In years past I've had the privilege of watching my closest friends starting families and raising children. While Aaron and I didn't necessarily start late, we did start our family later than a lot of our friends. I've listened to my girlfriends tell me everything from terrifying birth stories to sleepless nights to an overwhelming and indescribable love. Everyone has heard someone say that you love your children 'more and more each day' or 'the grow too fast'. Although some of this sounded cliche to me before I've discovered several truths now that I am a mother.
Truth #1 You love your children more everyday.
Yes, it's true. Each day, each milestone your heart grows a little bit bigger. Just when you think your heart is full and couldn't possibly get any bigger, it does just that. I loved Grayson and Hallie before I met them, but as their personalities emerge and their smiles get bigger the love grows stronger than the day before. It's pretty amazing.
Truth #2 They grow up too fast.
This one never made sense to me before I was a parent and even during our (extended) newborn phase. I remember thinking, isn't each new phase more exciting than the last as they learn to talk, walk and grow into little people? Now as we approach the four month mark and my 3 pound babies are laughing, cuddling and are hitting double digits on the scale, I'm already starting to look for the brakes to slow this time down. Don't get me wrong, the newborn stage is so sweet, but I have to admit there were times during those long, sleepless nights I thought about fast forwarding (just a little). Now that I'm rested and thinking beyond sleep I catch myself thinking just how sad I will be when we don't have sweet and tiny babies anymore. Will the next step be just as awe inspiring as the ones ahead? Probably more so, but they still grow up too fast.
Truth #3 It's the hardest, but most rewarding job in the world.
TRUE! Everyone has heard this and it sounds a little cliche, but this is TRUE! In the beginning, I didn't know if I could make it through another sleepless night. Breastfeeding in particular, was the hardest thing I've ever done. Give me a 13 hour crazy work day and I still won't be as emotionally and physically wiped out as being home on my couch feeding twins. I am sure the twin factor plays into this, but for those with one I'm sure it is just as hard on mommy. It's all relative! Thank goodness, that through the tears, fatigue and emotional breakdowns, you have a precious baby to hold, love and watch grow from all your tireless efforts. It's the greatest thing I've ever done and can't imagine a greater reward than your baby seeing you and smiling a huge, toothless goofy grin. Nothing.Better. It always helped me to remember, this is a PHASE, I will sleep again. The same applied to bed rest on the longest days.
Truth #4 It's no joke, you fall in love with your husband all over again.
Let me start off by saying, there are moments when I thought we would strangle each other trying to figure out our new normal. There is no glamour bringing home baby and there are many frustrating days and nights, but seeing the man you love with your children is enough to make your heart explode. If you are one of the lucky women who feel they couldn't love their husband more than they do, just wait. It gets even better. I'll never tire walking into a room and seeing Aaron bent over Grayson or Hallie telling him he loves them or praying over them. These moments far outway the tough stuff. Aaron and I love and appreciate each other on a much deeper and greater level. Again, nothing better.
Truth #5 Me time is a must.
Let me repeat, me time is a must! Before giving birth I wondered what type of mom I would be. I thought it would be really hard to leave the babies in someone else's care. I thought our first date night would be months after bringing them home. Nope. The truth is, as much as I love my new life, I still love time alone and time alone with Aaron. Motherhood is a 24 hour job and having a few quiet moments alone can make a world of difference in my week. A nap, a bath, a trip to Target or a night out must be made time for. In the first week home I ran a few errands leaving the babies with Mom or Karlos. Within a couple of weeks we went on our much needed first date night. After 10 weeks of bed rest and a 5 week NICU stay I was so ready for a night out with my man. We are so lucky to have our moms, who are nothing short of amazing making little breaks here and there possible.. I think being forced to come to terms with someone else caring for our babies, like we did in the NICU, helped me to realize I am not the only one capable of taking good care of our sweet littles. The best part of it all is coming home refreshed to two precious babies I can't wait to get my hands on. It's a win for everyone, including the Grandparents who get one on one (or two) time. On another note, shout out to Big Daddy (Aaron's dad) who lights up like a Chritsmas tree when he is with his grandchildren.
I'm sure as we navigate our way through parenthood I will discover many more truths. In the meantime, we are soaking up this magical holiday season with Grayson and Hallie. I dreamt of this time and now that it's here I'm relishing each moment. I'm sure I'll write a big Chritsmas post so that I can record each special detail as these are moments I don't want to ever forget!
12/19/2014
12/03/2014
Four Years of Love
It's hard to believe Aaron and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary today. Last year on our anniversary we had our very first IUI procedure. I'll never forget the bible verse of the day. I read it that morning before going to our appointment.
John 16:24 'Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.'
So very fitting and encouraging for the start of our fertility journey.
A year later we are spending our anniversary at home by the Christmas tree with our two miracle babies. Aaron made a fantastic dinner, we exchanged our traditional letters and watched the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center. A perfect way to celebrate four years with all of my favorite things!
On another note, the babies have been giving us the sweetest smiles. Hallie smiles nearly every time she is held and Grayson gives us smiles about once a day or whenever he feels like it. I love seeing their personalities emerge.
Aunt Nancy and Auntie Sue come in from WA tomorrow. I can't wait to see them and they can't wait to meet their great niece and nephew. We are going to see Ice at the Gaylord and then to dinner just us girls while Aaron stays with the babes. Looking forward to a girls night with mom and the aunts!
John 16:24 'Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.'
So very fitting and encouraging for the start of our fertility journey.
A year later we are spending our anniversary at home by the Christmas tree with our two miracle babies. Aaron made a fantastic dinner, we exchanged our traditional letters and watched the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center. A perfect way to celebrate four years with all of my favorite things!
On another note, the babies have been giving us the sweetest smiles. Hallie smiles nearly every time she is held and Grayson gives us smiles about once a day or whenever he feels like it. I love seeing their personalities emerge.
Aunt Nancy and Auntie Sue come in from WA tomorrow. I can't wait to see them and they can't wait to meet their great niece and nephew. We are going to see Ice at the Gaylord and then to dinner just us girls while Aaron stays with the babes. Looking forward to a girls night with mom and the aunts!
11/24/2014
Grayson and Hallie are 3 Months Old!
Today Grayson and Hallie are 3 months old or 1 month adjusted. Adjusted age is based on their due date and what we will use to gage their milestones until they are 12-18 months old. Two weeks ago we had the Early Childhood Intervention program out to the house to observe them and see if they are developing as they should. They passed all of their tests and therefore, did not qualify to be in the program, of course that is a good thing! We will have them re-evaluated at 3 months adjusted age when they are bigger and more mature.... with more milestones to gage.
Life at home is about the same but different everyday. We are hunkered down through RSV and flu season, but go to visit the grandparents and great-grandparents on a weekly basis. Mommy needs to get out of the house! We spent the night at mom's and it was a nice change of pace and allowed daddy to go the ranch with friends. A win all around.
In other news, Grayson and Hallie have a cousin arriving in May or June! Josh and Andrea are expecting! We will find out the gender of baby Curry the week before Christmas. So exciting!
Last week we celebrated Grandpa and Grandma Thomas' 75th Anniversary. Wow! Such an accomplishment. We are so proud of them and so blessed by the example they've set for for all of us. They had a beautiful party held at Day Spring with an appearance from the Mayor of Arlington and over 150 guests. Sunday they were on the cover of the Star Telegram and Gray and Hal even had a shout out. We can only aspire to follow in their footsteps.
As the holidays approach this mom couldn't be more excited to experience the magic of the season with our children for the first time. Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday and of course, they will be dressed in their holiday bests! We are going to Grandma Thomas' and are so happy to have Uncle Tommy and Aunt Kathy, Nate and Sarah in town. Friday we will decorate for Christmas, watch Christmas movies and play with babies all day. Dreams do come true!
Life at home is about the same but different everyday. We are hunkered down through RSV and flu season, but go to visit the grandparents and great-grandparents on a weekly basis. Mommy needs to get out of the house! We spent the night at mom's and it was a nice change of pace and allowed daddy to go the ranch with friends. A win all around.
In other news, Grayson and Hallie have a cousin arriving in May or June! Josh and Andrea are expecting! We will find out the gender of baby Curry the week before Christmas. So exciting!
Last week we celebrated Grandpa and Grandma Thomas' 75th Anniversary. Wow! Such an accomplishment. We are so proud of them and so blessed by the example they've set for for all of us. They had a beautiful party held at Day Spring with an appearance from the Mayor of Arlington and over 150 guests. Sunday they were on the cover of the Star Telegram and Gray and Hal even had a shout out. We can only aspire to follow in their footsteps.
As the holidays approach this mom couldn't be more excited to experience the magic of the season with our children for the first time. Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday and of course, they will be dressed in their holiday bests! We are going to Grandma Thomas' and are so happy to have Uncle Tommy and Aunt Kathy, Nate and Sarah in town. Friday we will decorate for Christmas, watch Christmas movies and play with babies all day. Dreams do come true!
10/23/2014
Eight Weeks Old
We are settling in at home and time is already flying by. The babes turned 8 weeks on Sunday and are as cute and sweet as ever. Our routine is pretty simple. We eat, sleep, play and repeat. We had our first two outings outside of doctor appointments to visit the great grandparents. Its pretty cool watching them interact and having all four generations together.
Aaron and I make it a point to get out when we can and are thankful for Grammy and Nana who love to stay with their grand babies while we have dinner with friends or catch a movie. Aaron is good about staying with them so I can enjoy a pedicure or Starbucks run here and there. We are tired but in love and enjoying this special time with our littles, soaking in each moment.
Here are pictures of our past few weeks at home.
Aaron and I make it a point to get out when we can and are thankful for Grammy and Nana who love to stay with their grand babies while we have dinner with friends or catch a movie. Aaron is good about staying with them so I can enjoy a pedicure or Starbucks run here and there. We are tired but in love and enjoying this special time with our littles, soaking in each moment.
Here are pictures of our past few weeks at home.
10/09/2014
Home Sweet Home
We have been home since Monday and are loving our new life as a family of four. Grayson and Hallie fit right in and are adjusting to their new home very well. We have had the wonderful help from Nana (mom) and Grammy (Karlos).
Days are easy and nights are sleepless for the most part due to two tiny little grunters. We feed every three hours which would not be a problem if I weren't awake listening to sweet little grunts in between. After the first night we figured out a few tricks to help us through the night: Have EVERYTHING ready before bed; bottles, burp rags, diapers, pump equipment ect. We also have a routine. Daddy does the 6am feed which allows me to go to the guest room after the 3am and sleep until the 9am feed. Our night schedule is just like the NICU schedule 12am, 3am, 6am and we do bottles instead of nursing. I quickly realized having full bellies is best at night and since they are preemies they don't nurse as well as a full term baby would meaning they are hungry sooner. During the day we nurse when I don't mind feeding on demand. Last night went really well and I hope for another night like it tonight. Fingers crossed. I woke up rested with energy to clean, run a few errands, feed and love on babies. Either they didn't grunt as much or I am getting used to it. They sleep right next to my bed on their Rock and Plays for the time being. I'm not sure when we will move them to their nursery but we we do we have the comfort of Angel Care monitors to detect breathing. I was pretty scared of functioning on too little sleep but have found a daytime nap after a rough night makes a world of difference.
We have been enjoying the beautiful October weather with walks in the neighborhood. They seem to really like our walks and sleep through the noise and movement perfectly. Today's high was 76. Have I ever told you how much I love October in Texas? I've always said my favorite seasons are Washington summers and fall in Texas.
Out first pediatrician appointment was this past Tuesday and our next is this coming Tuesday. We waited for an hour and a half but otherwise really liked Dr. Archer (come to find out we saw Dr. prayer not Dr. Archer) and the location is a just a few miles away. As usual, the babies impressed their doctor. They gained quite a bit of weight (G 6.8lbs and H 5.6lb). That seemed like a pretty big jump to me from their last hospital weight of 5lbs and 6.2lbs but we will take it! She called them 'miracle babies' when she reviewed their NICU charts. Everyday we thank God for blessing us with our early but very healthy babies. Our path could have been very different and we will always remember how fortunate we are.
Last night, Mom left after her week with us. We were sad to see her go and she was even sadder but we did enjoy our first night just the four of us. Today we woke up and spent the day watching football, playing with our littles and soaking in this crazy, special time. We haves everything we could ever want or ask for and I think both Aaron and I spent the day in awe of our life.
So here are pictures of our last hospital day, first day home and our week as a family of four. It's been a week I'll never forget and will cherish these memories for the rest of my life. Tomorrow we are going to church (at different times) and having the family over for lunch. Perfect ending to the best week of my life. God is GREAT!
Days are easy and nights are sleepless for the most part due to two tiny little grunters. We feed every three hours which would not be a problem if I weren't awake listening to sweet little grunts in between. After the first night we figured out a few tricks to help us through the night: Have EVERYTHING ready before bed; bottles, burp rags, diapers, pump equipment ect. We also have a routine. Daddy does the 6am feed which allows me to go to the guest room after the 3am and sleep until the 9am feed. Our night schedule is just like the NICU schedule 12am, 3am, 6am and we do bottles instead of nursing. I quickly realized having full bellies is best at night and since they are preemies they don't nurse as well as a full term baby would meaning they are hungry sooner. During the day we nurse when I don't mind feeding on demand. Last night went really well and I hope for another night like it tonight. Fingers crossed. I woke up rested with energy to clean, run a few errands, feed and love on babies. Either they didn't grunt as much or I am getting used to it. They sleep right next to my bed on their Rock and Plays for the time being. I'm not sure when we will move them to their nursery but we we do we have the comfort of Angel Care monitors to detect breathing. I was pretty scared of functioning on too little sleep but have found a daytime nap after a rough night makes a world of difference.
We have been enjoying the beautiful October weather with walks in the neighborhood. They seem to really like our walks and sleep through the noise and movement perfectly. Today's high was 76. Have I ever told you how much I love October in Texas? I've always said my favorite seasons are Washington summers and fall in Texas.
Out first pediatrician appointment was this past Tuesday and our next is this coming Tuesday. We waited for an hour and a half but otherwise really liked Dr. Archer (come to find out we saw Dr. prayer not Dr. Archer) and the location is a just a few miles away. As usual, the babies impressed their doctor. They gained quite a bit of weight (G 6.8lbs and H 5.6lb). That seemed like a pretty big jump to me from their last hospital weight of 5lbs and 6.2lbs but we will take it! She called them 'miracle babies' when she reviewed their NICU charts. Everyday we thank God for blessing us with our early but very healthy babies. Our path could have been very different and we will always remember how fortunate we are.
Last night, Mom left after her week with us. We were sad to see her go and she was even sadder but we did enjoy our first night just the four of us. Today we woke up and spent the day watching football, playing with our littles and soaking in this crazy, special time. We haves everything we could ever want or ask for and I think both Aaron and I spent the day in awe of our life.
So here are pictures of our last hospital day, first day home and our week as a family of four. It's been a week I'll never forget and will cherish these memories for the rest of my life. Tomorrow we are going to church (at different times) and having the family over for lunch. Perfect ending to the best week of my life. God is GREAT!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)