11 weeks 1 day

There has been so much going on over the last few weeks that I'm not even sure where to start writing!

We've settled into a routine of sorts with the girls. We've gone to an on-demand feeding pattern so that the girls are actually hungry when they go to eat and will eat more, just less often. They still go 3 hours sometimes, but sometimes the heavens smile upon us and they go 5! When one girl fusses for food, the other has to eat at the same time or else we'd get into a vicious cycle of constant feeding. At night this can be tricky, though. When I'm all alone and one girl gets fussy but the other sleeps, I can feed the hungry girl, put her back to bed and then wake up the other and feed her as well. If I'm not lucky, both girls get fussy at the same time and I have to figure out a way to feed them at the same time. Either way, it can be an hour and a half of feeding before I finish, another 20 minutes if one of the girls doesn't want to fall back asleep, and then we do it all again 3 hours from the time we started. All this means that I get about 1-2 hours of straight sleep at any given time.

Luckily, our incredible niece, Darian, has come over from Sequim to help us throughout the month. She cuddles the girls, takes on the nighttime feedings with me, folds laundry, does dishes, and is just generally a huge help in getting through the day. We bought her a netbook to thank her for giving up her summer, but I think she would have done it for free just because she loves these girls so much. Plus, it gave her a chance to go to Alderwood Mall and the Marysville Outlet Mall to do her school shopping!

Sean took three weeks off vacation when both girls were finally home, but it went WAY too fast - for both of us. It's the most time we've ever been able so spend together and the most time Sean has ever been off work. I missed him so much the day he went back, and not just because I had to take every night feeding on my own.

Around the time he had to go back to work, Charlotte started getting colicky. She would start crying around 9 and nothing would get her to stop. Nothing. Sean started calling her "the velociraptor" because her 8 decibel shrieks sounded like the velociraptors from Jurassic Park in the moment before they attack. And because we'd be in the process of trying to comfort her on our chest, her tiny little lungs with the power of concert speakers would be positioned perfectly next to our eardrums. Sean already had hearing damage from the military but now it's a lost cause entirely. We'll be 80-years old and I'll be practically blind and he'll be stone-deaf and we'll look out for each other. It will be cute as long as one of us doesn't think it's funny to leave the other hanging once in awhile, which is entirely likely. I'll tell our daughters all his secrets and when he asks, I'll say, "Nothing, dear!" He'll make gestures of craziness right in front of me and when I ask he'll say, Nothing, Dear!" with an even bigger smile.

The girls are starting to show their personalities in small ways. Lilah is much more reactive to things and we call her a drama queen. She has discovered her highest octave and squeals at that pitch when she's frustrated. Charlotte is overall more patient and will just watch the world around her when she's awake. Unless she's hungry. Charlotte is always the first to let us know that she's hungry by crying uncontrollably. Lilah would probably sleep for a few more hours if we let her. Charlotte was born with more hair and Lilah still hasn't caught up, so right now that's the easiest way to tell them apart. When they have hats on is when it gets tricky.

Almost two weeks ago they were weighed at the pediatrician's office (we LOVE LOVE LOVE Dr. Dunn at Northshore Group Health) and Lilah was 6 lbs 13 oz, Charlotte was 6 lbs 11 oz. We figure they're now almost 7.5 lbs since they've been putting on an ounce a day for the last two months. They've at last grown out of their preemie outfits and into the newborn clothes!

This brings to mind one important point we've encountered: since these girls are just now getting in to newborn status, the girls are essentially newborn babies for an extra three months, and everything that goes with it. (Several feedings a night, inability to retrieve their own pacifiers, colic, etc.) Surprisingly, they are already meeting milestones expected of two-month olds, though. They clasp their own hands, follow us with their eyes, when placed on their bellies they lift their heads for more than 10 seconds, pushes with legs when on a surface, responds to loud sounds, etc. The only thing they don't do at this point is smile and laugh in response to us and I can't wait for the day they start doing that!

I go back to work the day after Labor Day and it's getting harder to think about being away from the girls for that long each day. We did finally hire a nanny and she is going to be a lifesaver. She currently works for a Learning Academy but wanted to be more one-on-one with kids and form relationships that lasted longer than the year they were in a given class. We were really hoping to find someone who wanted to be part of the family - would go to birthday parties and take joy in their achievements just like we would - and that is exactly what she was looking for as well. Her kids are all but grown, the youngest is 15, and she's eager to have babies in her arms again. I can't say that I blame her. These girls are super cute. I just hope that she doesn't get overwhelmed with the demands of these two all at once!

Ok, those are the thoughts off the top of my head. Hopefully this random series of tidbits will appease those checking the blog every day in the hopes of a new post. I'll try to do better in the future *salute*

From Charlotte and Lilah together

From Charlotte and Lilah together

From Charlotte and Lilah

From Charlotte and Lilah