Double Trouble

Announcement of pregnancy and birth following assisted reproductive treatment.
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DianeC
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Post by DianeC »

Hi all

WOW - so much going on :lol:

Malinka - congratualtions on the birth of Ben and Victoria - great weights - you did well. Glad to hear that your first night went well. I remember the first week with our two boy did we adjust our schedule pretty quickly to find one that worked for us. I BF Bronte and it went well - Harry could not have the breast milk as he had protien intolerance. So, sorry I can't help you with the BF part.

Kimberly - great that Brodie got a diagnosis - hopefully he is feeling better now? Try not to stress over milestones too much as different babies experience things at a different pace. Our two started to roll over about a month ago (time goes so quickly I can't exactly remember) and now they roll over all the time. Mine two hated tummy time as well but I insisted they have some time everyday. Both are rolling from back to tummy but not back again as yet. These links are really good for developmental milestones. Bronte does not have reflex - I think she is just a fussy eater :D She has been better this week so I will see just how good when I get her weighed next week.

Kim - my two are really enjoying their food. I give them about 2 tablesppons at around 6pm everyday. I have not introduced another feed as yet but might think about it after they turn 7 months. They have either farex and fruit, veges, which they love, or some sort of fruit custard. I find it a little tiring sometimes as they seem to need a lot of attention especially in the afternoons. My DH says I do too much with them so it is no wonder I am tired. I give them all my attention in the afternoon - interacting with them in all sorts of ways. I have started to take them out of an afternoon as it is easier on me :D They love the stroller either a country walk or the shops - does not seem to matter which. Are your two still full on or have things settled down?

We also have 6 embies left and have not decided as yet what we will do. Our twins were 9th attempt IVF so I am not too sure if I want to go down that path again.

Woodcliff - welcome! Good to hear your pregnancy is going so well. I too have b/g twins born on the same day as Kim's. They are such a joy and very special.

Well, I finished an assignment that was due on Friday - yay! Got it in one time and I was happy with the result. I will know how I did sometime in Jan - I hope. I have to start another assignment which is due on the 8th Feb. I will start researching tomorrow then have a break as family will be here for Xmas. No rest for the wicked :wink:

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry and Safe Christmas! I can't wait to see my babies on Christmas day - our very first Christmas - I truely never thought we would see this day. MWAH and HUGS to all :lol:

Di

P.S. I have added a few photos on photobucket.
9th attempt IVF - TWINS born 14/06/07

Harry Bede - 5 lb 14oz
Brontë Mathilda - 4lb 12oz
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DianeC
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Post by DianeC »

Hi All

Here are the links I mentioned. You might have to copy and paste them into your web browser.

Parenting & child health

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthT ... aspx?p=122

Baby centre

http://www.babycenter.com/milestone-cha ... h-to-age-3

Cheers Di
9th attempt IVF - TWINS born 14/06/07

Harry Bede - 5 lb 14oz
Brontë Mathilda - 4lb 12oz
buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

Di--I love the pics! They are just too cute. I wish we lived closer so our two could play with each other...I bet they'd take some pressure off us?! :shock: Thanks for the links, too. I'll be sure to check those out. Tell your DH to relax. I asked our ped about this issue at our check up last week, and he says it's really quite common for babies this age to require a lot of attention. He said it should get better around 9 months? I, too, tend to give them a lot of my energy during the day...but I just see how quickly time is flying by, and I'm afraid that I'll look back and say, "I wish I would have..." So, for now, I'm the entertainer! :wink: Do you have an exersaucer? That is a LIFESAVER for me. I only have one, but it allows me to put one baby in it (and they both love it), while I play with the other on the floor. Now that Ellie is rolling a lot more, she can entertain herself a bit. As for food, mine have something with their bottles every meal (4 meals now). In the a.m. they have rice cereal (usu. mixed with something that has more taste) and a bottle. In the afternoon meals they have veggies and a bottle, which they seem to like. At dinner they have some veggies a bottle and cereal. I'm hoping that they'll eventually go down to 2 or 3 bottles, but that hasn't happened yet. THey both like juice too. I just pour a little apple juice in a sippy cup and dilute it with water (not too much sugar), and they go to town. Granted, half ends up down their shirts, but they love it!

By the way, it's summer now for you, huh? ENJOY! I wish it were warmer here...we could sure use some walks in the stroller!

Merry Christmas everyone! I think it's going to be great for all of us!
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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Malinka
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Post by Malinka »

Ladies, I added a pic of Ben and Vicky to photobucket:)

Diane, your babies are adorable!

Kim, such a cute pic with babies and Santa , they seem to enjoy themselves too!
kholtan
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Post by kholtan »

Don't have much time but I thought I would say Merry Christmas to everyone!!! Enjoy the best gifts ever and take lots of pictures!

Speaking of pictures. . .WOW!!! There are some adorable photos right now. Darling babies Malinka! And Di, your two look so much alike!

Bodie is doing much better and just started laughing at himself in the mirror yesterday. HE just gets rollin' with laughter and in return we all crack up. Annelise would rather be tickled but she'll crack a smile just to be part of it all! Who knew Christmas would be full of so many gifts that are worth so much!

God bless and Merry Christmas!

Take care~ the entire Holtan-Bates family
Me 35, DH 35
Ectopic Oct. 2005
IVF transfer 1-21-07. . .TWINS!!!!
ww.batesbabies.blogspot.com

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buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

malinka--love the pic! They are adorable and so alert! I hope things continue to go well!

Didn't sleep much last night...the babies did, but I didn't! :? Not sure why...but I just put them down for a nap, and I'm going back to nap too! I can't spend the day with the in-laws without any sleep!

Have a great Christmas,
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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kholtan
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Post by kholtan »

Good morning everyone! Hope everyone had a great holiday. This year was actualy a white Christmas here. The first in a long time for the valley. Most people think Boise has snow but the town is usually pretty bare while our mountains are covered so it was a nice treat.

Do we all have some pretty spoiled babies today? :D Ours were certainly showered with some great things. DH bought them a TON of motocross stuff already. They better be ready to ride soon! :wink: Where on earth will we put it all is my only question????

Unfortunately, we are waiting for a call from our Pediatrician this morning. Yep, you guessed it. . . Bodie is again a mess. He was making a fabulous recovery and then on Christmas eve day he jsut went down hill in a hurry. I thought it might just be a bad day but then X-mas was the same so now we are back to the drawing board. I know his thrush is clearing up if not almost gone but dh and I just feel like there is something wrong with his intestines. Of course, we don't know but our Dr.'s are now teaming up together to try figure it out. We've also have a connection to a very good Dr. in Sacramento so we hope with the three of them working together Bodie will be back to himself soon. When he is happy he is HILARIOUS!!! THis kid is so funny and LOVES to laugh at himself in the mirror. It breaks my heart ot see him struggle. :cry:

Anna banana now has the fanciest wardrobe known to man. Christmas brought her more frilly dresses from friends and family than you can count. She has really been a ham lately. All you have to do is raise her arms and she cracks up in hopes that you'll tickle her. I don't usually tickle babies but she cannot get enough! If you stop she'll start talking up a storm until you start again. What a sweet girl!

The kids and I ended up missing X-mas dinner to stay home with Bodie and even then it was obvious just how lucky we all are. Can you believe that most of us had no babies at all this time last year???? What a lucky group of women we are to have our families and each other. I am sincerely grateful for all the help you all provide me with. What lucky babies I have to have all your help and encouragemnet. Thank You!

Have a great day!
Kimberly
Me 35, DH 35
Ectopic Oct. 2005
IVF transfer 1-21-07. . .TWINS!!!!
ww.batesbabies.blogspot.com

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kholtan
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Post by kholtan »

Just a quick update. . .We are getting a scope done in the morning. :cry: Poor fella. He didn't have another ear infection which is good but he has something and we're going to go find out what. Wish us luck. It's hard to let them do it because, like I said, when he's not miserable he is SO happy.

I don't care if I ever know what it is as long as it goes away!
Take care everyone!
Kimberly
Me 35, DH 35
Ectopic Oct. 2005
IVF transfer 1-21-07. . .TWINS!!!!
ww.batesbabies.blogspot.com

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buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

Kimberly--good luck at the scope! I hope Bodie does okay....that'll be a bit scary for him...poor fella. How does he do with gas drops? Do you ever use them? Just curious...

As for Christmas, we've had a rough couple of days. :? :? :? I was SO looking forward to the holiday, since this is one of my favorite times of the year. PLUS, it was the baby's first Christmas! But, reality set in. We went to my MIL's on Christmas eve, and the babies were enjoying themselves until it was time for a very needed nap. Well, my MIL was wise enough to put a crib for them in THE BASEMENT! Now, yes, the basement is finished and warm. BUT, the kids could hear every footstep, word, everything going on above them in their "nursery". So they were screaming their heads off because they couldn't get some rest. To make matters worse, the only night light she had (cause the room was pitch black) was motion-sensored...SO, when no one was walking in front of it, it turned off. So again, screaming babies! I think they were terrified. Needless to say, I spent an HOUR trying to calm Ellie down until she fell asleep in my arms. Braeden ended up napping with daddy cuddled up with him in another bedroom. :( :( :( During this hour of HELL, the rest of DH's family continued to eat and open up presents without us. Wasn't that nice of them? :wink: Can you tell I'm not a fan right now? :x Not one of them offered to help us out or bring us something to eat or drink or anything. His mom didn't even bother to check to see if the babies "accomodations" were okay. Well, it has been determined by yours truly, that my babies are NEVER EVER EVER sleeping there again. Great, now on to Christmas!

Christmas was at my parent's house. Now, my folks had already heard about the day before, so they did everything they could think of to make for good arrangements. They even had white noise! Well, this time Ellie fell right to sleep, but Braeden screamed for a half hour! Oh, will this never end!? I finally managed to get him to sleep (by hanging out in the bathroom with the shower fan running---I had to sit on the toilet--don't ask!). Then we did the whole dinner/gifts extravaganza! The kids were actually quite cute. We'd tear a little bit of the wrapping, and then, they'd try to help! We didn't get many clothes, since we're in really good shape in that dept. BUT, we did manage to score some fun new toys--so mommy will at least have some new entertainment! ha ha! :wink: DH and I got a video camera for each other, so we had fun filming everything! Especially once naptime was over and babies were more pleasant. :)

Today, we had to work really hard to get back to a normal naptime, bedtime routine. We had some tears (which we normally never have), and it was hard...but tough love endured and they cried themselves to sleep after a little while. I'm hoping tomorrow is back to a regular cheerful, well-rested day!

I hope you all had a better Christmas! Not that I didn't enjoy the time with the babies, and I must have thanked GOd a million times (for these precious little beings) during those screaming fits :wink: It is amazing to think of where we were a year ago, isn't it? All I know is I'm so glad they're here, but I also know that I definitely earned the wine I drank at the end of the night! :)
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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LauraLou
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Post by LauraLou »

Kholtan- I hope your little boy doesn't have an obstruction. That happens sometimes and the symptons minic reflux. Please let us know what you find out.

Kim- So sorry to hear about Xmas eve. I can't believe no one offered to help or brought you a drink or cookies. I wouldn't be bringing the babies back there unless it's for a few hours between naps.

Malinka- Your babies are so cute!

Diane- I also invest all my energy in the babies. I read to them every day, we practice sitting up, play with toys, sing songs, etc. I want them to know that they are so loved and to have all the advantages I can give me. I know right now what they need most is my time and attention.

We had a nice, low key Christmas. It was just the 4 of us, as our family is all out of state and we were back there at Thanksgiving. Actually it was really nice. Jeremy can now sit up by himself and I had Nicholas in a bumbo chair in front of the tree. I opened their gifts and they played with the wrapping paper. They got lots of toys! It was really special. The best Christmas I've had in years.

Image
Me 38, DH 52
1st IVF 5/06- BFP m/c
2nd IVF 9/06- BFP identical twin boys!!
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kholtan
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Post by kholtan »

Good morning everyone!

Literally an early one due to the fact that it's 3:45 here and I am waiting for Annelise to wake because she has been sleeping for 7.5 hours and my boobs are HUGE!!!! This is the first time they have both slept this long together and unfortunately Bodie can't eat before his scope. :cry: Can't win sometimes can ya?

Kim~ Your Holiday made me laugh with you and want to cry. I understand ALL too well what you went through at the in-laws. I'm sure they all volunteer endlessly offer to babysit as well but when you're there no one wants anything to do with the fussy hour. At least you had your moments of cheer. If you ask me you deserved an entire bottle of wine! Still get a giggle when I think of the photo you titled "Mr. Trump". I bet the new video is great of them.
We do try gas drops and often but they don't seem to do a thing no matter what brand we try. Bodie is very gassy but they don't offer relief. I'm hoping we have some answers today and if they don't see anything I'm going to just be at my wits end. If it would just go away I wouldn't care what it is but it won't.

Lauralou~ You babies, as always, are so darn sweet! They look like Christmas put some pretty cute smiles on their faces. the four of you alone sounds like the perfect holiday for me!
Thanks for the thoughts about his scope. We should be home in about 4-5 hours and I'll report back.

I'm off to wake my sleeping daughter so I can get ready with these boobs a slight bit smaller! :shock:

Thanks for the thoughts ladies!
Take care~
Kimberly
Me 35, DH 35
Ectopic Oct. 2005
IVF transfer 1-21-07. . .TWINS!!!!
ww.batesbabies.blogspot.com

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buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

Laura--love the pic of the boys! THey look so happy! It looks like they have their own instruments to start a band! We got the same xylophone, plus a little piano thingy. Maybe we should get our kids together and start a group! ha ha! Double trouble! We can make lots of money off of their talents... :D :D :D I totally agree with you about the time we spend with them right now. It's exausting for sure, but they do need/want us so much right now!

Kimberly--how'd the scope go? You made me laugh about the huge boobs. Brings back soooo many memories. We use Equate gas drops--from Wal Mart. They work WAY better than Mylicon, plus they're cheaper. My kiddos are gassy too. Didn't know if that would help Bodie or not. :? ? I sure hope the docs can work this out for you. Does he poop regularly?

Oh, as for our "mr. trump"....my friend calls him Frank Barone from "Everybody loves Raymond"! :shock:


My two are very irritable today. I think they're still recovering from the holidays. They seem to be very needy. I think they're used to lots of attention from the relatives, and since I'm only one woman, they have to share--not too happy about that. I even put them down for their nap early. I hope they snap out of this soon!

Laura--Are your boys in convertible car seats yet? Mine haven't reached the weight limit on our snugrides yet, but they are really long in them. Our doc suggested we go ahead and move up. Just wondered if you found one you like? I know the Britax are supposed to be awesome, but they're like $300 each. Trying to avoid that!
:roll:

have a good day gals. How are you preggo mommies doing?
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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woodcliff
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Post by woodcliff »

Ladies...best of luck and happiness this New Year!!!

And I hope little Brodie is OK...poor kiddo...

Q: I noticed someone mentioned Snug Ride ...

Which brand of car seats, strollers, and (especially cribs) cribs did you buy? Convertible cribs? Those seem pricey...
Thank you for any advice...I have reams of 'names' of things but just want to know what "real' twin moms actually purchased!!!

I'm researching, know I'll buy a snap and go but uncertain of the 'seats' to go in them...
Cribs are baffling to me...so many warnings re: slats, height, etc etc.
Amazing any of us made it to our ages...our moms didn't have to think too hard about this stuff...at least mine didn't!! (60s and 50s mom that she was)...they just ate and drank and smoked...while preggers!

XXOO
8/17: BETA 475
8/20: BETA 1,680

TWINS!
Born April 3, 2008
37 weeks...
GORGEOUS boy and girl
buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

Woodcliff...I know, it's baffling! So many options! DH and I were out at Babies R Us tonight with the kids trying them in different convertible car seats...still don't know what to get!

As for infant car seats, we got the Graco snugride. It was tops with consumer reports and fits into nearly every car and stroller. We've been happy with them. We started the kids in the snugride because it could be carried in and out of the car easily--especially if the kiddos were sleeping. However, now they're getting too big for them, so that's why we're moving on to the convertible ones. You can always start with convertible ones--even for infants. BUT, the seat doesn't come out of the car. That's the downside.

As for cribs, we did go the convertible route, just so we could get more use down the road. We did go with two cribs, which was good because we had to separate ours at 4 months--kept waking each other up! We shopped around a bunch. Again, there's lots of options. We did a black/white color scheme in our nursery, and we did black sleigh cribs. Since black isn't a super popular crib color, we ended up ordering ours online. Saved us a bunch of money too. I can't remember the website, but they're DaVinci cribs. I think we ordered them back in January?

As for strollers, yeah, the snap-n-go was very handy early on. Now, we use our CHicco side-by-side. Got it at Babies R Us. MacLaren is also a great brand to check out. Pricey, but very good stuff.



Good luck!
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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kholtan
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Location: Boise, Idaho

Post by kholtan »

Good evening everyone!

Kim~ Frank Barone!!! That is so funny. The reason I can laugh is because Bodie has been called E.T. by some of our friends. He is so strong and thin but can hold up that big baby head with that skinny little neck! It's adorable!
Hopefully Ellie Belly and Frank are back on track again. Sounds like our house lately! As far as car seats go, we love our Britax infant companion seat and will certainly spend the extra dollars on the Britax convertible one as well. They last forever and are easy to clean. They also are big enought to be the last car seat you will need. Having it rear facing for the next six months will be a pain though. Car seat safety is something I am FREAKISH about!!! I took the class and everything many times when I was an infant care nanny. The most important thing in their infant care seat is that their head doesn't go over the top. The feet aren't a big deal.
Good luck! My vote is for the Britax one!
Also, thanks for the gas drop suggestion. Mylicon doesn't do much for him either. I guess I will have to make a trip to Wally World although I haven't been there in 5-7 years. YIKES! He is a gassy fella! He's a fabulous pooper as well. No constipation here! :lol:

Today went well. I'm about to butcher the English language here so forgive me but I am a horrid speller! Especially medical words! We had to be there at 6 am and things went very well. He had a little gas and out he went. The entire procedure only took 15-30 minutes. To be honest, we were SO worried that they would find nothing and the jury would be in on the fact that we are crazy! the good news is it's not bad but they unfortunately did find some stuff. He has little ulcer-like leasions on his throat and the place where your esophogus (sp) joins your stomach is really red and inflamed. The odds are that the amoxicillian from the ear infection killed off too much good bacteria and the acid in his tummy got out of control causing his problems. They biopsied the tissue and we'll know in a few days if he has reflux. Who knows? All I know is that all we have to give him for meds is carafate to coat the throat so it can heal back up. I'm so hapy about that because I hate to give him anything. We are very hopeful and relieved for the little guy.

Again, I honestly appreciate the concern for Bodie. Thank you! :D

Woodcliff~ You have so many choices on your hands! As you already read, I am a HUGE Britax fan and think they are worth every penny. As far as cribs go, I have the Jenny Lind 3-in-one. It matched my theme and converts to a toddler bed as well. I would have done the convertible ones but being in the decorative industry I didn't know what their own rooms would be later and I'm not sure if I want to go with a queen bed or a twin while they are children. Also, they are inexpensive and well made.
Stroller wise, I have a few! :? The snap-n-go is a must! You can make any car seat work. I also have a McClaren and it is awesome. Then I have a Dreamer Design jogger stroller. I bought it used and they are really pricey and I'm not that impressed. We took it to the coast and it wasn't great on the sand which is what I got it for. (I'm no fan of actual exercise!)
Things that I have that don't work well are the Boppy brand travel swing. It munches the babies up too much and they can't breathe well. The infantino carrier (like a bjorn) is a wreck as well. You cannot get a baby in or out of that thing to save your life. Just to name a few.

Long day and my little ones are sleeping like a rock so I'm going to join them!

Hugs to all!
Kimberly
Me 35, DH 35
Ectopic Oct. 2005
IVF transfer 1-21-07. . .TWINS!!!!
ww.batesbabies.blogspot.com

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