5 Month Letter

Happy belated five-month birthday, little ladies!

I always start these on the day of your birthday with the best of intentions of getting them posted.  However, I think the fact that your month letters are always a bit late attests to just how busy our little family is these days.  And by busy, I mean fun and wild and crazy. Because we are truly having so, so much fun. (Girls, mommy just started two sentences in a row with cardinal elementary school sins—with “and” and “because.”  Don’t do it or you will get slack for it, and that will be a great big mommy fail.)

I am pretty sure I say this every month, but this was the best month yet!  You both are so big and fun and aware now.  I mean, you have always been fun, but it’s in a different way now.  In a way that makes me want to wake you up when you have been sleeping too long.  In a way that makes ME squeal with delight when you laugh. In a way that makes me bring my hands up to my chin and giddily clap them together when you do something new.  In a way that makes me love you more and more every single day, even when it doesn’t seem possible that I could love you more than I already do.

This month started out with some amazing news—Sophie, you no longer have to wear your hip brace 24/7! Instead of tears at the orthopedists office, mommy clapped your hands together while you grinned at the PA.  Gramma and Grampa went with us to the appointment but stayed in the waiting room while you were being examined.  When we were walking out, daddy asked if he could drop kick the brace when we got out to the waiting room to show G&G that you didn’t have it on anymore.  I “regulated” (as daddy would call it) and told him that might not be the best of ideas.  Anyway, now you wear your braces only at nighttime and naps.  We got the go ahead for you not to wear it during every nap(especially you, Annie), so we tried it the first day, and that did not go well.  Not at all!  Both of you have actually become accustomed to your braces to help you sleep.  Oops!  Sophia, you love to have your brace off during snuggle or playtime, though.  You lift your legs so high in the air that your butt is off the floor.  You kick and play to your heart’s content.  It is so sweet, and I’m so glad we got through this hurdle together.  I know it was devastating in the very beginning, but just like everyone said it would be, it has just been a little blip in the radar!

Before we got that news, though, mommy had to go back to work.  On April 2, I went back as a third grade teacher.  I am so lucky, though, for a few reasons.  First of all, I only have to work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  This is bearable, and it still allows me to be home with you more than I am away from you.  Second, we are so lucky because grandma Dingo and grandpa watched you for the first 3 weeks I went back to work.  It’s amazing how much you love your G&G.  Your faces light up when you see them (and I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual).  You had so much fun with them, playing all day.   Aunt Lauren and neighbor Ms. Lisa got to watch you for a few days, too.  I was really sad the night before I went back to work, but I know it is what is best for our family.  I am still sad to leave you in the morning, and I miss you terribly when I’m at work, but it’s comforting to know that you are safe and sound at home with people who love you and care about you so much.

I just have to note that both of you have become champion nursers.  I still have to pump because it can be hard to feed both of you at the same time, but I am so proud of how far you have come.  There was a time that I thought I would never be able to nurse you and have that connection with you, but once again, you proved me wrong! 

This is how much I love my toys!

Mesmerized by the playmat

You have both really shown a love for toys this month, and it’s so cute!  You can hang out on your play mat for 20 or 30 minutes at a time playing with buggy, dolly, Lulu in her Tutu, your snail, etc.   We also got out your jumperoo from Aunt Cindy and Uncle Jeff this month!  Oh my, you could not love it more!  It became clear that you loved it so much that we quickly had to go get another jumperoo (Baby Einstein version).  You will both jump and play in it several times a day.  Your feet don’t quite touch the ground yet, so there are books under one and a Wii balance board under the other.  You also enjoy sitting up in your Bumbo chairs and do so often.  Both of you love to play with dad and me, and you spend a lot of your time standing up on our laps or the floor in the front of us looking around.  It amazes me how strong you have gotten in such a short period of time.  You just love to stand!

Hangin' in the Bumbo

Sophie loves her Jumperoo!

Sophia

When we went to see Dr. Kiley for your four-month appointment, she asked us to start giving you some rice cereal.  This is a daddy thing!  We have only given it to you a few times, but you seem to enjoy it for the most part.  Daddy really loves giving it to you, and it’s super cute.  Most of the time you sit up in your high chair with us when we eat, unless you are sleeping.  You love to have a bunch of toys with you to play with, and you seem to like having a little stuffed lovey to hold onto now, too. 

Annabel

Heart Ultrasound

Watching the screen

We separated you (for a short time) for the first time this month!  We had to take Annabel to her cardiologist appointment—all is well and we go back in several months for a follow up.  They did an ultrasound of your heart, and that took a while, and you totally lost it toward the middle of it.  It was nothing a bottle couldn’t fix, though.  Dad and I went to Einstein Bagels afterwards with you, and remarked at how “easy” it was with just one baby.  But we would never, ever want just one baby!

You got a new car this month, too.  I loved my Subaru, but it was so impractical.  Trying to fit your carseats in the back with everything else that we needed was insane.  So, daddy and I spent a couple of days looking at cars while you chilled at home with Grandma and Grandpa.  In the end, we got a Honda Pilot.  We love it!

Daddy changing the girls in the back of the Pilot

 Naps are going so well in your cribs!  You still sleep right next to dad and me at night, and I love it.  It doesn’t seem to bother either one of us—all four of us usually sleep through the night with no interruption—so we will keep that up until it seems like the right time to transition you into your cribs for nighttime.  Most of the time you sleep really well during the day, with a few exceptions.  You usually nap for 1.5-2.5 hours in the morning, then again in the afternoon, with naps sometimes being closer to 3 or 3.5 hours.  Then after about 5ish, you catnap off and on until bed around 730 or 8 depending on when your last bottle is.  We have to go and reinsert your pacifiers every once in a while, but you usually fall right back asleep.

You are both rolling over now!  You consistently roll from belly to back, and AnnaBelly, you are SUPER close to rolling from your back to your belly.  You have gotten almost entirely over except for one pesky little arm that always seems to get stuck underneath you.  I still jump up and down and clap for you when one of you rolls over, because I am just so proud of you.  (If you haven’t noticed, I am extremely proud of you both).  Grandma, Grandpa, mommy and daddy all got to see Sophia roll over for the first time, and then I got to see Annabel roll.  I was taking pictures of you both doing tummy time, and all of a sudden, Annie, you just rolled!  I felt bad because you rolled into the side of the rocking chair, but you didn’t seem to care. 

Annabel right after rolling

 Speaking of tummy time, I was getting so discouraged by your disdain for tummy time.  Annie, you especially would scream the second we turned you over.  I was getting so concerned because I knew how important it was for your development that you have that time on your stomach.  Then, one day, the dreaded tummy time came, and Annie, you just lifted your head up like it was no big deal and gave me a big grin.  It was as if you were saying, “OK, you win. I’ll do my tummy time, mom.”  Ever since then, you only give us a hard time about tummy time if you have been doing it too long. 

I can’t keep track of all the outings we have been on this month.  Belle, you are much less Hell’s Bells-ish these days.  Although you can still be a cranky pants on rare occasions, most of your waking time is spent with a huge smile on your face.  We have discovered that it is best if we can sit outside when we go out to eat.  I don’t get nearly as anxious when one of you cries!

Annabel, you also laughed this month—it is really hard to get it out of you, but when you laugh it’s just adorable!  Sophia, you laugh a lot!  We are always guaranteed a laugh out of you when daddy puts your feet into your mouth (eew!). 

Oh, how could I forget?! You celebrated your very first Easter this month.  The Easter Bunny came to visit you and brought you new outfits, sunglasses, books, and maybe a little bit of candy for mom and dad.  Grandma Dingo made you the most adorable shirts I have ever seen, and you wore them with great pride!  We spent the day hanging out as a family, and we tried really hard to get a good family picture, but it was tough!

This is so indicative of our life right now!

Daddy’s birthday was this month, too.  We all had to work all day, so Grandma stayed home with you.  When we got home, we had dinner and cake and ice cream.  I made daddy a carrot cake, and Annabel, you would have loved to be able to dive right in and have a piece yourself.  You would not stop staring at the cake.  It was truly adorable!  You girls got your dad a picture frame for his office, so now he has even more pictures of you two.

I love you both so very much, and every day you continue to amaze me.  I am amazed at what beautiful little girls you are. I am amazed at all of the love that daddy and I have for you and for each other.  I am amazed with all the things you are learning every day.  There are still (many) days when your daddy and I look at each other and say, “How did we get so lucky to end up with TWO babies?” It’s amazing.  Amazing.  Life is amazing.

I love you so, so, so much my sweet Banana Boat and my little Fia Margarita. 

Love,

Mommy

4 Month Letter

Annie and Sophie,

Four months.  A third of a year with you girls!  And yet, it seems as if you’ve been a part of my life all along.  Which, in theory, I suppose you have been, but my goodness, who would have ever thought I would end up with two of the most perfect, most beautiful, and most unique little girls? I am so in love with you both.

Your fourth month has been so exciting.  You have blossomed into your own personalities more than ever, and they are so separate and so distinctive from one another.  Yes, you are twins, and you both were born on the same day, but that is almost where the similarities stop! 

Annabel, you are feisty!  You have maintained your nickname “Hell’s Bells,” but don’t worry, we say it with the most affection possible.  You have very high HIGHS, but you also have some low LOWS.  When you wake up in the morning, you grunt and coo.  You very rarely cry in the morning, so it’s one of my favorite times with you.  You love to nurse in the morning and hold on to me as you eat, and you almost always wake up before sissy Sophie.  You are a pretty voracious eater.  You are so loud when you eat that you wake your daddy up if he is still sleeping!  You love the endless supply of milk when you nurse, but you still take a few bottles a day and eat those just as eagerly.  When you are done eating in the morning, you are so full of smiles.  I prop you up so you can see me while Sophie eats, and you just have endless smiles.  The fun thing about your smiles is that it changes your entire face.  You stare intently, and when you see something that makes you smile, your entire face lights up.  Your eyes brighten, your face relaxes, and you can’t help but stick your tongue out when you smile!  It’s also pretty easy to get you to smile, but your very favorite thing is your colorful doll.  Anytime we bring that out to play with, there is an endless array of smiles. (Do you see a theme? When you smile, you smmmillleeee!)  We always attach it to your carseat when we go out, and when it catches your eye, you will smile and talk to it for several minutes.  No other toy can compare to the dolly!  On the other hand, daddy says you have very strong lungs.  When you get upset, you don’t whimper, you scream.  I mean, SCREAM.  Grandpa says that when you cry, he doesn’t mind picking you up, but it is like bringing the speaker up to your ear!  Your screaming fits are directly correlated to two things: sleeping or eating.  You are either REALLY hungry when you scream, or you have hit your wall and are ready to sleep. Something I love so much about you is your hair.  It is coming in fast and furious!  The only thing is that it sticks STRAIGHT up!  You are getting so much of it, and it’s only a matter of time before it collapses under its own weight, but for now, we giggle at your stick straight hair standing right up.  Annie, you also love the tv. We don’t leave it on very often, but sometimes when we are watching a show at night, you will crane your head to see whatever is on.  This morning, daddy was showing you some cartoons, and you watched very intently!  Another big thing this month is that you have gotten so, so close to rolling over!  One night, daddy went to change your diaper, and you were trying to turn yourself over on the changing table, so we brought you over to the living room floor, totally naked (because you love to be naked), and set you on a blanket.  You tried to roll and turn yourself for at least 20 minutes.  You never quite made it all the way over, but you are so close!  My Belly, I love you so, so much.  You are my little cuddle bug, always nuzzling your face into my arm, my chest, or my shoulder, and I just can’t believe how quickly you have grown up in the last month.

Oh sweet Sophia, my Mount Saint Sophia.  You have also held on to your nickname, but your spitting is getting better!  And my goodness, you are the sweetest little Sophia I have ever met.  Your big blue eyes make people smile every time they see them.  You are a very calm, mellow baby most of the time.  You usually wake up a little bit after Annabel and patiently wait your turn to eat.  You look all over with those big eyes and make little talking noises.  You almost never cry in the morning, even if you have to wait 15 or 20 minutes to eat.  You love when we give you a little illegal break from your brace in the morning to nurse.  Daddy will usually take it off of you for a few minutes before you nurse, and you kick your legs as hard as you can for nearly that whole time.  It must feel so good to have your legs and hips free.  You are a mellow eater, too.  You eat your fill, and then stop, usually taking only about half the time that your sister takes, but you always eat your full bottle, taking about double the time your sister takes!  You haven’t really developed a preference to a specific toy quite yet, though you like things that are black and white.  Your favorite place to be is….the changing table ! You can be so upset, and if we put you on the table to change your diaper, you always give us a big smile and start your sweet talking.  Your cry is kind of like a kittens purr with a little bit of added spunk to it.  It’s a sad, sad cry that makes everyone feel like something is so wrong, even if it’s just that you are getting tired.  Speaking of tired, you will fall asleep just about anywhere when you are ready.  One day, you were playing with Annie in the Pack N Play, and I went to the bathroom.  When I returned, you were fast asleep while Annie played.  Sophie, you thrilled us this month by LAUGHING.  Actually laughing!  A hearty, big chuckle.  The first  time you did it was when daddy was playing with you.  We actually got it on video, but it’s kind of a silly video because mommy is so giddy with excitement that she sounds funny, and Annie is in the background crying.  But it’s still so special to me that we caught your first laughs on camera.  Since then, you don’t laugh often, but when you do, it’s so fun!  It’s often when you are on the changing table, and you laughed for grandpa when he was playing with you and your bug toy on the couch.  Aside from laughing, you love to talk.  You seem to have full on conversations sometimes.  It’s hard to catch you talking on camera because you really only talk to people, and when the camera gets brought out, you get so distracted by it.  You smile often, but it is a little bit more work to get you to smile, but I think that just means that you really, really mean it when you smile! Sopapilla, you are such a sweet girl, and I love you so dearly.  I pray everyday that when we go to the orthopedist on April 6, Dr. Hamblin will tell you that you can wear your brace only at night and nap times so that we can cuddle more efficiently and you can kick your legs more often, like you love to do so much. I love you ever so much my sweet sissy.

I have enjoyed this last month more than any other month!  You both love to play in between naps, and you have really developed a routine.  You eat, play, and sleep, and it’s pretty predictable.  We play on the floor, in the pack n play, in your Bumbos, on the Boppys, etc.  We read a LOT of books, and both of you now pay attention to the books and look at the pictures.  Sometimes you will even swat at the book.  Mommy has a song for just about every activity.  In the mornings we sing “Good morning, good morning, it’s a good, good, good, good morning.  We say “hello” and “how do you do?”  Hugs and kisses and handshakes, too. Good morning, good morning, it’s a good, good, good, good morning.”  I think you are starting to recognize it because as soon as I start singing it, you both light up.  

One of my favorite things is bathtime.  Both of you were having a bit of a hard time with baths.  The problem was that you loved them so much that it was just pure torture for you to have to get out of them.  So, I started taking a bath with you in the big bathtub in our master bedroom.  You both love this even more.  It’s like you are swimming!  So, I always sing to you “Swimming, swimming, in the big bathtub. Annabel (or Sophie) is swimming in the big bathtub.”  You very rarely cry now when you get out of the bathtub.  I can’t wait to bring you in the pool because I know you are going to absolutely love it.

You need baths pretty regularly because you have a habit of endlessly sucking on your hands.  At first I thought it was because you were hungry, but now I think you have just discovered a new part of your body.  You are both also grabbing onto rattles if we wrap your fingers around them.  You need that help still, but seem to do a good job of holding on once you have it.  Tummy time is improving, though you still much prefer to do it sitting in the Boppy.  I like to have you face one another so that you have something fun to look at, but you haven’t quite caught each other’s eyes.  You also love sitting in your Bumbos!

 I have to admit that I also take a LOT of pictures of you every day.  Now when you smile, you both get so genuinely excited that you can’t help but bring your hands up to your face in excitement. Sometimes you hide your face with your hands when you smile big, almost like your shy, but I’m pretty sure neither of you will be shy.  If you’re not bringing your hands to your face, you are flapping them a million miles a minute, which makes it very hard to get a good picture of both of you…there is always a blurred hand, foot, or face in most pictures!  

You both sleep from about 8pm-7am and have ever since your dad went on a business trip to Las Vegas about three weeks ago.  Grandma Dingo stayed with me, but I was still so nervous to be alone with both of you for that many nights!  You shocked me by sleeping like angels and deciding that you would love to nurse in the morning instead of me having to warm up bottles and feed you at the same time. Another huge milestone you reached this month was sleeping in your cribs for naps.  Annabel, you had a fussy spell when daddy was in Las Vegas (I will never forget the Red Robin Meltdown of 2012), and I ended up taking you to see Dr. Kiley, since you also had some congestion.  She told me it was time to start having you sleep for naps in your rooms instead of the swing, Rock N Play, or my arms.  It was hard as first, but mostly for mommy.  As soon as we put your braces on and swaddle your arms, you usually only fuss and talk for a few minutes before falling asleep.  Somebody always runs down the hallway to your room for the job of reinserting your pacifier until you fall asleep.  Grandma and I got you each a crib toy, and you both love them.  They really help you fall asleep, and you love staring at them. 

I celebrated my first birthday as a mom this month, and I was so glad that you both got to be a part of it!  You helped daddy make me a present—imprints of your feet!  Daddy said that Sophia is the artist of the family.  We also went and had cupcakes and went shopping for my birthday.  You did GREAT until we tried to go have dinner.  Then Sophia had a major blowout, and Annie had a major meltdown,  and we frantically asked for our dessert TO GO, please, and hightailed it out of there!  No big deal. I still had a great time celebrating with my little family.

Speaking of blow outs, you graduated from your newborn All in One diapers, and you are now able to wear pretty much all of the cloth diapers we have for you.  We haven’t had any problems with them, and you don’t seem to mind them one bit.

I am getting this out a bit late, although I really did have most of it done on your 4 month birthday.  But, let’s face it, my little four month olds are A LOT of work, but for the most part, it’s all fun work!  I love you to pieces, my darlings!

Love,

Mommy

Update

The girls had their three month doctor's appointment today!  Since we have been adding a teaspoon of formula powder into Sophia's milk, we wanted to see how much weight she was gaining and make sure she was "curving" well.  Here are their new stats!

Annabel
10lb 1oz
22.5 in
38.4 Head Circumference

Sophia
9lb 11.5oz!
22 3/8 in
38.2 Head Circumference

Dr. Kiley was very pleased with their progress and told us to keep doing exactly what we are doing!  She reiterated how important it is that they have the hip braces to prevent any major discomfort later on... even if it does seem like over treatment, it is better to be safe that sorry.  I was a little bit worried about their head control and whether or not they were developing on track.  She watched them both do tummy time and gave us permission to take Sophia's brace off for about 30 minutes of tummy time a day thinking it would be beneficial for her.  She said she thinks they are doing just fine, though, and had no concerns.

These perfect little girls continue to amaze all of us!

3 Month Letter

Annabellers and Sopher Gopher,

You are three months old today!

That blows my mind.  How could it be that three months and one day ago I had never met you? It doesn’t seem possible that I could have fallen so in love with you so quickly!  You are everything I always dreamed you would be and so much more.  When I was still pregnant, I would lie in bed, open my eyes, and imagine what it would be like to have one of you sleeping in your co-sleeper next to me.  Now, I get to lie in bed and put my hand on your little heads, and I no longer have to imagine—it is now my perfect reality!  I love every second with you both, and I love being a mom…your mom.

 

This has been a very eventful month for all of us.  You have had a lot of visitors, met a lot of new people and been a lot of places.  You are really starting to develop your own personalities, and that is so much fun!  Instead of sleeping all the time, you are starting to wake up more and spend more time interacting with me, dad, and all the other people who love you.

Both of you have really started smiling this month.  That’s not to say that you didn’t smile before, but it wasn’t nearly as often or easy.  Now, we are greeted each morning with great big smiles, especially from my Annie.  My little Sophie, you are a little bit harder to get smiles out of, but when you do start smiling, you go on and on for many minutes.  You are my more serious baby, and Annabel, you are my happy go-lucky smile at everything baby.  Both of you have the most hilarious pouty faces that I’ve ever seen.  It is the perfect warning that you are unhappy about something and that you are about to start whining or crying.  Your daddy says that you get that from me, but I have no idea what he is talking about. ;-)

 Along with the smiling, both of you have also started talking.  Okay, so maybe you’re not saying actual words, but you are trying to say something.  When you are talked to, you have started to respond with the cutest “ooohh” and “ahhh” noises.  Annabel, you always make these funny noises right after you sneeze, so I actually look forward to your little sneezes because they are always followed by a cute “ahh.”  Sophia, almost every night, you and daddy have quite the conversation.  You love to talk to him and stare at him (and everybody else), soaking in every feature of his face.  You don’t coo when you sneeze, but you make a LOT of sweet little noises, especially when you eat or sleep.  We think you are so taken with your dad because he would talk to you so much in the NICU.  One time while I was feeding Annabel in the NICU, daddy told you the story of “us” and it made me cry.  I’ll always remember that moment.

You have both started tracking toys and will occasionally grab at them and swat them, although you don’t hold onto toys yet (but you still grab my hair and necklaces).  You reach out to whoever is taking care of you (changing your diaper, talking to you, etc.).  When I’m nursing or feeding either of you, you will paw at me until you find a piece of hair, a piece of clothing, or a hand to hold on to.  Both of you love to move your arms and legs, and that has actually made it hard to get pictures of you both because you are always moving!  Neither of you like tummy time AT. ALL.  We have been trying really hard to get you some good tummy time in, but you just really hate it.  We have also started the Bumbo seat, but that’s another thing you don’t really enjoy yet.  You much prefer to do tummy time on our chests.

The only thing that’s slowing you down is the diagnosis of mild Hip Dysplasia for both of you.  You had hip ultrasounds, and you were so well behaved for them!  You sat there and let the techs do exactly what they needed to do.  Then, you saw another doctor who said you needed to have hip braces to make sure that you don’t have hip pain when you are older.  I had a really hard time with this because I worried that I wouldn’t be able to hold you like I wanted to, and I was so afraid that you would be uncomfortable.  You were uncomfortable for the first few days, but luckily dad was able to take some time off of work to help me while you adjusted.  You get held a ton because I never want you to be uncomfortable.  The braces are called “Rhino” braces, and that kind of makes me giggle.  You have definitely gotten used to them now, and we know the best ways to hold you and snuggle you so that you are comfortable.  Because of the braces, you can no longer be swaddled at night, which really worried me because you loved that.  We found a good solution, though, and swaddle your upper body and Grandma Sherry made you modified sleep sacks that accommodate your braces.  Daddy wraps a blanket around the bottom of your legs so that they aren’t flying in midair. 

We started a bedtime routine this month that I think you love (and daddy and I definitely love it).  About an hour before your 7 or 8pm bottle, we either bathe you are give you a little lotion rub down.  We have special nighttime lotion that we use everynight to give you a little clue that it’s time for “night-night.”  We bathe you every other day, and you just love it!  You are always wide awake and kicking around and smile.  You still don’t love getting out of the bath, but we have started putting your towels and sleepers in the dryer before we start your bath so it is nice and warm coming out, and that seems to have helped.  Annabel, you had a really funny habit for a few weeks this month… every time we would take you out of the bathtub, you would pee on us!  It cracked us up everytime.  (Mandy and Carlton also join us when we give you baths) After your bath, dad and I get into our bed, turn on quiet lullabies, and give you your bottles.  Then, we swaddle you up and one of us reads to you.  First, we read cute children’s books.  Then I told daddy that it was his turn to pick out books for you, and he came out with The Hobbit!  So, he has been reading The Hobbit out loud to you for the last week or so.  You (and I) usually fall asleep while he’s reading, then we put you in your co-sleeper.  We usually do a “dream feed” at 10 or 11.  We don’t wake you up or change you, but we do give you each a bottle.  Then, you usually sleep until 5:30-6:30.  It’s pretty impressive, girls, and we are very thankful for it!

Reading with dad

By the time you learn to read this, I’m sure you will know that dad is a silly guy.  Well, he loves to interact with both of you.  Recently he has started introducing you to new foods! Of course you are much too young to eat the food, so he always has you smell it.  Annie, you really liked the smell of M&Ms, and even opened your mouth like you wanted to eat it!  Speaking of food, last night I was making some “Knock you Naked Brownies” and peeling all of the wrappers off the caramels for the filling… daddy was helping me unwrap them, and he was stuffing all the wrappers into your brace, Sophie!  When I woke up the next morning and was snuggling you, I couldn’t figure out why on earth you smelled like caramels… then I realized!

Speaking of silly daddy, he has come up with two new nicknames for each of you.  Annabel, your new nickname is “Hell’s Bells.”  He calls you “Bell” a lot, but sometimes you can get pretty riled up and scream, so sometimes he calls you Hell’s Bells.  It makes me laugh!  Sophia, your nickname is funny, but it makes me a little bit sad.  This month you have really struggled with reflux, and you spit up after almost every feeding.  One day after a particularly bad bought of spit up, he declared you  to be “Mount Saint Sophia.” Tehehe.  Poor baby bear.

Annabel at HuHot

You went to a lot of new places this month!  We have become more active with you, and you are starting to enjoy going out more and more.  We took your first mall trip just yesterday, and you quite enjoyed it!  You got new winter hats and coats for next winter—you will quickly learn what a bargain shopper your mom is, and when it comes to the two of you, there are no exceptions!  We also went to Hobby Lobby, REI, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohls, and Costco.  You have eaten with us at Old Chicago, Colorado Mountain Brewery, HuHot, and Mimis.    We still get a lot of comments about you when we go out.  My favorites are the ones when people say “God blessed you” or “God bless those babies.”

You have had a lot of visitors this month!  You met Uncle John and Aunt Amy for the first time, as well as your papa.  They all loved you so much and enjoyed spending time with you.  Grandma Betty came to visit you for a couple days, and so did Grandma Sherry (You also spend a lot of time Skyping with Grandma Sherry).  You also went to your first party—the annual neighborhood Mardi Grad party. 

Mardi Gras!

On February 14, you had your first Valentine’s Day!  You wore your cute outfits all day long, then before dinner, you changed into your beautiful Valentine’s dresses.  It was on that day that I realized that I really, truly am a mom.  You were dressed beautifully in formal dresses while I scarfed down PF Changs take out while wearing mismatched pajamas.  Yep, I really am a mom! (And I love it).

Another huge milestone for me was that you no longer fit into your newborn clothes!  It was bittersweet for me, but I’ve had a great time collecting 0-3 outfits for you and putting you in them.  You seem to like them, too!  You also had to get bigger pads for your cloth diapers, but we really only use them for bed.

I know I say it every month, but I love you so incredibly much.  I could hold you and kiss you and snuggle you every single moment of every day.  I love you!

Love,

Mommy

Day 2

I titled this "day 2" because , in so many ways, in feels as if we've started over.  Now that I've had more time to process, emotionally, what is happening, and the girls have had a day to adjust physically, I'm feeling marginally better about everything.

The girls slept okay last night.  To give some perspective, the night before, they had slept from 8-430 (with a "dream feeding" at 11 before we went to bed).  Last night, they finally went to sleep around 11:30 and both woke up, with a vengeance, around 2.  Both of them screamed when they woke up and realized they were still in their braces.  I held Sophia while David changed Annabel and both of them calmed down with their bottle.  Getting them back to sleep was much more challenging than usual--we normally just swaddle them up and put them in their beds.  Now we can only swaddle the top of their body, and instead of tucking them into their blanket at the bottom, we are using the blanket to support their legs so that they aren't suspended in air by the brace.  I have never been more thankful for our co-sleepers as I was last night.  Annabel was on my side, and she definitely had the hardest time adjusting.  She was really upset going back to sleep, so I was able to lay in bed and lean over and rub her head and stroke her face which soothed her.  Then, as she periodically woke up throughout the night, I was able to replace her paci and calm her down again.  At about 4:30, she woke up screaming again and I wasn't able to soothe her just by replacing her pacifier and rubbing her, so I pulled her into bed with us, and she slept very soundly on me until about 6, when Sophia also woke up for a feeding. Sophia did much, much better, and aside from waking up around 2 very upset, she slept pretty much the rest of the night and was much more sleepy today than normal.  I think she may be going through a growth spurt, but she is being such a champ considering she is in her brace all the time.

Annabel is gradually adjusting today.  We couldn't get the doctor to tell us how many hours a day they wanted her on her brace--only "naps and nighttime."  They are 10 weeks old, only 5 weeks adjusted, so they still sleep A LOT.  So, I tried to get him to tell me a number of hours a day to shoot for in the brace, and he wouldn't.  So we decided that, since they feed every 3 hours during the day, we would take it off and leave it off every other feeding.

One thing I was most concerned about was still being able to hold and cuddle the girls.  They can still sleep on our chests and just wrap their legs around our waists and we can hold them sitting up, too.  Needless to say, with the exception of a few short naps here and there, they have been held and cuddled all day.  Sophia is currently cuddled up sleeping on my chest, and Annabel is playing games with her dad.  There is laundry to be folded, but right now, I don't really care.

I know my post last night was a real downer, and it was all still very raw for me.  I know it will just keep getting better, and I know that they will adjust soon.   I also know in my heart that this is the right thing to do for them, as hard as it may be.

I always count on David to keep me in good spirits, and even in these crappy circumstances, he comes through.  Kung Fu Sophie!

Hips

Today has been a really, really hard day.

We got a call last Thursday from our wonderful pediatrician that both girls would need to see a pediatric orthopedist to evaluate their hip situation (this, after reviewing the results of the ultrasounds).  She was pretty reassuring, telling me that oftentimes they will have parents double diaper babies to see if the dislocation heals on its own.  She told me that Annabel's issue was VERY minor and was really only present when pressure was applied to the hip, but Sophia's was a little bit more pronounced.  She gave us the referral to the specialist and told me to make sure they got us in within a week--if they didn't, call her back and she would pull some strings.  In hindsight, that should have been my first warning that it wasn't quite as minor as she was leading on.  My second warning should have been when I called to make the appointment and they tried to schedule it over a month out.  I told her that my doctor said it needed to be within a week.  I was on hold for 15 minutes while they figured out a way to fit us in.  Anyway, we had our appointment with the Physician's Assistant this morning.  (I want to be sure to note that aside from all the sadness of today, it was a big day for me...it was the first time I got all three of us--me, Annabel, and Sophia--out the door, into the car, out of the car, and into the doctor's office by myself.  David had to meet us there and didn't get there until about 10 minutes after we did. I will admit, as I sat in the waiting room filling out paperwork while my sweet girls snoozed away in their carseats and people cooed over them, I kind of felt like supermom.  But, I digress.)

The PA was very nice.  He looked at the girls' X-Rays before he came in to see us, and he never mixed the two, or their histories, up.  Honestly, I don't remember all the detailed specifics of their condition.  It is commonly known as Hip Dysplasia, but I think the more accurate term they use now is DDH (Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip).  Both of them have it, and Sophia's is significantly more....significant...than Annabel.  Neither of them is severe, but they are both bad enough that they had to get braces that correct it.  The PA did present the braces as an option.  If we don't do them, they will likely have hip pain throughout their lives only correctable by surgery.  I flat out said to the doctor: "It would be irresponsible of us not to do it, right?" and his response was "yes."

Sophia has to wear hers 23 hours a day, only taking it off for bath and diapers.  Annabel has to wear hers for naps and nighttime.  They wanted us to start treatment today, so we immediately went and go them fitted.  Annabel screamed and screamed when the practitioner put it on her.  It was the first time in her life that picking her up and holding her didn't stop her from crying.  Sophia was super sleepy today (I think they are both going through a growth spurt), and she slept right through her fitting.  She really has been a champ about the whole thing, like always.

I know it may not seem like a big deal to most people, but this news has been really, really hard for me to digest.  It's not even the fact that they have DDH that upsets me, but it's the fact that they have to wear these braces.  We were just settling in to our normal...they had the oxygen off, they were sleeping so peacefully at night, and they were happy, happy babies.  Now this has thrown a kink in all of that.  Now they have braces that immobilize their legs...just as they were starting to wiggle around more, kick at toys, etc. Now they have braces that have a huge piece of plastic that goes behind their back. Now they have braces that lift their legs 2-3 inches off their bed when they sleep on their backs.  Now they have braces that prevent them from being swaddled, their favorite thing.  And now they have braces that prevent them from being properly snuggled by their mom and dad. And that's what absolutely breaks my heart.  I can really only snuggle and hug them from their chest up.  When they have the braces on, I can't hold them close to me like I did before, and worst of all, I can't comfort them with the simple act of picking them up anymore.

I feel like our girls have been through so much already, and they don't deserve this. No baby does.  At this point, they will be wearing them for 4 months, minimum.  We go back in 2 months to reevaluate, and at that point, we hope that Annabel will only have to wear it at night and Sophia can go down to wearing it only at naps and night.  I did ask the doctor what the next step was if this didn't work, and he said he has never seen it not work in a case like this, so we can look at the bright side and thank God that it's a mild case.

The PA told us that the girls will get used to it within the next few days.  He also told us that we, as parents, will never get used to it.  David will be staying home with us for the next two days to help with the adjustment period.

Please say a prayer for our little girls that this quickly becomes their new normal (in their minds), and that in the meantime, they don't feel much discomfort.  I know this is what is best, and I know that the time is going to fly by and be a little blip in the long run, and I just have to keep reminding myself of that.