A Milestone Acheived: Our First Social Smile!

The girls have been "smiling" since they came out of the womb. But never on purpose and we both figured it was probably gas pains, even though we were in denial about it. We also haven't been able to prod smiles out of the girls...until now!!

Jared was able to get Jenna's first social smile today. Here is the video...we were only able to get a couple smiles out of her and still no giggles, but they are sure to come! We are still working on getting smiles from Jilly.

Jared and I have also been trying to figure out what entertains the babies best. Both babies, especially Jenna, love to look at lights; whether it is from the TV, the ceiling, window, etc. They would look at the TV for half an hour if we let them...but we don't because we have heard that TV is bad for young babies and especially bad for their eye development. We have noticed that both girls like looking out the windows of the house. They don't necessarily want to be outside (they close their eyes when I take them out there) but looking through the windows is mesmerizing for some reason. Here is a picture of Jillian; Jared was holding her and couldn't get her to tear her eyes away from the window...so we just propped her right up in the couch to give her a better view.

We have also figured out that the girls like to take showers! Last week the weather got really warm here and both girls were just really hot and fussy. Grandma Cyndi suggested taking a luke warm shower with them to cool them off and she said the skin to skin contact would soothe them. It worked great! The shower did the trick body temperature wise but also they enjoyed just sitting in there with me. They didn't fuss at all which is neat because during bath times they usually fuss a little- especially in the beginning.

I had to take a shower with Jenna last night at about 10 o'clock, too. I had fed her and burped her and then she pooed. So instead waiting the whole 30 minutes before laying her down, I waited about 15 and when I couldn't stand the smell any longer went to change her. Tisk, Tisk...I got my punishment: I got her changed and her PJs all zipped up and no sooner did I sit back down with her to rock for a minute when she threw up all over me...and I mean ALL OVER ME. I had wiped up Jenna so she wasn't dripping but we were both covered so the easiest thing to do was take a shower and get both of us clean at one time. The shower also put her right to sleep.

The acid reflux is still bothersome for us. Jillian and Jenna have less "heart burn" types of pain but the doctor says the projectile vomit doesn't go away completely until their muscle covering the top of the stomach grows stronger. Until then the vomiting is a 2-4 times a week kind of thing with each baby.

For those of you who really know me and know how I feel about throw up (is there one of those phobias for vomit?)...you would be proud to know that I cleaned up Jenna, the couch and floor before I started to wipe myself off. That is something, huh?! People always said it would be different with your own kids. I never believed them but they are right. Of course, I would prefer to have no vomit on me at all, obviously; but when it's your kid it is like it doesn't even phase you. This actually makes me feel good because I have been worried for a long time how I would handle the throwing up. In fact, throw up was one of the reasons I put kiddos off for so long. I guess I am just glad to know that I don't throw up with her. :)

More to Come...

Jessica

Score: Jared -2/ Jessica- 0

Well, I am 0-2 and feeling like quite a pitiful mommy at the moment. Usually I am johnny-on-the-spot with knowing which baby is Jillian and which is Jenna when they are together. I am also really good (usually) at knowing which baby is crying in the other room.

So, the last few days I have tested Jared; all while being my smartypants self, and asked him to tell me which baby is which. It is a LOT harder to tell these days because they are both filling out so much. Jillian isn't clearly bigger than Jenna anymore unless you are really studying them. So, last week I had who I thought was Jillian in my left arm and Jenna in my right arm and I say, "Okay, Daddy. Which is which?"

Jared hmms and haas for a while then finally says Jillian is on the right. I give him my "Nope-you-are-totally-wrong-and-I-am-so-much-smarter-than-you"smile and tell him knowingly that he has the girls backwards. He swears he doesn't so I proceed to turn over the baby in my right arm to show him that it is in fact Jenna (side note: I handed Jillian off to my sister before I tried to turn Jenna over). Jenna has a very small, red (almost freckle/mole like--see picture) birthmark on her neck and Jillian has the same birthmark on her upper thigh. Well, it isn't there!! He got it right and Jillian was in fact on the right and Jenna was on the left. Dang!!

Then yesterday, during one of the many nap times for the babies, one of them was fussing endlessly. Not hard enough to go in and rescue her but that baby cry of "I am tired and trying to put myself to sleep" kind of cry. So we are talking about how much babies cry and I test him again and say, "Okay Daddy. Which baby is crying?" He listens and thinks and listens and says Jillian. Again, (and you would have thought I learned my lesson by now) I give him my same "Nope-you-are-totally-wrong-and-I-am-so-much-smarter-than-you"smile and tell him he is so wrong and that it is Jenna crying.

So, he goes in and checks on the baby and gets the pleasure of telling me (again) that I confused my children. Sheesh!! Just when I think I have my twins figured out I am put in my place...I think the girls are doing it on purpose. Now I know how those parents on the "Parent Trap" movie felt. :)

More to Come...

Confused Mother of Twins

PS: This is Jared's fun idea of playtime as he is trying to wake Jillian up (yes!! it is Jillian for sure!). He likes to bounce babies off their heads and got the bright idea of trying to cover her up with babies. I think he was testing me to see if I could tell which was the frog and which was Jillian. :)

We're Getting There

I have always heard that with preemie babies once they get to a certain age it is like a light goes off and they change almost overnight. Well, they haven't made any dramatic changes but since last Friday the girls have decided that being awake just isn't that bad. Before, they would be awake a total of about 30-45 minutes including eating per the feed/wake/sleep cycle. So, for example, I would wake Jillian up at 9am and she would be finished eating and burping by 9:30 and would be sound asleep by 9:45 or sooner. Same goes for Jenna... Well, I don't know what happened but that isn't the case anymore. Instead of the girls going to sleep at 9:45 I am putting them to bed awake (if maybe slightly drowsy) at 10:15 or so. They usually go to sleep within 5 or 10 minutes after that.

Now, I know some people will ask "Well, why don't you just keep them up that way they sleep at night?" Because daytime sleep for babies is vitally important to their health. If I keep them up too long then they get hyper-sensitive and don't want to go to sleep at all. Then they get very crabby and cry and cry and cry; thereby throwing off their schedule for the day and making that night a long one.

So, don't get me wrong, it isn't like this after every feeding...probably 4 out of the 6 daytime feedings. If for some reason they had a hard time going down for their nap and they only slept for about an hour or less, then the likelihood of them being awake after the next feeding is nil.

It is fun to see them awake and happy though. I was also able to get a pretty good video of their alertness, I tried to get Jenna to turn her head a little more towards the camera but she likes laying on her flat spot too much:



Both girls have pretty good flat spots on their heads, each on the opposite side. The doctor said to try and turn their heads during playtime but neither girl will have it. I even tried to keep them from laying on their flat spots by putting rolled up receiving blankets wedged by their heads but nope; they are stubborn like their father. :0 I can say that because he knows he is stubborn so this is nothing new. :)

More To Come...
Jess

Phew...What a Week!

(From top to bottom: Aunt Katie with Jenna, Aunt Katie with Jillian (both taken on 3/17) Jenna at one day old and Jillian at one day old.)

Phew! What a week it has been, and it is only Wednesday. We have had something going on everyday this week and tomorrow, Thursday, is the only day where something is not scheduled. Whether it is church, doctors, family, etc...there has just been something every day. Which almost made me overlook the fact that the girls will be 3 months old on Friday. They aren't typical three month olds. They still weigh less that some newborn babies and that is really still what they are. Their adjusted age will be one month. According to the pediatrician and the neonatologist, their age will be adjusted until around 2 1/2 or 3 which is when Jillian and Jenna will catch up with the kids their same age.

Just to give you a run down, here are some of the differences between my 3 month olds and the typical 3 month old.

Typical Weight: 13 pounds average/ Jillian and Jenna: aprox 8 pounds

Typical Length: 24 inches/ Jillian and Jenna: 20 inches

Typical Milestones: (taken from http://www.yourbabytoday.com/features/dev_threemonth/index.html )

• Your baby can bring his hands together.
  With a mighty effort, baby can raise his chest, supported by his arms, when he lies on his stomach.
• Baby can roll over (one way).
• He reaches for objects.
• Baby can put some weight on his legs when you hold him upright.
• He makes sounds like "ah goo."
• Baby laughs out loud.
• He squeals when he's happy.
• Baby smiles spontaneously.
• He can focus on very small objects.
• Baby turns toward the sound of a familiar voice.
• Finally: a little predictability! Because your baby's nervous system is maturing as well, his internal clock is becoming better regulated. More-established patterns are surfacing; the baby's eating and sleeping habits now are more likely to fit into a routine. You'll also notice less crying. How nice!

Jillian and Jenna:

• They have no controlled movement and are not yet batting at objects (2 month milestone)
• They can turn their head from side to side while on their tummy with great effort and can lift it slightly
• Head is not in the middle but turned to one side or the other
• Cries at loud noises
• Listens to speech
• Has the reflexive grasping of hands or anything that touches their palms

Basically, they still look at act like newborns. It will probably we another 2 months before they start acting and looking like active babies instead of newborns. But....they have come a long, long way from where they started so in the big picture they are doing very well.

I know sometimes the blog makes it sounds like they are nothing but crabby...when really they are actually quite good and most of the time easy to please. They have their fussy moments which seem to stand out quite a lot (especially at night) but really they are lovely and I love them more than I could ever imagine.

More to come...

Jessie

Can Jilly & Jenna Come Out to Play?

Jillian

Jenna (the pink sheet protector she is laying on is clean, I promise!)

Everyone tells me that I should be happy the babies sleep so much now, "Enjoy it while you can! Soon you will be wishing they would sleep more while you are running after two mobile babies." Well, that may be and if so I will be the first to let you know; however, in the meantime...I'm bored!! I want these babies to wake up so that they will smile and laugh with me. The only time they are awake it seems is to eat and then within 10 minutes after they're snoring again. I have never been so ignored in my life...and I am providing quality, top-notch entertainment right now!

Well, the other night (Thursday I think it was) the babies were both wide awake at about 8:30pm. Of course they did pick the most inopportune time, as that is when I make all of the bottles for the night and day ahead. Usually they are asleep at that time but I think they were both hungry. I shot this video of them. Couldn't get any smiles (I don't think they purposefully smile yet...everyone seems to think it is gas pains) but it is evidence that they are awake...at least for a very short time.

The other pictures are of them in their cute little bows. I couldn't help myself. :)

More to Come...

Jessica

Video Stars

So no news means things are the same. I still have totally confused crab apples on my hands at night and then content sleepy babies during the day. Most of the time the girls go to bed by 9:30pm and generally wake up on their own to eat at around 1:30-2am. Then they think it is playtime after they are fed and cry on and off the rest of the night because they aren't being played with. Last night was the complete opposite. They woke up at about 12:30 crying and continued to cry on and off until about 1:45 (I didn't want to feed them at 12:30 because then they would wake up at like 4 to eat). After that I was worried they would stay awake again. Well, we rocked them for about 20 minutes and put them to bed wide awake. I guess they didn't fuss because the next thing I know it is 6:00am and time to get up and feed them again. Now, if we could just marry the side before 2 to the side after 2 it would be a perfect night. The girls are still a little young to be sleeping all night yet but I would at least like some rest in between the one feeding. :)

Here is another video. I tried to get them to wake up for all of you but no such luck. Maybe they are camera shy:)

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Oh, I have been getting a lot of questions on how to post a comment if you don't have an account already with some of the websites shown on the profile. If you want to post anything regarding what I have written (which is much welcomed...I love to read what you have to say) then click under the article on "__Comments" (the ___ is for the number of comments already posted: 0, 1, 2, etc). Once you click a comment box will come up at the bottom of the page so that you can type. Type out what you want and sign your name, select the "Anonymous" profile and then click post comment. A box will come open and you will have to type in the word it shows you. Type it in the space and then click finish. Note: sometimes it takes a while to load or you have to type gibberish and then click finish and then try again by clicking post comment. It is some sort of malfunction with the Blogger Site. The page should then upload your comment. When I first started the blog the settings were automatically on no comments unless you were registered. But I switched that so with the "Anonymous" profile anyone should be able to leave a comment.

If it doesn't work (or your shy about others reading what you have to say) feel free to email me what you want to say. mrsjessicawinter@yahoo.com

More to Come...

Jessie

It's Been Challenging

Jillian (L) and Jenna (R) who are asleep but supposed to be awake. Now that they have to be upright after feedings it is a lot harder to keep them awake. Being on their backs and looking at toys was more interesting than sitting in some plushy seats. :)

The last week has been quite a challenge and I am hoping this week we can get back on track with being happy and sleeping at night again....they had been doing so well!

Let's see...it all started last week when I gave the girls a different brand of the premature formula they are on. We use Similac Neosure and our doctor's office had given us a sample of the Enfamil (they get free samples all the time and were trying to help us with the cost...the premature formula is a tad expensive). Well, after an entire day of using that formula Jenna ended up getting sick at 6:00 Wednesday night. It was a cross between a very forceful spit up and the projectile vomiting. Basically, all of what she had just eaten came up.

So, I ran to Wal-Mart and got more of the Neosure and threw out the Enfamil. I called the doctor and she said just to watch her and see how it goes, sometimes that just happens. Well, all the other feedings went fine and I figured it was no big deal.

The next morning at 9 I fed them and got them ready to go and visit my friends where I used to work. As soon as I got them into the car they both did the throw up thing again. So, I figured maybe it was just their system trying to get rid of the other formula still. Nope, Jenna got sick again at the Noon. So, I called the doctor and she said it could be from the congestion they still have (we are suffering from allergies....anyone else?) or it could be a touch of the stomach bug. They told me to reduce their feeding amount to half but feed more often. So, I cut back to 1.5 ounces every two hours instead of 3 ounces every 3. I also had to supplement with Pedialyte. Not fun!! Have you ever had to feed a hungry baby half of what they are used to? They were quite upset with me.

Well, we did that for a day and since they didn't get sick we gradually went back to the 3 ounces every three hours, stretching it at night to just one feeding instead of two. Then the time changed. That threw us off as well as the fact that we just had a plain busy weekend. So, yesterday, I figured we would work on getting back to their schedule.

Well, Sunday, Jillian seemed to be spitting up a lot...more than usual. Both girls were also pretty gassy because all of the changes through off their system and they got a tiny bit constipated. On Monday morning (yesterday), Jillian did the throw up thing again with her milk. By now, we had been on our old 3 ounces schedule for a few days. I knew it wasn't a bug because the girls didn't have fever, chills, messy diapers, etc.

So, I called the doctor again yesterday and we started going over how they eat. They usually get really fussy after they eat and a lot times they arch their backs and cry like their tummies are really hurting when we are trying to burp them. So, the doctor said it sounds like they have a case of Acid Reflux and they called in a prescription for us. I have to give it to both girls 2x a day a half hour before they eat. I also have to keep them upright for half an hour after I feed them before putting them back to bed or laying them down.

I started the medicine this morning (I think I got maybe a 1/4 of the amount in them that they were supposed to have) so I am hoping it will start to work and help their tummies. I also think it will help with sleeping at night because they can sleep from about 9:30 (after we feed them) until about 2 with no problems and then after we feed them at 2 they get cranky again like they have tummy aches.

Anyhoo, only time will tell and for now we are just like Thomas the Train chanting "We think we can, we think we can, we think we can." In a few months when we start going back down this hard hill we are climbing I am sure it will change to "I knew we could, I knew we could, I knew we could."

More to Come...

Jess

Cute as a Button...or a Doll!

It has been kind of a tough week. Both girls were feeling puny with allergies earlier this week and then both have had some kind of stomach thing the last day and a half. I think both ailments are on the way out but until then we are going through some "crankys." Today, Jillian was feeling much better and was acting playful again. Shelby kept getting in the way and I was afraid she would accidentally step on Jillian. So...I put Jillian in her toy box. It was too cute so I had to take a picture. She sat in there for about a minute and then decided she wanted to come out. It was cute while it lasted. Hey, I have to have some fun you know!! The entertainment can't be all for the babies, I would never stay awake. :)

More to Come...

Jessie

You Live and You Learn

Well, you live and you learn. Today I went to my doctor's office for a postpartum checkup again...I took my sister, Teri, with me since I had both babies. My doctor's office is VERY small and would not fit the double stroller. I can't carry too car seats (I can barely carry one) so she lovingly agreed to come with me and help out. Plus, the girls either have allergies or a little cold because the last few days they have been congested and not feeling well and therefore slightly cranky.

So, the appointment was going well. I was asking Dr. Wilson to check the fraternal vs. identical results when all of the sudden my sister exclaims, "Jessica! Jillian is dripping poo on the floor!." Okay, maybe I need to backup for this to make sense. I had both girls in the car seats and they were doing great, we were just waiting for the doctor to come in so we could chat and then go. A few minutes after we got into the room Jillian started to get fussy so we took her out and Teri was going to hold her. She wouldn't calm down so I held her (doctor wasn't in yet). All of the sudden you hear the unmistakable sounds of Jillian "doing her thing." Well, I know the diaper we have on is a good one (not Huggies!!!) and Dr. Wilson just walked in so I decided to wait and change her after the appointment was over. I was standing up rocking Jillian a little when the poo starts to leak. It leaked on her, me the floor. It was disgusting, really it was.

So, I start to clean up his floor and then Jillian as the doctor and I are finishing our conversation. There is poo all over her outfit and it is not wearable anymore. Well, silly me... being a first time mom... I don't have any extra clothes to change her into. So, Jillian went home from my doctor's appointment in a clean diaper wrapped in her blanket and Jenna's (Jenna had clothes so I figured she wouldn't mind sharing her blankie with her sissy) in her birthday suit. :)

I put a change of clothes for both babies that will stay in the bag now as soon as I got home. :) No more naked babies on my watch, no sirree.

Something interesting to note: The girls may be identical. During all of this fiasco I was having Dr. Wilson check our results of the placenta dissection again because 1) the girls look so darn similar (yes I know they are twins but the same hair, eyes, figures, noses?? Come on!) and 2) they have the same birthmark on the back of their head in the exact same spot and everything. Well, he said there is a 70% chance they are fraternal and 30% chance they are identical. He also said that is they have the same blood types than the likelihood they are identical increases. Both girls have O+ blood according the the paperwork I have from Cooks. So, once I have the money I am going to have DNA tests done on them. There are companies I found on the Internet that send DNA kits and you do the swab and then send it back. They compare the samples and then get your results back to you in about 2 weeks or so. Prices range from $99 to $200 which seems kind of expensive for one test; but...I need to know a definite or its going to drive me crazy for the rest of my life. :)

More To Come; but until then enjoy a little video I took of the girls during playtime...

Jessica

Jenna and Jillian are wide awake! :) The sleeping schedule is getting much better and (knock-on-wood) both babies seem to have their nights and days sorted. The pediatrician also said we could lengthen the time between deep night feedings so we are now on a 6am, 9, 12, 3, 6 and 2am schedule. :) Getting up once instead of twice is very nice! Hopefully in April we can talk about extended night schedules where we don't have to get them up at all. Until then, I will enjoy what we have.