Kenzie's and Lexie's Dedication

Last Sunday we had the girls Dedicated at Applegate Christian Fellowship. It was a great day for our family. It was only the second time taking the babies to church since mama bear hasn't been ready to let them go to the nursery yet :) In fact, the only babysitter they have had thus far is my mom and grandma. haha. I am slightly overprotective. We knew we wanted to have the Dedicated and we wish we would have done the same thing with Miss Madison. We were not attending church on a regular basis when she was a baby. It was an amazing experience to thank the Lord for these two precious lives that he has given to us. We will continue to pray for them on a daily basis to become strong women who love the Lord and understand His sacrifice for us.

Combination of naptime and a stranger holding her, Kenzie fell apart within seconds. Poor Pastor Ben didn't stand a chance! But, he handled it well and it was still sweet. Lexie fell asleep in my arms while we were waiting for the service to begin so she was fine when Pastor John held her. Luckily we have the DVD of the Dedication since I was mostly concerned about consoling Kenzie :) Applegate is a wonderful church and now that I know the girls will do fine in the nursery, we will be attending on a regular basis.

4 Months!

Wow. Am I behind or what? Hahaha. I started this blog thinking it would be a great way to keep track of the girls growth and a special way to chart everything to look back on the future. And now I realize, I am not very good at it! I totally missed their 3 month mark. Oh well. I will try to get back on track. And with that, They are now 4 months old! 4. I know. What happened? Well, let's see if I can remember :)

We will start with Kenzie. Kenzie Poo. Chunkalicious. Mama's girl. Big Eyes. Butter. I love her. A lot. She is such a serious baby. It takes some work to get this one to smile. She has the biggest most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. When she looks at you, you just keep staring into her eyes. I have complete faith that she is going to be one of the most intelligent women in the world. She looks at you so deeply. As if she is staring right into your soul.

Kenzie is an incredible sleeper. Still. Yes, I am lucky. I know. She goes to bed around 9 and sleeps till at least 6 am. Yes. I know. After her bottle, she will usually go back to sleep until 9 or 10. She is rolling over from her tummy to her back and today, she rolled the opposite :) She is getting a tooth. It started showing on her 3 month birthday. I was amazed! It hasn't come through all the way yet, but I know it will. She eats very well. Sometimes I am amazed how efficient they can eat now. I remember when they were eating 50 cc's at a time. And it took forever. Now, she can down 6-7 ozs in 10 minutes. And, she never spits up! ahhh, nice! We just moved her up to size 2 diapers. She is a chunk, hence the nickname "Chunkalicious" lol. She is in 3-6 months clothes mostly, but she can still wear some smaller. At her last weight check which was 2 weeks ago, she was up to 12 lbs 4 ozs. I am so impressed! We have their 4 month appt next week and I will update their weights at that time.

Lexie. Lexie Lou. Pukalicious. Miss Smiley Pants. Pretty Baby. Peanut. This one is going to be all girl. I just know it. And a talker (well I guess that is the all girl part :) She is such a happy baby. She will smile at anyone. She rolls from her back to her tummy and gets sooooo mad when she can't roll back over. It is so funny to watch her legs go a hundred miles a minute trying to flip over and she just can't! She loves to sit up (in the bumbo) she loves music. She loves her sisters. We have been trying to figure out her puking issue because she is what our pediatrician calls a "happy puker" I told you, she is a happy baby. But, I wish she would stop throwing up so much because she is quite a bit smaller than Kenzie and I don't know if it is because she throws up so much or if she is just going to be a smaller girl. So, we have been trying different formulas to see what works for her. So far, not much success and she just might have to outgrow it. Her last weight check had her at 11 lbs.

Lex is also an awesome sleeper. I know. Blessed. She goes down at the same time as Kenzie and sleeps the same amount. Yup. I'm serious. Mama Like! And. Did I mention that we put them to bed awake? We feed them, swaddle them and put them to bed. I never hear a peep from Lexie and occasionally, Kenzie will cry for less than 5 minutes then they are both out. zonked. Until the next morning :)

The girls are already proving that they need their space. One day, they were playing on their play mat and Lexie decided "hey sister, that arm is mighty tasty looking, let me have a nibble!" So, she rolled to her side and started sucking on Kenzie's arm. Kenzie didn't approve. She scratched Lex in the face. Lexie cried, scooted herself up just high enough to start kicking Kenz in the head. Can you say "sister rivalry"! So, yeah, I decided to buy another toy! That night, Lexie got herself unswaddled and I went in the room and saw her sucking on Kenzie's face. That was the last night they slept in the same crib. So, onto separate cribs and they took it like champs! First night they woke around 4, but since, they are back to normal! It was time!

I love to sit them in their bumbos facing each other. They are hilarious. They babble. Look at each other. Play footsie. So cute. Can't wait for more interaction like this!

So, all in all. Having twins is amazing. I really love it. I wasn't sure how I would cope. But, I am being honest when I say I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is a complete blessing that we brought these 3 people into the world and I love watching them grow and change everyday.

Glorious Sleep!

The girls slept through the night! All of them! On the same night! Hallelujah! Madison of course has been sleeping through the night for quite some time, but Kenzie and Lexie decided that last night would be the first night that they would do the same. I am so excited! They went down around 10:00 and slept until 6:00 am. When I heard them crying on the baby monitor, I sort of panicked because the sun was coming up in our room and I thought for sure that they had been crying forever and I was just ignoring them. But, no, they actually were just waking up. Oh sleep, how I have missed you! During my pregnany, I woke up several times a night to use the bathroom or due to heartburn, so this was the first night that I actually slept 6 hours straight through in months! I am so surprised that they both slept through the night for the first time on the same night, but so happy about it! They even went back to sleep after their bottles and slept until 10:00. Yahoo!
What made my sleep even better was that I just got a new comforter and sheet set and so my bed was completely fresh and clean! Nothing like new sheets to make you sleep like a baby!

On a side note before I forget to post: The twins had their 2 month check up yesterday. Kenzie weights 10 lbs 6 ozs and Lexie weighs 9 lbs!

Babies' First Easter!

The twins made it to and through their first holiday! And, a very special one at that! Easter! We got all three girls up and dressed in their Easter apparel (the three more beautiful little girls in the world!) and headed to church! It was our first time taking the babies to church and it couldn't have been on a better Sunday than Easter Sunday! We were nervous that it was going to rain and Applegate Christian Fellowship was holding the service outside, but, we decided to chance it. After all, Jesus did more for us didn't he? :) So off we went. Madison was super excited for Bible School. She loves going to church. David and I strapped the babies to us with our awesome ergo carriers and they did great! Lexie got a little fussy toward the end because her legs were so cramped because of sitting, but other than that, they were fine. And, it didn't rain! Yahoo! It was nice to be back in church, sitting with our good friends and listening to our favorite pastors remind us of what Jesus did for us and how is still lives! Praise the Lord!
Other than church, our day was pretty low key. We stayed home. David and the babies napped, hahaha. Madison and I ran to the store and got sandwich fixings and strawberry shortcake for dessert. That was so delicious! We gave the babies their first Easter baskets which contained a couple of rattles (since we are getting close to that stage already!) and, their first Bibles! We bought Madison her first Bible on her first Easter so I wanted to keep that tradition. :)
Madison loved her goodies and she also got a new book filled with Bible stories which she loves.
Kenzie and Lexie are becoming excellent sleepers! Well, they have always been good, but now it is great! We put them down between 9 and 10, in their own room! And they sleep until about 4. Kenzie slept till 5 this morning. After they eat, they go back to bed until about 8:30 or so. They are eating a ton now! Kenzie polished off almost 8 ozs before she went to bed last night!
Tomorrow is their 2 month checkup. I am planning on holding off on their shots until their 4 month appt I think. I just really don't want to do it yet. Something is telling me to wait, so I am going to trust my motherly instinct and wait. No harm in that. I will post their weights once I know!

Busy Life

It has been a couple of weeks since I posted anything. Partly because there is not a lot to post about, and partly because I don't have time! Hahaha. My girlies are doing well. Growing like weeds. They are already 8 weeks old today! I love them so much! They have their two month check-up next week so we will see how much they weigh. I am still debating whether or not to get their vaccinations. I can't decide. Madison has had her shots, but for some reason I just don't know if I want to vacinate or not... What are your thoughts?

I love their sleep schedule! Right now, they go down for the night between 8:30 and 9:30 and sleep until around 2:00. They go right back to sleep after their bottles and then wake up again around 7. Yahoo! Usually after that bottle they will go back to sleep again, or they will stay awake for about an hour then take a nap. I am so happy that they are sleeping so well. Madison was a horrible sleeper and I am thankful that Kenzie and Lexie are not following in their big sister's footsteps!

Kenzie still prefers to be swaddled most of the time, but that's ok. She will outgrow it I'm sure! Lexie is still the most chill baby. She really only cries when she is hungry. Yay! At least I got one!

Today was a great day! David was home from work and he is busy getting some projects done. Madison has spent the majority of the day playing outside and hanging with Daddy. I have cleaned some, done some laundry, taken some 8 week pics of the babes, and had coffee with my good friend Lori :) The babies are even hanging out together right now on their playmat without fussing so that mom can do some blogging ;)

So here is something crazy that we decided to do... We had an english bulldog, Sophie. David's dream dog was an english bulldog. She was so stubborn and pigheaded that we just couldn't take it anymore. Her listening skills were terrible even though we took her through 16 weeks of training. She wouldn't leave the babies alone, wouldn't come when we called her, and was starting to pee in the house again. So, we decided to find another home for her while she was still young enough to adapt to a new family. But, I am convinced that it is great for children to grow up with a dog, so, we decided to go ahead and add a new addition to our family. Yes, that's right, I have 8 week old twins, and an 8 week old Goldendoodle. Say WHAT??? His birthday is the day after the girls' :) I think it will be great for them to grow up together. He will be used to having his tail pulled and eyes poked and they will be used to having a dog in their face all the time. Hey, I am already up in the middle of the night, might as well crate train a pup at the same time! He is doing great and loves Madison already. David is happy to have another male in the house! So, most might think I am crazy, but that's ok!

We took the girls to have Easter pictures on Sunday. I can't wait to see them all, but for now, here is a sample of Mandy's great work!

Great News!

Kenzie and Lexie saw the Metabolic Specialist from Portland today. They do not have VLCAD Deficiency. Thank the Lord! Both girls have only one mutated gene which means they are carriers of the Deficiency, but are not affected by it. Either David or myself is also a carrier of the deficiency and passed it on to the girls. There is a slight possibility (less than 5%) that they still could have it and that the test just couldn't find the other abnormality in the gene, but, this deficiency is so rare (it only affects 1 in 50,000 babies in Oregon a year) and in order for the girls to have it, David and I would both have to be carriers and then they would have had a 1/4 chance of getting it. We could do further testing (a skin biopsy to grow skin cells to see how the cells use/store fat) but, we have chosen not to do this because of the very slim chance of them actually having it. The test would take 4 months before we would know anything, and even then, there is a possibility of not really knowing for sure. The doctor said that even if they have the deficiency, it is the most mild case of it, and they really wouldn't suffer from it. And, he wouldn't treat them for it. Nothing would change. So, we are leaving it be. We believe they do not have it and are completely healthy! They were weighed today and we found that Kenzie is up to 8 lbs 14 ozs and Lexie is 7 lbs 10 ozs. Really healthy weights for 6 weeks old! Obviously mama's milk is doing something right!

6 Weeks Old!

My babies are 6 weeks old! Wow! Part of me cannot believe it has been 6 weeks already, the sleep deprived part of me says "oh, 6 weeks, that's it???" No, seriously, we are doing well. Some days are harder than others, some nights I feel like there is no way I can change another diaper and warm another bottle. But, I do, and I love those little ladies like crazy. Kenzie - My more serious baby. She still isn't smiling all that much. Only if you really work for it. She just stares at you. It is kinda funny. She love love loves to be swaddled. All the time. Day and night. If she isn't swaddled or eating, she is usually screaming. Seriously. She loves her binkie, but usually just during the day. She doesn't cry if she loses it, she doesn't need it at night to go to sleep. She is a great eater. About 6 ozs at a time right now and she can go 4-5 hours without eating again. Kenzie prefers the bouncy chair to the swing. She loves music and usually lets us know when it turns off by screaming until we turn it on again! She is bigger than her sister and we call her our chunk, which is really funny given she is around 8 lbs. Lexie - My smiling baby girl. She is the baby after all :) She makes the cutest little faces and is constantly wrinkling up her forehead when she looks at you. She is a little David Jr. She looks just like him. She acts like him too. She is the first to wake up, day and night. She doesn't cry too much, just when she is hungry and at that point, you better have her food ready, or else! She is more of a snacker because she is a little smaller than Kenzie, but she is getting better and usually eats 4-5 ozs at a time. She is also my puker. Ugh. Blankets, clothes, the laundry is never ending! Lexie prefers the swing to the bouncy chair and also loves music as much as her older sisters. 3 music loving girls = one happy daddy. :) Both girls are still in newborn clothes. They are getting long though so it will be time to switch to 0-3 months soon I think. Currently in newborn diapers, but due to the many diaper blowouts we have had recently, once I finish the opened box of newborn, we will switch to size 1. (a box of diapers only lasts about 5-6 days anyway) So, more than a box of diapers a week, probably 2-3 packages of wipes, 10 loads of laundry, 50 ozs of pumped milk a day, at least 3 outfit changes per baby a day... one busy and tired mommy for sure! Madison has adjusted really well. She loves her sisters. She will get me whatever I ask for and loves to help feed the babies when I need her to. She tries to comfort Kenzie when she is crying, she shushes her and gives her binkie back. Madison decided to cut her hair this last weekend and that makes me sad. She has such pretty hair and it was so long! But, it tangles bad and she was sick of it. So, we had it chopped off and she loves it. It will be nice for summer and I know it will grow back. She is still asking when she can go back to school so I still need to look into some pre-schools and get her back in at least a couple days a week. David is doing great with the girls. He will get up and help me feed them if I wake him up. He is a very sound sleeper and doesn't wake up on his own. I never woke him up when Madison was up at night, I just took care of everything by myself. But this time around, there are times that I just need help. I know he is working and needs his sleep, but, I am working too. 24 hours a day. I don't get to nap during the day when the babies sleep because I have a 4 year old to take care of. I have a house to clean, laundry to do, bottles to wash, etc. When the babies are sleeping, I am going non-stop. So, I may be "home" but, this is my job and I need help when I can get it. I usually wake him for one nighttime feeding and let him sleep through the second. Sometimes I will do both by myself. I feel really good. I really had no complications after we made it home frrom the hospital. I have had a lot of energy for the most part and feel like I am doing a good job. Twins is a challenge, I am not going to lie, but, I am doing a good job. I know I am. I love my family more than I ever thought possible and I feel so blessed that the Lord decided to give me this amazing life and family :)