth, is no well on his way to weighing more than P&L! It's so wonderful to see them growing bigger and stronger. They are so smiley and just appear to be very happy babies. I still have not learned how to move the pictures, so eventually you can see how dang cute they are (this weekend is a bit slow, maybe we'll get the lesson in).

STE went back to work this week. It's only Wednesday, but so far, so good. The nanny appears to be working out, STE is able to get through each day and everyone is happy. She has such a great set-up that it's hard to feel bad about her going back to work. She gets to work from home, the kids are at the house, she can hear everything, plus she gets to do something she loves. Not to mention the perk of even HAVING a job in this economy.

I had been putting off actively taking off the pregnancy weight because of the pumping. I wanted to make sure my scar was healed (check) and that my milk supply was well established (check). I had been reading that it's not fully established until 12 weeks and then you can drop pumps without effecting the supply. I know from previous experience that once I started exercising again, my supply took a hit. I'd been doing so well, I really didn't want to cause a drop. Plus I just don't really enjoy exercising all that much (nor did I want to stop eating Swiss Rolls).

I'd been walking for a few weeks and the supply stayed in the 70's. On Monday I went back to Curves. I've made it every day this week as well, plus I still walked in the evening. I was amazed at how good it felt to use my back and shoulder muscles in that way. So I'm energized and ready to take this on. I got measured and weighed today. My last measurements were from a year ago, pre-pregnancy. I didn't look at today's numbers, but I'm quite confident that I will see results as long as I apply myself. I'm also keeping close tabs on the milk production and will add in some supplements if I see it diving. I will keep track of the progress on my 'home' blog if you'd like to follow along. My hope is to be much closer to pre-pregnancy by the time the kids go back to school, August 17.

Got Milk?

I typically don't post the same thing on both blogs, but I have difficulty deciding which things belong where. This seems to belong in both. I get a little 'crazy' excited when I see all the milk I've been able to freeze. It keeps me very optimistic that there will be enough to get the babies through their first year.

I forgot to take the before picture. This is my empty freezer that had 22 days worth of milk in it this morning. Each shelf holds about 40lbs of milk. I believe there are about 112, 16 oz bottles. I'm filling 4.5-5 bottles per day.

The bottom two pictures are the chest freezer my mom brought over this afternoon so I can store the milk easier. I'm a little surprised that it's almost full already. I can probably fit 4-5 more days worth of milk in it. I should have enough room to store the milk until mid to late June. Hopefully by then STE has more room in her freezers.

Sister Loves

Big Sister L giving loves to V & B

Spilt milk!

I didn't cry over it, but I felt it was worth mentioning. I had my first episode of spilt milk this go around. I sadly spilled milk quite a few times while pumping for P&L, so I'm pretty proud of myself that it took over 12 weeks to have a good spill while pumping for V&B. Don't get me wrong, I've had little 'baby' spills, but I actually lost a good 3 oz on Wednesday night.

I didn't even cry, I just quickly threw my shirt on the pile of milk as if it were a fire and then went to get a wet cloth to wipe up the sticky milk. The worst part was worrying if I was going to stain my shirt and if my milk covered mouse pad would ever work again.

The shirt went straight into the washer and I immediately rinsed off the mouse pad. I haven't gotten a chance yet to see if either one survived the spill.

Final boarding call...

I returned home on a 7:30 flight, so that meant dealing with Friday night traffic to get to the airport. SDE (D, not T) made great time getting me to the airport. I arrived at 6, so I had plenty of time. I was instructed to be at the gate by 7:10. It seemed like plenty of time to pump and do a bit of airport shopping. So I did what any sensible woman would do, shopped first.

I finally found a comfortable bench, with an outlet, and some privacy, so I set up shop to pump. In my head I decided that although I was told to be at the gate at 7:10, really I could just show up at 7:20 since it was a 7:30 flight (do you see where this is going?). I stop pumping and start packing up my things around 7:15. I'm at the sink cleaning up when I hear "final boarding call for x@*^". I can't hear the final bit, so I hustle out of the bathroom and head toward my gate since it's 7:20. That's when I hear, "Would passengers, X & Y," please get your butts to the plane!Crud! I just got paged in an airport! I've always wondered how that happens or how they know who to page. Now I understand a bit. I was the last passenger to board a very full flight headed to Sacramento and San Diego. Yep, I was the late passenger that had to look through every overhead compartment for somewhere to shove her bag and then ask a perfectly comfortable stranger to please become uncomfortable as we wedge 3 bodies into a row that is only comfortable with 2 bodies. How do you decide which stranger to make uncomfortable? I went with the dad and his 8 year old. I figured 2 adults and 1 child would fit better than 3 adults. Well dad didn't seem to want to get squishy with his kiddo, so we shared leg body heat for the whole 1 1/2 hours while silently hoping that the other wasn't spreading the Swine Flu.

But we eventually made it home and only a few minutes late. I'm sure that wasn't my fault!

Oops

I've already thought of things that I didn't mention.

P&L are so dang cute with V&B. It was so sweet to see them give kisses or belly pats. I think my heart about melted when I heard them say their names! L loves to help out with the babies. She'll put pacifiers in or take them out, she'll bring a bottle even if they're not hungry. She'll pat their little bellies whether they're asleep or awake. There are just so many more things to notice when you have more than just a couple of hours to visit. I love that I am so welcome to come and really 'observe' every aspect of their family.

I will say this, bath time for everyone seems MUCH shorter now that the family is bigger! I was amazed at how much of their routine they've been able to keep. I probably would've thrown nightly baths for everyone out the window, but the routine works so well for her family.

A great trip, but...

not so many pictures. It's really hard to take pictures while holding babies. I do have some that I will eventually get uploaded. I'm thinking it may be what I ask for on Mother's Day.

I arrived Wednesday morning. STE picked me up with all 4 kiddos. Usually it takes L some time to warm up to me, but this trip she immediately greeted me and interacted in the car. It was a ton of fun to hear P&L singing and talking the whole ride. They had been talking in December when I last visited, but nothing compared to all the chatter now. They are unbelievably imaginative and were a blast to watch play and interact together. They have grown up so much!

We headed to STE's mother's house to drop off 100lbs of frozen milk and have some lunch. They have a beautiful yard and P&L played and played. I pumped near the window so I could watch them play and I could see B in his car seat napping.

It was amazing to see the babies again. They have really gotten so big, but 9 week olds are still quite little. I had forgotten that. I didn't have too much trouble getting back into baby care mode though. I didn't have any diaper changing accidents, nor did I drop a baby!

I was only there for 3 days, but the days have started to blur together a bit. I did a lot of baby snuggling, feeding and holding of sleeping babies (hopefully they were able to go back to sleeping on their own after I left). I found it very hard to carve time out to pump, there was always something to do or someone to hold. I'm not sure how STE gets so much done, but she does. The house was still running smoothly and the kids were still being fed, plus she still has time for her twins group projects.

I started out doing so well and I'm afraid I've now gone all rambly on you! Perhaps this is why I waited to blog, all the thoughts are jumbled in my head and I just don't know where to start. I got to see P&L's preschool-very cute little place. We had dinner at the Lunchbox Laboratory the first night (my favorite pregnancy burger place). It was still very good, but I didn't need to live there this time.

On Friday P poked his head into my room at 6am. I had just finished up pumping, so he came on in and played on the bed with me. A few minutes later L peeked in and was a bit hesitant, but she finally came and joined us. It was wonderful to spend that time with them and to really get a chance to see them blossom into little people. It really helps to visualize the stories STE shares with me. They really are very funny kids, and oh so bright. On my second day, during lunch prayers, P included 'that lady over there' and pointed at me. Imagine my joy at being included in his prayers in only 2 days!

I definitely got my baby fix. Caring for two babies is absolutely hard work. My legs and arms were both a bit sore from so much holding, rocking, bouncing and juggling. Thank goodness they were both lite enough to pick up easily while holding the other one. Although I didn't take many pictures, I spent a lot of time in front of the mirror while holding both babies just staring at their perfect little faces.

Can you believe that neither baby is a spitter? In 3 days not one baby spit up on me! How lucky can one mom get! They really are just wonderful babies. V loves to be held, but as a visitor I was OK with that. Both babies are smiling and gave up lots of smiles and 'chats'. It really was an amazing visit.

I thought STE was brave to even want 4 kids. I thought it was amazing that she can even keep the house running with 4 kids. But she really blew my mind when she showed me that she actually takes them out of the house for outings! I'm pretty sure I would stay indoors until the babies were no longer babies, but that's why I have 2 kids I guess. Friday morning STE planned to head out to the zoo at 9:30. Dad stayed home in the morning to help out and allow mom to sleep a bit (which was very sweet). We really did end up in the car around 9:30 and on our way to the zoo. There was a new exhibit opening and she thought P&L would really enjoy it, which they did. I'm pretty sure there was no way I would've even dreamt of taking all 4 kids to the zoo, but STE made it look so easy! We had a great time, the kids were fantastic and the zoo had some great exhibits.

With all my gushing over the babies and P&L, I almost forgot to mention what a great dad they all have. It is so much fun to watch him with his kids. He's a funny guy, but he's a great dad! I love seeing them both evolve as parents. They absolutely were meant to have children and I'm so thankful to have been able to help and to have the pleasure of watching them grow as a family!

I could go on and on, but eventually I start repeating myself. I had a great time. The weather was BEAUTIFUL! The food was good and the family was AMAZING!!

Pictures to come eventually, after my lesson on how to upload them myself.

9 weeks old!

Where has the time gone and how have these babies gotten so big?

As of today, 9weeks 1 day, V is weighing 9 lbs .5 oz (6lbs 5 oz at birth) and B is weighing 9 lbs 10 oz (6 lbs at birth)!

They are growing so big, so fast! I am so excited to be flying up for a visit this week. I can hardly wait to see them and their big brother and sister. I remember when I flew up at 3 months for a visit with P&L. They had changed so much, but looked exactly like all the pictures STE had sent me. I'm really looking forward to hearing all the little things about their likes and dislikes. Plus I'll have a ton of pictures to share!

Way to grow V & B!!!

The day before Easter...

The twins had an excellent day before Easter.  Making these yummy cupcakes, and TWO easter egg hunts - one at Grandma's, and another with the twins organization in our area.  Cyn is right, this year the kids really understood the easter egg hunt.  In fact, by the end, they would open each egg as they picked it up.  L had quite the method, stepping on each egg to get it open.  She weighs just the right amount to not break the egg, only open it.  The younger twins gave an excellent Easter gift to thier mother by sleeping 4.5 hours in a row.  Won't be returning that one!  Report on Easter day (and the adorable outfits), when we get the photos uploaded.