Smiles!!

We've been getting smiles from the boys! Theron is a little more predictable, and was the first to smile, so i was able to get pictures of him smiling, but Aldan is doing it too. It's so nice when you have those tough days to get a smile and know you are everything to them at this point, and you've got to trudge through the tough days. (besides, those tough days make us realize the good ones, right?)

Granny Arlene

My best friend Becky's mom came to help us last week. We were blessed by Arlene's help. she loves babies and couldn't be more encouraging with them. She also did everything else around here, including making sure I ate lunch (it's a big task to make sure I get that meal!!) and changing the messy diapers at any point! I always realize how many diapers I am not changing once someone leaves. Man, do they build up quickly! Arlene was not only good with the babies but she was an overall encourager all week. She would talk with me about anything and lead me to the scripture in the Bible that would really just recenter me. I was so appreciative. I even felt like I could tackle this week which includes three days of managing the three kids by myself. I made it through Monday, and know it's no problem to make it through today and tomorrow! thank you to Arlene who flew in just to help from Florida, and her family who gave her up on Mother's Day, and let me take her for the week. My best friend came down from NY to retrieve her on Saturday and we got a little time too...how fun!

first year

we started a parent co-op preschool at our church and we just completed the first year. It was so much fun to be a part of and Caed loved it too. He especially loved playing with more toys!! We (I had zero production credits) put on a little graduation. The kids were so funny, and us parents were funny to watch too. thankfully we were able to make all of us (Jon, myself and the twins) being there a success because we had our friend Arlene here to visit and help for the week. she was so generous to just fill in where needed.

we are hoping to be there in September but we need to figure out how to make the co-op part work with the twins...what a blessing to make those connections at church more then just on Sundays-we don't want to leave it!

Early family support

about 3 weeks before the twins were born, Jon's parents came to help us. I needed the help with wrangling Caed and getting things done, and then we were going to need the help with once the babies arrived having the care of Caed when we were in the hospital. Jon's parents prepared and planned meals, dropped off and picked Caed up from school- they kept things moving around here seamlessly. we were blessed by their giving. they got Rado out nearly every day too, he LOVED them.




After Aldan and Theron were born my mom was next to come to spend the first week with us. Man, that first week is always hard because you don't know when they are going to sleep...she was a trooper. Helping with whatever I asked. She helped me with one of our first outings by double stroller (we had to call Jon up at work to ask how to open it!). She worked hard, it was no easy vacation for her. She tried to sleep when I did- and reminded me how precious the early days are.



My sister Heather and her husband Jerry came down the first weekend they were home- as did Jon's brother (already posted that picture) and wife, Sally (who will come for a week in June). Then Heather returned on her kids spring break to help out one overnight. (tough stuff!!) She had sick Caed last week and she'll be back too once the kids are out of school. She gives invaluable phone support too.



The second week my sister Kristen took a week off of work, and a week away from her husband and life to help us. She was just as hard a worker too. Willing to do whatever I needed. She was patient with me, Caed and Rado (she doesn't like dogs no matter how nice they are!!). She loved on the babies ALL the time and helped me think about how to get through situations. and we got out EVERY morning. One trip to trader joes, and I can't remember where else now!



Auntie April has come over WHENEVER i asked. She (& boyfriend tom) picks up our extra person when we go to church and can't fit everyone in the car. She helps calm some of my darkest feelings (will they EVER sleep? take a bottle?) and just doesn't fret about a single thing. And she intuitively takes care of Aldan and Theron and more so feels challenged when they cry to soothe them with her magic touch. I don't have a picture of her with them yet!! How can that be? (it must be because she's always here, I don't feel compelled to try to catch the picture)

We are so appreciative that our family village has come to us...

Happy Birthday!

I don't get to blogging all the birthday's I want.

Today would have been my dad's 67th birthday. Missing him today. Aldan, Theron and I took a special trip to his "mailbox" at Arlington on behalf of my mom and sisters.

pictures

I try to do activities with Caed in between the feedings. This one was an idea from my sister Kristen- I finally bought toothpicks and we got to play around with marshmallows- we had two different sizes, and caed made a long train out of them...he's so cute.



This is from today actually- Theron.



From today- Aldan:



From this weekend...what two different babies! I love looking for ways they are similar and different in personality at this point.




Some tummy time on the ottoman:





Big brother Caed loves to help with bath time.He gets to wash the feet, although he'd rather help with the head!

I think this is the picture i took for 4 weeks old. They don't like to sit up like this...

Oh Rado, moved to bottom of the totem pole. But we love having him around. I am working my way up to day time walks with him and the kids.

Jon's mom made this shirt for caed after we searched every store before the babies were born for big brother shirts...we found big sister one's, but no big brother ones!! He LOVES this shirt and wants to wear it everyday. We have to set limits!

finally, some more pictures.

Today i took the twins with me (alone) to my doctor's appointment. It was quite the spectacle. I carried in the two car seats and the diaper bag, and my purse....I decided not to take the stroller with me because my doctor's office waiting room is really tiny, and I wouldn't be able to take it all the way into the appointment with me anyway. I got in there fine, but then theron (pronounced more like theer-in) was crying...I am trying to give him a bottle, he didn't want to take one from me- I was flustered by that...then my doctor was extremely patient, so it made it okay and he had his receptionist help me back to the car. It was very sweet- but next time I'll make sure they are somewhere else for these appointments. They were asleep on the way home so I went through the McDonald's drive through for one of their special coffees. I wish every store had a drive through so I could get stuff done while I was in the car and the kids slept. On Long Island as kids our parents often frequented a chain of stores called Dairy Barn. You could pick up lots of different grocery store items, so it was kind of like a convenience store with drive through. I understand their benefit these days. i would love to drive up and just pick up a dozen eggs, gallon of milk, loaf of bread and some ice cream without getting out of the car and managing the double stroller. I am learning and getting better at it- but it sure would make some of those experiences a little easier at this stage.

A lot of people ask if I'm doing alright with the twins and how am I feeling? I actually do pretty well. writing/ saying that makes me feel like it will end- but I know that isn't true. It's also not all the time that it's okay. There are hard times during the day/ night but I trudge through them and I appreciate the glimmer of hope with a nights sleep, an in sync nap and a shower every morning. But i think for the most part I approach each day as a list to get through at this point. I look forward to knowing when I am going to feed the twins, give them "play" time and bath time (done every night as to give a sleep routine and again, an indicator to me that we are still passing time, and getting through the day) and fitting in Caed's needs helps too. I want to incorporate some flexibility, but right now I am giving myself 3 months with this mentality. My nature I am not a scheduled person. I have not been a list accomplisher (i love making lists!) but more and more I become the kind of person that thrives in this- to a fault. For now in these early years, it works for me and I try to be sensitive to when I need to be flexible- sometimes with the prompting of a family member...

Also what helps is not being daunted by crying. With Caed his cries were really hard for me to manage. He wasn't really consoled by things I might do anyway so I felt paralyzed by the thought of him crying- this time there are just times i cannot do anything for the crying. I feed them, burp them and change them- if they both still cry I try to take it as I can. I cannot easily hold them both with ease at the same time- and if I need to get something done, and I know I've met their apparent needs, I get the task done and come back to them and try things again and possibly try to put one in a carrier.... But I know they are safe, fed and clean...their crying still makes me on high alert but I deal with it differently this time- and it helps that other people have been here to help with picking them up and helping with one of them too.

one month....four weeks?

Tuesday the twins were four weeks. Now I guess they are officially one month. We were at the doctor today- I feel comfortable stretching their feedings a little further apart, and not a bit guilty if they sleep until 5am. (only one night..!)

They are gaining weight beautifully, which I was a little worried about since no one has given me any guidelines about the nursing only of twins, I've just tried to 'go' with it.

Among all the good things from the visit, Aldan had to be taken for jaundice testing, again. and last night's sleep was horrible. another good night is bound to come 'round again, right? please? and if you've done or given to us something that I intend to write a thank you for, I'll get to it. This week has involved very little simultaneous sleeping by anyone, so I haven't been able to go back to my list and write more. We are so VERY thankful though for everything that has been done for us. We're in need of all the generosity and it's been so great.