6 Months Old!

I know I say it every month, but I really can't believe they are already 6 months old! That's halfway to ONE YEAR. That doesn't even seem right. It seems like just yesterday that I was patiently impatiently awaiting their arrival!

The girls had their 6 month checkup this past Friday with Dr. Trumbull. As always, Dr. Trumbull was happy with their progress. Hadley weighed 15.2 lbs and Ava James weighed 12.11lbs. Both girls are catching up on their percentiles; Hadley faster than Ava James. Ava James is still our petite girl :) Dr. Trumbull was very excited that both girls love tummy time. He agreed that since both girls can easily rock back and forth while on all fours, that it will not be much longer before they crawl. Neither girls have cut any teeth yet, and Dr. Trumbull seemed to think it would be a while before they do. Our main goal for the up coming months are to start the girls on veggies and fruits, finger foods, some meats, and eventually get to soft table food. The ultimate goal is to have the girls 100% off the bottle by their first birthday. We are hoping to start using sippy cups very soon! Hadley will most like start the sippy cup before Ava James- she is already tiring of the bottle! The girls got the last round of their first few vaccines at this doctors visit. Luckily for them (and Mommy and Daddy too), they don't have to worry about any more shots for a while!

It becomes more and more apparent to us that the girls love each other very much. This makes Rusty and I so proud. They reach for each other constantly and get extremely upset if they aren't within sight and sound of each other. They laugh and smile at each other constantly, and often "hug" each other.

 Ava James likes to steal her sister's paci, and Hadley likes to steal toys. They have begun to "communicate" with each other as well. They dont have there own language, but they will definitely talk to each other. Both girls really enjoy being outside. They love taking walks with their Mama during the day. The girls also LOVE when their Daddy comes home from work. It doesn't matter what mood they are in, their faces will light up and they will laugh as soon as they see their Daddy. Both girls enjoy playing peak-a-boo and often think its hilarious. The girls LOVE Elmo and have become fond of the "FaceTime with Elmo" app on their Mama's phone. They have begun to reach for people, including their Mama and Daddy (of course), Nonnie and Poppa, and even their Mother's Morning Out teacher, Mrs. Diane. They love to get "sugar" and grab the faces of people that they know well. AND FINALLY both girls sleep through the night. They go to bed at about 7:30 and wake the next morning at about 6:00. Since rolling over is very easy for both girls now, they are often found sleeping on their tummies (Hadley more so than Ava James). Ava James can comfortably fit into most 6 month clothing, while her sister can wear up to 9 months. Both girls are constantly reaching for anything and everything and are very good with their hand/eye coordination. Here is some more about the girls at 6 months...

Hadley looks and acts more and more like her Mama every day. This is both good, and bad! :) She is extremely strong! Kicking is a favorite activity of hers. Where before the girls would just kick in the air, now the girls like to kick things. In our double stroller, Hadley likes to kick the back of her sister's seat. Therefore Hadley has been promoted to first (front) passenger. It is because of Hadley that we began to child-proof this house today. She can manage to get herself completely across the room in mere minutes- all by rolling. And like I stated before, she can EASILY rock herself back and forth on all fours. If it wasn't for her right hand, she would be crawling. She can't quite figure out how to get that hand out from under herself. Hadley smiles at EVERYONE, but gets startled easily. Loud noises often scare her and bring out sensitive side. You can tell that she genuinely loves people and will be very social when she gets older. Sleeping has become a lot easier for Hadley over the past month. Where as before she would fight sleep and often have temper tantrums, now she can fall asleep in her crib all on her own. Normally she talks for a while first, but after about 10 minutes she is sound asleep. Over the past month, Hadley has fallen in love with the jumper. She will literally jump for hours- even jump herself to sleep. Hadley loves to be thrown around and shows NO fear. She loves bath time and has figured out how to SOAK her Mama by kicking her feet. I have a feeling she will love swimming at the lake and beach this summer. The majority of the day, when she is not in her jumper, Hadley is eating her toes. She has found her feet and LOVE them.

Hadley continues to want to stand, and can even stand on her own for very short periods of time as long as she is holding onto something. Everything that Hadley touches, also goes in her mouth. She loves her Sophie the Giraffe and her pacifier clip- she chews on both constantly.

 

Ava James is definitely starting to come out of her shell! She pretty much babbles constantly. She has even begun to "mock" what others say. She copied her Poppa several times by repeating "Uh Huh" (sounds a lot like a sigh) the other day while he and their Nonnie were baby sitting the girls. She is still very observant and watches your mouth as you speak to her. She still loves to kick, but has recently started swaying her hips. She raises her booty off the ground with her legs (while on her back) and sways her hips back and forth. She will have strong thighs very soon!!! She also likes to rock back and forth while on all fours. She can easily reach for things while on her tummy and can eventually find her way to where she wants to go- whether is be by rolling or reaching. Ava James LOVES to stick her fingers in other peoples mouths. I guess she wants you to act like you are "eating" her fingers- she finds that extremely funny. So if my child ever sticks her fingers in your mouth, now you know why! Ava James also started on rice cereal this past month!

She pretty much hated it. We aren't sure if its the texture or taste that she doesn't like, but we continue to work with her. Each day she is getting a little better. She isn't a "chewer" like her sister, but she loves to shake all of her toys. She has one specific book that she loves to shake and wave in the air. AJ is more cautious around strangers and often gets upset if a stranger gets too close. She is also the more particular of our two miracles. Her bottle has to be the perfect temperature and she fusses (not that I can blame her) if her diaper is even a little wet. I believe she gets this from her Uncle Jason. :) She loves to be bounced on your knee, but isn't too fond of the jumper quite yet. She is okay for short periods of time, but then starts to fuss and want out. She would much rather be on her tummy or in her bouncy seat kicking her legs.

 

I am not just saying this because they are our children (famous quote by parent's every where), but they are truly the happiest two babies I have ever known. They are constantly laughing and you can tell that they love life. I pray that they always have this happiness. That they don't let the evil and darkness of this world to take that away from them. I learn more and more from these two little girls each and every day. They have changed my life and it has all been for the better. They have softened my heart and renewed the child-like faith that I so desperately needed. Their Daddy and I are so incredibly blessed...my cup runneth over.

 





5 Months Old!

 

How did this happen?! How are my baby girls 5 months old already? It really is flying by. Maybe it is because twins keep you SO busy. Or maybe time really does fly by when your having fun :) A lot is and has happened in the past month! Therefore the need for this EXTREMELY long blog post- I apologize in advance.

 

The most important event from the past month was the girls baptism. On March 17, 2013 the girls were baptized by Pastor Patrick Quinn (the same pastor who married Rusty and I) at Frazer UMC. Rusty and I are so blessed. To see our girls baptized in front of a church that has always been a major part of my life was incredible. And even more so, to dedicate our girls to the Lord was amazing.

 

 

The girls also had Easter pictures taken with their cousin Harper on March 15th. Deborah Batson, the photographer, is a saint. Working with two fussy babies, an active toddler, and three live bunnies is not easy- but she stayed calmed and managed to get some precious pictures. I will say, both girls did pretty good considering they had not napped yet that day. The only issue we had was one bunny used Hadley as a toilet and Ava James tried to eat, yes eat, one of the bunnies. But never the less, it made for some pretty adorable pictures!

 (This was right before Ava James grabbed the bunny's face and shoved his nose/face in her mouth)

 

 

No update from the doctor.- although I'm sure Dr. Trumbull would be happy with their progress. The girls go back to the doctor for their 6 month checkup next month. I have no idea what the girls weigh- and seeing as I REFUSE to keep a scale in the house, we will have to wait until their next appointment to find out! The girls are growing and becoming more and more alert every day. They are picking up on certain things- like their bottles for example. They definitely know what a bottle is! If they see a bottle, you better be ready to feed them! Same with a bib- if you put a bib on them, they want to eat! They are also starting to recognize people and faces. Everyday when Rusty gets home, the girls will smile no matter what mood their are in. They are also beginning to recognize their Nonnie and Poppa. They are more in-tune to each other as well. They will talk to each other, but have not yet begun to respond vocally to each other. They laugh and smile at the sight of their sister- it is very sweet. You can tell they love each other very much, which warms my heart :) They grab each other constantly and love to chew on each others hands and even toes. Both girls have a favorite toy- their Aubie rattle. They think Aubie is hilarious. They also love if you sing the Auburn cheer "Bodda-Getta" to them- they will laugh and laugh. We have recently started them on a new schedule with set nap times and bed time. The girls take naps at 9:00, 12:30, and 4:00- only eating when they wake up. They then go to bed at 7:30. Getting them to stick to the schedule has been a struggle, but it has been so worth it! They are not nearly as fussy as they were before (not that they were ever very fussy)! Both girls are put in their cribs wide awake. This has helped to teach them to fall asleep on their own and stay asleep (no "cat napping"). This is a MAJOR accomplishment! Trying to rock/soothe TWO babies to sleep was a task! Now they cry for only a couple minutes and fall straight to sleep. Both girls wake us up in the morning around 7:00 by talking. We wake up to constant babble over the baby monitor. They never cry in the morning (unless they have a dirty diaper), just talk. We aren't sure if they are talking to one another, or just talking in general. The girls are almost sleeping solid from 7:30pm to 7:00am regularly- that is the goal! Ava James can go from 7:30pm to about 5:00am. Hadley can go from 7:30pm to about 6:45am. They will still wake up hungry, but we are trying to faze that bottle out- slowly, but surely. If they aren't hungry, they seem to sleep fairly solid. Hadley will sometimes wake up wanting her pacifier, but other than that they are becoming fairly good sleepers. Both girls are loving tummy time now and seem determined to crawl. The girls have just about grown out of all of their 3 month clothes, and can even wear some 6 month clothes. Here is some more about the girls at 5 months...

 

Hadley is still our best eater. She can suck down an 8-10oz bottle in no time. Rusty and I finally felt as though she was ready to start on solid foods! She tried rice cereal for the first time last night (see picture below).



She took to it like a pro! At first she was fussy, but I feel like that was more because she hadn't taken her nap earlier that day. She was still unsure about what to do with her tongue. A lot of the cereal ended up on her bib- she kept pushing it out with her tongue rather than swallowing. But after a couple minutes, she was actually crying for more. She would get upset whenever Rusty would take the spoon away. Hadley is also beginning to crawl- well, sort of. She can't quite figure out how to use her arms. If she would move her arms, she would most definitely be on the move- slowly, but she would be moving! She does what we call the "bull dozier crawl." She pushes her body forward with just her legs without the use of her arms. Hadley likes to put EVERYTHING in her mouth- clothes, burp cloths, fingers (including mine, Rusty's and her sister's), hands (including her sister's), feet (mainly her sister's), toys, etc. She is drooling like crazy thanks to teething. No sign of teeth yet, but you can see a glimmer of them under her gums. Hadley's Mothers Morning Out teacher, Mrs. Dianne, and her church nursery care taker, Ms. Libby, always talk about how much Hadley laughs. She loves to laugh at other babies. She generally seems to love people- this makes me happy :) She still loves to be thrown around and has recently tried to start flipping backwards off of your lap (which makes me very nervous). Her "talking" has transformed into a loud squeal in the past couple of weeks- we aren't sure why, but it's hilarious. She squeals at people, toys, and even Bailey- our dog. We have decided that she will be our animal lover. She loves Bailey (and other family pets) and quite often grabs her as she walks by. Bailey has been very good with Hadley considering Hadley puts the death-grip on her regularly. Hadley doesn't fight sleep nearly as much as she used to. However, at night before bed, she likes to play "peak-a-boo." She has learned how to play this game all by herself! While holding her in your lap she will hide her face and then look up and smile at you, only to hide her face again- she thinks it hilarious. If Hadley ever throws a temper-tantrum (which does happen on occasion), she is easily calmed down by being rocked and having someone (me) sing "Jesus Loves Me" to her. Hadley has begun to reach for things and people. Having her reach for me makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

My sweet Ava James is still my cuddle buddy. She loves to eat, just like her sister. She is now eating 6-7oz regularly. We are planning on starting her on rice cereal in a month or so, assuming she is ready. She is still our petite girl, but is growing fast. In the past month her back and neck have gotten VERY strong. She can sit in her Bumbo seat much easier now and doesn't get tired nearly as quick. Ava James is very good with her hands. Holding toys and passing them from one hand to another is becoming the norm for her, along with bringing things to her mouth. She has one particular toy that she will carry around all day long- it is a plastic bug with a ring for her to hold. She also likes to chew on it, of course. Ava James still talks...all the time! She will directly talk to people and toys. She is so observant- she will watch your mouth as you talk to her and then try to make the same mannerisms with her mouth and face. She is the most determined child I have ever known. She is more determined than her sister to crawl! She is constantly rolling over to her belly and trying to crawl. If you flip her over to her back, she will get mad. She loves her pacifier and is constantly taking it in and our of her mouth. She loves to look at herself in the mirror, and thinks it funny to talk to herself. Kicking is still her favorite activity and has her bursts of energy that end in a squeal and violent kicking- it's really kind of funny. She gets very excited when she sees someone she knows and a toy that she is familiar with. Every time we go to get her out of her crib we are greeted with BIGGEST smile- it really makes my day. "AJ," as we call her, is the most easy-going child! She rarely gets upset, and just goes with the flow. She is so much like her Daddy is unreal. The only time she REALLY gets upset is when you try to cuddle with her when she is ready to go to bed. Sometimes she just wants to be left alone to go to sleep on her own (which works good with their new schedule). Around strangers, Ava James is VERY shy. If a stranger can get a smile out of her, she will quickly hide her face and blush- YES blush! She doesn't talk to strangers (which is good- hehe) but likes to watch them. Ava James loves to sleep! Her mid-day nap usually lasts AT LEAST two hours and she sleeps solid through the night until/if she gets hungry.

Believe it or not, I am sure there is so much that I have left out! The girls are constantly developing and hitting new milestones. I personally think they are the most incredible and beautiful children on the planet, but then again I am a little biased :) But seriously...they are the most incredible and beautiful children on the planet! I am so thankful for them both. I begin each day thinking that I can't love these two little girls any more than I do at that moment, and at the end of each day, I do. I swear, my heart could explode with the love that I have for these two little miracles- its incredible. I will never understand what I did to deserve these two little blessings, but I am forever thankful for them both. God has blessed me beyond measure...

4 Months Old!

Where has the time gone?! These two little miracles are 4 months old already!

Yesterday was the girl's 4 month check up at the doctor. Dr. Trumbull, as usual, was very pleased with the girl's progress. Hadley weighed 12lbs 6oz and was 24 inches long. Ava James was 10lbs 8oz and 23 1/2 inches long. It is becoming apparent that both girls will most likely be tall- just like their Mama! They are catching up MUST quicker on height than they are weight- which is fine according to Dr. Trumbull. Ava James is still, and will most likely continue to be, more petite than Hadley. Both girls had their first cold this past month which left Hadley with an ear infection. We didn't even know she had an ear infection until Dr. Trumbull checked her ears at their check up. Even though both girls haven't felt good lately, they have still been as sweet as ever. They never complained and just wanted to snuggle! Both girls eat 6oz consistently now and will most likely start solid foods in a month. Dr. Trumbull and I both agreed that we didn't feel they were quite ready yet for solid foods. The girls have a pretty solid schedule now and are doing fairly well at night time. They go to bed at about 8:00 and normally wake up at about 3:00-4:00am to eat. In about two weeks we are going to change their schedule which should help them to sleep an additional 3-4 hours (through the entire night). I think Ava James would sleep through the entire night, but Hadley wakes her up most nights! Hadley is our light sleeper. Both girls have become more aware of their sister. When they play together on their play mat they are constantly reaching for one another, looking at each other, or making noises at their sister.

Here is some more "stuff" on the girls at 4 months...

We will start with our Hadley Cakes! She is such a nut! Hadley LOVES to laugh and smile. There isn't a shy bone in her body. She is constantly smiling and laughing at strangers. Her favorite activity is being thrown around like a rag doll. She loves to be thrown (more like lifted) into the air and be bounced on your knee. If she isn't moving, she isn't happy! Naps are NOT one of her favorite activities and she fights sleep constantly by babbling or crying. Speaking of babbling, Hadley is "talking" A LOT more than she was last month. She mostly talks to her toys- specifically the toys that have faces. Her favorite toy to talk to is a small yellow stuffed animal that hangs from her car seat. You can often hear her in the back seat babbling away to her toy. Hadley continues to love to stand. She can now stand(hold her own weight) on her own as long as you prop her up against some furniture. She is also lunging towards toys during tummy time. She can hold her upper body up while on her stomach for extended periods of time. Her back and neck are very strong and she has no problem holding her head up/still. Rolling over from her stomach to her back is still easiest for her. She still hasn't quite figured out how to roll over from her back to her stomach. She can hold her bottle by herself and drink the entire 6oz, but she has to be in a certain mood. Sometimes she just wants you to feed her (cough, cough spoiled). Dr. Trumbull thinks that even though Hadley seems stronger, her "tight muscles" might get in her way and her sister might actually crawl before she does. Hadley now reaches for toys and other objects that she sees, but she seems to be more interested in her feet. She is still trying to figure out how to get them in her mouth! It appears that she is in the early stages of teething and loves to gnaw on EVERYTHING. You can see and feel her bottom two teeth now!

Ava James is still our sweet, shy girl. However, she is by far our most talkative girl! Where as Hadley talks to her toys, Ava James wants to talk to people. She will sit and talk to certain people (mostly people she is most comfortable with- me, Rusty, her Nonnie, and her Poppa) until she literally falls asleep. It is pretty funny at times- she will crack herself up and laugh at herself. Sometimes I wonder if she is trying to tell us jokes? She is fairly shy around people that she doesn't know. Ava James LOVES to sleep and sleeps solid once she falls asleep. Her hand/eye coordination is VERY good. If she sees something, she reaches out and grabs it. This is great until she tries to grab your eyes or teeth! Laying on her play mat and kicking her feet is still one of her favorite activities. She also likes to talk to herself in the mirror that is attached to her bouncy seat. There is also a hot pink flower that dangles from her bouncy seat that she thinks is HILARIOUS. Whenever AJ gets very tired, she will complain if you are holding her- she just wants to be left alone to go to sleep. We can lay her in her crib wide awake and she will fall asleep all on her own. During the night, Ava James can managed to turn herself completely around in her crib. We call it the "helicopter routine"- she gets this from her Uncle Jason! She can now roll over from her back to her stomach, and stomach to back. This has something to do with her constant movement in her crib at night. We have found her several times with her legs propped up on the side of her crib, totally upside down. She very rarely fusses and is still our most observant girl. During tummy time Ava James can hold her entire body up but gets tired fairly quickly. She can hold her head steady now and prefers to sit in your lap, not be cradled in your arms.

Both girls amaze us more and more each day!

3 Months Old!

I can't believe my baby girls are 3 months old! Time is FLYING!

The girls surprise me each and every day with how quickly they are growing and developing. Both girls have two very different personalities. I personally think they look COMPLETELY different as well, but strangers seem to think they look just alike. A big milestone for the girls recently is that they have both started sleeping in their cribs at night. Both girls sleep through the night- about 7 hours before needing to eat. Ava James is easiest to put to bed- most of the time you can put her in her crib and she will fall straight to sleep. Hadley has to be rocked and coxed to sleep most nights. Due to her EXTREME startle reflex, sometimes Hadley has to sleep in her bouncy chair which we set inside her crib. Otherwise she will startle herself awake many, many times a night (which scares her and then she cries for hours). Both girls have growing appetites! During the day, the girls still eat 4 ounces, sometimes 5. Before bed both girls eat 6 ounces. The girls don't have another doctors appointment until next month (when they are 4 months) so I am not sure on their exact weights. However, I would guess Hadley is close to 12lbs and Ava James 10lbs.Both girls can wear 3 month old clothing, however sometimes it is still a little big on Ava James. Here is a little bit more about the girls at 3 months...

Hadley is our more active girl. If she is awake, she has to be moving. We bought her a bouncy seat, which she LOVES, but only for short periods. We have added some extra toys to the already existing toys on her bouncy seat in hopes that they would keep her attention for a little longer. She gets bored very easily. She also likes the swing, but only when she is sleepy. Most days, the swing is the only place I can get her to nap. Hadley has recently decided that she doesn't need sleep. In fact, the other day, she stayed awake for 12 hours straight without a nap. If she does nap during the day, it is only for an hour or so. Like I said before, Hadley LOVES to be moving. If you are holding her, she demands that you bounce her or throw her in the air. She is a Mama's girl through and through. No matter where I am in the house, she has to be with me. She will scream if I leave the room, only to smile and giggle as soon as I return. Speaking of smiling, I would say Hadley smiles 90% of the time that she is awake. She is one happy baby! She thinks it is HILARIOUS to have her diaper changed. She also enjoys "talking" now. She likes to talk more in the mornings and at night before bed and only for short increments of time. Hadley can hold her head up on her own, for the most part, unless she is extremely tired and ready for bed. Hadley LOVES her pacifier and will absolutely freak out when it falls out of her mouth. Hadley is a pretty strong baby, especially considering she is only 3 months old and was born a preemie. She loves to stand! Now granted she needs help to keep from falling over, but she can basically hold all of her weight all on her own. Hadley's eyes are still blue! They are more of a grayish-blue, but considering everyone else in our family (except her Poppa) have brown eyes, I am sure they will change as she gets old.

Ava James is our sweet, cuddly girl. She still enjoys laying on her play mat and kicking. She will kick for HOURS. Most days I find her asleep on her play mat- she will kick until she falls asleep! While she is kicking, she will laugh and laugh at the toys hanging from her play mat. She also likes to laugh at Bailey, our family dog. AJ still likes her naps and will almost always asleep on her own. She has just begun to enjoy sitting up like her sister (with help) and looking around. She is perfectly happy sitting in your lap, surveying the room. Ava James can hold her head up on her own, for the most part, but will get tired easily. Ava James likes to talk as well. In fact, she will have more in depth "conversations" than her sister. If she is sitting in your lap, she will talk and laugh all while keeping full eye contact. She likes to "hold hands" a lot and has begun to put her pacifier back in her mouth all by herself (as long as it hasn't fallen too far away). Ava James never really has hissy fits. She will cry out once or twice if she needs something- diaper change, pacifier, she's cold, etc. If she is hungry she will definitely let you know, but even then she just scream. Ava James loves to cuddle, especially when she gets tired. Her eyes are big and brown, just like her Mama and Daddy :) Ava James was born with an "angel kiss" on her forehead between eyes (as you can see pretty well in previous blog posts). It is basically a type of birthmark. However, it isn't permanent and we have seen that over the past couple of weeks. Her angel kiss is slowing but surely disappearing. It gets lighter every day.

We are all still adjusting to having two babies in the house, but I think we are all doing pretty well. I am still so thankful and blessed for our little miracles :)

2 Months Old!

Our sweet baby girls turned 2 months old on Christmas Eve! I still can't believe time has gone by so fast. The girls are growing too fast- time needs to slow down!

 

At their 2 month check up Hadley weighed 9lbs 4oz and Ava James weighed 7lbs 10oz. That is a BIG difference from the 3 & 4 pounds that they weighed at birth. Both girls are only in the 3rd & 5th percentile, but that is normal considering they were born 4 weeks early (36 weeks). If they had been born full term at 40 weeks, they would only be a month old! Dr. Trumbull was once again very pleased with their growth and progress. Hadley is progressing a little faster than Ava James, but that is normal. After all, they are two completely different human beings. Both girls got their first round of shots at their doctor visit as well. I think the girls did a little bit better than their Mom :( I had to make Rusty help the nurse- I couldn't stand to see my baby girls so upset! But they both did good. After a short snuggle after their shots, they both calmed down and went back to sleep in their car seats. However, later that afternoon both girls seemed to be hurting pretty bad. After all, both girls still have very skinny legs where they were given their shots. Per doctors orders, I gave them both a small dose of baby Tylenol and they both felt MUCH better. Poor Hadley even ran a low grade fever, but she is good as new now.

 

In their two short months, their personalities have become very evident. They are two very different little girls! Hadley smiles, coos, and even giggles A LOT. She loves to play and demands a lot of attention. She wants to sit up, stand (with help obviously), and kick/jump (also with help) ALL DAY LONG. With so much activity, you would think she would conk out towards the middle/end of the day. However, she will do anything in her power to keep from falling asleep. She doesn't like naps very much. The majority of time we have to rock her for a while in order to get her "sleepy" enough to go in her crib. Ava James is beginning to smile and coo. She is our more observant little girl. She loves to look around at all the colors and lights! She is our most snuggly girl. She is perfectly happy laying on your chest and examining every inch of your face. Unlike her sister, Ava James has no problem taking naps and going to sleep. We can put AJ in her crib wide awake and she will go to sleep.

 

 

Merry Christmas from The Russells!

 Hadley Kate (asleep) in her new sunglasses

Ava James (also asleep) in her new shoes

 

The girls had a wonderful first Christmas (even though they slept through most of it). Both girls received a Bumbo seat, Sophie the Giraffe, sunglasses, shoes, clothes, and A LOT of new toys. Santa spoiled our baby girls :) On the 22nd we headed to Skipperville, Alabama to celebrate Christmas with their Great Granny, Great Grandpa, Great Aunts, Great Uncles, and a lot of cousins. The girls got to have Christmas with Rusty's side of the family on the 23rd at our house here in Montgomery. Their grandparents, Aunt Tara, Uncle Cliff and cousin Jake all came! Then, on the 24th we headed to Wetumpka, Alabama to celebrate Christmas with the girl's Nonnie, Poppa, Uncle Jason, Aunt Meredith, and cousin Harper. On Christmas Eve night the girls got to attend their FIRST Christmas party at The Roberson's in Montgomery. We stayed in Wetumpka for a couple days because of bad weather before heading home on the 26th. It was a very crazy busy Christmas, but we survived and had a great time!





1 Month Old

I still can't believe it- my baby girls are ONE MONTH OLD! Time is already flying by :(

We had our one month check up on Monday. I feel like I live at the pediatrician. We went to the doctor the previous Friday. Both girls had thrush on their first Thanksgiving :( This left us with two VERY fussy babies and very little sleep. For those of you who don't know what thrush is, it is a mouth infection. All babies are actually born with thrush- I was surprised when Dr. Trumbull told us this! I was scared to death that I hadn't cleaned and sterilized their bottles and pacifiers good enough. All babies pick up the infection before they are born. However, most babies have an immune system that can fight off the infection. Since both of my girls were premature, and some of their family have thrush even into their later years, the girls couldn't quite fight off the infection. Hadley Kate had the worst of it. She was VERY fussy and had trouble eating. The infection went all the way down her esophagus. Ava James wasn't quite as bad, but was still very uncomfortable. Dr. Trumbull prescribed them both a very strong antibiotic that they will take for 2 weeks. Fortunately, the antibiotic has already knocked out the infection and both girls are feeling MUCH better :)

Their one month check up went great! Dr. Trumbull is very pleased with their weight gain, growth, and over all health. Hadley weighed 6lbs 12oz (up from 4lbs 9oz at birth) and was 19 inches long. Ava James weighed 5lbs 8oz (up from 3lbs 14oz at birth) and was also 19 inches long. They are both healthy as can be (other than the thrush)!

Both girls seem very strong to be so little! Both girls like to lift their heads and look you in the face if you are trying to burp them. They have become very alert and love to be held and talked to! I am trying to my best not to spoil them too much :) Ava James is very observant and loves to look around. Hadley likes to "talk" to you...whether you are around or not. She grunts and moans all day long. Both girls are very sensitive when it comes to their twin sister. If one girls is crying, you can bet the other girl is going to start. They hate to hear their sister cry.

They are sleeping fairly good at night now, which is SUCH a blessing. We sleep in 2.5-3 hours increments throughout the night. We probably get about 5-6 hours total? I won't know what to do when I can finally get 6 hours of sleep without interruption!

The girls eat about every 3 hours during the day. The longest they have gone in between feeding is 6 hours at night- but that seems to have been a one time thing. At night they can stretch about 4 hours in between feedings fairly regularly. I attribute this to their growing appetite. To be so small, they eat quite a bit! Hadley eats 4oz regularly and has eaten up to 6oz in the past. Ava James eats 3oz regularly and has eaten up to 5oz. We are very fortunate to have both girls on the same schedule. Therefore, if one girl wakes up, the other is normally not far behind. Same goes with feedings. I have learned how to multi-task and feed/burp/play/hold/rock both girls at the same time.

I have had my crying, "I can't do this!" moments, but they seem to be dwindling away. It is getting easier and easier as time passes. Don't get me wrong, it is still VERY difficult, but it is all worth it!!! I am still in awe of these miracle babies and how much God must love me to "loan" me two of His children :)

They're Here!!!

Our little miracles have arrived!!! Hadley Kate Russell and Ava James Russell both arrived at 8:36am on Wednesday, October 24th, 2012. Hadley Kate weighed 4lbs 9oz and was 16 1/2 inches long, and Ava James weighed 3lbs 14oz and was 16 3/4 inches long. Believe it or not, even though they were so tiny, both girls were able to go to the well nursery shortly after being born- NO NICU TIME! Both girls had an APGAR score of 9.9- amazing :)

So since I never even got to give our 36 weeks update, I guess I will start there. The Monday morning before the girls were born, I had a doctors appointment. Everything looked perfect- no Braxton Hicks and both girl's heart rates looked perfect. Dr. Dupre was actually out of town, so I saw Dr. Nedham that day. Dr. Dupre joked the previous week that I better not go into labor since he would be out of town...little did we know...

The next day, Tuesday, everything seemed normal. I actually felt a little bit better than I had in previous days. I seemed to have more energy. That night we went to church for dinner and made it back home by 8 or so. Once we got home I laid on the couch to relax a little bit. Something both Rusty and I found REALLY strange was our fur baby Bailey, our 7 year old Pek-A-Poo, kept sitting next to me only to stare at me. We took her out to potty, made sure she had food and water, etc.- nothing seemed to satisfy her. All she wanted to do was stare at me! I swear that she knew something that we didn't...

So fast forward to early Wednesday morning. As usual, I was up about every 45 minutes or so to go to the bathroom. About 5:15am I got up to go to the bathroom and started to make my way back to the bed. Next thing I know...my water breaks! Since I have never been pregnant before, I wasn't quite sure that my water had really broken. Therefore, I laid back down in bed and googled "Did my water break?" Yes, I am that big of a dork! After reading several posts online, I decided that we might want to head into the hospital just to be sure. About 30 minutes later, I got up and woke Rusty up to tell him we had to go to the hospital.

To my surprise, both of us were very calm. I always assumed that both of us would be in a panic- especially since I was only 36 weeks! But we got up, I put on make up, Rusty packed the car, and by 6:30am we were on our way to the hospital.

I was immediately admitted to the hospital and taken up stairs to the labor and delivery rooms. I was SO HAPPY to see a sorority sisters face as soon as the elevators doors opened! :) I might have freaked out a little more, but knowing that Ashton was there made it all a little better! Plus I knew that another sorority sister and long time friend, Kirby, was in the NICU in case the girls weren't perfectly healthy when ever they were delivered.

I was checked to see if my water had broken, and sure enough, it had! Since Dr. Dupre was out of town, and both babies were still breech, that meant that whatever doctor was on call would perform the c-section. This happened to be Dr. Desautels. Even though I LOVED Dr. Dupre and wished he was there, I'm glad that Dr. Desautel was on call that night in comparison to some of the doctors that could have been there.

After speaking with the doctor, it was determined that they would start to prep me for the c-section. We originally planned on having a spinal block, but since I had a slight case of spina bifita as a child, the anesthesiologist decided that it would be best to completely knock me out. There was a possibility that I might bleed out with a spinal block- the general anesthesia avoided any possibility of this happening. Not being awake while the girls were being born came as a shock at first, and it honestly upset me quite a bit, but I understood why that just wasn't possible. Having general anesthesia also meant that Rusty couldn't be in the OR while the girls were being born. I know that he was pretty upset about this, but I know he would rather have me come out of surgery safely than the alternative.

About 3 hours after my water broke, the girls were born. Rusty was able to come in the OR as soon as the girls were delivered. He was actually standing outside when they were delivered and heard the girls cry for the first time. I was still knocked out! Rusty said that they were still stitching me up (creepy/gross/scary) when he came in the OR.

It is beyond amazing to me that both girls were so healthy. Nothing but a miracle! Ava James was 50 grams away from going to the NICU simply based on weight. They are both so tiny, but so perfect.

 

Hadley Kate

Ava James

 

After staying in the hospital for 3 days, all three of us were discharged on Saturday to go home. I was still sore from the c-section, but nothing like I thought it would be! The girls have adjusted well to being home. We are still working on getting them on a schedule, and it seems to be going pretty good! They had their days and nights mixed up at first, but thankfully they are starting to get everything straightened out. They eat like CRAZY! At their doctors appointments this past Friday, Hadley Kate weighed 4lbs 11oz, and Ava James weighed 3lbs 13oz. Dr. Trumbull, their pediatrician, was VERY happy with their weights. Most babies can take up to 2 weeks to get back to their birth weight...it didn't take our little girls that long! Not with how they eat :)

 

 

I still can't believe that God has blessed us to much. It has been such a journey to get these precious miracles here- it still doesn't seem real. I don't feel deserving for any of His blessings, but I am forever thankful. Becoming a parent has been the most rewarding experience/job of my life. It's definitely hard, especially with two, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I never knew that you could love someone so much. I knew I loved these little girls before they were born, but nothing compares to my love for them now. I am forever thankful for my husband as well. Rusty is an AMAZING Daddy. He is a pro at changing diapers, feeding them, and loving them the way every father should love his children. Seeing him be such a wonderful father has only made my love for him grow stronger.

 

 

More updates to come later!!!