2 Month Check Up

Scott and George went for their 2 month check up today!  Here are their stats:

Scott

• weight: 11 lbs 10.4 oz (50th percentile)
• length: 23 inches (50th percentile)

George

• weight: 12 lbs 1.6 oz (60th percentile)
• length: 22 1/4 inches (25th percentile)

Both babies have gained around 3 lbs in the past month!  They also had DTaP, polio, Hib, and Rotateq shots.  Everything was going well, until the 4pm feeding.....

The noon feeding was about an hour late due to the doctors appointment, so I figured I had plenty of time to feed George before Scott woke up at the 4pm feeding.  I woke George up a little after 4pm, and about 5 minutes into the feeding he started crying so hard he wouldn't take his bottle.  Then 5 minutes later, Scott woke up screaming - he had a huge diaper blowout.  So I sat George in the bouncy seat while I changed Scott.  I then tried to feed George in the bouncy seat, while feeding Scott on my lap.  Neither baby would cooperate, so I had to rotate back and forth.  Whichever baby was not being fed was screaming and crying.  The baby that was being fed was also usually crying.  This went on for over an hour!  I somehow managed for each baby to drink about a half a bottle.  Scott eventually fell asleep while waiting for his next turn, and I managed to calm George down enough to lay down again.  I'm sure this is just a temporary side effect from the shots and being a little off their feeding schedule, but their dad better make it home for the next feeding at 8pm!  Until then, I think it's mom's turn to drink a bottle!  :)

George and Scott in happier times (aka - yesterday) 

Lots of Catching Up...

Time keeps slipping away from me!  Wonder why?  ;)  Here's what you need to know to be caught up:

• The twins turned 9 weeks old yesterday!  We became mobile a week ago, being able to get out and about.  Since then, Scott and George have gone out to eat Mexican and get ice cream at the Comfy Cow (twice).  I've not yet ventured out on my own with them, but will in due time.
• George's repeat newborn screening labs came back and all is well.  Whew!  
• I've been to the doctor about my daily headaches, pending lab results.  Will probably also have a MRI just to rule out anything major.  Most likely the headaches are hormonal - considering I've been either pregnant or undergoing IVF for the last two years and then had progesterone shots daily during IVF and weekly during pregnancy, and now am finally not on medication of any kind - that seems to be the best bet.     
• Ugh - I'm actually returning to work a few days earlier than previously posted - August 31.  It's really only 3 days early, and it keeps us from having to pay COBRA insurance for the month of September, so it's worth it!  And how busy can I be after being off 5+ months and heading into a long holiday weekend?? (Work friends, don't answer that - I really don't want to know!)
• Weight Watchers - back on the wagon, after falling off said wagon pretty much from the start.  We fell off even harder than previously noted, with the above mentioned Mexican dinner, two trips out for ice cream, plus lots of other treats, and topped it all off with Taco Bell last Sunday night.  So we'll see where this week takes us!

Here are some pics from Father's Day:

Scott in my parents backyard
My dad with the twins

Ruined Mood

Nothing can ruin my mood faster than a call from HR telling me when I officially have to report back to work - Tuesday, September 6.  Oh, I know, it's still 12 weeks away.....but my maternity leave is half over.  :(  It could be worse - I would normally have to go back on Monday, but thankfully I can take the extra time off.  I can't imagine having to leave my babies yet!  I've been gone from them for a few hours here and there, and will be gone overnight for my brother-in-laws wedding next month...but I don't want to think about having to take them to daycare every day yet. I don't know if I'm cut out to be a stay at home mom full time, but I sure am enjoying it right now!

Weight Watchers

Ugh....Scott and I started WW last Monday.  We're using the old points system because I'm too cheap to shell out the money for all the new stuff, and because who knows how long we'll actually follow the program.  Mainly, we need to re-learn portion sizes and make healthier choices.  After two years of eating how much I want of whatever I want and whenever I wanted it, and not being able to exercise on top of it....yeah, my body needs some work.

Well, let's just say that the first week of WW hasn't started off so great.  It doesn't help that Scott gets 16 more points per day than I do, so on Monday I see him eating dessert while I have no points left to consume. 

On Tuesday, we had already planned to go out to dinner with friends at our favorite restaurant, Pat's Steak House. Since I was pregnant the last time I ate there, I just HAD to indulge in a medium rare (instead of well done) steak; their famous bleu cheese dressing; lima beans dripping in butter; and of course, wine.  I basically starved myself all day so I could use all my daily points, and I'm sure I used all of the 35 extra points that I get per week. 

I was back on track Wednesday, but Thursday it really went downhill.  I bought Scott a Butter Kuchen as part of his Father's Day gift.  It's a dessert he grew up having and talks about all the time.  So we each had a piece.  Shortly thereafter, our friends showed up with a Coconut Creme Pie from the Smokey Valley Truck Stop in Olive Hill, KY - made world famous on the Food Network by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  And it was fabulous!  So now that these two treats are in my house, I can't let them go to waste...


 

Newborn Screening

States require that newborns have a blood test within 1-2 days after birth.  This blood is then used to test for a number of "hidden" disorders which deal with the body's ability to make and use hormones, proteins, sugars, or blood cells.  These disorders, if not treated, can result in a wide range of issues for the baby, including death.  The March of Dimes recommends testing for 29 of these disorders, and the state of Kentucky actually tests for 47 different disorders.

Yesterday, we received a letter from the state indicating that George needed to have a repeat screening performed.  My first thought was that we have not been through hell these past few years only to have something wrong with one of my precious babies!  However, the request for repeat screens is quite common.  One of the main reasons for repeat screens is that there was not enough blood placed on the screening card, and the state did not even run the tests - they just tell you that a repeat is needed.     

Another reason for repeat screens is apparently due to the lab reference ranges.  Ironically, we just spoke to friends last weekend that had a similar issue with their baby boy.  Thankfully he is perfectly healthy - but that was not determined until his parents had been put through 4 months of worry.  In their research, they found out that the state of KY has lower lab reference ranges for many of the disorders, resulting in a very high rate of false positives, which is what happened with their baby. 

Anyway, George went back to the hospital yesterday to have his labs repeated.  We should have the results in about a week.  While I'm fairly certain that everything will be just fine, extra prayers won't hurt!

Manic Monday

Scott and George slept like angels on Sunday night, but woke up possessed by the devil Monday morning!  It started with the 8am feeding - neither finished their bottle.  This resulted in the babies being hungry well before the next feeding, so they ate a little in between.  This cycle continued with both of them throughout the day so I ended up feeding at least one of them every 2 hours.

George somehow managed to pee out of his diaper in the morning, wetting both his outfit and the crib.  Not to be outdone, Scott did the same (after I changed the crib sheets, of course). Between the two of them, I changed 5 outfits and 3 crib sheets in the span of about 6 hours.   

Scott and George literally did not sleep more than 15 minutes at a time on Monday.  They would not sleep in their crib, their Rock-n-Play Sleepers, or their bouncy seats.  I held them, rocked them, walked with them - no sleep.  Their crib mobile and Sleep Sheep music did nothing to soothe them.  

I changed them, fed them, and changed them some more.  Yet all they would do was cry.  ALL.  DAY.  LONG.  Heartbreaking cries with real tears, and nothing I did would comfort them. It was the most helpless feeling, knowing that they needed something and I could not figure out what it was.

And of course, 10 hours later when their Daddy came home - the crying stopped.  Scott and George were perfect angels again, making me look like a complete liar about how horrible my day had been!  They're lucky they are cute.....

George on left, Scott on right - 6 week old

All Clear!

Finally!  After months of almost weekly doctors appointments, I've been given the "all clear" - no restrictions!  I don't have to go back to the doctor for a year. I'm free to eat what I want, drink what I want, and exercise all I want.  Although, as much as I would love to jump back into spin class, a walk around the neighborhood is enough to wipe me out, so I'd better start out slow.

The babies were 5 weeks old on Monday, and the doctor was very impressed at their one month check up last week.  Scott now weighs 8 lb 6 oz and George is just over 9 lbs.  They are going through a growth spurt, waking up halfway between feedings and begging for more formula.  They are also starting to outgrow some of the newborn size clothing.  It's amazing how much they really do change from day to day. 

Scott and I took the twins on their first outing the other day - the mall.  Although they aren't supposed to be around crowds until they are 2 months old, we figured it's an outdoor mall, and we were only going into 2 stores...we'd be quick, so no harm done, right?  Right.  That is, until I tried to maneuver the kids and the double stroller back into the Explorer while Scott paid for his new sunglasses.  Let me just say that the people in the parking lot got a free show of a new mom trying to fold a double stroller that's as tall as she is and hoist it into the back of the SUV.  It was a full 5 minutes of me trying to figure out how to fold the stroller, and at least 5 more minutes of me trying to shove it into the SUV.  In 90+ degree heat.  Very comical (at least to others, not so much to me)!  And Scott still had to help me when he got to the car. Getting out and about with twins (especially by myself) is going to be a challenge!