Trip to Livingston

We went to Todd's hometown of Livingston this weekend for the first time with the babies. We got to spend time with the grandparents and show the babies off around town and at the church Todd grew up in. This was also our Christmas with his family.

The morning fog rising over the lake behind the house Todd grew up in. The picture was taken from the back door.

Dylan dancing on the couch

Kiera falling into Dylan. Fortunately for her she caught her balance on Dylan...

...but it knocked Dylan over. Kiera thinks its pretty funny.

A great picture because they're cute and because neither of them are falling over!

Grandad holding both twins

Dylan with his Great Aunt Oleta.
And yes, Grandad is wearing an A&M Santa hat.

Dylan and Kiera holding hands - HOW SWEET!?!?!

Wearing Santa suits for a late Christmas with Grandad and Grandmom

Dressed up for church on Sunday

Baby Steps

No, they're not walking at 3 1/2 months, but they've really started maturing and figuring out new things. Kiera has started rolling over. She rolled over six times this weekend, though sometimes it scares her when she does it and she starts crying. Kiera also tries to match your facial expressions, though if you do something too crazy for her, she just laughs at you. Dylan figured out early on that if you kick the hanging toys on his bouncy seat with his knees that the music plays and the cool blue lights turn on. Now, he's figured out how to pull the toys with this hands. Dylan and Kiera have also started staring at each other more. We thought they'd look at each other a lot, but they really haven't. They just seem to know the other one is there without the need to look - and that's good enough for them. Not only are they looking at each other, but they're starting to smile at each other, too. It won't be long before they're stealing each other's toys.

We also had real babysitters for the first time (not counting parents and our friends) which let us go out to eat. It was incredible to eat our food while it was still hot, not worry about disturbing our fellow diners and not change nasty diapers in the restroom. We got a pair of college sisters to help before they returned to school. Lyndsay and Alexis were great babysitting Todd's niece and nephew and seemed to have done a great job with Dylan and Kiera.

Getting fat and loving it

Practicing the Left Jab

Look at our tounges!

Matching birth marks

Its difficult to see in pictures even when outlined

Having Fun!

Wearing the cute matching clothes given by Suzanne

Dylan's getting even fatter

To each, his own

They have their own methods to calm themselves down, but they each have the outside arm identically placed behind their head.

Cuddling together

No, we did not pose them for this picture. This is how they were found at 3 in the morning (which is why the pic is so dark)

Dylan's trying to play, but Kiera's trying to cudle again while sucking her thumb. Must have been an emotionally draining day and she needs some comforting.

End of the Year Pictures

We don't have any big news, but we wanted to post some recent pictures.

The greatest gifts ever under a Christmas Tree!

\

Cousin Preston holding Dylan

Why Preston holds Dylan before he eats chocolate. He's so mesmorized by Mickey's Christmas Carol that he won't look up for the picture.

Big Smiles

Fighting to be the only one in the picture, for once.

Dylan's pushing Kiera out of the way

Dylan won!

And Kiera's laughing as much as he is

Everyone gets their solo shots:

Kiera enjoying the spotlight

We love the look on his face.

Kiera getting excited!

December

Well we were either extremely brave or stupid, and took the twins to have their first picture with Santa. Kiera fell asleep before Santa and slept right through the whole experience. Dylan was asleep woke up when passed to Santa and he didn’t really seem all that impressed good or bad with Santa so I guess all went well. Could have been much worse and been like Todd’s experiences with Santa. Every picture of Todd with Santa until probably the age of 5 Todd is screaming his head off. I think the twins get their blissful calm from their mother.

This was the first Christmas without Maddy’s Dad who passed away in March 2007. Because of that Todd and Maddy decided to pack up the twins and drive, normally 6 hours, to Northwest Arkansas to visit Madelyn’s grandparents. On the way up there things appeared to go very smoothly with the kids drinking from “hands free bottles” (made for multiples) until it was discovered after arriving in Arkansas that Dylan and Kiera both had only 10 mls. They usually have 4 ounces at each feeding. Needless to say that first night was terrible with them wanting to eat every hour. Todd and Maddy did not get any sleep after a very long drive. Luckily the great grandparents were very willing to hold them all the time so that Todd and Maddy could take shifts on sleeping the next day. As stated before these are great grandparents but Granpa says he is a Great-Great grandpa because there are 2 babies and he only holds them as long as they don’t cry. As soon as one of them cries he hands them off. Wuss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The feeding issue was fixed on the drive back home. After 3 ½ hours on the road Todd pulled over into an empty parking lot. Maddy pulled out the boppy and a nursing cover and fed both - then back on the road. What an experience, never considered that happening a year ago.

Thanksgiving Hospital Adventure

Maddy took the twins to the pediatrician for a checkup on Thursday, Nov 15^th. The next night, Dylan sounded a little hoarse and coughed some, but it didn’t sound too bad. Saturday, we were supposed to go to Todd’s cousin’s wedding in South Dallas (sorry Jessica), but Dylan’s coughing got worse, so we didn’t go to the wedding. By Sunday, night it was getting bad and called the pediatrician. She said to not worry about hospital, just come in the next day. Once she saw him, she told us to take Dylan to the emergency room at Children’s Hospital. Dylan tested positive for RSV (a respiratory virus) and got admitted into the hospital. We realized there was no going to Todd’s family for Thanksgiving this year. Kiera ended up having it too, but it wasn’t as bad as Dylan’s and we kept her at the house. Dylan would get to where he almost couldn’t breathe.

The poor boy had to undergo some major torture. In the ER, the Respiratory Therapist ran a tube 20 centimeters up his nose to try to clear out some of the congestion. Unfortunately, the techs at the hospital, hastily took his blood pressure, while also checking his temperature – which he hates, and his blood pressure was always high. It didn’t matter if we told them, the nurses or the doctors that his bp is high because he’s upset. They kept saying they needed to run more tests. The last of which was a horrible torture test. They stripped him naked, strapped him down on a board, strapping his feet to the board and tying his arms to his head and strapping them to the board. They weren’t done yet. They inserted a catheter, and ran fluids into him to see if urine was flowing backwards into his kidneys. They then rotated the board (with him on it) under this big machine. It was horrible to watch. Fortunately, that test and all the others came back normal. Finally, the renal doctor came in, very calmly took his blood pressure twice and said he was perfectly fine and we could go home. We probably should have gone home on Wednesday, not Friday.

In addition to the torture tests, Dylan was simply miserable and couldn’t sleep or eat. Every 24 hours, the two of us swapped spots between helping Dylan at the hospital and helping Kiera at home. During Todd’s shift from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, Dylan wouldn’t lay down in the crib. If Todd laid him down, Dylan screamed – Todd probably did, too. Todd tried twice, but gave up after 10 minutes of intense screaming, with short pauses of sounding like he was going to stop breathing between the screaming and stopped up airway. The rest of the 24 hours, Dylan was held. The one benefit Todd had being there was that he missed Kiera’s gigantic diaper explosion. She had been constipated for a week. Maddy was the poor soul that had to change that one and Kiera let loose everything she had been storing up for a week. [On a related note, Kiera hasn’t pooped since. We’ve been working with the doctor and giving her stuff to help, but she hasn’t. Each of us is afraid she’s going to explode her diaper on our watch. Does anyone want to come babysit? :)] This is the first time that Dylan and Kiera have ever slept apart and it didn’t go well for either of them or us. Everyone’s home now and we’re trying to get them back on an eating and sleeping schedule.

So Dylan and Kiera slept apart for the first time, Dylan spent his first Thanksgiving in a hospital, they spent their first Thanksgiving apart, Maddy and Todd spent Thanksgiving apart for the first time in five years, and Dylan was in the hospital during his first snowfall. Todd tried to watch the Aggies and Longhorns game on the little hospital television with an upset Dylan, but fortunately, he got to take Dylan home during halftime so he could actually see what was happening on the tv.

We’ve said many prayers that Dylan and Kiera are home and healthy. Dylan lost about a pound (11% of his body weight) in four days, but has gained it back now.

Update on Kiera and pooping. After the HUGE diaper that Madelyn had to change while Dylan was in the hospital Kiera waited for 14 days before another one. That one was really disgusting and of course Madelyn was again alone to change that one. Kiera is now going at least 1-2 times a week and Todd has been present for some of them but nothing compares to the first two.

Halloween

Our first Halloween together we carved a pumpkin that read “Todd and Maddy 2004”. Every year that we have been married we have carved out “The Kings 200?” . This year “The Kings” had a little bit more meaning. Aren’t we CUTE?

Help for the Twins:

Taking care of twins is incredibly exhausting. Just when you get one to go to stop crying, the other starts up, thus we never, ever sleep. We’ve been very fortunate to have some help along the way.

Madelyn’s mom (sometimes referred to as Nana) comes over during the day and helps Maddy with the kids. This helps keep Maddy from finishing her trip to the loony bin!

Teah (Maddy’s college roommate) and Ryan flew down from Terra Haute, Indiana to help us for more than a week. They helped with everything from dirty diapers (see picture below) to taking some of the night time feedings. Ryan was fortunate enough to get to change his first diaper on this trip. What a lucky guy!! Aunt Teah and Uncle Ryan also brought with them some really cute out fits, see below. This was a wonderful week for Todd and Maddy. Such an awesome blessing.

Teah covered in poop

Ryan


Aunt Teah and Uncle Ryan

cute clothes from Teah and Ryan

Todd’s parents came up for a few days and helped. We really think they were just there to see their grandbabies and helping us was just a byproduct of being with the kids.

Charis (another of Maddy’s college roommates) and Sam came up and helped take a full nighttime of work on their own. It was the only time since Maddy went on bed rest, in August, that we’ve had a full eight hours of sleep. Sam also got to change his first diaper! If it wasn’t’ for all this help we might end up like this...

Crazy Charis

Sorry for the Lack of Posts

This is Todd-

I've noticed, as I'm sure you have, that we haven't posted many entries lately. I apologize for that. I think I've figured out the problem (see below) and I'm working to resolve it.

EDIT: This is Maddy and that happens to be IBC Root Beer!!!! Also there will be no more posts from Todd for awhile as he is living in the back yard and only allowed inside to help with the twins.

The Pee Contest and The Pacifier Defense

We have been keeping score of how many times the twins pee and poop on us (we can’t keep up with the spit-up). Madelyn is winning right now with 8 incidents. 7 from Dylan and once from Kiera. Yes, Madelyn knew the possibilities of this happening before the twins arrived but it still happens. Kiera got Madelyn during their first bath. As soon as Madelyn took off Kiera’s diaper and layed her on the towel Kiera completely relaxed. Madelyn did learn her lesson and Dylan’s diaper stayed on until the very end. Dylan did get Todd two times at once. Todd was being very nice and changed Dylan’s dirty diaper even though the diaper was soiled while Madelyn was holding him. During the diaper change Dylan let loose. Todd jumped got a diaper covered Dylan up but then relaxed on the covering and Dylan let loose again all over Todd this time. Dylan has a rather impressive aim. The best part is that all of this is not just limited to parents. Kiera got Nana today. While changing Kiera’s diaper Nana was delayed on having the diaper just right and Kiera not wanting Nana to feel left out peed all over her blanket. When Nana asked if Kiera thought that was funny Kiera actually giggled. Now just as we stated previously, we are first time parents so if we say Kiera giggled, she giggled.

Current Stats
The Twins:
Dylan – 9
Kiera – 2

Everyone else:
Madelyn – 8
Todd – 1
Nana – 1
Teah – 1

Kiera after her first sponge bath
(This doesn't fit with anything in this post, but how could we not post a picture this cute??)

The hospital told us that we needed to give the twins a pacifier to help with sucking reflexes and digestion. Now that’s not needed anymore, so we have almost completely stopped using pacifiers. Apparently, Dylan’s afraid we are going to completely eliminate the pacifier as he’s learned to hold onto his pacifier with a death grip. He’s always done a better job of holding on to it. Kiera’s too intense with it and it flies out of her mouth. One day Dylan was holding it with both hands like he was afraid to lose it. Maddy tried to pull it out and he fought her for it. See the pictures below to find out who won that fight – I bet you already know who won.

My Pacifier

And No One's Taking it From Me - Not Even Mom!
(Look at the intensity in his eyes)

The Winner!!!
(and future Texas Tug-of-War Champion)

Kiera has been making the greatest pirate face ever, but we haven’t been able to get a picture of it yet. She closes one eye and opens her mouth to the side in a huge yawn as if to say, "Arrgghh, Matey". Okay, maybe we're sleep deprived, but its funny to us. And yes, that is what she's saying. She says a lot of other things to us, but we're afraid they'll commit us if we reveal all our conversations with Dylan and Kiera. Anyway, it’s the funniest thing, but it never lasts long enough to record it.