Sleep training. Who is training who?

My kids are in the next room putting themselves to sleep.  And when I say that, I mean they are giggling hysterically at each other.  One will make a funny noise, and then the other will make a silly pronouncement of another kind.  Both giggle.  And repeat.  I'm sitting here, wondering what the little wooden thumps I keep hearing are, but I assume there are no heads hitting their cribs--or else there would be crying, right?  I just peeked, and little legs seem to be making the thumping sounds so far. :) 

These kids are adorable.  Well, mostly.  Not quite so adorable when Colby is crying (again) at 2 am and wakes up his sister for no apparent reason.  Which leads me to question aloud the actual effectiveness of "sleep training."  I don't mean to offend anyone, but I have a case study going on in my own home. One child sleeps and one child doesn't.  We do the EXACT same thing with both children at the EXACT same time ALL DAY LONG.  I think people just get lucky when their kids sleep through the night, but that's just my humble opinion.

This is from their 8 month photo shoot.  It pretty much captures their sparkling personalities. (sorry I'm a month behind in their photo updates!!)

Happy Holy Week!

Living the dream. Living in a dream. Living with a dreamboat?

I digress.

Sorry it's been so long since my last post.  To say that life with twins is hectic might be the understatement of the century.  Since I wrote last, I believe that everyone in the family has been touched by some sort of illness.  Some of us have been blessed (?) to get more than one kind of illness.  Kinley had sinus infections, Colby got the puke flu, Marcus got a cold, I got some GI thing, then a nasty cold (that I'm currently still unable to speak from, but I think I'm on the mend.)

In the midst of that, I had a VERY successful port removal.  Thank you all so much for your prayers.  It went flawlessly.  I was petrified that something was going to go awry, but it all went really, really well.  And the even BETTER news is that I've been keeping fluids down pretty well on my own, and haven't had to get IVs.  What?  I know.  It's wild.  But, I'm managing at home and so thrilled about it. Thank you, Jesus.

I have a funny little story to share, just you can laugh along with us and the lack of sleeping that was going on at our house.  Don't worry, things are much improved now that the kids are feeling better. :)
It was 3:36 am.  I was awake for the fifth night in a row, this time putting a "to go" cup of coffee into the microwave so that the babies and I could drive Auntie Sarah to the airport after a fun visit.* 
*Note: Colby didn't really get to enjoy the visit so much, he had the flu the whole time (which is why I'd been up the previous 4 nights) 
Sparks start to fly in the microwave.  Apparently, my "to go" cup had metal on it.  Who knew?  Quickly, I run to the microwave and shut the power off.  Automatically the microwave fan comes on.  I guess they built this machine to handle other idiots sleep-deprived mommies.  There is no fire in the kitchen, the microwave fan is going but everything seems intact.  The babies continue to crawl in the living room, unharmed and unfazed my panic-inducing near disaster in the kitchen.
When Marcus arrives home from work, I start out with, "Isn't it wonderful that we're all safe?  Isn't it nice that we have a home to live in?"  He asks if the car was in an accident.  I say no, but that I'm not sure all of our kitchen appliances are still all functional. :)
Later that day, I was cleaning out the fridge, and dumped some leftover stew into the garbage disposal.  Just so you know, this is NOT a good idea.  Roast beef + garbage disposal = nightmare.  Oops again.  Rumble, rumble. Bubble, bubble.  And then splooge.  Both sides of the sink fill up with brownish, orangish, stringy meaty-potato looking goo.  If you're doing the math on this, I've managed to break TWO kitchen appliances in one day, and it's not even 9 am yet.  Oops again.  This clean up was a little more involved and required taking all the pipes under the sink apart.  Thank you, Marcus.

My current favorite picture

K stealing C's toys. Again.

cutest girl ever.

chubby boy legs.

walking with K.

Cutest boys ever.

Chubby girl legs

 

The kids are going crazy with their development.  Both are crawling. Fast.  And both are pulling themselves up on everything all the time. 

I've got to go.  Nap time is officially over.  Hugs and love.
brelin

better late than never? seven month photo shoot

C

K

seven months 01/24/13

 

Mommy Medical Update:
I finally got completely fed up with my port, and am having it removed on Thursday, 2/28.  This is a fairly "simple" procedure--which always concerns me a little bit.  They just do a local anesthetic, and remove it in the doctor's office.  Please pray that it goes smoothly.  I'm also seeing the dentist the next 3 weeks in a row (for fillings and then a cleaning), so please pray that all those visits go without incident too.  I'm trying to get down to just one IV appointment per week because it's just so time consuming--and I've found that if I drink more and eat less I can get enough water in.  Then, of course, I am eating less--but, you win some, you lose some. :)  Hee hee.

 

Also, please pray for Kinley.  She is on her SECOND round of antibiotics, and can't seem to kick this sinus infection.  I'm calling the doctor again on Monday if she's still not improving, but this is getting ridiculous.  The poor little thing has been sick since the end of Jan.

 

C is getting really good at using his hands, and K is crawling fast.  They are both full of smiles, and are quick to sing along with you on most songs.  I think their favorite song right now is "BINGO".  We are taking lots of pictures and trying to film as much as we can because this time is going by so quickly--and I feel like I'm walking around in a haze most days.  I'm so tired. 
But the kids are so full of joy--it's absolutely infectious, and they just started babbling too!! "Mamamamamamama" and "bababababa" are the words of choice so far.  No "dadadada", but I'm sure that's on the horizon, and we've been practicing.

Funny Aside: When are twins giggling at each other from across the room NOT adorable? 4:09 am. 

 

 

reflecting...and a prayer request.

It's so weird that it's 2013.  And that I'm still throwing up.  And that I'm still alive.  And that I've got two beautiful, healthy babies whom I adore.  And that God provides enough strength to care for these two each day (and night).

I am so blessed.

by giggles and joy.

by adoring eyes and tender snuggles.

by silly babbling and smiling faces.

by tears that run dry in my arms, simply by my love and God's love that flows through me to them.

to have an amazing husband who cares for the babies when I can't...and rarely complains about it. 

to have a loving man who still takes me on adventures and only gets frustrated with me when my puke baggie explodes all over his favorite pants as he's cleaning out the car.  (sorry honey.)

to have a warm home to play, laugh, and love in.

to have a spirit of perseverance that can only come from God--a dependence on the Holy Spirit that is such a gift--and joy that abounds only because Christ provides it daily.

I am so blessed.



And my prayer request:
My teeth are getting ruined.  And there is nothing more that the dentist can do.  And there is nothing more that I can do--unless I stop throwing up.  So, I need you all to pray for them.  That they can be restored.  Miraculously.

thanks.  and amen.

a quick, not very informative update.

Here's the latest...
I'm still not happy with the outcome of the surgery on 12/14.  My port is still uncomfortable, and I've only used it once since the surgery because it's still not healing very well.  It still hurts to turn my head sometimes, and it's been a MONTH now.  And the worst part is that the kids grab at the stupid thing, and it hurts when I vomit.  I was doing my best to "just live with it", because I really didn't want to have surgery again... but I'm not sure that is going to be the best choice.

So, my latest idea, which I am in the process of running through my various docs is having it removed and not replaced at all.  My veins are in good health currently, and can be accessed for the fluids that I need, say my IV nurses.  My port was put in quickly a year ago, because we were all worried that I'd need to use it for TPN (feeding) during pregnancy.  Since I never plan to be pregnant again, and don't tolerate TPN all that well anyway, it might be okay to just have the port removed and put back in "sometime" in the future--assuming it's okay with all the necessary docs.  So, in  my free time, I'm checking with all of them.  It is my understanding that the surgery to remove the port is much easier and far less labor intensive (thus less recovery) than to have a new one put in.

I had a couple of weeks when I didn't vomit nearly as much for whatever reason.  It was a welcome break.  I seem to be back to my "normal" amount again, however. 

The kids are doing great... I can't believe how fast they are growing and changing.  Colby has 3 teeth now. Kinley still doesn't have any, but at the rate she is chewing on EVERYTHING, we expect that one will pop through any day.  Kinley has started to scoot and is almost crawling.  She is very close to sitting on her own.  She stays balanced for quite a while, especially if she's engaged in playing with a toy directly in front of her.  Colby has become the master of rolling and can fly across the room with lightning quickness.  He can sit on his own too, but struggles a little bit more to stay balanced--mostly because of his chub, I think. :)

They had their 6 month check up appointments with the doctor--and both are in perfect health.  Colby is 17 lbs 14 oz and 27 1/2" long.  He is in the the 45th percentile for "term" babies for height and weight--they are no longer on the preemie chart!!  Kinley is 13 lbs 14 oz and 26 1/2" long.  She's in the 7th percentile for "term" babies for weight and is in the 30th percentile for height.  Both kids are meeting all of the 6 month milestones already and they're 6 weeks ahead of schedule!! :) (except for sitting--but they're SO close)

Colby loves his toes.

 

She scooted herself under the dining room chair.

 

6 month photo shoot

  "I'll show you my ninja moves, Mom." says Kinley.

The team has spoken from the other room. :)  I guess I better go. Thanks for your continued prayers and love.

holidays... and a medical update, if i can type fast enough.

I'm going to do my best to get a 2012 Year In Review, so that we can capture the highlights from each month for you.  I'll try to hit the high (and low) points for you of what's been going on in our family since Halloween.

First off, K and C dressed up as the cutest cows ever for Halloween.  They were properly paraded around their proud grandparent's neighborhood, as we wildly snapped photos.  I dressed as a milkmaid, and Marcus wore a flannel as well.  We were very festive.

The kids have been rolling like crazy.  They rolled first from their tummies to their backs.  Then for quite a while they rolled from the backs to their tummies ONLY.  They couldn't remember how to get back.  So, they'd cry until someone helped them.  Kinley has figured it out recently that if she just keeps rolling everything works out.  Colby hasn't quite mastered the concept yet.  He has found his FEET this week.  He's super excited about this new discovery and is working hard on his yoga baby moves.

This is us picking out our first Christmas tree as a family. 
(Colby is in the brown suit with me, Kinley is on the right, with Marcus.)

 

K, C, and I spent Thanksgiving Day with the Rismiller's, then the Johnson's, and then we drove to the Fire Station and took Marcus some pie and said, "Happy Thanksgiving!" to all the firefighters.  I got really lost on the way between the Johnson's and the firefighters, and it was a little bit traumatic, but we all survived the experience (barely). :)

The next day, my sister, Sarah flew in from DC with her boyfriend from Europe (I know, it sounds so fancy)-- and all 6 of us drove over to the Tri-Cities for Weakley family shenanigans.  We met my brother, and his wife, Alyssa, there.  We thought we were headed for a quiet family Thanksgiving, but really, we should've known better.  Marcus had to go back to work the following day.  The babies and I stayed just long enough to contract a horrible cold, which basically wiped us out.

Meanwhile, my health had been deteriorating over the past month or so.  My gastroparesis has continued to flare, and it just seems to be a rough patch right now.  To add insult to injury, the cold sucked my energy, and then my port ended up getting a clot in it.  On Friday, (5 days ago), I had the clot-type thing removed in what was supposed to be a simple procedure.  They couldn't do the simple procedure, so woke me up in the middle and asked if they wanted them to replace the device right then or if I wanted to be rescheduled for another time. However, the doctor that performed the surgery didn't factor in that I vomit all the time, so it seems that I may need to have the surgery re-done again anyway because the placement isn't correct.  Ugh.  I go in on Monday to see the doctor who did the "repair" surgery to see if it'll get any better, but currently when I throw up it feels like knives are shooting out of my vein in my neck, and it hurts to turn my head.  So, hopefully we can get this figured out soon.  Marcus and I are both pretty upset (read: mad) that I will most likely have to re-do this surgery again and have it placed correctly in order to avoid the pain and pressure from the vomiting.  I don't think that it's likely to go away or heal on it's own, but I go in on 12/24 to discuss with the doc.  If I do have to have surgery again, we'll go back to the first doc that placed the original port, as he did an excellent job taking into account my vomiting and bony shoulders. :)

twins with twins
Thanksgiving
Andy, Colby, Sarah, Kinley

C with Great Grandma Weakley
Thanksgiving

C and K

C

K at baptism

C at baptism

Me with K, Marcus with C

Matthew (Sarah's boyfriend), Sarah, & K
thanksgiving

 

 

In more cheery news, the babies are eating solid foods, and they are adorable.  Here are a couple of cute pics.  They also got baptized on 12/9.  It was a wonderful celebration.  I'd love to type more, but Colby is chewing on my arm as I'm typing and K is starting to cry in the other room.  

Love from our fam to yours... :)

We've got rollers!!

Kinley rolled over for the first time on 10/31.
Not to be outdone, Colby rolled the morning of 11/1.
Both babies are super smiley, healthy, adorable, and love to chat and giggle at their mama. Thank you, God.
They have also started skipping a night time feed on occasion. This translates to 5-8 hrs in a row of sleeping for them and 4-7 hrs of sleeping for us!! Who knew that could seem so awesome?!

I could use some prayers--my health is really crappy. Please pray that things start to go more smoothly in the land of digestion. My pain is significantly worse than it has been, and I've been struggling with dizziness sometimes. I'm in touch with my GI doctor. Also, pray specifically that my port does not get clotted.

Thank you. Love, B

almost 4 months.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. 

We've waited and prayed for these babies for so long that the first couple of months felt like a honeymoon.  We enjoyed snuggles and love, cuddles and kisses, and basically an "easy" time handling the joys of two newborns.

I believe this has come to an end.

While the kids are still relatively (dare I say) easy, they've recently become a little more difficult. 
The latest mantra in our house seems to be, "No thanks, Mom, I don't really feel like eating my bottle, but I'll wake you up every half an hour from 4 am on to remind you that I'm still not hungry but I would like to have the bottle put in my mouth so I can chew on it a little, smile, and then coo so you don't get too mad at me."  I begin to think maybe K or C has some type of problem with their sleeping/formula/digestion/something...but it seems they are taking turns with this ridiculous new behavior.  Humph.

That being said, there are all kinds of cute things happening at our house:

 

1. They have finally started to recognize each other.  They've always liked to be together.  Since the time they were born, if you put them in the same crib they'd scoot together and hold hands or snuggle up so they were touching.  NOW, when you put them in the same crib, they'll both look at each other and smile as if they're saying, "Hey! I know you!!  Let's play."  They'll smile and interact a bit.  It's adorable.

2. Kinley is ALMOST rolling over.  I believe sometime in the next week or two she'll get it.  Colby continues to enjoy sucking his thumbs much more than lifting his head, but we're doing our best to encourage him too.  Both are doing a great job reaching their developmental milestones.

3. Both kids are SUPER smiley.  I love it.  They both still rarely cry and are almost always easygoing, willing to let anyone hold them.  They will chat and smile, interacting and even laughing sometimes.  It's adorable.

Here are some cute photos of our recent family photo shoot.  They're about 3 1/2 months old in these ones.

Colby & Daddy

Kinley & Daddy

All the babies and Daddy

Little feet

The Fam

Colby

Kinley

Colby

Kinley

Photo credits for all but the last two belong to my friend, Kristin Weswig. Thank you!!

Arrived

You know you've arrived in the Land of Motherhood when one baby is eating a bottle carefully balanced with your left hand, the other baby is pooping in your lap, and you're thrilled to drink your lukewarm coffee with your (now) free right hand.

never a dull moment

Kinley has been sleeping peacefully all the way home from the Tri-Cities.

Colby has slept, chatted, read stories, held his mama's hand, held his daddy's hand, eaten a snack, and had a poopy diaper explosion all before we made it to the Thorp fruit stand.

Oh, the joys of being the mama of twins... I'm loving every minute. Well, almost every minute. :)

Quote of the Very Early Morning

3:19 am
This morning

Me: "Trying to re-snap Colby's pajamas after a diaper change is sort of like trying to diffuse a bomb while someone is yelling at you."

Marcus: "Yes. And you should write that down."

two month update.

I guess I'm averaging about one post per month.  I think that's pretty good, all things considered. 
Here is my best summary of all that's been happening this past month.

1. The kids are doing amazing.  We think Colby is getting close to 11 or 12 lbs.  And Kinley is probably somewhere in the 9-10 lbs range.  Both kids are doing a tremendous eating, and although it takes a while--they are finishing 3-4 oz per feeding.  They eat about every 3-ish hours, and mostly at the same time.  We are currently transitioning them to a new formula (just for regular kids instead of preemies.)  The transition is going very well for Colby, and not quite as easy for Kinley.  Both kids spit up on occasion, and seem to like to puke on me more than Marcus.  I'm not sure if they just feel like I can relate on a deeper level or if I just squeeze them more tightly than Daddy does. :)

2. Both babies are getting stronger each day!! Kinley is holding her head up really well during tummy time.  She like to get her practice in right away and then cries to be held and rewarded for her awesomeness.  Colby, on the other hand, has a more relaxed approach to tummy time.  He'll lay there smiling at you and chomping his fist for a solid 5 minutes.  Then he starts to get a little frustrated that nothing has happened, and that his gigantic head has not magically lifted from the blanket.  Then he begins to wiggle his little butt until his head comes off the blanket.  He does this several times in a row and then gets so frustrated he'll squawk.  The whole thing is hilarious, and it's funny to recognize our personalities in each child.

3. They smile a LOT, and I'm convinced it's not just gas.  Our kids are both noisy and irritable when gassy.  But when they're content (just fed, super relaxed)--they both smile like crazy.  Especially when you're talking and laughing, they'll get right into it.  They've just started to really enjoy their play mat, and bat their arms at the animals that are dangling from the sky.  They love to track their toys with their eyes, and especially love to look at the cool pennants that hang near the changing table.  Each one enjoys the chevron stripes painted on the walls in their nursery, and it's so cool to watch them focus.  They are both sleeping in their own cribs each night, and doing a great job.  They're both pretty noisy when they sleep, but don't seem to wake each other up.

4. I'm doing okay.  I am continuing to pump breast milk for the team, and that's going pretty well.  I was starting to wean off of pumping all together, but then read a series of posts from people with gastroparesis who all said that their health tanked once they stopped breastfeeding.  Not wanting to take the risk, I ramped back up and am pumping several times a day again.  I also had my gastric pacemaker turned back on.  While it doesn't seem to be doing anything helpful, it's not shocking me like it was before.  So, I guess that's good?  I also started on a new medication called domperidone.  It's a pro-kinetic drug that helps the stomach empty faster.  It's helping a bit, and is actually used to help women produce more breast milk in Canada--so safe to take while feeding the babes. 

We're having an open house in the Tri-Cities from 1-4 pm on Sunday, September 23.  We'd love to have you join us to meet the dynamic duo.  Stop by anytime!!  It's at my parent's house, and if you need the address, just text or call me.  My sister, Sarah, will be home from DC too--so you can say hi to her as well.

Colby: 2 months

Kinley: 2 months

"there were three in the bed and the little one said..."

Typical Colby.  It's a rough life.

Kinley.  Mommy's little peanut.

 

Hugs and love to all!!
Brelin

6 weeks on Sunday

Yesterday was the kid's due date.  It's hard to believe how much growing and changing they've done outside of the womb in that short amount of time.  I'm so proud of how hard they keep trying, and how much they're growing!!
We had another weight check at the doctor's office on Tuesday.  Colby is weighing in at 7 lbs. 13 oz, and Kinley is holding her own at 6 lbs. 6 oz.  He is a full 3 lbs. bigger than his birth weight, and she is 2 lbs. 4 oz. bigger!! They're doing so well, that the doctor lowered them both to a 22 calorie formula, rather than the 24 calorie formula that we've been supplementing their breast milk with since birth.  Nice job team!! They are a tiny bit anemic, but their blood work showed that it's because they're both making so many red blood cells (which is awesome.)  So, we'll continue to keep them on the iron supplements for some time.

Marcus and I are doing well.  Marcus headed off to work this morning, and so I will be flying solo until my mom gets here around 4 pm to stay the night with us.  He works a 24 hr shift, so it should be interesting to find out if I survive.  :)  I'll keep you posted.

I think we might just have the cutest kids in the world, but I'm pretty sure I'm biased.  However, yesterday a lady asked me this series of questions while I was pushing their stroller:
Her: "Are those dolls?"
Me: "No.  They're babies."
Her: "Are they twins?"
Me: "Yes."
Her: "Are they yours?"
Me: "Yes."
Her: "OH MY GOSH!!... blah, blah, blah."

Like, seriously?!?  No, I'm not a 33 year old woman pushing around a double stroller with dolls in it while I shop for coffee, mailing labels, and shampoo at Bartell's at 9 am.  And yes, they were born at the same time to the same parents, thus twins.  And no, I didn't steal the babies from someone else right before I entered the store.

In other news, we took our first road trip last week.  We rolled into the Tri-Cities to surprise my mom for her birthday.  She was elated.  The kids travelled well, but the trip took 5 hrs instead of 3.  It was completely worth doing.  We didn't venture out much, so please don't be offended if you didn't get to see them.  We're planning to return for Sausage Fest weekend.  (My sister, Sarah, will be home too.)  Mark your calendars, we'd love to see you.  It's Sept 21-23.

My health is on the upswing at the moment.  Things were pretty bad last week, but this week I'm doing really great--only puking once or twice a day.  Because I'm doing so well, I've decided to keep breastfeeding (well, pumping) for another little while.  I've also been able to cut back my IV fluids to once a week this week. :)  Hooray!  I think I'll be calling the GI doctor to see if he can turn my gastric pacemaker back on to see if that helps further.  I thought I'd give it a go one more time before I have it removed sometime this fall.

Okay, I think that's all I have to report.
Thanks for the love and prayers.  And if anyone wants to come hold babies while Marcus is working, please don't hesitate to call. :)

Love Brelin
PS Bill- I can't find any of your contact information.  Could you shoot me an email?

tiny feet

Colby

Kinley

All Dressed Up

So Precious

sunglasses at night

It happened in the wee hours of the morning today.  It was 4:30 am, and I was jolted awake by the cries of my little ones.  I fumbled around, trying to find my glasses so that I could see just what needed to be done.  Had someone spit up?  Was food needed?  A diaper change? 

I couldn't find my glasses.  I checked in all the usual places... bedside table? Nope.  Bathroom counter?  Nope.  In the kitchen by the bottles?  Nope.  I walked back into the really dark master bedroom, where one child was still sleeping.  I felt for the plastic frames so that I might welcome the new day.  Ahh. At last, they were on top of my dresser.  I threw them on, and walked quickly into the kitchen to help relieve Marcus of his baby-tending duties.

After about a minute in the kitchen, Marcus looked over at me quizzically.

"Why are you wearing your sunglasses?!"

We both erupted into laughter.

I tried to relay the story of the missing spectacles in between my fits of laughter.

I finished up with the babies, and put them down to bed.  Marcus went to get some sleep since it was my turn to be "on shift."

As he entered the bedroom, he sang, "I wear my sunglasses at night, so I can... SO I CAN SEE."

Thanks for the mockery, honey.  And here's to many more nights of ridiculous happenings...

We're home and doing well. (with pics finally!!)

C in back
K in front 

Kinley Grace

Colby David

C

K

C on left.  K on right.

Here's the short version of what's been going on in their little lives...
1. Colby was released from the NICU on 7/4, after doing well since he was born.  He'd regained the weight he'd lost since birth, and was back up to his birthweight, so the docs were pleased with his progress, and felt comfortable sending him home.  That being said, we couldn't bear the thought of leaving Kinley in the NICU all alone.  We worked it out so that we could stay in a Parent Room with both babies, caring for them through the night, and just having her hooked up to monitors to make sure she was still okay.  The nurse came and checked on her through the night too.

2. The doctor came in to talk with us about Kinley on 7/5.  He was thinking that he wanted to keep her through the weekend to ensure that she was able to keep growing, and maintain the upward swing that she seemed to be starting on.  I was a little pushy, and insisted that she would do well at home--and that no one was more dedicated to her succeeding on her feeding plan than Marcus and I were. The doc agreed to discharge her.  Immediately after, I was feeling profound regret, worried that I'd been too pushy, and that maybe the NICU was the best place for her if she really wasn't well enough to go home yet.  I sent Marcus to have a "man-to-man" chat with the doctor, while I stayed in the room with the twins and my crazy over-emotional post-partum hormones.  Marcus returned to let me know that the doc agreed that we were "very motivated" parents, and agreed that she could be discharged as long as she had a weight check with the doctor on Monday.

3. So, we came home on 7/5.  All of us.  I was so nervous that I sat in the back seat with them.  They're so tiny in their car seats, and I was worried that one of them would slump forward and stop breathing because they are so small.  Granted, both babies passed their car seat test in the hospital (where they had to sit for 1 1/2 hrs with monitors on.)--but I was still nervous.

4. We headed nervously to the doctor on Monday, only to find that Kinley had gained 6 ounces in 5 days, and Colby had gained 5 in 5.  We were super proud of them both, thankful for all the people praying for them, and SO relieved that my pushiness was not in vain.

5. Since then, we've been doing our best to change diapers, eat, sleep, and repeat over and over again with the dynamic duo.  They're both doing great... and once we stopped giving them the disgusting vitamins (the doc gave us a different kind on Monday)--there has been no projectile vomiting, or fussy babies.

6. Colby cries (really loudly) when getting his clothes changed--he seems to hate being naked.  Kinley doesn't really cry yet, just a little squeak comes out when she wants something.  We didn't even know if she COULD cry until she received a vaccine at the doctor.  The girl has pipes.  It's just a matter of time before we hear them, I bet.  Both kids are very chill for the most part, which helps us to be more relaxed around them too.

Thanks to everyone for the prayers, encouragement, and love that you've poured into these two already.  We feel so blessed to be surrounded by so much support and kindness.

Hugs and love to all.
Brelin & Marcus
Kinley and Colby