Twin Tales +1: The life and times of Ella and Aidan, and their baby sister, Lauren
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Ella and Her Daddy
It is well known that Ella is VERY much a Mommy's girl. It really should be known that she also loves her Daddy, too!!
Here are Ella and Mike when she was just 5 months old:
And here they are this past weekend:
Be still my heart....
Here are Ella and Mike when she was just 5 months old:
And here they are this past weekend:
Be still my heart....
Happy Memorial Day!
At this time last year Ella and Aidan were about 2 1/2 weeks old, and Mike and I were in the throes of adjusting to life with twins. Oh my gosh it was hard. I often overhear other Mothers discuss the ins and outs of bringing home their one little baby...but we had two. Two little souls so very dependent upon us for their every need.
And we were clueless.
For the first time in my life, I felt as though I truly needed my Mother. She will probably get a little teary eyed when she reads this, but it is true.
I have ALWAYS been a fiercely independent person. I never wanted to be told that I couldn't do something, much less that I needed any help doing it! But having twins is an entirely different thing than bringing home one little baby.
This weekend, all I keep thinking about is Memorial Day weekend last year. Mom and Dad had just left after being here for two weeks after Ella and Aidan's birth. Mike and I had barely been alone with the babies for a week, but when Mom and Dad called and asked if they could come back for the holiday weekend, I think I barely uttered the words "Please come" amongst the tears.
We were so darn tired and sleep deprived. Neither baby slept more than 1 1/2 hours at a time..and they were up at opposite times. That meant for 24 hour shifts for both of us around the clock. Neither one of us had slept in days. I was still recovering from the C-Section. I didn't take the extra night you "earn" in the hospital for having a C-Section. I figured, what the heck, how hard can it be? Never one to shy away from facing a challenge, I was ready to simply get the babies home.
Do you think I can go back now and have that night?
They won't have to feed me or ever even come in the room...I will just sleep in that comfortable bed that moves and adjusts to ever conceivable angle...and have all of the really good ice that I want. (I was anemic toward the end of my pregnancy and all I craved was ice...and the only places that had the good ice - those tiny little pellets like bunny poop - were the hospital and Sonic).
But, I digress....this year's Memorial Day was much different!! I spent most of it alone with the babies.
Mike had to work on Saturday as well as today. We were only together on Sunday...but we filled it with as much fun as we could. Poor Mike, he was so tired from being up all Saturday night with a pretty big fire!
So, Sunday is all I have to write about this year...
I did my usual exercise walk in the morning, we went out to a nice lunch with the babies, and after they woke up from their afternoon nap, we headed over to our friends house for a little BBQ. The Hitts have twins as well, Charlie and Ansley.
After that it was on to Mike's parent's house for more food and festivities with his sister and her family. We pushed the envelope a bit and kept the babies out until a bit past their bedtime...but they did just fine and were completely zonked out after their baths.
Although I have been alone with the babies pretty much all weekend, it has been nice. For some reason, I have been very reflective for the past week or so.....maybe I am still adjusting to the passing of Ella and Aidan's first year..who knows....
Here are a few pictures from our holiday "day" together!
We managed to coax Ella into the grass!!
And we were clueless.
For the first time in my life, I felt as though I truly needed my Mother. She will probably get a little teary eyed when she reads this, but it is true.
I have ALWAYS been a fiercely independent person. I never wanted to be told that I couldn't do something, much less that I needed any help doing it! But having twins is an entirely different thing than bringing home one little baby.
This weekend, all I keep thinking about is Memorial Day weekend last year. Mom and Dad had just left after being here for two weeks after Ella and Aidan's birth. Mike and I had barely been alone with the babies for a week, but when Mom and Dad called and asked if they could come back for the holiday weekend, I think I barely uttered the words "Please come" amongst the tears.
We were so darn tired and sleep deprived. Neither baby slept more than 1 1/2 hours at a time..and they were up at opposite times. That meant for 24 hour shifts for both of us around the clock. Neither one of us had slept in days. I was still recovering from the C-Section. I didn't take the extra night you "earn" in the hospital for having a C-Section. I figured, what the heck, how hard can it be? Never one to shy away from facing a challenge, I was ready to simply get the babies home.
Do you think I can go back now and have that night?
They won't have to feed me or ever even come in the room...I will just sleep in that comfortable bed that moves and adjusts to ever conceivable angle...and have all of the really good ice that I want. (I was anemic toward the end of my pregnancy and all I craved was ice...and the only places that had the good ice - those tiny little pellets like bunny poop - were the hospital and Sonic).
But, I digress....this year's Memorial Day was much different!! I spent most of it alone with the babies.
Mike had to work on Saturday as well as today. We were only together on Sunday...but we filled it with as much fun as we could. Poor Mike, he was so tired from being up all Saturday night with a pretty big fire!
So, Sunday is all I have to write about this year...
I did my usual exercise walk in the morning, we went out to a nice lunch with the babies, and after they woke up from their afternoon nap, we headed over to our friends house for a little BBQ. The Hitts have twins as well, Charlie and Ansley.
After that it was on to Mike's parent's house for more food and festivities with his sister and her family. We pushed the envelope a bit and kept the babies out until a bit past their bedtime...but they did just fine and were completely zonked out after their baths.
Although I have been alone with the babies pretty much all weekend, it has been nice. For some reason, I have been very reflective for the past week or so.....maybe I am still adjusting to the passing of Ella and Aidan's first year..who knows....
Here are a few pictures from our holiday "day" together!
We managed to coax Ella into the grass!!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Exploring The Front Yard
Yesterday we discovered that Ella does not like the grass. Poor thing - she cried (screamed actually) and held her little hands up high and curled / clenched her toes!
The only place she was remotely content was in my lap (you can see Aidan heading into the bushes in the background).
Aidan, on the other hand, was thrilled and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the outdoors. He has no fear and made his way into the bushes, into the pine needles, into the mulch, onto the concrete walkway, and started to make his way up the brick stairs!
The only place she was remotely content was in my lap (you can see Aidan heading into the bushes in the background).
Aidan, on the other hand, was thrilled and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the outdoors. He has no fear and made his way into the bushes, into the pine needles, into the mulch, onto the concrete walkway, and started to make his way up the brick stairs!
Wagon Babies
Yesterday evening before dinner we took Ella and Aidan for their first ride in their new wagon.
They absolutely loved it!!
They absolutely loved it!!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Lazy? Are You Kidding Me?
When the babies were little tiny tots I would get stopped constantly with questions.
Are they twins? Yes.
Are they both boys? No, one is in blue, the other is in PINK.
Are they identical? No, one is a BOY and one is a GIRL, they have different parts.
Are they real? By far my favorite question, and if I wouldn’t have been so stunned at the question my reply would have been much, much different.
And of course the comments - hands being full, two times the trouble, etc. By far the best one yet was today.
While the babies and I were shopping a man stopped to observe them - just like most people do - but rather than make one of the above listed stereotypical comments, he looked at me and said “You sure did take the lazy way out”.
I walked away from him with a bit of a sting in my heart. He has no idea what we went through to have them. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became….I actually tried to find him in the store to let him know my thoughts, but he was gone (probably better anyway – it would not have been pretty!).
The lazy way my ass! Being pregnant and big as a house with over 15 pounds worth of TWO babies plus all the other gunk that accompanied each one of them was not lazy. Carrying this around was not lazy for sure!
This was me just days before delivery. I am proud to say that I do not have a single stretch mark to this very day!
My poor swollen feet and ankles.... (yes, I did still manage to get a pedicure the day before delivery!)
I’m quite certain that enduring two years worth of testing and various medical procedures was not lazy. That injecting yourself (or having your husband do it for you!) with various lengths of needles in your stomach, thighs and behind was not lazy. And that feeding, burping, bathing, changing, diapering, and all of the other stuff for TWO newborns was not lazy. Chasing TWO toddlers around and trying to keep them both happy is really not lazy. Call me crazy, but I feel anything but lazy.
Overworked? Yes.
Tired? Yes.
Busy? Yes.
Overwhelmed? Sometimes.
Lazy? Nope.
No lazy here.
Are they twins? Yes.
Are they both boys? No, one is in blue, the other is in PINK.
Are they identical? No, one is a BOY and one is a GIRL, they have different parts.
Are they real? By far my favorite question, and if I wouldn’t have been so stunned at the question my reply would have been much, much different.
And of course the comments - hands being full, two times the trouble, etc. By far the best one yet was today.
While the babies and I were shopping a man stopped to observe them - just like most people do - but rather than make one of the above listed stereotypical comments, he looked at me and said “You sure did take the lazy way out”.
I walked away from him with a bit of a sting in my heart. He has no idea what we went through to have them. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became….I actually tried to find him in the store to let him know my thoughts, but he was gone (probably better anyway – it would not have been pretty!).
The lazy way my ass! Being pregnant and big as a house with over 15 pounds worth of TWO babies plus all the other gunk that accompanied each one of them was not lazy. Carrying this around was not lazy for sure!
This was me just days before delivery. I am proud to say that I do not have a single stretch mark to this very day!
My poor swollen feet and ankles.... (yes, I did still manage to get a pedicure the day before delivery!)
I’m quite certain that enduring two years worth of testing and various medical procedures was not lazy. That injecting yourself (or having your husband do it for you!) with various lengths of needles in your stomach, thighs and behind was not lazy. And that feeding, burping, bathing, changing, diapering, and all of the other stuff for TWO newborns was not lazy. Chasing TWO toddlers around and trying to keep them both happy is really not lazy. Call me crazy, but I feel anything but lazy.
Overworked? Yes.
Tired? Yes.
Busy? Yes.
Overwhelmed? Sometimes.
Lazy? Nope.
No lazy here.
Friday, May 16, 2008
One Year Stats
Ella and Aidan had their 1 year check-up yesterday morning. Here are their latest stats:
Ella:
Weight: 21 pounds 12 ounces (50-75 %)
Height: 31 inches (95%)
Head: 18.5 (90-95%)
Aidan:
Weight: 26 pounds (90%)
Height: 32 inches (97%)
Head: 18.5 (50-75%)
They both received their Prevnar and Chicken Pox vaccinations. Mike and I decided to hold off on the MMR (AKA the infamous Autism shot) vaccine for now….neither one of us are fans of giving them too many injections at once, and quite frankly, the MMR scares the heck out of both of us. So, we have the option of waiting until at least 18 months if we choose.
The Dr was pleased at our success with taking them off of formula and getting them onto whole milk (only organic in this household!). In addition, they are off of bottles and take all of their fluids in their sippy cups. He also cleared the way for a little bit of peanut butter and honey since no one in our families has any history of extensive food allergies. He did suggest holding off on shellfish until 3 years of age. Other than that, the world of food is wide open for them now!!
On another note, Ella has 8 teeth (4 across the top and 4 across the bottom) and Aidan has 7 teeth (4 across the top and 3 across the bottom).
I shared my concerns with the Dr about how they were such late crawlers…and late to start pulling up on things as well. Aidan sort of cruises…but not really. Ella – not at all. He once again eased my fears (to some degree) and assured me that they will do it on their own time. They both have excellent muscle tone..and the ability to cruise…they just don’t seem to have the desire.
On the flip side, they are well above average in terms of cerebral measurements. Both are excessive babblers and “talk” constantly. They both love books and love to “read” both to themselves and to others by pointing at the pictures and babbling. They know where certain body parts are and are learning the sounds that various animals make..they love to make truck sounds!
They both love to clap and wave…even saying “Hi” and Bye”. Ella can even whistle! They both also know their names – and acknowledge (but don’t necessarily respect) the word “No”. Their imitation and comprehension skills are way above average.
So, the Dr basically said that babies tend to develop faster in one area before really focusing on the other. While many others their age (and younger!) are cruising and even walking, some are like Ella and Aidan and are focusing the majority of their growth right now in their brains. In the end, all babies tend to even out within the second year and at some point and we will all reach the same skill levels.
Then he said what really made me feel better….that as a pediatrician, he would much rather see them ahead of the game cerebrally than in the physical gross motor skill arena.
And with that, we were off….
After their nap, we took a ride in the car to celebrate.
Why was that ride in the car so special?
Because we have graduated from rear facing and are now forward facing!!!
Ella practicing her whistling skills:
Aidan enjoying the ride:
Ella and her famous "smile":
Ella:
Weight: 21 pounds 12 ounces (50-75 %)
Height: 31 inches (95%)
Head: 18.5 (90-95%)
Aidan:
Weight: 26 pounds (90%)
Height: 32 inches (97%)
Head: 18.5 (50-75%)
They both received their Prevnar and Chicken Pox vaccinations. Mike and I decided to hold off on the MMR (AKA the infamous Autism shot) vaccine for now….neither one of us are fans of giving them too many injections at once, and quite frankly, the MMR scares the heck out of both of us. So, we have the option of waiting until at least 18 months if we choose.
The Dr was pleased at our success with taking them off of formula and getting them onto whole milk (only organic in this household!). In addition, they are off of bottles and take all of their fluids in their sippy cups. He also cleared the way for a little bit of peanut butter and honey since no one in our families has any history of extensive food allergies. He did suggest holding off on shellfish until 3 years of age. Other than that, the world of food is wide open for them now!!
On another note, Ella has 8 teeth (4 across the top and 4 across the bottom) and Aidan has 7 teeth (4 across the top and 3 across the bottom).
I shared my concerns with the Dr about how they were such late crawlers…and late to start pulling up on things as well. Aidan sort of cruises…but not really. Ella – not at all. He once again eased my fears (to some degree) and assured me that they will do it on their own time. They both have excellent muscle tone..and the ability to cruise…they just don’t seem to have the desire.
On the flip side, they are well above average in terms of cerebral measurements. Both are excessive babblers and “talk” constantly. They both love books and love to “read” both to themselves and to others by pointing at the pictures and babbling. They know where certain body parts are and are learning the sounds that various animals make..they love to make truck sounds!
They both love to clap and wave…even saying “Hi” and Bye”. Ella can even whistle! They both also know their names – and acknowledge (but don’t necessarily respect) the word “No”. Their imitation and comprehension skills are way above average.
So, the Dr basically said that babies tend to develop faster in one area before really focusing on the other. While many others their age (and younger!) are cruising and even walking, some are like Ella and Aidan and are focusing the majority of their growth right now in their brains. In the end, all babies tend to even out within the second year and at some point and we will all reach the same skill levels.
Then he said what really made me feel better….that as a pediatrician, he would much rather see them ahead of the game cerebrally than in the physical gross motor skill arena.
And with that, we were off….
After their nap, we took a ride in the car to celebrate.
Why was that ride in the car so special?
Because we have graduated from rear facing and are now forward facing!!!
Ella practicing her whistling skills:
Aidan enjoying the ride:
Ella and her famous "smile":
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Ella and Aidan Meet Their Cakes!
Singing Happy Birthday:
A Little Unsure:
Cake Faces:
The Aftermath:
The Party!!!
We could not have asked for a better day! The weather was perfect and all details came into place just perfectly. We had about 50 people (20+ children!) attend and I think that everyone had a really good time!
Ella and Aidan were a real hoot with their cakes…especially Aidan…he dove right in without a moment’s hesitation and loved every minute of it. Ella was a bit more hesitant, and ended up not liking all of the frosting on her hands.
Everything about the day was simply perfect – and was just as I envisioned it when I began planning it a few months ago. Really, it was more of a celebration of surviving the first year. Each and every person in attendance contributed in some way to us making it through without losing our minds. From neighbors who simply gave us ideas to calm a colicky Ella and encouraged us that it would get easier, to family who tirelessly gave both time and resources.
All in all, the party was a milestone in more ways than one.
A few pictures before the guests arrived...
Ella and Aidan were a real hoot with their cakes…especially Aidan…he dove right in without a moment’s hesitation and loved every minute of it. Ella was a bit more hesitant, and ended up not liking all of the frosting on her hands.
Everything about the day was simply perfect – and was just as I envisioned it when I began planning it a few months ago. Really, it was more of a celebration of surviving the first year. Each and every person in attendance contributed in some way to us making it through without losing our minds. From neighbors who simply gave us ideas to calm a colicky Ella and encouraged us that it would get easier, to family who tirelessly gave both time and resources.
All in all, the party was a milestone in more ways than one.
A few pictures before the guests arrived...
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