Love, Brittney: October 2014

Our last monthish in pictures! I'm really not doing well in documenting their lives like I want in words. I'm rocking the picture taking (I CAN'T STOP PHOTOGRAPHING THEM) (but my crappy phone has a purple dot on it so all my picture do too. I try and put it in a spot where you can't notice it, but sometimes I just can't avoid it or just don't care enough to try...) but I'm not getting their weekly developments like I'd like. I really don't have time, but still I am really wanting to do better. But here is a dump of all my iphone pictures, and that will have to do for now. It's taken me 3 weeks to finish this post, so now I have another 3 weeks to document.

Oliver took so much longer to get off oxygen than I was hoping. It wasn't that bad but it felt like forever, especially since Savannah had just graduated off oxygen when he came home. I thought he was going to be off oxygen 2 weeks before he actually was. He was SO DANG CLOSE for so long, but would do great and then struggle, do great and then struggle...

I'm so grateful for oximeters and oxygen and monitors and all these things that helped the twins progress and be healthy, but OH MY HOLY HANNAH the whole thing was a nightmare. We dropped that monitor so many times. I'm surprised it never yanked Oliver's tiny little foot off, with all the monitor catastrophes we had.

Every time we'd take the prongs off, he would desat and we'd have to put them back on. Usually in the middle of the night when we were walking zombies. So we'd leave them intact and just put them above his nose.

September 24

This kid seriously makes the best kissy faces. He loves doing this with his lips.

September 25

Our little diva, in one of her many, many poses.

So our little grunty girl is on prune juice for her constipation. She will grunt and groan and have the stinkiest gas for days, and then exploder her diaper. Then she'll be fine for a day or two, then get grunty and the cycle repeats. Her blowouts are seriously the worst. Like, change her in the bathtub bad.

This particular blowout went from her shoulders to her feet. on both sides. In the picture below you can only see the one side - it's the same on the other.

September 26

Trevor's amazing aunt Lori sent us these outfits for their newborn photos. When they were born, I never thought they would fit into them. But at 2 months old, they fit! The hat was even tight on Oliver, which I couldn't believe.

September 27

September 28

I made this headband for Sav's blessing outfit. They were both awake and wanting attention, so I put them in the swing together. It was great until Sav started eating Oliver's face when he was sleeping.

I was able to donate over 300 ounces of breast milk. My milk didn't come in enough when they were first in the NICU, so they got a little bit of donated breast milk until I could keep up with them. What a blessing that was to us. So, I wanted to donate milk as a way to say thanks.

September 29

We went on our first walk! It was amazing to go out and walk. I'm still so weak but slowly getting my muscle back.

The twins cuddled in back, the monitor riding shotgun and oxygen tank under the stroller. Phew.

I had to pull out their (Seth's technically I guess, Mikail was amazing and lent us SO many things!) activity mat. They are getting more alert and waking up for longer stretches. I almost cried. I got super emotional about it - they are growing up too fast already.

Again, our little diva girl.

September 30

When they first came home, Savannah was all over Oliver. She would move her body to be next to him, put her arm around him, it was so freaking cute. He seemed to care less.

Since that first day, however, neither has seemed overly interested in the other. Lately, however, Oliver has started being more cuddly with Sav. He will always put his head on her shoulder or next to her face. For the most part, she doesn't seem to care.

October 2

So, Sav was screaming hungry and I was trying to get her bottle warmed up (I pump and bottle feed mostly - I'm trying to get Sav to nurse well but it's a work in progress) and Trev was holding her. She started attacking his nipple through his shirt, so much so that his shirt was wet around his nipple. We were laughing super hard, and I told him to try to nurse her! So he did. She wanted nothing to do with his nipple though. Must be the hair.

Again with our little diva. Pinky in the air, like a lady (although if you ever heard her burp or pass gas you'd realize she is more akin to a teenage boy than a lady).

October 4

Tandem walk with the babes! So fun to have them snuggled next to me.

I had to quit... no way I could work with twins. Or could we afford daycare for two newborns. My mom made this sign for when I came home.

October 5 - Blessing day!

Meet Olivia!!

While putting on Oliver's bowtie, I stopped it on his head to take a picture. He looks so dang cute! Trevor told me to take it off and never do it again.

Oliver was on and off oxygen for about a week to this point. We'd think he was off and he'd desat. But about the same time as their blessing, our little dude say goodbye to oxygen for good!!!!

I was holding Sav, and I hear Trev say, "Britt - do we look alike?" I look over and see this. LOVE THEM.

We love babywearing walks!

October 6

We had Oliver, Savannah and Seth in the middle seats, with Muriel and Mikail in the back for an excursion to a pumpkin patch. Having kids sure changes the logistics of things.

October 6

Beautiful Savannah.

This kids eyes totally captivate me. He's getting so alert and focusing on my face.

October 7

Trevor is learning to multi task. On the computer, feeding Oliver and eating all at the same time. When we met, he couldn't even talk on the phone and drive at the same time.

We had the twins' newborn photos done. They turned out great! Our perfect little princess turned into a terrible monster for the pictures. The worst 3 behavioral hours of her life was during the photoshoot.

We had to keep a pacifier in her mouth and then pull it out and quickly get pictures, then stick it back in when she started screaming. Half an hour after our photographer (my friend Dave Terry) left, she looked like this:

Grrrrr!!!!!

October 8

I am in love with these photos. They look so big! Especially Oliver. Just hanging out on mommy's lap!

When Savannah is hungry or wants something, she starts head banging me. It is the funniest thing. She will head bang me until she reaches my mouth. Then she'll suck on my lip or just put our lips together and fall asleep.

She slept like this for 5 minutes before I moved her head. It's not a great photo, but at least I got one.

October 9

Daddy's crazy about his girl.

2 month check up! Look how big they are. Sav is even on the charts now! They got their shots. It was fairly traumatic for all three of us.

I was home alone with them the whole day after their shots and they were a mess. Wouldn't stop crying and screaming. Savannah threw up all over her, Oliver, me and the couch. We were all soaked but I couldn't change any of us because they were both screaming and I couldn't put them down, but couldn't give them the comfort and snuggles they wanted together.

I finally just put them down and let them scream while I got Tylenol - but getting them to keep that down was a huge hurdle in and of itself.

I was so close to going to a neighbors house and saying, "I can't do this! Please come hold one of my babies!!" I made it until Trev got off work, and then told him to please hurry home. It was terrible.

Next shot appointment, Trevor is taking a sick day off work. I will not repeat that dark, dark day again.

October 10

Remember this post?

Oliver does the exact same thing. It cracks me up!!

October 11

I'm exhausted but happy. I love these babies and being their mom.

This is how they sleep - in the living room. Usually in their boppy's though.

October 10

2 month photos!!!!

Again, dad win with the multip tasking! He loves babywearing.

October 13

My mom left today, making me solo 24/7 for the first time. It was hairy for a while, I will admit. Two newborns by myself for almost 24 hours a day is rough. I get help 2-3 hours a night when Trev is home, but thats it. I'm alone with them all day and all night, except for a couple hours after Trev gets off football.

I usually will pull them into bed with me after Trev leaves for work. I feed them half asleep and we all cuddle. I love waking up to these little people! I took this picture to send to Trev, and after I'd sent it I realized Sav is flipping me off!!! She loves Monday mornings as much as her mommy! :)