2 Twin Girls

Fast forward...

2008-02-12T23:06:00.003-06:00

Yes, it's true. I haven't updated this blog since the girls were 4 months old. But that's because I'm a great mom who has time for nothing but loving her children, right? Right?? It can't possibly be a ridiculous amount of procrastination, can it?

Since I'd have a hard time updating you on the last 18 months in a single post, I'm just going to fast forward to the present. I'll try to catch up on the in-between later.

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The girls are 22 months old now. I can't believe they're almost two!!

Reagan is picking up new words every day. She narrates playtime, dinnertime, bedtime, bathtime, EVERYTHING! She may only know a few words in each category, but she manages to have a whole conversation with those words. She loves to play with her dolls. She really is a nurturer. She feeds them, rocks them, washes them, sings to them and tucks them in. She is also a nurturer to Kieran. If Kieran is upset, Reagan will find a pacifier or Kieran's blankie and hand them to her with a loving look and a, "Here you go, baby!"

Kieran got her first haircut a few weeks ago! She screamed and cried. She was momentarily distracted by a sucker and some bubbles, but then the blow dryer came out! She was not a happy camper. I hope no one else in the salon was getting their first haircut while we were there. She would've frightened them off, for sure! After she was done, I gave her a quick snuggle and she spent the rest of the day checking herself out in the mirror.

In case you're wondering, I think Reagan will be ten before she needs her hair cut. She's still almost bald on the sides, but she could have a really nice mohawk!

August 10th, 2006. Four month check-up.

2006-10-14T09:19:00.000-05:00

In case you've been wondering how we feed twins, this is it. We've got boppy pillows and bottle holders that have been absolute lifesavers when it comes to keeping the girls on the same schedule. The former method was sitting on the couch with my feet on the coffee table and each of the girls' heads propped up on one of my thighs so they were facing away from each other (and me). Then I would hold their bottles in their mouths. Let me tell you, this is a billion times easier. I sit with them while they have their bottles and talk to them so we can have some bonding time.

Reagan and Kieran had another check-up with Dr. Heezen today. They got more shots. They didn't do quite as well as last time, but they did OK. There was a little bit more crying and they've been fussier than last time, but all in all, it wasn't so bad. Reagan has surpassed Kieran in weight! They've moved up to the 25th percentile, so they're growing well!

Here are the stats:

Reagan at birth-----now-----------------Kieran at birth--------now

3 lbs. 9 oz.-----------12 lbs. 3 oz.-----4 lbs. 3 oz.-----------12 lbs. 0 oz.

17 inches-------------23.5 inches------17 inches--------------23.5 inches

August 14th, 2006. New pictures of both girls.

2006-10-12T14:53:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting some new pictures of the girls. Things get so busy sometimes that I actually have to schedule time to document on film how much they have grown and changed. So, today I finally made some time to get them dressed in something other than pajamas and take pictures for a little while. Reagan is in blue and Kieran is in pink. They have really started to interact with each other. It's pretty incredible to watch their relationship develop.

August 14th, 2006. New pictures of Kieran.

2006-10-12T14:49:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting some new pictures of the girls. Things get so busy sometimes that I actually have to schedule time to document on film how much they have grown and changed. So, today I finally made some time to get them dressed in something other than pajamas and take pictures for a little while. For those that haven't seen the girls enough to be able to easily tell them apart, I'm putting Reagan's pictures in a separate post from Kieran's.

August 14th, 2006. New pictures of Reagan.

2006-10-12T14:39:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting some new pictures of the girls. Things get so busy sometimes that I actually have to schedule time to document on film how much they have grown and changed. So, today I finally made some time to get them dressed in something other than pajamas and take pictures for a little while. For those that haven't seen the girls enough to be able to easily tell them apart, I'm putting Reagan's pictures in a separate post from Kieran's.

August 8th, 2006. Tummy time!

2006-10-05T23:08:00.000-05:00

The girls got some quality tummy time today. They're working hard on learning to roll and working even harder on practicing their smiles!

July 11th, 2006. The first captured smiles.

2006-10-03T05:43:00.000-05:00

It took a lot of funny dancing and goofy faces, but I finally managed to capture Reagan and Kieran's smiles today! Now the fun really begins. There is something wonderful about being rewarded for the simplest things with a baby's smile.
And aren't these the sweetest smiles you've ever seen? That's Reagan to the left and Kieran above.

June 23rd, 2006. Clyde's new napping buddies.

2006-10-03T05:42:00.000-05:00

Clyde has discovered the joys of napping. With all of the late-night feedings, it's the only way to catch up on all of the missed sleep. Nothing makes a nap more enjoyable than having someone to share it with. We now have two someones so there is never a shortage of people to share a nap with. Something tells me that we're going to end up with a lot of pictures like these.

June 6th, 2006. Two month check-up.

2006-10-02T18:55:00.000-05:00

The girls had a visit with Dr. Heezen today. They got their first shots and it was absolutely heartbreaking. The nurse was great, though. She made sure that the girls were looking at her rather than us when she gave the shots so that they wouldn't think that Clyde and I were the ones that were causing them pain. They both screamed and cried for a few minutes. We snuggled with them for a few minutes and they were fine. In the evening they both had low-grade fevers but, with the help of Tylenol, they had a good long rest and are doing fine now.

Here are the stats:

Reagan at birth-----now-----------------Kieran at birth--------now
3 lbs. 9 oz.-----------8 lbs. 10 oz.-----4 lbs. 3 oz.-----------9 lbs. 2.5 oz.
17 inches-------------20 inches---------17 inches--------------20.5 inches

May 7th & 9th, 2006. Baptism and baby shower with Grandma Char and Grandpa Doug.

2006-09-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

Reagan and Kieran were baptized on May 7th, 2006 by Grandpa Doug. Godparents are Holly Mewes and Chris and Sarah Grant. The girls slept through nearly the entire service, but the whole congregation really enjoyed having them there. Grandpa Doug had all of the kids in the congregation come up front so that they could see the baptism. Their cousins, Ariel, Avery and Aiden, were especially excited to come up close and participate.

On May 9th, 2006, my home church, Our Saviour's Lutheran in Larimore, ND (where Grandpa Doug is the pastor) held a baby shower for the girls. Great-Grandma Grant held both Reagan and Kieran for a little while. You can see the pride in her face. The girls slept through the whole thing, as usual.

May 16th, 2006. Six week check-up.

2006-08-21T17:05:00.000-05:00

The girls had their six week check-up today and we all met Dr. Heezen. We hadn't really gotten very far in choosing a pediatritian so we decided to see the one that the hospital had sent the girls' records to (they picked Dr. Heezen because she was the first pediatritian alphabetically at the clinic that we go to). Well, she was wonderful, so we'll be sticking with her.

Here are the stats:

Reagan at birth-----now-----------------Kieran at birth--------now
3 lbs. 9 oz.-----------6 lbs. 11 oz.-----4 lbs. 3 oz.-----------7 lbs. 8 oz.
17 inches-------------19 inches---------17 inches--------------20.25 inches

They're still wearing preemie clothes or newborn clothes in brands that run small, but they're growing well. I tried to put Reagan in a newborn outfit that I got at Target with hilarious results.

Later in the evening, the girls both looked like they were at a rock concert, so I guess they must've had an OK day.

May 4th, 2006. They snuggle!

2006-08-21T16:55:00.000-05:00

The girls have been sleeping in the same crib since they're so small. I usually leave some space between them so they don't end up hitting each other if they wake up (they both startle easily and flail quite a bit). I went in to check on the girls at about 1:00am. Ok, I admit it. I just wanted to stare at them a little bit longer before I went to sleep myself. Well, I found Reagan snuggled up next to Kieran. It was the sweetest thing that I have ever seen. They normally seem very indifferent about each other so this was a nice surprise. My theory is that they "grew apart" in a sense when they were in separate isolettes in the hospital for two and a half weeks. It's going to be fascinating to watch their relationship grow and change as they do the same.

April 29th, 2006. The girls try their swings!

2006-08-21T16:54:00.000-05:00

The people that Clyde works with at the MEPS were generous with baby gifts even as Clyde was preparing to leave the military. These swings were given to us by the MEPS and we're suspecting that they'll get a lot of use! As you can see, the girls were practically disappearing in them at this point. Nonetheless, they did their job and the girls slept soundly all afternoon.

Both of the girls still have a little trouble maintaining their temperatures so they are usually bundled up like they're going on a ski trip. I think Reagan looks like a sweet little elf in this picture.

Kieran was trying really hard to muster a smile this afternoon. She didn't quite get the smile down without having gas, but she managed to wave to all the fine folks at home.

April 21st, 2006. Visit from Grandma Jane and Grandpa Clyde.

2006-08-18T21:09:00.000-05:00

Reagan and Kieran recieved their first visitors since they both came home. Grandma Jane and Grandpa Clyde came to visit! The girls pretty much slept through the whole thing, but it was fun for everyone anyway. You can see the exhaustion in our faces as we're learning not only how to be first-time parents, but also how to care for two babies at once.

Grandpa Clyde held the girls for the first time. He's holding Reagan in this picture. He's definately a pround Grandpa!

Grandma Jane just can't get enough of her new granddaughters. She could just watch them sleep for hours!

April 20th, 2006. Reagan is coming home!

2006-07-19T16:14:00.000-05:00

Reagan and Kieran got their pictures taken at the hospital on the day that Reagan was coming home. Their personalities are already aparent. Reagan is very independent and wants her space and a good nap. Kieran is just a ham.

Reagan is a very deep thinker. Here, she ponders the meaning of life. She also wonders if she will ever have hair.

Kieran is an entertainer. She loves to make people laugh by making goofy faces. At less than three weeks old, she has already mastered several funny faces, complete with hand gestures!

April 16th, 2006. Kieran can come home but Reagan has to stay :(

2006-07-19T15:49:00.000-05:00

Both of the girls were jaundiced for a few days and had to spend time under the bilirubin lights. This is Reagan sporting her protective eyewear and a nice blue glow.

This is Easter Sunday. Kieran got to come home for Easter! If only we had an Easter basket to put her in! Oh, well. I guess the car seat is safer anyway. Reagan is saying, "Hey! What about me?!"

Kieran is all dolled up to visit Reagan at the hospital.

April 1st, 2006. They have arrived!

2006-07-06T12:46:00.000-05:00

I'm starting this blog to keep all of our friends and family up to date with the newest pictures and happenings with our baby girls. We'll start at the beginning.

This is Reagan Amelia. She was born on April 1st, 2006 at 1:36pm. At 3 lbs 9 oz and 17 inches long, she was the smaller of the two. She was so skinny that you could see her ribs, but she was breathing wonderfully and very healthy. She had a little bit of blonde peach fuzz on her head. You can see her monitors stuck on her chest and belly. There is an IV in her head that gave her extra nutrients to help her to grow big and strong.

This is Kieran Olivia. She was born on April 1st, 2006 at 1:38pm. She weighed 4 lbs 3 oz and was also 17 inches long. She was very tiny but seemed like a big girl in comparison to her sister. Kieran was born with brown hair. Kieran also had an IV and monitors. The heart on the side of her head is Velcro to hold their eye sheilds. The girls were both jaundiced for a few days and had to be under bilirubin lights. They wore foam eye sheilds to protect their eyes from the lights.