Weekend with Tutu and Papa

Friday my dad went to work but mom was off. We got up, got theboys and   ourselves ready, and headed to the hair salon. I was in dire need of my glam squad!!! 

Tutu and P with his "thinker" look. Love!

Vicki and Abby worked their magic and I walked away refreshed and renewed!!! 

Abby and the boys

Vicki with Pierce, me, and Abby with Knox

After my hair appointment, mom and I had a leisurely lunch at one of our favorite little mexican restaurants.  We fed the boys and then headed to do a little shopping. We found a few awesome things at Nordstrom Rack! We also were stopped by several people because of the twins. One person had a set of 8 year old girl twins and she told me the first year was a blur. I believe it. That's part of the reason I'm doing this!!!

We headed to H-E-B to get some groceries and while we were shopping, we heard rain and thunder. Uh oh. Sure enough, it was POURING outside. The sweet carry out guy helped me get both boys to the car while mom checked out. We all made it safely in the car and home. Papa helped us unload the car and the boys. It's always an adventure!

Tummy time at Tutus!

We ate dinner followed by ice cream :)! Perfect Saturday night if you ask me!!!

Sunday we got up and around. We fed the boys and headed out to Bulverde to order the boys Christmas presents. My mom and dad are getting them matching Jon Hart bags. Nick and I have a lot of Jon Hart pieces and I want the boys to start their collection. I'm really excited about them! It also helps that everything was 20% off. That is rare for Jon Hart!

Afterwards we stopped by Ms. Vicki's. She had been busy putting up her Christmas decorations and her house was like a winter wonderland. The boys are going to love going over there when they get older. She had 8 trees up!!! We visited for about an hour and then headed to Beth's. 

Tutu with Pierce and Ms. Vicki with Knox

Beth and Wayne sold their house and are building so they are currently living in an apartment. Beth had her reconstructive surgery Friday after her double mastectomy. She was in good spirits and I thought she looked great! She was moving slow but nothing unexpected. 

When mom and MK were in Dallas for my sip and see, we went to Northpark. It's one of the few malls that has a Spanx store. The doctors want Beth in Spanx because they did liposuction to give her her new breasts and she needs the compression. So mom bought her a few options and we got her all hooked up. Please continue to pray she has a speedy recovery that is complication free. 

Getting loved on by Annie, Beth's dog!

After our visits, it was time to get the boys home. First, we needed food! We stopped by Las Palapas. Unfortunately, what I ordered was not what I thought it would be. I don't think my mom's meal  was what she thought it would be either -so dinner was a bust. Mom ended up whipping me up a yummy salad and all was well. 

Sunday night we tried giving the boys a little more breastmilk before putting them down to see if they may sleep longer. Our theory would have worked had Pierce eaten his whole meal. Unfortunately he gave up with an ounce left and woke up SCREAMING at 3:15. Oh well ;). Nothing a little breastfeeding can't fix! I love my one on one feeds. They don't happen often when you have two- unless you are ok with always feeding! I am not...it only led to pure and total exhaustion for me. Anyway, Knox ate his whole 3 ounces and snoozed until 5:30!! We will try again Monday!

Love that they are in the same position! They look so much alike! 

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

5 on Friday.

I have a little twist on my 5 on Friday this week. I am doing 5 things that I am thankful for. There are so many more- I could go on forever!

1.  My mom and papa. They are incredible people who have had my back no matter what. They love the little presidents so much and I am beyond thankful for all of the love and support they've always given me. They have been especially helpful this week. Mom flew up to Dallas and drove home with me and the boys for Thabksgiving. My dad has been so helpful with feedings and loving on babies. It's was exhausting being on my own while Nick was on his business trip. Thank you mom and papa. I love you so very much. 

2. My vehicle. We have a 2012 GMC Yukon Denali  that I lovingly refer to as "Molly the Denali". I am especially grateful for it since we drove home to San Antonio yesterday. It's the perfect size for me and the boys. They require a lot of stuff!!!

3. My glam squad as I love to call them. Since I went on bedrest at 24 weeks, I wasn't able to get home to have my hair done. I've been going to Abby and Vikki for quite a few years. They hooked me up with an awesome hair guy in Dallas but they are my girls!!! Thanks for always making me feel beautiful!

Left to right:

Vikki (Knox), me and Abby (Pierce)

4. I am thankful for surgeons. Today one of my good friend and a fellow nurse who took care of me while I was in the hospital, had a hysterectomy.  My mom's best friend, Beth, had reconstructive surgery after her double mastectomy for breast cancer today. I am thankful for their amazing surgeons and for steady hands. I am praying they both have a quick and easy recovery. 

5. I'm thankful for infertility treatments and reproductive endocrinologists. I would not be a mom today without them. It was a difficult season in my life - wanting to be a mom more than anything in the world and struggling with God's plan for Nick and myself.  My patience was tested to say the least but through it all, I became closer to Him. Maybe that was why, I don't know, but I'm thankful for it. I appreciate these two precious  gifts more than words can express. They are our world. Nick and I are over the moon and closer and stronger than ever. We are thankful I was able to stay pregnant for 35 weeks and that our boys are healthy and home with us. Currently, we have several friends who are dealing with infertility and the gazillion emotions that go with it. Its a roller coaster ride that no one wants to go on. I love being able to pray for them and I love encouraging them. I pray that seeing the boys gives them hope. God performs miracles every second of every day. And we have two of them. 

Injectables and HCG shots we used to become pregnant 

My two big follicles before IUI

Nick and I the day of the IUI that worked 

My positive pregnancy test two weeks later. 

Hospital bedrest at 33 weeks. 

The night I went into labor and delivered the LP's

In the recovery room after my c/s with my two little miracle babies. 

Missing the hubster

Nick has been in Las Vegas since Sunday. It really has gone surprisingly well.  The boys have been great. They are pretty good at their routine - play, eat, play, sleep, cry, change diapers, repeat ;).  Monday was the hardest because of their shots. The fussiness was a little overwhelming. I'm so thankful for Jill and Whitney!!!

Tuesday, we had Lena come for an extra day. She watched the boys from 8-12. I got the oil changed in my car which took F-O-R-E-V-E-R!!!!! I was long overdue and with mom and I driving to SA Thursday, I needed it done! I had called and made an appointment Monday but that didn't seem to make a difference. On the up side, I was able to catch up on here :)!!!

After getting my oil changed, I dropped off Knox's prescription and ran by the bank. It was nearly noon by that time so I headed home. 

The boys were napping and I tried to get a few things done around the house before their next feed. After the 2 o'clock feed, both boys were up and fussy. We got lots of snuggles in. We fed again at 5 and then Kate and Tucy came over. Kate had slaved away all day on her amazing kale salad I love and guess what? Poor thing forgot it at home. I can SO relate. I've done that more times than I care to admit. That didn't stop Kate. She got in the kitchen and whipped up an amazing salad for the 3 of us. I was super impressed. We watched Frozen with Tucy and Tucy loved on the boys -assisted of course :)

Kate, Tucy and Knox 

We had a rough night Tuesday. One of the boys was awake at all times. That meant mommy was awake at all times. Poor LP's. I think they are still recovering from their shots. They were a fussy bunch. 

Wednesday, my friend Andrea came over before her OB appointment with Dr. G. She is due at the end of December with a little girl named Harper. She visited with us for a while and then Lena came to watch the boys. 

Andrea and P

Lena with the boys

I headed to the chiropractor and got adjusted. I then went to Nordstrom rack, the Bloomingdales outlet and home goods. I was able to pick up a few Christmas gifts and I bought myself some new jeans!!! I'm so glad I was back in my old jeans 2 weeks PP. It didn't look the same for quite a while but in the last 3-4 days, I've started looking a lot like my old self. My uterus is finally almost back to it's normal size! I need to start exercising but need to talk to my OB because I'm afraid I have diasteses recti ( more on that later). I'm hoping to get back into shape pretty quickly!!! For now, these boys keep me busy enough. :)

Lena went home and I was back with my sweet littles. My mom flew in from SA around 9. We did their next feed and got ready to head out in the morning.

To say I was exhausted would be an understatement. Mom and I slept with one baby on either side of us. Pierce woke up a few times and Knox did well. We were able to get about 4 hours of sleep consecutively. I call that a successful night!! 

Thursday morning we got up and around. We had every intention of getting on the road by 9:30. We were on the right track and out the door by 10. I was pretty impressed with us. However, we had to stop by Walgreens to pick up Knox's Zantac which I was told would be ready by Wednesday afternoon. It wasn't. I ended up having to pay for it out of pocket ( which wasn't a biggie ) and wait 20 minutes for them to fill it. That left us at around 10:35. Since we were already running late, why not get a Starbucks and be a little later ;)?!?!  I pulled into Stbx and mom ran in and got our drinks and a bite to eat. We finally hit the road at 11!!!

The little presidents did awesome in the car. We had fed them right before we left the house and we made it to Waco before stopping at Cracker Barrel to eat and to feed them. 

I was not prepared for all of the attention we received at CB. It was crazy. One older lady came by to chat while we were feeding the babies and started touching Pierce.  The mama bear in me came out. She couldn't walk away fast enough before I had the hand sanitizer out and was bathing P in it! I still will never understand how people you don't know think it's ok to touch your baby. Please people, if you don't know me, don't touch my babies. I don't know who you are, where you've been or what kind of nasty germs you have! STAY AWAY!!!

I feel better. Mommy rant is over!

We got back on the road. Mom took over the driving so I could pump. We hit some traffic in Austin and it started to rain which made it worse. We were almost to San Marcos when my fuel light went on and beeped at us. Oops! I had a little under 3/4 of a tank when we took off from Dallas and I had meant to fill up in Waco. Luckily we made it to the outlet malls, filled up the car with gas and swung into the Kate Spade outlet. We fed the babies there and I tried on a few things but wasn't really loving anything so we headed out. 

Papa was waiting at the door for us with Louis when we finally got home. It was around 7 and we unloaded the boys and all the gear and luggage. I am praying hard that I have not forgotten anything. 

Mom and Papa put me and the boys downstairs in their bedroom. I am so appreciative of this. It's easy access to the kitchen and I'm hoping and praying the boys cries won't wake everyone up in the middle of the night. 

We spent the next few hours talking, feeding babies and getting settled in. Mom ran and got us dinner at Taco Cabana and we scarfed it down before another feed. 

Nick flew in safely from Vegas and made it home around 1030. We sure do miss him and he sure does miss the boys. We were going to have him fly home this weekend but the ticket cost $422 for less than 36 hours home with them. There are other things we would rather spend that money on  - like diapers ;)

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. I haven't been home for a major holiday in almost 10 years. This year we have SO MUCH to be thankful for. 

2 months

Time sure is passing quickly. I cannot believe the Little Presidents are already two months old. I'm so proud of them. For premies they sure are meeting their milestones!!!

Monday we went to see Dr. Agrawal for their 2 month checkup and their first round of shots. Here are the boys stats: 

Pierce: 

Weight- 6#14

Height- 20

Head circumference- 37.5

Knox:

Weight- 6#9

Height- 19.75

Head circumference- 37

They are doing awesome!!! I talked with Dr. A about Knox's reflux and since he isn't gaining weight as well as Pierce, she wants him to start on Prevacid. I've heard amazing things about Prevacid with babies and I am hoping and praying that it works out. Poor guy spits up, A LOT. I know spitting up is normal, but he power pukes. It can't feel good on his little throat!

They also got their first round of shots today. At our last visit we had discussed doing an alternative vaccination schedule. I expressed my concern and desire to come in more often in an effort to not give too many vaccines at once. Their bodies are so tiny. I am a lot more comfortable this way and she was extremely receptive to it.

I know there are a lot of differing opinions about vaccinating your children.  I know some people may not agree with what Nick and I are doing, but we are doing what we believe is best for our boys. I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer to this, I just believe that as parents, we have to make the best decision for our children with the information that is provided. 

When we got to the office, I read a sign on the wall that said insurance may not pay for additional visits if you want an alternative vaccination schedule. Uh-oh. I texted Nick to get his opinion. We agreed that we should ask what the cost would be and he would check with our insurance company to see what they would do.  When Dr. A and I were talking, I mentioned this to her and she said each additional visit would be about $50 per child. We obviously have 2 and that can add up fast. She explained to me what most kids get. I guess she saw the look of disappointment, concern and fear in my face. She told me not to worry about paying for the additional visits. She was going to write a note in the boys charts that we won't be charged for the additional nurse visits for vaccines. I gave her the biggest hug and thanked hera million times. She made my day!!!! And she has no idea how truly grateful we are. 

The boys got the DTaP #1 and Hib #1. At 4 months they will get #2. We are waiting on the rotavirus and Hep B since the boys are not going to be in daycare. We will give them at a later time. I've done a lot of research and I really don't want the boys to get the MMR until they are at least 2. Dr.  A was completely open to this. The MMR is the vaccine that concerns me the most and where they see the most change in children. From what I have read, the longer you wait, the less likely you are to see changes in your kiddos. 

I pray for my boys daily about many different things. From things as minuscule as "please don't let their nails scratch their face" to "please don't let them get diaper rash". I of course try my best to prevent these things but some things are out of my control. I also pray daily that they will grow up happy, healthy, and most importantly that they know and love The Lord and lead others to Him. I pray they learn from their mistakes and that Nick and I raise them in such a way that their mistakes are minor. That they understand there are consequences to their actions. I pray they love and respect us and that one day, when they are grown, Nick and I will be two of their closest friends. We want nothing but the very best for them, just as our parents wanted the best for us. Nick and I are blessed to have incredible parents. I hope the boys will say the same thing about us one day. 

Anyway, I got a bit off topic. Back to the boys pedi appointment. While we were waiting for the nurse to give them their shots, I was holding a screaming Master P, when I glanced over and saw that Knoxwell was surrounded by water! How did that happen?!?  The little indicator on his diaper that tells you if they are wet did not change from yellow to blue so I made the ASSumption that he was dry. Of course I had to investigate further. My mommy nose came out and sure enough, he was swimming in urine. His diaper failed me. It was all the way up his back and to his head. Knox was not the least bit bothered by it either. Poor guy. I immediately changed his diaper and apologized a million times when the nurse came in. I'm sure he wasn't the first to do this, nor will he be the last. 

Yep. That's urine. 

They got their shots, Knox went first followed by Pierce. It broke my heart. I really really really wanted to cry with them. Instead I held them down and then cuddled them tight. Ugh. I can give a shot to anyone, but seeing my babes get shots - not easy!!! They cried for a few minutes and then they were ok. We packed up and made out appointment for next month!

P was NOT happy. 

Melissa, the sweet doula I love that threw my blessing way shower, is now running  her business out of Dr. A's office. I got to see it and I love it! They've done an awesome job decorating it and I am excited for what's to come for them!!! 

We then headed to Cafe of Life and all 3 of us got adjusted. It was much needed and I am hoping it helps the boys both have a bowel movement. Their gas has been man worthy as of late! Pee-ew!

Dr Autumn, working her magic

After that, I fed them and we headed home. They slept for a little bit and then Fuss City USA ensued. Poor guys did nothing but fuss and cry for hours. I held them as best I could and eventually all 3 of us fell asleep for a brief time. 

Around 6:30 I was almost in tears. Both boys had been crying since their 5 o'clock feed and nothing I did was making it any better. I texted Jill for advice. Tylenol was her answer. That's great but guess who only has Advil for babies??? This kid. Crap. You can't give babies Advil until they are 6 months old. I told Jill I didn't have any and guess who stopped by after her 12 hour shift to bring us infant Tylenol? Yep, Aunt Jill. Guess who also lives over an hour away? Yep, Aunt Jill. Boys, we are so very loved and beyond blessed to have people like Aunt Jill in our lives. 

Of course Jill couldn't stay long but she loved on the boys a little and headed home. She truly was my angel and an answer to prayer. Both boys got a dose of Tylenol and within 20 minutes they were a lot more calm. In turn, mommy was able to relax a little. If you call doing laundry, making and sanitizing baby bottles, unloading the dishwasher and getting things ready for bed time relaxing :).  Hey, things finally got done - sort of. The clothes are in the dryer and need to be folded and put away but that can wait ;)

Whitney texted. She was just getting off work and Jeff was out of town too. She offered to bring dinner and I did not decline. She brought me my favorite salad from Crisp Salads. We ate and then fed the boys and she helped me get them ready for bed and put down. They were a bit fussy but you could tell they were fighting their sleep in the worst way. Poor little guys. It was a big day for them - and mommy too. 

I'm so thankful to have such amazing people in my life. Katie and Kelly also texted today offering to help and Tuesday, Kate is going to bring me dinner and help with the boys for a few hours. Blessed doesn't even begin to express how I feel. And no amount of "thank yous" will be enough. 

Praying the next two days go smoothly. Daddy, we miss you!!!

Sip and see!!!

Our sweet friends Landon and Lauryn, along with Allison and Scott and Lauryns mom, Stephanie, threw us a Sip and See today. I was hospitalized when the original baby shower was planned and boy was I devestated. I tried to con Dr. G into letting me escape to my shower but I was told "absolutely not!" I knew it was for the best but I was still so bummed. I'm thankful they were able to reschedule it to now and I am so excited for everyone to meet the boys. 

The boys had an awesome night last night. We fed them at 11 and they slept until 3:45. Can I get a "what what!!"  Boy was this mommy happy!!! Pmoney didn't really go back to sleep but he did pretty well in his rock and play. We were right back on track for their 8 o'clock feed. I'm hoping this wasn't just a fluke. Even if it wasn't, I'm grateful for a decent nights sleep. 

Mom and Mary Kay ( MK or KK is what we normally call her) drove into town yesterday. It's been awesome having them here and watching them love on the LP's. They have been a huge help and love to feed them, cuddle them, and change them. It's been a true treat!!! 

This morning we all got up and ready - slowly. It takes a while between changing, feeding, and burping the LP's. It's amazing to have so much help!!!  

Nick ran some errands he had and on his way home got me and my mom lattes from Starbucks. He knows what this mommy needs and wants!

We finally got out the door. I was aiming to leave really early and we did!  Not as early as I had planned but early nonetheless. I wanted to make sure that no one got there before us. There is nothing worse than being late to a shower someone is throwing for you!

The shower was amazing. I was thrilled with how many people were able to make it!!! The decorations were gorgeous and perfect. There were little touches that I am sure not many people saw but me. I LOVED it! They worked really hard and you could tell :). 

The boys did great. They were their sweet selves and loved everyone's cuddles and snuggles. They stayed awake for quite a while and had two outfit changes :) It means the world to me  that everyone was able to meet them and love on them. They are our little miracle babies and everyone there has been praying for us and them for a long, LONG time. No words can express how thankful we are for their love, support, prayers and friendship. Nick and I marveled at how incredible our friends are and how blessed we are to have them in our lives. 

When we got home it was almost 11. We fed the babies, watched tv and ate ice cream :). Perfect ending to a perfect day. 

Ps: all the pictures are on my good camera. I will try to post some another time :)

Five on Friday

In light of our recent FREEZING cold weather this week, these are the things I am loving!

1. Old Navy Vests- I cannot say enough about them. I ordered 3 last week and they arrived the day of the cold attack. They were on sale for $16.99 and I was on it!!!! I bought this is black, white and red!

2.  Marmont - I am obsessed with this jacket. I bought mine in Colorado. It was the last one and it was the end of the season, and luckily on sale.  I'm noticing a trend here...

3.  Wombie- I don't know what we would do without these. We put these on the boys before their 8 o'clock feed and leave them on until their next 8 o'clock feed. I'm hoping they will learn that this signals bedtime. So far so good for two 8 week old babes!

T

4.  Opi gold glitter nail polish. I got my nails done with this color on Wednesday and I am loving it. It makes me happy when I see my hands sparkle as I am washing out my 100th bottle of the day. It's the little things :)

5.  This Ann Taylor Loft dress. With all of the holiday parties that are about to occur, this will be my go to!

There you have it!!! The essentials for my week :)

What a day

Today was challenging in every aspect. The morning was great. My sweet friend Kate and her daughter Tucy stopped by to visit the boys. Tucy was so good with them. I just love her sweet spirit! And Kate gave me a lot of positive reinforcement that was much needed. Her friendship means so much to me. She is one of the most insightful and open people I've ever met. 

Kate, Tucy and the boys

The boys and I were supposed to meet a friend for lunch but by the time I had us halfway ready, both boys were screaming at the top of their lungs and I was almost in tears. Needless to say, that was cancelled. Thank goodness there are understanding people in this world!!!

The rest of the day was spent feeding, changing and consoling my crying babies. I could not put them down. Not even for one minute without screaming ensuing. My solution- wear one, carry one. Not ideal but it worked.they were bathed and ready for bed at 6 pm.  Pierce finally passed out around 7 and Knox and I made dinner. Jumbalaya  to be precise! What-what. Just call me Susie Homemaker ;). I kid. We've had grilled chicken salads and sweet potatoes for weeks now. I decided we needed to mix it up!

Ready for bed!

I have never been more excited to see Nick than I was today. We ate dinner, fed the boys and then I headed to the bathroom for a much needed bath and 30 minutes of "me time". It was amazing. 

The boys are passed out and mommy and daddy aren't too far behind. Here's to a better day tomorrow!