*Assisted conception ladies due Jan/Feb/March 2017*

[rebecca822]

Wow so much to read!

2have, I actually did think about taking just 1 twin with me on errands and outings but the thought is still very overwhelming. They like to be held all day and I worry the baby will be fussy it's just so much easier to stay home! I think when the warmer weather comes our way it'll be much easier to get out considering we won't need all the layers and blankets and hats.

Froggy- Gage is a deliciously handsome boy. Can't believe how big he is already. Wow I can't imagine even considering an FET at the moment.

Fern I think after being through early labor and preemies I'm terrified of twins. But I agree that the risk of no implantation is a reason to transfer two.

We'll probably think about FET when the twins are 2 and we will only transfer 1

I also googled the Sit Me Up and it looks awesome!! I was hoping someone was going to offer to buy me a baby present and I would ask for that but alas no one offered!

baby breeza makes a bottle warmer that I wanted to purchase, anyone know anything about that?

 

[froggyfrog]

Rebecca the only reason we discussed FET was because we talked about birth control and whether or not to use it, and how long we would use it for. It was advised we not get pregnant for a year to let cs scars heal properly. I haven't heard anything about the brezza bottle warmer, but I bought the kiinde kozii warmer and really like it. You can thaw BM bags in the warmer, which def helps with preparing frozen milk fast, and can also be used to thaw frozen baby food later. I'm planning on making all of Gage's food myself so that I can add in what I want and it won't have so many preservatives.

We went shopping today, all three of us. We walked all around the mall and went a few other places. Gage did great and we had such a fun day! He napped in the moby in the mall and I fed him in the car before we left to go to the next place. It was so nice to get out and walk around and have a little retail therapy!

 

[2have4kids]

Gage is such a big boy already! And what a cutester! We have bumbos that we've been using to allow the twins to join us for dinner. If we're eating around the island or at the dining room table we'll just put them in bumbos on the island or table. Also works great when I'm making them bottles or preparing dinner. The sit me ups look quite fancy and fun, kind of like the exerscaucer just without the jumping & so many activities.

Have you guys seen Binxy Baby? This came up in a fabulousfriday twins/triplets FB post. Someone had their twins out shopping hanging out in twin hammocks in the cart

Rebecca I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how calm your babies are when you get them outside. I've been taking Mack & a baby now for almost daily walks just to get them to stop fussing or get them to sleep. The fresh cool air does them wonders but always have a binky or bottle on hand just in case.

Well if some of you do try FET's I'll be stalking your journeys! How exciting I was the first in my baby & birth class of 13 couples to get pregnant and now there are a few ladies just starting their second pregnancies. I love love love the fact that my girls will be so close in developmental steps and will hopefully play well together too (can't wait for that day!)

Ok ladies, I cracked up this morning. I came out of the Italian market today with MacKinley and Piper in my double tandem stroller and this young guy in a car with his dog rolls down his window and yells at us "SO ADORABLE!" Oh how times change!

 

[rebecca822]

Ugh my babysitter just told me she is leaving us in 4 weeks. I feel so lost!!
I am not sure if I should leave my job and care for the twins myself or try to find someone new. It's very hard to find good live-in help. My job pays decently but after all the taxes and paying the nanny I don't walk away with much more than $200 a week. I just worry I'll go insane with watching babies all day. Any advice on what to do?

 

[froggyfrog]

How stressful Rebecca! That really is only a choice you can make. Honestly being a sahm is a lot harder than I thought because I'm a pretty social person and enjoy going and doing things, and I find it hard with Gage hating his car seat these days to go anywhere. I get very lonely. I'm sure it would be completely different if we lived closer to friends and family who could pop in for day visits, but my dh works at a minimum 50 hours a week and that's only if he is off on weekends, so I'm home by myself ALOT! I know it will get better as he gets older and he wont always scream In his seat, but I just can't stand to hear him cry so hard so am picky about getting out to make sure his screaming isn't for nothing. Today we are going to attempt a story time for babies at the library, but it's right during the time Gage likes to nap, so we will see what happens!

If you are only bringing home 200 a week, then it's really not beneficial financially for you to work right now. You could make that up in other areas if you had to, like budget different for groceries, or downgrade your cable plan. You probably spend some of that in gas each week too. What does your dd1 do? Is she in pre-k?

 

[froggyfrog]

2have the sit me up seemed a bit pricey for a toy that doesnt make noises or vibrate lol! I actually found mine on sale for 25 online at target! They are 40 everywhere else. Gage would hate the hammock! He is too nosy( he comes by that honestly!) and has to look around. He has to be held or worn while we are in public. He will do good in his stroller for a bit for dh while I shop or whatever we are doing, but that's because someone is constantly talking and playing with him, which I can't do very well if I'm out for errands. How funny that guy yelling at you!

 

[rebecca822]

Froggy- $200 seems like little but that's $800 a month which is ⅔ our grocery budget. It's a lot of money to lose out on. We can't cut any expenses, we pretty much did that when the twins were born. I had cleaning help once a week which we stopped with. Dd 1 is in pre-k this year and next year she will be in kindergarten. We can't send to public schools because the public school in our district is very bad and we don't feel safe sending her there so we're forced to spend the money on private school.
I think it will be really hard for me socially to stay home because I won't want to take 2 babies with me everywhere. I'm also a very social person and I'm sure I'd go stir crazy.
I also found the $25 sit me up from target! We just put it together yesterday. The babies are still a bit too lot for it as their heads are too wobbly.

 

[Rq120]

Hi ladies!

I almost forgot to check in here because we have been SO BUSY!! We did all the improvements/cleaning needed in time to put the house on the market Monday (May 1st). We have had one showing already and our realtor took about 18 agents on a walk-through on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it was been SUPER rainy here and I think it is stopping some people from getting out and looking.

DH, sister-in-law, babies, and I are all flying to Florida tomorrow. DH and I are looking at 20+ houses on Saturday and Sunday. I'm flying back Monday morning and DH will stay to visit his family until Wednesday. The babies second trip in 4 months! Good thing it's free for them to fly (except for taxes). I'm so excited about looking for houses. There are several good options so I have a good feeling we might be putting an offer in this weekend. Eek!

Froggy - Love your pic. Gage is too cute. How did you like the Sit me up? My babies love them. We also bought them from Target for $25. When we eat dinner we prop them up on the table and they chill with us. Lately I have been facing them towards each other in their seats and the twins "talk" to each other and sometimes laugh at each other. It's the most adorable thing.

Rebecca - I'm happy to hear that your twins are gaining nicely. It was a slow start for them but it seems they are doing well now.
Tough to weigh in on your nanny situation. DH and I were looking at a similar situation. He would only bring a little home after daycare and for us it wasn't worth it. It was too much to imagine trying to work all day, get up with them at night, and then try to get them ready in the morning before work while trying to get ourselves ready. I make about 4 times as much as DH so we decided to have him stay at home. He is an AMAZING dad. He used to be a camp counselor for special needs kids and his parents fostered 50 kids in their home over the years so DH is a natural and it fits him well. I personally wouldn't adapt well to being a SAHM.

2have - The wedding was on an island just outside of Cancun called Isla Mujeres. It's a 15 mins ferry ride from Cancun and very beautiful. I'm sure your vacation will go well. Our twins did great.
We don't have the baby brezza. I thought about it but then dismissed it. Mainly because our twins eat cold formula. It works awesome at night because we make up bottles before bed and when they wake up we grab one from the fridge and pop it into their mouth. We tried warming the formula up at one time but they didn't seem to like it as much. Ended up working out in our favor because we mix up a bunch once a day and save a lot of time not warming it up.

Fern - how are you and hubby doing?

Claire and Oliver are doing great. They are all smiles in the morning and are starting to laugh a lot. Claire sometimes just stares at our dog and laughs at her. Ollie loves music and "sings" along. So cute!.
They have their 4 month appointment May 15th. I'll have to update you on their weights then. We haven't weighed them, but I'm interested to see what Claire weighs. She is built like a brick house.
I still haven't heard about my job. Hopefully next week. I hate not knowing what is going to happen and if I need to start looking for a job in Florida.
You ladies are scaring me with your FET talk. LOL. DH and I couldn't imagine another kid right now. We have been talking and I think we are done. We have a boy and a girl and I am 35. But we have a frozen so we could always change our minds.

 

[froggyfrog]

RQ what airline do you use? And what is the seating arrangement while you fly? I'm a bit nervous about our trip next month, I hope Gage does well, any pointers?

 

[Fern81]

Hi everyone, sorry that I've been so bad on updating, things have been quite busy. G is doing really well, he is such a chunky boy. We had a visit from the nurse today for his vaccines & an exam, he weighs 7,5 kg already. And he has such a broad chest, I struggle to button/zip up his 3-6 month clothes all the way to the top. So I bought him a few 6-12 month winter tops. They are a bit big but seem to fit more comfortably. He is sitting up so well in his bumbo, great head control, laughs and squeals a lot when he plays on his activity mat. I hate that I have to work, it feels like I don't do enough activities with him. But oh well we need the money.

Rebecca I was in a similar situation; one day my nanny just stopped coming to work without any prior notice. I had to teach a class with G on my lap!! We had to get a new nanny. I don't make a lot of money especially after childcare is paid; but we can't do without it.

Love to read everyone's updates. Pics please!!

 

[rebecca822]

Rq it's so awesome that DH can be a SAHD that's really lucky for you guys!! Wow can't believe your twins are willing to take cold bottles! Lucky you! The twins wake up in middle of the night to eat and we take the cold pumped milk from the fridge and warm it up In Hot water, it's a pain in the butt. Then the babies start screaming because they're so impatient and they become so awake by the time they start to eat. It's not a great situation!
Fern I can't believe how big baby G is, that's awesome! Great job on chunking him up!

 

[Rq120]

Well the weekend in Florida was a success. We found our dream home and we have an accepted offer. We close/move June 16. So 38 days left in Indiana. We are so blessed we found something. Our realtor took us to see 13 houses on Saturday and 3 on sunday.

Froggy - we book the babies as lap babies and they are free except for taxes. You can't have more than one lap baby in the same row so DH and I sit in isle seats across from each other. The only bad thing about an isle seat is if the other passengers need to use the restroom. Then you have to stand up with the baby and it's awkward. We gate checked our car seats and our snap and go stroller (for free). When we board we wear the babies in a carrier. During our trip to Mexico they slept sitting up against our chests in the carrier most of the way. Some people say to feed them during take off/landing but we could never work out that timing and they did ok. A pacifier helps. Also, babies are allowed a diaper bag free of charge as a carry on. It actually wasn't bad to travel at all. Good luck!

 

[2have4kids]

Hi ladies just popping in to wish you all a happy Mother's Day. It's that time of year here in Canada so we're off to lunch with grandma in the Rocky Mountains tomorrow. The twins first trip out to the mountains! MacKinley was quite small last time we went so I doubt she'd remember it. Congrats to you gorgeous women for becoming mothers this year. Enjoy & give yourselves a pat on the back! xx

 

[Fern81]

Happy mother's day lovely ladies! Hope you all have a very special day xx

 

[froggyfrog]

Happy Mother's Day ladies!

 

[Rq120]

Just thought I would drop in and say hi. I'm sure we are all busy.

Claire and Oliver went for their 4 month check up on May 15. They are doing really well and the doctor was really happy. Claire weighed a few oz shy of 16lbs and Oliver weighed 3lbs less!! Their heads measured the same and they were the same height. LOL. Claire is in the 80th percentile across the board (weight, height, and head) so she is just a big girl and Oliver is just a small boy.

We are getting closer to our cross country move. Just two weeks from today and we will be flying to our new home. Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly. I will try to stop in and say hi, but its going to get very busy for me here soon.

Hope you are all doing well.

 

[elliecain]

Good news about the twins RQ.
Finlo is doing very well too. At 15 weeks (11 adjusted), he's now 12lb 6oz. He's made such an incredible recovery after everything he went through. Still exclusively breastfeeding and both loving it!
I hope you are all doing well.

 

[Fern81]

Good to hear you are doing well ladies.
Life is hectic here but I still only work 3-4 days a week and love that I have the extra time with my son. He is eating solids 2x a day now (small snacks), weighs 8kg and is the joy of my life. He is a placid baby and will not try to roll over etc on his own but he does it if I help & encourage him a lot. He loves looking around and trying to communicate though. I hope he is an intelligent boy, it will just make his life easier (coming from a teacher!).
We are seeing the fertility specialist on 20 June to discuss FET in September-ish. Excited!

 

[froggyfrog]

Wow fern!! That's exciting about the FET!

Good luck with your move RQ, I hope it all goes smoothly!

Ellie glad you two are doing well and that breastfeeding is going so great! I have found that it can be very challenging some days, but so very worth sticking it out.

I recently had a major dip in my supply!! Was very scary and so glad I had frozen milk. Gage was crying at my breast and I couldn't figure out what was wrong, so I tried to just give him a bottle of frozen milk and pump, and I only got one oz out of both sides!!! I was getting much more before. I I spent two whole days just nursing and pumping and drinking milk maid tea along with foods to boost supply. I already eat oats every morning to maintain supply but added in an extra bowl in the afternoon. I finally have got my supply back up. I'm still pumping more often so that hopefully I can maintain where I am at. I know that if I had to give him formula I could and actually have six cans for back up just in case, but I have my heart set on bfing for one year at least and would be very sad if I couldn't do it. Gage had his 4 month check up and his weight percentile dropped and he is only 14LBS 9ozs, I asked his dr if I should be concerned, and she said no because is looks like all of his calories went to his length. He grew 3 inches in two months. I have started him on oatmeal cereal at night, and will start him on a bowl in the morning as well next week when we get back from Texas. Then I will start to introduce puréed foods. I'm very excited about that!! He can roll from back to front and front to back, but most of the time stops on his side lol, he still loves his bath, and I have started putting him in his exersaucer and he just started to get that it bounces with him, so he is loving it! He loves the dogs and just sits and stares at them! When I need him to be entertained for a few minutes I will call the dogs in and make them sit down in eyes view on Gage and he will be content for a min just staring at them haha. His sleep is still crap during the day, and his nights have regressed. His dr suggested the merlins magic sleep suit, so I ordered one for him. It doesn't really seem to help him stay asleep, but it does help him not jump and wake himself when I lay him down. Which means he will actually nap by himself now(most of the time they are short 30 minute naps but he has had a few that lasted a couple of hours) which lets me be baby free more often. He has added in two extra wake up during the night, the first one I can usually just rock him back to sleep and he is fine, but the second added in wake up in to eat. So we are at three night feedings again. Which I expected from the four month regression and it could be way worse. It was worse before the sleep suit because no matter how many times I would lay him down he would wake right back up. Anyway, I feel like I'm rambling about his Sleep ha. Other than that we are all doing great. I do wish that I knew anyone, even just one person around me. I'm so lonely all of the time. The only time I get out is to go grocery shopping or clothes shopping. So I'm really looking forward to my trip to Texas to get to socialize a bit!

 

[froggyfrog]