Really, Mariah, Really????

I saw the Mariah Carey commercial today- the one with her new body thanks to Jenny Craig. Well I spit my tea out when I saw it! She had twins last spring, and she's sporting half a shirt without a stretch mark. If this was accomplished with strictly Jenny Craig, I'd be surprised... unless Jenny got her MD in some you know what specialty. 

I mean look at this! Go, Mariah... But you're setting the bar a little high here.. Just saying...

-ashley

Our Baby MUST Haves... pt. 3

This is the last of the "Baby Must Haves" posts... for now anyway. If you didn't get a chance to read the first two posts on this topic, you can click here and here. 

In hindsight, I should have grouped the must haves into categories... I do love organized thoughts, but mine have not been so put together recently. :0) Three of the four items on this post are related to baby sleep.. and when baby sleeps, we sleep, and we. NEED. sleep!

I remember watching the nurses swaddle in the hospital, and I remember swaddling babies being necessary to mock the womb: it's tight, warm, and secure. Blankets are one way to swaddle, but there's more room for error. The swaddles we used were the Halo,  Summer Infant's SwaddleMe, and the Miracle Blanket. All worked really well so it's really a matter of opinion as to what you want. In a nut shell, Halo is pricey, Summer Infant's SwaddleMe has hook and loop (velcro) that attaches to things in the dryer if it's not secured, and the Miracle Blanket has lots of fabric... which can be overwhelming all through the night. 

We swaddled M and P until they started breaking out, which is a sign they no longer need to be swaddled. I totally recommend swaddling. It works!

The second item is the sound machine. I skimmed through a few books and did an online seminar to teach me how to sleep train and organize our days. One thing they all had in common was the importance of a sound machine. The sound needs to be a consistent noise as opposed to ocean waves, birds, heart beats, etc. I read that when the sound isn't consistent in volume and/or noise, the brain stays stimulated, which means little to no REM sleep for baby. Therefore the sound needs to be a shhhh sound such as white noise. This sound is also familiar to them from the womb. 

We got this at Bed Bath & Beyond. It doesn't have a "white noise" option, but the waterfall option sounds just the same.

Next on the list is a SIDS monitor. Knowing the SIDS risk factors, this was vital for me. It gives me a peace of mind, and there's no price value worth a mother's security of her baby's safety. There are a couple of well known monitors out there: the Angelcare Baby Monitor system and the Snuza . 

I debated on which one was for us, and I ended up choosing the Snuza. I chose this monitor because it's portable, the baby can't roll off when rolling around (the Angelcare Monitor is a pad that goes under the mattress), and the version of the Snuza I chose has a vibration alert. Clipped to the diaper with the sensor on the stomach, the monitor moves with baby's breathing movements.If no movement is detected after 15 seconds, the monitor vibrates. If another 5 seconds passes without movement, the alarm goes off. I appreciate something monitoring M and P while they sleep... because I can't be there 24/7. 

  As a twin mom, stroller options are limited. I wanted a stroller where I could reach both babies, but a side by side isn't practical in any indoor setting. I did lots (and lots and lots) of research on strollers because I knew we needed something sturdy, fairly lightweight, and met my wishes. Thank you, Britax, because I found the perfect stroller! The stroller holds one or two children: two infants, one infant and one toddler, or two toddlers. I see this stroller as an investment because it will grow with us. I am able to push and steer this stroller with one hand! That's pretty incredible for a twin stroller! So here it is: the Britax B-Ready. I love love love this stroller! (I promise I'm not being endorsed, haha.) 

Here are all the ways to use this stroller.

*If you're interested in this stroller, check local and online stores because Britax does specials where if you buy the stroller you get a free carseat!

Hope this helps some new and soon to be mommas out there!!!

And of course, I'll sign off with some pics of the babes.

-ashley

Yes, They're Twins

I came across this the other day, and how it reigns so true! There are so many differences when a mom of one baby goes out versus a mom of multiples. The phrases on this picture are hilarious because any mom of multiples can totally relate :o)

This is all true except for the lots of coffee part... I drink a cup every now and again, but it's decaf. Boring, I know.

We were in a restaurant today and sat beside a couple who had twin girls. We chatted for a bit and then separately enjoyed our lunches. There was also a twin parent who started up a conversation with the parents of the twin girls. Fortunately Jordan and I- and the two enormous carseats- went unnoticed because this poor family had their entire lunch interrupted by the parent. He gave unsolicited advice, their twin family history, and twin statistics. The family was trying to enjoy their lunch, but they weren't able. 

PLEASE don't get me wrong... I know babies are cute, especially twins, because they are different from the "norm". I love when a bystander asks about the babies and (stating the obvious) say how precious Mac and Paisley are. I've not witnessed a situation like today before, and I don't know how I'd handle it. Our family time is precious, and while I enjoy sharing our blessings, our time is so limited. Even when I am solo with M and P, I have a time crunch. They eat at 1 (it takes 30 minutes for them to eat), we are lucky to leave by 2, drive to our destination and park, it takes another 10-15 minutes to get them out and in the stroller, at least 5 minutes to walk to the store (I park in the last parking spaces because I need lots of space to maneuver the stroller and put carseats in.. plus I leave all doors open until I'm finished), and I have to be headed home by 3:30 so they can eat at 4. It's a lot. I can relate to squirrels scurrying to gather their acorns for winter, haha! 
 
One plus to having Andrea here this week was her pushing the stroller and answering questions while I shopped. Thanks, Andrea. :o) What were your experiences as a "twin mom" this week?

They are pretty cute, huh? Here's a few snaps I got of M and P today- Enjoy the play by play.

Can you guess what time it was??? Time to eat! Haha! I could just eat them up! 

-ashley

You've Been Waiting...

... for what I said we would be sharing.. After his plant closing in October, Jordan accepted a new job as the Plant Engineer at Plant 4 with Shaw Industries. We had peace through this transition as our foundation is found in our Creator. His plan always prevails, and we are grateful. 

It is funny all the text and phone calls I received about the news we were going to share... most thought the same thing: that we were expecting. I do believe we'd be blessed with such news, but it wouldn't be a casual announcement at this point.Whew! I'm exhausted thinking about it! Haha!

This week Paisley found her feet. She plays with them at every diaper change. I don't have any pictures because I don't typically carry my phone upstairs. But it's pretty cute.

Mac and Paisley have developed this weird vocal noise that's a combination between a scream and a babble. I find it much cuter than Jordan.

I promise I'll start a blog about cloth diapering this week. It's been on my list since I started blogging. Also, I have some discount codes I'll be sharing with you also. These codes are from some of my favorite places to get Mac and/or Paisley clothing and accessories. Woo hoo!

-ashley

The First Cereal

Today was a fun first! Mac and Paisley got their first spoonfuls of cereal! We are giving them rice cereal, and they weren't too sure about it. Rather than describe their reactions, I took pictures for you to enjoy. :o)

Before the first bite

Mac wasn't so sure about this experience

                                                                                Paisley's turn!!

 

Paisley really loved the cereal! Mac wasn't so sure... as you can probably tell. 

High chair shopping is still on my to do list. 

A day in the shoes... We went to Target today and got caught in a monsoon! It was time to feed the babies so I made my way to the dressing room. After getting Mac out of the car seat, I saw that he had pooped all over himself- what we call a "blow out" around here. Of course I didn't have the diaper bag. Luckily one of my college roommates, Andrea, had come into town to visit, and she took the cart to the front to check out while I put Mac back in the car seat.... Then I left Andrea (who is 20 weeks pregnant) at the front with the babies in the stroller. I ran to the car... jeans rolled up, hair dripping wet, the works- what a sight it must have been! I got to the car and drove on the sidewalk to get Andrea and the babies... Then we headed home... typical. :o)

Next time I will do better about checking the weather... and the presence of the diaper bag.

-ashley

PS- forgive the spacing and random picture set up... It looks correct and organized on my screen, but the published screen is different.

We Have the New "Colic"

We took Mac and Paisley to the GI doctor today. It was a follow up for Paisley, and a first time visit for Mac. Since they were almost 2 weeks old, I have been on a dairy and soy free diet due to protein intolerances in their GI systems. An intolerance is different from an allergy in that they should grow out of this. According to our GI doc, 30% of infants have this intolerance, and 90% outgrow it by age 1. So I refer to this intolerance as the new colic... The intolerance makes them fussy, often difficult to feed, and irritable. Basically what we've known as "colic" could easily be this intolerance. (The intolerance is tested through baby stool, which contains blood. This blood is usually not visible as a red matter but as mucus consistency.)

Even a few years ago doctors would put a baby on soy when cow milk was causing "colic". Now it's been discovered that the soy protein is broken down similar to a cow's milk protein, and the body often is unable to differentiate between the two (also in other animal milks such as goat, sheep, etc). So without cow milk and soy, what do we drink with our beloved cereal????? Ahhh, the world of random milks... coconut, almond, and rice.

We took Paisley to the GI 3 weeks ago for the intolerance (because we couldn't get a blood free stool sample) and for her low weight gain. She was gaining, but not as much as the pediatrician would like. After he educated me, we came to the conclusion that I needed to cut out other proteins that are also too complex for an immature gut to absorb. These proteins are found in eggs and tree nuts. Yep, you read it right... I had/have to eliminate dairy, soy, eggs, and tree nuts... Pre-pregnancy jeans, here I come! (if only it were that easy). Plus we were going to add Neocate to a bottle before bed to increase calories.

Here's a pictoral break down of the proteins and amino acid chains...

Today I brought stool samples from each week since we initially saw the GI doc. Mac still has a small trace of blood, but Paisley is blood free!!! Woo hoo!! What a relief?! It was very discouraging to not have blood-free stools, but now it's paying off. 

We started cereal today, and we will be giving them cereal twice a day. The doctor wants us to stick to rice cereal to avoid any complications with their systems. We go for lab work next month, and hopefully we will be introducing Mac and Paisley to fruits and veggies here shortly! So guess what I'm doing after this?? Shopping for high chairs!

In the mean time, look at these pics... You think we may be teething? :o)

And I must show you our first pairs of shoes... :o)

I hope you're still awake after reading about our appointment, haha!

-ashley

Monday, Monday

We had a laid back Monday. The weather was off and on (always a good reason to 'chill') so we had lots of time to relax and enjoy each other at home. Mac is becoming a champ at taking naps since he always rolls onto his belly to sleep. Have I mentioned this is another trait he "inherited" from his dad?

I think Paisley is getting a tooth so she was out of sorts and fussy. She was content being held and loved on, but as soon as I put her down to tend to Mac, she lost it. :o( She also had a rough night last night. What the hay, we all had a rough night because P was up every couple of hours. She didn't eat, she just wanted some form of nurturing. I can't help it- I don't think of myself as overly nurturing at 3 am...

So Mac is proud of his new trick of rolling over because he rolls over and looks for the audience. Of course he's praised for this milestone... maybe that's why he embraces the attention.

Here are some fun pics from today... enjoy!!

Isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen???

Hey, buddy!!

Can't roll that way, brother!

:o)

Paisley and her new "trick"

-ashley

PS- We will be sharing some exciting news this week! So keep following!

Our Baby MUST Haves... pt. 2

Thank you for all of the comments about Mac and Paisley's big 5 month celebration! It is encouraging to know you are following and enjoying our blog. :o)

Now I've racked my brain about what we've used the most often and what I couldn't imagine not having once Mac and Paisley were born. (Click HERE to read part one of Our Baby MUST Haves.)  Some of these things I stumbled on myself, but most of them are necessities that I learned their need from others. I hope to share with you what the items are and how we've used them. You can find the first post on this topic here. 


Mac and Paisley were born at 35 weeks, and my body didn't produce milk until they were 4 days old. Before they were born, I decided they wouldn't use bottles or pacifiers because I didn't want to inhibit nursing in any way. That was one of the many plans that went out the window. When I laid eyes on those babies, it became about their survival, not my plan. Paisley went to the NICU for the first 24 hours, and supplementing was the only option. Mac didn't go to the nursery, but I wasn't comfortable with them nursing and surviving on strictly colostrum. Determined to get my milk supply and plenty of it, I pumped... and pumped... and pumped. Yes, I set an alarm and pumped every 3 hours. What colostrum I did get I sent to Paisley in the NICU where any breast milk or colostrum is considered "liquid gold". So I sucked up each and every droplet in a syringe and sent it with Jordan to feed Paisley in the NICU. 


I share all this to say that without a pump, I wouldn't be able to feed my babies for the first 6 weeks of their lives. My research online and with other moms pointed me to a Medela breast pump. I knew I wanted an electric (I used a manual one once, and my arms almost fell off, haha) and certainly a double (time is of the essence for new moms!). I have the Pump In Style.  

Before you purchase this, check with insurance!!! I had my doctor fax a written statement that it was "medically necessary" for me to have a pump so that I could feed, and insurance covered my pump!! Call your insurance company and find out what the doctor should write. I learned that if the mom is going back to work, that's also a valid "medical necessity." 


While Mac and Paisley were drinking breast milk from bottles, I wanted to make sure they wouldn't be "lazy nursers." My friend, Andrea, told me about The First Years Breastflow Bottles. Someone gifted us these, and we love them! Nursing requires a baby to compress and suck. When drinking out of a bottle, a baby only has to suck, and it drips into their mouth. With these bottles, the nipple mocks a mother's nipple: baby must compress and suck to get the milk. I feel that these bottles allow me to successfully nurse Mac and Paisley as they interchange between nursing and bottles. 

The last thing in this post will be about California Baby's Calendula Cream. I have used this cream for everything cream can be used. The cream is labeled as a " nature's first aid" ointment. I have put this cream on every rash- from eczema to diaper rash- and the rash is gone! I love that the cream is natural and organic. In studying the popular baby skin products, I was discouraged by the chemicals in the products. Baby skin is in purest form, and I really wanted to keep Mac and Paisley's skin natural. (For your own research, learn how a chemical makes certain baby washes and shampoos "tear free".) We use this cream (along with other California Baby products) all skin ailments. Also, the cream may seem pricey, but a little goes a long way! 

As always, if you have questions, please ask! 


-ashley

5 months old!

Mac and Paisley are 5 whole months old today!! I am enjoying this stage SO much as they continue to show me what fun personalities they have. It feels like everyday they are doing something new :o)

Mac- you are such a sweet chunk. You melt our hearts with your sweet, calm nature. When you wake up from a nap, you lay there and look around while you suck on your fingers. Then when you see me, you get an ear to ear grin. You've been giving your dad lots of quality time with all the football that's been on our tv. While I know you're not into the game (despite what your dad says, ha!), flashing lights have attracted you since you were a newborn. 

Your favorite toys are rattles, the bouncer, and your hands. You rolled over from front to back for the first time this week, and just last night you rolled onto your stomach! It upset you being on your stomach because you were too tired to roll onto your back. We knew this was coming because you've been rolling to your side every time we lay you in the crib.

This is how I found you during nap today. 

You've outgrown most 3-6 month clothes, and we are starting you in 6-9 or 6-12 month sizes. 

At night you drink 8 oz before bed. This is the only time you get a bottle, and you do well with alternating between nursing and bottles-- Although we both prefer you nursing as it is my favorite time. The bond between us through nursing is so incredibly special. Dad says you'll never ween. :o)

You are ticklish in your neck and legs, and you love to cuddle. During bath you smile and kick until your exhaustion sets in... then your bottom lip comes out, and I know you're ready for bed.

Mac, you sleep 12+ hours every night, and you've been doing this since being moved into your crib at 12 weeks. You're not so much a nap fan, but you end up getting about an hour's sleep at each nap. What a joy you are! 

Paisley- I love that you're my girl. You are such a curious one-- you always strain your neck to face ahead when being carried so that you can see where we're going and what is happening around us. Even when you're eating, you are easily distracted.

This week you found your thumb! It's so sweet to see you wrap your little hand around your nose while you soothe yourself. We think this is why you've started sleeping 12+ hours at night. It's been 2 nights of this, and we are excited for this discovery you've made.

Notice I was sorting socks. Paisley didn't seem to mind holding them down for me.

Until Tuesday night, you were waking up at about 3-4 in the morning. Dad would come get you, feed you a bottle, and lay you back down to sleep. We haven't been encouraging you to sleep longer since we've been sensitive to your weight. We were waking you up to feed at midnight then letting you wake us up the second time, but after seeing the GI, we were off the hook for the first feeding. He said if you were sleeping to let you sleep. 

Your favorite toys are your soft bunny with a rattle inside, the swing, and the bumbo. You also like being silly with us as we dance around the room. I love singing 'hey, girl do your thing, do your thing now switch' with you. Your sweet face lights up with that big toothless grin. I love that you smile with your eyes. When you're really upset, you snort when you cry. Such a girl :o) Your emotions are so tender. I like to remind your dad that we (girls) are created this way. 

The 0-3 month clothes are too short on your arms and legs so you're in 3-6 month sizes. You're a dainty beauty, sweet Paisley. 

You love bath too, and you scoot down your bath chair as far as you can go. We joke about needing a seat belt for you. During bath you like to suck on your wash cloth and kick your brother. You splash him a lot, but he doesn't seem bothered.

At bedtime, you drink 6-7 oz with a 3/4 scoop of Neocate. You were also getting the formula in your middle of the night feedings. You aren't a fan of the formula flavor so we had to cut the dosage in half. You are quite picky- you like your bottle at just the right temperature too. You already keep us on our toes. We are smitten by you, Paisley Grace Allen.

Both of you can produce some major crocodile tears, and you're beginning to show us some resistance to certain things by arching your backs. You both talk (and slober!) all the time. I am excited to start you on cereal and introduce you to foods! We will do this once we get the okay from the GI-- hopefully next week!

Happy 5 months, Mac and Paisley!! We are so in love with our sweet babies.

We Heart Pajama Days

The weather today was pretty yuck. It rained off and on, and the loud thunder and bright lightening disrupted Mac and Paisley's catnap this afternoon. I figured since they sleep so much during the day, and clearly we were staying in, we may as well have a pajama day! I'm relieved we didn't have any unexpected visitors, haha! You never know what you're going to get when you come to our door. 

I'll do better tomorrow... I'll wash my hair. Isn't it good to give  your hair a 'wash break'?? :o)

Here are some of pics from today's lazy day...

Apparently Mac thought I was hilarious while Paisley was intense.

Looks like we have a thumb sucker on our hands! She just started this today. 

On a side note, yesterday we visited our friend Emory. We love our playdates with Emory and his momma, Mary. It's been so fun to share this journey with Mary. Since neither of us have family in Chattanooga, we are each others family. We have walked through ovulation predictor kit results, then pregnancy, and now motherhood (breastfeeding, napping, baby milestones, etc) together. I am blessed by this friendship. We love our Hubbards!

Jailbirds!! 

-ashley

Our Baby MUST Haves!

As I prepared to register for items, I did lots and LOTS of research to find what was out there and most importantly- in my opinion- what items held the best ratings. It kind of became my obsession... researching ratings, prices, etc. So here's my list of things I have learned since Mac and Paisley were born that we couldn't live without and we use (or used) everyday! I will address this in a few posts... Here's to part 1 :o)

1) The first thing we set up- or it was set up for us since we were at the hospital in preterm labor- is the Arm's Reach Co Sleeper. I compared co sleepers with pack and play systems, and the co sleeper better suited what I wanted while the babies slept in our room- it holds more weight, acts as a free standing or bedside bassinet, and a play yard. It was perfect for them as newborns up until 12 weeks, but having two babies in it at their size now is pretty tight. I think just one at a time would work.

2) I had no idea how to nurse one baby much less two! So I investigated what videos were on YouTube, and I found videos that showed me how it was done. The videos were essential and so is my nursing pillow! This pillow is huge! It is wide enough for both babies to lay on and nurse in the football hold position. 

The semi circular pillow supports your back, and the strap snaps behind your back to keep the pillow stable. 

3) We know the Boppy brand from their nursing pillows, but they also make these awesome newborn loungers. I registered for these to have the babies lay in them as I got them ready to nurse, and we still use them ALL the time! We have used Paisley's lounger to keep her elevated after she's eaten (to minimize any reflux). Mac and Paisley lay in them during play after every feeding.
*I also appreciate the material is one that I can easily wipe them off after a spit up or spill.

4) When we first came home from the hospital, we were in pure survival mode. I could barely complete a sentence, and I was supposed to keep up with feedings, diapers, and everything else a newborn needs- times TWO! A friend came to visit and introduced me to the Itzbeen. I ordered them off Amazon, and I couldn't wait to have something keep up with everything I was trying my hardest to do. 

 

The Itzbeen keeps up with diaper changes, feedings, naps, and on which side the baby last nursed. There's an extra button to use for whatever one may need such as vitamins, showers (ha!), etc. After one of the tasks is started (or completed, you choose), push the button and the timer resets. It saved my sanity and brought me into 2011-- because I was writing everything. While I don't use the device anymore (because we're on a routine), I still use the flashlight when I'm pumping in the middle of the night. 

Stay tuned for the next posting with our baby must haves!! Please ask questions! I love to help new and soon to be mommas!  

-ashley