The girls are in there 14th week of life.. 14 weeks old today.  FOURTEEN.  It seems that I simply blink and another week has gone by.  Momma feels like she is chasing her tail, but always has time for my sweet babies.

Jolie has totally filled out- her cheeks are pinchable and her little thighs are gettin’ some rolls!  Parker.. well, her thunder thighs are out of control. They are both in Size 1 diapers, although, my girl Parker fills them out much better than petite Jolie.  We actually fold Jolie’s over before we strap it.  It covers up half of her little belly if we don’t!  They are still in newborn size clothes- I am pulling off tags and washing as we go.  With the warmer weather we can finally get into the stack of short-sleeved onesies we have piled high in their closet.  I  have attempted to put them in Gap and Gymboree 0-3 months and Carter’s 3 months clothes and the clothes swallow them.  So, for now, Carter’s NB fits them the very best.     

Jolie @ 3 months: 
Weight: 9lbs 8 oz (Birth: 4 lbs 8 oz; 1 month: 6 lbs; 2 months: 7lbs 13 oz) 
Height:  21 in (Birth: 18 in; 1 month: 19.3 in)
Head: ** in (Birth: 12 in; 1 month: 13.5 in) 

Parker @ 3 months:
Weight: 10lbs 5oz (Birth: 5 lbs 14 oz; 1 month: 7 lbs 9 oz; 2 months: 9lbs 6oz)
Height:  ** in (Birth: 18 in; 1 month: 20.7 in)
Head: ** in (Birth: 13.2 in; 1 month: 14 in)

PLAY
I’ve added this ‘section’ to this month’s post because I’ve seen such advancements in these two girl since month 2.  They actually recognize, interact, and acknowledge Jordan and me, babble and coo, smile, and reach for toys.  We spend a lot of time on the activity mat- they will bat and reach for the hanging toys and are completely infatuated with the light up animals.  Parker and Jolie will have full on converstaions with those lit up little guys.  The Boppy pillows have come in great use for tummy time- Parker, that girl could do Tummy Time all day!  It is shocking how strong she is.

With weekly physical therapy and regular stretching in between appointments, Jolie is getting so much stronger at holding her head up.  Before this month she was unable to hold her head well enough to sit in the Bumbo like her sister.  But, now, she is so much stronger.  It is amazing her progress in just one month of treatment.

Aside from their interaction with us, we witnessed their first time seeing one another this week, and caught it on camera!  

EAT
I am still exclusively breastfeeding the girls every 3-3.5 hours.  We have even allowed them to go to 4 hours if they are both asleep, but when one wakes up the other is woken as well.  Tandem feeding hasn’t gotten too difficult just yet, so feeding them both at the same time is the best and easiest way for me.  I know there will come a time when I have to do one at a time, but for now this still works.  During feeding time the girls constantly have their hands touching one another while they eat and it is so precious.  It is amazing how different the girls’ feeding ‘styles’ are.  Jolie is wide awake and alert, observing everything around her.  She will often times lock eyes with me and it is the sweetest moment between the two of us.  Usually she’ll un-latch and smile at me, and hello.. I’m mush.  Parker, on the other hand, has her eyes closed the entire time and has started to hold her hands over her face while she eats, rubbing back and forth- almost like a soothing action with her hands.  It’s okay for momma, but when her little nails are sharp as knifes, my boobs get scratched up like crazy.  I actually put socks over her hands the other night.  If she is drinking a bottle she’ll occasionally entertain us with her ‘jumping jack’ motions.  Food gets her oh-so-excited.   

During my work week, I feed them at 4am, 5pm, and then before bed at 8:30pm. They take bottles for three feedings while I’m at work.   At the begining of the month we advanced Parker from the 4 ounce bottles and she is now drinking 5 ounces and it wont be long before we advance this to 5.25 or 5.5 ounces.  She can down a bottle in about 5 minutes.  She don’t play. Jolie is still in the 4 ounce bottles, but barely.  She drinks 125mL (4.2 oz) and we are about to start her at 5 ounces soon. 

While at work I’m pumping 3 times a day and expressing close to 30 ounces.  I now need at least this much to keep up with what they are given on my days at work, and I’m thankful I’ve been able to pump more than enough for both of them.  Last Thursday I did my usual pump session first thing in the morning and then proceeded to get through my patients for that morning.  By 10am I had a low grade fever and was feeling pretty terrible.  I had been fighting allergies all week and assumed that this was the reason behind my fever and chills.  I decided it was a good day to take a half day and left at lunch.  By the time I got home my temp had elevated to 102.4 and I had a migraine that would make the devil cry.  I felt like I was dying.  Literally.  I thought for sure I had developed the flu or something like that..but what I couldn’t figure out was why in the world did my chest feel as if there was an elephant sitting on it.  My boobs hurt so terribly, I could hardly wear a bra.  Again.. I felt like I was dying.  Over the next couple hours it went from bad to worse and I had three medical professionals tell me to go to the ER as my temp approached 103.  Of course I didn’t go..and continued to request an in-home remedy.  Finally my doctor called me in a breast-feeding approved antibiotic and instructed me to take Tylenol to help with fever reduction. I couldn’t help but wonder what all this meant and why I was feeling so poorly and how it came on so quickly, and WHY did my boobs hurt so bad?  Thanks to Google, I was a text book case of mastitis.  Even though my girls are breast feeding rock stars, I still developed this painful infection.  Why?  There could be a couple reasons, but one I can guarantee was from breast injury.  I pumped too hard/too long and ended up causing serious inflammation of my breast tissue.  NOT fun. Be careful with that pump, ladies.  

I am still on anitbiotics and feel pretty okay now, but this past weekend and into Monday was a slow and easy-going one.  By Thursday night my fever had come down to a non-scary number, but I was still getting spikes in fever through Saturday, and that terrible migraine lingered into Sunday.  Whew.  Hopefully that is my only experience with mastitis.         

SLEEP

And now for the letters to my baby girls..

Little Miss Parker Jane-

Your Favorites: CARTOONS- well, television in general, your monkey Wubanub, Sleep Sheep, Raspberry kissed on your cheeks, Tummy Time, Music, babbling and smiling, activity mat, sleep, afternoon walks

Your Not-So-Favorites: Sitting alone, loud noises, fighting sleep, Mommy waking you up too early in the morning, bathtime, diaper changes, and lotion after bath (you really hate that!).

Parker girl, you make momma smile.   I tell you every single day that I think you are funny and you just giggle at me as if you know you are absolutely hilarious.  This month you have truly come into your own.  You are so very laid back, but when you want something- especially food (hello-chunky little thighs!) you will for sure let us know.  You love to be held and will whine and cry if we are within eye’s view and don’t come over and pick you up.  You can work up some tears to justify your case for being held, and the moment momma picks you up, the tears and fussing is over in an instant.  You are so smart and intrigued by the television.  Bright lights and sounds hold your attention for long period of time, making you my perfect couch potato partner.  You LOVE to sleep.  I’ve even had to wake you up a time or two in the morning to eat, and you’ve looked at me, given me a sweet little grin, then buried your head into the pad, closing your eyes tight to go back to sleep.  Funny girl.  You are a mover and a shaker- bouncing your little bootie around as you kick your legs about.  You’ve found your hands and have them in your mouth 99% of the time.  If they aren’t in your mouth they are in front of your face with balled fists.  You are so vocal and will screech with excitement at the lights on the activity mat.  My favorite time with you has to be a toss up between your baby naps on my chest and the sweet little conversations we have in between.  You make all kinds of noises and the newest is ‘growling’ when you are excited.

I cannot get enough of you.  Even at 4 in the morning, you still make my heart go flip-flop as I study your sweet baby eyelashes and fair (pink) skin.  I could trace your baby nose and chubby cheeks all night.  So proud of you this month, big girl.

Momma loves you with all her heart.  

My Jolie Polie

Your Favorites: Disney channel, your giraffe Wubanub, ALL pacis, conversations with momma and daddy, Music/singing (You Are My Sunshine), Sleep Sheep, Playing Patti Cake (Your FAVORITE), Talking & Giggling, laying on the changing pad, clean diapers, bathtime, afternoon walks.

Your Not-So-Favorites: Neck stretches and physical therapy, bring patient waiting to eat, Tummy time, fighting sleep, loud noises, losing your paci/Wubanub

How do I love you.. I can’t even begin to count the ways. You have such a special place in my heart, little bit.  This month you have changed so much- I can hardly see my little 4 pound baby in there anymore.  The moment we started you in physical therapy was the moment sassy little Jolie Polie came to the surface, and I LOVE it.  You smile at the simple sound of someone saying your name- especially when you recognize it to be momma or daddy.  And, oh my goodness, your smile is the SWEETest.  I cannot get enough. Your daddy and I fight over who gets to change your diaper because we know that, for whatever reason, the changing table brings out your soft spoken voice and coos.  Like you are so excited to get a clean/dry diaper and you are telling us all about it.  So amazing.  My favorite thing in the whole world to do with you is play Patty Cake.  You get so tickled when we ‘Roll the Dough’ and ‘Mark it with a P’ (for Polie, duh!) that I can’t help but laugh out loud when we play.   

 You have really started to fill out and can hold your own against your bigger little sister. You eat like a champ and even when you find nursing to be the perfect opportunity to hold a sweet little chat with momma you still make sure to finish your ‘meal’ after you’re done talking.  you love to be patted and sung to- and can be calmed by the sound of your daddy’s off-tune rendition of You Are My Sunshine.  We are so proud of you, little girl.  You are doing so amazing with PT, tummy time, and neck stretches.  Even though you don’t like them all so much, you are such a good sport.  I am always excited to take you to therapy so you can show them how well you’ve done in just a week’s time since they have seen you last.  And my they love you so much.  Every one does.  I mean, how can they not? I am excited to see how much you advance this next month. 

My love, my heart.  I adore you.  Love you so, so much.

Happy 3 months, my sweet angels.