Day with Daddy

Daddy had the boys for a few hours today - it was great to be out and about a bit. I visited with my friend J. who is on bedrest and now at 31 weeks and holding...yay! After a few errands and some quick shopping, I returned home to find everyone soundly sleeping with full bellies. Ah, the sweet sound of silence!

But I couldn't resist taking this photo after I finished rolling on the floor with laughter. Can you tell what is "wrong" with this picture?

Although probably not obvious at first glance, if you look closely, Cole is sleeping on his belly and his overalls are on backwards. Not only is it obvious since the pockets are on his back in this photo, I have no idea how C. got them on this way after the diaper change because the snaps are now on the back?!?!? I haven't had the heart to wake Cole up yet and see how funny it looks from the front...It just struck me so funny for some reason. Hey, I'm not complaining. At least the diapers got changed, the kids were fed and seemlingly happy as little clams. All in all, Daddy had a succesful day so who cares if their overalls are on backwards, right?

SMILES!

Career & Motherhood = CHALLENGE

And I've never been one to walk away from a challenge! It's been a busy week and this challenge has officially kicked my butt this week. It's Friday - I have NO idea where the week went. Before I knew it, it was Friday and my alarm was beeping at 4:30 am. The week just flew by. And weekends are my favorite anyway - now I appreciate them even more - 2 FULL days with my babies! I made it - my first week back to work is almost behind me. The anticipation of it was much harder than doing it. I work with some great people. Most everyone was so kind when I came back and made me feel welcome again. One of the great benefits of working for a family based small company. I even got some cupcakes upon return!

Actually, my return to work has gone very smoothly - from both the emotional and logistical standpoint. Having such good home daycare makes all of the difference. My nanny has been with us since October. She knows us inside and out now. She's absolutely wonderful and the boys adore her. Leaving home in the morning is never easy but before I know it, I'm back home. Once I return home at 2:30, the chaos ensues and until 9pm, I'm running my arse off. I usually return home with my briefcase full of "homework", that I MUST get done before morning. I put the kids down, and off to work I go. But as you can imagine, I get my work done in 1/3 of the time I would if I tried to do it while the kids were up and/or while I'm at the office and getting interrupted by the daily business going on. That said, it seems to be working fairly efficiently for now - except for my sleep factor.

I've never been one to need oodles of sleep to function. I come by that honestly. My family is lucky like that. And thankfully, I can sleep anywhere, anytime - no insomnia tendencies here. So, once my head hits the pillow I'm out. Thank goodness. The hours I spend in bed, although short, are usually good quality sleep time. I just wonder how long 5-5.5 hours is going to work? Time will tell.

Back to the challenge of it all. This summer marks my 15 year anniversary with the company. It's my Dad's company and I came to work there the summer I graduated from college to make some extra money until I got accepted into the FBI. Believe that? I wanted to be an undercover FBI agent - they were in a hiring freeze at the time I got out of school. Anyway, we would have never thought that I would have made a career out of working for our family business since it was never even on my radar until I landed there by chance. I was given an amazing opportunity and worked my way slowly to where I am today. It's not often that people are given that chance to work for a family business and really make a career out of it. I have always been so thankful for that chance ~ and frankly, can't imagine doing anything else. I missed it like crazy while I was gone over the last few months. We have a very close family and thankfully, work has been a strong force in our lives but has not interfered with our family relationships.

For years before kids were on the forefront of our lives, my friends and I always discussed whether we would want to be stay at home Mom's or continue working. Not that everyone has a choice, but we always discussed it. And none of us knew what our future held anyway, but it was fun to chat about. It was always my contention that I would like to have a mix of both if I could. I didn't want to stop working. I love my career but would also want to be able to be with my kids a bit on a daily basis. I often wondered how it would all work out. And here I am. Trying to find that balance. It's hard. But it's working so far. I have enjoyed being back to work - I like the sense of responsibility, accomplishment and the challenge. It's definitely the right choice for me, for now. Part of the balancing act is getting used to not working at the office for a full day - it's certainly an adjustment. Most people would think "that's a great thing" and it is, but it's not as easy as one would think.

After all that we went through to have our children and get them here at home safely and healthy, this should be a piece of cake, right? My only hope is that I can slow it down enough to enjoy every moment. It's only going to get busier as the kids grow up and have their own activities going on. But I'm hopeful that once this routine gets perfected a bit, it won't be quite so stressful and the days won't fly by so fast; at least the time spent with the kids will be savored. Or maybe it will still fly by. But I will certainly do everything I can to enjoy each day and stop and smell the roses. For if you don't do that, what good is living life? There's so much to be enjoyed.

As one of my dear friends reminded me on the eve of my return to work "Most people never wish that they worked more hours at work, but they do wish that they had spent more time with their friends and family". What a keen reminder that is.

Today is our 5 month birthday!

We can't believe that the boys were born 5 months ago, today. Depending on how I look at it, time seems to have crawled by in some respects, and flown by in others. I certainly am not wishing any time away - for they have grown so much, so fast, I can hardly believe it. It's amazing how far they have come. As most Mom's say, I wish time could stand still so we can enjoy these special moments with them s-l-o-w-l-y, instead of the moments flying on by.

They have gone from little 2 pounders back in August last year (this photo was taken when they were 3 weeks old)....

to big 12 & 14 pounders! In just a few short months.

It's hard to believe that JD has been home for 3 months and Cole has been home for 2 already. They are amazing little miracle boys, that is for sure.

HAPPY FIVE MONTH BIRTHDAY JD & COLE!

It's a "boys" day

Daddy and the boys enjoyed a nice, relaxing day watching sports yesterday. I couldn't resist the photo opp...

Who can complain about that? Now they just need some drinks and snacks and they are all set! It's too bad that they will grow up thinking that the only channel that the "big" tv has is sports...(there is never anything on it but sports).


The boys are doing great. They were fighting a little cold I think but this morning they seem to be a little less runny. Hoping that we dodged the bullet. Grammy has the kids today on my first day back to work - may the force be with her! More updates later...

No worries

Just so that nobody worries that the throw up flu has hit our house, Cole's throw ups are a result of his reflux...not a bug. It's actually not that unusual for him - usually it's only once a day but yesterday, it was more...

In any case, the boys have been sleeping all day long so they must be fighting that cold. Hoping for a better evening/night tonight. More later.

The last 12 hours...

A 1/2 of a day in the life of the Licameli twins...
It’s 7am, a bit later than I normally get MY day rolling – it’s been an interesting 12 hours! All day yesterday, I was suspecting that the boys had encountered their first cold. I think I was right. We had a good day yesterday, with the physical therapist coming and working with both boys. They did well and seem to be right on target with their various milestones. By 5pm, their world started to fall apart.

4pm – both boys sleeping soundly in their respective favorite entertainment equipment; a little gurgly in the nose though.

4:30 pm– a friend pops over for a quick visit and they both start stirring;

5pm – JD gets his bottle;

5:30 pm – Cole gets his bottle – and takes only about 2.5 ounces;
As Cole is getting his bottle, JD starts freaking out; not sure what was wrong but he was starting to fuss – getting louder as the minutes progressed;

6pm – JD in a full fledge fit as I try to get Cole to take more food. He refuses so I put him down and pick up JD.
In the meantime, Chuck calls and is on his way – halleluiah!

6:30 pm – Both kids are not happy and Mommy has no idea why; Chuck calls again and says he’s stopped in traffic on New York Avenue; offers to pick up dinner. Now, what a nice gesture but frankly, dinner is the last thing on my mind because I can’t get the babies to stop crying and get happy again; I tell him to call me back in a while and we’ll discuss dinner. In the meantime, grow wings on that car and get home ASAP.

7pm – I take one baby upstairs and find the number for pizza hut – call and order a pizza. It’s an hour and a half wait due to the snow…perfect, by then we’ll surely have the babies under control.

7:15 – Daddy arrives home…phew. He attempts to take both babies and thinks he can calm them. I’ve had to pee since 3pm and now my bladder is about to burst. I run to bathroom. After a few minutes (I enjoyed that quiet time in the bathroom, as short as it was) I sadly realize that C. cannot get them calmed so I go back down and grab Cole. They are still not happy.

7:30 – In an effort to get the night bottles made, I take Cole and swiftly put him in the Bjorn to race around the kitchen and make formula, while waiting for the pizza, while answering the phone and feeding the cats who are screaming that they are hungry. When low and behold, Cole lets out a HUGE burp, followed by that 2.5 ounces of formula that he ate over two hours ago. Nothing like warm regurgitated formula running down the inside of your shirt between your boobs. Hmmm. Puke all over him, me and the Bjorn. How in the heck am I going to get him out of the bjorn, and not get the puke on everything else? I got him out of the bjorn; took off my shirt and threw him in the tub. I’m sure that was a sight – me bathing him, half dressed.

8pm – Out of the tub, toasty warm, in new pj’s, mommy has a new shirt – HE PUKES AGAIN! Aye.

8:05 – we change our outfits again; there can’t be anything left in this poor little boys tummy. Meanwhile, he’s screaming again because he’s HUNGRY!

8:10 – the doorbell rings – shit, it’s the pizza guy. Run downstairs, drop Cole off in his “seat” downstairs, and get the money for the pizza guy. Are you wondering where C is? He’s still downstairs trying to get JD situated – and you know how Men are with multi-tasking? Sorry guys…it’s true.

8:15 – there is piping hot pizza on the counter – that we CAN’T EAT yet. I quickly make bottles and get them in the frig. Cole is screaming so loud now because he’s hungry so I take him up to his room and feed him his bottle (after putting his monitor on and his oxygen). He drinks the whole thing – without puking (or burping).

9pm – Cole is down for the night, and sleeping peacefully. Gurgly in the nose, but nonetheless, he’s sleeping.

9:15 – C. makes JD’s bottle and feeds him.

9:45pm – JD is down for the night, and sleeping peacefully. Gurgly in the nose, but nonetheless, he’s sleeping.

10pm – we eat our cold pizza and by 10:05, I’m falling into bed.

10:15pm-5:30am – We ALL slept through the night!

5:30 am – I had to wake up the boys to feed them. Not a bad problem to have, right?
I wake up Cole first, figuring he must be starving since he’s had 4 ounces of food in the last 12 hours. He takes about 2 ounces, very slowly and is falling back to sleep. In the meantime, he poops and it stinks! I know better than to change him right after he eats because that ALWAYS makes him throw up. So I wait about 10 minutes and get JD up and change his diaper. By that time, Cole is sitting quietly on his boppy, with a big stinky diaper.

5:45 – I pick up Cole to change his diaper, and of course, he pukes up every last drop of the bottle he just took, including his medicine. Shit. He’s covered, I’m covered, and the changing table is covered in formula. We change our clothes again; and Cole goes back into his crib. Within seconds, he’s sleeping soundly again.

6am – JD is wailing in his seat because it’s been 15 minutes now and he’s still not been fed; I re-heat his bottle, and get going feeding him. Within about 5 minutes, I smell ANOTHER poopy diaper. It’s JD. We stop feeding and change his diaper – it was so bad, I couldn’t stand the smell so had to stop mid-feed and take care of it. Minor explosion in his pants, all over his PJ’s etc. Dear God. We change his clothes and get back to feeding.
Oh, did I mention that C. is still sleeping at this point and has no idea what is going on in the room next door?

6:15 am – we’re back in the rocker, resuming JD’s feeding. He decides he’s not hungry any longer and stops eating after 3 ounces. Great. He’s falling asleep again. Without burping. Shit. Burping my kids while they are asleep is never successful, so I put him back in bed. NOT SMART. The second I lay him down, out comes the burp, with about an ounce of formula with it. Why am I so stupid? I pick him up and change his clothes too. Now he’s awake again…and smiling. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

6:30 am – JD is back in his crib and sleeping soundly….BUT, the cats are howling in the hallway because they are hungry too. I run down to feed them, throw in a load of laundry, wash the bottles, start the dishwasher and get to my computer to check email.

And here I sit, writing my blog, because I couldn’t resist getting this down on paper. And actually, this is the last thing I should be doing right now but it's more fun than the other alternatives! This is what parenthood is all about – and I laughed at myself every second while this was all happening. Although utter chaos ensued for a few hours here, it’s what I have waited for – for so many years, I wanted this. And now it’s here, and I love it! JD's smile after his yucky diaper set the tone for the day.

I’m solo today without Jessica so we’ll see how it goes. I’m sure it will be another funny day – especially if the boys aren’t feeling well. I’ll be calling the doc to see if they want to see them. The common cold usually wouldn’t be a problem for a baby but with these guys, we have to be a bit more careful. Wish us luck & I’ll keep you posted.

What's Different?

That's right - NO OXYGEN TUBE!

You heard right - Cole's oxygen has been weaned down to the night time only! We are so happy - and so is he. We went to the pulmonologist today and we have a good plan going forward. For the next two weeks, we will use the O2 at night only. After two weeks, we have to get Cole weighed again to make sure he is gaining weight OK. The tell tale sign that he still needs oxygen would be that he's expending too much energy trying to breathe and he doesn't gain weight as well as he should and has been. Assuming that his weight gain stays in line, we are authorized to stop the oxygen all together and weigh him again in another 2 weeks. So, all in all, if the next 4 weeks show that Cole can do well without it, we're done! During the time we are weaning him off, he will also have to continue using his monitor, at night only. That's just fine with me - during this time, it's added insurance that he's doing fine through the night. It will allow me to sleep a bit easier without worrying too much.

The latest stats on the boys - JD weighed in at 13lb, 11 oz today (with a onesie) and Cole came in at 11lb, 13 oz. I can hardly believe how quickly these little guys are growing. They both gained 2+ pounds in 3 weeks...I think this high calorie formula is definitely doing it's job! Despite Cole's daily throw up's, he's still gaining weight.

That's about it for updates - we've waited 4 weeks for today's appointment and we've really made some fantastic progress. Cole is one determined, patient, strong little boy - we're so incredibly thankful!

Apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

Here's a cute one of my morning buddy - it appears that he's an early riser like his Mommy! He helps me work in the early morning hours...

Monday Ramblings...

It's our first snow day of the year - and the boys first snow day EVER! We even got to drive home in the snow last night from Grammy & Grampy's house. We spent the afternoon there since Daddy is sick - it was either stick it out and take care of C. and pray that the other three of us didn't catch the "crud" or get out of dodge. Sadly, I packed up the kids and scrammed from the house as swiftly and quickly as possible when we figured out that C. was still fighting a fever. We missed him all day and I know he missed the boys watching football with him (but I'm certain he enjoyed the peace and quiet all day long!).

It's one of those typical gray winter days - and I cannot tell you how nice it is to be stuck inside with nothing to do but get down on the floor and play with the babies. I only wish I could just fall asleep right in the middle of playing like they do!

Cole is spending some time today off of oxygen and loving every minute of it. I know it must feel like he's "off leash" now. I opted to leave it off for a few hours this morning just to give him (and me) a break. Hopefully it won't be long now before he comes off of it completely. I took a few pictures of him without his tubes - he looks so different to me without that thing in his nose.

As I sit here in a pile of toys on the floor with two napping babies, I can't help but reflect on where we've been the last 6 months. It's been a wild ride. And there are still days when I feel like I'm just playing house and these kids are not really mine. I don't know if all new Mom's feel like that or it's a function of not really believing after so long that I would really have kids. And they are MINE. Whatever it is, I wonder when it will stop feeling like this? Or will it? Every single day I look at them both in amazement that they are ours - and they are here to stay. I feel so lucky.

It's even better today because I'm home alone with them both and enjoying every single second. My nanny went on vacation to South Beach - and it was perfect timing. This is my last week at home with the kids before going back to work. I think I'm ready to go back - it's been 7 months since I had to bail out unexpectedly. Although I have continued to work throughout my absence in a part time capacity, the routine has been different than I knew it to be for the previous 13 years of my working career. What a big change. I think it will be easier to get back to work to do work, as opposed to trying to do work at home between bottles, crying bouts, spit up cleanups, poopy diapers and the phone ringing. I'll probably get 10 x's as much done in half of the time without interruption - and will be so excited to get back home. Here's a glimpse of my "home office" on my solo days. It's the best home office EVER. That little space of rug, right in the middle - that's my "chair".

Talk to me this time next week and ask me how I'm doing - I pray that I'll be OK when I go back. I sure will miss the boys but since I'm only working 4 hours per day at the office, I'm hoping it will be an easy way to get back into it. We'll see.

Here are a couple more snaps from our day...lots of smiles these days!