Week - 10 - Numbers 9 and 10

Ava and Bettina join the ranks of the Great Grandkids

Every year, my dad's side of the family meets during the summer for the Dent/Nelson Family Reunion. We drive from all parts of the west coast to come together for a week (or about a week) to be together, reconnect, and eat lots of food. At the end of the week, we get together as families and sub-group families to show our growth in both numbers and size. There were two new bodies added to the ranks this year - Ava and Tina. Grandma Dent now as 2 more great grandkids in her grandkid photo. Ava and Bettina are numbers 9 and 10 of the group.


Grandma Dent (87 years) and Bettina (10 weeks)

That also means that Tina and Grandma are the youngest and the oldest attendees of the reunion this year. This special pictures is to celebrate that bond unique to this year.


Allie, Ash, Mackinzie hold Ava and Tina

However, we did have lots of little helpers anxious to help hold and soothe the girls. This helped us out a lot and the girls really loved it. Uncle Jack was especially good at soothing Ava as she tended to have terrible tummy aches. He knew just where to hold her so it wouldn't hurt. Cousin Zach was our shy, closet kid lover. At the water slides, he was good at holding Tina and making her smile. That was the other "important" milestone this week -- Ava's first smile happened this week during the reunion. Tina's was the first day into our boat trip. Very rewarding!

Week 9 - Their First Boat Trip

Every since I was a kid... well, back up even further... Ever since my mom was a kid, our family has been taking boat trips. My grandfather, J. Fred Kalbach, being from Seattle, loved the Pacific Northwest and each summer since 195-something, he and my grandmother packed up the family from southern California and headed north to Anacortes, Washington - the gateway to the San Juan Islands. Each year they chartered the same boat - "The Dodger", and spent at least a week - usually 2 - cruising around the San Juans and the Canadian islands just above and beyond. It has been a family icon and focal point ever since. My great-uncle (my grandfather's brother) bought a place on San Juan Island so far back ago that he even got to dub the little cove on which it sits and in which we still watch the orcas surface and play "Kalbach Cove".

As my mother married and developed her own family, the tradition carried on. Our summers growing up consisted on one week at the Dent Family Reunion and at least another aboard The Dodger or another chartered boat hopping from island to island. That's me and my dad pictured below. Must have been either my first or second boat trip.


Boat Trip 1970 or 1971

Well, now it's my turn to carry on the traditon. Fortunately, my father has the San Juan bug so bad after all these years of only visiting, he has run off and moved there and bought himself his own little troller which he's dubbed, Kairos. Paul, the kids and I were honored to be the first overnight guests on Kairos as we spend only 2 days aboard visiting a couple of our favorite harbors: Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor.


Boat Trip - 2005

We didn't see any orca, but we did find a nice grey seal and her pup and the tide was so low out at Spenser Spit that many starfish were visable on the rocks from the deck of the boat. Paul and I also went back to the chapel in Roche Harbor - the place where we got engaged - and took another picture like the one the day of our engagement, but this time it included our little girls. So much as changed since then! The girls did great and slept between the two of us in the aft-cabin state room. They baby-bjorned it most of the time we were on the deck so one little "whoopsy" didn't land them in the chilly waters or the hard decks. Grandpa Dent started Paul on the basic steering and layout of the boat and has encouraged us to take additional Coast Guard classes so that we can continue this long-held tradition by borrowing Kairos and making it another yearly treat. We hope we're able to do so.

Week 8 - The "Unfriendly" Doctor Visit

Our pediatrician, Dr. Gin, warned us the day would come. Last month as we finished up our visit, he reminded us that this was the last "friendly" visit and that the following appointment, the girls were to get their first set of shots. So, we braced ourselves, I prepared in advance by arranging to have a second set of helping hands, a teenaged neighbor earning some summer income, and bravely waited for the check up.

Weight is fine (5th percentile for age, non-adjusted) - length fine (same here) - all growth is going well. The crazy white gunck collecting on Tina's tongue isn't thrush (although later on we found out it was!) and the purple-ish ring around Tina's toe is nothing to worry about. Then the shots.... Screaming bloody murder for about a minute, but by the time we get to the car, all's quiet. "Wow," I thought. "Not too bad."

Not too bad until we made it about 2/3rds of the way home. Then, once again, the stereo sound of wailing and suddenly my teenaged helper is really earning her money and probably regretting that she agreed to help out. I can barely concentrate on writing out my check to her the crying is so loud and I desperately plead with my mother to run to the store for some children's aspirin. Both kids are so upset heat is radiating from their little heads and I quickly undress both to cool them down. Mom comes back in from the store with the aspirin. She is saying something and standing only 10 yards away, but over my darling babies' screams, I can't hear a word of what she's said!

I use every soothing technique I can remember: all the "5 'S's'" from "The Happiest Baby on the Block" simultaneously and stripping myself for the skin-to-skin factor, I also throw one baby over each shoulder and jiggle, shush and stand on my head. About an hour later, it starts to take effect. An hour and a half later, it's just mumbles and complaints; two hours later, just some breathy shutters in between sighs. Finally, three hours later, just before Daddy comes home, the babies fall asleep.

He comes in the door... "How was your visit to the doctor?" he asks. Oh, my!

Week 7 -

Just before my bi-monthly Twins Moms group meeting, I weigh the girls on the baby scale. Ava weighs 7 lbs 10 ozs and Bettina is 8 lbs 5 oz. They are getting so big so fast!

This meeting is always a great resource for learning new ideas and bouncing off ideas or hearing additional solutions to everyday obstacles. There are many expecting moms at the meeting this week. It is almost my turn to introduce myself and my girls as well as my questions of the week and I hear Tina's pants making funny noises as she innocently sucks at her bottle. I figure I might as well attend to the diapering before the attention's on us and I ask one of the expecting moms, who's hands are free, to hold Ava's bottle while I work. As I lay Tina out and start to undress her bottom, an avalanche of mustard yellow goo gushes from all sides and has already shot up her back soaking her outfit. Trying hard not to gasp or otherwise call attention to the mess, I proceed to use all my wipes just so her body and hair stay clean while I remove her formerly cute outfit and put on the spare. A neighbor asks, "Does she need another wipe?" I answer, "I think she needs a bath!"

I do end up finishing the mopping up before everyone else's attention is turned toward our section of the circle and through my questioning learn about another brand of bottle, called Dr. Brown, that some say is even better than Avent for gas and colic prevention. I think I will have to try this one out to see if it helps poor little Ava. I later get a compliment from the expecting mom who held Ava's bottle about how calmly we handled Tina's explosion and mop up. It's all part of being in the trenches!

Ava and I also had an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon this week as the ultrasound that the doctor recommended showed a little bit of wiggly-ness (new invented word). However, he thought there was no need for concern. Just to make sure, he asked that both girls come back when they're 6 months old for an xray to check their bones. He also sent me up to the xray department since part of the initial concern stemmed from my personal history.

The milestone of the week: I have been guessing that Tina was ready to give up a feeding. Each night, it's Ava who wakes up first and Tina doesn't seem want to wake. So, I experimented. I only fed Ava and hoped that Tina would continue sleeping and not wake me up 45 minutes later. My hunch was right. Tina now sleeps through a feeding; we have dropped one of their 2 night feedings. Perhaps the light to a full night's rest is growing nearer?

Week 6 - Independence Day

6 weeks old - 4th of July

Week 5 - Back in the Saddle Again

After a very long absence from the barn, I finally was able to visit my mare! With the break for the required bedrest, it had been 3 months since I'd seen her and I was aching to visit. While Paul humored me and introduced the twins to welcoming friends, I caught a quick ride. Just 15 minutes or so in the arena - and bareback so I didn't "waste" any of my precious time dealing with cumbersome tack, but they were very sweet 15 minutes. Here's a picture of one very happy mother!

Back in the Saddle Again - Ava with Allison & Misty

Afterwards, we drove a little further down the coast to one of our favorite exercise trails. We spend the next couple of hours walking along the trail along the ocean bluff-tops. Very relaxing and we enjoyed the people watching as the beaches and trails were full. It's nice to start including the kids in some of our old routines. Also, a nice way to celebrate their 5th week of being with us! (Happy Birthday, girls!)

Paul & Bettina - At the Beach

Week 4 - Baptism Day

What would have been their official due date was instead the girls' Baptism Day. Family, some close friends and the chosen god-parents gathered 'round in church for their holy day.


Baptism Day

Ava's god-mothers are Liz and Lisa. Allison is god-mother to both their first-born daughters, so now the trio is complete. Ava's god-father is Mike, a good and trusted friend.

Ava's god-parents

Ron and Jodi Lom and Scott are Tina's god-parents. Scott, being quasi-family, knew and loved Tina's namesake, Allison's grandmother and therefore has a special kinship to her.

Bettina's god-parents

Week 3 - How to Lose 30 Pounds in 3 Weeks

Although the twins have been having bi-weekly appointments with their doctor, it's taken me a bit longer to circle back with mine. Two weeks after being discharged from the hospital, I had my first follow-up appointment with my OB after the C-section. Basically they wamt to touch base to check to make sure that the incision is healing properly and to remove the bandage that protects the incision from shower water and normal wear-and-tear. While there, however, they go through the other normal routine of checking the blood pressure and body weight. I was a bit disappointed when I weighed in - no longer pregnant - and heard "one-hundred fifty-seven pounds." That's a lot, I thought. "What was I last time I was here?" Of course, then I was still very pregnant and about five days from giving birth. The nurse looked through the chart and said last time I weighed in at one-hundred eighty-nine. Wow! I couldn't believe it! That number seems so big now! It's amazing how quickly the mind forgets how big I was and the discomfort that came with it.

The upside is that I've lost over thirty pounds in under 3 weeks! I'm not sure the popularity of this radical diet, though. Seems that eating grapefruits for 3 weeks straight or counting carbs would be a lot easier than being pregnant for 8 months, although the alcohol regime would probably be the same.

So, just when I think I'm doing pretty good - focusing on the 30 pounds lost rather than the 20 pounds I'd still like to lose - a harsh reality check hits: As a treat, I hired a babysitter so I could take my hard-working, supportive mother out for lunch and for a bit of Nordstrom shopping (still have some good deals at their Half-Yearly sale). Lunch is perfect and served on the warm and sunny patio. Shopping is nice (although I realize it's going to be awhile before I feel inspired to buy something new). The nice Nordstrom sales assistant who's been helping my mom and I remarks as I come out of the dressing room, "I didn't realize until now that you were pregnant!" "I was, but I actually gave birth 4 weeks ago," I answer. I was dumbfounded when she answered, "Well, it does take some time to take it off again, doesn't it." Stupid lady! I didn't want to hear that! Bad sales associate! No commission for you!

It's a good thing I'm not already sensitive about my weight - nor really ever been. However, the comment, as well as the mirrors in the changing room and my general desire to "do more" with my day has inspired me to be a little more active. More walking and exercising. It does feel good, though, and is also good for the babies to get some more fresh air.

First Adventures

Emily & Jonathan Kalbach with the twins at their wedding

Paul and I have been challenging ourselves with some increasingly difficult/longer excursions from home to see what we can handle - including working out how to use all our baby toys. It also helps us work out what we're forgetting or overpacking in the diaper bag.

Our first car trip was a true adventure. We went to borrow some preemie clothes from one of our Twins Clubs. I went in to get the clothes and Paul stayed in the car with the sleeping babies. I came out a bit later than I expected and when we tried to start the car up again for our trip back home, we found that the car battery had died. Well, the good news is that we carried a pair of jumper cables and, within 10 minutes we were on the road again. That was a pretty intense 10 minutes in between, however. And, wouldn't you know that these quiet kids would burst out in tears the second the car started moving again??

After surviving that trip, we took another trial run to the Lafayette Reservoir for some picnic time under the trees. That trip was very enjoyable and boosted our confidence. Other excursions had us practice for what we thought would be our big test: the trip up to my cousin's wedding in Sacramento. We didn't know how long we would be able to stay, but we surprised ourselves by staying nearly to the end of the wedding. The bride and groom, pictured above, also enjoyed the Navy-themed outfits that the girls sported to match the Navy Dress Whites theme (my cousin is a Navy pilot).

Our next test: the week-long family reunion vacation, this year located in eastern Washington at Lake Chelan. We will need to build up to a plane ride followed by a 2-hour car ride. With the practice we're getting, the challenge may only be the packing of the trip and not so much the traveling.

If You Bear Them, They Will Come

Well, it's not really baseball or dead relatives that come out of the cornfields, but we did have many visitors from afar in a short number of days...



Aunt Ainsley with the girls

Visitors come from far and near to visit the girls in their first couple of weeks. Their Aunt Ainsley, who just finished all her schooling for her nursing degree, visits just after her pinning ceremony. She drives down from Lake Tahoe - about a 3-hour drive - to visit for a couple of days.


Grandpa and Bettina

Their maternal Grandpa drove down a few days later from Anacortes, WA, nearly Canada and a 15-hour drive.


Scott from Australia with Ava

However, the longest traveled to visit these little girls is former flatmate, Scott, who came with his wife Nicole all the way from Sydney, Australia. Granted, they were passing through on their way to Charlotte, but none-the-less, they made a special stop in San Francisco for 2 days to visit.

I Am Mother - Hear Me Moo!

"Moo!"

Well, one of the primary concerns one has as a new mother to twins is whether or not you will be able to feed them both without supplements or extra time. How to balance getting all the benefits of breast milk with the conveniences of bottle feeding and a busy life of keeping up with the kids as well as your sleep. In all the articles and books you read, they sear one thing into your head - in the hospital, try to get the babies to the breast as soon as possible - within the hour - to avoid this thing called nipple confusion (when the kids get confused by the different shapes of the breast, bottle and/or pacifier and refuse to take one or all of them). This could prove an obstacle and limit the way/s you can feed your babies and spell near disaster for a planner like myself. This possibility of nipple confusion set me up for near panic when, while just after giving birth, I not only didn't get to see my girls for the first 2 hours, but the nurses fed them through a bottle without even checking in with me first. Sounds like a little issue, but to a new and brainwashed mother like me, this was a bit scary.

Fortunately, this fear has also proven benign. Perhaps it's luck or just alarmism, but my girls - especially Tina - have overcome these challenges without fail. Ava initially was a little too lazy to feed at the breast (it seems to take more energy), but has bulked up enough to gain the strength to join her sister at the double nursing pillow. A proud moment for Mom who was always hoping her kids would follow in her "efficiency" footsteps!

However, the joke's on us... Paul and I have come to realize that, if we truly do want to save time, the girls actually feed faster from the bottle. So, especially at night, when we're sleep-deprived and just want them to feed and then fall back asleep, we have defaulted to bottle feeding, saving the leisurely breast feeding for during the day. This means I have become a pumping machine. Paul has done the math (as every good engineer-minded daddy would) and determined that I pump about 1 1/4 gallon of milk a day. We have over 50 bags stored already in the freezer and think that we could continue to exclusively feed them breast milk for a long time after I quit feeding and pumping. I still can't help but be proud of my double-feeding girls. The goal I built up so long ago during the Breastfeeding for Multiples classes has been realized - even if we only use it for fun and in leisure now.

The Girls' Birth Day - A Review in Pictures....

So, I know that some people (like my husband) are squeemish and don't appreciate "realistic" photographs. So, I've done 2 things to share the photos of the babies' birth day. I created one photo album for the squeemish that has absolutely ZERO surgery or naked baby pictures. We'll call this the "G-rated" version. There's also the "R-rated" version where you'll see all the blood and violence of the surgery - for those who dare - as well as a few naked baby bodies (in completely a non-suggestive environment).

The pictures show everything from getting monitored in the OB Emergency Registration to the post-pardom room where we stayed for 4 days.

For the "R-rated" version, click here.

For the "G-rated" version, click here.

Enjoy!

We're Going Home!

Celebration Dinner

The hospital sends us a fancy celebration dinner for our last night's stay. We get to celebrate taking home our girls (based on weight gain, vital signs, and feeding) as well as mom recovering from her surgery (they have some funny benchmarks for this - farts and other BMs!).

We enjoy filet mignon with merlot sauce, mixed greens with a champagne dressing, and sparkling cider served in fancy glasses. The table is set with white linens and a grand chocolate torte is for dessert. We are excited and bring the girls over tableside to help us celebrate. There is much to be grateful for - we have two beautiful babies that we get to take home with us, despite their pre-mature births.

Girl Time

Girl Time

Allison likes it when Paul has to move the car for parking -- she gets to cuddle BOTH!

Good Morning! Day 4

Good Morning!

We can't help ourselves... each morning, Paul and I take one girl each for some quality Kangaroo Care - skin-to-skin cuddling! Paul and Tina greet the morning on Day 4.

Twins Close Up

Ava and Tina

Here are close-ups of the twins so you can see their faces. Ava's on the left and Tina's on the right with the hallmark eyebrows!

They prefer to co-sleep and share a bassinette when Daddy and I aren't cuddling them ourselves!

The First Family Photo

Our New Family!

Mommy and Daddy with our precious gifts, Ava Angelina and Bettina "Tina" Louise. The twins are 1 day, actually less than 24 hours, old in this photo.

Mom's First Look

Mom's first look at her babies

Mom becomes "chopped liver" immediately after the twins' birth. Everyone follows the babies down the hall to the nursery while she gets stitched up and placed in the recovery room. Two hours after they're born, she finally gets to see them side-by-side and hold them for herself. Bettina comes first as Ava's blood-sugar was so low she needed an immediate formula feeding. You can see this gave her enough energy to scream and complain!

Mom is still numb from the chest down from the spinal block. She actually got 2 blocks because the 1st one didn't hit the right area in the spine, thus causing her to stay numb up until 3 o'clock am - much longer than usual! What a weird feeling and a scary, but safe, way to feel like a parapaligic.

They're Here!

New Mommy Sleeping

Ava Angelina (formerly "Baby A") and Bettina Louise (formerly "Baby B") arrived on Saturday evening, May 21st, via C-section delivery at 7:04 and 7:05 pm respectively.

Ava was 5 pounds 6 ounces and 18 3/4 inches and Tina was an ounce lighter and a quarter inch longer. Pictures will be forthcoming (the dial-up in the hospital takes forever!).

Both babies were perfectly healthy but had slight problems with blood-sugar levels that require they be on formula first. They are adjusting to breastfeeding, but get very sleepy, as most pre-mature babies do, making supplementation necessary until their strenght is up. We are blessed that they never had to see the NICU and have stayed in the Well-Baby nursery instead when they're not with us.

Ava has Paul's coloring with lots of dark, thick hair. Tina has tinier features and really long fingers and legs like her mom. Even her 2nd toe is longer than her big toe, just like mom!

We will continue to stay in the hospital until Wednesday while mom continues to heal up and babies grow their strenght. We are appreciative of the assistance while we're here. The food, services and staff are excellent and give us a little break in our recooperation as well as a few hours of sleep!! It's like a free night-nanny and we will use it as long as we can! Paul and I wake up and can't wait to see our girls. We get anxious to cuddle skin-to-skin (called "kangaroo care") with them - each of us gets our own to cuddle, too! It's very fun!

Daddy Business

Setting Up Shop

Paul sets up the girls' sleeping quarters - the posh top-of-the-line Pack 'n Play. This thing comes complete with changing table, vibrating floor, sound (music and nature sounds) and lights, and rotating moblie. The girls will be co-sleeping and with living in Gigi's house, it is compact with everything that they should need.

Of course, all dad's need to try to set it up without reading the directions first. This strategy appears to work up until near the end. Lucky for us, he won't ask for directions when lost either -- we never get lost.