Bugger

I was backing out of the driveway the other morning on my way over to mums for lunch and I heard a big crunch......oops, I had managed to knock over the garbage bin and run over it! I thought I had done major damage as when I got out to look, the bumper bar was pushed up where the garbage bin was stuck. I called out to Rod and he came to the rescue and held the bin while I went forward. Being made of hard plastic, the bumper bar sprung back into shape, thank god, I would hate to think how much it cost to fix and it is the last thing we need at the moment.

The funny thing about the whole incident was that I put the bin there and I should have known where it was....can I still blame placenta brain?????

I Love Cuddles

Being a mum of twins, there is never a shortage of cuddles. One of my main dilemmas when I was pregnant was how I would be able to spend one on one time with each baby and not feel like I was spending more time with one than the other. I get to do this when I feed them, but sometimes this doesn't feel like enough. As they are growing before my eyes as quick as F1 car, I realise I need to cherish these times at get as many cuddles as I can as these look like being the only babies I will have. Over the past few days I have cuddled them both to sleep which I normally don't do, but I figure a few times won't hurt! Plus now they are becoming more interactive and talking in their own little language, I spend some time each day having a little chat to them individully.

I love being a mummy to twins, it is hard work at times, but the joys they bring certainly outweigh any negatives. I sometimes still look at them and can't believe they are mine and Rod and I actually had a hand in creating these two beautiful creatures.

10 weeks

Wow - 10 weeks already, where has the time gone?????

We survived needles this week. My brave soldiers both had a cry while having the needles (and mum had tears in her eyes too), but after a few minutes and a cuddle, they were both fine. They both had no ill effects afterward either, but I did have the panadol on hand just in case.

Oscar also slept for 10 hours straight the other night......but so far it has been a one off as there has been no repeat performance so far.

Both are also trying really hard to laugh. I got a little giggle out of Oscar on Friday and Cali is almost there too. It is very cute and I love to see them smiling. The are both cheeky monkeys though, as in the middle of the night, they thing it is cute to smile at you when putting them back in their cots when I try to avoid too much eye contact, but it is very had not to smile back :)

Houdini

We have a Houdini on our hands.

Oscar has always been able to mange to get his arms out of his wraps, not matter how tight we wrap him. Last night he went one better. Not only did he get his arms out, he kicked of the sheets and blankets, he managed to totally unwrap himself and turn himself sidewards in his cot!

Looks like the transition to grobags will begin......

Pooooooeey!

In my efforts to get this blog updated today, I put Cali down under the play gym to have a some nappy free time. She was having a great time talking to herself in the mirror and kicking her legs around. After a while I thought I could smell something suspicious......yep you guessed it, I was greeted with poo everywhere! Ahhh the joys of parenting.....

The little things (and not so little things) I love

• The smell of newborns
  
• The cheeky smiles from the babies when you walk into their room and look into their cots
• Chubby legs
• Bright blue eyes that crinkle when they smile
• Baby stretches when waking from sleep
• Gooing and gaaing
• Baby toes and fingers
• Open mouth grins
  
• My new family
• My husband

B1 & B2

I received in the mail on Wednesday these:


A B1 & B2 Banana In Pajamas's stuffed toy which was gifted wrapped with a card attached "Happy Birth" with no further information. I thought maybe they had gotten my details from somewhere and sent them to me for having twins!

The mystery of it all got the best of me, so I contact the ABC Shop and found out it was from a friend of ours who lives overseas, so mystery solved.

Thanks Greg!

Weeks 1 - 9

Week 1

We spent the first week in hospital, with Cali and Oscar both spending three nights in the Special Care Nursery to have their temperatures monitored as both dropped after delivery. The third night was mainly for me to have some sleep, so the lovely midwifes insisted I leave them their and I just went down for feeds. The next two nights they roomed with me and took turns on the billibed to have treatment for jaundice. We were allowed to leave on the Wednesday after they were born and I was glad to get home to sleep in my own bed and have Rod's help. The staff at the hospital were fantastic and I couldn't have asked for better care.

Discharge weights (bare):
Cali 2.8kg
Oscar 2.83kg

Week 2

Our first week at home was spent catching sleep when we could and feeding babies! We came home from hospital giving comp feeds with bottles which continued this week. My milk supply came in late due to the the emergency cesarean and also the blood loss during the delivery.

Weight (dressed)
Cali 3.4kg
Oscar 3.5kg


Week 3

Not a lot to report for this week, full of more feeding babies and sleeping when possible. My milk supply is still having issues so we are still comp feeding. I have had few tears over it as I feel I am letting them down as you constantly hear that breastfeeding is best. Both are getting frustrated at times on the breast as they aren't getting enough or getting the let down quick enough. We have made the decision to wean them gradually to bottles and I am feeling it is the best decision for us. It means that Rod is able to help out with the feeding which will be a great help.

We are beginning to learn their personalities and different personalities they have! Cali is more demanding than Oscar and she has a great set of lungs. She loves a cuddle and is becoming a bit of a Daddy's girl already. Oscar is very laid back and calm little boy. He doesn't cry very often so when he does, we know something is wrong.
We made our first outing as a family this week, only to Coles, but it was great to get out of the house.

Weight (dressed)
Cali 3.68kg
Oscar 3.63kg


Week 4

This week we had an appointment with the pediatrician for Cali. On discharge from the hospital, the pediatrician thought she could hear some slight clicking in Cali's hips, so recommended we make a 4wk appointment to have it looked at further. The pediatrician didn't think it was much to worry about but he will check it out at the 6wk appointment to see if anything further needs to happen.

We went out for lunch on Sunday with family and friends to a local pub. It was great to get out and Cali and Oscar were perfect. It is nice to be finally out as a family as before I used to imagine what it would be like to spend the weekends doing things as a family and wondering if it would ever happen to us. After so many years seeing other families and kids enjoying weekends together, it still feels a little sureal that we now have our own little family.

Weight (dressed)
Cali 3.96kg
Oscar 3.735kg
Length
Cali 51cm
Oscar 50cm
Head Circumference
Cali 35.5cm
Oscar 38cm


Week 5

They both have begun to give us little smiles and really beginning to interact more with us which is lovely to watch. We are also moving into bigger clothes especially since we are using cloth nappies at home, we are now needing 000. They are almost completely weaned now and both enjoying the bottle which has made the decision much more easier for me.

Weight (dressed)
Cali 4.15kg
Oscar 4.05kg
Length
Cali 51cm
Oscar 50cm
Head Circumference
Cali 36.5cm
Oscar 38cm


Week 6

We all had our 6 week check ups this week. My obstetrician is happy with how I have recovered from the birth. We had the 'contraception' talk which in itself is a bit of a laugh considering we needed IVF to conceive Cali and Oscar. But we have decided to use something because there are stories out there of natural conceptions after fertility treatment and considering we are 'unexplained' it seems the best decision for now. Also, as much as we love our new additions, I don't think we are ready to welcome anymore just yet!!

The pediatrician is very happy with how Cali and Oscar are doing. Both are gaining good amounts of weight and are both happy and content babies. He examined Cali's hips again and still cannot seem to find anything wrong. He does want to send us for the ultrasound just to have a look as he would rather rule out anything now, rather than find a problem down the track.

Weight (bare)
Cali 3.82kg
Oscar 4.1kg
Length
Cali 51.5cm
Oscar 51cm
Head Circumference
Cali 36cm
Oscar 38cm


Week 7

Cali had her hip ultrasound this week and I thought she would not be happy about it, but she behaved perfectly even when the sonographer had to use some pressure to get some images. They did find some abnormality, but nothing that needs further treatment at this stage. We will have a follow up at 12weeks to see how things are going. She has also been a little unsettled with wind pain which is upsetting to see, so we have got some Infacol and Infants' Friend to help. Oscar is doing great, nothing seems to worry him, he is a great burper and farter!

Weight (dressed)
Cali 4.4kg
Oscar 4.3kg
Length
Cali 52.5cm
Oscar 51cm
Head Circumference
Cali 37cm
Oscar 38.5cm


Week 8

It was Rod's first fathers day and my birthday this week, so a week full of firsts with the bubs. He got what he wanted - a bottle of scotch and I got what I wanted - some more charms for my pandora bracelet and necklace.
Cali's wind is settling down and she has been much happier this week which is good, the midwife at the clinic thought it could just be something she will outgrow and might have been going through a growth spurt.

Weight (dressed)
Cali 4.6kg
Oscar 4.6kg
Length
Cali 53cm
Oscar 53cm
Head Circumference
Cali 37.5cm
Oscar 39cm


Week 9

We have had a quiet week this week. We are trying to get them into some sort of routine and going out everyday seems to throw them out of whack and unsettle them some days. We have started a good routine in the early evening bath/feed/bed by 7pm which is working well. Oscar is starting to sleep longer than Cali, he has managed some 6hr blocks between feeds. Cali is still 3-4hrs but she is drinking less than Oscar at the moment. I don't think it will be long before Oscar will sleep through. The aim is to do a 'dreamfeed' around 10pm in hope they will sleep through until 6/7am, we can only hope!

Weight (dressed)
Cali 4.9kg
Oscar 4.85kg
Length
Cali 54.5cm
Oscar 55.5cm
Head Circumference
Cali 38cm
Oscar 40cm

The Birth Story of Cali and Oscar

We arrived at the hospital at 7.30am for the induction as the previous days stretch and sweep did not bring on labour during the night. We were taken to the birthing suite and the CTG monitoring begun which lasted for about an hour to track the babies’ heartbeats. At 10am, the hospital OB registrar came to examine me and broke the membranes around Cali to begin the induction. I was then hooked up the oxytocin drip to bring on contractions. The whole time we were still hooked up to the CTG machine to keep an eye on the heartbeats and also the contractions, which meant I was stuck to the bed. After a few hours I could begin to feel the beginning of the contractions, but I was coping with them. Around 3pm, I started to get some pain in my back and needed to stand up which was a bit of an effort with three monitors strapped around my belly. But standing up seemed to help, as the contractions began to become more frequent and were coming much harder and faster. I was able to sit on a fit ball and rock through the contractions which seemed to help, so did a heat pack on my back as the contractions were beginning to become very intense in my back. At around 5.30pm, I couldn’t handle the pain anymore and asked for the epidural. At this time, my OB had arrived to check on me and I was 5cm dilated and agreed it would be a good time for me to have the epidural if I wanted it. He called the anesthetist who arrived around 6pm and administered the epidural. The relief was heaven! I was able to get back on the bed and relax a little. The next few hours passed quickly and I progressed from 5cm to 9cm fairly fast. I was able to feel the contractions, but not the pain. The last cm or so took a while and it was around 11pm when the OB said I was ready to push. At this time I was feeling some pressure to do so but no pain. The epidural was turned down a bit to let me have some more feeling back to help push her out. After about ½ of pushing, the OB had to assist with a ventouse as Cali had came down a little sideward and needed a little assistance. With some final big pushes she was delivered at 11.37pm and placed on my chest. She was very alert and looked up at me which was a very emotional moment, she was finally here! I held her for a few minutes but had to hand her to the midwife as we still had work to do. The OB performed an ultrasound to check on Oscar’s position and broke the membranes around him. He was still head down and not in any distress. As they like the second twin to be born within 30 minutes, we were all joking about whether they would be born on the same day. The epidural was turned off at this point to help me have the sensations back to push Oscar out. After ½ hour of pushing, my OB was concerned that he was not progressing down properly. He too had come down slightly sidewards and seemed to be slightly stuck at an angle. He tried forceps to turn his head slightly but could not get a good hold to turn him. He also tried the ventouse, but this did not help either. It was then decided that we needed to get him out and we would need to go up to theatre for a caesarean. At this point, the pain was coming back and I was starting to feel every contraction again. Oscar’s heart rate did not drop at all during all this time, so there was no concern about his or my safety. I was transferred to another bed and prepped to be taken to theatre. I could not lie on my back as the pain was unbearable and I was beginning to feel a bit disconnected from everything. I just wanted him out and it all to be over. The contractions were still coming hard and very regularly and by the time we got to theatre and the antitheists administered a new epidural it had been around 45mins. It took about another 20mins for epidural to kick in again and before the surgery could begin. Both times the epidural was administered, I got the severe case of the shakes which unfortunately lasted for about ½ an hour. I was wheeled into the theatre and Rod was brought in to sit next to me. The whole time from the delivery suite to the theatre, I was not really aware of where he was and he later reminded me he was holding Cali while we were still in the delivery suite and was beside me the whole time up to theatre. The OB begun the caesarean and I could feel what was happening, but obviously no pain. Oscar was born at 1.39am only about 10mins after surgery begun and two hours after his sister. He came out with a big cry and was brought over for me to have a quick look and was taken away to be checked out by the pediatrician. I begun to feel nauseous and short of breath, so the anesthetist gave me something to help and assured me that the labored breathing was normal and I was fine. My OB stitched me up top and also down below as I had received a first degree tear delivering Cali. I was taken to recovery and after 40mins wheeled back to the maternity ward around 3am. Rod was able to stay with Oscar and then he was taken to the Special Care Nursery (SCN) with Cali as both their temperature were a little low and they wanted to keep an eye on them. Oscar was brought to me after I got back to the ward and we got to have a cuddle and to give him a little feed. It was a surreal feeling after what we had been through but I was just happy that I had two healthy babies.

I was extremely tired but really couldn’t sleep. Around 7am breakfast was brought for me, so sleep was not going to happen as I was constantly being checked on by the midwifes. I had a blood test which came back that my hemoglobin level was quite low as I had lost a fair amount of blood. I was given a blood transfusion and after two bags of blood, I felt much better! Cali and Oscar both spent two nights in the SCN to monitor their temps and another night so that I could get some sleep. The midwife’s I had were fabulous and I couldn’t have wished for any better help. Cali and Oscar were both tested for jaundice on Monday as both appeared a little yellow. Oscar’s levels came back borderline, so he was put on a billibed for some phototherapy on Monday night which helped clear it up and on Tuesday, Cali’s levels were a little high, so she spent Tuesday night on the bed. These two nights they roomed with me which was great but required help from the midwife’s to help me feed and attach and I was able to finally take them home on Wednesday 16 July .

So in the end, we didn’t have an easy labour and delivery, but the outcome was all worth it - two healthy, gorgeous babies – one of each, born by different methods and on different days!

Cali - just born

Oscar

38wks

Please excuse the stretch marks.......

I will be back later with more updates.......

I will be back soon!