Essential E has posted a little get-t0-know-you challenge - simple and fun for a Saturday night in with the twins. Here's what you're supposed to do: Copy this and paste it into your own post. Delete my answers and type in yours, then tag a few good friends and family.
Three Names I go by
1. Nicole
2. Cole (or Colie)
3. Baby (but only by my husband)
Three Jobs I have had in my life
1. Consultant
2. Pizza Delivery Girl
3. Non-Profit Slave
Three Places I have lived
1. North Andover, MA
2. Madrid
3. Boston
Three TV Shows that I watch (or at least record on my DVR)
1. LOST
2. Biggest Loser
3. 30 Rock
Three places I have been
1. El Salvador
2. Virgin Islands (US and British)
3. Hawaii
Three books I have especially enjoyed
1. The Sex Lives of Cannibals (nothing to do with cannibals, or sex, but its HILARIOUS!)
2. Anything by Amy Tan
3. Life of Pi
People who e-mail me regularly
1. MoTs
2. My sister
3. My husband
Three of my favorite foods
1. lobster
2. ice cream
3. refried beans
Three things I am looking forward to
1. The twins sleeping through the night (630pm - 630am...its a tall order)
2. Our trip to the Cayman Islands in May
3. Getting my hair highlighted
Twinfatuation: Easy Three-sy
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
When bangs were cool...
Here is my Friday-Foto Finish Fiesta and, in keeping with this week's theme, I found an old, embarrassing picture of me...drum roll please...
I'm the one on the right; my sister is the birthday girl. I chose this picture for two reasons:
I'm the one on the right; my sister is the birthday girl. I chose this picture for two reasons:
- May I never dress my own kids in such geeky clothes and may I never give my daughter such hideous bangs. Mom - I forgive you.
- After seeing this picture of my sister, I think I see a little bit of her in my Sebastian. He's getting those Greek genes - her big, round eyes (not like my squinty ones...) and her olive skin tone. Did she secretly carry and birth this child???
Happy Friday everyone!! :)
http://carriestuckmann.blogspot.com/2009/02/friday-foto-finish-fiesta-20090228.html
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Subtraction
Apparently, I cannot subtract.
Us MoTs often get a lot of the same lines, like "wow, double trouble", "gosh, you've got your hands full!" or even the not so nice "better you than me." One line even inspired a GREAT blog - "How DO you do it??"
But the one that really gets under my skin, and I don't know why because, really, it's harmless, is "well, since they're your first, you don't know the difference, right?" Yes, actually. I do know the difference. It's 1. 2-1=1. I'm a certified high school math teacher but even without those crazy credentials, I think I could figure it out.
Don't get me wrong - I know what they mean. I definitely did not know what to expect before I had the twins because I had nothing to compare it to. In that sense, ignorance was bliss. However, I am no longer ignorant. I know how long it takes to feed two babies. I also know how long it takes to feed one. Half as much as two. (that's division!) I can imagine what it would be like to change 1 diaper at a time instead of 2. I can also picture my nursery with one crib, one bottle warmer, one rocking chair...one baby.
Of course, I don't want to picture my life with one. Because I can subtract. And divide. One less smiling face in the morning. Half as many cuddles. Ya, I know the difference. I'm just not interested in it.
Us MoTs often get a lot of the same lines, like "wow, double trouble", "gosh, you've got your hands full!" or even the not so nice "better you than me." One line even inspired a GREAT blog - "How DO you do it??"
But the one that really gets under my skin, and I don't know why because, really, it's harmless, is "well, since they're your first, you don't know the difference, right?" Yes, actually. I do know the difference. It's 1. 2-1=1. I'm a certified high school math teacher but even without those crazy credentials, I think I could figure it out.
Don't get me wrong - I know what they mean. I definitely did not know what to expect before I had the twins because I had nothing to compare it to. In that sense, ignorance was bliss. However, I am no longer ignorant. I know how long it takes to feed two babies. I also know how long it takes to feed one. Half as much as two. (that's division!) I can imagine what it would be like to change 1 diaper at a time instead of 2. I can also picture my nursery with one crib, one bottle warmer, one rocking chair...one baby.
Of course, I don't want to picture my life with one. Because I can subtract. And divide. One less smiling face in the morning. Half as many cuddles. Ya, I know the difference. I'm just not interested in it.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Way Back When-esday: Spreading the Good News
Here's my Way Back When-esday, hosted by Twinfatuation:
When: April 24, 2008
It was the third week of April 2008 when Billy and I got the confirmation from our fertility center that we were pregnant. It had been a roller coaster ride of emotions up until that point - a long month of daily injections, twice-weekly acupuncture appointments, countless ultrasounds and then the actual retrieval and embryo transfer. To "celebrate", we went on a vacation to Portugal and that's where took our first pregnancy. Here is the proof positive:
Probably the only thing I peed on that I would take a picture of but, after dealing with infertility, I'm allowed. Now, since we were on another continent, it was pretty easy to keep this a secret. But since my whole family knew about our IVF cycle, the secret would not last long.
Once we got home, we planned a dinner with my parents - we would tell them the news one way or the other. What most people don't know (including myself before this whole IVF junk) is that you could get a positive pee-stick and be pregnant but that pregnancy might not make it - that's the trouble with testing so early on. So, we wanted to wait for our appointment at the clinic to confirm that my hormone levels were high enough to indicate a viable pregnancy. The levels ended up being very high, hinting at twins...and we all know how that story ends.
The night of our dinner arrives and as soon as I walk in my parents' apartment, my mother takes one look at me and knows. Gotta love moms. I confirm and she grabs the phone to call her mom. Ok, so I guess its fine if my parents and my grandmother know. I'll wait a while to tell other people, you know, just in case.
We get to the restaurant and who do we bump into - my aunt. Seriously? My town is small, but it ain't that small. Ok fine. So now she knows. We get seated and my father goes out for some fresh air (ADHD - gosh I hope it's not genetic...) and who does he bring back with him but another aunt, uncle and their kids. Really??
By now, my mother's entire family knows the good news so its only fair that my dad's side knows, too. So, less than 12 hours after our first blood test, my whole extended family has heard. Kind of like ripping off a band-aid...I guess.
When: April 24, 2008
It was the third week of April 2008 when Billy and I got the confirmation from our fertility center that we were pregnant. It had been a roller coaster ride of emotions up until that point - a long month of daily injections, twice-weekly acupuncture appointments, countless ultrasounds and then the actual retrieval and embryo transfer. To "celebrate", we went on a vacation to Portugal and that's where took our first pregnancy. Here is the proof positive:
Probably the only thing I peed on that I would take a picture of but, after dealing with infertility, I'm allowed. Now, since we were on another continent, it was pretty easy to keep this a secret. But since my whole family knew about our IVF cycle, the secret would not last long.
Once we got home, we planned a dinner with my parents - we would tell them the news one way or the other. What most people don't know (including myself before this whole IVF junk) is that you could get a positive pee-stick and be pregnant but that pregnancy might not make it - that's the trouble with testing so early on. So, we wanted to wait for our appointment at the clinic to confirm that my hormone levels were high enough to indicate a viable pregnancy. The levels ended up being very high, hinting at twins...and we all know how that story ends.
The night of our dinner arrives and as soon as I walk in my parents' apartment, my mother takes one look at me and knows. Gotta love moms. I confirm and she grabs the phone to call her mom. Ok, so I guess its fine if my parents and my grandmother know. I'll wait a while to tell other people, you know, just in case.
We get to the restaurant and who do we bump into - my aunt. Seriously? My town is small, but it ain't that small. Ok fine. So now she knows. We get seated and my father goes out for some fresh air (ADHD - gosh I hope it's not genetic...) and who does he bring back with him but another aunt, uncle and their kids. Really??
By now, my mother's entire family knows the good news so its only fair that my dad's side knows, too. So, less than 12 hours after our first blood test, my whole extended family has heard. Kind of like ripping off a band-aid...I guess.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Feed me Seymour!
Once you tell your family and friends that you are pregnant, the barrage of advice and wisdom start to flow your way. Everyone is more than happy to share their stories with you - unsolicited or otherwise. Yet, even with all the advice we get, so many people started sentences with "no one ever told me <> would happen!" My SIL told me that she never knew her hair would fall out after she had her baby. A friend of mine said she never knew how much labor would hurt in her back. Others remarked how surprised they were to learn how much breastfeeding hurt. It seemed as though pregnant women and new moms were holding back on us newcomers.
I, too, have had surprises. No one ever told me how much babies fart. Ya, you hear about the burps but who wants to think about their cute little bundle of joy cutting the cheese? No one ever told me that my babies would have boogers - and not the snot kind. Real ones that you have to pick out. Not so cute. (Ok - maybe sometimes it's cute. But everything is with babies!)
But, the most shocking thing that no one ever told me is how HUNGRY I would be! Yes, they all told stories about how much they ate while they were pregnant, or the crazy, midnight pregnancy-induced cravings but no one mentioned how it is after the babies come. Since the day my milk came in, I have been pumping around the clock to feed these two tiny babies. And as they got bigger, so did my milk supply. By the time the twins were a month old, I was pumping 60 ounces a day! I did the math - at 20 calories per ounce, I was removing 1200 calories per day from my body. That's like running 2 hours...everyday...for three months...no days off...
Needless to say, I'm tired. But more importantly, I'm hungry!! I dream of taking a nap when the babies nap but, by the time I'm done pumping, I'm famished. I walk downstairs and stare at the fridge in vain because I know it holds nothing that will truly satisfy me. I'll make a quesadilla with beans and avocado. Inhale it. 20 minutes later, I'm back at the fridge. Let's try carbs this time. Toast with peanut butter. Or a bagel with cream cheese. Gone in a few bites. By this time, it's only noon and all I can think about is how hungry I am for lunch. Sigh. The fridge is getting emptier but the hunger remains, undeterred by my futile attempts to subdue it. And the day is only half over...
On the bright side, all this calorie burning has done wonders for removing those pregnancy pounds. I am one of the lucky ones - got back to my pre-pregnancy weight after just a few weeks postpartum. Now I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight (please don't yell at me!) but most of that came from butt. I now have what my father loving calls a "Gumby" ass. Love you, too, Dad. I can live with that, though - small price to pay to fit into my jeans again.
So, for anyone out there reading this who is expecting, or wnats to be expecting some time in the future - consider yourself warned. Stock up the fridge, put the pizza delivery place on speed dial, teach your husband how to cook your favorite foods, whatever it takes to keep your belly full. You'll be glad you did it!
Now, if I could only get rid of these stretch marks...
I, too, have had surprises. No one ever told me how much babies fart. Ya, you hear about the burps but who wants to think about their cute little bundle of joy cutting the cheese? No one ever told me that my babies would have boogers - and not the snot kind. Real ones that you have to pick out. Not so cute. (Ok - maybe sometimes it's cute. But everything is with babies!)
But, the most shocking thing that no one ever told me is how HUNGRY I would be! Yes, they all told stories about how much they ate while they were pregnant, or the crazy, midnight pregnancy-induced cravings but no one mentioned how it is after the babies come. Since the day my milk came in, I have been pumping around the clock to feed these two tiny babies. And as they got bigger, so did my milk supply. By the time the twins were a month old, I was pumping 60 ounces a day! I did the math - at 20 calories per ounce, I was removing 1200 calories per day from my body. That's like running 2 hours...everyday...for three months...no days off...
Needless to say, I'm tired. But more importantly, I'm hungry!! I dream of taking a nap when the babies nap but, by the time I'm done pumping, I'm famished. I walk downstairs and stare at the fridge in vain because I know it holds nothing that will truly satisfy me. I'll make a quesadilla with beans and avocado. Inhale it. 20 minutes later, I'm back at the fridge. Let's try carbs this time. Toast with peanut butter. Or a bagel with cream cheese. Gone in a few bites. By this time, it's only noon and all I can think about is how hungry I am for lunch. Sigh. The fridge is getting emptier but the hunger remains, undeterred by my futile attempts to subdue it. And the day is only half over...
On the bright side, all this calorie burning has done wonders for removing those pregnancy pounds. I am one of the lucky ones - got back to my pre-pregnancy weight after just a few weeks postpartum. Now I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight (please don't yell at me!) but most of that came from butt. I now have what my father loving calls a "Gumby" ass. Love you, too, Dad. I can live with that, though - small price to pay to fit into my jeans again.
So, for anyone out there reading this who is expecting, or wnats to be expecting some time in the future - consider yourself warned. Stock up the fridge, put the pizza delivery place on speed dial, teach your husband how to cook your favorite foods, whatever it takes to keep your belly full. You'll be glad you did it!
Now, if I could only get rid of these stretch marks...
Saturday, February 21, 2009
3 Months Old
Today is the day the twins finally reach the 3-month mark. Now, they are out of the "fourth trimester" and should be learning lots of things really quickly. Here is a snapshot of their little lives after three months:
Both munchkins have started their goo-ing and gaa-ing and its adorable. They have started to look at me when they hear my voice and follow me with their eyes when someone else is holding them. Their head and back control has improved a lot, too. Collette especially has good head control, as evidenced by this great photo - what a cutie pie!
Sleep: Ah yes, the always-elusive zzz's. Well, not so elusive. I actually have to admit that I have been pretty lucky in most regards. The AMAZING nurses at the Special Care Nursery got our munchkins on a 4-hour feeding schedule before they left the hospital and we were able to maintain it once they got home. So for their first month with us, we could reliably get nice chunks of 3 hour sleep. For newborns, this was actually pretty good. Then, after the new year, they started to be a little more alert and more awake during the day which naturally led to more sleepy time at night. This transition was completely organic for us. I really did not do anything (that I know of...) to get the twins to understand the difference between day and night. So, I feel very fortunate that they figured it out on their own - good babies!!!
Naps have also developed - I am now a big Dr. Weissbluth fan. I highly recommend reading his book and so far, I agree with most of it - it's working really well for my duo. They take about three naps a day, first around 8am, second around 12pm and the third around 330pm. Then, as the Dr. prescribes, early bedtime! Sebastian and Collette hit the hay anywhere between 615pm and 7pm and then Mommy and Daddy have the house to themselves. :)
As for nighttime, we are still waking up once to feed both babies, usually between 1 and 2am. I am very much looking forward to the day when this becomes a distant memory. 3 months without an uninterrupted 6-8 hours of sleep is starting to wear on me...
Feeding: Both babies are very good, predictable eaters. They each take about 5 bottles a day for a total of 25 oz of expressed BM. Sebastian still has formula added to his BM for the calories (little peanut!!) but my guess is that our pediatrician will take him off it at our 4-month check up. Also, they are getting faster with the bottle. What used to take 25 minutes now only takes 15, so that is a welcome change.
Develo
pment: Other than the changes in sleep and eating, the twins have made lots of progress in their development to date. Sebastian is especially smiley and loves look at his mobile and the toys hanging from the play mat. He grabbed a ring the other day and while I'm sure it was somewhat accidental, it was still so exciting. (Yes, this is the kind of thing that gets me excited these days...such is the life of a new mommy!) He also rolled over while he was doing tummy time on the boppy! Of course, the pillow gives him a head start but I'll take what I can get.
Develo
pment: Other than the changes in sleep and eating, the twins have made lots of progress in their development to date. Sebastian is especially smiley and loves look at his mobile and the toys hanging from the play mat. He grabbed a ring the other day and while I'm sure it was somewhat accidental, it was still so exciting. (Yes, this is the kind of thing that gets me excited these days...such is the life of a new mommy!) He also rolled over while he was doing tummy time on the boppy! Of course, the pillow gives him a head start but I'll take what I can get.Collette is doing lots of social smiling as well but not as much as her brother. She seems to still prefer sleep, God bless her! I see her rolling soon, though - hopefully by 4 months! Both she and her brother love to "stand" (assisted, of course) and this sometimes helps calm them down when they get fussy.
Both munchkins have started their goo-ing and gaa-ing and its adorable. They have started to look at me when they hear my voice and follow me with their eyes when someone else is holding them. Their head and back control has improved a lot, too. Collette especially has good head control, as evidenced by this great photo - what a cutie pie!It seems as though they are pretty much on target, especially when you take their adjusted age (7 weeks adjusted vs. 13 weeks) into consideration. Not sure how much they weigh but if I get to ISIS, I'll try out their baby scale and see how much they've grown since two months - Collette was 11lbs 5 oz (chunker!) and Sebastian was 9lbs 13oz (peanut!).
Last but not least, here is their 3 month "chair picture" - this is on the rocking chair in their room.
Collette looking lovely as ever! I think purple is her color.
Sebastian is such a handsome boy in his overalls.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Rub-a-dub-dub
Let me preface this by saying I had exactly zero baby experience before I had my twins. Really, I'm not exaggerating. Changed my first diaper a couple days after the twins were born while they were still in the Special Care Nursery. And I had never bathed a baby - or even a toddler for that matter. So, my vision of bathtime was very cliched - happy, splashing baby, fun with toys, soap suds, etc., etc.
Well, like everything with infants, the first bath experience was only partially successful. Sebastian absolutely LOATHES the water - almost to the point where I thought maybe we were doing it wrong. Water too hot?? Too cold? Infant tub not comfy? We got him clean as quickly as possible and got the screaming boy out of the water. Luckily, Grammy was there and to help calm him down. He was angry for a good 10-15 minutes - poor thing!!
Collette was up next. Now, here is where having twins can give you some much needed perspective. She liked/tolerated the bath. So, we must not have been doing it so wrong, right?? That's a shot of her with Daddy - this is what I imagined it would be like.
Now, if we could only get her brother to cooperate, I just might make this part of our nightly routine. For now, we will just do it as needed - I just hate to hear him cry. What a sucker I am!
Well, like everything with infants, the first bath experience was only partially successful. Sebastian absolutely LOATHES the water - almost to the point where I thought maybe we were doing it wrong. Water too hot?? Too cold? Infant tub not comfy? We got him clean as quickly as possible and got the screaming boy out of the water. Luckily, Grammy was there and to help calm him down. He was angry for a good 10-15 minutes - poor thing!!
Collette was up next. Now, here is where having twins can give you some much needed perspective. She liked/tolerated the bath. So, we must not have been doing it so wrong, right?? That's a shot of her with Daddy - this is what I imagined it would be like.Now, if we could only get her brother to cooperate, I just might make this part of our nightly routine. For now, we will just do it as needed - I just hate to hear him cry. What a sucker I am!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Fisher-Price "My First Blog Post"
This is my first ever blog and I've surprised myself - I'm a self-proclaimed technophobe so I'm shocked I even know what a blog is. I plan to share a bit about my life with my crazy-cute twins and how wonderful each day is with them. But I don't want to write only about being a MoM (mother of multiples). I'd love to share other things/thoughts/experiences/etc. I am sure my darling pug, Lola, can provide some excellent blog-fodder.
So, I guess I should start with how we got here. Hubs always joked that we would have twins, even before we were married. I, of course, reminded him that he was crazy and asked him why he hated me. How could he wish such a fate upon me? Two of his gigantic babies in my tiny belly?? I could not fathom this nor did I wish to. But, when we found out we would have some issues conceiving and would need to do IVF, I began praying for two little nuggets. And two little nuggets i got! Our 6-week ultrasound showed two sacs and we could not have been happier.
Fast-forward to present day and these nuggets are now nearly 3-months old! Its amazing how time flies. Being a new mom and MoT has been challenging, to be sure, but I am having a great time with them. I hope that this blog will help me document their little lives and maybe even help some other people out there who are going through similar things. I'm no baby genius, not by a long shot, but I think these babies will teach me a thing...or two. :)
So, I guess I should start with how we got here. Hubs always joked that we would have twins, even before we were married. I, of course, reminded him that he was crazy and asked him why he hated me. How could he wish such a fate upon me? Two of his gigantic babies in my tiny belly?? I could not fathom this nor did I wish to. But, when we found out we would have some issues conceiving and would need to do IVF, I began praying for two little nuggets. And two little nuggets i got! Our 6-week ultrasound showed two sacs and we could not have been happier.
Fast-forward to present day and these nuggets are now nearly 3-months old! Its amazing how time flies. Being a new mom and MoT has been challenging, to be sure, but I am having a great time with them. I hope that this blog will help me document their little lives and maybe even help some other people out there who are going through similar things. I'm no baby genius, not by a long shot, but I think these babies will teach me a thing...or two. :)
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