Weeks to Months

When do you stop saying how many weeks old your babies are instead say how many months old they are?  Well for me it starts today!  Our babies are 4 months old.  I can't keep up with the weeks anymore and when I have to stop and think too long I look silly (By the way, they are 18 weeks old today)!

 What a busy week we've had...lots to update.  

•  Matt went to China for a week, left the very same day I went back to work...stress!  But the babies did great and work was good.  They had a little welcome pitch-in for me, yummo...very sweet, right down to the welcome back sign!  Even better, the babies and I survived a week on our own...well, sorta on our own.  My mom and sister took turns staying with me through the night.  I was supposed to work last night but took advantage of our low census and volunteered to be called off...pathetic I know!  Day 2 and I'm already requesting to be off!  With Matt being gone for a week it was nice to get life back to our new "normal" and I did indeed get to stay home all night!
• It's been exactly one week and one day since we took Vivian's feeding tube out.  We've had some good days and some bad days but that's to be expected.  Some feedings are harder than others.  She may always be a challenging feeder but as long as we have a happy baby we are happy.  She's taking 13 to 18 ounces per day.  Go Vivian!
• Last night Vivian officially moved out of our room!  She didn't go far, in fact just across the hall to the office but she was getting to be too noisy at night, moving all over her pack 'n play.  In  fact when she woke to eat last night around 4 she had done a complete 180 degree turn in her bed!  We are still feeding her through the night once or twice, whenever she wakes up to get a few extra ounces in her!  Oliver has been sleeping better and better.  We didn't go in there once last night to give him a pacifier "fix".  He went 12 hours without needing a thing!  Go Oliver!
• The babies went to the pediatrician this week for their 4 month appointment.  With that they received their 4 month vaccines and weighed in.  Oliver weighs 16 pounds 4 ounces!  Vivian weighs 12 pounds 5 ounces and she's worked hard for every ounce :)  The doctor was pleased with their developmental progress.  She said they were right on track for 4 month olds.  They both hold toys in their hands and put them in their mouth, make good eye contact, smile, coo, bear weight on their legs, bring their hands mid-line, look at their hands like "what is that attached to my arm?", bat at toys, and kick their legs with excitement to name a few.  Both are spending a little more time on their bellies and in fact have rolled over a handful of times (belly to back) each time with some cheerleading and coaching from us!  I'm not sure they know why or how it happened because they look so surprised when they get to their back.  Both babies are interested in "gnawing" on their thumb and hands.

Below are a few pictures....I hope you enjoy!

 We had another play date with my friend Natalie and her little boy Brock, who is about 8 weeks younger then our babies. 

We had another play date with Josephine and our friend Erica and her little girl Alice.  Josephine and her CRAZY hair enjoyed a little ride in the swing.  

Alice is about a month younger then our babies.  

Vivian's sweet little shoes.  

Clean, fresh faced Vivian!

Both babies trying some oatmeal.

 Vivian, keeping her eye on Oliver's food.

I looked over and Oliver was asleep!  That boy can fall asleep anywhere!

Welcome home from China, Daddy!

Snuggles with Daddy after his long week gone!

Vivian's slippers!

This picture was taken this morning at 4:15 am.  I went to feed Vivian and I found Zoe sitting in Oliver's bouncie seat, in the dark.  Typically, she wouldn't have sat there even if I wanted!  I do believe she is sleeping sitting up.  Recently, Matt and I have noticed Zoe has been a little jealous of our time spent with the babies.  No sooner then we both sit down to feed a baby, she is at the back door needing to go potty.  Last night she wanted to sit in my lap that was already occupied by Vivian who was eating.  She scratched and scratched at my leg, hoping I could hold both?? 

 Well, hello there ZoZo.  Whatcha doin?

Coordinating jammies, 18 weeks old!

16 weeks old and Changes!

The babies are getting sooo big!  This will be my last update before I go back to work so I will try to keep up with my posts but life around here is about to change!  I'm going to be working 2 nights a week so for right now my mom will be watching the babies for a few hours while I sleep in the morning after work.  Because of Vivian's tricky feeding issues we are thankful she's able to help out.  As soon as we get Vivian a little more figured out in the feeding department Matt's mom will be helping out too!

The babies are both doing really well.  Oliver is still sorta sleeping through the night.  He's not eating for 11 - 12 hours but does require a few pacifier "fixes" through the night...we'll take it!  Vivian's feedings are coming along.  This week she's taking all of her bottles during the day and we are not supplementing anything through the tube until after she goes to bed.  Monday we went to Riley to see the Speech Therapist I've been working with over the phone, Sara (my saving grace).  Sara and I talk about every 3 or 4 days (sometimes daily) to tweak Vivian's feedings and feeding plan.  We have been pushing her to take more volume in an effort to get rid of her NG tube.  She's up to about 10 or 11 ounces during the day time hours (7am - 8pm) and we need her to take more like 15 or so ounces in 24 hours before we can be rid or the tube.  Most people probably don't calculate how many ounces their babies eat, as long as they are growing and are satisfied you might never think of it.  We hope to get there one day too!  Oliver takes about 22 to 26 ounces per day, as you will see below in the pictures he doesn't miss a meal!  Sara taught me how to start "dropper" feeding Vivian as well.  The babies are almost 4 months old and it's time to start tasting some "baby food".  Right now we are trying oatmeal (I'm pretty sure more comes out then actually stays in :)).  We hope this will help strengthen her feeding skills.  Pictures of that to come!  I'll be touching base with Sara tomorrow to adjust the plan and push Vivian even more, things are ever changing!  For now enjoy the pictures below of our beautiful babies!

The best group shot we could get.

 Taken moments after her smiles....Oliver looks confused.

 Taken approximately 2.2 seconds after Vivian's melt down stopped (I, of course, get a little chuckle out of their mad faces caught on camera!). 

Vivian's tapping toes don't quite reach the ground yet. 

Mommy and her babies!

Aren't Vivian's socks so cute!

Oliver's socks are adorable too!

Such a BIG boy!

Vivian watching Sunday football with Daddy...

Lots of pictures

 

Bella resting her head on Vivian's feet...best buds!

 Oliver is looking smart in Daddy's glasses!

Talking with Granny.

Pac-Man and Mrs. Pac-Man (with Vivian's paci)

(without Vivian's paci)

 Love between Daddy and his boy (and Bella's never too far).  

Vivian looking pretty

We cheered for IU but they lost this week.  

Vivian ready for her bath and tube change.  

Oliver ready for his bath

Even though they are still quite different in size we think they are starting to look more and more alike!

Vivian's ready for Halloween.

Have I mentioned I love when they match? :)

Oliver's ready too!

Twins!

We are still growing, growing, growing here in the Hursh Home!  Vivian's weighing in around 11 pounds and Oliver weighs about 15 and 1/2 pounds (taken on our home scale).  

Vivian is still working on her oral feedings.  In the above pictures we had her tube out to be changed so there were many photos taken that day because I just love her clean, fresh face!  

I hate to even type this because I don't want to jinx anything but for the past 4 nights Oliver has been sleeping 12ish hours!!!  Occasionally he still gets one, maybe two pacifier "fixes" but that's been it.  No bottles, no soothing back to sleep...nothing!  He sleeps with anywhere from 3 to 5 paci's in his bed so I can just pop the closest one in his open mouth, one day soon I hope he'll reach over and do it himself. Napping for him has become the challenge.   He naps 3 to 4 times a days still but we usually only get one that's longer then 45 minutes and sometimes as short as 30 minutes.  Oh well, I'll take it since he's sleeping through the night!  This makes for a tired baby by the end of the day so it's no wonder he sleeps through the night!  All of his naps and sleeping are done in his crib (unless we are out and about and he's more then happy to take a snooze in his car seat!).  Both babies are easy to lay down, no fussing or rocking, just lay them down and off to dream land they go, which is a real lifesaver when you  have 2 babies!  Vivian is still a good sleeper and napper.  Although she too has the occasional short nap, if only they could coordinate their short naps and their long naps.... Tonight we are moving Vivian out of our room because she is a noisy sleeper!  We are in such a good place with Oliver's sleeping I've decided I'm letting go of the dream of them sharing a nursery...at least for now.  Maybe when they are both sleeping through the night we'll revisit the idea.  We are still "cheating" and feeding Vivian a couple times through the night with her tube and I'm afraid if Oliver saw us hanging out in the nursery for 20 minutes or so while her feeding went in he would think it was time to wake up and party! Um...no thanks!  Vivian is doing about the same with her bottles and Matt and I continue to be patient with her, reminding ourselves it will come with time.  

Both babies have found their hands, clasping them together and putting their fists in their mouths.  Oliver likes to hold his burp cloths in his little grubby paw so even though I was pushing for a cute little "lovie" he's chosen his own, a dirty ol' burp cloth...go figure, he's a boy! He takes it and rubs it on his face and is as happy as can be.  Each baby continue to express their distaste with "tummy time" but this mean Mommy keeps trying a few times a day!  The smiles and coos continue from both baby and we are enjoying each day!  

Again...I'd like to mention 10 things I'm thankful for this week....

1. Video monitors
2. Face to face chat with family on our new iPhones
3. Waking up to Oliver's coos
4. Vivian's gummy grins in the morning
5. Miralax for Vivian
6. Cute hand-me-down clothes from Josephine
7. Sara the Speech Therapist
8. The babies enjoyment of "naked time" before baths
9. A wonderful husband who is still sharing all the night time duty even though he is working full time
10. This extra month off of work

Below Matt upload some video, which I hope to do more of so check that out too!

Oliver Coos

Vivian and her pretty outfit