7 Weeks Old!

I cannot believe that my little miracles are 7 weeks old today. Where in the heck has the time gone already. I thought I would try to give a thorough update on how things are going. The girls are up in their weights and growing well. Gracie is up to a whopping 8lb 2 oz and Abby is at 7lb 4oz. When I look at them now they look HUGE, although they are the size of most newborns. They are eating about every four hours and taking about 3 1/2 ounces at each feeding. Gracie has bad reflux so she is on soy formula and we have to thicken it with rice cereal. Abby is still on the preemie formula for now.

Both girls ROLLED OVER last week!!! Gracie was first. My Mom and I had the kids at the pool and my Mom had Gracie on her pool chair. Grace was reaching for my Mom's little fan and in the process of reaching rolled from her back to her belly. My Mom and I just stared at each other in disbelief. I thought it was a fluke until a couple days later when Abby was doing her exercise time (see below) and I had her on her belly. She got her arm good and tucked under herself and started pushing with her legs. I happened to have the video camera nearby so I started taping. It took her about 2 minutes but she rolled from her tummy to her back and I got it on tape!!

Each day they girls have two rounds of play time and exercise time. I know it makes me sound like a wierd neurotic mother but it must be the psychologist in me that wants to encourage good development. Play time consists of both girls in their crib unswaddled with the mobile on. They like to kick their legs and bat their arms. It usually lasts about 20-30 minutes before someone is screaming. Then we do about 20 min of exercise time. That includes tummy time flat and tummy time in the boppy, lifting their upper body with their arms, bicycle kicks and sitting in the boppy. That way we work all the muscle systems. Especially since the girls were so little and they have so much catching up to do it is so important to work all their little systems early on.

Sleeping has bee tough in the Fescoe household lately. Abby has decided that sleeping is not for her, at least not at night. Gracie has such bad reflux that until today (when the thickened formula finally started working a little) she would scream straight from 9pm until about 2am at which point she would basically pass out. Abby doesn't scream but she doesn't want to be put down either. She is harder to get to sleep and she'll fall asleep in your arms but wake up once she is put down. The girls usually wake to eat at 4am and then 8am. They usually go back to sleep in the morning until about 11ish.

Tonight I decided this schedule was for the birds so I am in the middle of trying something different. I put the girls in their crib all nice and swaddled at 10pm. I turned on the fan for white noise (thanks for the suggestion M!) and put them down awake. I thought for sure it would be a huge battle but I was pleasantly surprised. They both started to FALL ASLEEP on their own. It is almost 11 and we have only had minor fussing. Gracie keeps losing her pacie and carrying on but I replace it and walk away. I haven't had to pick anyone up yet. I am hoping that maybe when they get up to eat at 12 they will go right back down. I guess we shall see...

All in all I am doing pretty well with motherhood. Being a Mommy to twins is so hard. It feels like when one isn't crying the other is. Most nights I cry along with them from sheer exhaustion. As soon as someone is settled, the other one starts. The house is a mess (and I used to be a neat freak), I am always late, the laundry is always behind, I rarely eat more than one meal a day and I look like crap. I guess vanity is not for twin mommies. ;>) I love my girls so much and I cry on a daily basis for how unbelievably lucky we are. We are lucky to have these girls. We are lucky that they are healthy. We are lucky for all the love and support we get from our family and friends. We are just very lucky.