Fun at Dad's Office

Yesterday, Allie and Harper met Santa for the first time at Michael's firm's kids Christmas party. He was a pretty authentic looking Santa, too. Real beard and all. We did see him leaving in a car though instead of his sleigh. I shielded A & H's eyes. After the party, we tested out Daddy's office chair (and spit-up in it after a few spins-oops)

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving trip to my parents' mountain home in Cashiers, NC was Allie and Harper's first vacation.  The Tuesday night before Thanksgiving we loaded down the car with all the necessary baby gear, and I don't know if we could have fit anything else.  Then, about 30 minutes down the road, we realized we had forgotten the pack-n-play -- their portable crib.  We couldn't stomach turning around and adding more than an hour to our trip, so we forged ahead and figured we'd cross the where-to-sleep bridge when we got there.  Except for one bottle each, they slept through the entire 2.5 hour drive.

After some brainstorming, our best idea for a baby bed was one from the olden days -- a drawer.  Wish I had gotten a pic of them sleeping in it.  They liked it just as much as their crib.

The holiday gave us a nice break because there were so many loving arms to pass them among.  On Friday, our family friends, the Moores and the Smiths, arrived for another HuffSmithMoore throw-down. The house was packed with 22 people. Because babies and new parents need their sleep, we missed out on the night-time festivities, but did get to hear everything through our door, including a 2 hour game of Salad Bowl (similar to Charades, but louder, especially with 18 people) and a 1am-3am dance-off.  I came out during the dancing to get bottles ready for the babies and saw furniture moved out of the way and parents and kids in a circle breaking it down.  They danced the fuzz out of the rug, literally.

Here are pics of some of our baby-care helpers who relieved us over the week:

"Lovey" as she wants to be called, and Harper

"D" and Allie (commiserating over their hair-loss issues)

My childhood friend, Kaki Brown, and Harper

Chrissy Smith, mother of six, was so refreshing.  She held and soothed my babes the whole weekend and brought me snacks and water when I was nursing.  That was the life!

Kadie Ann Smith and Harper

My baby, Allie, and my sister's baby, Weezy.  Weezy was quite curious about the babies.

Went to the Young's neighbor's Christmas Tree Farm and cut down our own tree!  (That's actually Michael, not Indiana Jones)

A Good Start Then We Get Hungry

Here are a few videos from one morning about two weeks ago (Again, pardon the baby talk):

Things start off great:

 

Then Harper gets very hungry:

Harper caught in the act on video.  For the record, I have also caught Allie latching onto Harper's head one night when it took me a little too long to respond to the cries of hunger.

Allie's Pirate Eye

You may have noticed that little Allie has a bit of a pirate's eye.  On Tuesday, I had my first outing with just one baby and took her to the eye pediatrician.  She was diagnosed as having a drooping eyelid.  First of all, let me be clear that this is something I am not really worried about.  The doctor said that he couldn't tell me that it would go away, but I think that she is just a newborn and will strengthen up that eyelid.  We will be watching to see that she is opening her eye enough so that her pupil is not blocked or partially blocked.  If it is, her vision might not form properly, so the doc would recommend an eye patch. My BFF Anna had an eye patch til 2nd grade and she is awesome and only minorly scarred from the social stigma (jk), so little Allie will be OK if this doesn't heal itself. Plus she is quite cute with that little cock eye.  She will go back to the doc in 7 weeks to see how she has progressed.  Say a prayer that this is no big deal like I think.  Her daddy is a little more worried about it than I am.  He does love his gals.

It was quite nice to take just one baby on an outing. I feel like I really got to bond with and think about just her, and man, was it easier getting around.  We were OTP (Outside the Perimeter for you non-Atlantans) so we ran errands at Hobby Lobby and Babies R Us.  I didn't have to break out the spaceship stroller, just dropped her car seat in the buggy.  She also accompanied me to my four-week followup OB appointment.  The doc who brought her into the world was glad to see her and said we were the talk of the Labor and Delivery floor because it was such an easy twin birth.  I've healed up quite nicely too and I'm starting to think I should start working out again.  Haven't hit the gym since I was 4 months pregnant.  I'll probably give myself until they are sleeping through the night- 15 pounds to go!

In other news, it has been a great week because of all the help we have had from visitors.  When I have help in town, I've decided to take advantage of them, let go of always having to breastfeed, and have my visitors give them a bottle at the midnight or 3 am feeding.  Anna Guessetto, the one with the eye patch, traveled from Nashville after working a night shift (she's a labor and delivery nurse) and helped me on my night shift.   And Michael's parents came to take care of the babies Monday to this morning.  I got to sleep for over 4 hour stretches when they were here, and I feel very refreshed.    Looking forward to next week when we go to the mountains for Thanksgiving with my family.  Bobby, Tyler, Mom, and Dad, get your sleep now ;)  Bobby might be off the hook since he has a broken foot.

Great-Grandparents Ellie and Granddaddy also met Allie and Harper this week.

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Pediatrician Visit

I'm happy to report that Harper and Allie have been bulking up. At their one month (almost one month) appointment here are their stats:

Harper:
7 pounds 6 ounces (10th percentile)
20 inches (16th percentile)
Allie:
6 pounds 9 ounces (3rd percentile)
20.2 inches (24th percentile)

Dr. Chugani was pleased with their growth. It is funny that we think Harper is so big and she hasn't even reached what I weighed at birth (7 pounds 14 ounces). Mom and I asked a bunch of questions and learned a lot. Dr. Chugani agreed with us that babies do sleep better on their stomachs but explained why we need to keep them on their backs at night until they can roll over. It's not just that could bury their face and suffocate (I was skeptical of this because they have such strong necks already) but having their face against a surface can create an air pocket where they continuously breathe in their own carbon dioxide causing them to suffocate. I found that interesting and was reason enough to keep them on their backs even though they sleep so soundly during tummy time.  Tummy time is for daytime only for now.

She also wants to play it on the safe side and have Allie's eye checked by an ophthalmologist. Since birth, she has rarely opened her left eye as wide as her right eye and we just want to make sure those brain waves are connecting with visual stimuli.  I'm pretty sure there is nothing wrong with that eye, but we'll go get it checked out per Doc's orders.

Peaceful tummy time (and my long toes)

In other news, my parents came this week and we took the girls out to dinner both nights.  They didn't make a peep both meals, as is usually the case when they are in public.  They love lots of background noise. Wish they slept so soundly at night!  I know we will miss these days of being able to cart them everywhere when they have to be on a more set sleep schedule and in their cribs. They love to shop too. And by love, I mean sleep through the whole trip. 

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My Piglet Lives Up to Her Name

Yesterday, while Harper was impatiently waiting her turn to eat, she latched on to Allie's diaper.  There aren't many stronger hunger cues than a latch onto a diaper.  So I moved her and tried to calm her down and she latched onto the pointiest part of Allie's head.  This morning, after they both blew through their diapers, I let them hang out in just their undergarments for a while.  I left them to play together while I got dressed and came back to find that Harper had latched onto Allie's shoulder.  My Harper loves to eat!

Here is a sneak peak at a little slice of my day (please pardon the baby voice.  It is very hard not to use baby talk):

I'm glad I still find most of these moments entertaining. 

Events This Week

It's a rare moment of peace and quiet.  Even though they pretty much sleep all the time, someone is always grunting and needs a back rub or they are off on their eating schedules (every three hours), so it feels like almost all I do is feed them all day.  Last night was the first time we had Grace, the night nanny, and she IS our saving grace! I got to sleep for 4.5 hours straight.  The longest span since they were born.  I feel like a new woman.  We hope to have her one night a week until they start sleeping through the night to rejuvenate. 
Yesterday, Allie and Harper also got to meet my San-San and Racquet, and mom's sisters' Kim and Michelle.

Aunt Kim and Harper

San-San and Harper

 Last Sunday, Michael's mom, Carolyn, went home.  Before that I had only had one or two days without help from my mom or Carolyn.  Since then, I have had a few moments of feeling sad that these girls have to share my love.  If I am nursing one of them or changing a diaper and the other starts screaming, there is nothing I can do but try to soothe them with my voice until I am finished with the other one.  Also, Allie is often the first one to eat and then she wakes up right as I start feeding Harper, so I feel like I keep missing opportunities to interact with Allie.  She is awake and alert way less than Harper, so this breaks my heart! I have to remind myself that my time with each girl may not be equal, but it will be fair.  In the end, they will both feel loved and cared for.  It's not an accident that God gave us two at once.

Other events this week:

• Photo shoot in the park in new cute dresses:

Harper-L, Allie-R

• First Date Night!  I felt so grown up and it was almost exhilarating to get a babysitter (thanks mom!) and get out! We went to JCT Kitchen on the Westside.  Michael's duck confit was awesome and my Georgia trout was the least fishy, most bacony tasting fish I've ever had.  

• We like JCT Kitchen so much, we went there again when our friend, Jonathan Williams, came to visit.  This time the blueberries were in tow and we enjoyed the Sunday Supper.  Michael and I first had Sunday Supper at The Public House in Chattanooga and love the idea.  Typically, you have a set menu to share a salad and three sides, then choose your own meat, and finish with dessert.  The best side was the squash casserole.  Michael thought that his pork tenderloin won, but I thought that Jonathan's veal meatloaf was better.  I had JCT Kitchen's famous fried chicken drizzled with fancy honey. mmm.  We sat on the patio and enjoyed live music from a party going on next door.  Allie and Harper slept right through the whole meal in their car seats.
• Photo shoot with a professional photographer, so keep checking in to see those pics soon.