Friday, July 31, 2009

Week Two

Well, we've survived another week at home! We had some help this week as Chad's mom, Pam, has been visiting us and she's been doing more than her fair share of diaper changing, feeding, bottle washing and laundry - I think she's going to need a spa visit next week to recover from all the hard labor! But we thank her - it's definitely made life for Chad and me easier this week. And of course, the babies love their "Pam Pam!"

We went to our two week check up with the pediatrician yesterday and the twins are doing great! Piper is back at her birthweight (which is the goal, since babies usually lose weight after they are born). Knox is not only back to his birth weight, but he has gained another 5 1/2 oz!! So the pedi was very happy. And it's nice to know that the feedings every three hours are working!

We've gotten a bit of a system down, but that will all change next week when Chad goes back to work! I think I have found our new nanny, but she most likely won't start for a couple of weeks at least. So I've been lining up friends to come visit and help out over the next few weeks. Both Piper and Knox are still pretty content to eat and sleep, so I think we'll be ok on our own for the next couple of weeks. I hope I didn't just jinx it, though!

I promise we'll post some new photos very soon!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Day Four

Well, we've been home from the hospital for 4 days now and we've all survived!! The babies have to eat every three hours to keep their weight up, and that often means waking them for feedings. So much for "Never wake a sleeping baby!" I have to say that they're really taking it easy on us, though. Aside from some tummy issues - particularly with Piper - they are really very good natured and hardly ever even cry. But I think that's probably a short term situation - right now, they're pretty content to eat and sleep :)

We've settled into somewhat of a routine. Although we're still working on breastfeeding, Chad is taking one night feeding on his own and he gives them milk I've pumped and sometimes supplemental formula as well. That allows me to get 4 - 5 uninterrupted hours of sleep each night, along with several catnaps as well. But I will be very excited to get a point where I can feed them both at the same time. Right now, the changing/feeding/pumping cycle is taking me a minimum of 90 minutes, which leaves 90 minutes to catnap (or return phone calls, catch up on email or post to a blog, etc.). But I think we just have to get through these first weeks and it'll only get easier from here! Chad's mom is coming in on Monday to stay for a week and I know she'll be a huge help. And I can't forget all of our Austin friends who have been bringing meals over to us all week!!

Ok, I'll post more pictures and even some video soon. If you can't wait to see Knox and Piper in action, check out these videos that Chad put up on you tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkGAyCwgDFg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aicEXRdIGg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aicEXRdIGg

Ok, time to go start the cycle again!!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Introducing Piper & Knox!






















Well, it's been a busy week since I last posted!! Knox Christopher and Piper Jane Meley arrived on Wednesday, July 15th, about 4 weeks and two days early. I guess all the complaining I'd be doing about how uncomfortable I was feeling wasn't entirely due to the twins' taking over my abdomen. I went to see my dr. on Tues for my regular visit and she diagnosed me with pre eclampsia - it can get bad pretty quickly, so she put me on bedrest and told me to come back the next day. On my visit the next day, she basically sent me straight to the hospital and told me she wanted to deliver the babies within the next two days! It must have been a slow day at the hospital, because I left her office at about 3:30pm and Piper was born at 6:05!

We spent several days at the hospital, mainly to let Mommy recover from her C-section. No one had to stay in the NICU - even though Knox was a tiny pip squeek at 4 lbs, 15 oz and even though Piper was quite a bit larger at 6 lb, 3 oz, she was still pretty tiny. But everyone has been doing really well and we all came home from the hospital on Sunday afternoon.

Here are the first pictures. We'll post more about life at home as time allows! Suffice it to say that we have our hands full :) But aside from some sleep deprivation, it's all going really well!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Fit baby, happy baby

Look what I just read:

"Babies of pregnant exercisers tend to sleep through the night sooner, are less prone to colic, and are better able to soothe themselves. Scientists attribute this to these babies being stimulated by their moms through changes in heart rate and oxygen levels, as well as the sounds and vibrations they experience in the womb during workouts."

Thank goodness I've been doing all that prenatal yoga, water aerobics and other exercise!!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Getting huge!


Ok, Chad says this doesn't really do my belly justice :) This is yesterday, so 34 weeks and 6 days! No real progress this week - my doctor told me to do whatever I can to stay comfortable (I laughed at this, there's basically no comfortable position anymore and we're in this crazy heat wave - 106 degress today!) In any case, it could still be the 28th, could be earlier...we'll keep you posted!!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Oh Boy!

Well, I went to the dr yesterday for my weekly appointment - my doctor is on vacation this week so I saw her partner. She checked me out and said, "Well, I don't know if you're going to make it to the 28th!" It's not an exact science at this point - it could still be weeks - but that's the first time we've seen any kind of "progress," so it was pretty exciting. As of today I'm 34 weeks which is a big milestone and it basically means that if I went into labor today, they wouldn't try to stop it. Let's hope I don't, though!! I assume we'll know more at next week's appointment when we can see the progress over the week. Have a great 4th of July and we'll keep you posted! It's back into triple digits here (103 expected today), so I think we'll take it easy this weekend :)