Our first Thanksgiving

My mom came for dinner and it was good even if we didnt get turkey because it wasnt cooking. The boys were so excited to get to eat the special dinner.


No we didnt expect the boys to eat all that but we wanted them to have enough to make a mess and get a taste.

Owen wasnt sure (His bib says my first thanksgiving)

Ethan knew what to do (his bib says Im stuffed)

Both boys enjoyed the meal (their first time getting to use a fork on their own)





After the very filling meal the boys got a bath and put in jammies. Then my sister, brother in law and niece came over. We played wii. When everyone they left my mom, Erick and I watched a movie. Overall it was a fun, filling holiday.

Long day

Erick and I had to get up at 5 am today. We were out the door by 6. The boys had an appointment with a pedi GI in SF at UCSF. The appointments were at 9 and 10. We thought by leaving that early we could sit in the cafe and eat before the appointment. Things didn't go that way. It took us an hour to go 35 miles on the freeway. When traffic came to a dead halt I did something very dangerous and while on the freeway I climbed through the van to the 3rd row to make bottles for 2 babies that wernt going to get any quieter. We FINALLY made it to UCSF and find parking it is now 8:45. WE rush up and they call our names as we are signing in.

The boys for weighed and measured Owen is 18.3 lb 27.2 in and Ethan is 19.6lb 27.5 in (butt naked). The appointment was a LOT of questions and history. She wrote out a script for Zantax for both boys telling us it wont stop the reflux but it will make for happier babies. She decides to do a stool test to check for blood (a sign of allergies). Can I just tell you how fun it is to hold a baby that just wants to crawl off on his side so a finger can be put up his butt to get poop for a test? Let me assure you it is not fun at all. They didn't scream but it was a fight. Then I had to hold them down to get gagged so she could see their throats. The poop tests came back and Owen is fine. Ethan is showing moderate traces of allergies. So she decides that Ethan needs a new diet. She changes his formula, this makes the 6th formula we have tried with him. He will be on Nutramigen for the next 4 months. We also have to cut out all dairy and soy from his diet. We go back to SF in 2 months to check progress/ tolerance.

When we get back to the car their is something on our windshield. Erick grabs it. It is a parking ticket. We had parallel parked in an space. They say we took two spaces. What do you think?


We are going to try to fight it because the lines are repainted and what they are saying is that the back of our car was over that line but all the tires were in the space. We thought we were up enough.

As we were leaving I had a thought. I need to change his WIC. WIC gives us 9 cans of formula/boy/mo. I call WIC and make an appointment for tomorrow to change it. I cant do it over the phone because to be on Nutramigen with WIC you need a script (which I have) because you have to see a nutritionist. So while on the phone with her I ask what to do. I already cashed my formula check for this month last week but I have the formula unopened, still sealed in plastic as well and need the new formula. I get told to call the store and ask if they will trade it. I tell her I got it from the WIC store. I get given that number and call. The store says WIC wont let anyone trade...sorry...hangs up. So now I have whole lot of the formula for Owen and no formula for Ethan.

While I am on the phone Erick is driving. We were going to have lunch at Ike's Place. It is a sandwich shop we had seen on man v food on the travel channel. By the time he gets there I am so up set I am crying. There is no parking and there is a line out the door. We decide to head home hungry.

When we get about 30 min from home it is clear the boys wont make it and we are hungry too. We still dont have any formula for Ethan so we find a Wal-Mart. Wouldn't you know it Ethan's new formula is $21/12oz can. We look and each can makes 87 oz of formula at that rate we need 8 cans just to make it to the end of the month. To compare Owen's formula makes 93 oz/12oz can and only costs $13/can. We always need to buy formula on top of what WIC gives so this isn't going to be good. Because on top of already needing extra WIC is cutting the amount we get by 2 cans/baby next month.

This couldn't have come at a worse time. We are moving on the first and our new rent is already and additional $100 in the budget. The parking ticket is another $70 (if we lose) and the formula but to make it til I can get it with WIC is going to cost us $170. I know... I know... We chose to have to boys and really I wouldn't give them up for anything in the world. BUT I also thought I would have a job (Thank you state of CA for that). We wernt expecting to move but I refuse to live with mice, mold and roaches (in our building but haven't seen any in our unit but if they are int he building they are in our place).

It was a long day and I am glad to be home and packing. Tonight we will make a new budget.

PS: I have started adding to/changing the wish list because of growing boys and upcoming birthdays and Christmas. In case you want to look.

Sunday lunch

Erick is watching football and nebulizing the boys so I thought I would take this time to show you a few pics I have been waiting to find the time to post and tell you a funny story. I think I will post the pics first and hope you hang around to read the story at the end because it will give you a little look into what we deal with as well as a good laugh.

Sweet potatoes w/ cinnamon



pool time






I saved this pic for last for a reason lol
butts


Today at lunch we had an interesting experience. It was barely noon and we were sitting in the Olive garden. The place wasn't super busy but it was starting to fill. We sat in the back near the bathroom and kitchen. The boys were enjoying a bread stick. About that time two tables over from us a group of old women were seated. I start making the bottles. Owen sees the bottles (he is sitting right next to me) and starts making it known that he wants that. I can hear the old women talking. The waitress is standing with them and she gathers their glasses. They had requested to be moved and were pointing at the boys. The waitress tells them that they can have this other table but there is a kid over there too. The women decide to stay. One of them then proceeds to loudly tell me that they are hungry give them a bread stick. It took a lot of self control not to say something to these women. Those that know me in real life know that Im not lying when I say that.

Lunch continued... The women continued to talk about us but the boys were being good and eating. They never were really that loud. People get seated at the table between us and the old ladies. These people were nice and talking to the boys. We are finishing up as they are getting their food. The waitress walks between the tables to pass out their meals. To do so she has her back to us and is on Owen's left. Well I guess she got to close because Owen reached out and goosed her. She screeched and jumped. When she turned around she laughed. We laughed with her when I told her on the bright side it wasnt some creepy man. LOL

practice and play

Trying new things is so much fun to watch.




This is the boys playing in their highchairs playing with sippys and puffs. Ethan really liked the sippy and could get it to his mouth. He would suck and chew on the spout but let everything dribble out of his mouth. Owen thought the cup was in his way and was on a quest for puffs. He loves them, He could pick them up in his hands but couldnt figure out how to then get them in his mouth. He screamed til I gave him one. LOL

a start of something new

Our normal schedule:

7am wake bottle 7oz
730-8 bouncer chairs (must sit up 30 min for reflux)
8-9 floor play/ baby yoga
9-11 nap
11 wake bottle 6-7 oz
1130-12 boppys (must sit up 30 min for reflux)
12-1 floor play/ tummy time
1-2 nap
2 wake bottle 7-8 oz
230-3 bouncers (must sit up 30 min for reflux)
3-6 play/tummy/yoga (if I am lucky there will be a 30 min nap in there)
6 bottle 7 oz
6-630 cuddles and snuggles with mommy and daddy
630-7 bath book and top off 1-2 oz
7 bed

Bed time is ALWAYS at 7 but they may not wake til 8 pushing back all bottles before 6 by one hr.

Well last night the boys slept in their own beds for the first time (well Ethan was in the crib and Owen in the pack n play). They slept til almost 8 so we just let them talk in there til 8. I got them up while Erick made bottles. They finished eating at about 830. We put them in their highchairs and ate breakfast ourselves. Then we did something else new. WE STARTED OATMEAL.

Before playing with spoons:


What is this thing?


I dont need your help I can eat on my own

Owen had to have his spoon taken away because he kept actually getting it in his mouth but he was gagging himself on it.

First bites:








After all messy:

How do you respond

How do you respond when someone asks a personal rude question. As a mom of twins in today's society of octo-mom, J&K +8, Twins, Twins, and stipulates we are fascinated by twins. I didn't realize how bad it was til becoming a mom of twins myself (triplet moms I don't know how you do it). First off we call our stroller our circus train or freak show because when we are out in public we attract people as if that is what we are a circus or freak show. Besides all the pointing, staring, and talking as if we cant hear them the general public seems to think it is ok to ask whatever they like. I have been asked...

*are they real?
*are you sure they are twins?
*Really two boys?
*are they natural?
*are they IVF?
*do they run in your family?
*in your husbands family?
*are they identical?
*do they have different personalities?
*how can you tell them apart?

How do you respond to that? On top of all the personal questions that random people in target think they can ask they argue with me when I give them an answer. For instance on more than one occasion I have actually answered the questions with truthful answers like "yes twins run in my husbands family but that has nothing to do with our twins because he has nothing to do with my releasing 2 eggs" "the fact that we have boys is my husbands fault but the fact that there are two of them is mine" and people argue with me that I must be wrong and it must be because of Erick. Or when I say "we had help but we were luckier that some and didn't have to go that far into treatments" That is when I get told that I'm lucky I could have had 6 or 8. um no they are crazy and went through IUI/IVF I took a pill for 5 days that is a big difference. And really what kind of babies aren't natural? Why wouldn't my kids have different personalities? What dictionary are people using that they think my boys are identical? Why sense they aren't identical aren't they twins in the eyes of some? Do people really think I wouldn't notice if one of my sons was really a girl I mean there is a big difference in what a penis looks like compared to a vagina? And lastly when did my sex life become anyone but mine and my husbands business?

Really how do you respond to rude intrusive questions?

The first month

It sure was a crazy first month. The good news is that we found the camera cord so I do have new pictures. The boys are already so much bigger. They are out of all things preemie and in newborn clothes and size 1 diapers.




My boys

Things we are doing:
* eating 3-4 oz
* ganging up on mom
* practicing holding up heads
* sucking our fists
* focusing on people and things (when we choose)





Owen


Ethan


Attacking nana


nice cousin

And lastly the pics that will haunt my boys the rest of their lives....The first real bath.





Ok so upcoming events.
*Appointment for reflux
*Owen's murmur evaluation
*2 month shots

Good news

Ethan is starting to catch up!!! His appetite on the new formula is great. He is eating about 50ml at a feeding. It still takes twice as long to feed Ethan as it does to feed Owen but he is eating so we are happy. Owen is rapidly outgrowing the preemie clothes. shoulders on outfits are starting to pull but Im not really for him to be in the next size up yet lol. Last night for the first time Erick and I slept at the same time. We slept while they slept. I think it was really hard for Erick at first. He kept getting out of bed to check on them. After about the 3rd night feeding it looked like it was easier for him. It really was great not only did I get just over 6 hrs sleep last night (even if it was broken in 2 hr chunks) I got to sleep with Erick which is something I really missed.