Quiet moments

I don't think I'll ever get tired of holding both my girls at once.  I love my nursing pillow because it lets me hold them 'hands free.'  I will never get tired of looking down and seeing these sweet faces cuddled in to me.

Thank you, God, for these precious, sweet moments with my daughters.

-Kim

Healthy choices, healthy budget-BFBN

Babywise Pinterest Day!  I am happy to be back participating in the group activities. :)  Today everyone who is participating is blogging about budgets and making smart money decisions.  Be sure to check out what all the ladies have to say on our pinterest board!

Okay, confession- by the end of being pregnant with the girls we ate a lot of fast food.  I mean, a lot.  I totally want to blame it on cravings or a hard pregnancy, but sadly that isn't really the case.  It was mainly indulgence and laziness.  Now, I don't feel too bad about this.  I mean, this was my last pregnancy (at least that's the plan for now), so I wanted to live it up while I could.  Plus being that preggo with two babies does kind of put a damper on one's desire to do, well, anything.  As much as I love to cook I really just was not feeling it towards the end.  I tried to keep it to just the weekends, which helped limit it a bit.  It was still more than we should have had.

But it wasn't just dinners out.  Ben and I lived it up the last month by stopping for donuts, or grabbing a bagel before work.  We would get the good honey nut cheerios to snack on at the office.  And while I was getting those for Ben I would grab some chocolate or chips for myself.  (Or both.  I know, but come on- twins!)  I was able to justify a lot of this that it would be too hard to make stops with 3 kids.  And I did let guilt guide me a little bit.  I wanted to share as many fun times and treats with Ben before he was no longer an only child.  We did have a lot of fun.

The point of all this isn’t to talk about healthy eating, although it was lacking here.  The point is that all these little stops for treats only cost a couple of dollars at a time.  But if you do it enough, it really adds up!  Of course we didn’t go broke or anything from this, but as a family of five instead of three we do need to work harder at saving money.  Once the girls were born it was time for a change.

source

I was right about one thing in all my spending; I knew it would end quickly when the girls were born.  We don’t go out as much now.  I don’t stop for little treats because it isn’t worth getting all three kids out of the car, especially in the cold.  I don’t stop at drive thrus as much either.  They just mean more stuff to get out of the car and into the house.  Not worth it.  In this case my laziness is working for me! ;)  Step one was accomplished though- don’t make it easy on you to spend extra money!   It is way too easy to stop and spend a few bucks without even noticing.  A quick coffee on the go?  It won’t break the bank, but every day it adds up.  An easy way to avoid this is by not going out. 

I know not everyone wants to have a couple of newborns to prevent them from going into stores or keep them at home.  But there are other simple ways to help this out.  Can you find a new way to work so you don’t pass temptations?  Can you put your purse or wallet in the backseat so it is harder to hit up drive thrus?  Can you leave the credit card at home so you aren’t tempted to use it?  Find some way to prevent yourself from making that easy decision to stop and grab something yummy to eat.  Whatever works for you is good!

Another way I try to stop myself from making bad on the go choices is to have appealing options at home.  Even if you don’t change the health quality of your choices, you can be pretty sure that whatever you choose will be cheaper if you get it at the grocery store.  I try to anticipate what sort of thing I like to grab on the go, and make a substitution at home.  I have a big sweet tooth.  So Ben wanting to grab a donut appeals to me too.  Instead I have gone back to making us peanut butter bites at home.  They are just peanut butter, protein powder, and honey.  I think they taste like the inside of a reeses peanut butter cup.  They are cheap to make, provide a punch of protein, and they are easy to grab when a sweetness craving hits.  I also cold brew some coffee to make my own coffee drinks at home.  Granted this one had to wait until after the girls were born (I didn’t want to over caffeinate).  But this way I can make a fun drink without having to stop and buy one.  Money saved and a little healthier because I can control what goes in it.  Pinterest is a wealth of knowledge for how to make almost any treat at home and a little healthier.  I highly recommend checking it out!

A final reason to cut out this unnecessary spending is of course the health costs.  Stopping for a treat is great, if it really is a treat.  And by that I mean a once in a while thing.  When it is every day it isn’t a treat, it is just life.  I really do try to lead a healthy life.  I also try to model a healthy life for my kids.  I did not want Ben eating junk food as a part of his long term diet.  Yes, I loved the fun we had and the bonding we did before the girls were born.  Now that I have more energy I can focus more on other ways of loving on Ben!  We play together, read books, and just cuddle.  These are all free ways to show him special attention.  I am trying to get him helping me in the kitchen more, which helps encourage healthy habits.  The biggest way I have found to cut out unhealthy treats is to just think of my kids.  It is easy to make healthy decisions for others.  For ourselves, well, it can be harder.  So instead of thinking just about what I want I think about what I would want for Ben and what I want him to see me do.  Suddenly it doesn’t seem like a good idea to stop for a donut.  Sure, sometimes you need a pick me up in the form of a yummy treat.  But I want my kids to really see that as a sometimes thing and not turn to food for comfort all the time.  Thinking this way keeps me healthier, and keeps that extra money in my pocket. 

There it is, three ways to keep your budget in check by cutting out too many treats.  It isn’t anything ground breaking, I know.  But sometimes it helps to remember that it can be that simple to make a positive change in your life.  You don’t have to make your life harder.  And sometimes the changes for the better actually make your life easier.  I’m going to work hard to keep these positive changes going!

Check out what the other ladies have to say at our pinterest page!

Chronicles of a Babywise Mom
Giving it Grace
The Journey of Parenthood
Mama's Organized Chaos

-Kim

Happy Birthday, Aunt Lindsay!

Happy Birthday to the wonderful Aunt Lindsay!!  Ben, Ali, and Sam are so lucky to have her as their aunt.  She sends thoughtful, well appreciated gifts.  She genuinely loves to hear about the kids and spend time with them.  I am personally so thankful for all the advice and wisdom she has passed on to me.  She's been doing the mom thing longer than me, and I really like having someone who has been there and done that.  I know I will be taking advantage of that even more now that I am a twin mom too.

I also want to thank Aunt Lindsay for being such a great friend.  I knew I had found something special when I married Pat.  What I didn't know was that I also got a wonderful friend in the deal too.  I feel so lucky to have a sister-in-law that I enjoy spending time with and consider to be one of my best friends.

Thank you for being you Aunt Lindsay.  We love you!

Awesome aunt in action- throwing Ben a birthday party!  

-Kim

1 month old!

Wow.  I know I said this all the time with Ben (and still do).  And I know I will say it all the time with the twins.  But seriously, where has the time gone?  How are the girls one month old already??
I swear, we brought them home like yesterday.  But no, they were born a whole month ago!

I know, I am behind on blogging about what we have been up to in that month.  I wish I could say that we because we had so many fun adventures that I just didn't have time!  Well, we have had several fun times, but honestly just taking care of the three kids has been keeping me pretty busy.  I always feel a little bad when I recount my day to Pat.  A large chunk of it is "and then I fed the girls."  That is the way it is with newborns though.  I know I am doing an important job by taking care of their needs.  It just really does take a good chunk of time to feed them both!  Any time I get frustrated by this I remind myself how short a time they will be newborns.  I remember from Ben how it felt this same way.  Then one day I realized wow, he was eating faster.  Our days had structure.  I was able to get more done.  So I know this time will be short and sweet.  I mean, I blinked and a whole month has gone by!

The girls are doing really well.  They are a delight.  I already can't picture our lives with them in it.  They are such sweet little babies.  They are eating well, which is wonderful.  We want them to get nice and chubby as babies like their brother did!  Sleeping is going okay.  Some nights are good, some still need some work.  Of course having two of them and trying to keep them from waking Ben up brings different challenges.  The nice thing about the second time doing this newborn thing is that we know it will pass.  Yes, I know you know that the first time around.  But it feels like it is going to last forever.  This time I can already see how their sleep has improved in this short month, and I know it will just get better as they get older and bigger themselves.  That being said I feel I can't complain.  I don't feel nearly as tired as I did with Ben at the beginning.  I think stressing about it less has a big part in that.

Pretty much the girls spend their days eating and sleeping still.  They have more awake times, and we do some tummy time, play, and cuddle.  They already seem to love watching Ben run around.  Ben is doing super well with the girls too.  The girls have a later wake up time then Ben, and while they are still upstairs he always asks where they are.  If only one girl is downstairs, he asks where the other is.  So not only does he know they are supposed to be with us, he knows we should have two of them.  He is working on their names, but who is who is still a challenge.  I often call the girls ladies when referring to both, and occasionally Ben does as well.  There is nothing cuter than him saying "S'ok ladies" when they make sounds.  It is such a joy to watch him develop in his new role.

I am happy to report we can tell who is who now.  Well, most of the time. ;)  They still have their different toe nail polish in case I get worried I don't know who is who.  But overall, they look like different people to me.  Of course looking back at pictures I am not always sure, especially the newborn ones.  I'm just going to have to leave that as 'twin problems' if the girls ask who is who later in life.  Sorry girls.

Overall they are just such a delight to have with us.  We are still thrilled to have them.  And we are happy at how natural it is feeling to have them.  It really feels like they have always been a part of our family, we were just waiting for them to join us.

Of course I tried to take pictures for their one month birthday.  Yeah, well, twins makes it extra challenging.  So they aren't the best pictures, but sometimes that just makes them better.

Ben helped us, of course. 

Sam on the left, Ali on the right.  Ali thinking this is not going to turn out well.

My girls!

It is hard to pose two little babies!  Neither can hold herself up, and neither wanted to look at the camera.  I have some other pictures I will add later.  But I am happy to continue the monthly picture tradition with them.  Future Sam and Ali- sorry the pictures aren't that great.  You girls are beautiful, but taking pictures of newborns isn't my forte. :)

I still feel so blessed.  I have three amazing children.  I can't wait to see all the growth the girls have in the next month!!

-Kim

Valentine's Day

This year our Valentine's Day was pretty low key.  Normally we go out to eat at White Castle.  I know, it sounds silly.  But White Castle makes Valentine's a lot of fun.  They decorate, have waiters, and it is reservations only.  Pat and I have been doing it for several years now.  We love it because we can bring the kids with us.  It is the only time during the year we visit White Castle.  I mean, the food isn't that bad, but it isn't really that good.  We have so much fun with it though.  This year we weren't able to make it obviously.  The girls were too young to be out at restaurants.  Plus they still needed to eat frequently.  I can nurse one baby reasonably discretely.  Well, kind of.  Two?  Not so much.

Instead of going out we had a quiet evening at home.   We exchanged our little gifts for each other.  We keep it small for Valentine's.  Ben got a small gift of M&Ms.  We have been slowly doling them out.  He calls them chocolate treats, and it is so cute!  Any time we ask him if he wants one he kind of sucks in his breath and whispers 'chocolate treats' like it is some amazing thing.  It's just M&Ms.  But we love it.

Besides our little gifts for each other we didn't do much.   Pat and I were laughing at our stereotypical 'parent' Valentine's.  We hung out with the kids, no big romantic dinners or events.  We fell into bed wiped from the day and worked to help the girls fall asleep.  It was still a great day.  I love my family and I love when we all spend time together.  Ben kept us laughing, the girls were cuddly and cute, and I got to hang out with my Pat.

Ben did manage to have some holiday fun.  Meo and Omi went to a Valentine's dinner for church and brought us some balloons.  Ben loved running around and playing with them.  His favorite game to play with balloons?  Beat on Daddy.  Oh yes, he was super into the romantic nature of the day. :)

Nothing like boxing with heart balloons.  Pat is a seasoned Dad at this point and rolled with it.  The girls hung out in their bouncy seats and I stayed safely on the couch.

I know it wasn't the most romantic day, but there is plenty of time for that in the future.  It was a great day with my whole family.  I think the girls enjoyed their first Valentine's day too.  It was strange to think that was their due date.  I couldn't imagine not having them home with us already.  I'm glad we had them when we did.  And I'm sure they will like Valentine's better in future years when they get their own chocolate treats. :)

-Kim

Happy Birthday, Uncle Jared!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful brother!

Thank you for being such a good uncle.  Ben loves hanging out with you, despite the lemon event.  You have more than made up for that, especially by participating in toddlersizing.  Ali and Sam are so lucky to have you as an uncle.  And yes, when the girls are old enough we will wait so you can give them their first lemons. :)

We love you, Uncle Jared!!

Super Uncle in action!

-Kim

Ali and Sam's Hospital Stay

In my last post I wrote about Ali and Sam's birth story.  The rest of the stay at the hospital was mainly uneventful, with one small exception.

After Meo, Omi, and Ben left for the evening, Pat and I were finally taken down to the mother baby floor.  One thing I really like about the hospital I delivered in is that each room for the mothers after birth are singles only.  There is no need to worry about sharing a room or the cost of getting a single room.  This is extra nice not only for the privacy, but it means that Pat can spend the night there with us.  Each room has a chair that pulls out into a cot or sorts.  It probably isn't the most comfortable bed in the world, but it is nice that he can be there with us.  Honestly I think it's probably as comfortable as the hospital beds.  Those aren't my favorites, but what can you do.

Once we got settled into our room I sent Pat out for more food.  After a day of labor and no food, I was hungry!  Yes I had eaten shortly after I had the girls, but I wanted more.  This is part of why I really appreciate Pat being there and being able to spend the whole night at the hospital with us.  Now, I do think the woman has a harder time when it comes to having kids, for lack of a better descriptor.  We have to actually, you know, have them.  But it isn't super easy for the guys either.  I barely leave the room once we are out of the delivery room.  Pat has to go move the car, run and get food, get things from the car, put things into the car, etc.  He is super busy running all around while I kind of just chill in our room with the babies.  Even after having kids in the same hospital in just 2.5 years, I still have no clue where anything really is.  Pat is the one who knows how to find everything.  And yes, he was super needed when he brought me a frosty at 9pm that first night, :)

It's annoying to be group B positive and get the antibiotic, but I have to say I like that we get to stay in the hospital for 48 hours.  That first morning after birth is busy!!  We had the pediatrician checking the girls, the birth certificate lady asking questions, the tech drawing my blood and doing vitals, the lactation consultant helping me position the girls, and the newborn photographer taking pictures all that first morning.  Talk about a lot of people to see in a short time!  Through out the course the girls also had their hearing checked.  Sam had to spend a little time under the heat lamps since she had a hard time keeping her temperature up.  Both girls had to get their blood sugar checked before every feeding for those first 24 hours.  Their poor little heels were so beat up!  I felt terrible for them.  They were troopers about it though.  I can't imagine getting all that stuff done and leaving the hospital in 24 hours time.  It was nice to not have to rush anything.  It also gave me more time to talk to the lactation consultant about positions and feeding the girls.

The day kind of flew by with all the visitors in and out.  That late afternoon Meo, Omi, and Ben came back to visit us.  Ben was so cute.  He brought the girls and me each a chocolate rose.  Sadly I didn't get a picture of him,  but he came in carrying the little bouquet of flowers so proudly and handed them to me with a big smile,  I love my little man!  Once again he wasn't too keen on getting to know his sisters.  But he did enjoy sitting on my big bed and eating some snacks we had.   I of course loved having all my babies back with me.  I missed Ben so much, but he was obviously so happy with Meo and Omi.  He had no problem leaving with them again.  In fact, he was super sweet when they left.  Pat and I stepped into the hall to say goodbye to him, and Pat started to walk to the door holding Ben's hand.  Ben led him back to me and put Pat's hand in mind.  Then he ran back to Meo and Omi, grabbed both of their hands, and started leading them to the door.  He knew his daddy had to stay with mommy a little longer, and he was going to take care of Meo and Omi for us.  It was just the sweetest thing ever.  He really is the best little guy and I am so blessed to be his mother,

The only 'excitement' we really had happened that night.  Around 10pm I was sitting holding Sam and Ali was asleep in her bed.  Pat had stepped out for a moment.  Two nurses and a doctor I didn't know stepped into our room and told me that Ali had a blood sugar reading that was too low, so they were taking her to the NICU for observation and to keep checking.  Apparently the nurses took an extra reading they didn't need from her and it was a few points below what it should be.  Of course I was instantly confused by what was going on.  I mean, I had thought the girls were fine, and now some doctor I had never seen before and a couple of nurses were taking my baby.  Pat stepped back into the room, and they kind of explained what was going on.  Honestly the doctor did not have the best bedside manner about the whole thing.  Pretty much I felt like we were told we are taking your baby now, bye.  When I asked questions they made me feel like I didn't want to take care of my child.  That is not true, but I did want to know the what and the why of what was going on.  Add to that I was wondering why they didn't seem concerned about Sam at all.  Sam didn't get the extra reading taken, but shouldn't we worry about her too?  Apparently not.  Only Ali had to go.  This was an early experience with not being able to be with both children at once.  Pat stayed in our room with Sam, and I went to the NICU with Ali.  All they did there was check her blood sugar again, have me nurse her, and then we supplemented with some formula.  Then they wanted her to stay there for a  bit for observation.  The nurses in the NICU were very nice.  Both girls needed to do car seat tests, so they brought Sam down and got her started on hers.  This was nice because Pat could be there with us.  The doctor did finally come back and tell us that since Ali was born so quickly she didn't get the full protection of the antibiotics.  The low blood sugar was possibly a sign she had contracted the group b strep and needed 48 hours of antibiotics herself.  This was very confusing to Pat and me.  I mean, yes Ali was born quickly, but it was an induction.  If the actual induction was started too early, that is a problem.  We were in no rush to get things going and should have waited for a full course of antibiotics.  But the thing is, we both knew I had gotten two complete doses of antibiotics.  As I mentioned in the birth story, the antibiotic burns.  I know I was getting it.  Plus, I had gotten it with Ben, so I remembered how it worked and what was supposed to happen.  (Additionally all the IV bags were from the pharmaceutical company I used to work for.  I had tested each and every one of those types of products.  I am not a doctor of course, but this means I am very familiar with identifying what was being put into me.  I didn't confuse the little antibiotic bags with great big hydration solutions.)  The doctor went back to check my chart again.

While the doctor was checking up on our version of events, Ali was started on her car seat test.  Pat and I hung out for a bit, just kind of watching the girls.  Finally the doctor came back and told us our version of events matched what was in the chart, and pretty much Ali was fine.  We were thoroughly confused at this point.  Ali's blood sugar had come back up, she didn't have any group b concerns, and she was free to leave when the car seat test was done.  Basically they chalked up her low blood sugar to her being born a little early.  I wonder if it was a volume issue.  I was nursing, but my milk hadn't really come in yet.  I think she just wasn't getting enough to eat because my body wasn't fully making enough for two.  We supplemented both girls with some formula while we were at the hospital to make sure they were getting enough.

So after all that, Ali spent about 3 hours in the NICU and then we were told she was back under the supervision of the regular pediatrician.  While I am glad they were looking out for the girls, it was frustrating to be up so late and have so much confusion only to be told everything was fine.  That doctor never came back to talk to us again.  The whole situation was annoying, but it made me so happy that our girls were healthy and didn't actually need to be in the NICU.  The last thing you want to hear about your newborn baby is that something is wrong and that they can't stay with you.  I was very happy to have us all back in our room for the night.  I am also very grateful that we have things like formula.  Yes, I think breast milk is best.  And I am thrilled I was able to nurse Ben and am currently able to nurse the girls.  But the girls needed that help I couldn't provide and I am so happy they got it.  Since that one low blood sugar reading neither girl has had a problem.  And once my milk came in they have been nursing and growing well.

After the late night events, we were happy the second day at the hospital was quieter.  We had a few more visitors, the doctors and pediatrician (who did say Ali was just fine) mainly.  Then we were free to pack up and head home!!  I was so happy to be heading home.  Meo and Omi still had Ben as it was nap time, but I couldn't wait to be a family of 5 under our roof.

Besides the NICU confusion, the stay was similar to when we had Ben.  Pat and I amused ourselves by how different we were this time around though.  With Ben, any sound he made was met with both of us trying to jump up and get him.  With the girls we quickly knew the difference between general baby grunts and noises and distress cries.  With Ben we wanted to do everything ourselves.  I didn't let nurses change his diaper, I didn't want anyone else dressing him.  With the girls- anyone who wanted to change their diapers could.  (We might have suggested they change the other girl if a nurse changed one;) ) I think that's true of all non first time parents, right?  We know that diaper changes don't mean we are more bonded with our babies or better parents.  And we know that there are so many diaper changes in our future, any we can pawn off are good. :)  A nurse wanted to fix their swaddle?  Go nuts, I was happy to have an expert do it.  Overall I felt more relaxed this time around, which was nice.  With three kids I know there is going to be a lot I can't control, so it felt nice to start off a little less stressed and worried this time around.  I am no expert, and I worry plenty about all three kids.  But I know now what are the most important things and I am focused on those.  Are all three kids fed?  Clean?  Warm enough?  And most importantly, have I loved them with all I have?  If I can do those things everything else will work out.

A couple of hospital pictures:) We didn't take a ton.  Mainly we used the few peaceful times to hold our new little loves.

Sam and Pat snuggling.

Ben was up for a little wrestling while he visited.

He tried to sit in his old car seat.  It didn't really work. ;)

Ali (I think?) and me cuddling.

-Kim

Ali and Sam's birth story

Ali and Sam's birth story doesn't start out with a ton of excitement.  Once I hit 35 weeks discussions of when to induce began.  Honestly, I didn't want to be induced.   I've heard that being induced makes birth harder, and of course I have heard that as soon as you start adding interventions you get closer to a c-section.  Now, I am not judging or saying anything bad about c-sections.  But I knew I did not want one.  That is a major surgery.  After the girls were born I would have two newborns and a two  year old to care for.  Recovering from major abdominal surgery on top of that sounded absolutely awful.  So avoiding a c-section was a big deal for me.  Yes, I understood that with twins it was a distinct possiblity, but I didn't have to add to reasons why it would have to happen.

All that being said, twins, especially identical twins, are considered full term at 37 weeks.  As I've mentioned in past updates the big concern with identical twins is that they share a placenta.  The reason babies are induced if they go too far past their due date is that the placenta starts to lose optimal function.  With two babies and one placenta obviously the placenta feels this strain earlier.  My doctors and I went back and forth about when to induce a couple of times.  I wanted it pushed back as far as possible to give the girls the most time in the womb as possible.  I wanted to make sure their lungs were developed enough.  I wanted to make sure they could swallow and eat on their own.  Overall, I just wanted to make sure they were ready for life on the outside.  Understandably my doctors wanted to get the girls out before any problems could arise.  Fortunately my doctor was pretty understanding of my concerns and talked to me about the of inducing when we did.  Pat and I discussed it, and we decided to go for it at about 36 and a half weeks.  We could have waited another week, but the risks to the girls outweighed any benefits of waiting longer.  While it seems like the girls were early compared to a single baby, they were basically a few days before the actual full term time period.  That sounded perfect to us.

Of course the days leading up to delivery day I did try a few things to kick start my body to go into labor on its own.  I tried walking a lot.  Ben and I wandered around different stores to try to get things moving.  I did squats and tried bouncing around as much as I could with a giant belly.  I did try to eat spicy food.  This was a tough one as I HATE spicy food.  But I had some hot wings.  Okay, they were hot to me.  Other people probably would have thought nothing of them, so they might not have been spicy enough to do anything.  And if the girls are anything like their brother they will love spicy food and probably were thrilled to finally have something tasty. ;)  We even tried to plan on going out to dinner, which is what caused Ben to finally come.  Nothing worked.  So that led us to Thursday, induction day.

It honestly worked out for the best, despite my concerns.  We took Ben over to Meo and Omi's house the night before.  We all had dinner together and Pat and I were able to put him to bed there.  The next morning Pat and I got up early to head over to the hospital.  Unfortunately for Pat he did not get to experience the rush of getting us to the hospital quickly.  It was a nice quiet morning.  I missed Ben, but it was way easier on him and Meo and Omi to already be at their house.  We checked into the hospital and got ready to get things going!

Everything actually got started a lot sooner than I thought it would.  When Ben was born, I was group B positive.  My water broke to start things off, so we headed to the hospital right away.  Labor hadn't really started up yet, so while we headed straight there Pat again missed out on the exciting husband job of driving his wife to the hospital while in labor.  Once we got there it took some time to check in and really was over an hour until we got into a labor and delivery room.  With the girls it took about 10 minutes as they were ready for us.  I was group B positive again, so we started the antibiotics right away.  Group B isn't a big deal as long as you can get the penicillin prior to delivery.  They prefer two doses, and they wanted one fully complete before even starting the induction.  The IV penicillin can sometimes burn for some people as it is delivered, and sadly I am one of those people.  We ended up having to wait a long time for the full dose to keep it from hurting.  Pat and I didn't mind though, it was better than having my arm on fire while it was given.  Pat and I just kind of chilled and watched morning tv while this was going on.  A nice part about being induced was that we were both reasonably well rested.  I went into labor with Ben in the evening, so a good part of it was overnight.  The night before I didn't have the best sleep of my life.  It was kind of a cross between trying to sleep the night before Christmas and the day before a really big test.  I was so excited to finally meet the girls, but I was also nervous about all the complications that could arise.  Most of the time in life I think we don't get to see the moment everything changes before it is upon us.  Even with babies, rarely do we know the exact day the baby will be born.  But the night before we induced I knew that tomorrow everything would be different.  I would have three children.  Ben wouldn't be an only child anymore.  I would never be pregnant again.  It was an interesting experience to know we stood on the edge of so many changes, and we were letting it happen.  But even with that, it was a way better rest than being in labor overnight. ;)

Once the antibiotic was done they started off the pitocin.  I was worried about that part.  I heard it makes contractions super hard and makes them come super fast.  I was pleasantly surprised when, well, I didn't really feel anything.  Pat and I continued to kind of just hang out.  They had to monitor the twins the whole time, which was kind of annoying.  You would think for how full my belly was with baby it would be easy to keep tabs on the two of them.  Not so.  Any time they moved the monitors had to be adjusted.  The monitors meant I had to stay in bed, so again it was actually kind of boring.  My mom came in the room to hang out with us a bit.  That was nice because Pat was able to go get some lunch.  Yes, we had hit afternoon by this point.  It was nice to have my mom there to hang out and talk with.  Daytime tv is not exciting, so there wasn't anything good to watch.  (Random info, we had Law and Order on all day on mute.  So maybe the girls will be inspired to become lawyers or something.)  While Pat was grabbing some food my doctor decided to break the first water to really get things moving.  That's when things started kind of happening I bit.  Contractions started, but weren't too bad yet.  It was actually good to feel things happening.

After Pat made it back to the room things started picking up a bit.  My mom nicely headed out to the waiting room to let Pat and I proceed alone.  Contractions started really coming a little after 1.  Fortunately relaxing through them was a bit easier for me than it was with Ben.  I'm not sure if this was because I had been through labor before and knew what to expect, or because the time was shorter, or just because I had built up how painful it would be to undergo induction that I thought it would be worse than it was.  But it really wasn't too bad.  Pat was very helpful during the hard contractions though.  I don't like to be touched during them, but I want him right next to me.  So poor guy has to kind of stand there because I want him right there.  He was able to talk to  me while I had a few seconds between contractions.  He also helped keep me cool as I got really hot during this time.
After a little bit I did get some of the iv painkillers.  Unfortunately for me I waited to long to ask for them and only got a half dose.  It was still nice though.  They don't stop the pain really, but they do make you care about it less.  Pat was very helpful during this time too, as people kept asking me questions and I wasn't able to answer most of them.  This was also the time the anesthesiologist came in to introduce himself.  Now, this was a slightly better introduction than when I met one while in labor with Ben.  (With Ben we didn't have plans for an epidural, but a doctor came in to talk about it anyway.  I remember kind of telling him to just get out of the room, and Pat realized the doctor had indeed come to the wrong room.  Poor guy probably got yelled at twice for that.  Once by me telling him to leave and then again by the poor woman waiting on him in the next room.)  While I didn't yell at anyone, I really wasn't answering any questions.  In general it was more of a nod and a dismissive wave.  But what can you expect when you come to talk to a laboring woman?  I didn't have an epidural for the girls.  That was a bit of a discussion with my doctor as well.  With twins the chances of needing an c-section rise dramatically.  Generally they want you to get the epidural so if needed they can just get right to a c-section if needed and you can be awake for it.  Without the epidural I would be knocked out completely if an emergency arose.  That would mean I wouldn't see the babies right away, and it would mean that Pat wouldn't be allowed in the room while they were born.  Pat and I had a few conversations about this, and he was very supportive of my decision.  The girls were both head down and I was reasonably confident things would work out.

After the anesthesiologist introduced himself several other people came in the room.  My doctor was there of course, along with another doctor from the practice to be ready just in case, well, in case two were needed I guess.  Each baby had a nurse ready to go as well.  I was supposed to deliver in an operating room.  This is normal for most twin births these days.  Pat got to dress in a super cute coverall outfit to go in with me.  Sadly we did not get a picture of him wearing it.  I wanted to, but was really in no condition to take a picture.  Plus, as we were getting all set to wheel to the OR things got interesting.

They just started to wheel me towards the OR.  I remember not liking the movement of the bed.  I was already nauseated, plus you know, in labor.  And then I felt it.  Yes, someone was coming, right then.  I yelled out that something was happening.  The nurses told me not to push, to 'blow out the candle.'  I remember learning about this when we took our birth classes with Ben.  I understand that sometimes you need to not push.  For instance if the cord is wrapped or something, it gives the doctor a chance to undo it before pushing puts too much tension on it.  In this case there was also the issue that the doctors weren't in the room.  My doctor had gone to prep in the OR.  Fortunately, the other doctor who was going to be there was just out in the hall.  Because no matter how much sense not pushing makes when you think about it with a logical mind, my body had other ideas.  Alison was coming at that moment.  And she did!  Seriously, she came out so quickly.  (I think Pat didn't even see it!) The whole vibe of the room shifted.  Instead of moving to the OR they pushed me back and we just went for it right in the labor and delivery room.

Alison was perfect and wonderful.  She cried out and I got to hold  her.  Pat cut the cord and we had our first little girl out.  It became pretty clear though that baby B had to get out too.  Like, now or it was going to be a c-section.  This isn't that uncommon in twins I've been told.  The first comes out and it causes major changes to the womb set up, which causes baby B to have some problems.  Well, I didn't make it that far to just get a c-section so we were getting my other baby out.  I still had Alison on my chest, so I called out for a nurse to take her.  (Seriously, I was worried I would drop her, or squish her somehow.)  By this point my doctor had arrived.  She quickly broke the other water and told me to push.  Pat helped hold my head and I pushed to get my other daughter out.  Four minutes after Ali joined us Samantha was born.  She too was perfect and wonderful.  Pat cut the cord, and I got to hold her.

Both girls were healthy and ready to be in the world.  That was a concern we had with inducing.  But we didn't need to be concerned.  Both got 9s on their Apgar.  Alison was 5 pounds 11 ounces, and Samantha was 5 pounds 12 ounces.  They were actually only 30 grams apart.  Both were 19 inches long.  Because they were born a little early, they had their blood sugars checked right away.  I wanted to nurse as soon as possible, so the nurses helped me try to get the girls eating.  They both latched on right away.  I was so relieved to feel them both sucking.  I was very worried they would have a hard time eating, but no.  They were able to breath, eat, and do everything just right.  I know we made the right call in having them when we did.

After the girls had nursed a bit, the nurses took them to clean them up and do all the afterbirth stuff they needed.  Pat took a bunch of pictures, and my mom came in to meet them.  The doctors did the afterbirth stuff to me.  I remembered to ask to see the placenta this time, which was super cool.  Yes, the science geek in me came out, but it was so interesting to see the different sacs and cords!  The doctor was sure the girls were identical based on the placenta.  (yes, as annoying as it is there is still a small unknown factor on that call)  I am so glad I was able to not have an epidural.  When I had Ben I felt amazing right after birth.  The same was true with the girls.  I was elated and so happy to have my girls with us.  I have to admit I was proud of Pat and me for getting through another childbirth and having our wonderful children in the world.

After about an hour or so I was able to get up and get some regular clothes on.  This was important because Big Brother Ben was on his way to see the babies!!  He was super cute running into the room.  I know he had a ton of fun with Meo and Omi, but I love that he is still so excited to see Pat and me.  He wasn't sure about the babies.  He looked at them, but didn't want to have too much to do with them.  He of course loved running around the room and trying to push buttons.  There are a lot of buttons in a hospital room!  Fortunately he was pretty good.  He charmed the nurses with his jumping and playing as well.  This was one of my happiest times.  I had my sweet girls, healthy and in the world.  I had my wonderful son running around.  I had my great husband there by my side.  It was a perfect moment.

Meo, Omi, and Ben weren't able to hang out too long.  Ben was ready for dinner, so that crew headed out.  It was hard to see Ben go again, but I know he was having fun.  It was about 7 then, which is shift change.  While that was going on Pat and I got some extra time in the room, just holding the girls while we waited to move to the mother/baby rooms downstairs.  It was hard to believe that all the events took place in less than 12 hours.  We now had our sweet girls with us and were a family of 5.  It felt like the last pieces of our puzzle fit together.  Team Cartwright was all accounted for.

-Kim

Up next: Ali and Sam's hospital stay.  You can also read Ben's birth story!

Success!

This weekend I had my first successful outing with all three kids by myself!  I know, not a huge deal for seasoned parents.  And of course I knew that by having more children I would have to handle more children when we left the house.  (I have considered just staying home forever.  I don't think that will end up working out well.)  My first few outings with all three are going to be small, manageable events.  I like to set myself up for success.  These first few are important in confidence building.

This first trip just the four of us was pretty simple.  I was taking Ben to get a haircut, and then we were going to hang out at Meo and Omi's house.  Very easy.  We take Ben to a place just for kids for his haircuts.  Yes, it is a couple of dollars more than just going to Super Cuts or somewhere like that.  (That's what Pat and I do for ourselves)  But I think it is worth the couple of extra bucks to have the fun chairs Ben likes.  Plus he gets to watch a show while they cut his hair.  Overall I really like that they are used to dealing with kids.  The stylists can get in and out quickly to get his hair cut with minimal fuss.  Plus, since it is a kid place I didn't think anyone would mind the giant boat of a stroller that the girls ride around in.

We didn't make an appointment, and I knew it could be crowded, as we went on a Saturday morning.  I loaded up the kids and headed that way anyway.  Pat wanted the house empty to finish building shelves and rearranging our living room.  We had to find some semblance of order in all the toys and baby gear.  I totally understood this was hard to do with the kids actually up and around.   So off the 4 of us went!

I was right, there was a wait for walk ins.  I was ready to go ahead and leave.  I mean, Ben could last longer before getting his hair cut, so no big deal.  I was happy I got everyone out of the car and in the store.  We walked back to the car, and Ben got upset that we hadn't gotten his hair cut.  I explained to him we would have to wait awhile, but he didn't seem to mind.  He just seemed so sad he didn't get his hair cut, so we headed back inside.  I'm sure the check in girl thought we were nuts, but we were back.  The store has a nice play area, and Ben happily played for a good half an hour.  Having three kids is already showing to be good for Ben and me.  Normally I am one of those people who would be right in there with Ben, playing and trying to make sure he had a perfect time.  Now I stood back a bit to be with the girls.  I was nearby when Ben needed help, but otherwise he was free to play on his own.  He seemed to love it!  There were other kids in and out of the play area, and Ben interacted with them pretty well.  It is good for him to have to deal with social situations on his own.  And it is good for me to have to stand back and let him.

The actual hair cut itself was uneventful.  Ben got to sit in a race car and watch Mickey.  He did well.  Of course he didn't like the whole thing, but there were no major tears or melt downs.  That's a win.  After we finished there we loaded up the van and went over to Meo and Omi's.  Nothing too exciting there.  We are lucky they let us use their place as a hang out away from our own home.  It is easy to bring the kids there right now.  Ben loves going over there.  And it gets us out of our own home for a bit.  Wins all around.

Overall, not a big deal Saturday.  I mean, how many other people were out and about, getting errands done.  But for me and the kids, it was important.  I know getting all three out is actually pretty easy right now, the girls tend to just sleep the whole event.  When they perk up things will be different.  But that's okay.  Every successful outing is a win that makes me feel more confident.  Every failed outing is a good story for the blog, right?  ;)

A few shots from our successful day.

Playing hard like a champ!

I kind of wish I could get my hair cut in a race car. :)

The girls.

Okay, the last picture isn't actually from the hair cut outing.  But when we bring the girls out this is what they look like.  You can't really see them, and they just sleep.  So it works.

Next outing is a library program for Ben.  We'll see how it goes!

-Kim

Whoops, birthday catch up

In all the baby prep and excitement, I didn't get a chance to post about some important birthdays!!

Three of Ben's grandparents had January birthdays.  I know they would have loved to share their birthdays with the girls, but the girls were born on their own day.  Pat and I are a little happy about that.  I mean, they already have to share it with each other.  But regardless of which actual day they were born, I knew all three grandparents would end up sharing their birthday fun and glory with the girls.

Gramma had her birthday on January 13th!  Happy late birthday, Gramma!  Sorry I was a bit wrapped up in deciding whether to induce or not and getting all the last minute stuff done before the girls were born to post.  The girls are happy to share their birthday month with you!

Omi had his birthday on January 22nd!  Sadly this year he got to spend some of his birthday in the hospital with us instead of partying.  (And the rest helping take care of a busy two year old.)  While we didn't get to take him out to celebrate, he did get a good gift of grandbabies!  Although the poor guy is probably going to spend a lot more birthdays enjoying all things pink and girly from now on...
Grampa had his birthday on January 30th!  Fortunately I am only a few days past this one.  We're sorry we didn't get a chance to celebrate better with you.  I still have your birthday cards because I wasn't sure when we would be seeing you.  But Ben and the girls are ready to party when you guys come visit!

So, I'm sorry grandparents.  The end of January is a busy birthday time for us, and I know that just by being kids the girls will take a lot of the birthday attention from here on out.  Meo kind of gets out of this by having a birthday in October, but don't think she gets it much better.  As a Halloween baby she is used to getting her birthday put on the back burner for Halloween fun for the kids.  Maybe she has some tips on sharing the limelight. ;)

We do want to send another thank you to all four of the grandparents for all their help and love and support during the busy time just before the girls were born and now after.  Ben, Ali, and Sam are so fortunate to have such loving grandparents.  We love all four of you so much!

-Kim

Family tummy time

Ben has been doing well in adjusting to the new babies.  Overall he kind of just ignores them.  That sounds kind of harsh, but it really is a good thing.  He still runs around and does his thing, and he really doesn't let the girls stop him.  He does return any burp cloths or hats he finds to them, which is sweet.  

He does like the extra boppy pillows we have out now.  Those are fun to play with.  The other day the girls were having some tummy time and Ben decided to join in to show them how it's done.

The family that does tummy time together stays together, right?  I love my sweet babies, all three of them.

-Kim