Always behind....

From now on, just assume I'm always behind on my blog.  I'm soooo tired and usually nap when I have spare time.  AND the video card in my computer broke after they were born, so Jake and my dad had to rebuild it.  I was so far behind once they were done I just couldn't find a big chunk of time to work on it.

Luckily today with Carolyn and Jake watching the girls I was able to tackle to intimidating task of blogging about the past month.  So here are 12 long posts with photos, videos, and jumbled stories.  I know there are probably lots of type-os and things that don't make sense.  I'm just too tired to proof read it and I need to go feed the babies.   I also started a few more posts - so hopefully I can do a better job of kind of keeping up.  But no promises.

Oh - and start at the bottom and read to the top - since there are 12 posts they don't all fit on the main page so you'll have to scroll through older posts to read them all.  Or click on these links...

• Mother's Day

• Grammy, Grumple, and Aunt Jami Visit

• Jenni Turns 27!!!

• Jake Turns 30!!!

• Hip Ultrasound

• Baby Weight Checks

• The week after my mom left.......

• Snort's Stay

• Allergist

• Father's Day

• Dirt Bike - Sold!

• Scarlett, the Cheese Ball

Scarlett, the Cheese Ball

• We are starting to reason with her: clean up your jewelry before you get the iPad
• Still loves the babies: "babies cute"
• Occasionally wakes up at night when the babies cry (even with her noise machine). Brought her to our room one night to sleep in our bed... literally fell asleep with a smile on her face!
• Dad takes her outside to play a lot
• "Dark outside?" means bedtime - sometimes she asks for it to be dark when she's tired
• "Hungry" when wants food
• She checks on the babies right when she wakes up
• She likes to tickle her face/lips while falling asleep
• Asks "Dad go?" then answers herself  "Dad work" during the day
• LOVES trains.  Will line up her toys into a "choo choo train" and say "all aboard!"
• Likes to watch "Thomas" the train engine
• When something tastes good says "so nummy!"
• Says "I did it!" when she accomplishes something
• Asks "Hold you?" when she wants me to pick her up
• Walks around saying "Moooom, where are you?" when she can't find me
• Asks for specific espisodes of Team Umizoomi - "egg hunt one"
• "Your turn" when she wants us to help her pick up her toys... nice try sweetie
• Likes to say "Awesome" a lot
• Uses the phrase "I love...." and "I like...." a lot. ie: "I love Thomas, mommy"  "I like 'nanas"
• LOVES Go Gurts but calls the Yogurt Tunnels.
• Yells "Super Bunny" while holding random objects on her bum like a bunny tail (from Max and Ruby)
• Says chain mail for oat meal
• Likes to joke that she is a boy and dad is a girl. Or that the babies are boys.  Thinks she's so funny.
• When Jake and I talk about watching Doctor Who she'll yell "Doctor Hoop"
• Counts up to 14 then just repeats 14 14 14 14 14

Scarlett sat on the potty several times.  She still isn't too interested and to be honest, it's easier for me right now to have her in diapers.  So I'm putting the whole potty training thing on the back burner for a few months.

She found this at Sam's Club and didn't want to leave without it.  She was being really good so we bought it. It looks much bigger in our pantry then it did in the store!

She knows that the babies eat milk.  When I ask her where the milk comes from sometimes she says "pump"!  (other times it's "boobies")

Has been falling asleep in random places!

If she skips her afternoon nap, she is a delight!

Break dancin

After having my family here for a month - she would talk about Grammy, Grumple and Aunt Jami a lot.  One time she just laughed to herself and said "Grumple so funny".  Another time at Sam's club there was a guy that kinda looked like dad from behind. Scarlett started chasing him "Grumple!" Luckily we caught her before she hugged his legs.  She also called our plumber "Grumple" until he turned around.  A few days ago she opened the basement door and yelled down "Grammy !!!"  Sometimes when she's playing in the living room she'll say "Aunt Jami" it's harder to understand so I don't think I even realize how often she says it.

Anyways, she misses you all and so do we!!!

Dirt Bike - Sold!

Jake sold his dirt bike!  He decided that even if he had time to ride here, it was the wrong bike for Michigan trial riding.  So he's been trying to sell it on Craigslist for months.  He finally spent some time and made it street legal - it sold within a week!  But Jake is really missing KSL classifieds.  Craigslist is sub-par.  He even had this crazy older sounding lady leave a message at midnight saying she wanted to buy his dirt bike.  He talked to her a few times - on a whim she wanted to buy a dirt bike and drive to Florida.  Jake tried to help her realize that his bike is really hard to start, the oil has to be changed every 100 miles, and it was tall for his 6' frame.  She still wanted it.  She even asked if it broke down could she come over and have him fix it.  Uh no.  He didn't feel good selling it to her (afraid that she would hurt herself).  Luckily he was able to sell it to a guy who knows what he's doing and who appreciated the good condition Jake kept it in.

Father's Day

Jake had a great Father's Day.  He got a Chillow and lots of love from his gaggle of Glauser girls!   

Scarlett wanted the babies to ride on her back!

Allergist

I finally met my new Allergist/Asthma Doctor in Michigan.  I made an appointment with a guy that people in my ward go to.  When I was in the hospital having issues right before the twins were born they asked me who treats my asthma.  I told them I hadn't met them yet but I had an appointment.  The hospital called their office and they sent one of their doctors to treat me.  So when I showed up to my appointment they already knew all about me.  Plus I had my records from Dr. Yeates in UT sent.

The first thing the Doctor said after introducing himself was that he usually treats kids - that he's a pediatric immunotherapist.  What the what?!?  I told him that I gave them my bday when I made my appointment but I  had no problem seeing another doctor in their office.  He was like "no, no, no I have a few adults that I treat".  Plus he thinks it will be good since he can side-treat our kids during my appointment (if I have questions about them) and he knows all about pregnancy and nursing as it effects kids.  hahahaha!  so ya, I see a pediatric doctor.  I joked that I haven't grown since 8th grade - so it will be a good fit!

He talked about how a women's body undergoes a complete immune systems rebuild during pregnancy with smaller rebuilds at birth, while breastfeeding, when done breastfeeding, and when the menstrual cycle resumes.  These changes are independent of what has happened before.  You have 1/3 chance asthma gets better, 1/3 worse, 1/3 the same.  These changes can be permanent.  I have noticed that my asthma/allergies have been better since I had Scarlett.  

He doesn't want to change anything in my treatment right now - since these changes are still taking place.  Just follow me and make sure that as they shift I handle it ok.  He said if I get prego again he's the first person I see after the OB.  And when we go back to UT I should go in and make a plan about how to handle my allergies and asthma out there (especially in the winter during the inversion).  He has a very proactive approach.

I asked him about my NSAID allergy (which is apparently very common in severe asthmatics).  He said there are other pain medications we can try that may or may not work but he doesn't want to do anything while I'm nursing.  Makes sense.  But man - Tylenol doesn't help my c-section pain.  It just takes the edge off.

As he was leaving he told me that he's the allergist for all the members of the church in this area.  I was confused.  Are you a member?  He said no but that he worked closely with humanitarian aid in grad school - they treated asthma in 3rd world countries.  And he knows some of the Elders of the church!  I told him that ya, it was friends from church to recommended him to me (now that I think about it - only their kids go to him... hmmmm.... I should have thought about that before).  

I made an appointment for Jake in a few weeks.  His allergies have been really acting up since we've been in Michigan.  Hopefully they'll be able to help him.

Snort's Stay

I'm so glad Courtney was able to come help for a week.  I miss her sooooo much!  It's been years since we've had that much time together!  She left Parker and Paul in CA and flew her 6 month prego self to MI to help us out.  I had a REALLY hard weekend right before she came.  The timing was perfect - I was going a little crazy on my own.

Snort can tell you how our house truly is a time vortex.  No joke.  It is almost impossible get out of the house before 3 pm.  Even with two adults getting everyone ready.  And she said while in the vortex she kept thinking she was having twins.  She would be doing dishes thinking in her head "I need to get another swing for the other baby" or "When my dad comes to help he can take one baby and I'll have the other!"  hahaha!  I'm convinced that she will miraculously have twins in September - since we do everything the same anyways!  ;-) 

She was tons of help!  She did the laundry, dished, cleaned, went grocery shopping with Scarlett, gave me naps, took Scarlett on walks and played with her, made delicious dinners, changed lots of diapers, etc.  All with her baby bump!  

(Scarlett kept calling the Pineapple a "CORN!")

One day when she was wiping Jaide's bum Snort got projectile pooped on!  It shot over 12"!  Sorry Snort!  

We drove through Detroit and took her to some Michigan places.  Jet's Pizza, Potbelly's Sandwiches, Culver's, even Hob Lob (she had never been!) 

It is always fun to be with her!  It never feels like we were apart.  I miss her and can't wait til we can see each other again!!!

The week after my mom left.......

I was so nervous when my mom, dad, and Jami left.  Luckily it was a weekend and I had Jake.  But the coming Monday I would have been on my own with all 3 girls.  I was coming off my pain meds and the babies weren't sleeping well.  I was a mess.  But my ward was awesome and just took care of us.  Jamie lined up people to bring us meals, come over to help me with the twins, and even play dates for Scarlett!  It has been so wonderful to know that we're not alone.   I'm so grateful for the service they provided!  And I know they will continue to support us.  

Scarlett has had to be more independent when I'm tied down with the twins...

I found a hilarious video that shows how to wrap twins in a Moby Wrap - so I tried it and they fit!

Boppy Buddies!

They both make this hilarious face!

They sleep with their eyes open - you can see Siena doing it here.  They also stare at my wide-eyed a lot.

Our bath time routine has gone through many variations.  But I think we've finally figured out how to do it the most efficiently.  Once I used the yellow foam on the shower floor and they took a shower with me.

Scarlett at the park with Jamie.  "higher!"

Scarlett knows their names...

The Pediatrician recommended we don't go to church for 2 months.  When we've gone out with the girls we've been able to keep them covered but she said that most likely at church everyone will want to look/hold them and she didn't think they were ready for that.  So the ward has brought me the Sacrament.  It has been so nice to have the spirit in our home and feel close to the Savior.

Someone made us a large homemade french bread loaf.  Scarlett saw it on the table and said "big hot dog!"

If the twins are both crying, Jake noticed one will pause for a second so she staggers their cries.  That was they are both heard (and drive their mommy crazy!)  Jaide seems to be more laid back.  She lets Siena nurse first and "let down" the milk.  Siena really likes her binky and usually wakes up first to eat.  There was one day they were yelling at me - not even crying - the next day Jaide's voice was all horse.

Both girls slept four hours on June 9th.  It was a momentous occasion!

When I nurse them at night I eat chocolate in the dark.  It makes me feel better.  And if I feel guilty about it I just remind myself I need 3000 Calories a day to nurse twins!  Woot woot!!!

Baby Weight Checks

Since the girls are late-term preemies they have to go into the doctor's office every few days for a weight check.  Especially with breast feeding they want to monitor them closely to make sure they are eating enough (it's often hard for preemies to suck).

When we brought them home we had to offer a formula bottle after feeding them to make sure they got enough to eat and weren't done just cause they were tired of sucking.  I would also pump after each feeding to increase my supply.  After a week I no longer needed formula.  I had enough pumped milk to satisfy them after eating and some feedings they didn't want any bottle at all.  Then I realized if they don't get the hind milk cause they're tired - why not just had express milk into their mouths at the end to help them finish eating.  So I did that for a few days and they no longer needed any bottles!  After a week of that they were strong enough to finish the meal on their own.

At each weight check they make sure the girls are gaining about 1 oz/day.  I have had 3 different pediatricians/nurse practitioners in that office tell me how amazing it is that the girls were breastfeeding without needing bottles after two weeks.  They said it's really rare for babies that young to do that and I have TWO of them!!!  In fact one of the NP asked to watch them nurse (I was feeding them anyways) cause she just couldn't believe that they were eating so well.  When she watched them eat she was just speechless at how strong of eaters they are!  What a tender mercy from our Heavenly Father.  My babies could have so many little complications but they don't!  I'm still amazed that they were ready to leave the hospital before I was!  What little champions!

Weight Checks

May 7: Siena 5 lbs 4.5 oz | Jaide 5 lbs 1 oz

May 9: Siena 5 lbs 7 oz | Jaide 5 lbs 4 oz (last day I had to use formula)

May 10: Siena 5 lbs 8 oz | Jaide 5 lbs 3 oz (started hand expressing milk into their mouths)

May 14: Siena 5 lbs 14 oz | Jaide 5 lbs 8.5 oz

May 15: Jaide's umbilical cord fell off

May 20 (two week checkup):

Siena 6 lbs 6 oz (3%), 33 cm head circumference (0%), 19.25" tall (7%)Jaide 5 lbs 15 oz (1%), 33.5 cm head circumference (3%), 19" tall (4%)

May 23: Siena's umbilical cord fell off

June 4: Siena 7 lbs 9 oz | Jaide 6 lbs 15 oz (no longer need to come in for extra weight checks, they are gaining weight perfectly)

I asked the doctor why they don't look identical.  She said right now they are more products of the womb environment rather than just DNA.  The weight difference, difference amounts of red blood cells, hair length, and head shapes will gradually start evening out and becoming the same - but it might take some time.  I'm not complaining - it's nice to be able to tell them apart! 

I almost always Tandem nurse.  It's the only way I can survive breastfeeding both and still have any time in between feedings.  I use hair ties (one green, one yellow) on each wrist to keep track of who ate on what side last.  Each feeding a switch sides (so I don't end up lopsided)!

I was going insane from lack of sleep.  I'm not too proud of the things I said.  In my defense, I was also going off the pain meds which really cause mood swings.  Anyways... the doctor said I look exhausted and that's her main concern right now.  The girls were waking up about every 2 hours at night and then sleeping for 4 hours in the morning when Scarlett was awake and I couldn't sleep.  Grrrr!  Apparently they had their day/nights switched.  The Dr said that breastfed babies will cluster feed every 2 hours for 3 feedings then have a longer stretch of sleep and we needed to force that longer stretch to be at night.

The plan: wake them every 3 hours during the day to eat.  Wake them every 2 hours in the evening to eat for 3 feedings.  Bathe them and put them to sleep.  After a few days we noticed that they were sleeping longer at night.  So I still cluster feed them in the evenings and we try to bathe them every night (it wears them out and they sleep longer - plus they smell so good!)  But one would still wake up randomly and needed to be patted back to sleep.  That's when we decided to stop using the cribs and exclusively use their swings at night.  Since we did all of this together we've seen longer and longer stretches of sleep.... 4 hours, 5 hours, even a few 6 hours!!!!!!!  AMAZING!  I'm not sure when I will try their cribs again, but it won't be soon.  Plus Dr. Karp (Happiest Baby on the Block) says they need 3 months or so just to adjust to the world (or 4 months for my preemies).  I also like what he said - you're not spoiling them for letting them sleep in the swing.  They were used to swinging 24 hours a day inside of you - so they've already had to cut back.

My mom bought us the Happiest Baby DVD and Jake and I are believers!  I thought Scarlett didn't like to be swaddled so we stopped wrapping her arms.  Now I know that I should have stuck with it - the twins didn't like being swaddled either but per Dr. Karp we kept doing it.  Now they settle down when I wrap them - I swear they are thinking "thank you for stopping those arms from smacking my face!"  I love the 5 S's!  It is so nice to know what to do when they are both screaming.  We can get them to calm down so fast now!  I wish I had this information 2 years ago!  We have even made other people watch it with us.  I know we've converted some of them (Carolyn) to the 5 S's!  :-)  That DVD is my go-to baby gift from now on!

Hip Ultrasound

The twins had to go back to the hospital for hip ultrasounds.  They like to look at all twins cause their positioning in the womb can cause the hips to not form properly.  All of their hip sockets look just beautiful.  YAY!

Jake Turns 30!!!

I wanted to do something special for Jakey since he was turning the big 3-0.  So I asked our family/friends to email me some memories they had of Jake.  They sent all sorts of stories from the last thirty years.  I printed them and hid them in 30 balloons.  Then Scarlett helped me carry the balloon train into dad.  As he popped them he read the stories aloud.  It was a fun adventure down memory lane!  We even learned a few things like Jenny tattled on Jake and that's how his mom found out about the hole he punched in his wall - Jake had previously thought that his mom must have seen it when the poster covering it waved in the wind from the door closing.  Or that he and Jenny made a dinosaur museum under his bed.  Jake's mom had a horse fall on her when she was prego with Jake.  Jake's dad remembered when Jake was on his mission he was doing service hanging Christmas lights on a light pole and the ladder fell out from under him.  He just dangled while hanging on as his companion rolled on the ground laughing.  Mary remembered when Jake was in college and accidentally signed up for figure skating (thought it was hockey) then his bro-in-laws paid him to wear a tutu for his final performance.  And so many more!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who sent me stories and made Jake's birthday so special!!!

Jenni Turns 27!!!

This year my birthday fell on Memorial Day so Jake was home from work. :-)  My parents flew in around noon from NYC.  I spent most of the day napping - I was soooo tired.  I thought that coming off my pain meds was making me feel awful and partly that was true.  But that evening when my meds were out of my system and I went to feed the girls I felt the WORST pain in my right breast I have ever felt.  It was like shooting fire.  I could barely let the poor baby latch on before having to pull her off.  Between more meds, ice, and lots of time we finally got through ONE feeding.  YIKES!  The next morning first thing I went into the OB and got an antibiotic for Mastitis.  It took a full 10 days of the treatment before my boob didn't hurt anymore.  :'(

Besides the Mastitis, withdrawals  being up all night with the girls, napping all day... my birthday wasn't too bad.  Jake and I went to Target for a few min to get out of the house.  I was planning on going to a movie but realized I would fall asleep during it.  When we got home my mom had made me country fried chicken with mashed potatoes.  Yum!  Then for dessert we had homemade asphalt pie (from Wingers: Oreo crust, mint chocolate chip ice cream, caramel, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry!)  And since we didn't have candles we just used a lighter!  Scarlett saw the birthday crown sitting next to me so she put it on my head and said "mommy princess."  

It was a nice evening to a physically draining day.  Later that week when I was feeling better my mom bought me a birthday cake and they dubbed it as my redo birthday.  :-)

Grammy, Grumple, and Aunt Jami Visit

Random stories and pictures while my mom, dad, and Jami visited us...

The twins smile when they are asleep or right before the spit up.  They have even laughed in their sleep!  SO CUTE!  They even make a little coo sound when they're happy.

Jake and my mom had to pack my c-section wounds for two weeks (OUCH!), then I got steri strips.  The doctor who performed my surgery isn't warm and fuzzy - ie: I had the babies in the room in their stroller and she never even asked to look at them.  Luckily my fav OB got back from vacation (she was a little upset that I went into labor while she was gone, hee hee!)  She keeps telling me that my body is handling the whole twin thing "just beautifully".  If this is beautiful, I feel bad for everyone else!  

I had to wear pads for a few weeks and Scarlett saw me using them.  She then pointed to the package and asked "mommy diapers?" hahaha!  Why yes, sweetie, yes they are.

Scarlett likes to let me know when the babies are crying: "Oh no baby cry!"  Thank you.  What would I do without that information...

My mom dubbed our house as a time vortex.  The days just seem to fly by and the nights drag on.  I think she's right.  I feel like I barely have time to do anything for myself besides a quick shower.  Between all the mouths to feed, bottoms to change, loads of laundry (so much laundry), and babies to sooth - there just isn't a spare moment.  

While my family was here they took turns working the night shift - giving the girls pumped milk for one feeding so I could get some sleep.  They eat every three hours, so theoretically I should get 2 hour chunks of sleep - but one baby always seems to wake up.  So I rarely have been getting REM sleep.  It is making me go insane!  I need to figure out how to get them to sleep better.  We are all so tired!!!!

We invented a new game.  After feeding two people each take a baby and compete to see who can get their baby to burp first.  It sounds lame, but we have really enjoyed ourselves! 

Preemie outfits!

We have great neighbors.  Some neighbor kids brought us a card they made.  Another neighbor left me a nice note with banana bread and a flowering plant.  Then one day our doorbell rang and it was a random neighbor who lives on another street.  She's a single 40something old lady who saw our "Welcome Home Twin Girls" sign and decided to bring us dinner.  She had bought us a chicken dinner and put together a baby present with pjs, diapers, baby food, and wipes.  How thoughtful and sweet!!!

Grammy knows how to feed a toddler.  She came up with some fun meals for Scarlett.  Including the presentation: toothpick appetizers, roller meat/cheese, picnic in the living room, etc.

Scarlett has had to try some of the things that they babies do, like drinking from a bottle, bathing in the sink, being swaddled in a blanket real tight, and laying in the bassinet.

Oops!

In order to calm the babies Jami decided to rap the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song.  The funny part was they really liked it!!!

One afternoon Jami, Jake and I were sitting in the living room and we could smell that Scarlett's bum needed to be changed.  Jami offered but she started gagging when she got close to Scarlett (Jami has a super sniffer and doesn't handle foul odors well).  Scarlett thought it was funny so she started chasing Jami around in just her diaper.  Well the saggy diaper had a system failure in the leg elastic and the next thing we new Scarlett was pointing to something on the floor in the kitchen "OH NO!"  Yes, little reindeer droppings were scattered along her path!  hahaha!

At night they sleep in these swaddle blankets.  They always remind me of those old Glo-Worm dolls!

While my mom was out here she and my dad decided to meet in NYC to attend a special event for a rockin cool cousin of mine.  So they were gone for a few days but then my dad flew back to my house with my mom and stayed til they all went home.  So the last week they were here we had 5 adults to 3 children!  Love those odds!!!  My parents slept on the guest bed in the basement and poor Jami had to use the twin bed in the twin's room!  Not very restful sleep I'm afraid...  On a side note:  we got a twin bed instead of a rocking chair for nursing them.  As I was thinking of the midnight logistics I realized a rocking chair doesn't offer any place for you to put the babies while you get yourself adjusted - especially with two of them the twin bed is like another set of hands.  I really like it.  I have even slept in there when they were having bad nights just so I didn't have to go back and forth every 20 min.

Jami bought all 3 girls matching jammies.

We loved having you all here and can't wait to see you again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!