This is how we roll...

And we have rollers!

Maddie figured out the back to front roll last weekend. She'd been rocking the side lay for awhile now & it was just a matter of time. She is still working on the front to back roll.

Amelia figured out the front the back roll earlier today. It was more like a graceful fall at the time, but since then she has been rolling back and forth! The girl is a champ!!

We are loving watching the girls reach new milestones!  We are supposed to go by their due date & not their birthdate for these things, but it seems like they are somewhat in the middle. Some are spot on with their due date & others they are achieving sooner. I'm hoping that this keeps up & that the girls won't need any special intervention in the future.

UPDATE: Both girls are rolling both ways...ahh time to baby proof the loft!!

Family

These past two months have been so amazing. All of our family either resides in the north or across the pond, so only a handful of them have met the babes.  However, both sides of our family have been able to finally come down and meet the babes face to face - no isolettes in between them!

Last time our mothers were here they weren't allowed to hold them (only Dave & I were). So we couldn't wait till they came to visit again!

My parents previously lived in Atlanta, so they really lucked out when a friend was able to offer them their house while they were at their cabin in Canada.

 

The next crew to come was my sister, aunt, & cousin! Lots of estrogen flowing & ooo-ing and ahh-ing ensued.

This weekend Dave's mom & brother are in town and the babes have had a blast! Not to mention Amelia is completely in love with Dave's brother Wesley.

We are so thankful for everyone that was able to visit us!

Adventures with Rice Cereal

When we got the okay from our doctor to try rice cereal, I had mixed emotions, but then I realized that my babes were ready for this next step.  So I cruised down to hipster kroger, bought some cereal, totally unnecessary kids bowls, & a few more spoons to add to our already large arsenal of baby gear. I'm well aware that there isn't much nutritional value in rice cereal, but i'm excited for the girls to learn how to eat with a spoon & to get some extra calories in during the day. I had dreams of baby led weaning, but with all our feeding issues & prematurity, I'm worried that the girls might not do so well with it. I haven't ruled it out just yet - but I wanted them to give this a go. Being a preemie mom you are constantly worried about weight & if the babes are getting enough food, so for now, for us, this works.

Our first attempt was quite hilarious & absolutely adorable. I expected the food to go everywhere {which it did} but both girls actually did really well. Maddie was pretty messy, but Amelia was a hungry little gal & was all about it!

not a huge fan of the bumbo

4 Month Doctor's Visit

Our 4 month check up went really well! Maddie was almost 11 lbs & Amelia almost 12 lbs! The doctor was impressed with their gain, so we no longer have to fortify breastmilk or use preemie formula. This in itself was a huge relief.  The constant fear of a preemie mom is that their babes aren't getting enough food or gaining right. We are happy to announce that the girls even made it into the 1st & 2nd percentile on the WHO charts - beasts right?!?!

They are also right on track with their milestones. We go by adjusted age in this department so they are similar to 2 to 3 month olds.  They lift their head when they are doing tummy time. Lots of smiles & coos. They have found their hands and are starting to reach towards toys and constantly are hands to mouth. We introduced toys this month & they are madly in love with their "woobies" (blankets/stuffed animal in one!) We are very happy that they are demonstrating growth both mentally & physically consistent with other babies their adjusted age!

We also got the ok to start rice cereal & in the next few months to expand their palates with more solid food.

The girls were champs during their shots & had their first little fevers that night.  Luckily they weren't too fussy. Just really tired.

All in all it went really well! Not worth all the worrying I was doing before, but then again, that's what mom's do right?

We are 4 Months Old!

Just a few pictures today. I will do a full update after we have our doctors visit next Monday. Can't wait to see how much the girls have grown since last month!!

Back to Work

This past week was my first week back to work! Most new moms loathe this, but I was so excited! I purposely changed my entire life situation so this would work!

A little background info...

A few years ago I left the professional working world of Sports to become a nanny. At first it was to go back to grad school, but then it became a way to start a family, make money, & still be with my babes full time.

I was so lucky to find an amazing family to work for. Their little girl is an extremely bright & talented child with voracious appetite for learning. She loves to wear pretty dresses, but won't hesitate to get that dress dirty digging for worms. She is passionate about everything she is involved in & she is wise beyond her years. Her parents are gracious & caring & I was so appreciative when they gave me the option of having a child & being able to bring them with me to work.

So needless to say when I was admitted to the hospital at 27 weeks it was hard on all of us. My nanny family came & visited me often, bringing delicious food & things to keep me busy. For this I am truly grateful. Even when the babies came early, they made many trips to the NICU to make sure we were all okay. Even the Grandmas dropped by!!

When I was ready to come back, all of us were very excited! Last Monday Ava even woke her parents up at 6:30 AM wondering when I would get there, continually peering out the window.

The night before, I had meticulously laid out everything that I would need for the day...bottles, blankets, extra clothes, diapers, wipes, pump, & of course Mr. moose. I was proud of myself for traveling as light as we could! I was ready to go!

The girls luckily slept their usual 8 hours, so I was very happy when they cooperated on my first day back. I fed them at 5 AM, put them back down for a snooze, & made myself some coffee & oatmeal.  I then took a quick shower & got ready, packed the babes up, & we were out the door by 7 AM!

That first day I was greeted by so many hugs & smiles. It was great to be back!

The whole week went really well. We continued our morning routine at the house & once I got to work the girls would sleep until around 9 AM, giving me enough time to get Ava all ready for her day.  Ava instantly clicked with the girls, and they already adore her. She is so caring and gentle, that I have no doubt she will be an amazing role model & "big sis" to the girls.  She was a great help as well. Grabbing diapers, entertaining the babes, and reinserting paci's when the babies were upset. So sweet.

Even though I had the twins in tow, we were still able to get up to our old activities. On Thursday we went to one of our favorite Atlanta spots, The Fernbank Museum of Natural History to check out their Poop exhibit. Who knew poop could be so fun?? The girls also got to experience their first T-Rex!

All in all it was a great week! So glad to be back!

Three Month Weigh In

Just a quick post today. I promise though in the next few days I will get a quality update for family & friends.

We had our 3 month weigh in for the girls today & honestly we were pretty nervous. Being a preemie parent you worry about a lot of things & weight is certainly a big one.

But all our worrying was for nothing. The girls did great! In fact, the doctor said that they have superseded his expectations!

On her 2 month visit Amelia was 6 lbs 10 oz. This time she was 9 lbs 10 oz. A 3 pound weight gain!! Madeline was 6 lbs 12 oz a month ago. Today she was 9 lbs 4 oz!

The doc said he was looking for around 2 lbs from each of them, and both of them went over that!

We are so proud of our girls!! Thanks to everyone who has been cheering for them! Your support has meant so much to us!!