Much to be Thankful for!
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| 4 months old |
Things are on the up and up since my last post. We still have our challenging days, like anytime we need to accomplish anything not baby related but life is getting better. I am able to decipher from their coos and cries if a baby is hungry, bored of their current position or tired and in need of sleep. We still have complex days but at least they are getting more pleasant.
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| silly faces |
We spent the last 6 weeks diagnosing what might be upsetting poor Logan. He showed signs of reflux but also signs that he could have trouble digesting. With the medical professional help of my Uncle Rick, cousin Chip and best friend Laura, we sampled some different formulas to see what would help best with his colic/reflux. I chose to skip going to the pediatrician so they could charge me $20 to tell me to try something else plus I trust the people I mentioned far more. We tried the sensitive formula first with little to no change, the soy formula next with some change but not enough and now we are using the hypoallergenic variety known as Nutramigen which appears to be the winner! The real sign that it's working for him is that he is having nursing style blowouts versus the very firm for newborn stools he was having. I am fairly certain he has grown out of his reflux and I only administer the Zantac on days he shows symptoms which is getting less and less now. He has taken up spitting-up during feeds with the new formula but that is far better than the screaming. He is becoming a happier baby but still does have his moments of louder than hell cries but anything is better than what we were dealing with.
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| loves his bro |
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| matching jammies |
Kelsey is an angel! I am so lucky to have such a sweet heart. She has finally started cooing more and has a very quiet mousy voice in comparison to Logan's "hey everyone" squeals! She is very petit weighing in at only 12 pounds. Much smaller than her hefty twin! Logan is now 14 pounds and 7 ounces. She is a breast feeding champ receiving mostly all breast milk as Logan is no longer breast feeding. I was going to have to cut out all dairy from my diet if I wanted to continue nursing him incase he had a dairy sensitivity. It may be selfish but I said no thanks, considering most of my protein comes from dairy and I'm already losing weight like a fool from nursing. Kelsey is also quite the wiggle worm. She manages to go to sleep on one end of her crib and wake up in the morning with her head on the other end of her bed turning a whole 180 degrees! We have developed some nicknames for the babes! Kelsey is K-cup like the coffee brand or "angry kitty" because that's what her cries sound like :) Logan is Logi Bear (Yogi) and Austin is Booboo! Uncle Dylan refers to them as shrimps and is quite witty in coming up with names, shrimp baskets when they sit in their vibrate chairs and shrimp carryout when they are in their strollers :)
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| strong babies...shrimp donuts :) |
I am ecstatic that the babies sleep so good at night usually 10 hours between feeds. They really like their nursery and cribs. They easily calm down and seem to realize when I turn their rain sound machine on and lights off that it's time for bed. Kelsey usually goes down on her own in a sleep sack while Logan usually needs to be rocked and cuddled with then swaddled for the night. Austin has been going down earlier and not waking due to the fact that he only naps on some days! We can usually all be in bed around 11:00 p.m. and up around 7 or 8 a.m. The babies still take at least one long nap a day with a couple shorter ones. I often have two children asleep and one awake giving me some one on one time with each of them. I love days like that when everyone gets the love they deserve :)
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| Ellee and Kelsey |
We were recently home for the Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed the many helpers including best buddies Drake and Ellee! We had a very busy couple days filled with multiple meals and visiting with friends and family. The kids all travel well so we have no quams about staying away from home every couple weeks. It helps that we have spare everything (vibrate chairs, blankets, swings, pack-n-plays, toys diapers and wipes) at grandma and grandpas and Grammy's so we don't have to pack as much each trip. We are heading home this weekend and then again at Christmas for an extended stay!
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| Drake and Logan |
This month I decided to shoot my own infant photographs and our Christmas card photos because I had a hard time connecting with our previous photographer. I bought Paul a DSLR camera as a wedding gift and he bought me a fixed focus lens for my birthday! This lens allows me to take high quality portraits! It allows me to focus on the faces and blur the background. I set up a make shift studio in my dining room, set up a back drop, used the natural light during the day and artificial lighting at night. I shot photos for two days and got some beautiful results. Needless to say, I will be doing it again in the future. I just need to buy a real backdrop rack and some photography lights and I think I can rock this! I have all kinds of home decorations as props so the sky's the limit :)
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| Logan |
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| Logan |
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| Kelsey |
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| Hats made by a friend |
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| Letter blocks from cousins Katie and Chris |
On another note, the idea of starting work again in March is seeming more fathomable now. I plan on watching Hugh's little sister Claire two days a week. She is the same age as the twins so triplets it is...yes I'm nuts :) Big brother Hugh is staying in a daycare/learning environment! We are going to try it out a couple days in February to see if I can manage 4 children. My hope is that it works out and then I can take her 3 days a week in the fall when Austin goes to preschool! Only time will tell! Depending on how things go this spring, will help me decide if I am capable of another part-time child on the days Claire is not with me.
The next post will be after their First Christmas so goodbye to this year of surprises,tons of tears, excitement, filled with emotions and most challenging times of my life and fingers crossed for a Happy New Year!
