Things that make me happy

• Theo and Beckett are growing and growing. Beckett has outgrown some of the newborn outfits we have, and Theo solidly fits in them now. They are also filling out and both actually have some fat rolls now!
• Yesterday we took them for their ultrasounds as mandated by New York State to determine whether they had any hip dysplasia as a result of their breech positioning. The doctor who did the ultrasound and exam said they both looked great. It was kind of neat to see their little hip bones moving around in the sockets on the screen.
  
• Thanks to my dear friend Sara, I have an AWESOME mother's helper/babysitter named Kelley. Last week she came over for two hours and today she came over for another two hours. After giving Theo a bath, I left the house with both boys asleep and when I came back she had sterilized the pacifiers, vacuumed the whole downstairs, and taken out the garbage. She is awesome! I think I'll have her come a couple times a week for as long as I can, because it is awesome to be able to hand off one crying baby and deal with the other, or get out of the house, or take a shower, or have help with baths, or whatever! She's fantastic and kind and gentle and the babies seem to be very calmed by her, which is wonderful.
• Great Aunt Teddy visited last week for three days and Theo and Beck got to spend lots of time with her. The rest of us also enjoyed her cooking (and I guess Theo and Beck did too, just filtered down through Mommy). Thanks for coming, Teddy!
  
• The Tuesday Farmers' Market in downtown Syracuse is open! This morning I bought some lovely strawberries, cherries, sugar snap peas, and whole wheat Pastabilities bread. I love that I can park close and maybe will even take the boys next week.
• Two houses down there is a cat that looks like a lion. It appears to be shaved all over except on its hands, feet and head, which makes it look like it has a mane. Also, it is tan and therefore lion-colored. It is awesome. Seriously, you should come see it. It kind of looks like this.
• This book. Just TRY to read it without crying. I dare you.
• The Onondaga Park public pool is open! I am hoping to get over there for a swim sometime in the next week if I can find a babysitter....
• Beckett is now smiling while awake, seemingly in response to faces. He continues to smile and laugh out loud in his sleep regularly. Theo still smiles both half smiles and full smiles in his sleep but I don't think anyone's seen him smile awake yet.
• I reached out on our neighborhood listserv and found some stay-at-home moms who want to get together for playdates and walks this summer. It will be good to meet some new people and get out of the house with the babes!
• Despite my mom's fears, it does not appear that the babies are allergic to strawberries. Apparently strawberries are a common allergen and Theo and Beckett were fussy with my parents after I ate strawberry rhubarb pie once but not the second time, and at no time last week or since this weekend when I have eaten strawberries. Maybe they don't like rhubarb, or maybe it was a fluke. But I do not think I have to avoid strawberries, which is good because I've gotten some great ones this season!
• We have resolved the fly issue in the house. We had a brief infestation and Jeff found the source this weekend, which is disgusting enough not to need to post BUT the point is that the problem is hopefully resolved.
  
• I have not posted about it because, again, it is too disgusting, but my hemangioma (blood blister) on my back reappeared while I was still pregnant, 3 weeks after being removed by the dermatologist. The happy news is that it was removed again by the dermatologist last week in a much more traumatic and invasive way that will supposedly guarantee that it does not come back again. Judging by the Frankenstein scar on my back and the fact that I have to go back in a week to get the stitches removed, I hope they are right. If not I think I should get my money back.
• Grandma Joanie and Grandpa Stu graciously agreed to babysit Saturday night while Jeff and I went out to see Ragtime at the Hangar Theatre. The show was really wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed getting out and away, even for just a few hours.
  
• Thanks to Robin, Jack, Lindy, Joanie, Michelle and Faye, we have a very fancy and multi-featured baby swing that is amazing. This thing has everything--swing motion both side-to-side and front-to-back, plus non-annoying music, bird sounds, a very plush and comfy seat, AND, most importantly, an AC adapter so we don't go through C and D batteries like crazy. Jeff will post a video of the swing in action soon. Suffice it to say, we think it is magic!
• Grandpa Stu bought and installed new toilet seats for our two most-used toilets. They are spectacular and solid and clean and I am so grateful both for the idea of new toilet seats and the execution!
• We have a brand-new patio set with beautiful cushions and an umbrella. Thanks Grandpa Stu for putting it all together last week. We haven't had great weather yet for it but we're looking forward to using it some time this week!

Mommy taking Beckett for a walk in the sling of dubious origins. (Have no idea where it came from, but it appeared in my closet. Thanks, babywearing gods!)










Theo sleeping on the white couches at Grandma and Grandpa Lovejoy-Grinnell's. It won't be long before we won't let them on the white upholstered couches....









Grandma Joan and Theo











Daddy and Beckett, wearing his too-cool-for-school polo shirt onesie.














Grandpa Stu and Theo











Great-Aunt Teddy and Theo

Photos

Mama and babies


Why you gotta kick me in the gut, bro?



The nursery




Theo checking out the baby activity mat

Short update

When Mama Lovebo is home alone for the day, there is not much time for crafting or posting clever or even not-so-clever blog entries. If there is time for a shower and lunch (for me) that is a good day. Today I write with Theo in the bouncer below and Beck on my shoulder. Theo just spit up all over himself for the second time this morning, and all over the bouncer. The cover for the other bouncer is already in the washing machine as we speak from an earlier spit up event. I usually have to do at least one "emergency" wash a day, one that cannot wait until Jeff gets home, because of a situation like this where a bouncer is out of commission, or every single changing pad cover is saturated with pee, or all of our diaper covers reek. Yesterday I did bake a loaf of banana bread between various meltdowns and marathon nursing, which is the closest thing to an accomplishment I've had in days. So here are the updates from week 5 of Theo and Beckett:

1) I'm thankful they do still sleep at night, still on the same schedule of down at 9:30 or 10, up at 1, up at 4, up at 7. They wake up at the same time or are amenable to being woken up at the same time so that I only have to get up once, though it takes about an hour to diaper and feed both of them. I'm too sleepy to manage tandem feeding at night unless they have really awakened me with screaming.

2) They are having a growth spurt at the moment which requires near-constant nursing and very little sleeping during the day. Sunday I was worried I was having milk supply problems because of how much they wanted to eat, but we made it through the day and I called a lactation consultant at Crouse yesterday afternoon who said that was perfectly normal and that 3-4 weeks is a typical time for it to occur. She said it should last 3-4 days. Amazingly, my supply has already responded and I have more milk today than I did yesterday. I can understand how moms get worried about their supply because it's stressful to think your baby is not getting enough food, but these guys are continuing to wet and dirty lots of diapers so I know they are getting lots of sustenance through all that nursing. They also feel noticeably heavier to me than they did even a week ago, and sturdier. Beckett is even starting to outgrow some of the newborn clothes--some of the footed sleepers we have are too short for him!

3) We had a great visit last Thursday with Alex and Joanne, who were kind enough to bring homemade whole wheat bread, fresh lettuce from their garden, and delicious double chocolate cookies. It's great to hear stories from parents who can recall the "expert" parenting advice from their generation and lived to say that they didn't follow it. Best advice given by Joanne: when they ask whether you are doing [whatever they think you should be doing], just LIE.

4) We have changed around the set up of the downstairs of our house and decided on some furniture acquisitions. I will try to post pictures when I have two free hands and the camera is within arm's reach.

5) We also had a great visit with Jeff's family Sunday for Fathers' Day. They brought two great meals, mowed the lawn, and did lots of good sleeping baby-holding.

6) It may not have been a fluke when Beck rolled over at the pediatrician's when he was one week old. Actually 6 days old. He rolled from back to front at 6 days old. The pediatrician kind of shrugged, and said, well, it's probably a fluke. Yesterday I watched him flip from front to back during tummy time. He then totally freaked out, I imagine because he didn't know how he got there. He's definitely very mobile--he is often perpendicular in the crib to where we set him down, and as you can see in the photo above, that means he can sometimes maneuver to kick his brother.

I may have a window of opportunity to take a shower in the next hour, so I need to act quickly. More later, including pictures!

One Month Old

Pediatrician Update

Our happy eaters have gained and grown better than we could have expected. Beck is now 6 pounds, 8 ounces, having gained 11 ounces since last Friday, and Theo is now 5 pounds, 8 ounces, having gained 8 ounces. Each grew one inch, according to the completely imprecise pediatrician measuring method (trying to stretch out a squirmy, cold baby who would rather be scrunched up against a wall measuring stick). Because everyone is happy with their gaining and growing, our next appointment isn't until August 5! Both also have beautiful, perfect belly buttons after their stumps fell off. Hooray!

House photos

This is the addition to the house, overlooking the back yard, which is open to the kitchen. We're not sure what to do with it yet. Overnight guests have so far stayed here instead of the guest room upstairs so as to be farther from potential baby crying. It's also a much larger room with lovely natural light. We're not sure whether to put the TV in here and make it the family room, or make it a playroom for the boys, or find some other use altogether.

This is the dining room, from the back to the front of the house. The bouquet is from Hiscock Legal Aid, and it was spectacular!

Visit with Auntie Alexis

My dear dear friend Alexis came to visit this week, to hold and carry and care for babies and to help with managing the household. It turned out that her timing was especially good because Jeff had to be away on a short business trip overnight Wednesday. Alexis being here then made it much easier on me to be without Jeff. This is us making cookies with Theo on Thursday.

We also attempted a photo shoot for baby announcements on Thursday. We haven't retrieved all the images yet but I think we might have some winners. I will post some of those shots soon. I also need to take some more photos of the nursery to post.

This week we had two nights (Wednesday and Thursday) when the boys nursed almost non-stop between early afternoon and late evening, and then woke up only once each to eat during the night. I was hopeful that this might be the beginning of a trend that, though exhausting during the afternoon and evening, meant for better sleep at night. Last night was the total opposite: the babies were sleepy and placid during the afternoon and evening, and then each woke up separately about every hour. Not great for the sleeping, at least for the grown-ups.

On the agenda for this weekend: cleaning the house up a bit, catching up with some laundry, hitting up some of the big box stores to find some patio dining furniture, some radon testing kits, and getting some extra keys made to the house. I know--we're ambitious!

First Bath!

Which just goes to show how deficient we are as parents, that our babies are three weeks old and just got their first baths. It's amazing they haven't already died of a fungal infection or something. But, to be fair, Beck's umbilical cord stump only just fell off on Monday, and Jeff was out of town for work Wednesday morning until late late Thursday night, so we didn't really have a chance until today to do baths on both of them. Jeff took camcorder footage of Beck's bath, and I took stills of Theo's bath. Thank you Kate and Aaron for the hand-me-down baby bathtub! I think Beck didn't mind the bath, but again, Beck doesn't mind much of anything. Theo thought the wet part was torture, but, Theo thinks a lot of things, including getting his messy diaper changed, are torture. Now they are both totally chilled out and, most importantly, clean!

Differences between Theo and Beck: Mommy's perspective

Theo:

• Has a tiny, almost simian face.
• Has dark hair and an olive complexion.
  
• Is alert and awake more, with eyes that seem to take up half his face. Gazes into my eyes for long periods of time.
  
• Has a tiny red birth trauma mark on the white of his left eye. The pediatrician says it will go away soon.
• Gets very cranky when his diaper is being changed.
• Pees on himself regularly while being changed, especially at night when Mommy and Daddy are struggling to figure out which end (of the baby, the diaper, etc) is up. This often necessitates changing Theo's entire outfit and the changing table cover as well, which makes him even more unhappy.
• Usually looks around very carefully while nursing.
• Likes having been swaddled and sleeps much more soundly afterward.
• BUT hates the process of being swaddled, in which he writhes and screams as if his extremities are being dislocated. Then (usually) instantly calms when the last piece of fabric is drawn tightly around him.
• Has what we call "Houdini hands": no matter how tightly or expertly the swaddle is done, one or usually both hands will appear, Houdini-like, in full jazz-hand splendor, within two minutes. Not creeping out of the top of the swaddle, but rather showman-like, as in, TA-DA! The great Theo does it again! I promise to post a series of pictures demonstrating this phenomenon.
• Has a little reflux or other digestive problem, which the pediatrician has recommended be solved by keeping him upright as much as possible. Since we can't make changes to the crib because Beck sleeps there too, last night I tried putting him in a bouncer seat (sans bouncing) after his first nighttime feeding. He slept awesome, with no fussing, until he woke up to eat again a few hours later. Who knows if this solution will last, but for now I'm happy it worked for one night.
  

Beck:

• Has a broad, pale face, big round lips, and blond hair.
• Has a very easygoing disposition and can be put down almost anywhere while sleeping or awake and will simply chill there for a while.
• Sometimes screams out suddenly in his sleep like he's being tortured, then immediately quiets down without ever waking up.
• Is calmed by diaper changes, which he usually sleeps through or just watches peacefully.
• Doesn't mind being swaddled but sleeps just fine on his back, totally loose from clothing or blankets. Doesn't startle himself easily, or if he does, he doesn't seem to mind. Often found in "fencing" position with one arm up, face turned away, other arm jousting.
• Nurses like an absolute champ after usually spending some time (10 seconds to 5 minutes) frantically searching, briefly latching, and then looking all over again for the nipple.
  Then settles into a rhythm that other babies could learn from.
• Often smiles broadly and gummily while sleeping, and sometimes laughs fairly hard in his sleep. I find it hilarious to watch a sleeping baby crack himself up laughing.

Happy Two Week Birthday!

Daddy reading a black and white photo book to Beck. The "reading" consists of Daddy explaining to Beck, who appears to be watching avidly, how the book is crappy because it is only black and white, and explaining what colors would be there if it hadn't been produced on the cheap. I have stopped trying to explain to Daddy that the book is black and white not because the publisher doesn't have color ink, but rather because tiny babies can only see contrast and are supposed to be fascinated by simple black and white drawings (which obviously Beck is). Jeff is smiling because I have been laughing hysterically at him talking to Beck while I am feeding Theo, causing Theo to go bumping up and down on my chest as I laugh.

Pediatrician update: the boys went for their two week visit on Friday and... guess who weighs five pounds? That's right: Mr. Theo! Now surpassing his birth weight of 4 pounds, 13 ounces, Theo weighs a solid 5 pounds. Beckett got to the doctors' hungry and nursed after his weigh-in, which is why I suspect that he might actually have been up to birth weight had we timed the weigh-in better. Nevertheless, Beck is at 5 pounds, 13 ounces (birth weight 5 pounds, 15 ounces). The pediatrician judged both of them healthy and congratulated everyone on apparently good nursing to get their weights up! Pediatrician also recommended a rectal thermometer for the first year, whereas Daddy was hoping that we could get away with one of those ear thermometers or, even better, the ones you wipe on their foreheads. Beck still has a little newborn rash but Theo's jaundice is gone. The pediatrician has suggested doing an ultrasound of both of their hips at 6 weeks to make sure that their positions in utero did not cause damage to their hips that would require some kind of intervention. Only Baby A would be at risk, because of his frog-leg position, but they suggest doing ultrasounds on both in case we mixed up Baby A and B. Regardless, the pediatrician has checked both their hips in the hospital each day we were there and at both of our office visits and does not believe there are any problems. Neither baby seems to favor any particular positions that mimic their prenatal positioning. Because Beck has not yet regained to his birth weight, the pediatrician offered that we could come back again before the six-week visit. Since I don't mind going, even by myself, and it's good to get the reassurance from the scale that they are getting enough food, I made another appointment for next week. I should also probably prepare myself for the six-week visit, when I believe they will get some of their vaccinations. I might have to make Daddy go to that one with me.

House update: Grandpa and Grandma Leibowitz were here last weekend and got us some bed risers to put under the changing table downstairs to make it easier on our backs to change them. They also helped out with grocery shopping and making dinner Sunday night, as well as help Monday morning so we could sleep in. Grandpa Leibowitz also mowed and weed-whacked the yard, which was really nice. Grandpa and Grandma Lovejoy-Grinnell were here a bunch this week and did a number of other house projects, big and small, including fixing the fan in the downstairs nursery, hanging a bunch of decorations in the nursery, sanding the front steps in preparation for re-staining, lots of laundry and cooking, grocery shopping, hanging an extra towel rack in the upstairs bathroom, tearing off the crappy copper weatherstripping on the front door, and helping clean up our bedroom by getting rid of the mini-fridge and packing up a pack and play. The house is really coming together and we are SO comfortable here! I will try to organize and take some pictures of the house today to put up on the blog later, especially for those who helped us move in and last saw the house full of boxes!

Mommy health update: So remember how I was SURE I had cholostasis, the liver disorder in pregnancy that causes extreme itchiness of the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands? Well, my doctor informed me this week at my two-week appointment that my liver function tests came back and I did not, in fact, have cholostasis--my bile levels were never up. My doctor says I just wanted to be special with my itchy hands and feet. I can assure you, I never wanted to be special by having those symptoms. It was horrible and I thought the only explanation was cholostasis. Now, we'll never know what was causing the itchiness! My next and last postpartum doctor visit will be in four weeks. In the meantime, there is nothing between the inside of my uterus and the outside world--except three layers of well-healing scar. No staples, no bandages, just healing skin. Amazing! I feel a little tenderness or pinching sensation when I twist or sneeze or cough sometimes, but other than that I feel pretty great. I went for a long walk (for me; probably 1/2 mile total) Friday evening with Theo and felt pretty tired and sore afterwards, but I think that's mostly because I haven't done any kind of exercise whatsoever in more than three months. It will take some time to feel like myself again. But the c-section healing is well on its way. At last, a part of this pregnancy that is uncomplicated!

Help and visitors update: I can't say we're really on any kind of schedule yet, but the boys do generally eat and sleep at the same times and usually spend most of the 8am-noon hours napping. Therefore so does Mommy. We love visitors who wash their hands, who bring sweets and fresh fruit, who don't mind coming in the afternoon, and who don't mind the 24-hour all you can eat breast buffet. Please just email me a day or so before you think you can come, and we will look forward to seeing you!

Monster photo upload

Baby Theo chilling.

Tara's first visit with Theo.
Boys in the pack and play hanging out.
Uncle Jon and Daddy hanging out with the babies.
The whole fam damily in front of our new house!
Grandma and Grandpa Leibowitz in front of the new house with the babies.
One of Beck's funny faces while sleeping.

First journey out in the Moby wrap! Walk around the block to meet some of the neighbors--Mo, Jim, Shannon and Finn.

Spending some quality time with Beckett.

Mama meeting Theo for the first time.