Love being a Mom of Twins!!

Two Year Old Twins!! Wow, how time does fly!!

2011-03-08T23:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little ladies are already 2 years old. They are so precious, I've enjoyed every minute of it, even the times I can't remember due to lack of sleep. It's just a wonderous site to watch the two of them interact. I laugh and laugh and they way they play together. They play, they laugh, they fight and they hug, sometime all within a few minutes.

Ally (on left) has major attitude and Baily is laid back. They are "both the same, but different", if that makes any sense. During this photo shoot, Baily was posing for the camera like crazy and Ally threw an "Attitude Fit" and almost didn't cooperate at all. We're lucky we were able to get a few shots of them together.

I can't wait to see what this year will bring. Last years big milestones were, walking and talking. This year so far they've been trying to use the potty. Oh boy! This is going to be fun x2!! I've already gone through many loads of towels cleaning up their little accidents on the floor. They're getting it though, I'm hoping this is the last year I'll have to buy diapers!!

Looking forward to the love and joy you two will bring this year!!

Awww......Poor Little Baily

2010-09-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Three visits to the doctor's office in one week for Baily. I think she'll be okay now.

The other day my Mother and I took the babies to the mall along with big brother.

We stopped to get a drink and big brother was holding Baily's hand and she was twisting

herself lose and trying to drop to the floor. My Mom told him not to let go of her arm and

to help her drop herself to the floor so she wouldn't hit her head on the floor. Well when she

got up she complained about her arm hurting. By the time we put her in the car she couldn't

move her arm without crying in pain. I rushed her to the hospital and it seems she had pulled

her little elbow out of place and the doctor had to pull it back into place. She felt so much better

right away. She was playing like normal after that.

All was well, until yesterday. My Mom and I took the girls to Baskin Robbins and my Mom was holding the babies hands when Baily tried to free herself. She pulled and twisted around and tried to drop herself to the floor, in doing so my Mom could feel popping in Baily's wrist. Of course my Mom didn't want to just let go because she was afraid Baily would hurt herself. She tried to help her drop to the floor, but her wrist pulled anyway. I took her right in to see the

doctor and sure enough, she pulled her wrist out of place (on the opposite arm this time). The

doctor told me it was pretty common with little ones, in fact his children had done this a few

times. He sent us home and told me to keep an eye on it and if it didn't get better, bring her back in the next day. It didn't get better, she cried and fussed most of the night. She didn't use her arm at all, she was too uncomfortable. By morning she was still babying her arm and saying owie, owie, it hurt. I took her back to see the doctor and he ordered x-rays, so we went in for

the x-rays. I had to help hold her arm and she kept pulling and twisting trying to get her arm free from me. By the time we went back to see the doctor after the x-rays (about 30 minutes), Baily was playing with her arm, at least a little bit anyway. The x-rays didn't show any fratures or breaks and it looked like she was doing okay, so again we weren't sent home and told if she is still babying her arm and not using it then bring her back in and they would do more testing.

The girls were wearing their harnesses and as we were leaving I made a comment about Baily goind back on her harness instead of holding their hands and the doctor commented back, "it could help to keep her from coming back here, they are handy little contraptions."

Just when I was feeling like all was good, I get a voicemail from the doctor and he said the radialogist felt there was something of question in the x-rays, but the doctor and consulting doctor felt that Baily would be okay. He did state that if she still shows symptoms that it isn't healed, bring her back in.

Anyway, we've determined since Baily tries to pull away from our hands, she will have to be on her harness for awhile instead of holding her hand. It's hard when your trying to old both their hands and they both start trying to pull away from you.

I can't believe they are 18 months old already!!

2010-07-21T23:29:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my baby girls are 18 months old already! It feels like yesterday that they were newborns. They amaze me daily. They have gone from tiny little babies to toddling toddlers in the blink of an eye.

Baily began walking first, at about 13 months, then Ally followed a few weeks later. Their teeth started coming in around 4 months. Baily now has seven teeth and Ally has six. They seem to be coming in the same order, but Baily's comes in first and Ally's follow shortly after. Baily says more words than Ally so far, but Ally's catching up with her. Developmentally, they are doing great!!!

These two little ladies are just so cute to watch. I've noticed one is more affectionate, and the other one not so much. One seems more independent than the other.

Lately we've been taking the girls out of their stroller and letting them walk. We've decided to use harnesses for when we are out in crowded areas. I know harnesses aren't for everyone, but they are working for us. When I saw people using them I used to think, "they aren't dogs, why are they using a leash on him/her?". I didn't think I would ever use them on my kids, but so far so good. The girls are loving their independence and I love watching them explore.

Am I the only one.......

2010-06-30T22:29:00.000-07:00

that doesn't get the comment "I want them to have their own identity" when referring to not dressing twins identically. No matter how they are dressed their identity comes from within. Not having their own identity lies within the individuals whom address them or by those who label them as "the twins" and don't know each of them as an individual.

No matter how I dress my girls, they will be referred to as "the twins" by some people. Some people will know them enough to tell them apart and treat them as individuals and other people won't. In my family, they are referred to by their given names, I rarely hear anyone call them "the twins". My Dad sometimes calls them "the twinies", but he also knows them individually and he can see their different personalities even at their young age now (17months old).

I dress my girls the same, day and night. So far it hasn't given them "one identity". No matter how I dress them they will develop their own identities, that can't be controlled by the way I dress them. I realize they will start to have their own opinion as to how they want to dress. When this happens I will let them pick their own way of dressing and clothing, with limitations of course. (I've already been through this with my older son and daughter.) I can't see dressing my twins identically when they are older, that will be their choice to do so or not.

This statement isn't meant to offend anyone. I just wanted to put my opinion out there about what I think when it comes to dressing twins alike and their not having their own identity.

First Birthday!!

2010-02-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

Ally and Baily are one. I can't believe how fast the past year has gone by. All in all, they are really good babies. There were a lot of sleepless nights and stretching myself really thin at times, but the are good natured and not too hard to take care of. Don't get me wrong, it's a job taking care of two babies at one time. The work its hard, but the payoff is priceless. I love seeing two little smiling faces looking up at me as they reach their arms out to be picked up by Mama. They are so sweet most of the time, but they can have an attitude at times. They are as precious as can be.

Happy 1st Birthday Ally and Baily!!

Here's how we spent part of our Christmas Day....

2010-01-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

First the Fire Truck showed up.....

Then the ambulance came......

Next out came the EMT's with the stretcher!!!

Ally after she was given a clean bill of heath and feeling much better!!

Poor Ally, this was before we realized she had something stuck in her throat.

You can see in her eyes something is wrong.

That little lady will put almost anything in her mouth....gotta watch that one real close!!

Big Brother Moe and Big Sis Emi ready to rip into their presents.

Ally and Baily having fun checking out their new toys!!

Happy New Year to all!

Christmas was good for all of us. The girls first Christmas started out uneventful until around noon when we noticed Ally had something in her mouth. I reached over and pulled out some wrapping paper that she was chewing on and I checked to see if there was more in her mouth. It didn't look like there was anything else in there so I put her down to play and kept watching her. She looked like she still had something in her mouth so I picked her up and she was having a hard time catching a good breath. Every time she tried to swallow it looked like she couldn't catch her breath. She kept gagging and chocking. I decided to call 9-1-1 and soon we were sharing part of our Christmas day with EMT's. Just before they arrived her Daddy could see something toward the back of her throat at which time he reached in and pulled out a 1/2" by 1/2" piece of scotch tape. By then the Fire Department showed up and right behind them was the ambulance. She was checked out by the EMT's to make sure her vitals were good and she was breathing well. Poor baby, I felt so bad for her, she is always finding something to put in her mouth. After that the rest of the day went really well. We started out the day at our place with my parents, then off the the in-laws for lunch, then another set of in-laws for dinner. It was one busy day, we were all wiped out by the time we returned home.

'Tis the season!!

2009-12-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

No crying, no fussing, they all did pretty good!!

A Poem Written For Me By My Mother.....

2009-11-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

With Love To My Daughter Who's Been Doubly Blessed

(and to all Mother's who have been blessed with twins)

Two Times Blessed

Two little hands

Two little feet

As a new Mother she will greet

Hugs and kisses she will have galore

For now her heart will greet one more

Two little hands

Two little feet

Two little hearts make a joyous beat

As you can see, she's been doubly blessed

For she will have two babies to hold close to her chest

To those who may say, you got your hands full

She will reply so calm and so cool....

Four little hands

Four little feet

Two little hearts make my life complete!

LMC

Thank you Mom!

Something New!

2009-10-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

We decided to submit Ally and Baily to local talent agents a few weeks back. We sent their photos and a cover letter to about 6 of them. We got calls right away from two of them and we are starting to get responses from the others. The two that called right away were very interested and the others that we heard from sent their pictures back with letters stating either they don't handle babies or they are not taking on new talent at this time, but please resubmit after 6 months.

We met with on that is closer to home and she asked for their information and a copy of their work permits. The other one is in San Francisco which is about 40 miles from us. We were basically happy with the local agent and then we had a meeting with the one in San Francisco last week. We have decided to go with the agent in San Francisco. We signed contracts last Friday and now we have an agent for the girls. I'm not sure where it will go from here, but I'm willing to give it a try. Since I don't work I will be able to devote the needed time for auditions, etc.

I went to an orientation Friday and learned what is expected of us. In a couple of weeks we go back for a photo shoot. These will be the photos that the agent will use to promote the girls. She told me I will have to buy them new clothes for that day and she will be picking them out. Oh boy.....I have a feeling it's going to get costly before it starts to pay off. At least I'm hoping it will pay off. Of course I know my babies are beautiful, but as we all know....."beauty is in the eye of the beholder". And it all depends on what the client is looking for.

The day we met with the agent she took pictures of the girls for her files. The girls were in a real good mood at the time, but for some reason Baily would hardly smile, she almost cried a couple of times. I was really happy that Ally was all smiles, usually it's the other way around.

More Pictures!!

2009-10-17T22:49:00.001-07:00

The kids can't wait for Halloween!!

Ahhhh......Autumn!

2009-10-12T23:03:00.001-07:00

How wonderful is this time of year. Oh such beautiful colors all around us. The air is smelling like fall here. The kids had a great time at the Pumpkin Farm. They love picking out their pumpkins by themselves. It's such a fun place to take the kids, they can run and play until they wear themselves out!!

Just have to share.....

2009-09-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

Our first trip to get family photos done all the kids were in a bad mood or something. The pictures reflected their attitudes that day, needless to say, I didn't buy the pictures. We went a few weeks later and tried it again. Everyone was in a good mood and had smiles, smiles, smiles! I was so happy and the pictures reflected their attitude for that day. We spend a lot of money on pictures that day and we are pleased with our purchase.

Are They Really Identical?

2009-09-06T21:00:00.001-07:00

Ally and Baily

(they really look different in this picture)

I was told by the Pathology Department where I gave birth to my twin daughters that they shared a placenta, therefore they are identical. As they age they seem to look different. Is it that I can easily tell them apart? Or is it because they aren't identical? Maybe they are fraternal. I'm beginning to wonder sometime. Their eyes are the same color, their hair is the same color, they both have a cow lick in the same place, their mouths are shaped the same, their noses look the same, but they look different from one another. Is it just me? Or are they fraternal after all? I still believe they are identical, but there are days when I wonder about it. I'm thinking it's just their weight difference that makes them look so different from one another. Ally weighs almost 2 pounds less than Baily. One would think that two pounds wouldn't make a big difference, but when your total weight is no more than twenty pounds, I guess it would be a big difference. I'm thinking when they start to get bigger and gain more weight they will appear to be more identical. I'm not complaining about this because after all, they are two separate individuals.

It's obvious that others can tell them apart because there are some who have said, "Baily's my favorite, she's so beautiful". It breaks my heart to hear that. I tell them, "Ally is just as beautiful, I don't know how you can pick favorites, I can't and I won't". I've told these people I don't want to hear them say such things in front of my children, but there are times when I still hear it. I know it's because Baily is the chunkier one and a lot of people say they love chunky babies, but please keep it to yourself when you're with my babies and if you're going to give attention to one, you need to give attention to the other also.

I feel so blessed to be a Mom of Twins! It's just so different when there are two babies. Sure it's tough at times, but it's wonderful most of the time. I had a woman say "wow, twins, double trouble!" and I responded with, "no twice the enjoyment!", she looked at me and said, "you're right". I know I was and I'm loving every minute of it. I know there will be times when they will give me trouble, but hopefully that won't be for some time, if at all. I'm looking ahead at the pre-teen and the teen years......there's where I may have some of that "double trouble" every refers to. I'm just afraid "double" will come from a "double" barrel shotgun and the "trouble" will come from "Daddy". That puts a whole new meaning to "double trouble"!! Our twins are four years younger than our oldest daughter, so it's going to feel like the teen years will go on forever!! Then again, maybe we will sail right through without any problems.....wishful thinking, I know!!

Being Ridiculed About Twin Pregnancy Symptoms

2009-07-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, I just have to post this. I hope I don't offend anyone by it. I apologize if I do.

I recently have been the subject of ridicule on a twin forum site, I no longer am a member of this site needless to say. The ridicule had to do with a blog I had on how to conceive twins, I have since deleted this blog because of the ridicule. I started the blog mainly for those women whom have been pregnant with multiples but only delivered one baby or no babies at all. From reading the many twin/multiple forums I realized that some of these women that suffered such lose were and are still hoping and praying to become pregnant with multiples again. I have the utmost compassion for these woman, especially since I know how special it is to carry, deliver and raise twins myself. I would not suggest to anyone to try anything that would put them or their babies lives in jeopardy, I was only suggesting natural ways to conceive twins. I researched the many ways that are believed to contribute to conceiving twins and I relayed these ideas and/or suggestions on the blog.

It's one thing to ridicule or belittle someone for supplying a blog of sort, but to ridicule someone about the symptoms that they had while pregnant with twins is another story. I have never belittled any woman for sharing her twin pregnancy symptoms and I honestly didn't think that I would be treated this way for sharing my symptoms with others. My symptoms were real and true, at least for me. What these woman must have forgotten is that every pregnancy is different, even for the same woman.

Here are some of the responses by these women to some of my symptoms and my response to them:

1. Morning sickness at five weeks was very severe and intense (intense migraines, multiple times daily for 3 weeks straight)

Their responses..........

1. I HAD SEVERE MORNING SICKNESS W/ MY SINGLETON SON STARTING AT 5 WEEKS

2. Okay my m/s sucked ass but so did my friend's who was having one baby.

3. Nope, in fact my m/s is a lot better this time around. I'm queasy but have only run to the bathroom 1x and then it was dry-heaving (sorry if TMI); with DD I was throwing up before I was 5 wks pg.

My response to them:

That's great, those were your symptoms during your twin/multiple pregnancies. Mine were severe earlier in the pregnancy, that being totally different from my singleton pregnancies.

2. Migraines starting at 5 weeks and lasting 3 weeks straight (1-2 times per day)

One of these women is a nurse and she made light of the migraines I suffer while being pregnant saying "TRUE MIGRAINES DO NOT COME AND GO 1-2 TIMES A DAY"!!!

To this I respond....I have suffered migraines since I was 6 years old (and don't tell me you can't have them that young, as I was diagnosed by my doctor), so I do know what a true migraine is and I know what a true migraine feels like! While pregnant (all three of my pregnancies), I suffered migraines. They were different with every pregnancy that I had. The migraines started in my 3rd trimester while pregnant with my son and with my daughter the migraines started at the end of my 2nd trimester. The migraines continued in these pregnancies until I gave birth. Medication worked during my pregnancy with my son, but not so much when I was pregnant with my daughter. With my twin pregnancy the migraines began at 5 weeks and continued during the whole pregnancy. I know what it feels like when a migraine is coming on and I did have 1-2 migraines on some days. When I get the signs before the migraine (numbness, tingling, aura), I know a migraine is coming. This did happen more than once a day, and it wiped me out for days on end! Explain that nurse! Oh since you aren't a neurologist I don't really think you have the answers, so I'll stick to the specialist on that subject, thank you. During pregnancy all rhyme and reason goes out the window concerning the frequency and triggers for migraines.

Their responses........

1. TRUE MIGRAINE A DOESN'T COME AND GO 1-2 TIMES A DAY...TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD MIGRAINES SINCE THE AGE OF 8...THEY TYPICALLY LAST FOR HOURS ON END...AND IF IT TRULY WAS 3 WEEKS LONG OF A REAL MIGRAINE I SUSPECT YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN THE DR.

2. Nope, no migraines at all

3. Nope, no migraines at all

My response:

I didn't say my migraine lasted for 3 weeks straight, I said I had migraines for 3 weeks straight. And yes I did see a doctor, lots of visits to the emergency room and to my neurologist. And they all confirmed I was suffering from migraines! I have suffered from migraines from 6 years old and they are more severe and frequent during pregnancy for me. I do know what a true migraine is and I have been diagnosed at a very young age. Unlike you, I feel for anyone who may suffer from a migraine. You are probably like the nurse I met in the emergency room that called my migraine "just a headache"! Apparently, SHE doesn't know what a "true" migraine is. I do!

For those of you who don't or haven't suffered from migraines, you are fortunate.

3. Extremely tender breasts.

Their responses..........

1. Not a sign of twins....just a sign of pregnancy

2. Nope

3. Yes, but so did my friends and family who had one baby.

My response:

My tender breasts early on was totally different from my singleton pregnancies.

3. Extremely Tired

Their responses..........

1. NOT A SIGN OF TWINS....JUST A SIGN OF PREGNANCY

2. What does this mean anyway? Is this just subjective?

3. Yes in the first tri. Feel better now that I'm in the second tri.

My response.....

I've read of many women who were pregnant with multiples say how much more tired they felt with their multiple pregnancy vs. their singleton pregnancy. I sure was.

5. Exhausted

Their responses..........

1. SAME THING AS YOUR "EXTREMELY TIRED"

2. How is this different than being tired? And yes this is true for me.

3. Hmmmm isn't this the same as tired?

My response.....

Here are dictionary definitions of tired and exhausted.

Tired: drainded of strength and energy: fatigued often to the point of exhaustion

Exhausted: to tire extremely or completely

Exhausted is taking tired to the maximum. So, yes there is a difference between being tired and being exhausted.

6. Constantly hungry

Their responses..........

1. NOT A SIGN OF TWINS....JUST A SIGN OF PREGNANCY

2. I actually have no appetite: same that happened w/DD (dear daughter)

3. I am always hungry, that explains my fat a$$

My response.....

Again, this was a symptom for myself and many women pregnant with mulitples that was more intense than with a singleton pregnancy. And again, every pregnancy varies.

As for #3's response, I wonder why she felt the need to leave such a comment.

7. Last but not least....I had a strong gut feeling I was carrying two babies

Their responses..........

1. SO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT HAVING A STRONG GUT FEELING MEANS YOU HAD MORE THAN ONE IN THERE? HOLY CRAP- THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO...BECAUSE I DIDNT BELEIVE I WAS HAVING TWINS...SHOULD I GIVE ONE BACK?

2. Nope, I thought I wasn't even pregnant.

My response......

I did have these feelings from the day I found out I was pregnant. As a matter of fact I kept thinking I was going to have twins at least 6 months prior to becoming pregnant with my twins.

I have read of many women who had strong feelings that they were carrying more than one baby and they found out that they were. These are unexplained feelings, but real nonetheless.

How can these women responding here take those feelings that we had and make fun or light of them?!!! Just because they didn't experience these feelings doesn't mean they weren't real for those of us who had them. I'm sure they must have had some strong feelings about their pregnancies one way or another. I wouldn't suggest that their feelings were meaningless.

And few more symptoms that may indicate twins/multiples:

1. Weight gain earlier in pregnancy

Their responses..........

1. Nope

2. Nope

3. No, I am not even sure I've gained enough yet.

My response....

Again every pregnancy is different. This was different with my twin pregnancy vs. my singleton pregnancies.

This symptom was reported as being different with their twin/multiple pregnancy.

2. Feeling movement earlier than expected

Their responses..........

1. NOT A SIGN OF TWINS! FEELING MOVEMENT EARLIER THAN EXPECTED JUST MEANS YOU ARE IMAGINING THINGS- FETAL MOVEMENT ISNT FOUND UNTIL THE SECOND TRI- SOMETIMES IN THE 12TH WEEK

2. Nope

3. I've felt nothing yet (about 16 weeks)

My response....

I felt fluttering early with my twin pregnancy vs. my singleton pregnancies. Many women pregnant with twins/multiples have reported feeling movement early on. I don't believe these women were imagining things. Just because you (#1) didn't feel movement earlier doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

3. Family history of twins

Their responses..........

1. Yes, but I was on Gonal-F as well.

2. Yes and I also took clomid. OB never suspected twins!

3. You are correct on this ONE thing.

My responses.....

To #1....I can't believe twins or multiples didn't cross your mind since you were taking a "follicle stimulating hormone".

Here's a link for more information on "Follicle Stimulating Hormone"

To #2....As well, you were taking a drug to stimulate ovulation. I can't believe you or your OB didn't even suspect a multiple pregnancy could be a possibility.

Here's a link for more on "Clomid type drugs"

To #3...And once again, every pregnancy is different for each woman. These symptoms are mine! My twin pregnancy symptoms were very different from my singleton pregnancies.

I just don't understand why some people feel the need to leave such rude comments about symptoms someone else may be experiencing.

And here is a response by someone that is just plain ridiculous (the part about "or maybe mine just aren't real twins?"

"The only thing I really had was fatigue. But I had been pg before and it wasn't any different than those times (with singletons). ALL of these symptoms are for PREGNANCY and aren't an indicator of multiples.

Or maybe mine just aren't real twins?"

I realize that every woman has different symptoms with each pregnancy. I just wanted to share the symptoms that were different with my twin pregnancy vs. my singleton pregnancy. I'm in no way trying to say that these symptoms indicate that you or anyone IS/ARE pregnant with twins/multiples.

5 Months Old Already!!

2009-06-29T15:27:00.001-07:00

Photo 1........Ally

Photo 2.......Baily

Photo 3.......Daddy, Ally, Moe, Emi and Baily

Photo 4.......Ally and Baily (hmmm reminds me of when I was carrying them, except Baily was on the top)

Photo 5......Ally and Baily talking to Grandpa on the phone (talking on the phone already, what am I in for?!!)

I can't believe they are getting so big already. They both are rolling over, they both jabber up a storm (that's where the phone comes into play), they kind of sit up, they are eating cereal at least once a day and they sleep more hours at night.

Now with summer here we are spending a lot of time at the pool, so hopefully the babies will be real comfortable in the water. My son took to the water really well, it only took him two days at the pool before he was jumping in and putting his head under water, now less than two weeks he's already swimming under water. My older daughter does well, but she is afraid to put her head under the water yet. She'll get there though.

We already bought them walkers since they like to stand, while being held of course. The only problem is, they are way too short to touch the floor and the walkers can't be lowered any more. They will probably be walking by the time they can reach the floor in the walkers. Oh well, they do like to sit in them anyway and we can feed them in there also if we want to.

Soon we will have to shop for gates since we have stairs! It won't be long before they will be mobile.

Ally (top)

Baily (bottom)

First Swim!!!

2009-06-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

Today was such a nice day, we decided to take the kids to the pool. It was warm and then breezy but it was still nice. The older kids had lots of fun. The babies seemed to enjoy the pool, but they got hungry and tired soon after they went in. I put lots of sun screen on everyone, I'm

hoping it was enough. We didn't keep the babies out in the sun for very long though. We forgot about swim diapers for the babies this time, we will make sure we have them for the next time. I've never used them before, so we'll see how they do.

We are hoping to take the kids to the pool at least twice a week so they can all get used to

being in the water. The two older kids actually did fairly well. There is a large area of the pool that only goes up to 3 1/2 feet, so that's good for them since they can stand in it with their heads above water.

Twins at Disneyland!

2009-06-10T00:16:00.000-07:00

My parents took us all to Disneyland for a family vacation. It was great. We all went except for my sisters husband and their 2 teen aged boys (we missed them). All together nine of their eleven grandchildren were there, seven of them under 7 years old and the other two are 11 and 13. It was so hard keeping our eyes on all of them. At least 3 of them were young enough to keep in strollers, the other four kept trying to wonder off, but we managed to leave with the same amount of children we went with! It was a wonderful vacation all in all. One of my nieces is 7 weeks older than our twins so we dressed them all alike and of course we got the "are they triplets" question asked a few times. Thank Goodness for Grandparents otherwise we may not have been able to ride on any of the rides or see some of the exhibits. If I wouldn't have been so far from home or gone for as many days as we were, I would have left the babies with relatives. I just couldn't bring myself to be away from them for that long. It really wasn't that bad having them there, everyone helped watch each others children, even my brother and sister-in-law who don't have nor do they want children. They love their nieces and nephews and they love them!

I don't believe it....Already!!

2009-05-25T00:21:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my babies are cutting teeth already. No wonder they haven't been feeling well. Cutting teeth on top of having a cold, poor babies. I felt inside their mouths last week and thought maybe they may be cutting teeth but I didn't feel anything trying to come through, at least nothing very noticeable. I felt small lumps in their gums, but they are the eye teeth. I just did a quick study on the subject and it seems these teeth aren't suppose to come in until they are over a year old. Hmmm...I wonder why they are getting those teeth first. Here is a link to baby teeth development...
http://www.craigentinny.co.uk/Children/tooth_development.htm
So far Baily has had a break through on the left side. But it seems like the tooth is coming in at an angle. I'll have to watch it and see what it does. It looks like my baby girls are going to have fangs! Ally just has little lumps so far. She doesn't have anything breaking through the gums yet. Now I see why they've been drooling all over the place and not feeling too well lately.

Identical or Fraternal?

2009-05-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

Some days I wonder. There will be days when my girls look so much alike and other days they look so different from one another. On those days when they look so different I think "how can they be identical, they don't even look alike"? I know they are identical since the pathology report came back saying there was only one placenta, but it does still amaze me that they can look so different from one another. I realize identicals aren't actually" identical", they are more like "similar". Now I can easily see the differences in them, such as one baby has a round face while the other one has a more oblong shaped one. One baby has a more pointed ear on one side while the other baby has a more rounded ear. One baby weighs over a pound more than her sister. You wouldn't think a pound would make a big difference, but it does, especially when you're carrying them around. There is one big difference, one thing that will always give away which baby girl is which. The one thing that these two babies do not share is an eraser sized birthmark on one of them. The birthmark is in a place "where the sun don't shine" as the saying goes. So, if one day they try the ol' switch-a-roo on me, I guess I'll have to ask them to show me that place "where the sun don't shine"!! I'm sure glad that birthmark didn't show up anywhere else though, otherwise if it were visible then everyone would be able to tell them apart right away. It's kinda cool when people ask "how can you tell them apart"? I smile and say "there are things that are different about them". They look enough alike that unless you see them enough you might have a hard time telling them apart. I used to wonder how mothers of identicals could tell their babies apart. Now I know. When you spend day and night with identicals you will definitely realize the differences in them eventually. Once in awhile I have to give a second look at the baby I'm holding to make sure which one it is. After I see the babies face I know who it is right away.
I'm loving every minute of being an identical twin Mom. For now I'm not annoyed by people making over them, they're just curious. After all twins and multiples are fascinating.
I usually get the following questions asked...
Are they twins?
Are they a boy and a girl? (Even when they are both dressed in pink)
Are they both boys?
Are they both girls?
Are they identical?
How can you tell them apart?
I really don't mind answering their questions. Sometimes I laugh because they ask the gender question when both babies are dressed in pink with pink blankets on them.

Wow!! Where Did The Time Go??!!

2009-03-31T17:49:00.000-07:00

Ally and Baily

I can't believe my baby girls are 2 and a half months old. Where did the time go? And how did it move so fast? Before I know it they will be going to school. Wait...slow down!!!
I am so happy they are growing and developing on track. You wouldn't even know they were born four weeks early. Ally is still smaller than Baily, but I'm sure she'll catch up at some point. At times it's so hard to tell them apart, and other times I can't believe they are identical because they look so different from one another. Baily has a rounder head and Ally's is more oblong. I wonder if Ally's head will become rounder as she gains more weight? I'm sure once their hair is longer it will be harder to tell them apart because it may be hard to see the difference in the shapes of their heads. I'm so excited I have identical twins, it's so fun. I love all my children so much. I don't think they will ever realize how much love a Mother can have for her children until they have children of their own.
We had our first family outing last week. We went to the Zoo. It was the first time for the babies, of course they slept most of the day. They basically slept while they ate and they hardly woke up during their diaper changes. They are such good babies. They woke up at the end, enough for us to take some pictures with them. And then right back to sleep on the ride home. We all had a great time. Some of us are a little more achy than others, but we did good. Six hours walking around the Zoo, we were exhausted. I think everyone but the drivers fell asleep on the way home. I can't wait to do it again!!!

Finally feeling better!

2009-03-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

I'm finally feeling better! At my 6 week check up with my OB he determined I needed to rest for an extra 2 weeks. One more week to go and I can resume all normal activities. Although I'm feeling better, I am very tired! I know all you twins/multiple Mothers know how that feels. I know I'll get through it, but in the meantime I'm enjoying being a Mom of twins. We're still trying to figure out who they look like. Right now they don't even look like each other, they do and they don't, but I've heard that identicals sometime start out that way. There are times when I have to look closer to tell them apart. Ally is still smaller than Baily, but that isn't always noticable, especially if they are lying down and covered up with a blanket. I can't wait until they can see clearly and interact with us, I love it when babies are at that stage, but it passes by so quickly! My two older children are loving their baby sisters, they are great siblings!

I thought I was beginning to feel better, but........

2009-02-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

Baily and Ally 5 weeks old

Once I settled in at home after the pulmonary edema and the stay in ICU after the babies were born I thought I was over the worst and all I had to do is heal from the c-section........WRONG!!

After being home for a few days I developed a cough and I was having a hard time breathing so I went to the emergency room to be looked out. Well, they ran x-rays and tests and said everything was fine. The doctor suspected the medication for my heart/high blood pressure was causing me to have asthmatic side effects. He then prescribed an albuterol inhaler. I used it a few times, but it didn't seem to help. My Mother has been with me almost non-stop since before the babies were born, thank the Lord for her help. We were talking about how I felt and she said it sounded like I was having anxiety attacks. I just wasn't feeling right, I cried about everything it seems. I couldn't breath well, especially at night, I couldn't sleep, I felt bad because I couldn't take care of my babies like I should have, you name it, I was feeling it. So, I believe she was right when she said I may be having mild to moderate anxiety attacks (my Dad suffers from anxiety). The cough I had seemed to be getting worse, so finally I went to see my doctor and she took tests and I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. Well, let me tell you.....I've just been feeling plain lousy for about two months now.

The walking pneumonia is on it's last leg it seems, so that should be gone soon, but guess who decided to show up after all this time? I've been having migraines since last week. I can't believe after all I've gone through, now migraines, again!! No!...will this ever end. I just want to feel better and enjoy my babies while they are still babies. I spent all day yesterday in bed basically. I had a migraine in the early a.m. while feeding babies. About noon I got up after sleeping through my migraine and I began to take care of the babies when I got hit by a second migraine of the day, I went back to bed until 5 p.m. and stayed up for awhile, after all it was my birthday and I didn't want to spend it in bed.

So far today is going well. I have my first follow up appointment with my OB. I'm hoping I feel better soon.

The Rest Of My Birthing Story....

2009-02-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

The day I was due to go home from the hospital with my babies, I started having difficulty breathing, so I was taken for x-rays, ekg, and a cat scan. It seems I had developed pulmonary edema. I was taken to ICU and stayed there for two days until they released me to the ICU ward in a private room. While I was in the postnatal ward, I had my babies with me as often as I wanted. Both babies were latching on so well and I was all geared up for breastfeeding, but that had to stop once I went to ICU. I only saw my babies at feeding time and they had to be accompanied by a nurse (to help of course), so I didn't get to be alone with them until I left the hospital. While in ICU I was pretty much out of it most of the time. My cardiologist put me on heart/high blood pressure medication, so I was only able to pump and dump my breast milk, mainly at first because of the dye they used during the cat scan. During my stay in ICU I was given a water pill to try and drain the fluid off my lungs and the rest of my body. By the time I left there, they said over 36 pounds of fluid was drained from my body. My OB was right when he kept telling me that I wasn't actually gaining weight, but it was mostly fluid. I didn't think that was possible until I saw how much weight I lost once I left the hospital. I hate to say how much I weighed in at, but I'll tell you that I've lost a total over 50 pounds since I had my babies 12 days ago. I still have about 35 pounds to lose to get to the weight I started at, and that was a little over 200 pounds. I was losing weight when I got pregnant with these two babies, I'm hoping I can keep losing.

My OB came in to check on me while I was in ICU and he told me it appears I did develop pre-eclampsia after I gave birth. He said they were concerned that I had developed cardiomyopathy, I'm still not sure if I did or did not, so I'll ask him about it when I have my next appointment with him. However, the medication I'm on is for the heart and high blood pressure and I was told my heart enlarged. I'm hoping whatever the case may be that it will resolve soon, as I was told it shouldn't last over 6 months at the most.

As for breastfeeding, I chose to give up on it because I didn't think the risk to their health was worth it. The medication I'm on now can cause them to have low blood pressure. I'm upset because I was looking forward to it, but it's the best for them. Anything to keep my babies healthy!!!

My Baby Girls Are In My Arms!!

2009-01-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

Baby A on the left is Ally Rae

Baby B on the right is Baily Jae

(I know....one was supposed to be named Kiely, but that's a different story. You can read all about that at the end of my birth story if you are curious.)

My story began with going to the hospital on January 21st expecting to be induced around 8 a.m., instead I was informed at 9 a.m. that I had been scheduled for a c-section at 2 p.m. that afternoon. What?!! I started crying once the doctor began explaining the reason she and her colleagues came to that conclusion. Here's the factors that swayed them; risk of pre-eclampsia, group b strep, 2 vessel cord, 1 placenta, and my weight. With all these factors they didn't want to risk having to have an emergency c-section after delivering Baby A because the medication may not take affect as fast as they may need it to. I cried and cried. I didn't want a c-section, I was so afraid that was going to happen! That was my worse fear about delivering twins. By mid-day I realized that my worse fear was becoming a reality. I accepted my fate and started preparing myself mentally for what was to happen just a couple of hours away. At that time my nurse came in and told me I had been bumped to 4 p.m......what?!! Great more time to stew over this c-section. I was a little heartbroken that I was not going to be able to deliver my babies vaginally, but I realized it was for their safety along with my own.

By 4 p.m. I was prepped for surgery and administered a spinal. I lay on the operating table in anticipation of what was to come. My nerves were being calmed and I was feeling excitement over the fact that I would see my babies soon. The moment I heard Baby A cry, shortly after Baby B entered the world with a loud roaring cry. She was the bigger of the two, weighing in at 6 pounds 3 ounces and 18 and 3/4 inches long. Baby A weighed in at 5 pounds 10 ounces and 18 inches long. They didn't need any oxygen and were taken straight to NICU for all the testing that was needed. They needed to be warmed up, so they were under the heat lamps while tests were being run. It's taking Baby A a little longer to get her coloring than Baby B is. They were hardly wrinkled at all and of course they are beautiful.

I was so against having a c-section, I wanted to fight the doctors on that one, but I decided to let it go and trust that they knew what was best for all of us. I'm so grateful now that I had a c-section because unbeknownst to all of us, Baby A had the cord wrapped around her neck twice. I don't even want to think what could have happened had I insisted on trying to give birth vaginally. I know things work out for a reason, now I know what that reason was. I am so happy to have two healthy baby girls.

On the issue of one placenta, after about 30 weeks it was assumed the babies were mono/di so this was of deep concern for my doctors and OB. The babies were typed for blood and the placenta has been taken to the lab. When my OB came in to see me after the birth, he said they should have results on the placenta by my first appointment with him. So, we may know soon if they are identical or fraternal. One of the nurses that observed the c-section said they were definitely in two sacs, but that the placenta looked like it could be two. We shall see soon enough.

All in all the surgery went well, I'm tired though and it hurts to get up and walk, but I know I have to do it for my health. I've already lost at least 25 pounds since yesterday...imagine that!!

It looks like if all goes well, I will be able to go home this Saturday and my babies will be coming home with me. Yay!!

The next chapter of my life with twins has now begun. Let it be joyous!!

Name Story...
Everyone said Baby A should be Ally (because of the A). My brother said Baby B needs a B name and suggested Baily. One reason is that her Daddy was having a hard time pronouncing Kiely for some reason and didn't really like it that much anyway. I figured I should at least let him have one name since I came up with first and middle names and didn't want to budge on the names. The only thing is, Ally was a definite for me and Kiely was an okay. I had told him a few months ago that if he came up with a name that I liked also that I would consider using it. This morning I told him he could go ahead and choose between the name Kiely and Baily. Of course he went with Baily. My brother is his boss, but I don't think that had anything to do with his decision though. It sure made my brother's day, not only was he happy we chose the name Baily, but her middle name is Jae (which both of my brother's names begin with a J) but this brother's name is Jason and he's called Jay by some. In case you are wondering why I'm spelling Baby B's name Baily and not Bailey is because I wanted all my girls names to end in "ly", just a little FYI.

Thank you so much for all your thoughtful comments

2009-01-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone for all your thoughtful and wonderful comments, I appreciate them deeply. I will be back as soon as possible to convey my birth story.

Today I will see my OB to discuss the actual day for my babies birth. It couldn't come soon enough for me. I know the longer they stay put the better it is for them, except for the looming threat of pre-eclampsia. With that said my OB feels it will be better for our babies on the outside rather than inside. I'm having a hard time with choosing the dates for their birth. I will be able to choose from January 21st or January 24th. Putting all the health issues aside, this may sound a little strange, but I have an issue with numbers and/or dates...I really want them born on an even day, so I would have to go with the 24th. I'm going to have to let this decision be made by my OB and I think he may say the 21st, so I'll just have to deal with it. I know it isn't important, it's just a little quirkiness I have I guess. My son's birthday is on the 16th, my daughter's birthday is on the 18th (different months of course)...wouldn't it have been fit into my little quirkiness if these two little girls would be born today on the 20th??!! But as the day unfolds, it looks like this may not happen unless these little ones hurry up and get a move on. I've still been having diarrhea and nausea, oh and lots of mucus (sorry about the TMI). The other night I heard a pop and had some fluid come out, so I was a little concerned it may have been my water. I went to Labor and Delivery and they ran a test to see if they could detect amniotic fluid, but it came back negative...hmmm! Anyway, the doctor used a speculum to extract a sample and she told me I may have some bleeding after that. I did when I went to the rest room before I left the hospital and then a couple of drops on my pad later on. Now, beginning two days after that exam the mucus that's been coming out has been pink or blood tinged. So, I can't tell if it's from the exam or if it's my bloody show. (I'm really sorry for all the TMI.) I'm not getting any other signs that labor is real immanent, except for the signs I mentioned above. I'm praying for a vaginal birth, and expecting it to happen as long as Baby B co-operates!! Stay head down Baby B!! Just follow your Big Sister on out!!

Thank you all so much again for the comments and for reading all my little posts and some not so little. Until I can come back and write my identical twin girls birth story, know I appreciate all your thoughtfulness.

One last belly bump picture.....

Bye-Bye Twin Baby Bump!!