3 Weeks Old

The twins are 3 weeks... photos coming.

Last night we overheard Gabby and Ellie chatting after bedtime.

Gabby: Do you want a cookie?
Ellie: ya.
G: A really big cookie?
E: ya.
G: Well, you know what happens if you eat too much food, right?
E: I get a tummy ache.
G: A really really bad tummyache. Then you need to go to the hospital. There they will cut open your tummy with scissors, then give you 100 shots.

It was at that point, we intervened. Gabby is going to scare that little munchkin.

More Pictures - July 2nd to 6th

Sorry the blog updates are not regular or consistent, but we've got our hands full around here these days!!!

Babci and Papa came to visit this Fourth of July weekend. Rochelle and Bob also came to Austin (from Boston) to visit Marta and Sara and came up to our place to hang out on the 4th as well.

Enjoy some more pictures...click on the picture below to see the album!

7-2 to 7-6-09

Pictures - June 27 - 30

Some pictures. Click the picture below for the full album:

Pictures 6-27 to 6-30-09

Happy Independence Day

My parents are in town for the weekend. This morning my Mom, "Babci" asked Gabby if she knew what Independence Day was all about. Joe and I were in the other room, and I figured she'd have no idea since we hadn't talked about it at all. Instead, she boldly answered, "It's about freedom." Then Babci asked Gabby, and what does that mean, to which Gabby responded, "Well, the King and Queen were in charge, and people couldn't do what they wanted to do, so when they got freedom, they could do what they wanted, and that's what we're celebrating."

Pretty astute response for a four-year-old! Joe and I looked at each other in shock...I guess they're actually teaching her something at daycare!

Two Week Check-Up

Maggie and Ben had their two week check-up yesterday. Ben had put on 7 oz, bringing him up to a whopping 5 lbs 11 oz and Maggie had put on 5 oz, bringing her up to 5 lbs even. Yes...they are still little bitty babies. After a visit with the lactation consultant we got some strategies for keeping the babies awake for feedings, and for supplementing them so they'll fatten up a little and gain strength. Right now, it takes all their energy to feed, and they often fall asleep while they're eating. The goal is for them to put on at least an ounce per day for the next few weeks, so that's what our task is for this week. We'll weigh-in again next Friday. Aside from that, they're both healthy, and doing well. They're both sweet and cuddly, and remarkably strong for their tiny size. Also, Gabby was also happy to see that they've both lost their umbilical stumps and now have "normal belly buttons." :)

Pictures to follow soon!

1 week old!

Well, the twins are 1 week old today. I have to say that we had a pretty good rhythm going by Friday afternoon. We'd worked out the requirements to sleep, feed, pump, clean, and prepare for all of the above. However, as the weekend hit we introduced to unpredictable variables into the mix. Let's call them Element G and Element E. The new elements produced a sense of anxiousness and need for additional rules and boundaries. However, the Elements did also provide much love and genuine tendency for nurture.

Anyway, the girls, twins, and wife are sleeping now. It's not yet 8pm here. I'm going down shortly. Enjoy the new pictures and video.

We're Home

Well, we finally got discharged from the hospital at 3PM yesterday, and it's been quite a whirlwind ever since. We got home, unpacked the babies and our bags, then it was time for Joe to pick Gabby and Ellie up from daycare. The big sisters were very excited to see Maggie and Ben again, but Ellie was maybe a bit too eager, given that she's come down with a summer cold, with a very runny nose and nasty cough. Not great for sharing with your newborn preemie baby sister and brother. So...we did our best to temper her enthusiasm, for the time being, until she's back to 100%.

The big girls did well last night with the minor adjustments to their routine. For example, Mommy couldn't walk up the stairs to tuck them in, so we read stories downstairs on the couch, (until Maggie was wailing so loud, that her cries for feeding could no longer be ignored. For such a little munchkin, Maggie's got quite a set of lungs)!

The big girls slept through the night, but the babies apparently aren't quite acclimated to their new environment yet. We're hoping that Maggie's attempts to prove to us that she has colic will be unfounded after a few more nights, but last night was a rough one. Ben's a bit quieter, and calmed a bit sooner, but the 8PM -1AM stretch, was no picnic, and I'm pretty sure that Gabby and Ellie were the only people that got any sleep during that 5 hour period! After 1AM, we did better, thankfully.

Right now Joe's taking the babies on their first stroll. They were a bit jaundiced when we were discharged yesterday (although totally in the safe zone), so our pedi advised some time outside in the mornings, with some indirect sunlight, to help with that.

Tomorrow we head back to the pediatrician (and to the lactation consultant) for our first post-hospital doctor visit. Today, we're just trying to unpack, and figure out some sort of semblance of a routine! Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and congratulations!