sometime in April

During my pregnancy, I typically didn't share my due date with people who inquired - I simply referred to my due date as "sometime in April". This was because I was expecting twins...and how many mothers carrying twins actually make it to their due date?! (We won't even get into how I feel about that now!) The truth is, my due date was April 30 or May 1. Which means our boys are full term today!

Weight. To celebrate the 40 week mark, we visited Dr. Colleen. The most exciting part of our appointment was the scale. Emmanuel, who typically trails his brother by 3-8 oz, is catching up! Mannie weighs 8# 8.8 oz, and Russell weighs 8# 9.6 oz. I couldn't believe it. I was expecting the boys to be near 8#, maybe slightly over. I mean, they are filling out their newborn clothing nicely. But eight and a half pounds each - WHOA! Mannie was only 5# 11.2 oz on April 1!!!!

Length. Both boys were 19.5 inches today - over an inch gain for each boy this month.

Head circumference. Mannie's head is 35.5 cm and Russell's is 36.5 cm. What a change from 31.2 cm and 32.8 cm, respectively.

Dr. Colleen was so pleased with their growth, and so were we! Our boys are getting BIG and we like it!

Other news...
Feeding. The boys eat/drink about 28 oz every day. They get 2-3 feedings of breastmilk and 4-5 of formula. Typically they have 4 oz every feeding. (When we left the NICU a month ago, they were taking in half as much.)

Sleeping. The number one question we get from our friends and neighbors..."Are you getting any sleep?" The answer is, YES, but not much ;) No, seriously, we do get some sleep. The boys eat every 3-4 hours, and they typically sleep most of the time in between their feedings.

Diapers. We are big fans of Pampers Swaddlers New Baby diapers. We tried size 1, but they were a bit too big so we're holding tight in size "N" for now.

Vaccinations...argh. Today we had our second dose of Synagis. The boys are having a fussy day as a result. My mom watched/juggled them for a few hours this afternoon so I could go to a baby shower hosted by my students. Sounds like she spent the entire time calming boys, while I was being spoiled by some of the boys' biggest fans.




The Man




Russ


But, my boys typically are happy. Here are their more content/calm faces...





Mannie




Russ


Tomorrow is May 1. I hope and pray the new month brings us as much joy as April. We are doubly blessed.

You know you're a mother of twins...

when your husband gets home from work and you're still in your pajamas.

So much to say, so little time

I have been composing blog posts in my mind all week long, but whenever I sit down to write, a baby boy cries out for my attention. And I have to pick up a crying baby if I can, because one's cries can quickly double in our household. I haven't yet perfected one handed typing - nor do I want to at this point in time. I mean, would I really be able to think and write while simultaneously calming a fussy baby?!

This has been a big week for the Trewartha Twins.
3 months old. WOW. Three months already.
39 weeks gestation. (Which means their adjusted age is negative one week!!!)
A perfect eye exam with Dr. Shuey in Duluth. Yay! He said, "See you in a year." We are ecstatic. We are thrilled their eyes are developing and perhaps just as thrilled to not have to make the trip to Duluth for a few months. Our next trip will be for the NICU follow up clinic in August.

I look forward to recording all my great ideas soon. I am once again summoned by a dear little boy.

a little piece of our story

Dave and I had the opportunity to share our story on Healthy Living - the segment aired the evening we went home. The video of the boys, especially Mannie, is exceptional! I still cry every time I watch it.

here we go!

My boys, Emmanuel David and Russell James, were born 14 weeks early on January 21, 2010. We spent the first 10 weeks of their lives in the NICU at St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth, MN. We arrived home just in time for Easter, proof that miracles do happen!

Now that we've been home for two weeks, I am ready to begin a record of my adventures in mothering multiples. I'm not as clever as Nat the Rat, and I do not possess the talent of my good friend ahh bear, but I'm going to begin this blog with the hopes that over time I can entertain my readers (or at least myself) with my writing.