Some new pics

The boys took their first dip in the pool this week. They were shell shocked for a few minutes but loved to watch the kids splash in the pool around them.

Anderson rinsing off in the shower with Daddy after the big swim.

Mommy and Jake.

4 month update

Jake and Anderson listen as Daddy reads to them.

My bubbas on a Saturday morning.

The boys will be 4 months old this week. I don't know where the time has went, its like life is in fast forward now that the boys are here. Kevin and I feel pretty adjusted now and have an organized routine that works well. Life with twins is a busy one! Both boys are doing awesome, their curiousity level is increasing and they have become much more active babies. Both are grabbing for objects, babbling like crazy and love to engage and smile with others. As you can see from the picture they love reading books and being with their Daddy. They stare at him constantly just waiting for him to smile at them or play with them. I don't blame them, I love getting his attention too.

Jake is our sensitive guy. He is quiet and mostly content but sometimes the smallest things will upset him. He doesn't like loud sounds, the vaccuum scares the bejeezers out of him and don't you dare take the bottle out of his mouth to burp him if he is still hungry. He screams and squeaks like a little mouse. He likes talking to Anderson and reaching for him when they are playing on the floor together. Jake is curious about other people besides Mommy, Daddy and Anderson but he acts very standoffish. You really have to work to get a smile out of him.

We call Anderson the life of the party. This little guy is play, play, play. He smiles at anyone and everyone! He loves his toys and his brother Jake. I think Anderson definitely has his Daddy's pleasant and friendly disposition. Not to mention he looks just like his Daddy. Anderson is an excellent sleeper and a very easy going baby.

Both boys are just so sweet and we love them beyond words!

Big Smiles

Anderson

Jake

The boys' smiles are growing each day. Jake had two eventful days in a row this week! He started reaching and grabbing for toys and he let out his first belly laugh. Anderson is very curious about the world around him, especially Mommy, Daddy, and Jake. He stares and smiles at us continously. He is a very happy baby and loves when we play with him. Both boys like to be read to, many times I can keep their attention for 15 or so minutes. We have a routine down that includes reading, playing, music and quiet time. I love being home with them everyday watching them change and grow.

Jumperoo

Anderson enjoying the new jumperoo

Jake trying out the jumperoo for the first time.

The boys are growing so quickly! We assembled their jumperoo and exersaucer for them and tried them out. They are still a little big so we have to stuff blankets around them to keep them from face planting and to give them support. The boys really like both toys, their not quite sure what to do in them yet but they are learning. Kevin and I are having a great time watching them experience new things, their facial expressions can be hilarious and keep us laughing.

They had a very nice first Easter. By the end of the day they were pretty tired from all the excitement. They slept through the night and the next night. Yesterday we ventured out to Somerset for lunch and some shopping. Its looking like shopping is not going to be one of their favorite activities! They are starting to not like being in their carseats for long periods of time and they make sure they let you know that. Both of them took turns expressing their distaste for shopping while we were at the mall. It was a short trip!

I'll eat you up I love you so

Anderson James

Jake Thomas

Kevin and I love these pics of the boys! Today we took Jake to the dr. because for the past week or so he has been having a lot of difficulty with his feedings. He seems to be in pain and doesn't want to eat. At times he has even cried just at the sight of the bottle. I had called the office last week and the nurse convinced me it was just gas, but obviously it wasn't. The dr. diagnosed him today with gastritis, an inflamation of the stomach lining. We are changing his formula to one that is gentler on the stomach and he will now have to take Zantac twice a day. Poor little guy was in so much pain, I'm just relieved that he will soon be feeling better and be back to his old self.

On Saturday the boys have an appointment at JCPenny for their 3 month pics. We're not sure how well that is going to go but then again their Easter Bunny pic exceeded our expectations so I guess you never know. On Sunday we will be spending the day with family here at our house. We will be having brunch with my side of the family and visiting with Kevin's side in the evening. Happy Easter to everyone!

Right of Passage

Jake and Anderson's first visit with the Easter Bunny.

This weekend we took the boys to see the Easter Bunny at Costco. They didn't seem to mind him very much or all the fuss that was being made while we stood in line over the fact that they are twins. Everywhere we go there is so much interest in the boys. People come up to us at resteraunts and stores and bring their children to come and see the twins. I think its funny when people ask if they are identical....granted they have a couple similarites, but they certaintly don't look identical. Anderson is looking more and more like Daddy everyday and although Jake doesn't look a ton like me he continues to look like my baby pictures at his age.

Tomorrow the boys will be three months old!

Hanging with our Uncle Jared

The boys wearing their TOOL shirts that Uncle Jared made for them last summer. TOOL is Daddy's all time favorite band.

Anderson and Jake with Uncle Jared (their personal photographer).

Just one of the hundreds of pics of the boys taken by Uncle Jared.

Easter Baskets

Jake and his new Easter basket

Anderson with his.

Today we took the boys shopping for their Easter baskets. We picked out white baskets with a green checkered lining, matching of course. Mom wanted to buy one green and one purple but Dad said no to the purple. I also bought embroidered letters to personalize the baskets. I think they came out pretty cute and with the boys holding them they look even more cute.

I am so happy to say that two nights ago the boys slept through the night for the first time! Both boys slept for 8 solid hours that night and last night they slept for about 6. Nothing consistent yet but we are SO HAPPY and RELIEVED that there is some sleep in our future.

11 weeks old today

Its been a while since I bragged about Anderson and Jake so here it is. Both little ones are doing good. They seem to have gotten into a more flexible sleeping pattern. They usually go to bed around 9-9:30 and wake around 2 a.m. for a feeding. After their feeding they will sleep another 4 hours till it is time to eat again. Although they are not sleeping through yet, we'll take it! If we share the responsibilities of feeding them we both can get around 5-7 hours of sleep a night which is far more than we were getting previously. My next challenge to conquer is getting their daytime naps on a schedule. So far this has not been easy.

Last week when we had that beautiful 65 degree day we took the boys on their first walk around the block. They slept through most of it, but did awake towards the end and were looking around with curiousity. As winter babies they haven't seen much of the outdoors. It was funny because every neighbor we passed wanted to talk to us and see them, the same people that have been watching Kevin and I walk by for the past 4 years. Having babies sure does make you popular, I guess the boys make us cool enough now! Its like we've suddenly been inducted into "the club".

Jake Smiling

Here is a short video of Jake doing some smiling.

Bath Time

Anderson just out of the tub.

Jake is getting warm with mommy.

Great News and Bad News

The great news is that Anderson and Jake had their 2 month appointment today and the dr. says they are looking good. Jake is 12 lbs. 10 oz. and Anderson is 11 lbs. 10 oz. So they have almost doubled their birth weight! They had 4 shots each and took them like a champ. Of course they wailed and cried but then they quickly recovered. Poor guys!

The bad news is that I am having surgery tomorrow. I have been having some complications since the boys were born and after an ultrasound today it appears that I have a retained placenta. It happens sometimes with a twin pregnancy and I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. So it must come out and I have the pleasure of adding another surgery to my resume. On the bright side I have an opportunity to get a full night's sleep, that hasn't happened since I was 6 months pregnant.

Easter picture shoot

Who ever heard of an "Easter picture shoot", MOM!!!!!!?

Get this grass out of my mouth!

Jake Thomas on a more calm day.

Anderson James playing with his brother.

The boys are growing so fast! We can't believe how big they are getting. Tomorrow is their 2 month appointment and we can't wait to find out how much weight they have gained. Today they are in clothes that are size 3-6 months! It seems like their cheeks keep getting rounder and rounder making their necks disapear.



Yesterday was a fun day, Uncle Jared came over and we all went to JoAnn's to buy some Easter decorations for an "Easter picture shoot". It was quite a challenge, I've included some pics that show that challenge and how much the boys liked having their picture taken.

We caught Anderson smiling at Mommy.

Nope, not gonna do it.

Lucy the puppy afraid of Jake.

Anderson at bathtime.

More Pics of Anderson and Jake and an update

In our new sleep sacks, getting ready for moving into our nursery.

Jake all dolled up for big cousin Grant's birthday party.

Anderson sporting his penguin sweater for the big party as well.

Anderson and Jake are doing great. Still not sleeping more than four hours at a time but they did spend their first night in their cribs last night. They did awesome! No crying, fussing or screaming about being in their new beds. They slept well, just not long enough for us.

Their clothes are starting to fit them now so we have been having fun dressing them up in regular clothes rather than pj's all the time. They look so cute...like little men.

Jake has been to physical therapy twice now. We have been trying to encourage/force him to not lay on the left side of his head all the time but he has continually outsmarted us. Every time we lay him or place a pillow or blanket that forces him to lay to the right he manages to squirm his way back to the left. Its difficult because we can only do so much using head blocks that is safe for him. So only time will tell if we are successful or if poor Jake will have to temporarily wear a helmet for his misshapen head.

Anderson has been making good progress. In the hospital he got off to a slow start with his suck/swallow reflex, he has always been a lazy eater and he just didn't seem to have the same appetite as Jake. So we decided to change up the nipples on his bottle and we have found that has helped. He doesn't need to put as much effort into sucking which means he eats faster and doesn't fall asleep during his feed. Its only been two days but he has consistently eaten as much as Jake.

We THINK we have gotten legitimate smiles (not from gas pains) out of both boys. It has only happened a handful of times and we haven't caught it on camera yet but we were excited nonetheless. The next few months should really start to become a lot of fun as the boys start to become more alert and laugh and smile.

New Pics

Anderson and his friend.

Jake just chillin.

Jake with his cousins, Grant and Claire.

Grant and Anderson fooling around. Grant was hoping Anderson might mimic him.

Anderson and Jake were Baptized

The boys were baptized this weekend. Unfortunately none of the pictures came out very good. They are either dark or the boys are screaming their heads off in them. When we have some free time we plan on dressing them up again and trying some pics at home.

Despite the lack of pictures, it was a good day. Anderson and Jake wore baptismal suits handmade by Grandma Merris. She has been working on them since the boys were born and they turned out just beautiful. The boys looked SO cute in them....like mini popes.

Church went well, Anderson and Jake slept through just about the whole thing. The water poured over their heads barely phased them. It wasn't until everyone started clapping for the newly baptised babies that startled Jake. He took his first visit to the back of the church for being "disruptive in church". Next time I'll have to threaten to take him out to the car. :)

After mass we had a small reception for our family at Picirillis Ristorante in Shelby. We had about 22 people in the banquet room for dinner and drinks. Our parents, siblings, grandparents, and my godparents were all there to celebrate with Anderson and Jake. By 9 p.m. Kevin and I were exhausted, unfortunately the boys were wide awake. They quickly settled after their feeding when we got home but still didn't sleep more than 3.5 hours at a time. Someday we'll experience sleep again.....

My mom gave me some photos from when I was about 2 months old. We think there is a strong resemblance between Jake and I.

Peditrician Appointment

Anderson and Jake had their one month appointment yesterday. Their birthweights were 6'4 and 6'7 and yesterday they weighed in at 10'1 and 9'1. Jake is the larger of the two but that came as no surprise since he is a big eater. The dr. said both of them are doing well, their iron levels are a little low so we will be giving them iron supplements but other than that they are thriving. Anderson made his presence known at the dr's office....he continually passed gas and then poo'ed on the table. After that was all cleaned up he decided it was time to pee all over the table. The nurses were all laughing!

Jake has a tendency to favor his left side, always wanting to sleep on that side and look that way. Because of this we are going to meet with a physical therapist and learn different exercises that we can do with him so that he rests his head to either side as to not develop a "flat head". It is more of a preventive measure at this point, hopefully we will be able to correct it quickly.

Last weekend the boys started to show the slightest signs that they were able to start sleeping longer than they have. They feed every three hours and it takes a half hour for each of them to feed. That only leaves 2.5 hours of sleep time in between feeds. So far Jake has been able to sleep longer than Anderson. He has slept anywhere from 2.5-4.5 hours and Anderson has gone from 2.5-3.5 hours. It hasn't been consistent and some nights they are up every 3 hours like clockwork for their feedings but at least its a start!

Kevin and I still feel like we are dreaming. Anderson and Jake are such a joy and we feel so blessed and lucky to have them!

Jake's other twin

We knew Jake and his crazy hair reminded us of someone. It just took us a while to figure out who. Sorry Jake!

Some new pics

Anderson, Jake and their new friend Addison (Katie and Matt's daughter)

Oomph! Mommy and Daddy make us do the dumbest things for their own entertainment!

My "man"tarage (minus Jared) sleeping in on a Sunday morning.

Playing together after our baths.

One Month Old

It's hard to believe that Anderson and Jake are one month old today. The past four weeks have flown by, which I find incredibly wierd due to the fact that I am up about 20 of the 24 hours a day, so one would think that the time has dragged on.

Kevin is back at work now and even though it has only been a couple of days the boys and I have been able to keep a pretty good schedule. They are still eating every three hours, unfortunately there have been no signs yet that they can hold out longer so that we can get an extra hour or two of sleep sometime during the night. We are both incredibly exhausted and are counting down the weeks till they can start sleeping for longer periods of time.

Next Monday they have another appointment with the peditrician. We are curious to see how much weight they have gained. We know that Jake feels much heavier than Anderson and he consistently eats quite a bit more than his brother so we are guessing he is going to be a chunker. Here are some new pics of the boys.

Happy Three Weeks, Anderson and Jake!

Today we took Anderson and Jake on their first field trip. We went to Kohls for about a half an hour and then to a quick dinner. The twins slept the whole time so they didn't really take much in of their first trip out. I enjoyed going to a store and not having to be pushed around in a wheelchair, that hasn't happened in several months!

I put together a slideshow of the boys' first three weeks with Kevin's help.

Team Edgar

Anderson and Jake have been keeping us very busy! They are both doing great, eating well, sleeping when they should (most times) and making us laugh with their funny expressions and little snorting sounds that they make.

They are on a three hour eat, play, sleep schedule. It takes a little over an hour to feed them both so by the time they are fed, we clean up and make more bottles for the next feeding it leaves us with about an hour of free or sleep time till the cycle starts all over again. During the day we share the responsibilities, in the evening we each handle them independently. I usually go to bed from 7 p.m. to midnight and Kevin takes care of them and then I am up for the middle of the night feedings while he sleeps. Kevin goes back to work next Thursday so it will be interesting to see how I will survive. The boys are awesome though so it is well worth it!

Finally a Family Picture

And it only took 11 days. They had a good appointment yesterday, I don't think we have a feeding problem anymore. Anderson gained 11 ounces in 5 days and Jake gained 14. The doctors only look for about an ounce a day. They said we could take Anderson off of the high calorie formula. Nights have been interesting, Tammy usually goes to bed at about 7pm, I stay up for the next two or three feedings till midnight or 1am, and then Tammy takes the next two after getting some sleep. Of course we both end up waking up for nearly every session because they fuss a bit.

I also posted a little video of a hiccup battle they had going for a while when we had them both in the same bouncy seat.

MVI_5723

I am so in love!!!!!!!!!

Well I finally have a free minute to update, although I should probably use the time to be sleeping instead but I had to let everyone know how in love I am with Anderson and Jake! This past week has been the best of my life. I cannot express how much I love being a mom, how much I love Kevin, and how I cannot wait to watch them grow and develop. They are our dream come true and our miracles. We are so grateful that they are healthy and developing well.

Many thanks to all of you for all of the emails of support, prayers, and congratulations. Hopefully one day when we share this blog with the boys they will realize how loved and wanted they were by us and friends and family alike. We wish we could respond to them all but as you can imagine we are a little busy right now. In fact I ask Kevin almost everyday what day of the week it is or he will ask me the same question three times in a hour.....sleep deprivation can really take its toll. We will use the blog now to shamelessly brag about Anderson and Jake and to post pics :) Hope everyone will enjoy them as much as we do!

And if you're not sick of them yet, here are some more pictures in an album.

Or a nifty slideshow.

Together at Home

We are all home now. Anderson ate well again last night and gained a little weight, which combined with the special lights he was under, helped reduce his bilirubin levels (used to measure jaundice) to a normal range. With that he was discharged this morning and we brought him home to see his brother again.

Tammy has been amazing, her motherly instincts have kicked right in. It's eases my mind to know that when I can't handle something she's right there to show me the way it should be done. Tonight I'm trying to help her get some sleep, because she hasn't gotten much since we've been home, by taking all of the changing and feeding responsibilities tonight, if she'll let me. Her birthday is tomorrow, it's my gift to her, if she'll accept it. It's hard for her not to be awake, checking on them and making sure they are ok.

We are still yet to have a picture taken of the four of us together, we will have to do that tomorrow. We'll have to get some new pictures up soon.

Kevin

We're Home, Anderson's Isn't

He lost a little weight during the day yesterday, more than they wanted to see so he had to stay. Tammy is in some pain, we've paged the doctor so hopefully he can take a look while we're there with Anderson. Then we have to get back to take Jake to the pediatrician on the other side of town, so no time for a good update.

Thanks.

Kevin

Getting Better

Anderson was doing much better yesterday afternoon, after a good feeding he was able to come back to the room with us around 1:00 pm. Both of them are latching on very well now, Jake still seems to have a much larger appetite, but Anderson is definitely eating plenty and passing it through, and as a result he has been much more alert and aware of things around him (as much as a 4 day old can be I guess). It is a big relief. They both went to the nursery again last night and Tammy was able to get the most sleep yet. We went down to be with Anderson and so Tammy could feed him at 3am, it was just about his best session yet, a touch over twenty minutes with a lot less stimulation needed to keep him awake and focused. Tammy is down with him again now, this will be his second feeding since the 3:00 one.

Tammy and Jake are going to go home today, we haven't talked to Anderson's pediatrician yet, so we're not sure about him, we're hoping tomorrow. There is still a lot to be done yet, Tammy has to have some staples removed and they both have to be circed (which I think will happen to both today). Not sure what time we'll be leaving, but the more time with Anderson the better.

Anderson Update

Well, Tammy is back and we've spoken with the doctor about Anderson (see last post). It looks like he won't be coming home with us tomorrow, they want to see him eating more. Tammy is going to go back down there in a bit to try and feed him again, he took about 15 ccs this morning and was on the breast a llittle to, but very slow.

We can't wait to be home together as a family.

Back in the SC

Anderson is back in the special care nursery, although he never technically left, he was still in their care, just spending his time here with us. Yesterday he was doing rather well, and they mainly had him there to finish administering his anitbiotics to prevent serious infection. We were told he could come back with us after an adequate feeding and good sugar level test. We tried once with no luck, but he was fast asleep and was pretty fresh off the dextrose iv. An hour later we tried again with the lactation consultant and he got a good 15 minutes in, an hour later tested well, and was sent to our room. Last night before bed we tried to feed him, but it was a real struggle, he only took in about 10cc and that took a lot of stimulation, where his brother will take 30 without nearly as much agitation. We sent them to the nurseries last night so Mommy could try and get some sleep, Jake to the regular nursery, Anderson to SC. When we called this morning, he only took in 10 cc at his two feedings and that is not enough, they had to give him some additional nourishment through his iv. I spent an hour with him this morning before they kicked me out for the nurse shift change, and Mommy is there now, we're waiting to hear what the doctors have to say.

We were hoping we would all be able to go home today (before the feeding issues last night with Anderson), but yesterday Tammy's doctor stopped in and mentioned he would like her to stay until Sunday. She didn't like the sound of that, but if Anderson has to stay it will be easier all around, saving us trips back and forth, close attention for Tammy and the kids, plus another day of help in these first few days that can be scary is welcome.

They should be getting circed today by Tammy's doctor who has been great, they don't know whats coming. I'm not sure if Anderson will be an issue since he is in SC.

So here's hoping Anderson can learn to enjoy food as much as his dad does.

Kevin

Together Again Pictures, and Anderson update.

Anderson is in the room with us. It was a long 2 days without him, but we're very happy to have him with us now. After a successful feeding today and a good sugar level test, he was brought to our room. We were finally together as a family.

See some pictures (but curiously, none of the four of us yet).

Thanks again for all the love, support,comments and well wishes.

Kevin

More Pictures

For those interested more pictures can be found (and downloaded) at my webshots account. To download a full image, click the magnifying glass beneath the pic to open it up at full size. Then right click the image that pops up and select save image as and you can name it and save it to your computer.

http://community.webshots.com/album/556826356ixXHkv

They're here!

We proudly announce the arrival of.....

Jake Thomas (top), 12:23pm, 6lb 4oz, 19 inches and Anderson James (bottom), 12:24 pm, 6lb 7oz, 20in

Anderson is in the Special Care Unit, he was working a little too hard to breathe, he had a lot of the fluid in his lungs that didn't get squeezed out during the c-section. He had an x-ray of his chest done to check for pneumonia and it looked good. They put him on oxygen so he didn't have to work so hard. We hope to have him back with us in the morning. Mommy is doing well, but pretty exhausted. We hope to have some better pictures soon. Thanks for all of the love and support.

Kevin