Parker & Jolie- 1 month
Our babies are one months old! How in the world has four weeks past already? I am physically in awe of how much they have changed and grown since we brought them home. I still cannot believe that these babies are a result of the past nine months (well, technically ten months now..)
Even with the occasional scream sesh of babies times two and the lack of sleep (running on fumes is the new norm) these girls still lighten my mood the moment I lay my hands on them. Every single emotion you can think of has been felt by Jordan and me.. most so exhausting. But- the days, and nights, are getting easier as we are getting the swing of this whole parent/mom/dad thing. It has truly been nothing short of amazing to say the least.
We went for their one month appointment on Friday and both did really great. This was the third time they’ve been measured, weighed, and examined by Dr. Butler- and every time its getting easier and easier with less fussing out of both of them.
Both girls are making great progress in their uphill climb for weight gain. Thank goodness for that, because this mommy and daddy have been busting the seams with effort to help Parker and Jolie put on the pounds.. well.. ounces, at least!
Jolie @ 1 month:
Weight: 6 pounds (Birth: 4 lbs 8 oz)
Height: 19.3 in (Birth: 18 in)
Head: 13.5 in (Birth: 12 in)
Parker @ 1 month:
Weight: 7 lbs 9 oz (Birth: 5 lbs 14 oz)
Height: 20.7 in (Birth: 18 in)
Head: 14 in (Birth: 13.2 in)
Our pediatrician was really pleased with their stats. Parker is growing rapidly, and Jolie, while not quite on the growth charts just yet, is truckin’ right along with her sister. Looking at both of them together, Parker seems huge.. but is still actually smaller than some newborn babies!
EAT
From day one both girls have been excellent breastfeeders. Jolie is all business and will consistently feed for 22-30 minutes, while Parker seems to be more distracted and will pull off a couple times before she is finished. I say distracted- I think most of that distraction attributes to the fact that she is very efficient and finishes quicker than her tiny sister. To keep my supply strong, I pump after almost every feeding. Some might say this is overkill- but it gives my Type A personality piece of mind to know that I will be able to feed two babies to satisfaction if my body knows I need it. After much research I’ve figured out that my supply is dependent upon the demand. In the beginning while my milk was still coming in and when weight was of major concern we were supplementing with about 1-2 ounces of formula or if I had pumped enough- breast milk after each time they fed- but as of this week the girls have started to refuse the bottles after. They have gotten so much better at the breast feeding business and that makes my heart happy. Not to mention my life SO much easier. It was tough feeding them once, and then feeding them both all over again. Twice a day we bottle feed them expressed milk, just so I know they are getting enough. When we do use bottles they eat about 3-4 oz every 3 to 3.5 hours. After they eat they’re awake for a bit and then fall asleep for the last hour and a half or so before its time to eat again.
I have really come to enjoy breastfeeding the girls and appreciate and all of its benefits, but it is exhausting. I didn’t realize how tired it would make me- on top of interrupted sleep patterns. Even though I feed them at the same time, it is still quite time-consuming with twins, especially on the days that I’m home alone for 24 hours while Jordan is at the fire station. My girl, and fellow twin mom, Meredith, put it best when describing the twin feeding process:
SLEEP
In the early weeks, the girls spend 98% of their time snoozing. We would actually have to wake them to eat- setting alarms at night to get them up after 3.5 hours or so. Now, they are waking themselves up during the day, right at 3 hours, and most of the time will do the same at night. We still set alarms at night, just to make sure they are still eating on ‘schedule’. They spend a lot more time awake and alert- looking and taking in their surroundings. It is so fun to ‘play’ with them during their awake times. At night they sleep in our room in the pack and play and occasionally their bouncy seats. The first few weeks while they were still ‘learning’ to breast feed, they would swallow a lot of air- Jolie especially because her mouth is so small. So feeding them at night and then laying them down to sleep was miserable for their tummies. Putting them at an incline made it much easier to drift back to sleep. But, the past two weeks they have gone back down, for the most part, in the pack and play after they eat.
My oldest baby girl (by just two minutes..) In the beginning we thought you were in fact the drama queen of the house. But, this first month, you have developed into one with the sweetest personality and are as laidback as it gets. You could care less about the dreaded diaper changes or lotion lathering. You still have all of your crazy hair- Momma could almost pull it back into a pony tail holder- if they make them as little as you. While we all thought, for sure, you were your daddy’s little mini-me, your lips, eye color, and olive skin tone resemble more of your momma’s everyday. I’m often taken back by your perfectly intricate little features- you are so beautiful. You’re finally filling in the newborn sized diapers and have grown completely out of preemie clothes, even though the newborn sizes still just about swallow you whole. You’ve started to gain more motor control- lifting your head and looking around you, and you particularly love the Christmas tree. It makes me sad to take it down because it interests you so. You’ve found your voice this week and make screeching and sweet baby voices every now and then. You are a loud sleeper- 4 weeks old and already can out snore your daddy. You love to cuddle and sleep best on mommy or daddy’s chest- but are totally content with anyone that is holding you at the moment- as long as you are upright and not cradled like a baby- go figure. You adore bath time and become so relaxed that you are like a rag doll when mommy is trying to wash your little head. You are usually the last to get in the tub so you can spend a little extra time in there if you want. You are slowly starting to hold a gaze with momma when I talk to you- and will crack a halfway smile which brings me such delight in my heart. I am so eager to see what month 2 brings to your personality.
This picture can be best described by little Jolie:
Month by Month Stickers: Project Baby Smiles
Head Bows: Laura Beth Creations
January 7, 2013
they are precious. like SO precious!! i'm sure you are exhausted and all of that but i LOVE your heart for your girls and that you find joy even in the hard and exhausting parts of being a mommy!! =)
LOVE this post…it might be my favorite yet bc of Jolie's eyes in every picture…she looks as if there is a monster in the room! Wide-eyed beauty! They are just precious angels!
It is hard to believe that the girls are already a month old! They are so precious! We use Dr. Butler as well and LOVE her. She has been such a blessing and we love how close she is. I love that she knows who we are when we come in and how personal she is. You have made it a month! Congratulations again!
i love love LOVE the outtakes… silly sweet babes..
hehehe lovvvvvve them!!!
We Are The Tabbs
Too precious!!
New follower here ๐
Your girls are such doll babies ๐ I LOVE their names! So sweet!
Newbabykeigan.blogspot.com
They are so beautiful–I want to meet them! Not to mention Sloane needs some girl time, ha! You are doing an amazing job with these two! Isn't it crazy when you only breastfeed one? It's so fast and convenient. Two? Not so much! ๐ Month two is just as amazing, you're going to love it!
These are the most beautiful babies!!! Wow!!! You are so blessed! I have Irish twins and I tend to feel completely overwhelmed, so I can't imagine how you must feel!!!!
Ahhh love this!! Such sweet girls and such a sweet mama- you are all 4 doing great, so keep up the good work!! ๐
Congrats on the kiddos! They are precious. I'm actually due on Valentine's day and am finding your posts really helpful for what to expect so soon! ๐
http://www.wastingtimewisely.com
They are adorable and good job on the breastfeeding momma! My hubby is a firefighter too and we have a 5 month old, I totally understand how hard those 24 hour shifts can be. Your a single mom for 24 hours and it is HARD, I can't imagine what it would be like with two. So keep up the good work giving those precious baby girls momma's milk. I promise it does get easier.