Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Abigail the comedian
Last week, Abigail was standing in front of George (I was holding her of course). She locked eyes with him and began to babble. When she was done, George started cracking up laughing at her! It was like she told him the funniest joke he had ever heard! It was great!!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Five and a half months...
Here are a few pics from our trip to Austin last weekend and spending time with the Lees this weekend.
Georgie will eat it....
Remember the Life cereal character Mikey? Just like him, George will eat just about anything. He loves rice cereal (even with prune juice), peas, acorn squash, and now sweet potatoes! He gobbles it up....can't get enough. Now the question remains, why does he only weigh 13.4 lbs???
Abigail also gave the thumbs up to sweet potatoes. Or perhaps it's just Mommy's cooking. I am making their baby food and loving it!!! I steam the veggies, throw them in the blender with the juice or breast milk or both, and pour it into ice cube trays to freeze. We have ziplocs full of veggie cubes in the freezer. Each morning I pull out the "cubes" for the day and we are in business! I love knowing exactly what is in the food I am giving them...and it's soooo easy! I would highly encourage others to do the same!
George is getting so much stronger. His favorite things to do now are stick his legs up in the air and squeal! Abigail continues to figure out scooting, as she crawfishes on the floor. They are so precious!
Please include Baby Lainey and Baby Bryce in your thoughts and prayers. They are girl/boy twins born to Rita and Kevin at 27.5 weeks gestation. We pray that God will give Lainey and Bryce the strength and courage to keep fighting and developing. We also pray for wisdom and faith to their parents and team of doctors and nurses caring for them. It is a reminder how amazingly precious every life is and to kiss your babies every chance you get. Rita, you are in our thoughts every day!!
Abigail also gave the thumbs up to sweet potatoes. Or perhaps it's just Mommy's cooking. I am making their baby food and loving it!!! I steam the veggies, throw them in the blender with the juice or breast milk or both, and pour it into ice cube trays to freeze. We have ziplocs full of veggie cubes in the freezer. Each morning I pull out the "cubes" for the day and we are in business! I love knowing exactly what is in the food I am giving them...and it's soooo easy! I would highly encourage others to do the same!
George is getting so much stronger. His favorite things to do now are stick his legs up in the air and squeal! Abigail continues to figure out scooting, as she crawfishes on the floor. They are so precious!
Please include Baby Lainey and Baby Bryce in your thoughts and prayers. They are girl/boy twins born to Rita and Kevin at 27.5 weeks gestation. We pray that God will give Lainey and Bryce the strength and courage to keep fighting and developing. We also pray for wisdom and faith to their parents and team of doctors and nurses caring for them. It is a reminder how amazingly precious every life is and to kiss your babies every chance you get. Rita, you are in our thoughts every day!!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Sweet story...
There are moments when being a mom of twins is absolutely amazing....
Today, Abigail awoke from her nap crying because she was hungry. I changed her diaper and laid her in the middle of our bed (protected by pillows, of course!). I went to wake George and brought him in to change his diaper as well. Abigail was wailing by this time...not so good at being patient. Suddenly, she quietened and when I looked up to see what happened, she was sucking George's thumb! George started cracking up with laughter! I love having those two!!!
Today, Abigail awoke from her nap crying because she was hungry. I changed her diaper and laid her in the middle of our bed (protected by pillows, of course!). I went to wake George and brought him in to change his diaper as well. Abigail was wailing by this time...not so good at being patient. Suddenly, she quietened and when I looked up to see what happened, she was sucking George's thumb! George started cracking up with laughter! I love having those two!!!
5.5 months old
George and Abigail are growing so well---they are 13.4 lbs. and 12.8 lbs. respectively. George is getting stronger every day. He has been going to PT weekly (today will be his 2nd session) and his neck and legs are noticeably stronger. The orthopedist appt went really well and the doc said that he thought George's feet would correct themselves over time. There is no need for "special shoes" or casting! He wanted George to continue with PT and the stronger his legs are, the more he will be willing to stand on his feet and gravity would cause them to flatten out and not turn in. Wonderful news!!
We had a great weekend in Austin, though it was crazily busy! The 8.5 hour drive in pouring- down rain and dense fog was not fun, but the babies did much better on the trip home (7.5 hours). Matt had a great run for the half-marathon and said it was a really tough course--uphill for the last half of it. Our friends Ann and Darolyn finished the full marathon and we were so happy to be able to see them cross the finish line! The babies met their Oma (great-grandmother) for the first time which was a trip highlight. We spent lots of time with Grammy and Grandpa (Matt's parents). Several of their friends were able to meet G&A at a luncheon at Grammy and Grandpa's house. It was great to spend time with the Bailies and meet Belle, their two month old baby daughter. We were able to reconnect with many old friends but we missed seeing a few--next trip! It is challenging to get in all of our visiting, especially with babies who need to nap. The twins did awesome though, they were real troopers!
Gotta run, Abigail is waking and it is time to begin the process to get out the door for George's PT appt--I'll write more and post pics later!
We had a great weekend in Austin, though it was crazily busy! The 8.5 hour drive in pouring- down rain and dense fog was not fun, but the babies did much better on the trip home (7.5 hours). Matt had a great run for the half-marathon and said it was a really tough course--uphill for the last half of it. Our friends Ann and Darolyn finished the full marathon and we were so happy to be able to see them cross the finish line! The babies met their Oma (great-grandmother) for the first time which was a trip highlight. We spent lots of time with Grammy and Grandpa (Matt's parents). Several of their friends were able to meet G&A at a luncheon at Grammy and Grandpa's house. It was great to spend time with the Bailies and meet Belle, their two month old baby daughter. We were able to reconnect with many old friends but we missed seeing a few--next trip! It is challenging to get in all of our visiting, especially with babies who need to nap. The twins did awesome though, they were real troopers!
Gotta run, Abigail is waking and it is time to begin the process to get out the door for George's PT appt--I'll write more and post pics later!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
George- PT
We had George's physical therapy evaluation last Tuesday. The therapist felt that his torticollis was very mild, in fact she called it a "head tilt" instead of torticollis. She felt there were no problems with ligament length on the right side and nothing pointed towards neurological problems, thank goodness! He has great range of motion and is able to turn his head far to the right. She thinks he has a "side preference" to the left so our goal is to strengthen his right neck muscles and increase his tummy time to promote neck extension.
The PT felt his lack of muscle tone was of greater concern. He is "floppy", which is one of my favorite things about him as when you hold him, he sinks into you. We found out that is not a good thing as his low tone could cause lasting developmental delays. She suggested that he could be a late roller (which we already knew), a late crawler and walker due to low muscle strength all over his body.
So we have a long list of home exercises to do with him, such as muscle massage and joint compression to stimulate the firing of the muscles. He should have as much tummy and back time as he can stand---he loves kicking his legs and has started to push back against you when you push his legs. He will track toys while on his tummy and kicks the toys that hang above him in his bouncy seat or on the floor. He definitely does not love being on his tummy and gets fussy after about three or four minutes. He is trying, it just might take him longer. She also felt that his low muscle tone could be contributing to his feet turning in...we'll also get the opinion of the orthopedist this week. He will be going to PT weekly for a couple of months to focus on muscle tone and the head tilt.
Needless to say, the people in the PT office are already enamoured with both babies. Abigail did her best to charm everyone with her smiles and "talking". Please keep George in your thoughts and prayers!
The PT felt his lack of muscle tone was of greater concern. He is "floppy", which is one of my favorite things about him as when you hold him, he sinks into you. We found out that is not a good thing as his low tone could cause lasting developmental delays. She suggested that he could be a late roller (which we already knew), a late crawler and walker due to low muscle strength all over his body.
So we have a long list of home exercises to do with him, such as muscle massage and joint compression to stimulate the firing of the muscles. He should have as much tummy and back time as he can stand---he loves kicking his legs and has started to push back against you when you push his legs. He will track toys while on his tummy and kicks the toys that hang above him in his bouncy seat or on the floor. He definitely does not love being on his tummy and gets fussy after about three or four minutes. He is trying, it just might take him longer. She also felt that his low muscle tone could be contributing to his feet turning in...we'll also get the opinion of the orthopedist this week. He will be going to PT weekly for a couple of months to focus on muscle tone and the head tilt.
Needless to say, the people in the PT office are already enamoured with both babies. Abigail did her best to charm everyone with her smiles and "talking". Please keep George in your thoughts and prayers!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Frequently Asked Questions
As a new mother of twins, I am asked the same questions often. I thought others might be interested....
1. Do they wake each other up?
Most of the time, no. Only if one is about to wake up or in twilight sleep, but they are so used to hearing each other...or should I say George is used to hearing Abigail...
2. How do you go to the grocery store?
For big shopping trips, Matt and I go together. One pushes the double stroller while the other follows with the grocery cart. If I go by myself, I will wear one in the sling or Baby Bjorn and put the other in their carrier in the cart. Or if I'm literally picking up one or two things, George and Abigail are used to me surrounding them with items in their carrier. Abigail likes to hold the vegetables. ;)
3. Do you feed them together?
Until recently, definitely if we are at home with the twin nursing pillow. Because of their development, they are becoming very distractable. So now, I mostly nurse them individually and together when they are both very sleepy.
4. Do they recognize each other?
Yep, if Abigail is fussy, I will hold her in front of George and she immediately quietens. They look at each other all the time and smile and coo. It is really sweet. Sometimes they will hold hands while nursing.
5. How are the animals adjusting to the babies?
The cats recognize the babies but could really care less about them. They run far far away when the babies are crying and only get close when I am nursing (because that is the only time I sit down and they try to climb on my lap too to get some lovin'). Boomer seems to like them, he will immediately run to find them when he comes in from the backyard. If they are crying, he usually goes to check on them. Yesterday, he licked Abigail's head...too cute. Boomer is getting really good about not eating their toys (unless they are squeeky toys...those are goners). He will usually drop it on command and hasn't eaten any baby socks YET......
6. Are they sleeping through the night?
They typically get up once to nurse after sleeping 6-7 hours, which is WONDERFUL! We put them to sleep anywhere from 7:30-8:30p and they awaken around 2am-ish, then sleep until around 6-7am-ish. I guess that counts as all night??
7. Are they identical or fraternal?
Fraternal.
Hope someone found this interesting.....
1. Do they wake each other up?
Most of the time, no. Only if one is about to wake up or in twilight sleep, but they are so used to hearing each other...or should I say George is used to hearing Abigail...
2. How do you go to the grocery store?
For big shopping trips, Matt and I go together. One pushes the double stroller while the other follows with the grocery cart. If I go by myself, I will wear one in the sling or Baby Bjorn and put the other in their carrier in the cart. Or if I'm literally picking up one or two things, George and Abigail are used to me surrounding them with items in their carrier. Abigail likes to hold the vegetables. ;)
3. Do you feed them together?
Until recently, definitely if we are at home with the twin nursing pillow. Because of their development, they are becoming very distractable. So now, I mostly nurse them individually and together when they are both very sleepy.
4. Do they recognize each other?
Yep, if Abigail is fussy, I will hold her in front of George and she immediately quietens. They look at each other all the time and smile and coo. It is really sweet. Sometimes they will hold hands while nursing.
5. How are the animals adjusting to the babies?
The cats recognize the babies but could really care less about them. They run far far away when the babies are crying and only get close when I am nursing (because that is the only time I sit down and they try to climb on my lap too to get some lovin'). Boomer seems to like them, he will immediately run to find them when he comes in from the backyard. If they are crying, he usually goes to check on them. Yesterday, he licked Abigail's head...too cute. Boomer is getting really good about not eating their toys (unless they are squeeky toys...those are goners). He will usually drop it on command and hasn't eaten any baby socks YET......
6. Are they sleeping through the night?
They typically get up once to nurse after sleeping 6-7 hours, which is WONDERFUL! We put them to sleep anywhere from 7:30-8:30p and they awaken around 2am-ish, then sleep until around 6-7am-ish. I guess that counts as all night??
7. Are they identical or fraternal?
Fraternal.
Hope someone found this interesting.....
Monday, February 4, 2008
Five months old!
Today is George and Abigail's five month birthday! They have grown so much...Ab weighs 12 lbs and George weighs 13 lbs. Abigail is a short little thing, still feels tiny while George is skinny and long. To give perspective, Abigail is still wearing newborn and 0-3 month clothes and George is wearing 3-6 month clothes. They have succeeded with eating rice cereal and have moved on to peas. George loves them and opens his mouth wide to eat. Abigail is not so sure; she ends up wearing more than she consumes. They are both talking up a storm and exploring pitch, range, and volume! Abigail's new favorite toy is the Exersaucer where she will turn herself around and play with the toys-- we have to stuff a pillow behind her back as she is so petite. George tolerates tummy time and will roll from his tummy to back occasionally. He still prefers the swing and loves kicking his legs in the bouncy seat. George's hair is still dark brown and Abigail's is strawberry blonde with an adorable bald spot in the back where she rubbed it off. They are precious!! (We're not biased at all...)
We have been busy over the past few weeks. We went to Shreveport and had a great trip though it is never long enough. We drove during the night which works well for the babies but made for a long day the next day for Mommy and Daddy. It was great to celebrate Pop's bday and hang out with the Morris' and the Lands. We loved getting to see family friends at Monjuni's for Pop's bday. Last week the babies had their first play date with friends Caine and Ean and Quinn--okay, it was more for the mommies, but we all had a great time. Grammy and Grandpa Jankowski came up this past weekend for a visit, which was tons of fun...no special events, just hanging out and oogling over the babies. Weekdays are spent working out at the Y, walking with Boomer on pretty days, and working around the house. I am still working at the nursing home and Full Circle on Wed and Thurs which is great. Matt has been working out like crazy getting ready for the OKC marathon in between working at the law firm and doing honey-do's.
Since George did not qualify for PT with Sooner Start, we have a private PT eval tomorrow. His neck is getting stronger every day, but we still need to work on it. We'll see how it goes...
We have been busy over the past few weeks. We went to Shreveport and had a great trip though it is never long enough. We drove during the night which works well for the babies but made for a long day the next day for Mommy and Daddy. It was great to celebrate Pop's bday and hang out with the Morris' and the Lands. We loved getting to see family friends at Monjuni's for Pop's bday. Last week the babies had their first play date with friends Caine and Ean and Quinn--okay, it was more for the mommies, but we all had a great time. Grammy and Grandpa Jankowski came up this past weekend for a visit, which was tons of fun...no special events, just hanging out and oogling over the babies. Weekdays are spent working out at the Y, walking with Boomer on pretty days, and working around the house. I am still working at the nursing home and Full Circle on Wed and Thurs which is great. Matt has been working out like crazy getting ready for the OKC marathon in between working at the law firm and doing honey-do's.
Since George did not qualify for PT with Sooner Start, we have a private PT eval tomorrow. His neck is getting stronger every day, but we still need to work on it. We'll see how it goes...
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