Catching Up

I feel like the last few days our house has been on a treadmill. This treadmill started off slowly at a reasonable pace, but this weekend someone kicked it into high gear and turned the incline up- way up.

Let me start by letting everyone know that my dad's surgery went well. They scraped out the tumors- one much bigger than they thought it would be- and he went home yesterday. We get pathology reports next week and then we will go from there. We would appreciate the continued prayers; I know the kids are very greatful for everyone who is praying for their Pop.

Our house has been busy with new sleep schedules, babies who are awake more often, and, last night, a minor meltdown over rice cereal. I think I might have temporarily lost my mind, but I looked at Jack's bottle and thought "this isn't thick enough". I called Tony and we had a very sleepy, hasty discussion about the brand of cereal we use to thicken the formula and that the box we are now using looks different. Poor Tony made four stops after work looking for the cereal box we bought previously- no luck. I sat at home with hungry, crying babies hoping Tony would find exactly what we needed. The night ended in tears, frustration, and no rice cereal; Tony even broke down and emailed the company in desperation. This morning we got word, via a response email, that the company has discontinued the old box- the new box was rolled out a month ago. The rice inside the box is the same as the rice we bought in the old box. So, in short, yesterday I sent my entire household into a frenzy over rice cereal- a false alarm. What a needless mess.

Today was a much better day. We were all a little more rested, a little more forgiving, and a little less on edge. The kids had a good day and were happy when I got home. I got to spend some "spa time" with Harper and give her a bath. She loves her baths and looks all over and smiles- it was a highlight of the day. We also had a visitor, Tony's college roommate, Rob, who stopped by to meet the kiddos. He was here during naptime and he held each kiddo and left just as they were waking up. It was great to see Rob and nice for me to get to walk Abby without feeling like I was leaving Tony shorthanded.

So, tonight, we spent the majority of our time snuggling with kiddos and counting our blessings. Despite the chaos of our lives currently, we are very blessed and sometimes it takes turning that treadmill up high to appreciate it.

Picture of the day goes to our visitor Rob and his meet and greet with the kids.

Weekend Wrap-up and Prayers for Pop

We have been going through quite a few “firsts” around the Collett household. This was my first full week back to work, our first nights alone just the five of us, Tony had his first solo doctor visit with both kids, and tonight we embark on the first week Tony and I will have just us and the kids. This will be our new “normal”, so we spent some time this weekend working out a schedule and trying to frame up what we’re hoping we can each get done in a day.

We didn’t just sit around and work on schedules all weekend, though, we did get out and have some fun. We went to the gym, spent some time with friends, and even got a visit from Nana and Pop. The kids are enjoying their play mat (as seen here) and Tony and I are getting a kick out of the funny faces they make when they play with each other. We are also in awe of little Jack- he has rolled over twice during tummy time- he is so determined to flip himself over that he just kicks that leg and rocks his little body until he gets where he wants to go.

We also spent some time working in the yard this weekend, running with Abby, doing taxes, folding laundry, and washing a mountain of bottles. In the midst of all the chores we tackled, there were some sweet moments. Here’s what I came in to find Saturday morning; there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing my little family all snuggled up together. Even Abby was nestled down in her bed- a precious, quiet moment for all in our house.  Yes, it was a nice weekend and we look forward to many more weekends filled with family, friends, and fun.

On a different note, the kids and Tony and I would like to implore our prayerful friends to send up a prayer for my dad. He is having surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30 to remove 4 tumors from his bladder. I think everyone is still in shock that he has been diagnosed with another type of cancer. Cancer is cruel and while I want to yell “this isn’t fair”, my dad has reassured us all that he’s going to do what he has to do, and surgery is what he has to do followed by some chemotherapy. So, if you are a prayerful person, and you would pray for my father- Jack and Harper’s Pop- we would all greatly appreciate it. Prayer is a powerful thing and we will take all the prayers we can get. Thank you in advance.

Friday Weigh In

Well, we surivied our first full work week as a house with two working parents, and we surivived our first few nights just the four of us. We have some improvements to make with schedules and there are certain things we know we won't be trying again, but all-in-all, we did okay.

Tony had Friday off, so he decided that he would take the kiddos to the doctor for a weight check. This sounded like a great idea to me, but I had to work, so I left Tony to figure out the doctor visit. He did a great job getting them both to the doctor, weighed, and home again. Durinda came to help out in the morning and then Tony had the kiddos by himself from 11:30-4. He did awesome. When I got home, all three of them were watching the Ranger game and the dog was sleeping- it was a great way to come home on a Friday.

Here are the results of the doctor's weigh in: Harper is now 7 lbs, 6 oz. Remember she started off at 2 lbs. 14 oz, so even though she's on the small side, she has come a long way.  Jack gets the prize for the heavy weight this time coming in at a whopping 8lbs. and 10 oz.  He started off at 3 lbs. 8 oz, so we are very proud of his success. That thicked formula has done wonders for his weight gain.  We hope both kiddos continue to pack on the ounces and get big and strong.

The picture of the day is of Tony and Harper- too sweet not to share.

Stay Awake

The kiddos had a good day today with Miss Durinda. We are trying to get them on some sort of schedule where they will eat, be awake for an hour or so, and then sleep again before the next feeding. Durinda said that they did a pretty good job staying awake for a while after eating and did a good job of sleeping without too much fussing. I never knew how it is to keep an infant awake until we started moving toward this schedule. After work, I have the kids for an hour and a half or so by myself until Tony gets home. Both kids eat within 45 minutes of me coming home, so then after that, I put on a show to keep everyone up.  Picture of the day goes to Harper and Jack and I talking about what went on at school- anything to keep those eyes open.

On another note, the twins go in to get weighed on Friday. While they're there, we're also going to see what can be done for Jack and his reflux. I thought the rice cereal with the forumla was goign to be a huge help, and for a week or so, he didn't have much spitting up and no crying when we burped him. Now, however, things are back to the way they were pre swallow study. We have Jack on Zantac, but he is still refluxing, even 30 mintues to an hour after he eats. He's also back to choking and crying when burps. I feel awful for the poor little guy. Here's hoping the doctor has some tricks to help him.

Nap Needed

I have officially hit a wall this week. I have been at work three full days this week and now I’m learning just how exhausting it is to be a working parent. At school, I feel like I’m going strong until about 11am and then I have an overwhelming urge to recharge my batteries. I’ve never napped at school before, but this week I’ve thought about just crawling under my desk and using a textbook as a pillow to grab even 10 minutes of sleep, if that shows you my desperation.

When I get home, I have energy for about an hour and then the headache sets in and I feel like I’m trudging through quicksand. Please don’t get me wrong, I love being home with my family, and I am in no way upset to be taking care of my kids, this is just more tiring than I could’ve ever imagined.

The weather has also contributed to my fatigue. A storm blew through the last couple of days, and I am not happy with the allergens that traveled with said storm. The stuffy nose, sniffling, headache, and itchy eyes cut my night short as I popped a Benadryl and staggered to bed at 9pm.

I admire all parents and caregivers. As I type this at 2:25 am, all I can do is calculate the potential remaining sleep I might get tonight and wonder if that’s enough sleep to help me coast on through the day. This parenting stuff is no joke. I don’t know how a single parent would do this- kudos to them. I am holding the eyelids of my right eye open with my left hand just so I can finish the blog.

Pictures of the day go to my snuggly kids: Harper catching a cat nap on Jack while she waits for her bottle to warm, and Jack and I playing on his play mat (this was taken when I was still in a lucid state, but I was fading fast). Here’s hoping Thursday will bring everyone rest and relaxation!

All Clear

Our household is a household of 4 people and one dog who are now free and clear of ophthalmologist care. Harper, like Jack, had to see an ophthalmologist about her premature retinas every 4 weeks until her retinas were “term” and she could be released; Tony took her to the doctor today and everything looked great and she was released from further appointment obligations. We are so thankful that both kiddos are doing well.

Harper had a much better sleeping day. Tony and I aren’t quite sure what to attribute it to yet; could be three things: 1. She ate every three hours during the day (instead of every four) 2. She had to get her eyes dilated and the nurse said sometimes the stress of the appointment makes the babies sleepy 3. She could’ve just been exhausted from not sleeping the night before. Whatever the reason, she seemed to sleep a little better than she did on Monday. I hope she continues this trend of sleeping.

Tony and I got to spend some time this evening playing with the kiddos after their 7:30 bottles. Below are our pictures of the day of the kids hanging out in their Boppy and playing on the play mat. I think they liked both activities, though neither one really cared for tummy time. Harper lifted her head and moved it side to side a couple of times and then she was over being on her stomach and just cried the remaining few minutes. Jack, on the other hand, looked back and forth a few times and decided he no longer wanted to be on his stomach, so he kicked his foot and used his momentum to roll himself over. I was shocked he could do this already- I’ll try and get a picture if he does this again tomorrow. On a side note, go Rangers, but poor Yu. Tony took this opportunity to explain to Jack and Harper all the rules of baseball including a perfect game; too bad we didn’t see one.

Sleepless in Frisco

It’s official- we have a sleepless baby. I remember when we found out we were having twins, Tony said, “we’ll never sleep again” and I thought he was so wrong- fast forward a few months and here we are, awake at midnight trying to get Harper to sleep. I’m not sure why, but this child does not like to sleep.

She is the queen of the “fake out”; she will snuggle into you, close her eyes and start that breathing that makes you think she is in dream land- the moment you put her down, she lets you know that dream land was not for her. Harper will sleep in 30-45 minute increments during the day and then wake crying- screaming- only to calm down the moment she is moved. It’s almost as if she is saying, “I’m done napping in the pack-n-play, put me in the bouncy chair” and as soon as you do, she’s quiet.  This was slightly annoying, but not detrimental to anyone (except maybe Durinda because she would be the one having to move her around all day); however, she has started doing this at night as well.

 

Tony will put her to bed and she will be o-u-t; Harper will sleep for 45 minutes, roughly, and then here comes her low wail-like a siren or a very mad, wet cat. We have tried to let her cry it out a bit, but at midnight when you have to work in the morning, all you want is for the baby to go back to sleep.

 

I’ll keep you posted on her sleep progress. Pictures of the day are of the kiddos dressed for Opening Day. Sadly, both our teams (the Rangers and the Reds) are off to a rough start, but the kids look cute