Father's Day

We love Daddy

and we love our paci's

Addison getting tummy time with Daddy

First off, we were so happy to have Jesse finally celebrate a father's day as the father. My dad was out of town on a comedy tour and my step dad is up in Spokane so I did miss them but, we had a great day yesterday and I kept telling myself that I would get on and post how it went all day yesterday but I never got around to it. I guess that is what life is like with twin girls, a husband, a live in sister, all while I am in full time school. The good news is that I finished my Economics class today and I will have a 3-4 week break before my next class starts. I can get used to going back to work for a week or two before I have to concentrate on school again.

So Jesse's first father's day was a hit. The girls had their daddy onesies on and they were ready with their presents. Riley and Jesse have been watching the Yankees games together because daddy is the biggest Yankees fan around and Riley is his good luck charm. On the days that Riley watches with daddy the Yankees manage to win. With that being said, Riley (mom) thought it would good to get daddy a large framed picture of the old Yankee stadium. Jesse loved the picture.

Jesse's favorite song these days is from The All American Rejects so Addison (mom) bought him the CD. I found some other odds and ends to throw in a bag and Jesse got a bit of a break during the day to play some x-box with his friends. He got his favorite dinner, Pei Wei and some daddy time with the girls on the couch.

You are not a hard core mom until.....

Riley wearing her new pajamas sent by Julie after she got all cleaned up

Riley looking cute before her big "blow out"

Addison napping in her bouncy chair

Addison showing off her big eyes

Double Trouble

Addison in her first ride in her swing

You clean up a blow out diaper that covers your child's entire body. Motherhood is not complete until you have the pleasure of doing one of life's most disgusting things. Riley had completely poo'd through her diaper through her onesie and into her car seat. The funny thing is that she was covered on the front of her body all the way up to her neck and not a drop on her back side. I'm guessing because she was sitting in the car seat, the force was sent to her front rather than her back. As soon as I noticed what a mess she had made, I started laughing rather than getting grossed out. I think it takes a mother to clean up a mess like that without complaining one bit. Riley didn't seem to care either. She wasn't crying to let me know what a mess she made and she didn't make a peep during the whole clean up process. I used the method of pulling down the onesie off the body rather than over her head to avoid getting any poo on her face. I learned this trick from some BTDT (been there, done that) moms. I threw her in the bath and got her cleaned up. I never knew the poor little child could make such a mess, especially when she is only 7 pounds, but boy could she ever, he he he

We are all taking our Thrush medication and hoping that things are improving, but I'm not convinced that the medicine is doing anything at this point. Addison's bum is still pretty red and it hurts her to get her diaper changed and her bum cleaned. Both girls had a rough time with their night time feeding and their mouths seemed to hurt them quite a bit. It took us an hour to calm them down and get them to sleep. I plan to talk to the pediatrician on Tuesday and find out more about the Thrush and more about Addison's reflux. She spit up several times today with some projectile vomit while she was sitting in her swing. She wasn't even swinging and the poor girl shot out her milk about a foot pass her swing. We may need to try another medication at this point.

Lots to go over

This has been a busy week for us. I really haven't had time to get online to post on the blog. I just feel like there isn't enough hours in the day. I'm not even that tired, it just feels like the hours go by in warp speed every day. As it gets closer to the time I have to go back to work, the days go by even faster.

As for Addison, she seems to be doing better on the Zantac. Her reflux isn't perfect, but she spits up less and cries less after feedings. I'm glad things are a bit better but I wonder if the Zantac is the answer or if we need to try another drug or a combination of drugs to make things better significantly.

Riley is just happy as a clam. Her disposition is great and she is happy most of the time. She has taken a liking to screaming for 10-15 seconds for no reason at all. I think she thinks it is funny. At least when we pick her up, she normally stops screaming. Addison takes a while to calm down and doesn't quite seem as happy. I'm sure it is the reflux and a combination of our new problem. All three of us girls have Thrush. Jesse noticed white patches in the girls mouths about a week and a half ago, but I was not familiar with thrush so I didn't look into it further until my nipples started getting red and glossy and I started having shooting pains inside the breast. After reviewing symptoms of thrush, I found we had almost every one. Addison is getting a horrible diaper rash and both girls stick out their tongues after eating. We went to the pediatrician to get diagnosed and we are now all on anti-fungal medication and antibiotics to help get rid of the Thrush. So basically Addison has some sort of medication every feeding and now Riley needs to take the drops for the Thrush. It is a difficult schedule of medications to keep track of. I hope we get rid of the Thrush soon so we can just rely on Addison's medication schedule.

On a positive note, the girls are still gaining very well. On the corrected age timeline, the girls are almost a week old. Addison is 7 pounds 7 ounces and Riley is 7 pounds 1 ounce. So they are right on track for "newborn babies". They have outgrown the preemie clothes and some of the newborn clothes are starting to get big on them. Addison is real close to the 0-3 month clothes. I also upgraded the girls to level 1 Dr. Brown's nipples for their bottles. I feel like we have gotten out of that "preemie" stage and we finally get to have newborn babies to take care of. Addison is really good at holding her head up and she is tracking people with her eyes. Riley is working on her neck muscles and watching people with her eyes.

Next week we have the girls' 2 month appointment and a follow up appointment at the cardiologist for Addison. I look forward to 2 more weeks at home with the girls and then the transition back to work begins. Wish me luck!

Family Fun

The girls all ready for the BBQ

Addison....look at how tiny I am

Riley all dressed up and nowhere to go

Daddy and Riley

Riley in Pink

Mommy holding both girls

Look...we can share a bouncy chair

Riley playing in her bouncy chair

We had a meet and greet BBQ for the family and friends to meet girls. The girls handled their first big event really well. Riley stayed awake for most of the day and Addison slept most of the time. So far tonight, the girls are doing well and they don't seem to be over stimulated which was a big concern of mine after having a house full of people.

Addison's reflux seems to be getting better and she is so good at taking both her heart medication and her Zantac. We have had to use the Maalox and some Tylenol here and there but the Zantac seems to be kicking in to help her feel better. She seems less agitated and more happy.

Riley is my little Gerber baby and is putting on weight all over. She has the cute little chubby cheeks that you just want to pinch.

Now we are just working on letting the girls eat on demand and hoping they might go longer stretches at night so we can all get some extra sleep. I have three weeks left before I go back to work and the time is just flying by too quick. I wish it would just slow down.

Rough day with Addison and trip to her doctor

Addison had another rough night and a really bad day with her feedings and spit ups. She ended up spitting up right in daddy's face today and all over her clothes. So I decided we couldn't wait until the girl's appointment next week to discuss the possible reflux issue. I got into the pediatrician this afternoon. After waiting in the treatment room for 45 minutes after our appointment, the doctor finally saw Addison. The doctor agreed that she is probably suffering from reflux and premature babies have a higher susceptibility to having reflux issues.

We are going to start her on Zantac as plan A and see how she responds. The doctor also said we could give her a small dose of Maalox if she seems to be suffering from the acid while the Zantac is taking its time to help the matter. We can also use Tylenol if she really seems to be having a hard time. If the medication doesn't work at first we can try adding a couple of tsp of rice/oatmeal cereal to her milk to thicken it up and help the food stay down. I hope we don't need plan B because I am not ready to add cereal to their diet yet.

So I ran to the pharmacy to get the RX filled and it took forever at the pharmacy and then my insurance wanted a prior authorization before paying for the RX. I was so stressed at this point and Addison was crying because she was hungry after spitting up most of her bottle prior to the trip out to the pediatrician. The RX was around $30 for the cash price and I told them that was fine. I wasn't going to wait for a prior authorization to get my baby some relief. All in all, the day was very stressful but Addison was so wore out from the hard day that she has been sleeping and only waking for her feedings after we wake her up. I hope she is going to be getting some relief soon.

Visit with the NICU home nurse

Today we met with Bonnie, a NICU home nurse that does visits to check on the babies after they are released. Arizona pays for the program if a child has a NICU stay spanding longer than 5 days. With the program we have free access to the nurse for questions or concerns. We also have a lactation consultant that will do house visits free of charge. We are supplied with free formula and information about feeding and weight gain. The nurse will make house calls at the child's milestones until they reach age 2 where the corrected age of the premature baby catches up with full gestation babies. Arizona implemented this program due to high morbidity and mortality rates within the state. I am so thankful for the extra help and support.

I learned a great deal in this visit and the nurse is pretty sure Addison is suffering from reflux and her formula and or the over production of acid is causing most of her problems right now. We will take her into the pediatrician to work on changing formulas that we fortify my breast milk with and have her seen by specialist to see how severe her reflux/acid problems are. Since I have another baby to compare Addison's problems with, it is easy to see that she is in pain at times and she doesn't feel well most of the time. I really feel bad for my baby and I want her to start feeling better soon so she can eat and rest better. I hope we get some answers soon.

Weight Check

My Internet was down for a short time yesterday so I didn't get a chance to post about the girls pediatrician appointment. I have been concerned for the last few days that the girls have been spitting up more often, especially Addison. I think they may be having a reflux problem and the acid is bothering them after their feedings. The good news is that both girls are gaining weight very well. Riley now weighs 6 pounds 8.5 ounces and Addison is 6 pounds 14 ounces. The doctor is pleased with the weight gain and we will watch the reflux-spitting up over the next two weeks at their 2 month check and make a decision if we need to change anything with the feedings.

Addison had a real rough time last night. She spit up several times and I had to put her in the bath to get her clean and once we had her all clean she spit up again. I feel so bad because I can tell she is in pain and doesn't feel well after some feedings. Other times she is just fine and goes right back to sleep. I have noticed more of a pattern with spitting up when she has her heart medication. I worry that she isn't getting enough of the medication when she spits up but maybe it is the medication that is causing the problems. I will keep an eye on things and track when she spits up and see if there is a pattern and I will talk to the cardiologist at the end of the month.

First Professional Pictures

We took the girls in for their first professional pictures. We didn't have any hospital pictures done while the girls were in the NICU so this is the first chance they got to pose for the cameras. My cousin Marissa recomended "Portrait Innovations" and they did a fantastic job. Addison was fussy all day so we didn't get the best shots of her. She cried every time we layed her down for a pose. Riley was Mrs. Photogenic and showed off her pretty eyes several times. Here are some of my favorite ones:

Sisters

Addison

Pretty in Pink

Sweet Riley

Mommy's hands around Addison's Feet

Daddy's hands around Riley's feet

Riley holding Daddy's Finger

Addison

Riley's Sweet Eyes

Cute Little Feet

Picture Post

I have been getting behing on getting the pictures up on the blog, so here are some good shots over the last few days. Both girls have been sleeping well for the last three nights. They seem to sleep better in their bouncy chairs rather than their crib or bassinetts, so we are going with whatever works for moment.

Addison and Grandpa

Great Grandma Jean

Loving the bouncy chairs

Addison and Daddy

Addison doing the splits on Aunt Sara

Our first walk

Addison

Riley with Great Aunt Diane

Good nights and Bad nights

We seem to be in an every other day for good nights in our home. The girls will give us some good sleep and go right back to sleep after their feedings without much fussing. Then, the next night they are little monsters and cry and cry all night, want to be held, and basically keep the whole house up the entire night.

Two nights ago my mom Linda came over to help with the night feedings because my sister was going to be away for the night. The girls were fussy all night. At least Jesse and Linda let me sleep from 11 to 2:30 without doing a feeding and then the girls were up from 3:45am on. They were crying and having eating problems. Part of the problem is both girls are having some nasal congestion and they have trouble breathing while feeding. That makes them fussy and hard to get back to sleep. The pediatrician says this is normal but I might take the girls in again to have them checked out. It breaks my heart when they don't feel well and I am always coming at them with the bulb syringe and they just hate me for it.

Last night was among the best so far though. Jesse and Sara took the 11 pm and 2 am feedings and I got to go to bed at 9:30 and sleep until 3:00 am. I slept on an off during the early morning feedings. I felt well rested and Jesse and Sara got to sleep in late, leaving us feeling much better. Now if history repeats itself, we might be in for another hard night. Let’s hope the girls can just get on a good streak and they start to feel better soon.

On a fun note, we took the girls on their first walk in their Snap n' Go stroller. Riley was a little fussy before we left the house but she calmed down during the ride and Addison slept through the whole ride. All in all, I think they both liked being outdoors.

The pumping is going much better and my milk production is up. I have a large surplus of milk which will be nice when I have to go back to work in 5 weeks. I'm sad to even think about that time so I plan to make the best of my time home with my girls. We want to get the girls in for pictures this week since we didn't do formal pictures in the hospital. In reality, these will be their newborn pictures since they should have been born this week if they had made it to the end like they were supposed to.

Trip to the Pediatrician

Both girls on the pediatrician table

Riley sleeping and Addison wide awake

Both girls went to the pediatrician this week. Riley went on Tuesday and she had gained 2 ounces since being released from the hospital, putting her at 5 pounds 9 ounces. Her length was 19 inches, up 2 inches from birthEverything checked out fine on her and she is growing very well for being a preemie. She was put on vitamin drops with Iron to ensure she is growing up big and strong. She was such a stinker and peed on me after I picked her up from scale. Rookie mommy mistake, I didn't put her diaper on right away and she gave me a lesson to learn. :)

We took both girls back to the pediatrician the day after Addison was released. Riley needed another weight check. Riley gained another 4 ounces putting her at 5 pounds 13 ounces and she grew another 1/4 of an inch. Addison was released from the NICU at 6 pounds 1 ounces and she weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces the next day so she is growing right on schedule also. The doctor is very pleased with their progress and he wants us to come back in 2 weeks for another weight check and then 2 weeks after that for their 2 month appointment.

Addison is Home!

Home and together at last!

Both girls home from the hospital

Look at how pretty I am!

Addison's Coming Home Outfit

We are so glad to have our family complete. I had my post partum appointment with my OB and got the okay to resume "normal" activities. We took Riley with as we were going straight to the hospital right after to get Addison. The staff at the OB's office thought Riley was so cute in her pink bow and they were surprised at how small she is, yet she looks so big to me. I guess when she is born at 3 pounds 12 ounces, 5 pounds 10 ounces looks big to me.

We got all the discharge instructions on Addison. She has to take her heart medication every 6 hours and she has to take the medication with her feedings so that doesn't give us any room to adjust her feeding schedule and go longer than the 3 hours in between feedings. Riley has already had a few 4 to 4.5 hour stretches that gives mommy some extra sleep. As of right now we have no idea how we will handle the feedings. Sara is here to help and now Jesse needs to get involved in the feedings. With Riley I didn't need his help much but now I know I am not taking care of both feedings and pumping at the same time. Riley is up and down on her breast feeding, actually mostly down. She gets upset that the milk is not readily available like it is with the bottle. Poor girl, she is just impatient. So I'm not sure what to do from here. I haven't tried BF with Addison yet, but I hope to here soon.

My dad took more video of Addison getting ready to leave the hospital, leaving the hospital, and coming home. He will put the video together with both girls as a memory for the girls when they are older.

So far Addison has been very good at home and took all of her first feeding and then slept for 3 hours when her next feeding was due. I wonder if she even knows she has a sister at home, or what home is for that matter. LOL

I will post tomorrow and let you all know how it goes with both girls. Wish me luck!

Trying out the new toys

Riley has got to break in all her baby items at home. She really likes her bouncy chair because she can see what is going on in the house. We have her bassinette out in the front room but the sides are high and she can't see what is going on. We just use that when she needs to take a nap. When she is awake she likes to hang out in the bouncy chair and watch what everyone is doing. She has always loved bath time so her first bath at home was lots of fun. She loves all of her new clothes and she especially loves her new blankets. They are so much softer than the hospital ones. She is not too fond of her car seat, but what baby is? Once we get into the car and get going she seems to like the car rides and falls asleep quickly. I can't wait to see what Addison likes and dislikes. Oh and the last picture is what happens when you let dad and Sara try to use the swaddle blanket.