3 weeks old!

Today our sweet little miracles are 3 whole weeks old! It's crazy how in one moment you can think "3 weeks has gone by SO fast!" and in the same moment "what did we ever do without these babies?". It's only been 3 weeks, yet we simply can not imagine life without them already =).

We saw the lactation consultant on Thursday and had a really good visit. God bless that place!! The lady we have seen the last 2 times is a really strong Christian and she is SO encouraging, which helps me so much. I was praying on our way there that God would help us learn something new and that the visit would be uplifting, and He subtlety reminded me that I needed to be grateful and give thanks for how far we have come.

At least He was gentle about it =).

So true though, we really have come a long way in the nursing department since we have been home. And I can't thank you enough for your prayers!!!!! When we first got home, they were having such a hard time latching on, and staying on, they were nursing separately and it was taking about a half hour a piece, then supplementing 2 ounces of formula after each and every feed. The whole process would take about an hour and 45 minutes, only to wake them to feed an hour and 15 minutes later. OH and I was supposed to pump at least 4 times a day for 10-15 minutes...ugh.

Now they are latching on well most of the time and staying on pretty well. Unless of course they are overly hungry...then it's like they can't see the forest through the trees =). But we are learning tricks to get it done then too. They are tandem nursing every feed now, and nursing for 30-45 minutes. We got new parameters from the LC since they both are gaining weight so well. We can now reduce to 6 ounces of formula a day, she doesn't care when. So that means if they are feeding 8-10 times a day, there is feedings we don't have to supplement at all! Plus we take one feeding each night where David just gives them 2 ounces of formula and I sleep through that feeding. That means I get almost 4 hours of consecutive sleep!!! It also means the feedings before and after that one I can just nurse and not have to do bottles too which means I don't need help and David can sleep, so we each can get decent stretches at night...praise the Lord!

I am so grateful for how far we have come. I am doing better taking it a feed at a time, and not getting overwhelmed thinking ahead too much. I realize we may always need to supplement some at bedtime or something, and I am ok with that. It's just SUCH a blessing to not have to supplement EVERY time after they nurse. It makes me feel like I am really doing this nursing thing!!! =). We are going to weigh both the babies at Luke's casting appointment on Wednesday (they weigh him in between casts so we can get a true weight...this past week he was 7 lbs, 12.5 ounces!) and call the lactation consultant and she will possibly reduce the supplement even more depending on their growth.

God is faithful.

And so are you my sweet friends and family! Thank you for lifting us up in prayer.

We are now working on getting them to settle in after a feed and go back to sleep at night time...they seem to fall asleep right after eating, and then wake back up about 10 minutes after we lay them in their crib and be awake forever! Last night went better though...tight swaddles, hats (a tip from the LC, she said they like to feel snuggled in all areas), and making sure they are good and out before we lay them in the crib seems to help. It's just hard for us to know what fussing is going to turn into a full blown cry and which ones aren't. "They" say you can't spoil a newborn, and we hate to hear them cry, so we do get them when they wail, but at the same time "they" say you are supposed to let them self-soothe...so we are trying to find a balance that works for all 4 of us.

I am sure God is laughing right now, as it will be a lifetime of figuring out balance that works for all 4 of us =).

I am doing better at settling in and enjoying the babies, instead of feeling like I am just surviving them, if that makes sense. I know the little bits of more sleep is helping, as is time and prayers. Just this morning Luke was so wide-eyed for a long time, and we just chatted =). It was so nice to just sit and lock eyes with my son and talk to him.




Yesterday was the first day it was just me and the babies for 8 hours straight. I had been so nervous about this, simply because there are 2 of them and only 1 of me. I HATE to hear them cry, but I am going to have to get used to it. With only 1 adult and 2 babies, sometimes someone just has to cry. I handled it pretty well- I didn't even need a turn crying =). Logistically it's hard to tandem feed them without someone here to hand me a baby. I have to set 2 boppies on either side of me, go change one baby, bring him out and set him in a boppy. Go change the other baby, bring her out and set her in the other boppy. Get the giant tandem nursing pillow situated, and then pull up one baby to me, get them to latch, and then try and maneuver the other baby up to me with only one arm and without disturbing (i.e. knocking in the head with my elbow!!) the other baby. It's difficult with Luke's casts, he is hard to lift with one arm. But, this is an area we will constantly be figuring out tricks in as they get older.

My hives seem to be getting better too. Did I write about those? Can't remember. Anyways I have been randomly breaking out in hives for over a week now. Don't know if it's the herbal supplement I had been taking to increase my milk supply (More Milk Plus), the hormone changes, or stress. They didn't go away when I stopped the supplement, and Claritin didn't make them go away either. So my doctor said I could start the supplement back up, and I have and haven't noticed an increase in the hives. They still come and go, but rarely a real nasty flair up, and they don't itch too terribly.

Last night David and I had a couple from our Church come over and stay for an hour and a half while we ran out to grab dinner between feedings. It was so weird, but so good for us. A few months ago I would have probably judged new parents who left their babies so early, but now I see how important it is. It was really hard to leave them, and I missed them and worried about them while we were gone, but it was nice to get out and see the world and get some fresh air to clear my head and get some perspective. It was also nice to miss them =). And I want to make sure David and I are always making our marriage a priority too.


I have tried to steal away at least a few minutes a day and spend some time with the Lord. One thing I really feel Him impressing upon me is FAITH. I am having a hard time trusting Him in some areas, and I feel Him calling me to have the courage, the determination, and the strength to have more faith. He gently reminded me of the prayer request I had my entire pregnancy...that David and I would be parents that pointed our children to Christ by our words and actions in everyday life. I guess He wanted to hit the ground running in this area =). I have felt SO inadequate to be these precious babies' Momma. But He reminded me (via my sister Natalie) that He CHOSE me to be their Momma. I was His first and only choice...what an honor. So He must think I can do this =) Also Natalie sent this quote that I put up on my bathroom mirror "humility, selflessness, and freedom await us when we embrace our inadequacies and rest in the shadow of the Perfect One..."
Amen. Lord, help me to do so.




And of course here are a few pictures...

Our pretty little Abbey-girl =)


Little Lucas with a binkie in his ear =)



Twins...=)



Momma and her little loves...



Sweet boy...


Sweet girl...

And a funny video..Luke was just 7 days old here...and milk drunk =)