Baby To Be

Blessed!

2012-02-01T10:02:00.004-05:00

I just realized, that pretty much most Mommies I had started following when our Journey began... are Blessed! By a child or two, who is their own... after all the struggle, heartaches and tears! For some it took longer, for some it was several losses in between, for some it was adoption, but most of my bloggers are mommies today.

If you are not yet blessed, you will be! Life is not easy, but it rewards you for your perseverance!

Birthday Plans

2012-01-17T03:00:00.005-05:00

Oh its winter, and all the festive season is over. So, what is a Mommy to do!? Start thinking about a birthday party!

Yes, that is what has happened! We will be turning two, in 2 short months. It won't be a super big celebration, but we will be going to a small party place, since it is just too crammed with 10-15 kiddies running around (along with their parents) in our little house!

So far, I have tried to keep the duo away from as much commercialized stuff as possible. Their diapers, clothes, sippy cups, bags... none of it has any characters on it! But, these animated characters have made a grand entry in to our household through the limited TV that they watch. And Emo (E.l.m.o) is our favorite (besides Th.omas). And, I just can't think of anything else for their birthday other than Se.asa.me Str.eet! They adore Emo... and are so happy and enchanted when they see him. I can't imagine what else would make them so excited - other than to see Emo balloons, Emo happy (cake), Emo decor. So, most likely, the theme is going to be a no brainer this time! :)

Has anybody celebrated or attended a birthday party at YMCA? How has your experience been at the Y?

Potty Question Mark!

2012-01-17T02:38:00.008-05:00

PAATTY- That's what POTTY is called in our household. Where does Mommy and Daddy Poo-poo/pee-pee... and the answer goes Patty! Hehe....

The duo is starting to show interest in the potty a lot now a days. We have had a potty in the house for almost 9 months now, but never used it... but now a days they like to go sit on it (RM with his pants down, RT could care less), and then they also want to wash their hands. All this made me go buy Elmo Potty DVD!

RM tries to strain a little bit when he sits on the potty, as if trying to go... but we haven't really had any trinkle in the potty. But its a start. I am in no rush, I "might" give it a shot in spring/summer. I am hoping to have some company then and plus it won't be as cold to leave naked kids running around.

Now for all you folks who have been there done that:

-I am thinking of using the potty seat (on regular toilet bowl) than the kiddie potty at home. Is that just less work, because you have one (or two) less things to clean?

-If you are using the potty seat, there is no way twins can be sitting there at the same time... how do you handle it when one is on and one is not (but wanting to get on the seat right then and there)!

-How have you handled the situation when one was more ready to be trained than the other? Did you just wait?

Any other tips/advice will be greatly appreciated!

21 Months!!

2011-12-26T22:04:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

We are already 21 months and 9 days old. The biggest part of this month has been how much their communication has improved.

-Both RT and RM are speaking up to 4 word sentences... Favorite of RT is "Happy to you Emo" (Happy Birthday to you, Elmo).

-They have two friends whose names (say - xyz) are similar (just one letter different), so if you ask them who is their friend or which friend they are meeting up with... their answer will always be xyz!

-They distinctly understand the difference between hot and cold, and will tell you if/when an item/object is hot/cold.

-They have been trying to sing their nursery rhymes by picking up on few random words in the song.

-We count 1 through 10 and A through Z... of course we skip a few numbers and letters, but we still make a good attempt at it. RT is obsessed with letters and numbers. She will read labels, she will count your hair strands, will count along with the minutes/seconds on a digital clock... she just loves any text!

-They both mimic my dads laughter and are proud about their mimicry.

-RM is obsessed with Choo Choo Trains, he has even stopped his meal once to go see Thomas on PBS one afternoon.

-RM tries real hard to whistle (blows air)

-RM will mischievously try to irritate RT by laying on her, or pulling pranks on her when she is least interested in reciprocating back... which leaves RT fussy and RM gets a kick out of it!

-Our kids are bilingual, and they mostly understand words and directions in both languages (english being one of them). Sometimes they will say both words when they are telling us

And, my husband just found my first gray hair today - I am getting old!! :O

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-26T22:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays to every one! :)

I can't believe it is almost end of this year... and I have turned in to such a slacker on this blog. Couple of things have been happening. One - kids are taking turns getting sick for the last 2 months, two - its holiday time and we have had family visiting off and on, and three - I started another blog. Its to do with fun kiddie stuff.

21 month update will be next!

20 months!!

2011-11-27T00:38:00.004-05:00

We are 20 months old as of November 26th!

This past month has just zoomed by! Right after recovering from the viral that made us cancel our trips late last month (October), we were hit by another one... which whacked up 2 more weeks! RM had to take antibiotics because the doctor suspected lung infection (since his coughing actually worsened (terribly) after a week). Then one week passed by alright, and RT is now down with fever for the last 3 days! This post has been sitting in my blogger for over a week now and it might just be a mumble jumble, but I am just going to post it!

-RT can identify and call out 8 numbers out of the first 10 numbers (she is confused about 1 and 7). She even kind of knows which number comes after which. She can identify and verbalize 24 off the 26 alphabets. She loves, loves, loves books and will keep asking "what" a million times. It will tire you out, but it has been totally worth it (looking at how much she has grasped). RM is attempting to pick on numbers and letters as well.

-They can identify: circle, square, triangle, heart, star, diamond, crescent shapes. They are starting to relate to colors, but aren't really able to identify them yet. RM can identify orange.

-RM loves to be held like a baby. Especially, with the viral... all he wanted to do was hop in to my lap and demand baby-baby, to which I held him close to my heart and rocked him. Just so precious! RT is not too fond of baby-baby... but oh my... she is a big smoocher! ;) She will randomly come and smacks her lips to yours and give you the sweetest kiss ever - over and over again! She generally likes to sit on your lap and read books, or play with her doll.

-Just after I posted last time that they still don't call out to each other, they actually started referring to each other by E (for RM) and V (for RT)... they are just letters which kind of go with their names. It's funny, they will actually kind of call out to each other with it.

-RM is starting to make 2 letter sentences, and sometimes randomly says copied jumbled up sentences!

-They are starting to call and identify some of their friends with names.

-RM can spin... and spin he does! If he spins a disk, it can very well take 5-6 (proper) rounds. He even twists his wrist in opposite direction to get a momentum! His kicks and throws (ball) are phenomenal!

-RM loves to hug his sister and caress her. And RT loves to get pampered! They look so cute when they do that!

-Both of them have been helping us clean up (their toys) before bathing/bedtime... but recently RM has been doing it unprompted... he even perfectly stacks up all the books. They both exactly know where each item goes in the room!

-They have moved on to size 6 diapers for day and night!

We have just been hit by one illness after another (every 2 weeks or so)... I am so exhausted, and I am sure the kids aren't very pleased with all this either! I can't wait for it to be spring already!

Hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving! We roasted a chicken for Thanksgiving this time... and the kids loved it!

I can't believe that in 4 short months, they will be turning 2 years old! Where has time gone?

19 months!

2011-10-25T15:02:00.007-04:00

Happy 19 months (@ Oct 26th) my little ducklings!!

We are big people who like to hold conversations! The highlight of this month is how much they are talking!

-RT has spoken on the phone with my parents for as long as 8 minutes! Answering questions in one word, saying words when prompted... with lots of gibberish along with it (of course)!

-At one time when RT was crying... RM went ahead and kept asking her "what" (as in what happened), caressing her, kissing her (trying to pacify her)... this went on for a minute or so.

-They are identifying food objects and demanding more of it verbally. Their hot favorite is "kak-kak" - that's how chicken goes!

-Peek-a-boo is called as "PeePaa" by RM. It is the cutest thing! :) He is a big copy cat, and will imitate and repeat random stuff after you!

-RT is a very observant little girl... she knows exactly where the laundry goes (after changing their PJs in the morning); she will grab our diaper bag when we are heading out; she knows what clothes are her own and which ones are her brothers. Once while waiting at the doctor's office, I was showing her a very densely filled cartoon sketch, and she could identify a small fish, dog and bird amongst all the cluster literally with in a fraction of a second!

-Body parts they can identify and pretty much say out loud are: elbows, shoulders, knees, fingers, tongue; besides the heart, head, hair, eyes, ears, nose, teeth, chin, cheeks, belly, belly button, hand, legs, buttocks, peepee! They can co-relate and identify most of these body parts on other animals and other creatures as well. RM tries to show a tail (pronounced as "Tae") on his rear! :)

-They can identify and try to pronounce (call out) or at least try to make sounds of: tiger, lion, monkey, giraffe, zebra, elephant, kangaroo, monkey, dog, cat, sheep, lamb, rabbit, cow, horse, fish, duck, turtle, frog, chicken ant, bee, owl, eagle, penguin, ostrich, butterfly... and I am sure I am missing out on some.

-They can also identify (shapes) star, circle, triangle and square. They love to gaze at stars and moon in the sky and can identify them in the books!

-"Happy" (Happy birthday to you...) is one of their favorite songs, so we celebrate birthdays several times in a day. "Whee" (Wheels on the bus...) is the other favorite song which gets repeated several times as well.

-They still don't call out to each other. Their names are not the easiest, and they start with "R" which is not always the easiest letter to pronounce.

-Stairs are climbed like big people (by holding on to the side railings). They hop on to couches as if we were born doing that. Jumping has been mastered long back. We are constantly attempting somersaults. RM loves to climb up on things and jump off it.

-After strictly following the guidelines of not putting anything in the cribs, for like ever... we introduced these cute little teddy bears (in preparation for the vacation).

-For the most part both are announcing their poopoo (mostly after the act, and some times before)!

-We have watched a LOT of tv in the last week. With our viral infection, there was no other way I could keep things sane (for the kids and us). We are in love with EMO (that's how we call Elmo).

-With the high fever and all the after effects for RM, things were pretty out of control. RT started getting insecure because we had to pay more attention to RM, on top of it RT started showing some signs of the viral. Plus we lost our sippy - RT is back to bottles! :( The one and only sippy that worked for RT, broke! And we had the virus going around. With RT being an animated and sensitive eater, and Mommy-Daddy loosing our wits over the craziness going around the house (tears, doctor, 106 F fever, tears, poopoo, medications, puke, tears, ?vacation?...), and with no help (our extended families don't live close by), and most people we could possibly seek help from have small kids - so introducing the virus to them was out of question... ...Dr. Brown is back in action! Sigh! I am going to give her some time, hopefully I can start reasoning with her and can get her over her dislike for the milk sippy.

Vacation... Vacation...

2011-10-25T14:44:00.003-04:00

I am a planner, I love planning parties, vacations... if becoming a "planner" was a little less stressful and a little more thankful job or at least a fancy paying job, I would be a professional planner. Enough of my BS.

So, we planned a *fantabulous* vacation!!! Three months in advance!! Found an awesome deal at a resort on the beach! Packed our bags a week in advance (you see - planning?) with most of the basic stuff so that I wasn't running like a maniac just before the vacation. I even went paranoid about exposing the kids to potentially snotty kids (trying to avoid last minute sickness). And then - bam! RM and I were down with a fever last Tuesday (18th). I was fine in a day, but RM's fever continued for 3 days and it went as high as 106 F. It was a viral infection (possibly Roseola), which also lead to a rash, puking and diarrhea! RT was affected by puking and diarrhea (and I am hoping we don't see the fever and rash at all for her). So we cancelled!! And we are home! And I am happy that the kids seem to be recovering! Vacations can happen some time later!!

200 :)

2011-10-07T23:37:00.002-04:00

And the previous post marked 200! I knew it up until I posted it! A little slow at posting as compared to some of the fellow cycle buddies (been blogging for 2.5 years now), but a happy 200 nevertheless! :)

18 months!!

2011-09-26T08:51:00.004-04:00

Yay - we turned 1.5 years old on September 26th. Their birth, just seems like yesterday!

-We are down to one nap. Usually the kids get up between 0730 and 0830 (sometimes 0900 if they have slept late - which is very rare). So, we do lunch at around 1130-1200 and then they are off to nap by around 1230-0100. They nap 1.5-3 hours. I think they are still mastering this whole thing, because they are sometimes very exhausted by the end of he day (depending upon how the day has gone by).

-S-i-p-p-y! Yes, RM is drinking from straw sippy all his milk (including before bed), for RT... we have finally settled for a Nuk soft spout 6 oz red cup. Yes, that is the only one she will take! I purchased a bigger one of the same kind, and nope, she won't drink from that. I think she is a little shaken with the loss of her bottle, and me eventually flipping (in the third week) and trying multiple sippy's after two weeks of close to zero (straw sippy) milk consumption. We stopped night time bottle (switched to sippy) at the beginning of third week - which was a trigger for RM to start accepting his straw sippy, and a slow progress for RT to let go off her bottle dependency. So, I guess I will give her some time. I want her to get her milk and I can not tolerate her taking less than 5 oz milk a day for days together. The duo is not a very big cheese eater, and yogurt I can only give so much. I am hoping that eventually she will try to experiment with RM's straw sippy.

-We can point at our heart, cheeks, chin, knees, pee-pee and butt, besides the hair, head, nose, ears, eyes, teeth, hand, feet, belly, belly button that we could already identify.

-They love to fart and laugh!! Before they start laughing, they will make the fart sound by their mouth! RT will occasionally tell that she has poopoo'ed, but RM has consistently told "Pooo" the last couple of days. We are not planning on potty training any time soon. I have no intentions of having 2 naked toddlers running around with some poopoo disasters happening just yet! They need to be more aware of their bowel movements.

-Sometimes, one will hold the others hand and lead them to me, especially if I am calling out for them.

-They hug, kiss, and caress each other and us a lot more frequently... pushing and a little hitting is also a new tool they have discovered to get the other one away or grab something the other one has. RM has gotten a lot more aggressive, and as a result, RT's toy grabbing has reduced.

-We kiss everything we like, from a food item on the tray to a character/animal on a book or DVD.

-One of our favorite songs is Robots are Dancing on a Baby Genius DVD. They dance like a robot and have started identifying robots in books. It's hilarious - the way the dance!! We did not show them any tv till they turned 15 months, and I do abide by the recommendation of no tv/less than 2 hours tv a day till they turn 2. Though, I think there is a fine balance between showing them stuff on these children's DVDs. They have picked up on so much that my brain could have hardly imagined.

-RT can sit at one place going through books or playing with a toy for a very long time, and RM is bouncing around from one place to another constantly. It used to be the other way round.

-They love to drop Mommy's cell phone behind the couch (between couch and the wall). I have to move the heavy couch at least once or twice a day to get my phone. Some times they just lay their hand on my phone before I can figure it out!

-There vocabulary has blossomed this month! I am not much in to counting the number of words they speak, but they pick up any random word they hear... or repeat something completely unusual. It's amazing how much it changes every month. They can associate words with actions and purpose much more now than they had ever before.

-We already have complete set of teeth. So no more counting till we get to the last 4 set of teeth around 2 years.

-Our Pediatrician appointment was yesterday (rescheduled) Oct 03, 2011. RT weighed 23.91 lbs (50 %ile), is 33.4 inches tall (I don't think they got her height right - might be a little taller than that), and head circumference is 19.2. RM weighed 26.6 lbs (75 %ile), is 33.4 inches tall and head circumference is 19.8. We have stayed consistent with our %ile's. I was a little concerned with their weights, especially RT's after her diarrhea, colds, picky eating habit, transition to sippy. But she is doing fine (touch wood). We got our flu shots for the season. Our next appointment will be at 2 years!!

We will be going on vacation this month and I am in a prep mode! :)

The Sippy Saga!

2011-09-17T02:34:00.005-04:00

RT is a very-very fussy eater. And along with diarrhea, cold, teething... I wasn't sure when I was going to get them both to give up their milk bottle (Baabaa). Then one fine day (Friday, Sept 9), enough was enough... and I just decided to give them the straw-sippy for milk (they have been drinking water from straw-sippy for a couple of months now).

The first time they were not really pleased. But, RM sucked it up (drank the milk in real sense). RM fussed a couple of times for the next few days, but then eventually had his milk. He seems to be doing fine with straw-sippy for milk (now).

RT took a week to be willing to accept the sippy. She used to push/throw the sippy cup and wanted nothing to do with it. Lack of milk and (below-average) food consumption through the day time, didn't really let my heart take the bottle before bed away from them (she is a smarty, and may be that prolonged the transition). We had decided that we were going cold turkey and taking the night time bottle away too by Thursday (if she hadn't already switched). Anyhow, Wednesday dawns and there came a "cold" (lots of runny nose and miserable little RT). Daddy was working from home that day, so he offered her the bottle to get her through the cranky day. I didn't want her to associate the bottle with me any more. Then, Thursday was a day of either a TIPPING POINT for her or a BREAKING POINT for Mommy. Three bites of rice cereal breakfast, followed by 1.5 oz milk, and four bites of chicken for lunch... that's all RT had till 0300 pm (along with a semi-runny nose). I was about to break down and give her the bottle... and bam! She finished 5 oz of milk from her straw-sippy! She has willingly taken 2 oz and 6 oz of milk after that (on Friday).

I hope this continues and I can report a bottle free household at their 18 month birthday (I am hoping that I am not speaking too soon).

Opthalmologist Appointment

2011-09-17T02:25:00.003-04:00

RM had his appointment with the Pediatric Opthalmologist on Sept 2, 2011. They checked for Lisch Nodules and looked at his Optic Nerve (markers for NF). Everything looked clear and we are supposed to follow up once a years.

Something else I learned (our Ped never quite mentioned), if there is any kind of squint (Strabismus) in the family (grandma and cousin), then a child is recommended to get their eyes checked up in the first 3 years. So we will be getting RT's eyes checked sometimes too.

Aaah - Naps!!

2011-09-07T12:15:00.007-04:00

I am having a very tough time with the transition from two naps to one! I didn't even realize when they dropped from three to two. But this one is taking for ever!

When we are out and about, RM falls asleep right away in the car at around 1100'ish, where as RT can stay up till 0300 -partying away all the while. When at home, RT just can not hold it together around 3 hours after waking (1100'ish) and RM just can't sleep till its past 1200-1230! Aaah! I have tried to stick to a schedule, they still both go in together... but it is not necessary that they will sleep at the same time - RM can be up for almost 1-1.5 hours after I put him in (sometimes fussing, sometimes blabbering, and sometimes crying). RT will normally need a second nap if she sleep this early (1100)... and since RM stays up for almost 1.5 hours, sometimes he has hardly had a 45 min to 1 hour nap in the morning and will nap again. If I let them sleep individually (as and when they want), I don't want to have naps from 1100 am to 0500 pm (approximately 1100-0100 RT, 0130-0300 RM and then 0400-0500 RT again )! This whole thing probably sounds messed up/confusing.

With all the rains and the temperatures dropping, it is already starting to get difficult to go out in the evening, and with their naps... we end up in a house arrest! Mommy doesn't like it and neither do the babes!

Thanks for all your comments about the naps, toy snatching and other recent posts!

----

Just to be a little clear... we usually don't step out in the morning (only on weekends if there are lunch birthday parties etc - which is when RT has proved that she can party till 0300 pm without a nap)... so things stay consistent. The kids are not hungry for lunch at 1100 if they have gotten up at around 0800 am, and had breakfast and milk. :( And RT gets so fussy around 1100, that it is difficult to keep her entertained with anything - may be she needs party style entertainment every day! So, if I think of taking them out (play dates) in the morning, RM will definitely doze off in the car. They both have such different personalities! Hopefuly its just a matter of time... Mommy needs to cool down!!

PRE Irene...

2011-08-30T08:20:00.003-04:00

Irene didn't cause us much woes, but nevertheless... I had prep'ed like a mad woman. I had volunteered through work for Katrina and was in Katrina-land for almost 1.5 months (soon after), and I KNOW how bad it can get. I had even packed bags, loaded up a tote with food and what not. But, fortunately... we didn't have to use any of it. We still have light, water and gas... and I am hoping we don't loose any while the authorities are fixing it for others.

So that was that! A relief. Of course Thursday and Friday before the hurricane were spent in stores trying to bulk up on bare essentials under the hope that I could chill on Saturday! I was so wrong!! Saturday was very eventful!

I am thinking that the cold/cough that was going around our house - I picked up on it. Normally, no big deal! But, I had a super stiff and sore back of my neck, shoulders and ears. I thought I sprained my neck while running around, but I realized that it hurt when I swallowed anything (even my own saliva). So, I ran to the doctor first thing in the morning on Saturday - because I wasn't sure what the heck was going on and didn't want to risk it through any crazy weather. Since, most people had panicked like me - it took for ever at the doctors office. I am fine now with the antibiotics the doctor gave me. When I had decided to go to the doctor, I also figured that our non-kiddo car died on us. Perfect! We got the battery changed on Saturday, but that wasn't the culprit and now it is sitting in the shop again. Anyways, that was still okay!

Then late in the afternoon, kids were doing their own silly stuff and all of a sudden RM started crying while holding her left hand (at the wrist) and sometimes keeping that hand limp!! She just wouldn't stop! Finally in 1.5 hours we decided that we had to run to the urgent care to figure out what the heck was happening before Irene hit us. Off I went to the doctor. It was a dislocated shoulder!!!

Around a week ago, we went for a walk while holding their hands. And they both tried to escape by trying to let go of my grip. I didn't let them go and RM decided to just plop down on the road (yes, we were walking on the side of a road close to our house (with in our community) - no side walk here - I thought the wise thing to do was to not let them escape on the road). We came home and RM started crying while holding her left wrist (just as I described above). But, she was sooo very sleepy, that she slept off, and then nothing for a week. Absolutely nothing. No signs of pain, no limpness, perfect use of her left hand - as if nothing had happened. It appears to me that something had actually happened that day, and it somehow went away and then she was playing around pre-Irene and her shoulder popped out again!

I have had dislocated shoulders thrice when I was younger - so I am very careful (never lift kids by their arms or swing them either). It looks like my daughter takes after me!

She is fine now and we are giving her Ibuprofen as per the doctors recommendation. I have never been pro-leash... but after this episode, I think may be I should get one for worst case situations - airport, fair (i.e.: super crowded unfamiliar places).

This probably sounds like a bitchy post and I know millions are in a worse off condition right now, but I just had to vent a little!

17 Months!

2011-08-26T00:08:00.005-04:00

The duo turns 17 months today! One month shy of 1.5 yrs - unbelievable!

-RM has all 16 teeth, RT is popping 4 to make her total count of 16.

-Our little people can identify A to Z. As in not each letter, but they identify it when they see it anywhere (tv, toys, songs). RM's favorite is "E" and RT's is "G". They will point out any letter and keep saying E/G.

-For them cow goes - Mooo, goat goes - Maah, elephant goes - huuu (with trunk in the air), puppy goes - wooowooo, tiger and lion go - khaaw (with a deep sound). We saw 4 deers very up close on one of the trails by our house. The kids were enchanted by them. RT calls Deer as "Dea".

-RT tries to repeat quite a few things after us. RM is catching up. He is more vocal than he was last month. I feel like RT is usually a couple of weeks ahead of RM (walking, climbing, speech). The way they refer to certain items keep changing... like diaper went from dia-dia to dibar to bar.

-RT is obsessed with "Wheels on the Bus go round and round". She will make me sing it or play the song at the drop of a hat! They both can pretty much act out the whole song. Thanks to it, they can also identify a bus, viper, wheels (on toys, cars, pictures).

-RM can properly jump with his both feet in the air at the same time. He will say "Pop" (from Pop goes the weasel) when he jumps! RT pretends with her hand in the air and sometimes one foot in the air.

-RT can properly spin balls and disks/rings. He throws a ball (to a great distance) in a very well coordinated way.

-They both can identify: head, hair, eyes, nose, teeth, ears, tummy, belly button, hands, feet (and almost chin) on themselves, other people and other objects (baby doll, puppy).

-It's amazing how much they can co-relate and identify random things. Like the Veg Straws at Costco or a bicycle in a store (after seen older kids ride it around our place).

-We did a couple of 1 nap days successfully this week. Once RT was over her cold, she could manage staying up through an early lunch, followed by a 1-2 hour nap. I am hoping that will become a routine slowly.

-RT just went through a phase of non-eating (rather bad eating) for almost 5 weeks. After the diarrhea, we were hit by cold/cough and teething! We have had a long couple of weeks. I am just hoping things will settle in a little. It also means that we didn't try milk in a sippy cup!

-For now, RT seems to be more dominating. She will grab whatever she wants from RM, where as RM will not try to pull anything away from RT. He will many a times start crying and run over to me. A very tricky situation to handle. I don't want to teach RM that it is okay to run back to RT and grab things from her, but at the same time, I don't want him to learn that it is okay to be at the receiving end. How do you handle such situations?

We are renting a house in the mountains with some friends for the long weekend. I am a little concerned about the sleep situation. But it will be a good practice to see how things will go when we go on Vacation in October (more on that later).

We go for RM's eye check up (as recommended by the Neuro specialist as a check for NF) on Friday, September 02, 2011. I hope the appointment goes well.

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Everyone stay safe with Irene headed to the northeast. I hope it is not going to create a big mess around the coast.

CD 777

2011-08-10T10:20:00.004-04:00

Yes, that's approximately how long it has been since I saw AF last - around 777 days (2 years, 1 month and 17 days... not counting the bleeding (lochia) after c-section in March 2010 and bleeding/blood clot/ER visit at around 8w pregnant... and oh yes, I stopped breastfeeding in January 2011).

I just finished my first cycle on BCP last week and AF visited right away. I felt so freakin' sick. I was nauseous (never had that before), crampy and had a head ache! LOL - it felt like puberty - only almost 2 decades later. Not fun to have the monthly AF - I definitely did not miss the outwardly physical aspect of it, but I am hoping that regulates my hormones a little!

Naps - 11 to 5

2011-08-10T07:49:00.005-04:00

Well, sort of!

As I had mentioned before, RM is pretty much on one nap. He used to go in with his sister between 1030 and 1130 depending upon how sleepy they "looked" and then they both would be out in 1.5 to 2 hours. Of which RM used to chatter away atleast 30 min. And then both went in again at around 4'ish... RT took her 2nd nap and RM used to be out in 30 minutes if he hadn't napped by then. 99% of the time RM used to be perfectly alright with one early nap - no fussiness before bed... which is not the case with RT. She can be supper fussy even after 2 naps if their bedtime is delayed (which normally it is not) or is over tired.

Anyways, so RM decided he is done with 2 naps (or so I think... unless its teething (he has already popped 16 teeth!!) or something else). For the last two days, he went in with his sister and did not sleep in the morning. The first day he was in for 1.5 hours, more than half of which he was playing and the remaining fussing! He came out when his sister woke up. Yesterday, I gave up and took him out after 1 hour. And then he has been sleeping at around 0100-0200 pm for 1.5 to 2 hours. After which he is done with his nap for the day. That is followed by his sister's second nap. So technically we have been napping between 1100 am'ish to 0500 pm'ish for the last two days!

I know RT can do 1 nap, but as I said, she can be super fussy with even 2 naps.... so she can, but she is not ready to completely transition! Aah... so now I need to figure out how I am going to handle this. I am going to experiment with not letting RT sleep in the morning and then doing an early lunch and then putting them both in for their naps. Now here is hoping that they sleep for at least 2 hours, which will help RT not take her 2nd nap and still be fine!

Any twin mommy tips will be greatly appreciated!

Brotherly Affection

2011-07-28T11:49:00.003-04:00

What do you do when a 16 month old goes and caresses, hugs, kisses his sibling because the sibling is crying and miserable?

Yes, that's what is happening. RT has been the fussiest best ever since her diarrhea. I would like to cautiously say that she is over it... but she is probably weak from the self induced fasting during the poop fest. Which makes her very sensitive and cranky. RM on the other hand, has been very understanding and caring. He will come to RT and caress her, kiss her, hug her, stroke her back/head... he has done this repeatedly when she throws a tantrum. Yesterday, Daddy dearest tried to pull RM away from RT so that he could hug and play with RM. But, RM pushed away Daddy and came back to RT to give her some love! OMG, my heart melts to see his affection and concern for his sister.

RM has always been the more affection-giving of the two right from the beginning. But to see him do this at his own will and at the appropriate time just amazes me!

16 Months!!

2011-07-26T22:04:00.003-04:00

Almost time to celebrate their (one and a) half year birthday! ;) We turned 16 months on July 26th. It's also 2 years today, since they have been with me. ET was July 28th, 2009.

This month has been a pretty hectic one with the (2+ week) diarrhea for the twins. There have been days when I wanted to run away! But, this is motherhood - it's a package deal, and I still love it... and can't feel blessed enough to be able to spend this time with them at home!

Highlights for the past month...

-They can identify songs (by action) even before the song is to start (just music or even video). Favorites include: I am a little tea pot, wheels on the bus, itsy bitsy spider, twinkle-twinkle, i am bringing home a baby bumble bee, old mcdonald's farm, six little ducks.

-Last week they have repeated words like: actual, tiger, train. So far they have kind of repeated words which are either very simple or more of a monosyllabic kinds, or are used to saying words which are repetitive like: Mama (actually Mimi for RT and MaeMae for RM), Dada, Baba (Baby) etc. RT says more words than RM. I haven't really kept a count!

-Shoes and socks as "shaaz" and Car as "kaa". We know some of these words very well, because we love being outside! Both of them will point at a car outside the window and say it out loud!

-Both of them have their favorite puppies (stuffed animals). RM is very affectionate to his puppy. He will rock him, kiss him, hug him. They have petted our neighbors dog. I foresee a demand for a dog! :)

-Love is in the air (cliche :P)... but both have become very affectionate recently. Out of the blue we will get hugs and kisses. They kiss Mommy & Daddy, and each other good night.

-We have completely mastered the straw sippy (for water) and Mommy is going to try giving milk in the sippy this month (letting go of the "baa" (bottle) is not going to be fun) once we have settled back in to our routine.

-There is a farmer's market close to our house, where we go every Friday afternoon (they have fresh farm produce - summer - yumm!). It's fun to be outside, where I don't have to be worried about a cart and stroller with narrow isles (as a result grocery trips with kids don't happen very frequently - as expected).

-So far, they are in love with those giant (un-maneuverable) kiddo carts at Target (and their likes). They get a different view and Mommy can get things done!

-With the heat wave and the poopoo issues we have stayed indoors a lot this month. We got this (the Circo version actually) during our indoor stay (Thanks to Katie for the idea). But, yesterday when we went out, they did slides on our own for the first time. We have a tot-lot right behind our house and there are tons of kids of all ages playing in the evening (out there). I have been a little hesitant letting them on to the slides with all (other kids) wild play around. So, I never encouraged or introduced them the slides purposefully. Yesterday, they figured it out themselves. So, now Mommy ain't stopping them. I am just hoping that Daddy will be back home before they get to the slides!

-We are switching from size 4 diapers to size 5 diapers after the last pack is used up today. We are soon going to need 6.5 or 7 size shoes. 18 months clothes are starting to get a little snug, but I am trying to pull through a little, because I am not too keen on buying 24 months summer/fall and winter clothes!

-RM is pretty much down to 1 nap. He still gets quite time with his sis, because there are days when he will fall asleep (if he has taken a short or an early morning nap). RT can also do 1 nap, but she will 99% of the time fall asleep when she goes in for her second nap. One weekend, RT did not take her (one and only) nap till 0400 pm - we had a (lunch) birthday party. I am just hoping they push their nap time to after lunch. They get up between 0700 and 0800 am and get sleepy between 1030 and 1130 am. Usually they sleep for 1.5 to 2 hrs.

-They understand complex commands with multiple aspects involved. :)

Two!!

2011-07-23T11:19:00.003-04:00

2 years ago, today was ER. Happy 2 years my babes! :)

Go Away Bug!

2011-07-23T11:08:00.003-04:00

And so, I thought that their tummy was getting better, and I gave them green beans on Wednesday. I was so wrong! RT could not handle it at all and she has had the worst poopoo ever since Thursday. She pooped in the middle of the night yesterday! She does not want to eat and does not want to drink much either. She is just taking milk and water... and a little bit of Pedialite Popsicles! Diaper rash is pretty bad too! Poor baby, I can't wait for her to feel better! :(

RM is going towards a constipating with the no (less) fiber diet. I am afraid to introduce fibers to him after seeing what happened on Wednesday!

We are doing a BRAT'ish diet. As in they won't eat just the banana, rice, apple sauce and toast... so I am giving those things along with some other regular/low fiber food. The Ped recommended giving them Culturelle. Hope that helps!!

Tummy Trouble

2011-07-20T16:52:00.004-04:00

We have a bug going around our house! Aggrrrh! This is the first episode of diarrhea for the twins. It started almost 10 days ago and it has taken Mommy and Daddy hostage as well. I guess we both are doing better, but the twins are still recovering. I myself have never had anything as bad ever (upset tummy for almost a week - TMI!). RM was the worst hit, RT off and on had bad poopoo. There have been days when I have changed more than 20 diapers.

The babes have been getting extra dose of fluids, and are on a low fiber diet! Fortunately, they haven't thrown up at all, or pooped at night (fingers crossed). Meals have been affected, and tantrums have flared. Can't wait for the all the tummies to be hunky-dory!

2 of Each!

2011-07-12T10:41:00.004-04:00

I think we have arrived at the stage where we need 2 of each! We want the same toy! One wants to open a drum, the other wants to shut it. One wants to drag the doodle around, one wants to draw on it. Fun times!! The big ride on toys (example: trike), we have two of those... but some of these tiny ones, we were very content with one thus far, but this month there has been a big explosion of individualisticness(?)! I see a lot of $ spent on toys from now on. Even if I try to find something on craigslist/garage sale... who has 2 of each?

I wonder how we are going to entertain them in the winter!? Probably a tall claim, but I am planning on making them swim champs by the time it is Spring next year. ;) We are getting a family membership at the Y in fall. Twin Mommies: Have you taken your kids swimming alone? How do you handle them? My twins love the water and are not really afraid of it (we did swim lessons). Also, some of you seasoned Moms, do you have any recommendation for indoor toys for the upcoming fall/winter? I was thinking of getting a slide-climber. One of that slide should be enough I would like to imagine! :P

Thank you for your comments about the milk situation! :)

Got Milk?

2011-07-11T11:16:00.005-04:00

I had never imagined that I would be putting up this post (especially with RM's experience). RT was never a big milk drinker, but RM loved his milk and at one point of time was taking 40 oz formula. Also, with the reflux they always took really small quantities and fed several times a day (and night?). When we switched them to whole milk around 12 months, I really had to work on bringing down their feeds and total milk for RM.

Now? OMG - how do I get these kids to drink milk? They get milk 3 times in a day... around 6, 6 and 8 oz. If I didn't make them finish their milk at least 2 times out of the 3 - they would be drinking close to 13 oz (or less) only! They do get yogurt, and I do mix in cheese in some of the foods they eat. But, yogurt is sometimes restricted if either of them is constipated (more common with RM). Also, if one decides that they are done with their milk, the other one stops too (twindom)! Now, I am starting to wonder if I should cut down on food and give them more milk! LOL!!

I know they recommend around 16-18 oz, plus a serving of cheese/yogurt. Calcium and other nutrients from milk are important, because food can be a hit or miss.

How much milk does your toddler (around 15 months) drink?

---

UPDATE

After a failed attempt around 2 months back with a straw sippy, I reintroduced it today and they loved it! Got the hang of it without me having to show it to them. I hope the interest lasts and we are able to transition to a straw sippy for milk as well (umm... we still do bottles for milk - I don't care if they continue - taking milk in a bottle just 3 times a day for few minutes is not going to ruin their teeth/jaw - but it ain't fun when they get the bottle to drip and think that it's a toy! Though, it will probably also be much more difficult to get rid of the bottle in the future). And as Baby Smiling pointed out in the comments, the volume of milk going in to their tummy might be a matter of the means to provide it. So, we shall see!

15 Months Ped Appointment

2011-07-11T11:03:00.003-04:00

15 month Ped appointment was on Friday, July 8th.

Stats for RM:
Weight: 26.18 lbs (75 %ile) (approx 2+ lbs gain)
Height: 32.4 inches (75-90 %ile)
Head Circumference: 19.8 inches ( 95 %ile)

Stats for RT:
Weight: 22.9 lbs (50 %ile) (approx 1.5 lbs gain)
Height: 32.87 inches (90 %ile)
Head Circumference: 19.09 inches (95 %ile)

Both seem to be stable in the development, though RT seems to be gaining weight slightly less than RM. She is such a picky eater and that is probably what is showing in her progress, and RM on the other hand - loves food (gotta watch out in the future)!

RM spiked a fever of 101F on Saturday morning (when effect of the Ibuprofen from last night wore out), though both were under control after another few doses. They both seem to like the sweet taste of the med and were swaying from side to side appreciating the taste. ;)

I still need to schedule their next appointment, slipped out of my mind before leaving the docs office.

Last Year, This Time...

2011-07-04T23:38:00.003-04:00

Last year, this time... I was sinking in to motherhood and celebrating my 1 year anniversary of IVF cycle (the non BCP part)! I started my Lupron on 7/2/2009. Those dates seemed so important last year and I could tell them without having to look at my blog timeline. Those dates always will be important, but today I have toddling proof(s) around me 24/7, so I am less sentimental about it.

This year, this time... I am waiting for my insurance/pharmacy to send me my BCP. Our insurance changed in May and they want us to go through an online pharmacy! It has taken 2+ weeks between my OB's office (lazy) staff and the "pharmacy" already... and they are still processing my Rx. Long story short, I spoke to my OB and requested him to send in my BCP Rx so that I can get my lovely aunt back! So, as soon as the pills arrive, I am back to an infertile taking BCPs.

15 months!!

2011-06-26T01:09:00.004-04:00

Couple of years ago, when motherhood was still in the waiting, I wondered why on earth did Mommies calculate their kiddos ages in months. I used to think - for heavens sake the child is 1 yr old or 1.5 yrs old... why do you have to call it as 14 months or 18 months! Hehe... and right now I find myself doing the same thing. What I have realized is that the babes change so fast, that every month makes a huge difference in their understanding and growth - and 13 months is just not the same as 1 yr or 1.25 yrs.

So here we are at 15 months. I am getting to a point where I just can't bullet list their progress. They are little people, who understand multi-task directions and are very good at executing them! I feel like we actually have some kind of reciprocation from our toddlers (only, not in a completely verbal form). A few tidbits at 15 months...

-RT still has 12 teeth (same as 14 months), and RM has 14 teeth and is probably working on his left side canines.

-RM has been completely off his reflux medication for 10 days now (last day 06/16) and RT has been over it for a month now! Yippieee! I think their transition from crawling to walking was a big milestone and that time frame has been the period that their bodies transitioned.

-They used to like their medication mixed in with some formula... so we were using formula till we wrapped up the meds (just for meds or may be one feed sometimes). Right now both are taking between 16-20 oz of whole milk total (split in 3 feeds).

-RM has a new found love of self feeding! He has been doing great at lunches and snacks. RT has been feeding herself for the past few months, but she can be such a fussy eater (she is my super animated drama queen), that I have to help her out!

-RM has started giving open mouthed big kisses to everybody. Sometimes RM and RT will hug each other and shower each other with kisses. That is the most adorable thing ever.

-Both of them are starting to get more vocal and repeating words. RT pretty much copies and reapeats any random word every now and then. RM tries to repeat words to... his latest (constantly repeated) word is bay-bay (bye-bye)

-We are pretty close to 1 nap (how long have I been saying that for?). We can go with 1 nap, but then can get very fussy towards the end. So I am still getting them to go in for their 2nd nap.

-We went to NYC today, and the kids loooved it! They were mesmerized by the helicopters at a helipad near by. They always wave goodbye to any flying machine in the air and couldn't digest (initially) the idea of it being on the ground and then taking off! :) We went in to one of the office buildings and they liked the view and wouldn't move away from the window.

-We go in for our 15 month shots on July 8th.

I probably forgot to mention. Our neighbor has a 2.5 yr old (IVF) baby girl and she will be going in for her beta on Monday for project sibling. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this works.

Lingo

2011-06-15T15:31:00.003-04:00

Something funny - that kids find! Well, this has been happening for a while now... but I totally missed out on it. Our kids are bilingual (or may be tri... however, spanish is not one of them). We speak one language at home and they are exposed to quite a few English words, songs and sometimes we converse in English too. There is another language that falls on their ears too (via songs). It seems that they can actually kind of identify and relate to these languages. The musical table we have, plays Spanish (like quite a few other toys now a days)... they get such a big kick out of it. They will start giggling and laughing when they hear that. They think it is funny, and this has been happening ever since they were around 10 months old! :)

Weight Issues

2011-06-07T13:10:00.004-04:00

Too lazy? Probably!

Well, I am still waiting to shed my pregnancy fat! I am getting to a point where I am just fat, and not fat because I was pregnant with twins or nursing twins (read Mommy hogging). Am I exercising - no... I should be, but I am not. I am on the go constantly. When the twins are napping (not a couch potato), I am mostly cleaning, organizing, prepping and sometimes lazing (some me time?)! I have been trying to eat healthy, but that is not even helping tiny bit.

Now, the tricky one! I still don't have my sweet Aunt, Flo! I stopped pumping in Jan and waited for 3-4 months. Called my OB in April, he asked to wait for a month more and see what happens! I waited, in the interim got sick of waiting and tried a few home remedies to get my hormones in control (tried some body cleansing herbs, and goats rue - supposedly a natural cure for PCOS gal like me). I spotted juuust a little bit in May. I wanted to give natural way a try - because I am not really super concerned about what is happening in my body as I was when we were TTC and I am ready to take chances (time is not at premium right now as it was back then). I know herbal stuff can take time. But, I don't know if I am ready to wait for couple more months! It is a vicious cycle. My hormones (are F'ed up and) are probably not letting me loose weight and the weight is not letting my body tame my hormones. I look back at my 2007 pictures and admire my cheek bones, double chin-less chin, acne free skin. And I crave to go back to it! I was on BCP then and we were prep'ing ourselves to start TTC (I had lost 20 lbs, was eating right and exercising). I think I am going to give in and call my OB! I don't want to be on BCP all my life, but I need to get started towards becoming a healthier Mommy! Exercise and BCP seems like a good combination? I need my AF back!

Sometimes...

2011-06-07T12:46:00.004-04:00

Sometimes, I just sit and admire...

-baby soft skin
-disappearing fat roles
-tender tiny fingers
-tiny toe nails
-firm grasp of hand
-growing nostrils
-pearly white teeth
-soft dense hair/curls
-real and fake laughter
-innocent hugs and kisses
-trust
-crocodile tears
...the list goes on!

These things have changed over time and are changing further. I remember how excited I was about their developmental milestone... and now, some of those milestones are becoming an every day thing and are often taken for granted. So, I sit, and stare, and admire ...of what there is. My babies are growing!

14 Months!!

2011-05-31T11:08:00.011-04:00

Almost 14 months 1.5 week! Yes, I am becoming a blog slacker! I typed it all up 1 week late and then kept waiting to format it a little bit (its too long....). Here goes...

The twins are on a roll! They are constantly walking or running. I am trying to remember how they crawled... they will be on their all fours only if they are trying to reach out to something while they are sitting, otherwise they are my two big little babies! ;)

Highlights for this month:

-RM will try to act out Twinkle-Twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Six Little Ducks! Of course he doesn't get the whole things, but it's fun to watch him identify the song and then act differently at each of them. RT does it too, but has not been as animated as RM.

-RM says something like quack-quack (more like qock-qock). It took me a couple of times to positively identify that he indeed is repeating me or saying it when he sees a duck (along with signing it). They both raise one hand up to show how an elephant raises its trunk and say "uuuuuuh", they show how birds fly (flapping both arms), RT goes "ooo ooo ooo aah aah" for how Monkey calls out (RM tries but its a hit or miss).

-RM & RT both try to say "water" when I give them their "sippy"... well, RM still doesn't really like his sippy. I have to open it up and he drinks it like he is drinking from a cup/glass like a big-big boy! He hates the spout, he will drink up to 1-2 ounce of water without stopping. One less thing I have to worry about weaning him off of. But, it is just inconvenient, because I have to hold it for him (so that he doesnt choke with too much of it going down the wrong way) and guard him from his sis, so that she doesn't attack and the water is all over his face! Plus, he can't drink on the go (car etc). RM and RT consume close to 5-8 oz water through the day.

-They are down to 20-24 oz milk in a day (4 times) - much better than 2 months ago. We don't really give them any juices, though they will once in a while sip on it if offered (RT likes grape and orange juice, RM likes watermelon and orange juice).

-They both are teething big time. RM is getting his lower right front tooth and canine, with upper right canine and molar, and lower left molar (13 total). RT is sprouting out her upper and lower molars (12 total). They both have been pretty fussy lately due to the pain.

-RT is completely off her reflux meds for the past 2 weeks (last day 05/22) and she seems to be doing fine!! We reduced RM's medication to just half a dose yesterday.

-RT climbs on the couch/(lowered) bed un-assisted. RM does it occasionally, but hasn't still mastered it.

-They both love bubbles, swings, slides...! When outside, they will try to follow older kids and play with them. They try to go up & down slopes... fall down, crawl up, get up, roll down - its hilarious! :)

-RT tries to blow her own nose - funny! ;)

-RM can identify his own nose, hair, teeth, tummy (and sometimes will point out mine too). RT can identify her own nose, hair, teeth, tummy, belly button, hand and will point out mine too. She can identify moles - she pretends that they are food items and tries to feed those to me! :P

-Our Boston trip (2 weeks ago) - to say the least was hectic (as expected). We went for a graduation, which was successful, but we didn't end up doing any touristy stuff at all.

-They both are loving their swim lessons. We also got a baby pool and water table (for them to play in our backyard)... do I need to say they are loving it!?

-They both understand and follow instructions very well (and sometimes do things on their own). A few of them:

*they will start heading towards the stairs if tell them its bath time... once they are up, they will head towards their bathroom (and sometimes try to climb in to the tub);

*they will bring us our phones if asked to; they will run to our home phone to bring it to us (if it rings);

*if asked to give a (friend's) babies sippy, they will try to hand it over to the baby;

*they will head towards the high chair if I tell them its food time;

*they will put their fingers in their mouth when I tell them its teeth brushing time. Brushing RT's teeth is the most un-productive task I do in my entire day - she hates it! On the other hand RM loooves it;

*they both shut our safety gates on their own;

*they will bring over their clothes to wear if we are leaving the house;

*they know where shoes and socks go (on their little feet) and will try to say what it is (call it "shaaj");

*I normally have a few balls and toys in our stroller - RT will pick those out and put them back in place after she is done.

-They know how to throw a tantrum when told "no" or they don't get what they want. :)

-With all their activities, all those fat roles are starting to disappear... their thighs are getting skinnier - I will miss those curves, but it's all good! :D

Memorial Day weekend was a staycation for us. But, we went to a small local zoo last weekend. They loved the birds and the penguins, farm petting area etc. Most animals were taking their afternoon nap unfortunately and were not very active. No activity = lack of interest for 1 year olds. We had a great time nevertheless.

We are going for strawberry picking coming weekend and a BBQ at the park the following weekend. Their Uncle is coming today and staying with us for 10 days. He is pretty cool - so it will be some fun times. So June's going to be busy for us!!

Blank

2011-05-17T06:53:00.003-04:00

I couldn't figure out what to label this post. This post is a bunch of mixed feelings. It is a sigh of relief that RM's life has not been labelled with NF. But, who knows what the future holds? NF can sometimes show significant indicators along puberty, so this might just remain a big question mark for a while. As per some ("scientific info"), NF can be just a label, and not affect a person at all (other than some markings on the body), but for some - it can be life altering. Or, this could just be some discoloration and not be NF at all. I can only hope that he will do fine. He will be as normal as normal can be.

It is unfair to compare, but often I do just that. Genetically/biologically girls are wired to be ahead of boys during their early years. RT started balancing, crawling, walking, self feeding, repeating words, understanding instructions etc before RM. I wonder if RM is behind his sister just because he is a male? Or is NF causing him to be slower? Am I thinking too much? Comparison is not right, but keeping track of his progress is important, and I have a scale right in front of my eyes. RM has pretty much followed his sister (at the most) in a months time in whatever skills he picks up... so it is not like he is lacking behind, and when I actually compare him with other boys and with what the pediatrician wants him to do, he seems to be right on track.

Some times I feel I am thinking too much about him and too little about his sister. I feel like may be I am being biased. Some things can go unnoticed... am I ignoring something obvious about my daughter, because I am too concerned about - apnea, cardio, more severe reflux, undescended testicle, NF for my son?

I am a kind of a person who likes to know all (?) my options and be relatively proactive. Such issues (besides IF) are a smack on my face, because they are totally out of my control. All I can do is to try to have patience and be aware.

RM Update

2011-05-16T12:23:00.003-04:00

The doctor called back (actually a week ago)... and the x-ray looked normal! Yay! RM doesn't need to see any ortho and neither is it a positive indicator for NF. Breath-in-breath-out!

Happy M Day!

2011-05-08T07:37:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful Mommies and Mommies in the making!

Enjoy Him...

2011-05-07T13:33:00.009-04:00

...is what the doctor said, and my eyes swelled up with tears!

That, is the short version!

We had our appointment (for RM) with the neurogeneticist on Friday (May 6th) (for more details, see previous post here). Of course I went back to Dr. Google this last week and went over whatever I could lay my hands on about neurofibromatosis (NF). At the appointment RM was not "diagnosed" with NF1 (this would be NF1 and not NF2). You need two of the several features to exist, for a diagnosis to be made. RM has several spots (café au lait spots?) on his body, some of which are distinctly visible and some of which you will notice only when you hold him down and scan through his body. In general, when you look at him, nothing looks abnormal. Ever since I heard about NF, I have been (discretely) scanning other kids to see if they have any such spots/discoloration, and honestly... quite a few kids have them! Even RT has some spots on her.

I had more questions than what the doctor intended to discuss with us or give information to us about. Some of the things we discussed (about NF1) are as follows:

*80% of people affected with NF1 will live a "normal" life.
*There is a chance of learning disability, so it is important to be vigilant about his grasping power and (relative) milestones. At this juncture he is right on mark developmentally and we do not need to seek any therapy.
*We have to schedule an eye check up for him. NF1 kids can have issues with the eyes.
*RM has a slight curvature to his tibia (bone in the calf - visible only if I point it out to you). Our Ped had attributed it to his positioning in the womb. However, NF1 can cause weakness in bones and sometimes curvature in bones in the leg or spine. So, an x-ray was taken and we are supposed to be hearing from the doctor on Monday. If there is any issue with the x-ray we might be directed to an orthopedic. Sometimes such situation can make bones more prone to fracturing. Also, depending upon the situation, this could signify NF1 (remember, (above) you need 2 things to positively identify NF1?).
*NF1 can cause benign (and very rarely cancerous) tumors, they can be surgically removed but are often left as is (unless it causes any physical or cosmetic pain).
*We discussed his reflux, apnea, cardio (congenital heart defect - can be a concern for NF), IVF (I asked if there are any studies relating IVF to NF - answer was "no")... and nothing seemed concerning to the doctor. She (doctor) noted his birth weight and height. He currently weighs 25 lbs and is 30.5 inches long (at ~ 13.5 months).
*NF1 people can have big heads. She measured his head again (since it is in the 90+ %ile). Then she measured RT, Daddy and my head as well. We all fall in 90+ % (I am actually off the chart - 100+), and she thinks its a genetic thingy!
*She marked and measured all the spots for her record, assessed his joints, muscle strength, walking etc.
*Before my IVF cycle, I had met up with a genetic counselor about epilepsy (it runs in our family - see post here). From what I have read, NF1 could cause seizures... the doctor however, does not think there is a "high" correlation between epilepsy and NF1.
*As mentioned before (previous post), RM has a big spot on his right thigh - she said it was a mole (birth mark) since it was very dark. I also mentioned to her that I used to feel like quite a few spots on his body were new, but in fact I found many of those in pictures that were taken in the early months (after birth). Skin color changes over time and with growth the spots can expand, as a result they are more prominently seen (now) than they were before.
*He will be assessed annually to see if there are any changes in the spots. The size of some of the spots can increase proportionately with growth. Some new spots can pop up too.

One of the last questions I asked was - what do we need to look out for (new spots etc) and she said ENJOY HIM!! I-Wanted-To-Cry! And I am almost in tears as I type this up again. The doctor said, unless there is any drastic change in him, we should not worry.

He is a beautiful-strong-child. RM and RT are my precious miracles. I have Faith, and I will fight for them!!

Pregnant Flash Mob for the March of Dimes

2011-05-04T12:03:00.002-04:00

It is when I see such things, is when I wish I could have enjoyed my pregnancy than constantly freaking out! Oh well, I have two cutie pies with me now - so it is all well! :)

Suggestions for Summer Toys & Boston?

2011-05-04T11:41:00.004-04:00

Any suggestions for summer (outdoor toys)? I am thinking of buying a baby pool and one of those sand/water tables (see Step2 WaterWheel Activity Table).

Also, we will be going to Boston for a graduation (in 2 weeks time). Any kid friendly places you have been to that can be covered in a day?

Thanks in advance for your comments!

May 6th is coming!

2011-05-02T11:41:00.003-04:00

13th month update is still sitting on the edit list. I can't believe I am so far behind... I have been smack on time posting their monthly update (however crude those posts might be)... but this time, I am yet to complete it! I guess being on my own is taking some getting used to.

The biggest thing on my mind is Friday, May 6th. 3 months have already passed and we will be headed for RM's genetic consultation for Neurofibromatosis (NF). I don't know what future holds, and I hope it is the best that it can be. But, for now... he is such a lively - strong - smart little child. A few spots on his body should not stop him and those spots need to be just spots and nothing more. I am numb right now... not thinking much of what it can be. As friday approaches, I don't know what state I might be in. Please send us some prayers!

Yay!

2011-05-01T12:49:00.002-04:00

So much to say, so little time. It's my birthday today! 2 years ago I had a BFN the eve of my birthday! Here I am celebrating 1 year, 1 month and 5 days of our darlings!

In short, my Mom went back and I am handling everything alone. It ain't bad at all... and in fact I am enjoying doing it all by myself. The kids miss her... but we are venturing out a lot (weather!!), so they are having a good time too.

Will post more soon!

13 Months!

2011-04-25T11:16:00.009-04:00

...And the month counting continues! :)

The kiddo's are 1 year 1 month (+)! Some of this update overlaps with the 14th month, cause I can't quite remember what they did up until 2 weeks back and what they just started doing... result of me slacking on posting this!

-RM started walking independently a week after turning 13 months. They can both walk across the room in the same pace (speed)... they literally run some times.

-They will caress each other, hug each other, roll over each other, giggle together - its just so adorable!!

-RT has 4 teeth at the top and 4 at the bottom. RM has 4 teeth at the top, 3 at the bottom and one molar on the lower right. He did not have any new tooth coming out for a couple of months now and all of a sudden 4 sprouted out - he was miserable last week.

-They love, love, love going out. They seek any opportunity they can to go outside the house. The love strolling in the Bobs, walking on the grass, checking out puppies, try to follow older kids. Thankfully the weather is getting better finally (besides the spring "showers").

-RM started making tiger roar (imitated me) when he was asked to do so... it is hilarious... he uses his throat (deep sound) to bring on the sound effect.

-Both sleep through the night (STTN) - almost a month now with no middle of the night feed (MOTNF)! They will sleep for around 11 hours at night plus anywhere between 1 to 3 hours during the day time.

-I bathed them both together for the first time yesterday! Now that they sit, stand, walk with great ease... I felt confident bathing them together. RT was very curious with RM's boy parts (I couldn't stop laughing while I was asking her not to touch it - not very nice of me :P)!

-We stopped RT's morning reflux medication 3 weeks ago and RM's medication 2 days back (after the 4 teeth that popped out). I am not commenting on how they are doing, because the last time I spoke too soon.

-They are 100% on table food. I will make something separate only if our food is going to be something super spicy or tangy (we still don't do sour stuff since they are on the reflux meds). I keep experimenting with the snacks, because they just do not want to eat the same stuff everyday (example: cereal)! RT is down to around 20 oz whole milk and RM to around 25ish oz. Them starting with more table food has helped with reducing the milk!

-Milk is through a bottle for both of them. RT takes her sippy for water... she will sip through it intermittently through out the day. RM still not liking anything other than his bottle for water. He will drink water only after meals. We tried the straw bottles, but it was a no go... will give it a shot again in a couple of days.

-Both are in size 4 diapers for at least the last 2-3 months. Night time is size 5. Clothes wise, we are in 18 months, but RT can still sneak in a few 12 month clothes. They both wear size 6 shoes.

-I have to have a separate post for RT. She is one smart girl, and I want to remember what all she did. Here is a sneak preview. I have said before, she understands everything and does all these things without being asked to do so (on her own). She will bring my phone to me when it starts ringing; I put soiled/used clothes on our stairs so I can take it up to our laundry pile (upstairs), she has figured that out and will put her clothes up there too; she will shut the safety gate behind her once she is on the other side of it (imitates us); she will bring RM's jacket and socks to him when we have to step out; she has sharp ears - she will identify a plane by the noise even before you realize - she will wave goodbye to it even if she is drinking milk or busy with something else; if the music we play for their sleep is on and she can hear it on the baby monitor she signs that her brother is sleeping; I brought her a small purse, she will put that on her arm and wave everybody goodbye; she can identify their 1st birthday pictures on the digital photo frame and will start clapping "happy birthday" to herself; one of my friend came over the other day with her 5 month old baby... RT sat besides the baby quietly giving him some toys and being mesmerized by his babyhood!

-RM does quite a few things that RT does, but many a times he is lost in his wild play (pulling things down, rolling over pillows, banging toys, spinning wheels etc). He recently started signing birds, just like his sister. He will bring you his toys (if you ask for it) and then laugh and run away (the toy still with him)! If you ask him not to do something, he will give you a sly smile and do it anyways... he will pretend as if he is ready to attack something (by rocking back and forth) when you ask him not to go near it (his favorite is his sisters poopy diaper!!!).

-We started swim lessons at the Y last Saturday. They are enjoying it!

I have been trying to meet up with some local mommies on meetup.com... and it has been great fun for the kids and myself. I have realized that I am loosing friends! Either things have gone sour during the fertility treatment (a very common phenomenon with quite a few IF'ers )... or our timings and schedules just do not work with our non-parent-friends OR not-so-strictly-schedule-following-parent-friends.

Zzz...!

2011-04-16T14:35:00.003-04:00

Finally!! Yes, RM slept (napped) with in a minute of fussing yesterday and then no fuss at all last night. Today's nap wasn't eventful either. So, I guess he's got a hang of it? :P

In short, both are sleeping with out any assistance during nap and at night... and that too STTN without any MOTNF!! Yay!

A Foodie Post!

2011-04-15T16:31:00.006-04:00

With a developing taste and a personality, sometimes it is hard to figure out what to serve our little people. Here are some recipes of the items they love. I don't quite follow specific recipes, unless I am baking desserts (I can screw up sweet stuff, if I try to experiment)... so this is more of a list of things required and how to make it (without specific quantity information).

Whole Wheat Tortilla French Toast

Ingredients: Egg, whole wheat tortilla, oil and salt (optional: Cinnamon, milk, sugar).

Beat up the egg and add any of the optional items listed above as per taste preferences. Dip tortilla in the mixture and put it in the (oiled) pan. Since the tortilla is already cooked, you just need to wait till the thin layer of egg cooks.

Green Mac n Cheese

Ingredients: Mac n Cheese (I usually get a whole wheat organic box), spinach, garlic, oil, salt, pepper (optional: onions, carrot, green beans, herbs or any other spices).

Boil the "mac" and keep aside. Saute the spinach (and any other optional veg) and garlic in oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grind the vegetable mixture. Now proceed to make the mac n cheese the way you would usually make and add the vegetable mixture in.

Grilled Yogurt Chicken

Ingredients: Chicken pieces, oil/butter, plain (non sweetened) yogurt, salt, pepper, chilly powder, ginger and garlic paste (optional: any other herbs and spices as per your taste preferences).

Mix all the ingredients together and let it marinate (the longer the better). Oil the pan/tray and put the marinated pieces in it. Grill till its cooked. Vegetables can be grilled in the same way.

Whole Wheat Pudding

Ingredients: Wheat grain, water, milk, sugar (optional: crushed nuts, Cinnamon).

Soak the wheat over night. Grind the soaked wheat to desired consistency. Add water to the ground wheat mixture and let cook on low flame (heat setting). Once semi-cooked, add milk and sugar and any of the optional items. Let it simmer. Can be served warm or cold.

Green Lentil Soup

Ingredients: Lentil, carrots, green beans, spinach (basically any vegetable that you/your kids like), garlic, black pepper/chilly powder/curry powder (spice), onions, salt, oil.

Saute the onions and garlic, then add finely chopped vegetables. Add the spice and salt. Mix in well and then add the lentil. Let cook on slow flame till the lentil is perfectly cooked.

Any meat can be added to this recipe as well.

Baked Green Eggss

Ingedients: Eggs, milk, salt, pepper, garlic, potatoes, red pepper, spinach (any vegetables that you like).

Finely chop all the vegetables and saute in oil and garlic. Add salt and pepper once cooked. Transfer to a pan/tray. Beat the eggs well and then add it to the vegetables. Let it bake in the oven till the eggs completely cook!

30 Minutes?

2011-04-14T11:31:00.003-04:00

Is this for real? RM is quietly laying in his crib after 30 minutes of cry/fuss fest! Am I speaking too soon?

RT went in at the same time as RM today... she fell asleep after 5 minutes of fussing since RM was crying.

Now let's how long they sleep for... the last two days record was 30 and 20 minutes for RM... way too less than his 3+ hour record! RT sleeps anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours at a time.

I have way too many posts this month! ;) The last time I posted this much was in April 2010 (the first month of motherhood)!

(Semi) Live Update

2011-04-13T20:27:00.003-04:00

So, tonight... RM started crying hysterically as he got in to his crib. As if he remembered what had happened this morning. I had to walk him a little and pacify him. Pat him while he laid in his crib... is that a mommy caving in? Ughh... this is hard. Is he going to get traumatized and hate his crib or finally realize that this is how it is going to be and deal with it! Aaah parenting!

Thanks for your comments girls! Makes me wanna believe that there is light at the end of this tunnel!

CIO Help?

2011-04-13T12:11:00.004-04:00

What to do with a child who just won't nap without assistance?! I hate to make him cry. This is the second day trying to help him fall asleep on his own. And he has gone for 1 hr straight both days! Getting him drowsy before nap, patting, pacifying intermittently, soothing music won't help! He was sleepy when I took him to his crib, he is well fed and the diaper is clean! He can handle around 4 hours from the time he gets up in the morning... and now with all the crying it is 5 hours!! No, I am NOT a cruel Mommy who doesn't want to rock a baby to sleep. I just don't want to be jumping from crib to crib trying to get two toddlers to sleep... because in that case we are just going to have two overly tired cranky sleepless kids in the house! Patienc - breath in - breath out...!

---

Just to be a little bit more clear - so I can seek better advice! We do follow a routine and the kids know it. The only difference is, they kinda recieved individual attention thus far, and so it was easy to accomodate some of their needs (which included attention during sleeping - blame it on burps due to reflux OR Mommy's self built demon?). RT is sleeping by herself (already), she is the one who used to have most issues with sleeping on her own, and RM was the easy one. But for some reason, he has started to get clingy (seperation anxiety kicking back in?). He will get in to the crib... roll around, shut his eyes and almost fall asleep and then... bam! He gets up and wants to be held! I wrote the above part while he had reached his 1 hour mark of crying. He slept after around 1 hr and 10 minutes of crying, but got up in 20 minutes (he usually naps between 1.5 to 3 hrs now a days - mostly one nap a day). We are still going to keep trying. He is a tough cookie - as described in previous post - a focused & determined kid - which is back firing in this case!

Must Haves...

2011-04-12T22:43:00.006-04:00

A list of things that I think were the most helpful in the 1st year...

Sony Baby Call Nursery Monitor - We have never ever had any issues with noise or weak signal. One of the best ones in the market I think!

Breathable Baby Bumper Pad - We never ended up buying this whole bedding set for their crib. With the bumpers and pillows and blankets not really recommended for baby bedding, I thought it was a waste of money. So we just ended up getting sheets and the Breathable Baby Bumper. The kids cant step on it and try to climb up and at the same time they are soft enough to cushion any bumps... plus as the name mentions - they are breathable.

Golden Slumbers - A Father's Lullaby - This is what we play when they are ready to go take a nap or go to bed (since birth). Very soothing!

Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo - The best toy ever. You can't beat it when it has over 1000 reviews on Amazon rating it at 4.5 stars!

Baby Trend Double Snap N Go - A must have for a twin Mommy! Light weight and compact. Not very good at maneuverability, but it works perfectly well when the babies are small.

JJ Cole Bundle Me - Best way to keep the babies warm without having to dress up super warm!

Columbia Pigtail Hats - Super cute and super warm. They stay secure... the Velcro is pretty good and it doesn't come off easy.

Medela Pump In Style Advance - Our life line!

The Breastfeeding Mothers Guide To Making More Milk - A bible on making more milk... just like the title suggests! Without this I wouldn't have made it!

Flip video - the best thing ever to capture video on the go and discretely... whenever our twins figure out that we are taking a video of them, they start heading over to the video camera... this is so tiny, that we can actually sometimes capture them without them realizing. I CAN NOT believe, they are actually getting rid of this product! I don't think they ever marketed this enough!

So glad...

2011-04-12T22:04:00.001-04:00

I am so glad I decided to blog! I was backing up my blog today and went through some of the posts! It felt so good to have all this writen down and revisit some of the posts! An amazing journey!!

C . I . O

2011-04-12T20:35:00.006-04:00

How many times have I visited the CIO! Well, a couple of times for sure!

Finally did it! I thought of myself to be one of the non CIO types. But, you know what, it was important for my sanity and for a healthy family relationship! Till now, I kept going thinking that I do not want the babies to cry. The biggest culprit thus far was reflux! Our babies had major burping issues because of reflux, and reflux probably also lead to very less milk intake (one feed was around 3-4 oz almost up until 8-10 months for both)... which led to multiple feedings till very recently (and thus a lack of proper schedule). So, I refused to make them starve through the night and kept feeding them! Over all both the kids were pretty good night sleepers (besides RT's phase of frequent night wake ups around 6'ish month), so it was okay to get up and feed/burp them and put them to bed again (we do not co-sleep). But as they started turning in to these little toddlers, who ate pretty decently and who once in a blue moon completely slept through the night (STTN)... they decided that they wanted to be held for around 5-10 minutes after each feed (1-2 times in a night (per child) - totaling to up to 4 feeds a night)... sometimes our saga use to go on for an hour (especially for RT)! My mom has been with us off and on ever since the babes were born, so it was manageable... I could sleep in occasionally if it was a very bad night. But, with her leaving now, this was getting to a point where it was almost impossible to manage. So we decided to go for it!

The first night (April 7th), we let them have their first middle of the night feed (MOTNF). But, after RT's feed... she wanted to be held! So she got dropped in to her crib - after pacifying her, I left the room. And the CIO began! She cried for 2.5 hours off and on! For the first 1 hour... we tried to follow the Ferber method. But every time we pacified her, the crying just got stronger! She woke RM up just 5 mins in to her CIO. Though, he slept off in an hour! That was the only night RT cried... she has pretty much STTN since then and no MOTNF either. And I hope it stays that way!

As mentioned above, RM woke up because of RT's cries on April 7th. He slept (after using the Ferber method) in an hour. He has STTN once since then and the remaining nights he has gotten up, CIO for some time and slept on his own (it just seems like Ferber method doesn't do us very good... the kids get worked up too much when they see us and actually start settling themselves for the most part without us interfering). Every time the CIO time has gone down... with the shortest being around 7 minutes. There have been no MOTNF feeds ever since. Though, the wanting to be held part was also being carried forward during the nap times and during falling asleep for the night part as well. So we have had to try the CIO for those two settings as well (starting today - Mommy just has 2 hands and 2 overly active toddlers to handle!). Today for his nap, he cried for an hour and slept for 30 min - it was a crappy nap! Though he fell asleep in less than 10 minutes for tonight.

In short, it seems to be working. I just hope I am not speaking too soon! They both are still adjusting to the lack of almost 5 to 10 oz milk that they consumed at night, so our day time feeding is a little disturbed. Hopefully, this will also help in cutting down the total volume of milk that RM consumes and hopefully not ruin their teeth either. We will be giving a second try on getting rid off the reflux medication soon, and getting them used to falling asleep on their own will probably help if the reflux fights back (aka - the nasty burps)! Personally, I feel less like a zombie and better prep'ed when I get up in the morning. It hurts to see them cry so much - but this is for their and our good, and I am trying carry through all the tears and not give in! RT and RM have been also sleeping in longer in the morning (than the usual)... I guess they are finally starting to realize that they don't get picked up every time they get up!

Can I cook?!

2011-04-10T19:14:00.002-04:00

We started reaching the cooking range knobs and are trying to turn them around (by both of them). I hadn't anticipated this for the next couple of months. But here we are - we will be installing the covers for those knobs today! I wonder how long they will last! I have heard they melt away pretty easily (with the heat from the oven) or if not that, I am sure some day they will crack the code!

12th Month Update!

2011-04-06T22:05:00.008-04:00

RT weighs 23.91 lbs (with diaper - between 50 to 75 %ile), is 30.7 inches tall with a head circumference of 19.6 and RM weighs 21.35 lbs (with diaper - between 50-75 %ile), is 31.3 inches tall with a head circumference of 19.09. The ped visit was on March 28th (next is July 8th). Just can't fathom how small they were just a year ago!

They were cranky the day of their shots followed by a cold for about a week, followed by more crankiness due to the effect of MMR shots (which is supposed to show up a week after the vaccines are administered)! So things have been a little hectic here.

Oh how I remember the days, when my babies just did not drink enough milk. Not enough through out the day and not enough in one serving. Partially an effect of Reflux. And now, they are drinking too much! Specially RM... he drinks over 40 oz in a day. And he just WANTS it! The ped recommends around 18 oz at this age. How on earth am I supposed to shrink it down to 18? It is not that he is not eating, he is a pretty good eater, but he still wants his milk. RT is fine, she is slowly reducing her milk consumption herself, so I am not concerned about her. We have been trying to increase his water consumption and reducing his feeds, but he is getting up in the middle of night more to drink more! Hah! Latest development: we have managed to reduce RM's volume per feed and his daily feeds are down to 30s. May be it is me who is over feeding him because of the traumatised set of mind that I have from (less feeding in earlier months and weights in 5-10 %ile).

I have been fortunate enough to pretty much have help through out this year! My mother has mostly been with me for all this while and I can't think of how I would have done this without her. My kids adore her! But, she will be going back home in 2 weeks! And then, we are on our own! I guess my kids are pampered! A bit too much? We are going to have to straighten a few things out. We have had a few issues with sleep again after their cold/vaccination - and not sleeping well (through the night) is going to take a toll on Mommy (who is going to be without help soon). So we are definitely heading for a CIO (we actually started last night - more on this soon)!

Some highlights:

-RT walks independently (started a week before the birthday) and is 95% walking and 5% crawling. RM started taking 4-5 steps (a week after his birthday) and hopefully will be following her soon.

-Both give flying kisses. RT has been waving bye and hi for a long time now. RM recently started with bye and hi!

-RT has been repeating words! She will randomly pick up words from what we are saying and repeat it! She repeatedly says Daddy and calls out to RM for sure. We better watch our mouth! RM keeps talking, but no specific words yet (other than Daddy).

-Both have totally different tastes for food. I can't think of a single food item they both like equally... except may be banana! They are starting to get picky about what they want to eat now a days! RM is normally more accepting of different foods. RT is starting to self feed herself, RM still needs to get a hang of it.

-I bought a purse for RT... she will put the handles of the purse around her arms and wave bye-bye (copying Mommy and Granny)!

-RM loves wild play... he loves riding his trike or sitting on one of those battery operated cars etc, RM gets scared of any such toys which make noises and moves fast! She loves to explore but gets intimidated with that much ease too! Both seem to show distinct boy'ish/girl'ish preferences/traits... I am not a pure feminist, and I try to stay neutral with what I try to expose the kids too. But, I see a very distinct nature vs nurture example.

-We have finally succeeded in giving water from a sippy cup! Milk is still through a bottle. We are still finishing some of the formula boxes we have, so some of the feeds are whole milk and some are formula. With time I have realized that you just can't push something on to the kids just because that is the norm in today's society or because the (professional) guidelines say so (that applies to RM's milk consumption situation too (mentioned above)). Kids will do things when they are ready for them, you just need to guide them.

-Both wear size 4 diapers at home during the day. We use one size up at nights and while stepping out of our house. 9 to 12 month clothes were starting to get tight for RM since he turned 11 months... so we switched to 12 to 18 months for him back then. RT wears mostly 12 to 18 months clothes with some 9 to 12 months clothes sprinkled in. Both wear size 6 shoes! They got big feet like their Mommy - I wish that wasn't the case!!

-RM has 2 top and 2 bottom teeth. RT has 2 top and 4 bottom teeth.

-Both understand the idea of giving and taking. As of now, RT is very good at sharing/giving. She will try to feed you her food or give you water from her sippy cup.

-They received quite a few toys at their birthday, but a lot more gift cards, which I think is handy because I can go buy things in intervals. Also, we actually suggested that folks donate to March of Dimes (MOD) - March for Babies instead of bringing gifts, and we collected over $700! I am very pleased. Sometimes, I feel a little guilty that my kids could have received that much more toys! But, this is for a better cause and I know so much about preemies and NICU and its likes, that I am actually so happy we did this! I will be walking for MOD in May.

Happy 1st Birthday!!

2011-03-26T01:06:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I see myself from above, holding two snugly babies, and I see this happy content Mommy! That is me... no matter how many sleepless nights, and how many bumps in the road. These babies have made reality of what I had always dreamt of, but had eventually almost lost hope of... they have blessed me with motherhood. One year ago, today, our dream became reality. Happy First Birthday my Babies! And yes, Happy Second Blogoversary to us as well!

My first born, RM... You are a focused, strong, mischievous baby of mine. Your determination is unwavering and distractions are very few for you. If you want something, you will not calm down till you obtain it. If we try to distract you with something, momentarily you will observe what we are showing you, but eventually you will focus back on what you had determined to reach/obtain. You can play with one toy for a long time. You love anything that has wheels, from strollers to bassinets to real cars, and even paintings or a fake wheel in the mall play area. You are a very strong boy, you love to use all your might to shake up the (safety) gate or break a cabinet (safety) lock. You know how to get out of a seat (safety) belt. Mommy’s had to tighten your high chair and stroller belts, giving you no room to move at all. You have tried your tricks on your big boy car seat too, but fortunately the car seat makers have probably done a good job and Mommy doesn’t leave the belts loose either. Your favorite game is Peek-a-boo and you hide between Mommy and anything that she is resting against – you will come out of hiding with the cutest little toothy smile and giggles.

You are a great napper and have been taking almost one 3 hour long nap a day. You love food, and will mostly relish all sorts of edible items at any given time – just like your Mommy. You love your milk! Surprisingly, it took you some getting used to the whole milk, but now you love that too.

You love your sister dearly and are very fond of caressing and hugging her.

My second born, RT... You are my agile, smart little drama queen. You are already walking unassisted and cruise through the smallest of places and obstacles. You love to roll over anybody who is lying down, you will crawl over Mommy, and twist and turn and plop down on purpose. I would like to say that you understand everything! If we tell you to get the phone because we have to call your Grandpa, you will crawl/walk to the phone; you will bid bye-bye to your Daddy and blow a flying kiss from a distance when Daddy leaves for work – you know he doesn’t take you with him when he leaves for “office” and are content with it. We step out every afternoon (after our nap and lunch) and you know that very well... you will bring over your jacket so that we can head out. You noticed your Mommy’s straightened hair at 10 months (by touching and feeling repeatedly), and you can exactly identify a new outfit. You will touch your cheeks (with both your hands) when you are surprised by something or throw your hands up in the air when you want to communicate something strongly, or hold your head when something doesn’t happen the way you want it to happen. You can throw a tantrum like no one else, but you are still - my sweet little girl!

Naps have not been your best friend, but you are better at it now and you absolutely love taking long naps in the car! You were never fond of milk, until you started having whole milk! You absolutely love it and will consume it in any shape (plain, pudding, yogurt etc). Foods are a hit or miss many a times, but you absolutely love chicken! You seem to be a picky eater like your Daddy!

You love your brother and are not very pleased when he is not around (especially when he is taking his long naps) and hence always look out for him.

My dear Babies... Daddy and I, wish and pray that both of you have a long healthy life ahead of you. May God Bless You!

3 days untill we turn 1

2011-03-23T08:21:00.003-04:00

Just 3 days...!

We have a jungle theme... a sneak peak at our theme... Zoology Birthday Banner and Cake!

Motherhood

2011-03-18T22:00:00.004-04:00

I have been MIA for almost a month now. There have been several posts which have initiated in my head but never quite made it to the blog! Half of it is because I am trying to relish these moments - before my babies turn 1 year old! And half of it is because I have been super busy with birthday preparation and running errands (big time) since my father and mother are both in town with us to celebrate the birthday!

I have this urge to jot down the rambling of how my life has been affected and changed by motherhood. Looking back a year, I have realized how much I have cherished and enjoyed this change in my life. Motherhood has been a package deal - from IF to a rough pregnancy to a super speedy 1 year. This post is more about the last one year!

I am proud of myself that I provided for my babies for almost 9.5 months! Breastfeeding did not completely go as I would have liked it too... but looking back, I am probably not as disappointed since I initially even doubted my capability to produce milk (due to PCOS)... This chapter of my life makes me the most content, in spite of some of the ups and downs. At the same time, I am glad that I closed this chapter on my own terms instead of having to be forced to do it. The babes are eating "relatively" well and we are on our way to transition them to while milk (more on that later).

I have realized how much I "dislike" shopping! In pre-motherhood terms, I could be called a shopoholic... I reaped the pleasure in even shopping for other people. It actually is a better retail therapy, cause you get to look around and choose stuff even without shelling out $. Now, most of my shopping is online! Mostly AMAZON! All the baby stuff is so cute, but I am so exhausted by looking for stuff which at least kind of coordinates for a baby boy and girl! No, I don't try to completely match outfits, but there has to be some similarity (color shades, casual versus formal etc) I end up buying more than I intend to, because by the end of it I am not sure what is going to work where. Never the less, I love to see those cute little outfits on my babies!

We have this HUGE party planned for the birthday! It's our babies' first birthday! And we get to choose what we want to do! :) I love organizing and planning parties! It is going to be the other way round later on, so I want to get the pleasure of planning this party to the best'est! ;) The balloons have been ordered, favors are ready, 2-tier jungle theme cake has been ordered, all the decoration has been gathered... I just need to get all the nick-knacks together so that I am not running around on the day of the birthday! Daddy dearest has been providing his input, but majority of the stuff has been pulled together by me... and that is just giving the party planner in me a boost of its own! I don't have to deal with any body elses opinions... yes I am a control freak! ;)

That brings me to the control freak aspect! That was me before motherhood... I had to have things planned and organized and executed well! But, with two young kids who have a mind of their own! I have a general plan of the day, but 75% of the plans are fluid. I am not as bothered as I used to be before if things don't happen according to the "plan". I am just happy to see my babies enjoying their day in whatever shape or form it is. It's all about them. HOWEVER, I have a way of doing "things" at home... to keep things easy on us when we have to step out, when we have to feed, or for when we need to have some back up options, and if some one messes with those (things), I seem to be getting quite ticked off with that (poor DH bears the brunt).

Our social life is still almost close to zero! Most of our friends still don't have kids, so we just don't seem to fit in to their social group any more (especially) with our nap and early night time routines (we have tried to stick to a schedule). In my previous life, I would have been so upset and disappointed about not being able to chill out with our group of friends, but today it just doesn't bother me as much. I am trying to attend some play groups and mom-only groups to meet and connect with folks who fall in the same category as us.

Sigh! I still don't have my AF! It is little over two months since I last pumped and I am still waiting. I placed a call with my OB yesterday, and he is supposed to be calling me back some time soon. I guess I am no longer as big a priority (as I was with a high risk twin PG), since he didn't call back today! :P I don't miss my AF, but hormonally that just doesn't seem right... so something needs to be done! There are quite a few BFP's after first IVF PG floating around, but I really don't think I have ovulated at all - so I am pretty confident I can't be one of them!

Last year, today... I finally got the call from my OB finalizing my c-section at 37w1d! Phew - I was so anxious to get the schedule finalized that day! I can't believe it is a year already!

11 Months!!

2011-02-26T23:51:00.008-05:00

One month to the first birthday! Yay - I can't believe it is already a year... I was 33w PG last time this year and had kind of started to relax a little! We were barely a month away from seeing our miracles!

I normally try to note down the dates on which these babies of mine reach certain milestones... but things are so fast paced now a days, that it is hard to keep track. So, here goes their monthly update!

-It's a little over a month since we got back from our 2 month long vacation abroad... and now can I truly say that we have a "schedule"... till now, there was no freakin feeding schedule. They drank milk (formula) any time... and mostly just 4'ish oz! RM started drinking 7-9 oz of milk at one time in the last month... and RT started drinking 6-7 oz milk at a time just this week! We still consume quite a bit of milk. During the day time we drink milk when we get up/before breakfast(7'ish), then before our first nap at around 10 am, followed by post-lunch milk (2'ish), and then again between the 2nd nap and dinner time (5-6'ish). They drink milk again before sleeping and then once or twice in the middle of the night! My Mom tells me that I used to consume over 1.5L of milk as a child well in to my 2nd year... the babes are probably following my footsteps!
- They usually sleep for around 11 hours at night. From 0700-0800 pm to 0630-0730 am. And then take 2 naps between 1.5 to 2.5 hours long (sometimes 45 minutes)!
-We went to the GI on Feb 9th for their reflux. RM weighed 21 lbs (40th %ile) and RT weighed 19.8 lbs (50th %ile) at around 10.5 months. The doc was happy with the progress and we decided on trying to wean them off of their medication by dropping one of the dosage and not increasing the medication (per dose). Both had a cold during the GI visit, so we waited till they felt better. On Feb 17th we dropped the evening dosage. RM had to go back on it in a weeks time since he started having issues in the middle of night. He was getting up very uneasy and burping quite a bit through the night (his classic reflux sign). We will probably try to get him off of the med again some time next month after their birthday! RT is still off the med for almost 10 days and she seems to be doing fine (touch wood). The plan is to keep them on one dosage a day for a month and then try completely stopping the medications after that.
-Their 9 month bloodwork (done at 10 months) was on Feb 16th. RM was a hero! He - did - not - cry! He patiently observed what the techs were doing, he didn't twitch or fuss or struggle... he just watched! The techs wanted him to come give classes to other patients about how to stay calm during a blood draw! ;) His sister, however... compensated for him! As soon as RT saw the tech put on gloves, she knew something was fishy! She cried! And did not calm down till we got back in to our car! The results came back normal!
-RM now has 4 teeth (2 upper and 2 lower), RT has 3 teeth (1 upper and 2 lower).
- RT very easily stands up unassisted. She will go over or around anything with great ease! RM is starting to experiment standing unassisted. Both are attempting to climb on furniture.
-We did end up buying the Zanny Zoo, and they love it! They also received this cute little couch from their Aunt! I am starting to clear up some of their old items (rockers, bumboo) to make space for all the new stuff that might be coming their way during their birthday. Unfortunately the Jumperoo is also going to have to go! They get really wild with it! They shake it and rattle it and walk around it and try to go under it - it freaks the crap out of me! RT still likes to bounce in it, but RM is ready to come out of it in less than a minute! The Snap-n-Go is gone and we now have a Bobs stroller! We also picked up Evenflo Truimph 65 convertible car seats from BRU. We exchanged our old car seats for a 25% off of the new seats along with a twin discount! So it turned out to be a good buy! It is so sad to give up on all these items. These were their first belongings... the car seats - they came home with that, back then even the straps looked larger than them and today they hardly fit in to them! I guess it is all a part of growing up!
-They both distinctly call out "Daddee" or "Daddaa"! They absolutely go crazy when Daddy is home over the weekend. If they are playing with him, they do not want to eat or sleep! RT will randomly say words at her own whim... not necessary that she will ever repeat it. Though, she does call out Mumum when she is hungry and then she will start sucking on her fingers. RM will just start fussing when he is hungry - he doesn't have any sign for it. They both have gone through times when they have called out Mamma, Ganny etc... but nothing like a repeated Daddee or Daddaa! :P
-RM holds his bottle, RT still doesn't... or rather we still have not let her - because the moment she gets the bottle in her hand, it has to come out! This girl really needs to learn to keep the nipple in her mouth! Sippy cup is still no success in this household - I guess, I need to work harder at it!
-We have finally succeeded in liking the taste of water!
-We have started giving them milk products like cheese, puddings etc.
-We love nectarines, kiwi, banana, pancakes, puddings, eggs, spinach, cauliflower etc. We experimented with egg white, and it was well accepted, so the babes now get whole egg and not just the yolk. Salmon was a no go! Need to try some other fish! BTW, 90% of our food is home cooked
-RT can communicate really well... she once pulled out all the diaper changing supplies and then pointed at herself and yanked at her own diaper as if she wanted her diaper changed. When you tell her that it is time to go to bed for the night, she heads to our staircase to go upstairs and sleep. She will not sit on her high chair till RM joins her. She will not go to their bedroom (at night) unless RM joins her. She loves the "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from Lion King and she will make you repeat the video several times... and she will start dancing every time she watches it! She can identify a duck in real life and in cartoons, toys bath tub. She signs by doing a hand motion denoting quack quack! She can make a fishy face! She is one smart lil cutie pie!
-RM on the other hand is one naughty child. He has figured out how to turn the TV on (they don't get to watch TV), he will yank at the (saftey) gates and locks, try to pull off links (of toys). He loves to pass through small spaces. If you are sitting on the floor resting against the couch, he will want to pass through between you and the couch. Pranks aside, he is a darling! He will get very cuddly and hug his sister and all of us. He loves food, when not on his high chair, he will take a bite and run (crawl) away and then come running back to have the next bite.
-If one is napping, the other one gets cranky - probably because they have gotten used to each others company and dislike being alone! They love other children too and instantly socialize. They are both such a lively children... I just hope they both stay that way.
-We wear 3 different kinds of diapers. We usually wear Nature Baby Care (Naty - chlorine free) size 4 diapers at home. When stepping out we go for Pampers size 3 (since Naty can leak if they go over 4-5 hours ) and at night RT wears Pampers size 4 and RM just started using Pampers size 5 (since size 4 started leaking). BTW, I love the Naty diapers, yes they can leak if they stay on for too long, but we usually change diapers every 3 hours or so. They stay dry, no rashes, fragrance free, chlorine free!
-We went to the aquarium on 02/20 and they loved it! Looks like we will be going again some time this year. I want to take them to a local Safari once spring is here. Speaking of which, I am also looking forward to the local Cherry Blossom festival! Can't wait for the Spring to arrive!

Can Peanut Allergies Be Cured by... Eating Peanuts?

2011-02-08T21:40:00.002-05:00

In 2008, Gideon Lack of King's College London published a startling study comparing the rate of peanut allergies in children in London with that of children in Tel Aviv. The study of 10,000 Jewish children, which appeared in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found that kids in the U.K. were almost 10 times as likely to have a peanut allergy as their peers in Israel, says Lack.

Why the disparity? Although Lack can't draw conclusive explanations from his observational study, he suggests that one reason may have to do with early exposure. In Israel, children are typically introduced to peanuts much earlier than in Europe and North America. Lack points to a popular Israeli snack food called Bamba (like peanut-flavored Cheez Doodles), which youngsters start eating as early as infancy. That early exposure may desensitize children to peanuts, even in kids with a family history of food allergies... (READ MORE HERE)

Normalizing!

2011-02-05T11:10:00.008-05:00

So we have an appointment scheduled with the Neurogeneticist for May 6th, 2011... that is one of the earliest appointment we could get.

We struggled through infertility - we succeeded... we suffered subchorionic hematoma - we surpassed... we had gestational diabetes - we managed... we had pre-term contractions and cervical shortening (+ bedrest + huam + medications) - we survived. The babies were born healthy at 37w1D. After going through so much, why would God put this big question mark in front of us. I believe in Karma... you pay as you reap... what has RM done so far for him to have to be in such a situation! I have never discussed God on this blog... I am more spiritual than religious... though I do pray to the super power to keep everything safe and sound. If we could get through what we have so far, we will get through all the challenges that might be! I hope this challenge never comes to be... but no matter what he is our son (RM)! We love him, we love RT, and RT adores RM. If I sit and fret and get depressed, I am doing injustice to what my babies deserve. I can't ruin today for what possibly could be tomorrow! I don't know what state of mind I will be around May 6th, but for now, I am trying to normalize!

Thank you for all your supporting comments - they mean a lot to me - as always.

Knots in my Stomach....

2011-02-02T22:30:00.005-05:00

Yes, that's truly how I am feeling right now! It reminds me of the IF days during the treatment. Everything was unknown and uncertain... I find myself in the same position again... asking what IF and why us! Only, today I am a mother to two beautiful children, who are my heartbeat! I can't see my babies hurt and I want nothing but the best for them. But this is life!

RM has a birth mark on his thigh. It's a discoloration on his right thigh. It didn't seem like anything abnormal and the docs just asked us to watch it and report if we found something different. He had a similar mark on his right arm as well (elbow actually)... and then in the last couple of months I noticed that there are two more spots - one on his back (left side) and one on his right arm (close to the shoulder). So, I thought that I would point it out to the Ped (during the 9 month visit). And the doc said that it could be Neurofibromatosis. Of course I had no freakin' idea of what it meant when the Ped mentioned it to me. Being a Dr. Google's sincere patient, I googled it immediately and emailed it to DH and myself so that I could look in to it later on. From what the doc mentioned, it is a neurological condition and if the spots increased we should go see a neurologist or a genetic counselor. I could sense that this is not something minor, but wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

Things started dawning upon me while I read the first article while filling gas and then while speaking with DH. It is a genetic condition, either inherited or caused by mutation in the sperm or egg. The birth mark or the spots that I mentioned above could "possibly" be café au lait spots... "assuming" that the condition is diagnosed as neurofibromatosis. I am not going to try to summarize what this condition is all about... it is well summarized on this MayoClinic website.

We spoke to the chief Ped from the group that we visit... and he was willing to refer us to a specialist (neurogeneticist) via an internal referral. We should be hearing from their office in the next two weeks. DH and I have been concerned about the impact such a neurological condition could have on our child. We don't know for sure if it is what we are thinking, we hope it's not and it is just some discoloration/pigmentation. Speaking with the Ped was reassuring. The condition is generally manageable and something that should not make us (hopefully) panic at this moment. But, I just don't want this to exist. I can't think of my child hurting. I just want my babies to be happy, healthy and safe!!

9 Month Appointment (at 10 months)

2011-02-02T22:19:00.004-05:00

We visited the Ped on Jan 31st for their 9 month appointment. It was a relief not to have to deal with vaccination and the tears that follow it (and sometimes some fever). The appointment went well overall. We have gained some weight here... assuming the nurse weighed and measured with accuracy ;) (yes, we had 2 extra lbs per child during one of our weight checks - human (nurse) error!!). Plus, both of them were super wiggly this time when the nurse tried to weigh them on the scale. Here are the stats...

RM weighed 20.6 lbs (36 %ile... previously 5-10 %ile), height: 29.9 (83 %ile), and head circumference 19.1 (98 %ile).
RT weighed 20 lbs (56 %ile... previously 15 %ile), height: 29.7 (93 %ile), and head circumference: 18.3 (95 %ile).

They both are crawling, pulling themselves up to stand, cruising along furniture, teething, eating and sleeping relatively well. So I guess the Ped was happy and so were we! We need to schedule the bloodwork with the lab. And the next appointment will be on March 28 (2 days after their 1st birthday). We have the GI appointment on the 9th (weight check again - I will be more confident with their weights then).

And now... to the worrisome part! I don't know where to begin and this is all I have been thinking about for the last few days - It's called Neurofibromatosis. Tune in to my next post!

10 Months - Double Digits!!

2011-01-26T18:02:00.009-05:00

I remember every moment of that day exactly 10 months ago... just like it was yesterday! Yes - double digits... my babies are 10 months young today! I am starting to realize that I call my babies as kids more than babies. They truly are growing up and it is going by too fast. But, I can't stop myself from appreciating and loving every bit of them! Here is the latest update...

-Both RM & RT can climb stairs... we put them on the stairs when we got back, and they easily climbed up to grab the toys we had sitting a few steps up. Of course I am in no way letting them climb the stairs every day, but it was too cute to see them do it for the first time! :) They both crawl all over the place like crazy... they love to stand... RT very easily cruises around all our furniture.

-They love books... it's more like they love the pictures they can see in the books. They both can identify cats and dogs in a book.

-They love Puffs... RT will in fact bring over the container and will ask you to take some out for her. They will pretty much try everything from our food. We still haven't given them fish... and haven't really tried any other meat other than Turkey and Chicken. I started yogurt after coming back home.. RM seems to like it, but RT doesn't really seem to be very fond of it.

-They still drink milk 6-7 times in 24 hours with at least one middle of the night feed. RM takes 5-7 oz at a time and RT takes 5-6 oz. I was a little alarmed when I realized that quite a few kids their age consume milk just 2-4 times a day, but I guess each child is different. Before going to bed at night they can take in as much as 10 oz. When RT is hungry for milk or food, she goes... mumumum...! It's very cute!

-RM is getting his upper right tooth; so the tally so far is RM - 3 and RT - 2.

-We are yet to go see the Ped for their 9 month visit... it was delayed because of our trip. We go in on Jan 31st. I am hoping to discuss a few food related things with the Ped. One of them would be whole milk... I guess most Peds recommend starting off with it once the kids are close to 1 yr old.

-We go see the GI in the first week of February for reflux... I am hoping that we can start reducing their medication.

-We are planning on taking them for their first haircut this weekend (weather permitting). RT's hair is "out of control" and they need to be tamed a little bit. I wouldn't mind growing her hair, but she hates getting her hair washed and we end up shedding some tears in this process... hopefully with shorter hair things will be a little easier. RM's hair is starting to come down to his eyes, no matter how much you move them aside... they keep coming down straight - he has silky straight hair! So, I am hoping that some trimming (for both of them) now will get them in good shape for their birthday (not too short and not too unruly).

-We are still working on naps and night time sleep post jet lag! RT settled in 2 days ago and RM seems to be still adapting to the time zone. Sleeping in the crib is progressing slowly but steadily, they have been co-sleeping off and on after we get back... because everything just seemed so new to them.

-I am no longer pumping, I had to pump once (after a 10 day gap)... it was probably because we did the deed and I leaked the next day (some engorgement and blocked ducts). Oh and I still haven't gotten my AF back... I will probably wait for a month or two and go see my OBGYN if AF still doesn't arrive.

Any suggestions for some big kid toys? They seem to be liking complex toys now a days. I am considering getting a wooden activity cube (seen some good reviews) and possibly a rocking horse.

We have shortlisted the guests for the birthday party and it seems like it is going to be a big one! I guess once they start understanding more, birthdays are about their choices, and likes and dislikes... so this is one time I will get to decide the theme and the venue. :) We will be renting a place for the party, cause our house wont hold anything more than 20 people. I was calling yesterday to enquire about what options we had... and one of these places gave us a very good deal... so we ended up reserving it already! As mentioned in the previous post... I want to do a jungle theme... I have looked at a few cakes online and am hoping I can get one similar to what I have found. I am so excited!

And we are back!

2011-01-24T23:15:00.006-05:00

It will be a week tomorrow and we are still overcoming jet lag! :) Well, it is probably almost gone though. To begin with the babes slept from around 0200 pm to around 0700 am the next day morning with wake ups in between to drink milk (and went right back to sleep)... no solids, no play! They napped in between again in the morning, basically it was a zombie land! But, we are more awake now!

The flight ride was in fact not as bad as I had anticipated. My mother accompanied us and that was a life saver for sure. The babes clinged and clinged, they had a bassinet, but RT would not sleep in it at all and RM slept in it for half the time. They both normally go to bed between 0800 and 0830 pm. But, the day we were scheduled to travel... oh my! They slept at their usual time, but then were picked up in an hours time to head off to the airport! They both stayed awake till 0200 am!!! I couldn't believe it. I guess they are growing up in a true sense. When we were leaving home 2 months back, they didn't care... if they had to sleep, they slept... no matter where and no matter when! But, this time there was a lot more excitement and a lot more curiosity! Which led to some fussiness for RT (due to lack of sleep). RM was pretty okay! Overall, I had expected them to cry their eyes out, but it was in fact pretty manageable.

The journey just shot their appetite for solids (none on the flight and none after coming home for few days). All they could handle was a few Puffs here and there! We are starting to get back on to morning snacks and lunch... afternoon snacks and dinner is still a no go!

I was wondering how they would get accustomed to the new place again and they seem to be adjusting pretty well, I guess kids are more adaptable than adults! The house is a lot more baby proofed than all the places we visited in the last two months and hence they are a lot more free to move around than they had the opportunity to (in the last two months). And, they are enjoying the freedom! They are crawling all over the place, pulling up and standing... RT is cruising along the furniture too! What they are not enjoying is the fact that they are not able to step out of the house frequently. With the temperature dipping down to close to 0 degree F for half the nights since we landed here, there is no way in hell I am taking them out of the house... especially since it was much warmer during our vacation and the sudden transition would probably not be good! But, they are loving all the toys we have over here (I had taken quite a few with us, but of course not the bulky ones)... so that is keeping them busy for now. I was wondering what they would do with the swing, jumperoo and the rocker... I felt a little guilty... thinking that they wouldn't be used since the kiddos have grown up now and it would be such a waste. But, they are actually still liking them!

While we were away, the babes didn't really sleep in a crib and readjusting to the crib back home is a little challenging! We started off with letting them play in the crib to taking naps in the crib. We are trying to put them in the crib for the night, but it hasn't been 100% successful... it is really hard to tell how they will deal with it till the jet lag is completely gone!

I am also starting to plan the birthday party. I am thinking of jungle/safari theme! They both love being outdoors, they love animals and the theme can be neutral too... and not really commercialized (like any cartoon characters).

We will be celebrating 10 months in 2 days! :) Double digits!! More to come soon...!

And it Stopped!

2011-01-15T15:35:00.004-05:00

1/11/11 was the last day I pumped. I produced 9 oz and then didn't pump. Now it has been 4 days since I last pumped and I seem to be perfectly fine... no engorgement or leaks! So, I guess this big chapter of my life is now closed. Sometimes I wish I had never stopped, but I feel free and not tied to a schedule. I guess I don't feel as bad about stopping, because the duo has been doing solids pretty well off late and that makes the transition easier.

We head back home in less than 48 hours. It is going to be interesting. The kids are mobile and have to touch and feel everything around them. It will be one crazy ride back! :)

E.I.G.H.T

2011-01-04T14:06:00.006-05:00

Today, I pumped 8 oz of milk! Down from around a max of ~ 72 oz! Sigh!

I had started the process of reducing the amount of milk and the number of pumping sessions after the babies turned 7 months (they were on 100% BM till then - I am so thankful that I did not have supply issues!). Up until almost 8.5 months they were still 50% on BM and 50% formula. Around the time they turned 9 months I dropped down to just one pumping sessions in a day. And ever since then, I don't really feel engorged and my supply has dropped around an oz or two every day. I was planning on pumping till we returned home, but at this rate, I highly doubt that I will produce anything 15 days from now! Though, I still have a couple of 100 oz of frozen milk back home.

This is bitter sweet. I will never be the sole provider of nourishment for my babies. I know I brought this on (reducing the volume) and the kids will grow up, but it still hurts. I will probably cry the day I pump my last! Besides my babies, my life has revolved around my Medela! At the same time, I do look forward to having my body back and not being hooked on to a machine.

I want to note down what I did to up the supply and eventually cut it down. I will probably make a post about it soon.

Stages

2011-01-02T14:01:00.004-05:00

Hmmm... where do I begin! Every time I see a new development in my twins - I realize that they have been through so many different stages in barely 9 months of their life.

They were helpless little babies who only knew how to cry when they were hungry... those were the days when they just fed, pooped, pee'ed and slept...

Then came their first smiles and recognition... they still kept us on our toes through the days and the nights. But yet they melted our hearts!

Then they started interacting with us, rolling over, grasping, cooing, holding their necks strong...

Then came the start of solids... they had no idea what the heck it was, but with time they got interested in what we ate... started developing a taste... some things they liked and some - absolutely disliked!

In the mean while they transitioned from rattles to toys that sing and speak, and now to toys that are more interactive and engaging. The speed at which they transition and learn is mesmerizing!

From frequent night wake ups to bad naps to teething... from giggling and rolling and sitting and jumping and plopping down... from being mischievous and doing things on purpose to being fussy to having a belly laugh... from trying to wake each other up, to crying when the other cries, to calling out to their siblings, to making fake coughing sounds! Aah... the list is never ending! Their moods can change so quick and there can never be a dull moment!

One thing I have learned is I can never go by a book. I started off with reading a few books on babies. They made sense but never always applied. I have realized that the babies have their own schedule and likes and dislike, and they have their very right to go at their own pace. Me trying to implement something on them is probably more stressful to me mentally than it is effective on them. Things have gotten easier as time has passed by. Things will keep changing and will be challenging as they get more mobile and inquisitive. Most things they are learning are natural and self taught, and I can only assist in smoothly transitioning them to the next stage of their life.

Sometimes I just sit and adore how much of a toddler they have become. They amaze me by their ability to understand, adapt and adjust ! And the biggest lesson of life they have taught me and are constantly refining is - patience! :)

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T13:25:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!! :)

This has been such a long eventful year! It has exactly been a year since I landed in the hospital for contractions and cervix shortening (and celebrated new years in the hospital)! What a journey it has been!

9 Months - Milestones!

2010-12-23T13:02:00.005-05:00

We are celebrating 9 months here! Everyday there is a new milestone reached in our household. This month has been great so far...

-RT army crawls; rocks on all fours; pulls up and sits on her own; sits on bent knees... has started to pull herself up on furnitureand stands unassisted; can balance herself if she is about to fall; loves baths (not fond of getting her hair washed though!); talks and talks and talks; loves to roll over a pile of pillows and then turns around and redoes the circus; has a pretty good pincer grip... has transitioned from no food/1 meal to almost 4 meals a day (not all of them are very productive... but we do eat 4 times a day) - she can pretty much eat anything we eat (with various textures and (mild) spice levels)!

-RM has progressed from army crawling to rocking on all fours in less than a week; he can pull himself up and tries to stand unassisted... he seems to be 2-3 weeks behind RM but has been catching up at a great speed and strength; loves baths; talks and talks and talks; he has also transitioned from no food/1 meal a day to almost 4 meals a day - he can pretty much anything we eat (with various textures and (mild) spice levels).

-They still get up 1-2 times for a middle of the night feed, but have been generally sleeping better than the previous month. RT, who had big time nap issues (short naps) has finally transitioned to longer naps (1-2 hrs). Both of them take 2 (long?) naps in a day.

-Their first tooth popped last week. Both started showing their lower right side tooth... it should hopefully be completely out in a few days. RM has actually started showing his 2nd lower tooth.

-Both caught a bad cold last week. Teething with a cold ain't fun. Poor babies have been cranky and have had some issues with food and sleep.

-They have been doing great with this trip of ours and I am hoping it continues the same way. When Daddy arrived (2 weeks ago)... RM instantly recognized him and had a very big smile on his face... RT was a little scandalized as to how come Daddy popped out of the blue... but in a short while they were both all over him!

-Reflux still exists... but all this mobility/activity... will it shrink the effect? Right now I am just holding tight till we head back before we can experiment with the medication. We are running short on the Prilosec because one of the medicine bottles froze and I am having to explore the option of using the local version of the medication - a little concerned of how that is going to go.

We are also observing 1 year of the beginning of my bedrest! I can't believe how fast it has flown by. Last year this time we were bombarded with the cervix and contractions issues, and we were so unsure of how things would progress. But, here we are today... and I feel blessed and humbled! I have loved every moment of being a SAHM and haven't missed the working world at all.

Christmas is not a very big grand festive season here and I am missing all the festivities back home! Daddy has headed back home now and it is making me want to go back again too. We should be home in 3 weeks. It is going to be challenging to reset their schedules and adjust to the brutal cold which is going to limit our outdoor activities. I also need to start thinking about our first birthday once we get back! How exciting!

Wishing you all Happy Holidays!

So much in Love - 8 Months!

2010-11-30T11:17:00.004-05:00

This might sound cliche, but I am so much in love with my babies! And no, it hasn't taken me 8 months to realize it! I have loved every moment with them and I can't remember and imagine my life without them! The way they hug me or get excited to see me, their faith and unconditional true love - aah, I feel blessed!! They are growing so fast and I miss each passing day... though I look forward to the new day with even more vigour and I think that makes the last 8 months more of a fond memory than missing something that will not repeat!

In this past month their personalities have blossomed. Every day there is something new and it is so hard to keep track of all the new developments...

-RT has been army crawling and now getting on to all fours. She might just start crawling shortly. RM is starting to army crawl!
-They absolutely adore each other. They will hug each other, caress each other, giggle and laugh, roll over each other. At the same time, they have started wanting to have the same item (not always a toy - it could be a water bottle! :P)... they will yank it away from one another and sometimes cry over it too!
-They can handle a lot more solid solids - as in not completely mushed up food!
-Some of their 6-9 months clothes already seem to start to get (just a little) snug. Basically they are no longer loose like they were when we started using them at 6-7 months!
-Still in size 3 diapers, but we have been using size 4 for the nights (past 3 weeks), since size 3 started leaking!
-They have kinda lost their separation and stranger anxiety. They are social butterflies for now (with our trip)! :)
-They are extremely vocal! On random occasions, RM has called out for Daddy and Grandma and RT has called out for Mama! I doubt they understand what they are saying! Though RM for sure does say Nee-Nee when he is sleepy and he does call out Mamamama when he wants to come to me!
-If they realize that some one is stepping out of the house, they are ever ready to join them! RT can very nice wave good-bye and RM raises his hands to do so!
-They are continuing with Prilosec 3.0 ml x 2 days. Both weigh around 17.25 lbs.

A lot of my fellow blog sistas have started to heading towards project sibling! I just want to wish you all the very best!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T00:27:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to every one!

And Happy 8 Months to my darlings! We had an awesome night too... the babes slept between 0900 pm and 0730 am!!! :)

The Anxiety!

2010-11-24T22:42:00.006-05:00

Here I am... talking about anxiety for the babies and myself. Stranger anxiety, separation anxiety - for babies; and air travel anxiety, jet lag anxiety, food anxiety - for me!

Man, it has been interesting. A million miles away from home, hoping that things fall in to a routine. It has been exactly a week since we arrived and we are still working on getting in to a schedule.

The babes are in the stage where they had stranger anxiety and separation anxiety. I was pretty worried as to how they would cope with a million people around them, with relatives and neighbors frequently visiting and trying to hold and play with them. Would they cry, throw a tantrum? Nope, the kids are loving the attention. Their stranger and separation anxiety seems to have vanished in less than a week! It will be nice to continue with it once we get back home. They seem to be managing pretty well! We have quite a bit of local travel coming up and it will be interesting to see how that goes. Daddy dearest will be joining us in 2 weeks from now and will be with us for 3 weeks. Then he goes back and we will return in 3 weeks from then. We timed it such that they are not separated from Daddy for too long!

As far as my anxiety is concerned. The babes were wonderful during the flight ride. They slept for over half the flight journey, which is less than their usual sleep time, but definitely commendable for the noise and crowd that was around them. So, I would say the journey was successful! I pumped once while they were sleeping and I was good for the rest of the journey (I am just pumping twice now (instead of 4 times) and producing around 30 oz)

Jet lag - phew! It is expected of them to take a week to get over it! But, we seem to be no where close to it! There are times when we feel that they are almost settled in and then - bam! RM has been sleeping at around 11 pm and getting up at 4-5'ish am and sleeps for approx 8 hrs during day time. RT, who is the light sleeper has actually been sleeping better at night from around midnight to 0630-0700'ish am and then another 8-9 hrs during day time. I don't blame them for the whacked up sleep cycle, but this better get over soon. It is messing up with their day time activities. As for RT's frequent night wake ups - they have pretty much vanished (I hope I am not speaking too soon) and makes me feel better that we did not CIO her! Every time I am inching towards CIO, we end up in a situation where we feel better for not going that route because some thing pops up and shows us why she has been the way she has. May be the lack of separation anxiety is helping her this time? May be these are just phases and I need to cope up with it than expect her to change.

We are hardly getting to prep any food for them since there are no guarantees when they will be up and not be sleepy enough to munch down their meals. So they have been getting either ready or quick meal options on a very random non-existant schedule. There are no guarantees when they will drink milk and their night time routine is shot.

One may ask why we decided to whack up their oh so perfect (?!?) routine and make them go across the globe! At times I feel guilty for doing this to them. I feel guilty for having to decide on cutting short bf'ing (pumping)! So why did we do it? We have been away from most of our relatives for ever. More than anybody else, we really wanted to bring the babies to their great grandparents (GGP). I have been blessed to see most of my GGP alive while I could understand things. I doubt the babies will remember anything. But the GGP have been more than thrilled to see the babies. Their blessings will always remain with the babies and this will be another milestone in the GGP's life... since these are pretty much their first great grand kids! So, we did this for family! And I hope the babies will cherish the videos and the pictures we take for years to come!

Tomorrow we will be celebrating the 8 month birthday! :)

More to come...!

Herbs & Spices

2010-11-15T12:39:00.005-05:00

We started with solids a little after 4 months. Their first food was rice cereal, which they very quickly got bored off. There was a time when they were "happy" with the food being repeated (butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot etc)... and all these things more or less tasted sweet! There came a point where they just refused to eat this same old baby food. Cereal was a big no no! That's when we started introducing stage 2 food and also started mixing and matching items. A couple of weeks ago when I was speaking with the Ped, he said it was okay to start introducing them with any ethnic/traditional foods that we might be eating. We use quite a bit of spices and herbs in our food... so we have recently started introducing various things and they are loving it. Their food has started tasting so much like ours (only milder). We have so far introduced black pepper, cumin, garlic, turmeric (in that order). They are also munching on some of our foods since they are so interested in what we are eating and they seem to be doing fine!

BM and Zzz...

2010-11-13T20:43:00.004-05:00

Lots happening around here. We are leaving on Wednesday and we are still packing. Our house seems like a tornado ripped through... with all the stuff laying all around... I wonder when we will finish packing. I have already shipped 3 bags full stuff for babies and we will be taking 6 more bags with us!

Half - is where I am as far as pumping is concerned. I was pumping 4 times a day and producing 60+ oz of milk for all these months. In the last 3 weeks or so, I have come down to around 34 oz and approximately 2 pump sessions. It has not been easy... but it has not been as rough as I had imagined. I am definitely not going to be weaning myself off of the pump before we leave... it just isn't happening in the next 4 days! I will be pumping in the PLANE! Yes... exciting... my mom is flying with the babies and I... so I have to some how sneak in to the "toilets" and pump around half a litre of milk and hope that the babies sleep while I am gone! And I hope there are no delays and our bags arrive on time... I hope I am not speaking too soon! Because, if not... I really would not like to pump more than once in the whole journey! We shall see. As far as reducing the volume is concerned... increasing the time between pump sessions from 6 hrs to 8 hrs and then to 10 hrs is what has helped. Yes, I am engorged at times... but it has been manageable. I try not to empty myself out completely... but I am not keeping completely full either... because then I have to pump sooner and that has not helped in reducing the volume. Some how this whole thing seems to be working. On a hindsight this seems to be good, because I didn't really want to get the babes off of breastmilk so soon. This way they will continue to get at least 50% breastmilk for few more months.

Sleep Monster - Has been going around our house! Is it the 7 month sleep regression or separation anxiety or teething or reflux?!? I am lost! RT has always been a poor sleeper. She barely naps (30 min napper) and I have come to terms with it... but for the past 1 week she has been getting up very very frequently! Like every hour! Like every time you put her down in her crib! There have been time when she has ended up in our bed, because she just wouldn't settle down at all and would wake her brother up! I have not wanted to do CIO... but I feel like we are inching towards that. She needs the sleep - waking up every hour crying is not healthy for her! Though, I am scared to try anything new now. With the whole travel situation, jet lag and moving places... whatever "training" we try... it is going to get blown off every time a new parameter kicks in! So I am just hoping we reach some equilibrium again soon, and if not CIO will be our option when we settle back in after our 2 month long trip! Besides CIO, I have also considered co-sleeping, but then why should she co-sleep and not her brother. And, can you imagine how hard it will be to co-sleep with twins. I mean forget our personal space (DH and I)... but they will probably fall asleep only when we will... will get up when we will. If dealing with a single baby is tough, how hard will twins be? When, oh when will I take care of all the stuff that needs to be taken care of... not household chores, but all that has to be done for the babes too!

The Darn Insurance

2010-11-08T18:39:00.003-05:00

We got a call from our RE's finance department saying that a part of our IVF was not being paid for by our insurance! According to our insurance plane "one" IVF was covered! We had a pre-approval and everything! It seems ER, fertilization and ET codes were not covered. WHAT Besides These 3 main things consist of an IVF!?! We have a freakin 7.4k bill to fight 16 months after the procedure!

7 Months ...like a Marathon!

2010-10-25T22:54:00.007-04:00

Yes, 7 months... we are already 7 months young! This month has flown by... it has been like a marathon!

We had quite a few doctor's appointments... all is well, but certain things had to be taken care of and everything was piled up for this month!

If you remember, RM went through Apnea monitoring after the freak episode that we had in the second week after birth. During the monitoring at the hospital, a cardiologist had performed EKG and an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay with his heart. They had heard a slight murmur and had noticed a small opening during the monitoring! So we were asked to follow up in 6 months. We had the follow up appointment on October 1st. Everything seems to be fine... there is a tiny-winy hole, but as per today's medicine and technology, no action needs to be taken. It does not need to be addressed and is not technically a health concern. We were asked to follow up with our pediatrician in a couple of years to see if any new medical findings warrant for a rescan or follow up.

October 8th was our 6 months vaccination. The babes got their first flu shot as well. They had fever for a day and half and were fine there after. Weight wise, we are staying steady... we got no 100 percentile babies here, but healthy chubby babies between 10-30% (reflux!). We will be going in again on November 8th for the 2nd flu shot.

RM had an undescended testicle during birth! We had hoped that it would descend during the first six months... but it didn't! It is recommended that it should be fixed before the baby turns 1.5 years old (in order to avoid any interference with fertility and for other such reasons) - earlier the better! We had the surgery (orchidopexy) performed on October 12th. The surgery went well and RM was a trooper! He was brave during the procedure and few hours of the hospital stay (between 0630 am to 1030am'ish). He was on tylenol for 2 days (just in case for pain) and has been as active as he possibly could be ever since then. We had a follow up appointment on October 25th and things seem to be fine post-op!

October 14th was RT's ear piercing at the pediatrician. She has these cute lil earrings (gold balls). She cried her eyes out! :) Poor child... she already has stranger anxiety (big time) and was not happy with people messing with her ears!

So in short... we have been crazy busy keeping appointments and making sure that the babes are comfortable!

There was another big decision that we made and have been implementing. We are weaning the babes off of breastmilk! Not something I would have liked to do in an ideal world. I still feel like if it were in my hands completely, I would nurse them till they turned 18! I have been fortunate enough to provide for them for 7 whole months! And I have been thankful enough to not face any of the supply issues I was dreading! But, it is time... we are traveling internationally next month and will be away for 2 months (would really love to hear about experiences about international travel, jet lag, flight journey). Space and privacy will be non-existent and exclusively pumping and feeding twins with all the logistics involved in storage and utilization... while trying not to get engorged (and have any infection)... and keeping two babies happy... I don't think I can handle it. I wish we could have pushed this trip... but the babes will be meeting their great-grandparents (who are aging) and we probably could not have delayed the trip very long. The transition has not been very smooth. RT is very picky with taste... we gave them formula every other day (one feed)... just to keep them used to it and then came the mega Similac recall! And boom... RT refused to drink the powder formula when it came back in the market. She was not happy with any other brand either. RM was okay with anything and everything. So eventually we had to mix formula and breastmilk and reintroduce formula to her. She is accepting formula again now and we are hoping that we can completely wean them off of breastmilk before we leave next month. Me trying to wean myself off of pumping is all together a different story. I am trying to reduce the volume, trying to use cabbage leaves as well. From 2 liters to 0 is going to be a big game! Any tips or advice will be highly appreciated.

We will be meeting the GI on November 2nd for reflux. Both of them are on Prilosec 2ml 2x day and things seem to be under control for now. We are off of Zantac! I just wish this was over and we were not worrying about reflux anymore. They have become so active now... that it would be nice for their bodies to take over control over their reflux.

And now for their activities...
-They are ACTIVE! They will flip over and roll over and flip over and turn around and on and on and on... They are not still for a moment!
-RT started sitting unassisted as of 10/12. I avoided RM from sitting unassisted because of his surgery... but we let him sit (unassisted) on 10/23! If we let them hold on to our hand while laying down... they will sit up and right away stand up! They love to stand (assisted). RM started jumping (literally) today (10/26) if we hold him at his armpits.
-Toys which light up and roll and make noises attract their attention like never before! We don't let them watch TV, but whenever they get a glimpse of it... they are glued to it!
-Their favorite song is "I am bringing home a baby bumble bee... ".
-They love car rides... they will go crazy when they figure out they are going out and will not stay still till we put them in to their car seats.

-RT has been teething... I say so because, she has swollen gums and there is this small protrusion sticking out of her gums, but the tooth won't come out! She had a swollen cheek for few days because of that... and has been super cranky and uncomfortable. She has been chewing on anything that her little hands fall upon. I hope she gets that tooth out soon. On the other hand RM has had his first cough/sore throat. He was coughing for 2-3 days and has a little bit of hoarseness in his voice. We went and saw the pediatrician, specially since it was in a couple of days after his surgery. The pediatrician doesn't think it is related to the surgery (medication/anesthesia) and asked us to watch out for fever or ear infection et al. He seems to be fine so far... I just hope he gets his sweet little voice back soon.

-RM's normally naps twice a day with a cat nap somewhere in between. RT still has her 30-40 minute naps. They are awake longer which helps so much in getting out of the house and getting things done! They both sleep on their sides at night and are all over the crib! Night time sleep is still around 12 hours... though things have been a little wacked up with all our medical adventures!
-They have tried rice, lentil, egg yolk, chicken, avocado, carrot, butternut squash, peas, sweet potato, banana, rice and oat cereal so far. They are getting more and more attracted to fancy foods. They are very much interested in what we eat. They are starting to drink water after meals, and we are trying to introduce a sippy cup. We are still doing one meal a day... I would like to bump it up to 2/3 meals a day... but with all the medical stuff that was going on this month, I was a little hesitant to introduce another meal or two.

I love you my honey buns!

6 Months!

2010-09-25T22:23:00.011-04:00

How can it be? I remember them 6 hours old, 6 days old, 6 weeks old... and they are already 6 months old - their 1/2 birthday! I can't seem to recollect my life without them. I hardly remember the bedrest and the worrisome period during the pregnancy! 6 months ago... they were still in my belly kicking away and chilling out! In spite of the new challenges that they throw at me oh so frequently along with their ever changing routines... I truly feel content! I wan't to hold back time because they seem to be growing so fast, yet I am looking forward to them growing up and experiencing all the fun things with them!

We celebrated their 1/2 birthday with a cheesecake from cheesecake factory (chocolate mousse cheesecake - yum)!

Here is a 6 month update...

-RT and RM have been eating solids regularly (once a day). They have tried sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, avocado and banana so far. They have never been truly interested in rice cereal, so we aren't really giving it to them.
-RM can entertain himself with one toy for ever. He will giggle and wiggle and talk with it without being disturbed by anything around him. He has figured out peek-a-boo and will take any thing around him and cover his eyes and get a kick out of it. If we take the cloth/toy out... he will start giggling. He is normally happy with any toy he can lay his hands on. Though, he is not as big a fan of the jumperoo as his sister.
-RM loves to stand (assisted)... and he has recently figured out squatting... he will stand and then bend his knees and go down and stand up again! He prefers to stand over sitting.
-If RM is on his belly, he can push on his feet and raise his butt and push himself around. Though it will all depend on his mood, if he is up for it he will roll over back to front or front to back... but otherwise he will sit there and cry and wants to be turned over.
-RM is a free bird, he loves to be held but is equally comfortable just being by himself. Though if he is held for too long (especially by anyone other than Mommy, Daddy or Grandma)... he can get pretty uncomfortable. It is not really a stranger anxiety... because if he is in his stroller, rocker or just laying down... he will instantaneously smile and interact with any stranger.
-RT loves the jumperoo... if we let her be... she can be in there for ever, but we try not to get her exhausted. Other than jumperoo, she can get bored of toys pretty quickly... and constantly needs something new to entertain herself.
-RT loves to sit (assisted). She will actually hold one finger of ours and pull herself up (if she is on a little bit of an incline). She raises her feet and lifts up her head/neck and keeps working towards pulling herself up. She prefers to sit over standing.
-When RT is on her belly, she prefers to lay down and relax than make the efforts to flip over (which she very well can).
-RT is a party gal! She will take some time to warm up... but she is so excited to be with people, she loves being held and will laugh and play and pose for pictures with everybody.

-RT loves to suck on her toes, RM still hasn't figured it out.
-RM absolutely loves to play with RT... he will start giggling and caressing and talking with RT whenever she comes close to him. He will try to grab her arm/leg and put it in his mouth. RT on the other hand is moody, there are times when she will be eager to talk with RM or caresse him... but then there will be times when she won't even look at him. I am sure this will change once they start getting even more interactive.
-They both love... bottles, kettle, laptop, cell phones, hair (to pull). They prefer toys which make sounds and light up. RT favorite is a frog which plays "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star..." and lights up in the cheeks. RM absolutely loves his octopus.
-They have started to play with the same toy, but don't yet realize that one or the other has pulled it away and will very easily move on to the next toy. I am sure our days are numbered where they will be content with their toy being pulled away from them.
-They both love going out. If they are cranky... and are put in the car seat, they will instantaneously calm down and wait to go out.

Now, the Reflux! RM is still on Zantac (1.5 ml 3x day). It has been over 3 weeks since we went and saw the GI and substantially increased the dosage. He seems to be relatively fine. He seems to be giving out all his burps (his classic reflux symptom) while he is being active. I hope it continues that way. However, we had to switch RT to Prilosec today (2 ml 2x day). She seemed to be getting miserable! I am hoping that we see some changes in her in the next few days.

As mentioned before RT's sleep issues continue and her big night time feeds continue as well. And yes, we "did not" CIO. I just don't think we are a CIO kind of couple... at least not at this age. Taking care of twins is not easy... it's not double the work, but more like exponential work. Situations like this (frequent night time feeding) can really throw you off and some times mess up your twin schedule! Which made me want to consider CIO, but I guess we won't be doing that... at least not now (and hopefully not in the future either).

We are still on breastmilk but are trying to transition to formula slowly. I would love to provide for them for ever! I feel blessed to be able to provide for them for this long. Though, we think it is time for me to separate from my breast pump (which is kind of my life right now). Does any one have any tips on how to wean myself off of pumping?

We go in for our 6 month vaccination on Friday, October 8th.

Similac Recall!

2010-09-23T14:12:00.003-04:00

Similac powder formula being recalled! We are just doing formula once a day, and unfortunately ours is listed in the recall too! It was purchased 2-3 months back... so I guess this thing goes back a while!

Recall Information (here)

To CIO or not!?

2010-09-10T07:19:00.008-04:00

Not sure what to really call this post! We are having some issues here... both the kids pretty much get the same treatment as far as sleeping/feeding is concerned... but of course they are two different individuals and they have their own personality! And I am having trouble here with my daughter (RT)!

So RM loves to sleep... he will take naps anywhere between 45 minutes to 2 hours and usually sleeps pretty well at night with just 1 feeding in between (or 2 if he has had a bad day). When the reflux is bad... he burps miserable and has to be held... so he kind of has gotten in to a habit of sleeping in my arms and then being put down in to his crib (he was so good at putting himself to sleep before that). With reflux he was also a pretty bad feeder till we up'ed the dosage. He used to struggle with finishing an ounce or two at a time... though we used to some how manage to get 25-30 oz in a day (on good days). He now takes between 4 to 6 oz at a time. So he is doing pretty well.

Now... RT! She naps for just 30 to 45 minutes. I have tried several things to get her to nap longer... wake to sleep, pick up put down, holding her, patting her, swinging her... she normally doesn't even nap for longer than 45 minutes in a car ride! Though one good thing is she can kind of put herself to sleep. She sucks on her fingers to fall asleep (we don't use a paci)... hopefully she will grow out of it, but it works for now. She used to have trouble with her awake time in the beginning... she used to tire out very easily in less than an hour (the shorter naps were just not enough for her). But, as she is growing up... those 30-45 min naps seems to be working fine while she stays up for anywhere between 1.5 to 2 hours. With her such short naps and RM's long naps, we have never ever been able to put them on the same schedule, though there night time sleep pretty much coincide (~ 11 hours)! Anyhow... my main concern for her is... feeding. If she is really hungry she can finish a bottle of 4 oz in less than 2-3 minutes! But ever since the reflux... she will hardly take 1-2 oz in one go. She gets super excited and also has a strong temper. Between the two persona's of hers, its very difficult to get her to take a good feed. Which essentially means... she wakes up at night! Anywhere between 3 to 4 times. Sometimes with in 2 hours. I am okay with night feeds... but getting up every 2 hours? That is like a newborn! Just not acceptable!! She used to sleep for 5 to 8 hours straight when she was smaller. She sometimes will finish half her daily intake at night! We try not to go in and feed her or soothe her right away! If she reduces her feeds during the night, she might just be willing to take more during the day time. After she is fed, she will fall asleep by her self... so we know that she is not using the bottle to try to fall back asleep. We kind of let it be during the reflux (low medication dosage) stage... because they were really miserable and just couldn't feed enough at one time!

I am totally confused as to what to do with her? Should I let her cry it out at night! Will she really learn that night time is not for feeding and take in more during the day time?! Currently, the medication is working like a charm and I know for sure that when she gets up in the middle of the night it is not a burp (reflux related) but more for hunger! If I had to let her CIO... this would be the time... unless she just grows out of it! Should I give her a paci... will she take it with such a late introduction? I would hate for her to get completely reliant on the pacifier! I would really appreciate any advice that you may have or experience that you can share.

It still hurts!

2010-09-09T19:10:00.003-04:00

One of my friends from high school called and told me she is Pregnant! I should have been happy and excited for her! But, the same old story - I am not! She is a part of the close knit group we had back in the days. We are still very well connected and in touch! Another reason, why I should have been really excited for her... because she was a potential candidate for being an IF!

I think the reason is because she is the second gal from that group of ours who got PG one after the other and real quick. Why is it so easy for them? I have two beautiful babies... who mean the world too me... so why do I still hurt just about the same!

I guess, just like I will always be a Mother... I will always be an Infertile!

GI Visit

2010-09-02T19:10:00.004-04:00

We had our appointment with the GI this morning! I am glad we went and saw the specialist!

As I had mentioned in my previous post, that freakin nurse took wrong readings for weight as well at the previous Ped visit! 16.75 lbs seemed to good to be true - almost a 2.5+ lbs gain in less than 3 weeks! They both weighed 15 lbs today. RT is at around 50th percentile and RM is at 25th percentile.

We discussed how the babes are troubled by the reflux and what we have done so far etc. Our Peds office had recommended 1.1 ml 3 times a day... and then bumping up the dosage by 0.1 every 2 weeks! Which wasn't quite working. As in, the babes are not super miserable... but they will have sleepless bouts, low milk consumption episodes. And I knew things weren't as good as it should have been inspite of being on medication. The GI bumped up the dosage to 1.5 ml 3 times a day! This continues for approximately a month or untill I start seeing any mega signs of reflux! Otherwise we go back in 2 months.

As per the GI, 50% of the babies outgrow reflux by 6 months, 75% by 9 months and 99% by a year... hopefully we will see the end of reflux sooner than later! Also, it seems the Peds try to be conservative and will only recommend the average dosage required for a certain age/weight! So, now we shall see how things look! Wish us luck!

5 months!

2010-08-26T22:18:00.005-04:00

The babes are 5 months young today! Happy Five!

I didn't get a chance to update about their 4 month Ped visit which was on August 6th. Things have been a little crazy on the growth (weight) front! As in... RM slacked a little in his weight at around 3.5 months and was almost 3/4th lbs lighter than RT. After birth he had picked up on his weight and surpassed RT... but at around 3.5 months he went down to the 19th percentile from the 50'ish that he was at during the 2nd month visit. Reflux was being a bitch and it took us some time to get a hang of it and start the meds. But with in 2 weeks after starting Zantac, he gained 1.5 lbs (14.3 lbs) and was up in the 29th percentile! Reflux has been affecting RT as well, but she (touch wood) has been taking it in a much better stride (weight gain wise). Every two weeks, we have been having to up the Zantac dose by 0.1 ml as they gain weight. The Ped suggested that we could go see a GI specialist... so we have an appointment on Sept 2. We also went in for a weight check yesterday, and they supposedly weighed 16.75 lbs!!! RT is in the 90th percentile and RM is in the 60th percentile. Now that I think about it, I find it a little hard to believe (the weights), especially since the nurse told me that they both shrunk (wrong height measurements... they were 26 inches at 4 months)... though I guess we will be seeing the specialist soon and will check the weight again then!

Anyhow... now about more exciting stuff!

-They LOVE to sit up! Mostly assisted, but they are probably going to surprise us soon with their capability to sit unassisted. If you hold their hands while they are laying down, they will lift their body and bend their arms at the elbow and sit up. RM will actually sit up and then lift his body to stand up!
-They are eating rice cereal every day (since August 8th). We introduced Avocado on August 22nd. Sometimes it is a struggle to get them to eat (if burp (reflux) is bothering them)... but if everything is going well, they will chow down their food pretty well!
-Their poop and fart has already started to stink! :) I wonder how it is going to be once they really-really start solids!
-They love to talk. Sometimes even in the middle of the night!
-They are starting to notice each other more. They will try to play with each others arms and legs and hair and clothes... they will also check each other out if one of them is crying! I can't wait to see them actually start playing!
-Both of them have been rolling over from belly to back for a while now. RT recently rolled over from her back to belly (on August 20th). RM has been trying to roll over for a while now, but he still has not mastered lifting up his big head (his head measures in the 100th percentile)!
-We started them with size 3 diapers this week!
-They are still wearing 3-6 months clothes, but they are starting to feel a little tight.
-They love being outside... and they especially love car rides! The babes will instantly quite down (if they are fussy) when they get into their car seats to go out!
-The best toy ever - Jumperoo... OMG, they can jump and wiggle for ever in it. Very easy to get overstimulated... but they absolutely love it!

Looking at their activity level, we are soon going to have to baby proof the house. Next month marks their half year birthday! I wish I had 48 hours in a day to cherish and enjoy each & every moment with them!

BF'ing (BM'ing) & Solids

2010-08-18T09:04:00.007-04:00

Thank you for your supporting comments! It is just hard to accept that we have lost that real breastfeeding! And I know I will be going through another such withdrawal in a few months time! I am still pumping (~2 L)... and we plan on transitioning them to formula after 6 months and hopefully get them on to formula (+ solids) by 8 months.

The babes will be 5 months in a weeks time, which essentially means I will be continuing the marathon pumping session for 1 more month... I have been 100% committed to providing EBM and ideally I would have loved to provide breastmilk for them up until one yr. But this is not mentally easy and plus we will be traveling internationally at around the 8-9 month mark (and will be away for 1+ month) and I don't think it is going to be feasible to keep pumping the way I do at that point of time! I hate to think that my "breastmilking" days are nearing its end. The babies are what they are today pretty much because of what I have provided them (which includes average weight gain (50 percentile'ish) and also the "Reflux") and I feel fortunate to be able to do that (sp since I wasn't sure about how my supply would be with the PCOS)!

We started solids (rice cereal) on August 8th (once a day). It went from not know what the heck we were giving them to grabbing the spoon and trying to put it in to their mouth. I wouldn't say they are a pro at eating the (semi) solids, but they are improving. We are hoping to start with either avocado (high calorie), banana (high calorie) or carrots (reflux friendly) next around their 5 month birthday! I was planning on waiting till around 6 months, but the Ped seems to be okay with it and... I am aware of a few cultures starting solids as early as 3 to 4 months... and have also noticed the occurrence of reflux being less amongst those babies. May be they are able to keep their food (milk) down better? Though, I guess each child is different and each situation is different!

End of BF'ing!

2010-08-04T11:54:00.005-04:00

Every time I think of breastfeeding, I just want to cry! I started this post some 10 days ago... and am finally getting to finish it!

The babes are 4+ months old and they are still on EBM! Which is great... but long gone are the days when I could say our actual breastfeeding days are numbered, I already feel like it is over (and now while finishing this post 10 days later... they are OVER)! And I just want to cry!

I know I have been fortunate enough to not have supply issues (till now) and have been able to provide for them. But I just feel like a failure when it comes to bf'ing. Taking care of twins is not easy, though I have been lucky to have some help at home... my parents helped us for the first 2.5 months... and then the in-laws "helped"... I might sound like a bitch and very ungrateful, but the later part of the help was more mentally stressful! With the "stress", the time I got to put the babes to my bo.obs was very less, and of course the babies lost their capability to suckle very well (I don't think they had latching issues later on)! Plus the reflux didn't help, my let down is very "heavy" (probably because of power pumping due to lack of time) and the babies at time would have to be burped even 2-3 time in 5 minutes when bf'ing. So... it is over, it is over for good... I will never ever experience babies sucking on my bo.obs... ever! And that just makes me so sad and bitter. Had it been in my control or had the babies decided they were done with it, I wouldn't have felt as bad. But, this was not my decision, nor the babies... and I am mad at the situation. May be I am just a slacker and am finding excuses... and am just blabbering! I just had hoped that bf'ing wouldn't end this way! :(

4 Months!!

2010-07-26T17:35:00.009-04:00

There have been a lot of changes this month - a lot! My lil babies are growing into infants with a personality, they are growing as individuals!

There is supposed to be a growth spurt around 3 months (gestational age)... so we were trying to observe and make sense of their activities, their feeding habits, their sleep pattern etc... though it all looked haphazard! And then boom! I started realizing that in the last two weeks or so... they talk and talk and talk! They completely hold their neck strong. They like to stand on their feet and bounce around and laugh. They like to be held... to look around the world! They realize when one or the other is held and will stare at you point blank! They love tummy time because they can check out everything around them. They like to get in to their car seats - because they know that they get to go out! They will play with their burp cloth, their swaddles... basically anything they can get hold off. They hold their toys and talk with them. RT when on her tummy, will raise her hip and then push her feet against the ground and move ahead... where as RM, he lifts his whole body by pushing on his feet (while on his back and with the support of his head)... with the way the time has flown by, baby proofing the house is going to be just around the corner! Oh, and how can I forget... they smile at each other and try to converse! In short, they are super fun and I am loving it! :)

Though, along with all this fun stuff, there has been a return of the "reflux". Especially for RM... he had some issues in his first month, some how it got under control without meds. But things started getting bad around 2.5 weeks ago. He spent 2-3 hrs crying, trying to get his burp out; he was spitting up; had lost weight (weighed 12.9 lbs when we went to the Ped); and had drastically reduced his feed. He has been on Zantac (0.8 ml 3x day) for the last 5 days and things are much better. RT had kinda started showing similar symptoms too (not as bad though)... so the Ped recomended that we try the same dosage on her and see if things change. One thing that the meds seem to be helping her with is sleep (she is a very light sleeper - that's all together another post)! So we are going to continue her meds for a week and see how over all it is affecting her. Also, since we are nearing the age of introducing solids... I am a lil concerned... from what I have read... babies with reflux can have a hard time with solids.

Their 4 month Ped visit is on August 6th! They will be getting their second round of vaccination and we will be evaluating the reflux issue as well.

One Year... & twin blessings!!

2010-07-23T00:05:00.005-04:00

Exactly one year ago our babies came to be! Thursday, July 23, 2009 was my ER. Even though we were striving to complete our family, it was more of a mission to get pregnant... and never had I imagined how wonderfully blessed we would be a year down the line!

The journey to reach to this point has not been easy. Even now everyday with the babies is something new, a new challenge in some form or the other. Though, seeing the twinkle in their eyes, the smiles, the recognition, the cooing... it makes it all worth it!

I love you my sweet little Darlings!!

Embabies

2010-07-13T14:01:00.007-04:00

Last year this time, I was frustrated, hopeful, disappointed, cautiously optimistic... basically a bunch of mixed feelings. Last year today (7/13), I started my stims! My babies completed 1 year on 7/9 as per their gestational age. I had an emotional outburst on that day thinking of where we were last year and where we are today... what all we had to go through to get to where we have! I can't be thankful enough for the two beautiful children we have been blessed with!

That brings me to the question of our embabies. We were fortunate enough to be able to freeze a few of our embryos... we have 5 embabies! Today, I am faced with the question of what do we do with our potential +5? Of course I have no plans of being a reality star! We (DH and I) had discussed this in the past and both were pretty sure that we wanted to give them to science. But today when I look at it... I am unsure! Several things run through my mind!

First off... my babies are already 3+ months old. I feel like time is flying by too fast, these days will never come... and if we stop at two, I am never going to get to experience this ever again... which makes me want to go for a third child. Though the practical and rational side of me knows that we are a happy family of 4!

Recently, one of the IF sista that I follow, had a BFN at one of the best clinics in the country. From what I know of her (through her blog), I know that we have similar backgrounds... a thought ran through my mind. What if I donated our embabies to them. I know it is easier said than done (legally and practically)... of course I never really proposed this to her, but I brought this hypothetical situation up with DH and he was not really comfortable. I am not comfortable blindly donating the embabies for adoption, because all my life I will wonder how the babies are doing, what they look like etc. But, looking at this IF world my heart just sinks to donate the embabies to science, where I know there are fellow IF'ers who have are still struggling to get to where I have reached. Though, I guess it is better to donate to science than just discard the embabies, because hopefully the science which has helped me reach where I have today, might be able to better help the next generation!

If you have frozen embabies, what decisions have you made?

3 Months!!!

2010-06-26T22:25:00.005-04:00

Happy 3 Months Birthday my Dear Babies!!!

Every post I post seems to say that time is flying by... and it sure is! There is so much I want to say, but I have been really busy with guests. There are a few thoughts going on in my head and I will be posting about it next.

A few updates about the babies...

-They are already wearing size 2 diapers.

-They fit in to 3-6 month clothes.

-They roll over with assistance.

-They are grasping toys.

-They get very easily entertained with things which might seem simple to us. Every morning, RT cracks up and gets super excited when the sun rays peeping through the window blinds dance on the wall! It's hilarious and super cute!

-Their favorite toy is a mobile which I designed (with inspiration from HGTV) and my parents made. It is very simple... we have 4 different colors of ribbon alternating and hanging off of a ring. The babes love to stare at it and get a kick out of it when we spin it for them. The whole thing cost under $5!

-RM has different cries for most things. I am hungry, I need to be burped, I need attention etc. RM has one standard cry for everything and it is sometimes difficult to figure out what she wants. Though she will very easily make us know if she is pissed!

-Initially we had thought that RT was more easy going than RM... she seemed more patient. But things have flipped. RM is the more patient one now... he is very easy going and ever smiling. Where as RT has turned in to the more demanding baby.

-RT is more vocal than RM. She will converse with you with geeee, haguuuu, dhaaai. She will make noises if you are not looking to grab your attention. And once you look at her... she will give you the cutest smile! RM loves to talk as well and can smile for ever!

-RM is a great sleeper, he will make sure he gets the naps he needs. Where as RT... OMG... sometimes we really have to work on her to get her to nap!

-RM is great at tummy time. He perfectly holds his head and checks out stuff around him. Where as RT... she will use that opportunity to relax and sleep on her tummy. I bet she is going to be a tummy sleeper... I am going to have to watch out on her!

-Both of them have discovered sucking on their hand. They will suck on their hand to soothe themselves when they want to fall asleep.

2 Month Ped Visit & Breastfeeding

2010-06-05T00:24:00.007-04:00

We had our 2 month pediatrician visit today. Ms. Snuglesaurus (RT) and Mr. Smilie (RM) had their 2 month vaccinations today too and have been a little cranky (today). They have really caught up on the their measurements. She is weighing 11.5 lbs (50th percentile), measures 23 inches (50th percentile) in length, and the head measurement falls in 75th percentile. He is weighing 12 lbs (50th percentile), 22.24 inches (25th percentile) in length, and the head measurement falls in 90th percentile. It is amazing to see how much they have grown (10 weeks today). During their initial visit to the ped, they were barely on the scale at around 5 percentile. They go back on Aug 6 for their 4 month visit.

Their progress brings me to breastfeeding. They are still on breastmilk (occasional formula feed - once a day at the most)... note that I am not saying breastfeeding! Yes, I am still pumping... there was a time when we were struggling with getting one or the other to latch on. Currently, they do latch on pretty well, but we still have not mastered tandem feeding with their different schedules and personalities. I have been through a phase where I felt guilty because I couldn't directly breastfeed them. But looking at their progress, I realize that what matters the most is that they are getting what is best for them and what they need. I am pumping around 2L of milk every day... and I am glad I can provide for them up until now. In an effort to get them to breastfeed directly, frustration would have resulted in neither them getting enough milk and me giving up on the idea of providing them milk, and I am happy to stand where I do today.

I really want to thank Baby Smiling in Back Seat (Mom of twins) and Tubeless in Seattle (Mom of triplets) for providing me with the guidance about breastfeeding. They both recommended The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk ... and that is the best book to refer to if you are expecting multiples or do anticipate some trouble with breastfeeding. That book has been a blessing to me. Understanding how supply and demand works and how important stimulation is for good milk supply... is something this book very well gets across. It is an easy read and you can read some of the pages on Amazon (Search Inside This Book) if you want to get a gist of the book.

2 Months!!

2010-05-26T14:51:00.008-04:00

My heart melts to see these babies grow up so fast! They are 2 months young today! Time has been flying by! They both keep changing every day and I sometimes wonder if that is how it will be all their (young) life. They surprise me with a new sound, with a new look, with their strength, with their personality. They are little charmers!

Here is an update for RM (baby boy) and RT (baby girl)...
-They pretty much hold their neck.
-They love being outdoors (especially RT... she gets super excited when she is outside).
-They gulp down anywhere between 3 to 6 oz of milk. And consume up to 30 oz of milk every day.
-They cluster feed in the evening and then go with a stretch of ~6 hours of no feed/sleep! Rest of the feeds are still 3 to 4 hours apart.
-RM smiles and smiles and smiles... it is hard not to find him smile! He has gone from a demanding baby to a smiley baby! The only time he cries is when he is hungry... so is the case with RT. Though, RT has recently started truly smiling in the last 2 days.
-RM is on the apnea monitor only when he sleeps at night! And the monitor will be off after his shots.
-Both of them will be getting their 2 month shots (first round of vaccinations) on June 4th!
-RM is super active... he does not like to be held very close... he likes to check out stuff. RT is super cuddly! She will snuggle in and can stay with you forever!
-They have transitioned in to their nursery. The first night (May 18) they slept in their nursery, it felt like a mini-graduation (I had to cry!).
-They both have started interacting with folks around them! They will try to make some sound to gather attention.
-RM loves his swing and RT loves her rocker (especially to check out the view outside the window).

-They doze off as soon as they sit in their car seats. At least as of now, they sleep through car rides. Though, we haven't had super long rides yet!

Smiles :)

2010-05-15T09:34:00.002-04:00

Our babies are smiling! Well, they kind of started smiling at around 1 month... but it still felt very involuntary... and then recently they have been all smiles! It is hard to say when exactly they started smiling... but it has been between week 4 and 7... and I can't stop looking at them. They are the best smiles ever!

Time!

2010-05-05T11:01:00.007-04:00

Our babies are almost 6 weeks old! Time is flying by... they are getting bigger day by day (RM weighed 8 lbs 5.6 oz and RT weighed 8 lbs 11.4 oz at their 1 month appointment... their next appointment is at 2 months - they get their vaccinations then (they have had none till now))... interacting more day by day! They absolutely do not fit in to their newborn outfits or newborn diapers!

RM has his Apnea monitoring appointment this Friday (after 1 month of monitoring)... we are hoping that he doesn't really need to be monitored (at all or as much) and he can get off of it pretty soon... he is not too fond of the belt (with the monitors on it).

I also have my 6 week OB appointment this Friday. I will be getting a prescription to check my blood sugar (GD) again! We will also be discussing how we are going to manage my PCOS! Keeping it under control naturally would be the best option... if that doesn't work I might have to go back to BCP (which I am not very fond off). I guess, I am also allowed to be a normal human being after 6 weeks. Though, I still don't feel like it yet. Mostly with my bones and joints. I am so stiff and sore most of the time, that I wonder when I will feel like my normal self! I am considering getting some massage... there should be some postpartum massage?! My OB had mentioned that I was okay to drive around after my 2 week appointment. So I started driving at around 3 weeks... that was after 4 months of not driving. It felt weird... it felt like I was visiting an old place I had driven around several years ago.

I celebrated my birthday this (past) weekend... we were home with the babies... it was nice to just stay back and relax with my greatest gifts in life! That reminded me of my birthday last year... the day before (the "birthday"), my nurse had called to tell me that my 2nd IUI cycle had failed! Things have changed so much in the last 1 year! That brings me to the point as to whether we will TTC again. From what we had discussed before, I don't think we will be going that route. I do miss all the kicking and movements... the feeling that I was growing two babies in me! But, with all that I have been through (IF (IUI/IVF), Subchorionic Hematoma (@ 8w), GD (@ 14w), and Shortened Cervix, Contractions, Bedrest (@ 24w)) I was constantly on the guard and scared, I cherish this (current) phase more than anything else in life! RM & RT are our greatest blessings and we are a happy family of 4!

Dr. Google

2010-05-05T10:42:00.003-04:00

I have realized that I no longer consult Dr. Google as much as I used to! During the IF cycles, I looked up every darn thing I could think of... from medications, to side effects, to symptoms, to studies, to statistics... it seemed like knowledge was power!

But right now, I don't seem to look up stuff. It's not that I am no longer inquisitive. It's just that some times I really don't know what babies are doing or feeling. There could be several things that could pop up if I consulted Dr. Google and that would probably make me uneasy! So right now my consultation with Dr. Google happens only after I speak with the Ped! And it is amazing how many times I have called the Ped with some small basic questions! And even more amazing than that is that most of the time our conversation revolves around poop and pee! :P

One Month!

2010-04-25T21:04:00.008-04:00

Our babies are 1 month young! This seems surreal!

I was on bedrest for 3 months and that seemed long... and this 1 month has just flown by! I can hardly remember how the bedrest was (though the after effects still persist)!

Some of our highlights...
*We are awake a lot more than we used to be (sometimes 3 hours at a stretch).
*We admire each other when we are awake (together) and wonder how we fit in Mama's belly!
*We are almost holding our neck (for a brief period)!
*When we are awake, we will track you with our eyes.
*We have a few toys which are bright red in color, we love staring at them and try to reach them!
*We love massage and bathing/sponging.
*We love staring outside the bright window in our bedroom!
*We take ~3oz of milk during every feed (every 2-3 hrs).
*We hate stuffy diapers, yet we hate to change them!
*We are growing out of our newborn outfits!
*We love to snooze around in our Boppy.
*We love our grandparents a lot and would like to thank them for helping out our Mama & Daddy!

Breastfeeding!

2010-04-25T20:16:00.008-04:00

Who am I kidding!?

Yes, I have mentioned in the past, that it is going pretty well. But what defines the "pretty well" part? Basically with my PCOS, I had very little hopes on my supply, forget exclusively breastfeeding! So whatever I ended up with seemed GREAT to me!

I am not trying to brag here and I hope I am not jinxing myself either! I just need to get my thoughts out, so I can look back and figure how things progressed, and may be this might help some one in the future too!

As mentioned before, I had a pretty decent amount of colostrum and my milk came in in less than 48 hours! Currently, I am producing between 50 to 60 oz of milk every day. I pump approximately 6-8 times a day (including middle of the night) (which is less as per the recommended standard)... I would like to pump more frequently, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time... and that scares the crap out of me because I feel like I might not be able to produce more milk as the babies' demand goes up, or my body might think that it does not need to produce so much milk right now (as far as enhancing my supply, I almost started fenugreek tablets to get my body to produce more milk as the babies start drinking more milk - but I felt like the babies had some reflux issues the days following the herb intake... so I stopped - may be it was just a coincidence)! So, the actual "breastmilk" feeding part ends up being Expressed Breast Milk (EBM) (we just supplement with formula 1-2 times a day - to kind of keep them used to it)! I get the babies to latch on to me a couple of times a day... but no where close to the number of times I pump! And that makes me feel very guilty!

The situation is such, that our boy (RM) is very demanding, he needs to feed every 1.5 to 2 hours... he sleeps through feeds, takes for ever to wake up and can be very aggressive! He seems to have more of a reflux issue too (it seems manageable so far - the PED recommended Zantac if things get worse - which I hope not). Where as our girl (RT) is very patient... she feeds every 3 hours approximately. So tandem feeding them gets difficult, plus as mentioned before my left breast produces less milk, so the baby on the left struggles a little more. So, whenever I end up actually BF'ing them... I have to give up on tandem feeding... or the baby is not really full (even after 30 min of feeding) and ends up supplementing on EBM! They are feeding 3+ oz of EBM during every meal right now. Also, if I spend the whole time solely BF'ing, I am afraid I will have no time left to pump and produce the actual volume they both need.

Last Thursday, I was very disappointed that they are probably going to stop BF'ing directly... because they prefer the easy to get bottle nipple. I started questioning myself as to how long I could pump... what would I do after my parents left (and I was on my own with the babies)... what would I do when I start venturing out (carry pump everywhere and keep pumping?)... would my supply increase? Though, I guess one good thing is... at least I can get them the milk they so need (for as long as I possibly can)! And then, my daughter (RT) surprised me. On Friday morning, my sweetie pie decided that she just didn't want the bottle while she was in my arms. She was hungry, but wouldn't take the bottle... she wanted my boobie! It touched my heart! It makes me feel that some day may be both will be more breastfeed than be given EBM!

I have been trying to offer RT my breast as much as I can... and she seems to be demanding it more too. Though, with pumping every couple of hours, I am not always full to provide her with the optimum milk. Though she keeps trying. She loves to snuggle around and stare in to my eyes, it melts my heart away! I just hope I can satisfy her and don't turn her away (with my pumping schedule). I also hope that I can get our boy to the same level (and both - beyond) too!

Here I go again...

2010-04-13T17:46:00.012-04:00

There is so much that I want to get across and record that again I have I go with the bullet list... till I get a little more regular on blogging!

-Our miracles will be 3 weeks old tomorrow and today we complete 40 weeks (gestational age)!

-Umbilical cords of RT (our baby girl) and RM (our baby boy) came off on April 9 and 11 respectively. So they had their first baths on the 10th and 11th respectively. We were sponging them up until then (as per the Peds advice).

-Our babies poopoo changed from black to greenish to yellow by the end of second day! :) I thought that was impressive and something worth remembering! :P

-RT and RM weighed 6 lbs 8 oz and 6 lbs and 3 oz respectively at their 2 week Ped appointment.

-RT used to be all over the place inside of me (constantly changed position)... and we had imagined that she would be the feisty/active one! However, she is more patient/calm... she will cry only if she is hungry and her feed has been delayed. Where as RM... he needs everything now! We are thinking that he probably used to take up the position that he wanted inside of me and hence RT used to move around to get herself adjusted/situated!

-As far as the schedule for babies... they get up to eat every 2-3 hours. There are times when they both are on a schedule and then there are times when they just throw us off by wanting to eat in less than an hour. As of now we are not trying to put them (forcefully) on the same schedule. Typically they will sleep through the nights (other than getting up for feeding). Both of them take between 2-3 oz of feed every time. They both like to gulp down their food when bottle fed (EBM and 1-2 formula feeds during night)... which is leading to lots of burp... we just switched to Dr. Browns... and that seems to slow them down a little and makes them a little less gassy!

-My parents have been a great-great help in this whole process. I can not imagine doing this all by myself. And I am thoroughly impressed by couples who do take care of their twins (in the beginning) on their own! Breastfeeding (BF) twins without help at home is probably next to impossible! The only reason I can devote time to nursing our babies or providing them EBM is because I really am not doing much house stuff (though I am picking it up as I get back to the new "old me" after the bedrest and c-section... small things still ware me off).

-As far as BF'ing goes, the babies latch on pretty well... that is to the right breast, left is still a little bit of struggle (with my "inverted" nipple). This makes tandem feeding difficult. Also, I have realized my right breast produces more milk than the left... so I feel bad to put one baby on the left where he/she has to struggle more! Also, something I wanted to mention - Bella B Nipple Nurture Butter has been a life saver for sore nipples!

-I had gained around 50 lbs including IVF weight (of 5 lbs)... I had lost 30 lbs at my 2 week visit with my OB! So I guess I just have 20 more to go... and that is something I had lost when I had tried to get healthy before we started ttc! May be I am being a little too optimistic... with very less of "me time" in hand, loosing those 20 lbs is going to be challenging!

-And finally, I updated my blog background!

Baby Update

2010-04-10T21:26:00.008-04:00

We had a freak episode last Saturday, April 3rd... where our baby boy choked on some vitamin drops. The medicine went in too fast and he did not like that! We ran to the ER to get him checked out. They did an x-ray to make sure nothing had gotten in to his lungs and made sure his blood work was normal. We were admitted to the pediatric department. The standard protocol for such incidents in the hospital is to monitor for apnea which includes monitoring heart rate, respiration and oxygen saturation and looking for any symptoms of pneumonia. He was put on a antibiotics as a preemptive measure in case there was any airway infection.

He was also put on a four-channel 12 hour test. This test was performed by the neonatology department. He was put on heartbeat, respiration, oxygen saturation and breathing (two probes under nostrils) monitors. They analyzed the data and concluded there were no apnea incidents during the test.

All the other test results came back normal. However, because this was a choking episode the standard protocol of the hospital is to send such newborns with Apnea Monitor. He will be on the monitor for a month. There are two probes on his chest under a soft belt which records heartbeat and respiration data in a unit. If heartbeat or respiration goes below a threshold, a loud alarm will sound (believe me this sound is very loud). After a month, we go back to Apnea center in the hospital where they will download this data and see if there were any incidents of apnea.

So far our son is doing extremely well!!!

Twin Pictures!

2010-04-10T20:42:00.008-04:00

Here are the portrait pictures of our twins taken at the hospital on day 3.

Going with the trend of this blog (for the sake of privacy), our baby boy will be called RM and baby girl will be called RT on the blog.

Both together...

Our baby girl...

Our baby boy...

Say a Little Prayer for us!

2010-04-04T18:30:00.003-04:00

I have been meaning to update and post my birth story... but!

Our little boy is in the hospital being tested for apnea! He had a choking episode which freaked us out and sent us running to the ER. The monitoring seems to be going fine so far... but we need to see how things progress. He might be on monitor at home!

Our girl had a mild case of jaundice when she was born... she was not given light therapy etc, but was just monitored.

Please say a little prayer for our little ones! Our babies are already over a week old!

Our Birth Story!

2010-04-03T12:43:00.019-04:00

My Babies are already two weeks old (yesterday)! Happy 2 week Birthday Babies! Time flies!

This is going to be a detailed post, since it is going to be my way of logging the birth of my babes.

On March 26th, the day started with me hogging down a heavy breakfast, since my OB had said I could eat/drink 8 hrs prior to the C-section! I managed to get a good nights sleep and was pretty fresh for the procedure. I cheated a little and probably had around 5 oz of water in those 8 hrs... my throat was way too dry... and I had done this during IVF ER and things seemed okay then!

We (my parents, husband and I) left for the hospital at around 0130 pm. There was some confusion with my name during the admitting and pre-admission testing (my name is way too long and doesn't fit on the drivers license... and the hospital likes to keep the name consistent with the id... and I didn't want my name to be listed in an inappropriate way)... so we had to get that fixed with some other legal id as a proof. We reached the L&D check in desk at around 0200 pm. Once that was fixed we were all set for the c-section. We were then taken in to the recovery room at around 0245 pm. There they had to draw my blood again (the same testing as the pre-admission testing) because of the name confusion. That took some time. The babies heart beats (NST) and my blood pressure was monitored. I was given an IV and some antibiotics. The anaesthesiologist stopped by and chatted with us. We had a small conversation about my IVF and it seems that he knows my RE personally, and they were going in for ER the next day! It was humbling to see some one who is involved day in and day out in delivering babies going through the same procedure we had been through! My OB arrived at around 0345, we chatted for a few minutes, and then signed a few documents. He checked my vital stats and meds to make sure we were ready for the surgery and shortly after we were whisked away to the OR. My husband had changed into his scrubs and was asked to wait outside the OR while I was prep'ed. I was in the OR by 0400 pm. The spinal anesthesia wasn't as bad over all... though momentarily it hurt pretty bad.

Things moved very swiftly there after! My husband was with me in a short while. When the surgery started, I could sense tugging and pulling, but couldn't tell a thing of what was going on. I was consciously trying to pay attention to what was being said. My Blood pressure was pretty stable most of the time... but later it started dropping and I felt quite dazed. Things seemed a little mumbled and I was trying not to get zoned out. I was given some meds to stabilize my blood pressure.

And then, at 0426 pm our baby boy was born weighing 5 lbs 12 oz... tears started rolling down my cheeks, I just couldn't stop them. My husband almost ran to see the baby, but he was asked to wait till they cleaned him up. Our girl followed him at 0427 pm weighing 6 lbs 3 oz. They scored a 9, 9 and 6, 9 on APGAR score respectively. My husband clicked a few pictures while they were being weighed and swaddled. Then the nurses brought them over to my husband (who was then seated by my head). Both the babies were very alert. After few pictures with my husband, nurses put the babies right next to my cheeks. Our daughter looked right into my eyes and that piercing look is something I will never forget! Our nurses took our first family pictures.

Our babies and my husband soon left for newborn nursery while I was being cleaned and stitched up. That one hour just flew by and by 0500 pm, I was out of OR and into the Recovery room. They took vitals of babies in the nursery. Our daughter and son measured at 19 inches. Our daughter's blood sugar came low (40 and 44) and therefore they decided to feed her first meal right away.

I was in the Recovery room after 0500 pm. It took for ever for my numbness to wear off (I couldn't wiggle my toes or move my lower body at all)... as a result, I was in the recovery for almost 2.5 hrs. I was moved to my room at around 0800 pm and was so anxious to see our babies. My husband and parents had been visiting them while I was in the Recovery. Our babies made their grand entrance at around 0900 pm! I tried to put them to my breast, but they were way too sleepy! I had requested for a breast pump, which had arrived by then... so after cuddling the babies for some time, I started pumping. It was a great relief to see some colostrum! I think I actually had around 25-30 cc colostrum at the first attempt!

We sent the babies to the nursery that night... I continued pumping (4-6 times in a day) through the night and the next two days. My milk came in in less than 48 hours! I tried to latch the babies on to my breast a couple of times in those two days, but it wasn't very successful! The lactation consultant at the hospital was not available over the weekend. So we kinda had to wait till Monday. Though the nurses were great help in getting me started. It seems I have "inverted" nipples (which I never had imagined was the case)... so the latch assist came pretty handy (and still does). My left nipple is more so than the right. So, my right one had been more active than the left one till we figured things out!

Our boys blood group is the same as mine and our girls blood group doesn't match mine, so that means she had positive coombs, so I guess her chances of having jaundice was higher... so she was tested for the same. Her readings were on the lower end of the high billurubin count... so she was continuously monitored till we were discharged from the hospital (and we have been going to the Ped to monitor it as well after coming home).

As far as my state was concerned, I was okay till Saturday afternoon (till all the C-section meds were in)... but once that started wearing off... I was pretty miserable. I could hardly get up, move or walk. A trip to the bathroom (after the catheter was removed on Saturday afternoon) was 30 min long! So, we ended up leaving the babies in the nursery through the nights (during our hospital stay), while I pumped a couple of times. The pain continued for almost a week and the only thing that helped me was Percocet! I am now occasionally taking Motrin if I have a rough day. It has taken almost 2 weeks for swelling on my feet to go away (I had no swelling during the pregnancy).

Over all the C-section and the stay at the hospital went pretty well and we were happy to bring the babies home on Tuesday, March 30, 2010.

Our Babies...

2010-03-28T23:55:00.000-04:00

Our Babies have arrived...

Born on March 26, 2010; baby girl weighed 6 lbs 3 oz and 19" long, and baby boy weighed 5 lbs 12 oz and 19" long.

More to follow soon...

C-Section Tomorrow!

2010-03-25T14:25:00.005-04:00

I am 37 weeks today! ...And still home, so I am assuming/hoping tomorrow (Friday, March 26th, 2010) is going to be the big day (as scheduled)! We visited the hospital and wrapped up admitting and pre-admission testing (b/w) this morning. The c-section is scheduled for 03:30 pm... we are supposed to get a call this evening to confirm the "exact" time (just in case if we can get an earlier slot).

On a personal level, I am feeling extremely calm! I have been counting down hours... but besides that I am not panicking. I can usually get pretty worked up... but I guess I have been waiting for this for a very long time and mentally I am ready to hold our babies in my arms. However, at the same time, I have not once felt rushed to have the babies out till now. I guess preterm labor scare at 24w (with all the medication, monitoring and bedrest... besides IF, bleeding and GD) can make you want to hold on for as long as you possibly can! I am just hoping that there are no crazy complications and the babies are healthy. I am really looking forward to BF'ing and hoping that my body cooperates.

I want to thank you gals for all the support and the best wishes! Oh... and also, tomorrow I complete 1 year of blogging!!

Pioneer Reflects on Future of Reproductive Medicine

2010-03-23T16:57:00.002-04:00

Scientist at Work: Pioneer Reflects on Future of Reproductive Medicine
-NYTimes

"Dr. Howard W. Jones Jr., the surgeon who, along with his wife, Dr. Georgeanna Seegar Jones, helped to create the first test tube baby born in the United States, turned 99 in December. He is still opinionated, humble and charming, and he has a lot to say about the past and future of the baby-making business...."

36 Weeks... and 7 days...!

2010-03-19T21:40:00.006-04:00

We completed 36 weeks yesterday!!! Looking back 12w when the bedrest started... 36w seemed so distant. I counted down hours of every day at one point of time! I started calming down a little bit after crossing 30w! Every week seemed like a bonus after that. Emotional and the physical aspect of the long bedrest is beyond words. Yet, here I am at 36w1d today... just 7 days away from our scheduled c-section!

Yes, we rescheduled (from March 31, 2010) to Friday, March 26, 2010 at 37w1d! My husband and I were of the opinion that since technically 37w is full term, we would rather schedule the c-section around that time than have an emergency situation later on. Yes, things can still change anytime, but at least we will be trying our best to get to 37w! Our OB agreed with us, and after a long anxious wait today he finally called at around 0800 pm and informed that we are all set! I am technically off of bedrest as of 36w, but I am so not in a shape to move around... so I am just generally going to take it easy for the next 1 week!

NST and BPP have been going well. Though, they are starting to see some increase in fluid for the babies. It seems that in this stage of the pregnancy it is possible to see increase in fluid if the mom is diabetic. Even though I am not on any medication, I am borderline and have been monitoring my blood sugar (4 times a day) and watching my diet since week 14. So, we will be seeing how things look during Tuesday's NST and might go early if there is any drastic change!

I am just hoping and praying that everything goes well, and we have two healthy babies with us next Friday!