SPRING!

I know it's not officially Spring yet, but I can feel and see it coming! I look out and see buds on the trees and a renewal of life.  I absolutely love this time of year because people start to shed the layers and get out of the house.  Spring is especially important to me this year because I've been stuck inside since, well, October.  Fall is actually my favorite season due to the leaves changing, the cooler weather, and football!  However, this year I pretty much missed Fall since the boys tried to make an early(ier) appearance in mid-October!  I am SO excited about the warm weather and being able to take the boys out and about, even it's just on a walk around our wonderful neighborhood!  Always in my lovely teacher mode, I've decided to write an Acrostic Poem about Spring.  Now for those of you that have been out of school for awhile, or who just never paid attention in the super important English Language Arts class, an Acrostic Poem is where you take a word, write it vertically, and then write words or phrases describing that word that start with the first letter.  If I've confused you, just read on and you'll get it!

Jack's ready for the sunshine too!!

S- So blessed! I've been saying this from the beginning, but really, we are incredibly blessed.  God really has worked his magic with these two miracles.  We have two healthy baby boys.  They are mostly happy and growing like crazy!!!  Yesterday marked their THREE month birthday! Wow!  Will has gone from a tiny 2 lbs, 7 ozs to wait for it.... 8 lbs, 12 ozs!!!  I'm not a math person, but I'm pretty sure he has TRIPLED his weight! Yay! Jack has also packed on the pounds going from 3 lbs, 3 ozs at birth to a porky 10 lbs, 4 ozs!!!  We are absolutely thrilled with their growth and it validates all those times we sit their with a bottle for an hour waiting on them to finish eating! I can't wait to see what they weigh in another month! We've also had a few milestones.  Both boys are now sleeping in their cribs.  They are only waking up one time in the night, which has really improved my sleeping!! William also rolled over! He's such a squirm, so we weren't really surprised.  Jack may roll over one of these days... if he feels like it... he's just a laid back dude.

 
Not sure why they were so serious!  

 

 

Will was trying to tell me I had written the wrong year. Sleep deprived Momma!

 

 

 

Look!! We have wrist rolls!!! Never thought I'd be so happy to see rolls. 

 

Not posed- I promise.  They were laying on Nana like this.  Sweetness overload.



P- Parents. Jason and I are parents. We have two sons.  It's still so weird to say that and sometimes it all seems surreal.  I know it deep down, but our lives have just totally changed.  I have to throw in a little anecdote here about Valentine's Day.  First of all, understand that Valentine's Day has never been important for Jason and me.  We barely acknowledge it because it's pretty dumb that you should take one day to tell someone you love them.  Do that everyday! Duh! So when Jason got home on Valentine's Day we didn't feel like cooking, but didn't want to take the boys to a crowded restaurant.  So, we loaded the boys up in the MINI-VAN (yes, we really are parents!) and headed to Tenders, a local eating joint with a drive-thru.  The strange little man comes out and takes our order (a crispy chicken sandwich, fries, and a salad with chicken).  He asks what dressing she (ME) wants.  I die laughing because I ordered the fried sandwich and fries.  Anywho, the boys love the car to be moving, so of course they are crying while we are waiting on our food, so instead of sitting and eating our food, we have to put the old Town and Country in D and drive around some more until they fall asleep.  Eventually they do and we make it back to the house in the driveway.  We didn't want to wake them, so we sat in the car and ate- romantic, I know!  The best part is the van is currently equipped with satellite radio (thanks Daddy Dan) so we are rocking out to some old school rap- yep, Nate Dogg- Regulators.  So there we are, sitting in the driveway, eating Tenders, listening to rap from high school, in our mini-van..... yep, we are officially parents! 








Will on Valentine's Day.  Who needs flowers and candy when you have all this sweetness???

 

Jack wasn't quite awake for Valentine's Day pictures yet.  Thanks to Nana for the V-Day attire.

 

The hubs and me.  We actually went on our first date eleven years ago on Valentine's Day.  Waited like two hours to get into Outback, Outback??? I like Tenders in the mini-van much better.  So blessed to have such an amazing hubby and father to the kiddos.

R- Reinforcements! Those of you who know me well, know I'm super independent (thanks, Mom!) If something needs done, I'll just do it.  This entails me often lifting things out of my weight class, doing some demo work on the house, getting something off the top shelf at a store (picture me with boxes piled up standing on them, so I can grab something- safe, I know).  If I want to do something, I just do it.  I don't wait around on someone to help me.  Sooo.... that brings me to my reinforcements.  I like to think I'm Super Mom and can do it all, but I've had to get some help.  My mom and Jason's mom come in the afternoons now (on different days) and just give me an extra hand.  Of course, they love spending time with the boys, and I get a little relief.  I am usually all good with the boys by myself until they are both screaming about something, which definitely happens often and brings that stress level to an extreme maximum!  It's been great spending quality time with both moms and I am so blessed that they are able to help me out! Although the independent woman in me screams, "Do it all yourself!" I've realized, that's not the best for my sanity and come to the realization that for the next several years I'm going to have to accept help.  It's good for me! 





Sweet William with his Aunt Alyssa, home from UNCW.


I- INSTAGRAM.  Thank you Instagram for making my pathetic photography skills look slightly better with your lovely filters.  I love taking pictures of the boys and posting them for the world to see.  I know people probably are like, wow, another picture of the twins, but really, they are stinking cute.  I also have no other life at the moment and want to share their cuteness.  So, apologies if it's overload, and I'd like to say I'll stop, but I don't think it's going to happen.  

 
Jack was ready for Preschool this night with his hoodie, jeans, and sneaks.  









I love babies in overalls.

 

My little Captains. 






Years ago Jason instituted "Tie Wednesday" for himself.  He wears a tie to work every Wednesday.  So yesterday the boys participated in Tie Wednesday courtesy of the Zellas.  :)

N- NEED TO PUT A SIGN ON THE STROLLER.  So having twins is a spectacle.  I don't go anywhere without getting a million ooohs and ahhhhs and questions.  So I was thinking maybe one of my smart friends or relatives can rig me up a scrolling marquee for the stroller. It would scroll some of the following: Yes, they're twins (btw- that question always floors me.... I wanna say nope, had them a couple weeks apart- lol).  They are x months old.  Yes, they're identical.  Yes, I have my hands full.  No, you cannot touch them.  Please keep your hacking child away from my sweet babies.... and the list goes on! I don't always like to attract attention to myself (well, unless I've had a few adult beverages) but it's pretty much impossible with our gigantic stroller and often screaming children! So, I'll just accept that I'm a spectacle and move on.

G- GERD and GIRLFRIENDS.  Will has GERD, sounds like something awful, but it's the official name for Acid Reflux.  He was screaming something fierce and having trouble taking his bottles, so last month the doctor put him on reflux medicine.  It had gotten somewhat better until a few days ago and it was back and you could just see the pain on the little guy's face.  Made mommy cry, so we went the doctor and she upped his medicine and put him on a new formula.  We've only been on this change for one day and we have a new baby.  He is SO much happier and I am thanking the Lord for the answered prayers.  There is nothing worse than having your child in pain, so I'm hoping he stays feeling better.  He should also grow out of it too, which will be nice! 

Now for the GIRLFRIENDS part- the boys have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the arranged girlfriends for awhile now.  Mom teaches Second Grade with the fabulous Jen Horn who was a couple months behind me in pregnancy and blessed with twin girls.  So of course we've already set them up for a lifetime of play dates, prom dates, and wedded bliss.  Olivia and Elise were born on Tuesday and I've already approved them as my future daughter-in-laws.  Yay for Jen carrying those sweet babies 38 weeks and 3 days!! WOW!!! Can't wait to meet them!  Such miracles! 

 

Hope you don't mind that I stole your picture off Facebook, Jen. :) Congrats to y'all!!!!!



Wanted to leave you with a poem that I received in a card from the Mom's of Multiples group I'm a part of.  Of course, I cried when I read it.

There's more than one to wash,

There's more than one to dry;

There's more than one to feed.

There's more than one to cry.

There's more than one to kiss,

There's more than one to hug;

But very best of all,

There's more than one to love!!

One of my favorite pictures so far. All three of my boys! :) 

Happy Spring y'all!!  

Two Months Old!!!

February 4th, 2013

This Andrade Squared update honors the Super Bowl!

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"National Anthem"

I am proud to live in America and so happy that we are blessed with wonderful hospitals.  I often look at the boys and think how they are such little miracles.  In other countries, the boys may not have survived.  The ultrasound we had at eight weeks told us we were being twice blessed so we could prepare for this adventure.  Early detection and intervention helped monitor the boys' Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome.  Modern medicine helped prevent me from going into full-on labor at 27 weeks when my water broke.  My C-section allowed Will a chance to survive, as he would most likely not have been able to endure the stress of a vaginal birth.  The boys were able to stay alive thanks to Neonatal advancements.  They went from tiny babies to now a strong 8 lbs, 12 ozs (Jack) and 7 lbs, 6 ozs (Will) and are now healthy TWO month old miracles!  A lot of people get caught up in the negatives of our country, but I want to take a second to praise the United States, where many lives are saved through our amazing hospitals. 

 Our little miracle babies :)


ONE MONTH

TWO MONTHS

Looking more alike everyday!


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As I mentioned in my last post, life has COMPLETELY changed for Jason and me now that the boys are here at home.  I am still adjusting to having both boys at home with me during the day, but it's getting better day by day.  2013 was a major kickoff to our new lives as parents.  Yesterday life got even a little more real when my father-in-law delivered my new mini-van!  Woohoo!  It is amazing and I am already loving it.  We went to a Super Bowl party last night and it was so nice to be able to put the boys in the van with the automatic sliding doors.  When it was time to go home, Jason used the remote start and I was able to warm my fanny with my seat warmer.  Oh yes, life has definitely changed, but I am loving our cute little yuppy family and our mini van! We also can't wait to tailgate in the van for CHARLOTTE FORTY-NINER football (kick-off August 31st!!!)  Life is different, but oh so sweet! :)

Yep, I'm a mini-van momma now!

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"Penalty Flags"

I've had to throw a couple penalty flags already on myself, or what I also like to call "Mothering Fails."

1) Lack of Dispensing Medicine: Okay, so the boys are on a lot of medicine.  Sometimes I forget to give it to them.  The majority of times, I remember, but there are occasional times I forget.  None are going to threaten their lives, so I figure it will be okay.  Positive: we went to the Apnea doctor last week and the boys have done wonderfully on their monitors and are not having apnea events, so they took them off the caffeine (one less medicine to worry about).  They now only have to be on the monitors when sleeping when unsupervised and while in their car seats.  Yay! It is amazing how much easier it is to have wireless babies the majority of the time! They will stay on the monitors for one more month, and then hopefully we'll say a joyful goodbye to them!  The boys did gain two different medicines in recent weeks though at the pediatrician.  They have thrush (yeast) on their tongues, so we have a really gross thick, yellow, medicine, that they hate, to dispense into their mouths four times a day.  This is the one I'm bad about remembering.  We're getting better though! They are also now on Reflux medicine.  This one I'm much better at remembering to give them, but it seems to make them cranky for those two feedings.  It should be the opposite, right? Oh well.  They are still getting a multi-vitamin twice a day, which we've done since the beginning, so I am great at remembering that one (usually!). Maybe someday we won't have so many medicines, but it could always be worse! 

2) Stopping Pumping: This was something I have really struggled with in recent weeks.  I REALLY wanted the boys to be on breast milk for six months or so, but I was having a difficult time with pumping.  There were many factors that led to my decision to stop.  First of all, I was in physical pain.  A lot.  I kept trying to keep up with the boys' feedings, so I was constantly pumping.  This really started to hurt my body and I was in tears every time I was pumping.  Another factor was finding the time.  It was okay when the boys were in the hospital and I could pump without having to tend to two needy little humans.  As soon as I would get myself all hooked up (a process in itself), one of the boys would inevitably start screaming, so I would have to unplug and tend to whichever baby was freaking and then go back to pumping.  This occurred several times a day.  I tried pumping while feeding the boys, but that wasn't very successful.  They still are not the best at taking bottles, so it was hard to do that much multi-tasking.  I added up I was pumping FOUR HOURS a day.  I was getting no sleep.  I'm still not getting a ton, but about an hour extra each night now that I quit pumping.  We had also switched Will to a full Soy formula diet.  He has a lot of reflux and possible milk allergy, so he has done MUCH better with feedings on straight soy, so he didn't need the milk.  Jackson has done fabulously on the formula.  I am still giving him a little breast milk that I had saved up last week, but it's about gone.  I REALLY wanted to keep pumping, but it had just all become too much.  I remember at a Charlotte Moms of Multiples meeting I went to in the fall, a mom with one year old twin girls told me not to kill myself trying to breast feed.  She said it was too much for her and said you just can't feel guilty.  I also had several other people tell me this while I was contemplating stopping.  I feel slightly like I've failed, but I am SO much happier and a much better mother.  I was in so much pain and so tired that I couldn't enjoy the boys.  It's only been a few days since I've stopped, but I feel I've made the right decision.  Now, stopping a milk supply is insanely painful and messy.  It's getting better day by day, but no one ever mentions this very painful part! I admire all the moms that are able to breastfeed for a long time, but it just wasn't for me.  I figure the boys got two months of breast milk and that's better than none, and I just have to be content with my decision. 

3) Improper Use of Bottle:  So the boys had outgrown their small bottles from the hospital- yay! They were eating more so we tried a few bottles that had been given to us from different companies.  The boys had trouble taking their feedings from these bottles, so I went to Target and hung out in the bottle aisle for awhile trying to find a bottle with a similar nipple to the ones they had been using.  I settled on the Dr. Brown's.  We've been using them for a few days now and the boys are doing pretty well.  My only complaint about the bottle is that it has a million pieces.  It has a built in contraption that is supposed to prevent the boys from getting a lot of air when they take their bottles.  Well, last night when we got ready to go over to Kevin and Jennifer's for the Super Bowl, I had to add another little piece into the bottle that prevents it from spilling while traveling.  I made several bottles and got them in the cooler and then fed Jackson some of his bottle.  We didn't have time to finish it, so I put it in the side of the cooler to go and finish at their house.  What I didn't realize that I did was put that little cap on it.  So, when we got to the Comptons, I started feeding Jack and he was getting fussy.  He usually eats like a champ, so I thought this was weird.  Jennifer looked closely at the bottle and asked if he was getting anything from it.  Duh! I had forgotten to take off the little cap.  Mommy fail again.  Oh well! :)  Cap off, Jack ate much better! 

4) Never Getting Out of my Pajamas: So it usually takes me until at least noon to change out of my pajamas.  It's not because I don't want to, but there's just no point when I am feeding, changing, and bathing the boys.  I end up with spit up, poo, and urine on me quite often.  I usually have as many wardrobe changes as the boys.  I definitely understand why I see moms in comfy athletic clothes all the time.  I also can commiserate with them looking bedraggled. I often don't end up with more than a couple minutes to get ready to go somewhere by the time I get the boys all ready.  Hopefully this will improve with time!

5) Photobombing Facebook with Pictures of my Children:  I didn't want to be THAT mom that puts pictures of her babies online all the time, but I can't help it! They're stinking cute! :)  

Those are just a few of my penalties so far! I know I'll have tons more to share with you as we continue with this adventure!!

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TOUCHDOWN!!

While we are constantly making mistakes, I do think Jason and I have done a few things right along the way!

1)  Tummy Time:  I am doing tummy time with the boys daily, despite their protests.  They are definitely not fans of this yet, but I know they will come to love it.  It is FANTASTIC for their muscle development.  While it's slightly pitiful to see them sit and struggle (and CRY!), I know they are working out those muscles.  They eventually tucker out and fall asleep, which is also pretty nice! :) 

 Jackson 

The Tummy Time norm- scream for awhile, then pass out.  

 Sweet William.  We are working on trying to get them to focus on different things.  They love looking at the ceiling fans.  We have this little play gym thingy that I put them on quite a bit.  I did find the cat in the middle of it asleep the other day though.  The poor fur babies worlds have been rocked!
2) Sharing Responsibilities:  We have gotten into a pretty good routine of sharing duties.  There is a lot to be done around the house with two babies, so we have to work as a team.  We are starting to perfect getting ready and going to doctor's appointments, since we get a lot of practice!  It's not always perfect at our house, but I think we do pretty well, especially considering the amount of stress that accompanies two baby boys.  We are learning that a lot of times you just have to stop and laugh at all the craziness.  

Jason is back at work full-time, so I am learning to juggle the two boys by myself.  Feeding is definitely the hardest part.  I was trying to feed them at the same time in the Boppys, but it wasn't going so well.  I've now got them on different feeding schedules, about 45 minutes apart, so I have time to feed one, and then feed the other.  It takes a little longer, but is MUCH less stressful for all of us!  They are starting to sleep a little longer through feedings at night, so we are getting a little more sleep.  We are up to about 3 1/2- 4 hrs between, so that's nice.  They are still three hours apart during the day.  They always let me know when it's time! :) We are going to work on doing some sleep training soon since they are big enough now.  

My two baby birds waiting on bottles.  This was when I still trying to feed them at once.  Nice thought, and hopefully it will work later on, but for now one at a time is much more successful and we don't all end up in tears!!

3) Loving These Babies: We are so in love with Will and Jack and enjoy spending time with them.  It's fun to just sit and watch them.  They are constantly changing, so we don't want to miss a thing.  It's wonderful to have such a wonderful husband who truly enjoys his children and is so active in their lives. We are so excited to watch these boys grow and become little men.  They are starting to develop little personalities, which is really fun.  It's amazing how different they are even though they're "identical."  Jack is pretty chill and laid back, while Will is definitely feisty!  He is a Stage Five Clinger and wants to be held all the time.  He definitely has his daddy wrapped around his finger.  Jason holds him all the time, which is super sweet, but I tell him he's spoiling him and creating a monster for me during the day.  It makes sense he is such a snuggle bug since he was tucked up in my rib during my entire pregnancy! He is also a grumpy little old man and has started sticking out his bottom lip when he's upset. (I'll have to get a picture of this.  It's comical!) Jack is more independent, but has his moments where he just wants to be held too.  We are excited to see them grow up! Will and Jack are surrounded by love with grandparents who want to be with them 24/7 and "aunts" and "uncles" who love them and visit them regularly.  

 

Will wide awake, while Jack is chilling.  We think this is probably what they'll look like later in life when they're drinking buddies- :) 

They're already wrestling.  Okay, I MAY have put them in this position.  It came back to bite me though because Will ended up spitting up all over me, Jack, himself, and the comforter.  Whoops!

Jackson

Thug life: Jack passed out in his swing. Our sweet neighbor made them these hats- they're super cute. The boys sometimes love the swings.  They sometimes hate them.  Will definitely likes the swing better than Jack.

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HALF-TIME SHOW

To be a fly on the wall in our house sometimes would be a wonderful "show" for everyone!  Picture two screaming babies, us trying to catch a bite of food between feedings, an 85 lb mutt thinking she's a human, and an evil Hitler cat.  Sometimes all six of us are in are bed, which makes for eventful time. While it's nuts, I wouldn't change it for the world.  

 

   

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WINNING!! 

Jason and I are the winners! We are so blessed with two sweet babies, a comfortable home, great jobs, and wonderful family and friends.   We are super excited about what the future holds for us! 

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POST-GAME
This is our mini photo shoot one morning after bath time.  Mom and dad's neighbor, Jane, made these cute little outfits for them.  We kept meaning to get pictures of them in them while they were in the hospital and super little, but we kept forgetting.  They still ended up being super cute in them!!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the "game."  The boys are worn out and going to bed now! :) Stay tuned for more adventures!!