The many faces of Princess Presley

The Marsh Man always has a smile on his face, but his sister is another story. Not that she isn't happy and doesn't smile, she does. It's just that she is already showing her impatientness and moodiness...can't imagine where she inherited that from, and she is definitely showing that she will have a very outgoing personality! Anyway she makes some funny faces that I wanted to share. Notice that Marshall pretty much has the same look on his face the entire time!

Crazy week #1 complete

Our crazy week full of doctors appointments and babysitters was successfully completed. A HUGE thank you to Sarah, Lauren, and Sasha for helping me out! Lauren spent the night with me Monday night when Kyle was gone, and I ended up getting sick that night, and sweet Lauren stayed with me the entire day on Tuesday. So basically she took care of all three of us! Sasha watched sweet Marshall while I took Presley to the dentist with me, and then Thursday she watched Presley while I took Marshall to the oncologist office. Boy, was he a big hit there! Most people at an oncologist office are over the age of 65, so you can imagine the amount of people that came up to us! He did so good...until it came time for my doctor to see me. I quickly gave him part of a bottle while we were waiting in the exam room, but as soon as my doctor came in Marshall started grunting really loudly. That only means one thing...#2! By the end of the exam the room smelled pretty bad, so my doctor said I could stay in there as long as necessary to change his diaper. When I took him out of his carrier, it was EVERYWHERE! All over him and his carseat! I must have said something out loud, because a nurse came in to offer some help. Thank goodness I had a change of clothes in the diaper bag! By the way, got a clean bill of health from the doctor. Even three years out, I still get a little nervous every time I have an appointment with him. :)

Next week Kyle is in Austin Monday through Wednesday, and I have people staying with me again. My sister is taking the girls down to see my parents, so they are going to stop here Monday night (they live in Missouri), and I think Lauren is going to stay again on Tuesday night.

The twins will be 12 weeks old on Monday. They change a little more every day and are very interactive with us, we love smiles! Both of them are "talking" a lot too, so we have been having some very intelligent conversations. :) So here are lots of pictures of my cuties from this week!



Hmm these don't taste good



But my fist does



I could lay here for hours



I love my swing



So happy!



Not the best pic, but wanted to show how big they are getting



I can put my weight on my legs!



Dancing



Doesn't get much better than this :)

Friends

I would just like to take a minute to say that I have the best friends anyone could ask for. Whether I have known them for 20 years or 2 years, they are always supportive and willing to help. My friends here in Fort Worth have been wonderful throughout the pregnancy and since the babies have arrived. Twice a week we received dinner and some were even able to come over and "help" a.k.a. give me adult conversation. My friends that live out of town send me sweet texts and emails to let me know they were/are thinking about me and the babies, since talking on the phone just doesn't happen for me any more. All my friends were genuinely thrilled for Kyle and I when "we" became pregnant. Most of my friends I have known for 10+ years, and the ones that I have known for a shorter amount of time...it feels like I have known them for just as long. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, one thing that people told me was, "you'll find out who your real friends are." Well, I found out that the friends I had were amazing. They all rallied around Kyle and I to help us get through my treatment. I am so lucky that I have friends I can count on to help me out when I am in a bind, and I know for a fact that not everyone is as lucky as I am to have such a great group of ladies to surround myself with. Life is too short to have people around that don't accept you for you, and support you through this roller coaster called life. :)

Not much going on...

This past week wasn't very eventful, but the next several weeks definitely will be! Kyle is going out of town to Miami today and comes home tomorrow night. Since I am not ready to take care of the babies by myself overnight, my friend Lauren is coming over tonight to have a slumber party with the twins and I. This week I also have three different doctor's appointments, so I also have some helpers. Thank goodness for friends! Sarah (my surrogate) went with me today for an appointment, then Sasha is staying with one of the twins on Wednesday while I take the other one to the dentist with me. My oncologist check up got moved to Thursday, and unfortunately I don't have anyone available to babysit, so I am taking them both with me and Kyle is going to meet us over there since he works downtown. Friday Kyle came home and told me he was going to have to be in Austin two different times in August...for several days at a time! So needless to say I am trying to figure out what I am going to do. He is gone next week and then Carter comes back for a week, and then he leaves again the following week, so we are going to be very busy around here!

I think Marshall has gone through a major growth spurt in the last two weeks, and I feel that is partly due to the fact that he is on Similac again instead of the Nutrimigen.The twins are 11 weeks old today, and are still cutie patooties!



Chunky spit up...gross for all involved!



My beautiful angel




Happy boy!



Kyle put Presley's rattle in Marshall's hand and he held on to it and shook it around!

Road Trip #2

We successfully completed our second road trip with the babies. We went to Midland this past weekend to visit Kyle's family, and I am sorry to say that I didn't really document it...sorry! While we were there, Marshall and Presley had their first pool experience! Marshall got all the way in, Presley had just her feet. Marshall was a little unsure of things and didn't stay in more than 5 minutes. Presley never got the chance to go in because I was feeding her, but hopefully next time! We discovered that Presley LOVES the outdoors. She could be screaming her head off and immediately stop once you stepped outside. Too bad I don't think my neighbors would appreciate this tactic at midnight. We had a very fun weekend and were able to catch up with family and friends at a little BBQ at my mother-in-law's house. We are going back in August, so I am determined to get pics of the babies with their cousin Grayson and their aunts and uncles. The way down went very smoothly, however Sunday did not. Both babies had upset tummies Saturday night and were fussy all night. Needless to say, I didn't stay up after the 7 am feeding like I normally do, and ended up sleeping from 9:30 till noon! Well that's fine unless your plan was to leave at noon! We rushed around and one thing after another happened and we didn't leave until 3! Then, for some strange reason the nipples on the bottles were clogging up. So on our way out of town I ran in to Babies R Us to buy more nipples and some safety pins to help unclog if necessary. Thankfully the babies were very good and we only had to stop briefly to quickly feed Marshall and we got home around 9 p.m.

I mentioned in an earlier post that both babies are smiling a lot and laughing. Well the past two days, Marshall has been laughing A TON! I love hearing it, it's so cute! He gets the biggest smile on his face and squints his little eyes, it melts me every time. :) Presley also can hold her weight on her legs! Now she doesn't do it for like 5 minutes or anything, but she can do it for a while. They are just changing and developing so much it's crazy!

Yesterday was exciting because I put both of them in their cribs while still awake after their 11:30 feeding, and they went to sleep on their own! We are starting the process of trying to put them down before they fall asleep in our arms. Yesterday went great...last night was a different story. It's so hard to hear them scream, but Kyle and I have to be strong because in the long run we know it is best for them to be able to fall asleep in bed instead of on us. Who am I kidding...it's good for Kyle and I too! Oh well, one day at a time!

A few thoughts

These are some things I have been wondering lately...

1. Do they have back transplants? Because if they do, sign me up! My lower back literally feels like it could snap in two at any given moment. Brittle, achy, and annoying are words that come to mind. Every chance I get, which isn't often because somebody always wants to be held, I bend forward and lean over like an old lady to help relieve the pain. It was one thing when they were 6-7 lbs for me to carry them around the house, or sleep on my chest, but it's a whole other ball game now that they are 11-12 lbs! I have decided I have a love/hate relationship with "I just want to be held".

2. Marshall was put back on Similac Sensitive, which is great to have them back on the same formula. It makes things easier. However now he is back to eating EVERY two hours like a newborn! Seriously?!? How could something make my life easier and harder at the same time?I am officially back in tired mommy mode.

3. When does it get easier? In a way, yes, it is easier now that they don't eat every two hours (pre Marshall being on similac sensitive), and I LOVE it that they are starting to smile and coo, etc. However with them having more alert time means more time For them to get fussy. Now it's not "I'm crying because I am hungry, or I have poop in my pants, please help me!" Now it's "Hey! I'm not getting enough attention!" or "Just feel like exercising my lungs to make sure they work!" Everyone says it gets easier, well...yes and no on that one!

Two Months!

I can't believe it, they are growing up so fast! In the past several days, they have started interacting with us much more. They are laughing a lot and focusing on us when we talk to them. Presley can hold her head up when she is sitting down, and Marshall is almost there! They also have started to enjoy being in their swings. Unfortunately Presley has been crying a lot more this past week, for no reason. it is mainly at night for a couple of hours, but she will randomly do it during the day as well. This is not so fun, but I know it will pass. Hopefully in the near future!

Marshall has always loved music and has been soothed by it, and now Presley is starting to like it as well. She will sit in the Happy Aquarium bouncer (has lights and music and fish that move) and just watch the fish and smile. It's crazy how even just this time last week they weren't doing some of the things they are doing now. It is the COOLEST thing to watch them develop! I have to say that I really enjoy being home with them, and I feel very lucky to be able to stay home next year. Any sacrifices we are having to make are completely worth it. I got a nice surprise Saturday morning, to show their appreciation for me, the twins got me an hour and a half massage, and afterwards I went to Barnes and Noble to sit, relax and read trashy magazines. It was great and Daddy got some bonding time with the babies!

We had our two month check up at the doctor today. Presley is 11 lbs 9 oz and is 22.75 inches long. Marshall is 10 lbs 14 oz and 23 inches. The best news is they are back on the same formula!!!

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment!



Uncle Brett came to see us!







You are funny Mommy!



This is hilarious!




No, I did not pose this! Three seconds later Presley jerked her hand away.



You can't tell, but they all 3 had their mouths open! Don't worry, I asked before I posted this pic.

Presley Love

Well it has been brought to my attention that based on my blog pics, I might favor Marshall over Presley. Of course I know you are joking, but in all honesty I don't favor either. I am filled with the same over flowing amount of love for BOTH my children. Now...in a couple of years when we are in the terrible twos and then later on the teenage years, it might be a different story. :) So here is an Ode to Presley in pictures, I think they are somewhat in age order. Oh, and this post has shown e that I need to take more pictures! I mean, I have nothing else to do all day, right?!?

Firsts

This past week we had several "firsts". Marshall smiled "on purpose" several different time at Kyle! I didn't believe him at first, but I walked over and saw it for myself. It has happened a couple of times since then, but not very often. Our second first was Presley holding her head up. Carter was holding her sitting up on her lap, and Presley held her head up for about 30 seconds! It was really neat. Both babies are definitely getting stronger in the neck skills department. Our last first was our first road trip. We went to see my parents for the Fourth of July weekend. It went okay except I didn't time their feeding schedule very well with our departure time, so we had to stop twice to feed. Normally it takes a little less than four hours to get there...this time it took 5 hours and 15 minutes! The way home was much more successful, as we only had to stop once. They started getting cranky again about 5 minutes before we pulled up to the house, so all in all it was good!

Marshall is still spitting up, and now Presley is as well, but not as bad as him. We go back to the doctor on the 12th for their 2 month check up, and I am going to ask the doc if we can take him off the Nutramigen formula and back on Similac Sensitive...it's obviously not helping. :) Presley has started crying for no reason. Most of the time it's in the evening, but she did it this morning to Kyle. I think maybe she is just trying to fight going to sleep, but what do I know? She is still going about 6 hours between feedings at night and Marshall is about 3-3.5 so we are slowly getting there!