The First Two Weeks

How quickly the first weeks flew by...by the time we got dressed midday it seemed we were eating dinner the next minute and headed to bed after that.  Chris was home for the first week and our schedule consisted of sleeping late because we were up till about midnight and then several times more during the night.  Feedings and diaper changes took on average about an hour and Hannah and Owen ate every 2-3 hours.  I would nurse each for 10-15 minutes and then they would get 1-2oz of formula.  We would go through 24 bottles in a 24 hour period!  The pace of things was definitely exhausting, but we only know that because we're looking back.  In the midst of those first weeks we were excited to care for our little ones and didn't know how crazy life actually was.  We survived with help from our families and wonderful meals from family and friends.  I don't think we would have eaten anything if it hadn't of been prepared and warmed up by someone else for us.   All of our time was spent feeding, changing, and cuddling our precious babies.

Fisher Price Rock and Play Cradles were the best and most used registry item.  They slept in them for naps and at night until they were 6 weeks old.

 Mommy Love

1st bag of many many dirty diapers out to the trash can.



 All cuddled up

 Hannah had to be bundled all the time until she regulated her temperature better.

 Owen all bundled up.  This is often how they looked when we went to bed.  Owen didn't care to have his hands swaddled at first, but Hannah liked to be completely swaddled.

 1st sponge bath pictures-Hannah

 1st bath pictures-Owen

It is hard to believe how small they were at first.

We also spent a lot of time going to doctor's appointments for weight checks.  Hannah and Owen's first appointment was the day after we came home at 11am.  I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of accomplishment and stress of trying to get ourselves "ready" plus two babies and make it on time to our appointment.  We were supposed to be there 15 minutes early, but I think we actually raced in 10 minutes late.  I was actually at the doctor's office a few weeks ago and watched a set of new parents eagerly bringing their newborn in for an appointment and I knew before they even entered the door the baby was only a few days old because they had the look that I remembered feeling the day of that first appointment.

To keep a check on Hannah's weight gain in between appointments Chris would put her on a cookie sheet and then on our bathroom scale.  Everyone thought this was really funny, but it worked!

Hannah

Hannah was all girl from the moment she entered the world.  In the beginning she had a flair for the dramatic and was a definite princess.  People just smiled and said oh, yeah, that's a girl for you when I would tell stories about her disposition and personality.  Hannah had the amazing ability to reach decibel levels that would pierce your ears when crying and could go from 0-60 in seconds.  We had no choice but to figure out what she needed and fast!  In fact she would often look at you as if to say why didn't you know I was going to want to be fed or changed or cuddled 5 minutes before I wanted it.  She was also very independent and had a mind of her own.  If she wasn't interested in nursing or taking a bottle she would purse her lips together and nothing would go in.  However, she was still our sweet girl and we loved everything about her!  She has also always been her daddy's girl!

 Hannah liked to sleep with one arm up in the air and she did it often when she wasn't swaddled.  She was a good sleeper and never moved in her sleep.

Owen

Owen is our sweet boy.  He has always been a cuddler.  He was patient and often waited on Hannah to be comforted, fed, or changed first.  He loved to eat and sleep.  Owen loved his hands and they always had to be close to face when he was sleeping.  He has always been a mover and shaker and moved often in his sleep.  He had a sweet soft cry that just broke your heart.  Owen is his momma's boy!  We are so blessed to have 2 beautiful babies with such different personalities and unique qualities.  We don't know what we'd do with only one.