Monday was the first day back to work for this Mama Lovebo. I was a little sad Sunday night thinking about being gone all day Monday, but I slept fine and (more importantly) the boys slept fine as well. Mindy arrived at 8am so she could entertain the babies while I packed up and fed them each, and I was late to work as usual. I have a good number of cases but none that I have yet examined are in immediate emergency mode, it appears. It was great to see my colleagues and settle back into a routine at work, and I felt good using a part of my brain that has been dormant for the last nine months. I'm sure there will be parts of work that will annoy me or stress me out but I think it's very good for me to be back at work, especially in this ideal arrangement. I came home at lunchtime to nurse the babies, and returned home before 5pm. They were happy and well-rested and had eaten a good quantity of squash with Mindy. I feel comfortable and secure knowing she is here with them, and I never worry that they are not being taken care of. I also feel good that they will not experience the turnover and different faces of caregivers at a daycare, and can learn to expect to see Mindy's smiling face when I am not here. Mondays are my longest day of work (8:30-4:30) and then I have a whole day with them Tuesday, a half day Wednesday, and a whole day with them Thursday before going back for a shorter day (8:30-3:30) Friday. I think it's a pretty ideal schedule and I'm very optimistic that it will work out well for our family.
The general nighttime routine now is we put the babies to bed between 6-7pm, depending on how tired they are, and they sleep through til 1am or so. At 1 I feed one or both of them. Someone usually wakes up again around 4 or 5am, and I feed one or both of them. Sometimes Beck wakes up earlier than 1, usually around 10 or 11, and wants to eat. It seems to us that he is putting on a lot more weight than Theo, but we won't know for sure until we go to the six-month pediatrician appointment next month.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Pre- and Post-Thanksgiving
I got two free snowsuits for the boys a week or two ago and they've been wearing them on walks when it is cold out. They are way too big for them now but my guess is they will be snug by the end of snowsuit season. Sometimes they fall asleep on the walk and then I try to transfer them to their cribs or the swing for a nap afterward. On this day, I was successful. They slept for 2 hours after we got home!
We had a wonderful if short visit with Auntie Alexis on Saturday. We went for a lovely walk around the witching hour to help the boys have a brief nap before dinner. Theo's in love, as you can tell.
Baby sunglasses! Another great deal from Babysteals.com! Beck can really rock some sunglasses.
We had a really great visit with Jeff's family in Northborough, Massachusetts for Thanksgiving, with a too-short interlude to my aunt and uncle's house nearby in Clinton. I hope to add pictures from those trips in future posts--when we get the pictures off of our phones and from Jeff's uncle.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Grandma Joanie makes a funny
An email to me from Grandma Joanie tonight after viewing the below video:
Subject:
Was it after the applesauce [editor's note: into which I put lemon zest, some would argue too much] that the boys had trouble staying asleep?
Message:
Because:
1. They don't trust you to take care of them
2. They had acid indigestion
3. They wanted to make you suffer like you made them suffer
Subject:
Was it after the applesauce [editor's note: into which I put lemon zest, some would argue too much] that the boys had trouble staying asleep?
Message:
Because:
1. They don't trust you to take care of them
2. They had acid indigestion
3. They wanted to make you suffer like you made them suffer
Trying New Foods
We continue to feed the boys different foods to try. They like some better than others. Watch Theo's reaction in this video as he tries some applesauce. It's priceless.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
More solid foods!
We're still experimenting with solid foods, seeing what types of foods the boys like and at what times of day. I'm pretty much through with rice cereal, as I really don't see the point. The boys have had mashed banana, pureed butternut squash, and pureed peas. I need to make the applesauce at some point so they can try that. The squash last night was definitely the biggest hit, though it may also have been because it was at the right time, when they were hungry and alert and could best tolerate it. Each of them ate a full ice cube tray's worth of squash. They can together put down half a banana but the peas and the rice cereal is more difficult to get down. I'm going to try the squash again today. They're nursing as much as ever, and we'll see how that changes as they start to eat more.
Firsts! and a few anniversaries
We scored two free snowsuits from a mom in the Multiple Moms Mingle group. This is Theo modeling the handmade one we got. I don't really understand why it has a wizard hat attached, but it's warm and the price was right.Theo has his first tooth! It has cut through his gums but is still hard to see, especially with all the thrashing that occurs when one tries to look inside his mouth. But it is easy to feel. It is kind of sharp and ridged and definitely a tooth. Our babysitter, Mindy, found it when she came over to watch Theo when I went to my boss' retirement luncheon. I hadn't even noticed it! He hasn't been grumpy, or had a hard time sleeping, or anything. He just cut his first tooth, no big deal.
So here's the roundup of points awarded so far in the FIRSTS categories:
Theo, with two points: first born, first tooth
Beckett, with three points: first smile, first laugh, first to roll from front to back.
And I want to mark the belated anniversary of when we found out I was pregnant with twins, on Veterans' Day. We went for a hospital tour of the St. Joe's Birth Place at 11am, which was awesome and had us very excited to have a baby there, and then went from there to our 1:10pm sonogram to find out how far along I was. The tech, after taking forever and worrying me that there was no heartbeat, announced that in fact there were TWO heartbeats and that we were growing two babies. Jeff of course laughed hysterically doubled over with his head between his legs for about ten minutes, and I felt my eyes roll back in my head and may or may not have been conscious for the rest of the exam. I was nine weeks pregnant. Today is the anniversary of when Jeff and I traveled to New York for me to undergo CVS, early genetic testing of the babies. And I believe it was December 3 when we found out that both babies were healthy and that we were having twin boys! So last Thanksgiving was a bit of a stressful time, awaiting the results of the CVS. We're so grateful and happy this year to be celebrating with our gorgeous and funny babies!
This picture has nothing to do with anything except I think it's funny.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Monday we had a great visit with our friend Anne, who stopped by for the afternoon. 
The boys have tried out the PeaPodPlus they received from the Cathleses and LOVE it! We tried it at not the best time, when they were cranky at the end of the day just before they ate for the last time, and surprisingly, they both started giggling and smiling and kicking their feet. I hypothesize that it feels close and contained, which feels comforting. I am just grateful that they like it so that we can imagine using it for traveling! It's also surprisingly roomy inside, such that I think we're going to try having them share it when we go away for a few days next week. It's been at least a month since Theo has turned perpendicular in the crib, and they generally seem to flail and thrash less than they used to, so I hope it's okay! We'll make sure to bring their own blankets so they can each put theirs over their heads, etc.
Check out these awesome winter hats we got from Mama Goose!
We had a great visit with Toby and Toby's mom Sarah this morning. The boys kind of played together, to the extent that they can, and then Theo and Beck made a Toby sandwich. Mmmm! Toby was the only one interested in my make-the-baby-smile-for-the-camera antics. Theo and Beckett were more interested in Sarah.
Beck OWNS this swing.
PS I bring you this post because the boys have been sleeping for two hours and counting. They went down around 1pm and it is now after 3. I keep checking on them to make sure they're still breathing. I have also filed most of the pile of "to be filed" that has accumulated since the boys were born and addressed all of our Christmas card envelopes. I guess I'm going to have to tackle something more substantial if they keep sleeping. Maybe dry mopping the downstairs? Cleaning the upstairs bathroom? Geez, I'm going to be wishing these guys would wake up!
The boys have tried out the PeaPodPlus they received from the Cathleses and LOVE it! We tried it at not the best time, when they were cranky at the end of the day just before they ate for the last time, and surprisingly, they both started giggling and smiling and kicking their feet. I hypothesize that it feels close and contained, which feels comforting. I am just grateful that they like it so that we can imagine using it for traveling! It's also surprisingly roomy inside, such that I think we're going to try having them share it when we go away for a few days next week. It's been at least a month since Theo has turned perpendicular in the crib, and they generally seem to flail and thrash less than they used to, so I hope it's okay! We'll make sure to bring their own blankets so they can each put theirs over their heads, etc.
Check out these awesome winter hats we got from Mama Goose!
We had a great visit with Toby and Toby's mom Sarah this morning. The boys kind of played together, to the extent that they can, and then Theo and Beck made a Toby sandwich. Mmmm! Toby was the only one interested in my make-the-baby-smile-for-the-camera antics. Theo and Beckett were more interested in Sarah.
Beck OWNS this swing.
PS I bring you this post because the boys have been sleeping for two hours and counting. They went down around 1pm and it is now after 3. I keep checking on them to make sure they're still breathing. I have also filed most of the pile of "to be filed" that has accumulated since the boys were born and addressed all of our Christmas card envelopes. I guess I'm going to have to tackle something more substantial if they keep sleeping. Maybe dry mopping the downstairs? Cleaning the upstairs bathroom? Geez, I'm going to be wishing these guys would wake up!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Emerging schedule
I'm counting down the last two weeks before I go back to work, and I'm eager to get the boys on some semblance of a schedule to make it easier on them and on Mindy, our care provider, and my parents when I am gone. The plan as of now is that I will work a full day (8:30-4:30) Monday, 12-4:30 Wednesday, and 9:30-4:30 Friday. My parents will come up for most Fridays and Mindy will take care of the boys Monday and Wednesday.
So the boys usually go down relatively easily and calmly for naps in the morning (9-10ish) and early afternoon (12-1 or 1-2, sometimes earlier if they got up earlier in the morning and took an earlier early nap). But as much as it is obvious that they need a late afternoon nap, they often refuse to take it. Which makes the 5-7pm hours very difficult, with cranky, overtired babies who sometimes fall asleep too early or just refuse to be put down for even a moment. Last week I decided to try taking a long walk around 4 to encourage the babies to take a nap before the witching hour begins. It worked awesome; they slept for about 45 minutes, I got a little exercise, and they were happy and calm during the 5-7pm period. I've tried to do it every day, and it's made a huge difference in how bedtime goes around here. My ideal has been to have the boys put themselves to sleep, in their cribs, for every nap and for bedtime, which they won't do at that time, but I think it's more important that they sleep during that late afternoon period than that it be in their beds. I also think it's good to be able to tell a babysitter to just go for a walk around 3:30 or 4pm; I'm sure EVERYONE will be ready for a nap by that time! Last night I even put the babies to bed by myself (Jeff was at soccer) and it went so calmly and beautifully that I still can't believe it. We read books on the floor of their nursery, then I changed them both on the floor, into their nighttime diapers and sleep sacks. Then I nursed Theo while Beck played with his blanket, then I put Theo down awake and he put himself to sleep while I nursed Beck and then put him down. Amazing! Thank you, late afternoon nap!
So the schedule (for the moment) is:
Wake at 7am, nurse sometime before 8am
Nap 9-10 in crib, then nurse upon waking
Nap 12-1 in crib, then nurse upon waking
Nurse 3:30 or so
Nap 4-5 on walk (in stroller or Ergo)
6:30 bedtime routine--nighttime diapers, sleep sacks, nurse, then bed in crib at 7pm
Beckett has resumed waking up multiple times in the night after he had been sleeping 8+ hours before waking. I was feeding him every time he woke up but he didn't actually seem that interested in eating--he would eat lazily for a minute, then fall asleep, then wake up and nurse again, then smile and coo at me for a while, then nurse for another minute, then fall asleep. It seemed like it was more social hour for him than that he really needed the food. So now we're going to cry it out (CIO) at night, for Beck only. Theo only wakes up once during the night, usually around 3am, and eats voraciously and then goes back to sleep without any fuss. I kind of think that's what they both need, one feeding, so I have been waiting for Theo to wake up, then I feed them both and put them both back in their cribs. They had also been waking up too early (5am or so) and we thought maybe it was because their diapers after 10 hours had been too wet. So now we get up at 5 and change both their diapers, which I have to say has worked to help them stay asleep in their cribs until 7 or later. But Beck is still waking up multiple times, sometimes as early as 10pm, wide awake and angry. So we have been letting him cry, hoping that if we do not reward the crying and wakeups with cuddle time or food. A fellow mom of multiples in my group here in Syracuse who calls herself Cruel Nazi Bitch Mom advocates providing nothing at all that babies like if they wake up beyond what she deems they need to--"no water, no food, no nursing, no playing, no cuddles, no kisses, no talking". I kind of love it, because it just makes so much sense. Beck has been much better rested since sleeping more during the day and I am hoping that when he gets used to sleeping through the night better (with one wakeup), that he will be even better. They need the sleep, I know they do, it's just that they need to learn how to get the sleep they need.
We had our floors refinished more than a week ago and even after airing it out a lot of last week when it was so nice out, I think the downstairs still smells pretty bad. I have all the doors and windows open again today and we're freezing our cajones off here but it still doesn't seem to be getting better. I'm beginning to wonder whether we need to vacuum out the cold air returns and leave the windows open more of the time, but it's getting colder all the time! Brrr....
So the boys usually go down relatively easily and calmly for naps in the morning (9-10ish) and early afternoon (12-1 or 1-2, sometimes earlier if they got up earlier in the morning and took an earlier early nap). But as much as it is obvious that they need a late afternoon nap, they often refuse to take it. Which makes the 5-7pm hours very difficult, with cranky, overtired babies who sometimes fall asleep too early or just refuse to be put down for even a moment. Last week I decided to try taking a long walk around 4 to encourage the babies to take a nap before the witching hour begins. It worked awesome; they slept for about 45 minutes, I got a little exercise, and they were happy and calm during the 5-7pm period. I've tried to do it every day, and it's made a huge difference in how bedtime goes around here. My ideal has been to have the boys put themselves to sleep, in their cribs, for every nap and for bedtime, which they won't do at that time, but I think it's more important that they sleep during that late afternoon period than that it be in their beds. I also think it's good to be able to tell a babysitter to just go for a walk around 3:30 or 4pm; I'm sure EVERYONE will be ready for a nap by that time! Last night I even put the babies to bed by myself (Jeff was at soccer) and it went so calmly and beautifully that I still can't believe it. We read books on the floor of their nursery, then I changed them both on the floor, into their nighttime diapers and sleep sacks. Then I nursed Theo while Beck played with his blanket, then I put Theo down awake and he put himself to sleep while I nursed Beck and then put him down. Amazing! Thank you, late afternoon nap!
So the schedule (for the moment) is:
Wake at 7am, nurse sometime before 8am
Nap 9-10 in crib, then nurse upon waking
Nap 12-1 in crib, then nurse upon waking
Nurse 3:30 or so
Nap 4-5 on walk (in stroller or Ergo)
6:30 bedtime routine--nighttime diapers, sleep sacks, nurse, then bed in crib at 7pm
Beckett has resumed waking up multiple times in the night after he had been sleeping 8+ hours before waking. I was feeding him every time he woke up but he didn't actually seem that interested in eating--he would eat lazily for a minute, then fall asleep, then wake up and nurse again, then smile and coo at me for a while, then nurse for another minute, then fall asleep. It seemed like it was more social hour for him than that he really needed the food. So now we're going to cry it out (CIO) at night, for Beck only. Theo only wakes up once during the night, usually around 3am, and eats voraciously and then goes back to sleep without any fuss. I kind of think that's what they both need, one feeding, so I have been waiting for Theo to wake up, then I feed them both and put them both back in their cribs. They had also been waking up too early (5am or so) and we thought maybe it was because their diapers after 10 hours had been too wet. So now we get up at 5 and change both their diapers, which I have to say has worked to help them stay asleep in their cribs until 7 or later. But Beck is still waking up multiple times, sometimes as early as 10pm, wide awake and angry. So we have been letting him cry, hoping that if we do not reward the crying and wakeups with cuddle time or food. A fellow mom of multiples in my group here in Syracuse who calls herself Cruel Nazi Bitch Mom advocates providing nothing at all that babies like if they wake up beyond what she deems they need to--"no water, no food, no nursing, no playing, no cuddles, no kisses, no talking". I kind of love it, because it just makes so much sense. Beck has been much better rested since sleeping more during the day and I am hoping that when he gets used to sleeping through the night better (with one wakeup), that he will be even better. They need the sleep, I know they do, it's just that they need to learn how to get the sleep they need.
We had our floors refinished more than a week ago and even after airing it out a lot of last week when it was so nice out, I think the downstairs still smells pretty bad. I have all the doors and windows open again today and we're freezing our cajones off here but it still doesn't seem to be getting better. I'm beginning to wonder whether we need to vacuum out the cold air returns and leave the windows open more of the time, but it's getting colder all the time! Brrr....
Thursday, November 10, 2011
We may need a paternity test.
Because these cannot possibly be Jeff's genetic offspring. They love peas! After making a batch of pureed peas this afternoon I couldn't help myself and I offered them some of the bit I couldn't get out of the food processor. They loved it! And I have to say, it was pretty delicious!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Making (and eating) baby food!
We spent the weekend in Ithaca with Grandma Joanie and Grandpa Stu as our floors were being refinished here in Syracuse. We had a great time and understand now how much sense it would make to have multiple generations in one household, sharing child care and chores. We also picked up some great stuff at Jillian's Drawers (hemp diaper inserts, blueberry crumble flavored diaper cream (YUM!)) and Mama Goose (adorable winter hats) and visited with lots of friends. Of course I took no pictures of said friends. Anyway, now the floors are beautiful and we were lucky enough to have some amazing and warm weather these last few days so we've been able to air out the house. We finally got back in to the house last night.
Last week at the Regional Market Grandma Joanie and I bought some butternut squash and some apples to make baby food. Today Beck and Theo were patient enough to give me time to cut, bake and puree the squash. It's now freezing in the brand new chest freezer. I'm going to work on the apples over the weekend.
After the baby food making experiment, Beck seemed hungry. I started feeding him but he seemed very distracted. He kept starting to eat, then pulling away and looking around. This happened multiple times before my milk really let down, and then Beck really got it. Note the beads of milk all over his face and up over his head.
All weekend Grandpa Stu went on and on about how we should be feeding the boys solids. The pediatrician suggested we could start solids any time between four and six months. We are two weeks away from six months, so Stu has been badgering us to get going. I think he thinks it will be fun.
Monday, almost accidentally and quite casually, Grandma Joanie gave Beckett some mashed banana which he seemed really to enjoy. Jeff bought some rice cereal a week or so ago that we've been delaying opening. Today I went through all the eating supplies we received as gifts--bowls, cups, spoons, forks, cups and lots of other great stuff from my cousin Barb and friends Linda and Jess. It was fun to see it all and imagine the boys using it so soon.
Tara stopped by after work today to play with the babies (pronounced "super cute!") and give me all the news. Then when Jeff got home it just seemed like the right time to try some rice cereal. Unfortunately Beck fell asleep, just fell fast asleep, in my arms as we were getting it ready. I tried to jam some in to his mouth but he was pretty sleepy.
Theo, on the other hand, was ALL OVER the rice cereal. I think he's really ready to be eating more real food! He ate the entire portion of cereal--and even wanted to hold the spoon himself. I feel like he grew up tonight!
There are still a few things I have to figure out about this solid food thing, like: do we do it every day? Every meal? If we're mixing the cereal and thinning the veggies and fruits with breastmilk, does that mean I have to start pumping every day again so we have enough to mix with? For now I think we'll do it when it's convenient, as a fun family activity rather than as real sustenance, and keep up with the breastfeeding as much as the boys want. But I'm amazed at how much they seem to like food! And it is fun!
Last week at the Regional Market Grandma Joanie and I bought some butternut squash and some apples to make baby food. Today Beck and Theo were patient enough to give me time to cut, bake and puree the squash. It's now freezing in the brand new chest freezer. I'm going to work on the apples over the weekend.
After the baby food making experiment, Beck seemed hungry. I started feeding him but he seemed very distracted. He kept starting to eat, then pulling away and looking around. This happened multiple times before my milk really let down, and then Beck really got it. Note the beads of milk all over his face and up over his head.
All weekend Grandpa Stu went on and on about how we should be feeding the boys solids. The pediatrician suggested we could start solids any time between four and six months. We are two weeks away from six months, so Stu has been badgering us to get going. I think he thinks it will be fun.
Monday, almost accidentally and quite casually, Grandma Joanie gave Beckett some mashed banana which he seemed really to enjoy. Jeff bought some rice cereal a week or so ago that we've been delaying opening. Today I went through all the eating supplies we received as gifts--bowls, cups, spoons, forks, cups and lots of other great stuff from my cousin Barb and friends Linda and Jess. It was fun to see it all and imagine the boys using it so soon.
Tara stopped by after work today to play with the babies (pronounced "super cute!") and give me all the news. Then when Jeff got home it just seemed like the right time to try some rice cereal. Unfortunately Beck fell asleep, just fell fast asleep, in my arms as we were getting it ready. I tried to jam some in to his mouth but he was pretty sleepy.
Theo, on the other hand, was ALL OVER the rice cereal. I think he's really ready to be eating more real food! He ate the entire portion of cereal--and even wanted to hold the spoon himself. I feel like he grew up tonight!
There are still a few things I have to figure out about this solid food thing, like: do we do it every day? Every meal? If we're mixing the cereal and thinning the veggies and fruits with breastmilk, does that mean I have to start pumping every day again so we have enough to mix with? For now I think we'll do it when it's convenient, as a fun family activity rather than as real sustenance, and keep up with the breastfeeding as much as the boys want. But I'm amazed at how much they seem to like food! And it is fun!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Jumping and Making Noise
As Beckett and Theo get bigger and stronger, they are able to have more and more fun in the jumper. In this video, Beck shows off his leg strength a bit while also exercising his vocal chords.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Weekly roundup
I haven't done a Differences post in a while, so I thought it's be good to do that, for posterity if nothing else.
Naps: Theo loves his routine, and so he naps from 9-10am and 12-1 or 1-2 every day. I just put him down in his crib, he finds his thumb to suck on, and he closes his eyes and goes to sleep. Beckett, on the other hand, resists most attempts at napping and prefers to fall asleep while in motion--stroller, carseat, carrier, arms. He will eventually fall asleep if put in his crib but will sometimes moan and giggle and fuss for up to 20 minutes before falling asleep. Both really need a late-afternoon nap so that they can make it through the grumpy time of 5-7pm before bedtime, but they both resist being put down then. Some days we go for a walk for them to mellow out, sometimes we walk around the house, and sometimes we struggle through a very grumpy early evening together because they are overtired.
Play: Beckett loves everything physical. If we put him down on his belly, he rolls over to his back almost immediately, or he pushes way up and giggles and laughs. He scoots on his belly to some degree forward and sideways, and he is very adept at grabbing for things, transferring them from one hand to the other and holding them with both hands. Beckett enjoys being read to for a short period of time but then gets bored and starts trying to eat the book or turn the pages or he arches his back and tries to scoot away. Theo, on the other hand, could be read to for hours. He loves looking at the pictures and often "talks" back as I am reading to him. He smiles and looks very eager and alert in front of a book.
Nighttime sleep: Theo, again, is happy to be put down in his crib at 6:30 or 7pm, and he just finds his thumb, starts sucking, and goes to sleep. He wakes up once between 7pm and 7am to eat, but other than that, he is asleep. Beckett resists being put down and wakes up more during the night. He also almost immediately hooks his fingers through the crocheted blanket we put over them in their cribs, and pulls it over his head. Beckett is also more likely to wake up before 7am, sometimes as early as 5am, but can usually be coaxed back to sleep if he is cuddled in with one of us in our bed.
Similarities: Both Beckett and Theo smile and laugh a lot. They both love the "full body examination" game, where I start at their toes and work up to their foreheads, massaging and naming every part of their bodies. They usually start giggling by the time I make it to their ankles. They also love the "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" song and classical music on the radio in the car. They also have the same favorite toy, a handmedown from Kate and Aaron (and Dylan and Ollie) which is four rings connected by a hard plastic piece with a mirror on one side and moving balls in a window on the other. When the rings move, they make a mechanical clicking sound. This is the toy that Beckett steals from Theo when he is within striking distance.
Brief mama medical update: I go back to the endocrinologist for followup and blood testing in three weeks, but I'm done with everything else. I went to the surgeon yesterday for him to check out the incision, and everything looks good. It is simply amazing how good it looks after only ten days. He says I will have no perceptible scar within a few months. He described more about the surgery and why I still have neck stiffness, which is because my thyroid was quite vascular and thus difficult to extract. He likened it to an orange with a difficult-to-remove peel, where as you go to remove the peel, you dig your thumb into the flesh of the orange a little bit (ouch). Interestingly, the surgeon said that he had no doubt that the vascularness (?) of the thyroid was related to my having taken Tapazole, the thyroid drug I had been on, as that is a known but uncommon side effect of the drug. I questioned, then, whether he thought the Tapazole had anything to do with my lung event in September. He said that he had no doubt that the Tapazole exacerbated the bleeding, but that he did not know whether it caused the bleeding.
In other lung news, I saw Pulmonologist No. 1 again for a followup Tuesday. I was up-front with him about having seen another pulmonologist for a second opinion, and about the fact that Pulmonologist No. 2 believed I had some upper respiratory tract bleeding that drained into my lungs rather than a lung hemorrhage, none of which was related to Tapazole. Dr No. 1 said that because he had done the scope of my lungs, he was the only one in a position to determine where the bleeding had originated, and that he is positive that I was bleeding (massively) in my lungs. He said it was impossible for that much blood to have drained to my lungs from somewhere else, as the bleeding was massive and in both lungs, and because it continued to bleed as he performed the scope. He said he has no doubt at all that the Tapazole caused the hemorrhage. So we are left with the opinions of two doctors which differ significantly, with no room for common ground. I guess all I can do is be grateful they agree that I am fundamentally healthy and that this will never happen again. There's still so much we don't know, but we're moving on....
Naps: Theo loves his routine, and so he naps from 9-10am and 12-1 or 1-2 every day. I just put him down in his crib, he finds his thumb to suck on, and he closes his eyes and goes to sleep. Beckett, on the other hand, resists most attempts at napping and prefers to fall asleep while in motion--stroller, carseat, carrier, arms. He will eventually fall asleep if put in his crib but will sometimes moan and giggle and fuss for up to 20 minutes before falling asleep. Both really need a late-afternoon nap so that they can make it through the grumpy time of 5-7pm before bedtime, but they both resist being put down then. Some days we go for a walk for them to mellow out, sometimes we walk around the house, and sometimes we struggle through a very grumpy early evening together because they are overtired.
Play: Beckett loves everything physical. If we put him down on his belly, he rolls over to his back almost immediately, or he pushes way up and giggles and laughs. He scoots on his belly to some degree forward and sideways, and he is very adept at grabbing for things, transferring them from one hand to the other and holding them with both hands. Beckett enjoys being read to for a short period of time but then gets bored and starts trying to eat the book or turn the pages or he arches his back and tries to scoot away. Theo, on the other hand, could be read to for hours. He loves looking at the pictures and often "talks" back as I am reading to him. He smiles and looks very eager and alert in front of a book.
Nighttime sleep: Theo, again, is happy to be put down in his crib at 6:30 or 7pm, and he just finds his thumb, starts sucking, and goes to sleep. He wakes up once between 7pm and 7am to eat, but other than that, he is asleep. Beckett resists being put down and wakes up more during the night. He also almost immediately hooks his fingers through the crocheted blanket we put over them in their cribs, and pulls it over his head. Beckett is also more likely to wake up before 7am, sometimes as early as 5am, but can usually be coaxed back to sleep if he is cuddled in with one of us in our bed.
Similarities: Both Beckett and Theo smile and laugh a lot. They both love the "full body examination" game, where I start at their toes and work up to their foreheads, massaging and naming every part of their bodies. They usually start giggling by the time I make it to their ankles. They also love the "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" song and classical music on the radio in the car. They also have the same favorite toy, a handmedown from Kate and Aaron (and Dylan and Ollie) which is four rings connected by a hard plastic piece with a mirror on one side and moving balls in a window on the other. When the rings move, they make a mechanical clicking sound. This is the toy that Beckett steals from Theo when he is within striking distance.
Brief mama medical update: I go back to the endocrinologist for followup and blood testing in three weeks, but I'm done with everything else. I went to the surgeon yesterday for him to check out the incision, and everything looks good. It is simply amazing how good it looks after only ten days. He says I will have no perceptible scar within a few months. He described more about the surgery and why I still have neck stiffness, which is because my thyroid was quite vascular and thus difficult to extract. He likened it to an orange with a difficult-to-remove peel, where as you go to remove the peel, you dig your thumb into the flesh of the orange a little bit (ouch). Interestingly, the surgeon said that he had no doubt that the vascularness (?) of the thyroid was related to my having taken Tapazole, the thyroid drug I had been on, as that is a known but uncommon side effect of the drug. I questioned, then, whether he thought the Tapazole had anything to do with my lung event in September. He said that he had no doubt that the Tapazole exacerbated the bleeding, but that he did not know whether it caused the bleeding.
In other lung news, I saw Pulmonologist No. 1 again for a followup Tuesday. I was up-front with him about having seen another pulmonologist for a second opinion, and about the fact that Pulmonologist No. 2 believed I had some upper respiratory tract bleeding that drained into my lungs rather than a lung hemorrhage, none of which was related to Tapazole. Dr No. 1 said that because he had done the scope of my lungs, he was the only one in a position to determine where the bleeding had originated, and that he is positive that I was bleeding (massively) in my lungs. He said it was impossible for that much blood to have drained to my lungs from somewhere else, as the bleeding was massive and in both lungs, and because it continued to bleed as he performed the scope. He said he has no doubt at all that the Tapazole caused the hemorrhage. So we are left with the opinions of two doctors which differ significantly, with no room for common ground. I guess all I can do is be grateful they agree that I am fundamentally healthy and that this will never happen again. There's still so much we don't know, but we're moving on....
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Beck cooks with Mama
I also just put us on the list for half a pig from a local farm, so in January or February you may see a photo documenting Beckett or Theo helping Mama butcher a pig! Just kidding, they butcher it for us. So much for filling that chest freezer with breastmilk! It's meat meat meat all the way!Here's a couple of Grandma Joanie reading one of her favorite books to Theo last week when she was here helping me recover from surgery.
PS I'm feeling pretty good! I still have some soreness and stiffness in my neck (especially looking up) but I have had almost no pain since leaving the hospital. I will see the surgeon tomorrow and have the tape removed and then we'll see what I look like. For now, it's turtlenecks every day. They say that in 3-6 months no one will ever know, but I'll believe it when we get there.
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