3 1/2 month check up

Lola and Jackson went to the doctor today and other than some uncomfortable shots, all is very well. Jackson seems determined to shed the "preemie" distinction, as he is in the 10-25% for all 3 measurements. He weighed in at a whopping 12 lb 12 oz! He is 23 7/8 in long and his head circumference is 15 3/4 in. The doctor said he is growing marvelously and I should not be at all concerned that he eats enough to satisfy a small baby army. Lola is also gaining weight nicely, and because they chart boys and girls differently, at 11 lb 9 oz she is also in the 10-25%. She is only in the 3% for length and head circumference, measuring 22 1/2 in and 15 in respectively. This is nothing to worry about, the doctor assures us. She grew in all areas and that's really what we're looking for. So there we go, the babies are shaping up nicely.

Other than talking about size I did ask a few questions, mostly pretty mundane stuff that only occupy the minds of first time parents. Just in case you're interested (or need a good laugh), here's the run down. We are staying on the preemie formula indefinitely. The babies are growing well on it and changing formulas is not recommended unless necessary. The babies are sleeping well for their age, with Jackson sleeping as much as 8 hours at a time and Lola sleeping up to 6. Mind you, they are not the hours we choose, which would be something like 11 pm until 7 am. Most often our window of straight sleep begins around 8 or 9 pm and ends between 2 and 3 am. The doctor said I should be happy with that for now. For those of you who follow our families various bowel problems, Lola is staying on the laxative Lactalose for now. And yes, that is the same medicine our cat takes for the same problem. And now the funniest piece of information, I should start feeding them rice cereal with a spoon at 4 months. That's in 2 weeks! Apparently it is developmentally important for them to start trying to eat from a spoon, which should be hilarious! Check back, I will definitely be posting pics of that one.

Let's see, around the house news...
Both Lola and Jackson are getting so much stronger, holding their heads up while sitting and propping themselves up on their elbows during tummy time. See for yourself:
The babies have both fallen totally in love with a giraffe that hangs over their changing table. We have started leaving them in there (it's totally safe and enclosed) after we change their diaper so they can hang out and babble to their heart's content. We have video of the kids chatting with their new friend but unfortunately we don't have the required wires to put the video on the computer. I guess we need to get that sorted out soon, Lola and Jackson's first taste of rice cereal would be great captured on video!
And here are some more cute pics:

Lola demonstrating she shares Aaron's ability to fall asleep any time she needs to (plus they're wearing my favorite lounge wear):
Remember when the babies used to both sleep in changing table on the Pack n Play...
well, I put them in together just to see what that would look like now.

And that's all for now folks. The kids are sleeping and so it's bedtime for mommy! Check back soon!

Happy Father's Day!

When I asked Aaron what he wanted for his very first father's day he said, "I want to watch the US Open with my kids and take a nap." When pressed further, while thoughts of fancy dinners and nice gifts were running through my head, my wonderfully simple husband responded, "A tie. Maybe one tie from each kid." I love him.

He did get 2 very nice ties, and here is Aaron with his kids (in very cute lounge-wear) watching golf:
The kids also hung out with us while Aaron made pancakes. They were totally riveted, as you can see:

Here are Lola and Jackson in Daddy's Lazy Boy. Lola doesn't have a very big smile. She really does smile big, and even giggle, but I can't for the life of me capture it on camera.All in all it was pretty relaxing. Aaron got to hang out and enjoy his kids all day. I can't imagine a better Father's Day than that. I think Jackson sums up the pace of the day well:

Tummy Time... we're making progress

3 Months Old! How far we've come!

Wow, how the time flies! It's hard to believe it's been 3 months since that night in the hospital when the drama of my pregnancy ended and the adventure of parenthood began.

The time I spent on bed rest in Colorado, at home, and in the hospital seems like so long ago now. People told me I would forget much of the struggle of the pregnancy. The memory of the hurt would dull with time. The sadness would fade. I thought they were wrong, that they didn't understand what I was going through. How could I ever forget all the physical and emotional difficulty that Aaron and I went through. They were right.

The memory of the contractions, the back pain, the heartburn has dulled. The memory of the time I spent lying in bed, alone, staring at the walls and wondering about the future of my family has faded. The fear I felt for the health and safety of my children seems less acute. And now when I cry, it's because of the overwhelming sense of love I feel as Aaron, Lola, Jackson and I grow as a family. I no longer tear up because I see Aaron struggling to be strong for his family while worrying so much for them. It's because of the tremendous sense of pride I feel when I watch him interact with his children. It's because I feel so grateful for the way things turned out for the 4 of us.

My friend Jackie told me time and again while I was pregnant, "Just wait, everything changes when you become a parent." "Sure sure, I know it does," I would tell her. I had no idea.

Happy Babies!

Aaron and I have such happy babies! They have really started smiling this past week and it's been so much fun! Lola is a very big smiler, just not for the camera. I'm working on capturing one of her really big ones.

Cool new development

Lola and Jackson have discovered their mobiles! It's really cute. Lola even talks to hers.

11 weeks and going strong!

We went back to the doctor Wednesday for a check up and some more shots. The big news is that Jackson has officially overtaken his sister in size. This will probably be no surprise to anyone who has held them recently, but I had no idea he would be so much bigger. He is a whopping 10 lb 11 oz! Lola has also grown quite a bit: 10 lb even! They are both in the 10-25th percentile for weight, the bottom 3rd percentile for length, and even though their heads seem pretty big to me, the bottom 10th percentile for head circumference. The doctor is very pleased with their growth. I asked if I was possibly feeding Jackson too much (he eats almost every 2 hours now) but she said both babies still have farther to go before they catch up and there is no concern of overfeeding. Ok, so we keep eating and eating...The babies seem to be doing well with their development as well. They are holding their heads up pretty well (unless they are tired and then they flop all over the place) and are working on sitting (assisted of course). When they lie on their tummy they can pick their heads up and occasionally push their arms straight. Jackson is cooing fairly regularly and Lola has once or twice I think. It's hard to believe these are the same kids who were simply eating and sleeping just a weeks ago.

Unfortunately Jackson has to go back to the doctor on Monday to have a skin bridge removed. Basically, there is a little piece of skin serving as a bridge across the circumcision. In honor of Jackson's impending discomfort, here is a picture of the first smile that we managed to capture on camera:
Lola and Jackson got to meet their uncle Patrick (my brother) for the first time this weekend. He and his girlfriend Ashley came to visit from Atlanta and had a great time with babies. They both spent considerable time feeding, burping, playing with and rocking the kids and, with my mom still here, I realized that the 5:2 ratio is just about perfect!On a sad note, my mom leaves to go back to CO tomorrow. It's hard to believe that she's already been here 2 weeks AND that it's going to be 6 weeks before she comes back. The last time she left she was only gone 3 weeks; I don't know how Aaron and I are going to survive 6. We're not sure who's going to get up with the babies between 2 and 5 am, her regular shift. Any takers? It doesn't pay well but we keep the fridge well stocked with iced coffee.
Here are some more cute pics just for the fun of it:
Jackson meditatingNot Lola's best pic, but she wasn't being very cooperative and I wanted one to match Jackson's