Apples Don't Fall Far from the Tree...

Audrey and Isaac had their two-month doctor appt. today. I have to laugh because they are following in their dad's footsteps. Isaac is a short guy, only in the 1st percentile for height (Ryan claims he himself is 5'9, but we all know the truth!). Audrey has a condition called Torticollis (otherwise known as "wry neck") that may require her to wear a helmet with a neck brace for awhile. The running joke in the family is that Ryan needs a helmet for protective measures...we can all recall the "incident" down at the University of Iowa a few years back (too much alcohol = 20+ staples in the head). :) Anyhow, besides Audrey's neck problem (which will heal with some physical therapy) both babies are healthy. I was also given peace of mind that they are not overweight as I feared--they are right on target! Other good news? Both of them started smiling. It still takes a little effort on our part to get them to smile, but when it happens it is adorable! That's what those chubby cheeks are for...:)

Audrey Talking

Audrey Talking
Originally uploaded by rpm112003

not sure where she found the top hat....

Kid Geniuses

I would just like to point out that our kids are reading at the age of two months... :) j/k

Cute...or Just Plain Chubby???

I brought the twins in to work last week to show them off, and one of my co-workers pointed out (what others were probably thinking but too polite to say!) the massiveness of Isaac's cheeks and chin. I personally think it's adorable and kind of funny. What do you think ???

Isaac & Sydney

Isaac & Sydney
Originally uploaded by rpm112003

Isaac & Sydney

Audrey 7.19.09 (1)

Audrey 7.19.09 (1)
Originally uploaded by rpm112003

Audrey in action

Sleep Deprived...

Since we brought the twins home in July, people have asked us a lot, "Is it hard taking care of two babies at once?" I have to admit that it is easier than we expected, but we definitely are not getting enough sleep! The first week they were home we alternated night-time feedings--Ryan would get up for one feeding and I would get up for the next. However, that didn't work out very well, as they were hungry just about every hour and we never got any consecutive hours of sleep! Our friends with twins down in Iowa recommended a sleep schedule and it has worked out much better for us: I take the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. feeding shift and Ryan takes the 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. shift. This way, we each are guaranteed some sleep and if we get to sleep during our shift, it's an added bonus.

Since I've been home taking care of the twins by myself during the day, things have gone pretty smoothly. I had one bad day during my first week alone where everything seemed to go wrong. That afternoon, Audrey had a major blowout in her diaper that resulted in pooh everywhere--all over the couch, all over me, and even somehow in her hair (don't ask). Sydney had also gotten into a bottle of lotion that resulted in her puking and Isaac had some sort of a stomach bug and was projectile vomiting after every feeding. That was a BAD afternoon, and it was the first time I broke down in tears. Needless to say, things are going much more smoothly now. Sydney still adds trouble and Audrey still has impeccable timing and volume when it comes to filling her diapers (major incident at Target this afternoon!), but luckily crises seem to occur one at a time. And while Ryan and I walk around like zombies, the twins are getting plenty of beauty sleep. See these pics...

Audrey and Isaac's First Conversations....

Now a Family...

Isaac

Audrey

On Tuesday, June 30, 2009, Ryan and I welcomed Isaac Ryan and Audrey Elizabeth into the world. Isaac was born by c-section at 9:48 p.m. weighing 5 lb. 2 oz. and Audrey was born at 9:49 p.m. weighing 6 lb. 3 oz. They arrived approximately four and a half weeks early (due date was August 2).

They were (and continue to be) beautiful babies! Isaac had a low birth weight and a slightly misshapen head due to his position in the womb, but was otherwise perfectly healthy. Audrey had fluid in her lungs, was jaundiced, and has a heart murmur, but these are all fairly common conditions for a newborn. We feel blessed and very lucky that these two were born so healthy for being preemies!

Audrey and Isaac spent two and a half weeks in the Special Care Nursery at Fairview Southdale Hospital as "feeders and growers." Looking back we consider this, as my mom would say, a "blessing in disguise," for during this time we learned so much from the nurses about caring for newborns that we otherwise wouldn't have known if they didn't spend this time in the nursery. We are so grateful toward the nursing staff at Fairview; the care and support they provided during that time made it so special and prepared us for life at home with our babies. On Thursday, July 16, we were finally able to bring them home and begin our life together as a family!

Twins!

Ryan and I found out I was pregnant on Monday, Nov. 24, 2008. I remember calling Ryan and telling him while he was standing in line at Lee Ann Chin. Talk about laying a big one on him when he wasn't in the best place to take the news! (I couldn't wait until he got home to tell him). We probably had typical reactions for first-time parents; Ryan's reaction was, "I'll believe it when I see it," and my reaction was, "I think I'm pregnant--all signs point to it, but what if it's all in my head???" On Tuesday, January 6, we received confirmation that there wasn't just one, but TWO babies in there! I remember that we couldn't stop laughing about it (we took the "laugh so we don't cry" approach) and we talked about how crazy it was that this happened to us, especially since our friends Mike and Naghme down in Iowa just had twins. We found out right away they were fraternal, so the next several weeks were spent wondering what they would be. Here are some pictures from our first ultrasound where you can see both babies.