"Babies!"

Just more pictures of Parker taking an interest in the babies. 

Parker with Griffin

Oliver is in the bouncer chair to the right.

Close up of Oliver

Together

Griffin & Oliver

Oliver & Griffin

Ya that last picture I'm pretty sure they were hungry... But I wanted a picture in one of their matching outfits. You can see how blonde Oliver is.. Griffin has the same color as Lincoln and Parker.

How many men does it take...

...to put up a basketball hoop?

Apparently the answer is 4. Plus the help of a girl (Laura.. and Audrey, too).

("Big" Parker, Jesse, Nathan, Matt, Laura, and Audrey)

And what do you do with all the boxes it came in?

It's not a box, Mom. It's a bus and we're going to school! The other one is a fast car!

("Little" Parker, Lincoln, Evie, and Lola)

And no, Lincoln, you can't go to school until you wear big boy underwear. Maybe that will motivate you...

How do you do it?

THIS pillow

THIS iPad

and THESE swings (no link, I'm lazy)

Yes, I'm nursing TWINS! The top picture (where I'm completely covered up) is my view. It was only doable with the nursing pillow made for twins. They are beginning to outgrow it, but now I kinda know what I'm doing so I can still tandem nurse them. I pump every once in a while to give myself a break, too.

Lincoln & Parker like to wake up ridiculously early (which is exaggerated by daylight savings time.. try 4:30 this morning... ugggh). Lincoln comes into our room, grabs Jesse's iPad, and he and Parker sit down on the couch in the living room and watch Netflix shows. (Lincoln is better at using it than me! He's actually taught me a couple things...) That way Jesse and I have an hour or so to [try to] go back to sleep. This week has been especially rough since we moved the big boys downstairs into their new bedroom.

Swings are my crutch. Parker slept in one til he was almost 5 months old. I don't have the patience (multiplied by 10 with twins) to help them fall asleep without one. They help me enjoy holding my babies, so I hope they enjoy their swings a little bit longer.

I also have tons of help. Amazing visiting teachers, friends, family, and even hired help (once per week for a couple hours). Tonight we are even going on a date! Sweet! Can I say this... Jesse is an amazing husband. He has made having twins not feel so difficult. He never complains when I ask him to change a diaper, fetch the baby, hold the baby/babies while I get something done, to do the dishes, or take out the trash, etc. etc. etc. Jesse, you are AWESOME! And I love you so much. THANK YOU.

So how do I do it? One day at a time. Sometimes one hour at a time. 3 naps a week. Lots of prayers. And all of the above. I'm sure I'll look back on these days with wonder... wondering how on earth I did it with 4 kids, 3 and under!

Mama Out with 4 Boys

(Oct. 18)

I took the boys to get chicken tacos and we brought them to Vernon Worthen Park. The babies slept in the car while we ate right outside. I was a little nervous to go anywhere with all 4 all by myself... but luckily the babies slept the entire time, plus Lincoln and Parker got to go to the "pink park". It was nice to change it up... and it was fun to see how brave Parker has become going down the slide by himself!

 Lincoln (left) & Parker getting ready to come down the slide

Weeeeee!

(Oct. 25)

I also took all 4 boys to the park in our neighborhood by myself... but Audrey and her kids met us there. I'm pretty glad she came because Lincoln decided he didn't want to walk back because his feet hurt... I was already carrying one baby in a carrier, another baby plus Parker in the double stroller... It looks like I need one of THESE strollers! (You may think I'm kidding... but I am serious. It still is ridiculous though...)

This ladder is the biggest challenge at our park...

It has taken awhile for Lincoln to master...

Parker almost has it!

Awwww....

Parker is such a cutie. Here he is holding Oliver. He loves touching the babies hands and saying "hands" and scrunching up his nose and saying "cuuuuuute".

Both Lincoln and Parker have adjusted very well to having 2 newborns around. The most hectic times are mealtimes... all 3 of them!

Good Night, Mom!

(10-16)

Lincoln and Parker were being silly. Lincoln said he was going to sleep. Parker (as usual) followed him because everything Lincoln does is so much fun. My cute little monsters.

Time with Mama

Sometimes I just need a break from my [little] babies. Like an ice cream break. DQ, anyone?

Yes, please!

Lincoln & Parker

Staheli Farm

(Oct. 13)

A few weeks ago we decided to go to the "NICU Graduate Reunion" at Staheli Farm. It was our first time going out with all 4 kids... maybe we should have chosen something easier because we were exhausted after less than two hours!  We've gone to a few other things since then, and it wasn't nearly as tiring or difficult (thank goodness!!!!).

The Staheli Farm has your typical "Fall Farm Activities" - such as duck racing, petting zoo, lots of animals to look at, giant slide into a corn-filled box, tractor ride, horse rides... you get the picture. They also had a few things like a pirate ship maze (the boys LOVED it), and this giant bouncing pillow. This was the favorite by far!

It is basically a buried bounce house with the top showing.

(Parker & Lincoln in the center of the picture)

Lincoln & Parker

Parker LOVED this. I wish we had a place for a trampoline pit in our backyard!

Lincoln

My unsuccessful trial to get a cute "farm picture."

Do we look squished? Yes... there was NO room for me in there, but I didn't want them to come back bawling. They loved the tractor ride.

Off we go!

Those were the pictures we managed... the rest of the time we were feeding babies, tracking down the boys, or sweating since it was such a nice day (and I was a little stressed out!).

Cute Little Hats

Since these 2 boys have most of the clothing and blankets and everything they need already, I was really surprised how many people gave gifts anyway! A lady in my ward, Wilma, made these two hats and made two more.

Griffin & Oliver

(10/12)

An awesome friend from high school, Susan gave me these adorable little hats. She also sent some Canadian candy & ketchup chips (she lives in New York next to the border). That instantly made her Jesse's favorite of my friends. :) Thank you, Susan!

Oliver, Mama, Griffin

(10/17)

I know I've been terrible at posting pictures of these two new babies... so I will try to catch up the next few days. Here they are with their eyes open:

Oliver

(10/15)

Griffin

(10/15)

Mama trying to nap...

(9/23)

...but was unsuccessful.

Happy Halloween!

**Update 11/4** Jesse was also a chef. He was the one taking the picture.

From left to right:

Parker (salt) Mindy (chef) Oliver (lobster) Griffin (lobster) & Lincoln (pepper)

To get Lincoln excited about his costume, I told him he and Parker were going as "Mr. Salt & Mrs. Pepper" from a favorite show of his, Blue's Clues. It worked! He loved his costume and was proud to be Mr. Pepper. I even heard him say to Parker, "Come on, Mr. Salt!"

I Like Turtles.

Uncle McKay got the boys these shirts in honor of this video:

Parker (not wanting his picture taken...)

Lincoln

I'm a little tired...

So yes. Lack of posts. Do you blame me? I'm tired. Especially last night. Here's how last night went:

10:40pm - Fed both babies from 10:40-11:00pm.
11:10pm - Mama in bed.
11:20pm - Griffin cries. Griffin nursed in bed while Mama fell asleep.
1:15am - Oliver cries. Griffin in crib. Oliver nursed in bed while Mama falls back to sleep.
1:50am - Griffin cries. Switch.
2:15am - Switch.
3:00am - Switch.
3:30am - Switch. WHAAATTT??? Didn't he just eat??
4:00am - Switch. This is getting old...
4:20am - Mama decides she must be low on milk or something, so Daddy warms a bottle.
5:00am - Everyone back to bed/crib.
5:30am - Griffin cries. Griffin to bed with Mama to nurse.
6:00am - Oliver cries. Switch.
6:30am - Griffin cries. Switch.
8:15am - Mama gets up & showers. Sheesh. That was the worst night "sleep" I've ever had.
9:30am - Both babies wake & are fed.

This is not how every night is... this was the worst. But seriously. I'm thinking it was due to their surgery on Wednesday (circumcision) and they were nursing more for comfort than for hunger.

Here are the little devil babies. 

Oliver (L) & Griffin (R)

Griffin (blue) & Oliver (green/white)

It gets worse before it gets better, right? Sigh.

More Pictures

Sorry... that is a lame post title.

(Aug 26) 

After both boys were off respiratory support and in open cribs, they moved them to NICU 2 upstairs on the Mom/Baby floor. The same nurse as before, Amy, took some more pictures of them, and even got a few together. I know they are a little delayed... but this is how they looked about 3 weeks ago. Darn cute! And so tiny.

Griffin

Griffin

Oliver

Griffin (in white) & Oliver (in brown)

Griffin

Oliver

It is wonderful to have them home. We are all still doing really well. They will have weekly weight checks at the pediatrician's office. We had family & newborn pictures taken last Wednesday, so I will post some once I get them.

It's a bit tricky to feed two babies at the same time. I would have thought bottle feeding would have been easiest, but I have figured out that tandem nursing is actually the easiest. The hardest part of that is what to do about the other boys... the big boys. I quickly went to Target to pick up some "special toys" that they can only play with while I am tending to the babies. Not sure how long it will work for, but it has worked so far!

38 days later...

...and we're home!

Griffin (L) & Oliver (R)

Weights when they were born:
G: 3 lbs, 9 oz; O: 3 lbs, 8 oz

Weights when we left the hospital:
G: 5 lbs, 6.5 oz; O: 4 lbs, 15 oz

All I have to say at this time... I am tired of that place!

Coming Home Soon!

Griffin - 2425g

Oliver - 2210g

These boys are doing great! I start "boarding in" today. That means I am provided a room just down the hall from the NICU so I am able to nurse around the clock. If they do well nursing that frequently, after 2 days the boys will room in with me. "Rooming in" means the boys will join me down the hall, but keep their monitors on. Rooming in is the last step before going home! It usually lasts 2 days, as long as they have enough wet diapers and don't lose weight. So probably Tuesday at the earliest. We are excited to share our home with these two sweet babies!

Thank you to everyone that has helped us and offered your help. You are all wonderful!! We have so many awesome friends and family and neighbors!

Lincoln's Visit to the NICU

We brought Lincoln in to the hospital to visit Griffin & Oliver on Sunday. This was his second time visiting. The first time the babies had lots of tubes going everywhere and he could only see them through the incubators. This time we let him hold them. It was very sweet how happy he was to see them and interact with them.

[side note: Parker isn't old enough to enter the NICU since you have to be at least 2 years old.]

Lincoln, Mama, & Oliver

Mama, Lincoln, & Griffin

The babies are doing great! As of this morning, I am able to nurse them as often as I want throughout the day, and then let them rest through the night. They are still gaining weight. The doctor this morning said we are in the "home stretch"... the end is in sight! It still depends on how the babies do and if they keep improving so quickly. They could come home possibly as early as... the weekend?? Hopefully?? Maybe early next week? We will see!

"I love you in the morning..."

7am on a Saturday morning... wouldn't you like to join us?

Griffin (left) & Oliver (right)

4 weeks, 1 day old
Sept. 1
Griffin: 2230g
Oliver: 2085g