Christmas Day 2009

Smiles!

The twins have begun to smile a lot more as of 6 weeks. We don't know if they really understand what it means, but they are doing it a lot more--especially when they see our reactions. They are also smiling more with their eyes, so we think they are beginning to form connections between happiness and smiles. I am putting some pictures on this post.

We are enjoying getting to know each child more and more. Both babies are pretty content, although Peter is definitely more relaxed than Joy. Joy tends to get upset a lot quicker, but she is oh so cuddly! She is happiest when someone is holding her with her face against their chest, binky in mouth. We think she likes the sound of a heartbeat. This is almost a sure fire way to get her to sleep! Peter and Joy LOVE being patted on their backs, and sometimes it seems like the harder we pat (almost whack!), the happier they are!

For our extended family Christmas party, we stayed overnight at the Gerber Guest House in Fremont, and everyone was amazed at how content the babies were and how little they cried. And they actually let us get 2 4-hour stretches between feedings at night! It was great for us, because we had tons of people who wanted to help us with the babies at any moment, so we could get in a nap or eat our supper undisturbed.

I mentioned earlier how much I LOVE napping with both babies on me. I'll put a picture of that in.

Watch this darling video of Peter smiling!

Pictures up to 5 weeks

3 wks (above)



Peter and Grandpa in the man chair
5 weeks (above)




First Christmas tree before we chopped it (above)

One month

As of this past Friday, the twins turned one month old! They seem to be growing like crazy. Sometimes it even feels like they've grown from one feeding to the next. Yesterday (Monday), we had another doctor appointment. The doctor and nurses were astounded to see that both twins had gained between 2 and 2 1/2 lbs in the past 2 weeks on breast milk alone! Peter is now 8 lbs 9 oz, and Joy is now 7 lbs 7 oz. They are nursing like champs, and we are celebrating both their growth, and the fact that WE made it through the first month. Period. AND without having to supplement with formula. Both babies received the second of Hepatitis B shots, and Peter proceeded to pee all over the exam table during a diaper change, completing an eventful trip to the doctor's office.

I am enjoying staying at home with the babies. My favorite thing is the peaceful times when both babies have their eyes open and are contentedly looking around (Maybe I like it so much because it seems to happen only once a day!) Another favorite is falling asleep with both babies laying on me.

As of Friday, we have discovered the magic of the pacifier! There are those who would dislike the idea of pacifiers, but when there are 2 crying babies, a little bit of peace is worth A LOT!!

Now THAT takes talent!

Now that we are in the third week, we are discovering our twins have some amazing talents, especially when it comes to bodily functions. For the second time, Peter has managed to pee on his OWN face during a diaper change. This is usually preceded by the diaper changer making a comment such as "I guess I need to cover you up, little boy..." You know danger is lurking around the corner when you don't have a spare diaper handy! (Little girls are also capable of spraying, by the way!) After Peter did that, Steve said, "Wow, I don't think I could do that even if I tried!".

Both babies have been known to spit up like fountains on occasion. It always seems to happen right after they have a bath or have a new, clean outfit on. Just when you think they're done, it's usually only the beginning! Therefore, we are learning not to really care what we put on them...if Joy is wearing a blue blanket or one of Peter's sleepers, oh well.

At Oma and Opa's on Thanksgiving Day, Peter and Joy were SO alert the entire day. We thought for sure they'd be exhausted and give us a great night's sleep, but no such luck! It was one of the worst nights yet! But they more than made up for it the next night, when we were able to get 7 hours of sleep (in 2-3 hr increments). It's amazing how much better you feel after a good night. :)

Week 2: On Our Own

At the beginning of week 2, we began doing overnights with just Steve and I. The babies are basically on the same feeding schedule, and we get a couple 2 1/2 to 3 hour stretches of sleep at night. Family is still helping out with cleaning, so we are grateful for that.

We can visibly see the babies gaining some chub. We were anxiously awaiting the results of the weigh-in at the pediatrician's office, since both babies needed to be back up to their birth weight. The results were fantastic--Peter gained 12 ounces to put him back up to 6 lbs 7 oz, and Joy gained about the same amount, which put her OVER her birth weight, at 5 lbs 4 oz! We are praising God for this victory. The doctor was pleased (and I think a little surprised) that the babies gained this much weight by strictly breast feeding. We are praying for continued growth.

We've begun to venture out. Steve and I took an outing to the grocery store (I never thought I could get so excited about THAT!) while grandma stayed and looked after the cherubs, and we also took a trip to Newaygo to visit Oma and Opa. Saturday, we have a wedding, so I'd say we're doing pretty good. We just have to stay within the limits of the feeding schedule.

Yesterday we noticed Peter's eye was a little goopy, so it looks like he has some type of eye infection. I've never felt so bad about something that seems so small! We are waiting for the doctor to either prescribe something or have us take him in. This is a good reminder for us to make sure everyone (ourselves included) practices good hand washing before holding the babies and in between holding one or the other.

Adventures in Week 1

Above, both babies love being close to each other
Above, Steve holding one of Joy's socks (it's even too big on her yet!)
Above, Joy's "naked bird" picture
Above: This little scowl is a typical expression for Joy
We LOVE it when they open their eyes!
Great Grandma holding both babies...how special!
Above: Mom and Dad surprised us with these cute signs in our yard.
Above: Hospital discharge--just 2 days later, and no NICU!

Above: Oma and Opa Van Wyk with Peter (Joy was being cared for by nurses because of a little fluid in her lungs and low blood sugar)
Above: Grandma and Grandpa Breuker with Peter

Above: Proud papa Steve with Joy!

At the risk of sounding cliche, it's quite hard to believe we already made it through the first week. We are loving being parents of twins, and we are pleasantly surprised at how relatively painless it's been! Thanks to the help of friends and relatives, we have had plenty of food and either one of the grandma's has stayed over every night. Neither baby is terribly fussy, although, Joy is quite the gourmet eater when it comes to appetite, and Peter is exactly the opposite--he just gulps it all down and can't get enough, while Joy won't even take a sip unless the latch is absolutely perfect to her standards (whatever they are!!). Feeding time is a huge ordeal and involves tons of pillows and cloths, and at least two sets of hands to get the babies latched and feeding. We are so proud of both babies for the progress they've made at feeding, and especially for Joy, who finally is done having to drink the formula supplements they gave her in the hospital, and is sucking well enough to eat on her own! In my opinion, breast feeding is much easier than bottle feeding, since there are no bottles to wash or heat up. Dinner is ready to go at any time!

We are thankful that we've been able to laugh at the blowouts, pees on daddy as he changes them, huge burps, and even a THREE-diaper change!

Joy has become renowned for her funny "old man" expressions. I think she will be quite a diva! We think she looks like a naked little bird when she's just in her diaper because of how skinny she is. Peter just kind of goes with the flow and rarely complains unless he hasn't gotten enough to eat.

Mommy is feeling well, and has lost a total of 37 lbs since pre-labor weight! She is glad the weight seems to be dropping despite her huge appetite!

Twice as Nice!

The Van Wyk twins officially made their debut on November 6 at 6:02 and 6:10 p.m.! We are so thankful to God for these beautiful blessings! Peter James came first at 6 lbs 7 oz and 18 inches long (MUCH bigger than predicted :) ), and Joy Cornelia came just one push later at 5 lbs even, 17 inches. The weight difference was surprising, since they had predicted all along that they were only 1-2 oz. apart. The names are all family names: Peter for Steve's and my grandfathers, James for my father, and Cornelia for Steve's dad and my great grandmother, and we liked the name Joy because we were'nt expecting TWO babies, but she was just an extra bundle of joy! Babies and mom are both healthy, and that's all we care about. If you'd like to visit, just call first :). Here are some pictures of our bundles of joy (literally!).


Peter James below
Joy Cornelia below

37 Weeks: Part 2

At our dr. appointment today we were informed that my blood pressure has remained high despite the bed rest I've been on. Despite my reluctance about inductions, one may be imminent. According to the doctor (who is normally a great advocate of non medically-induced labor), with twins, sometimes there is greater risk of something going wrong by keeping them in than just taking them before major complications arise. As she explained it, babies develop much quicker under stress, and the fact that there are 2 babies is definitely a stressor. So, both babies are surely fully developed, and we have done well to make it past 37 weeks! I am now at least dilated to somewhere between 2-3, so we have progress, and contractions have definitely gotten stronger. Come babies, come!

37 Weeks--Bedrest!

Yes, I know! How can I be on bed rest at full term??? My sentiments exactly. It started with an insane amount of swelling in my legs over the last week and half. (I really need to take a picture of my sausage feet and marshmallow legs...that's exactly what they look like.) Then, Sunday night I was having all kinds of contractions--like 3 and 4 minutes apart. But the last time that happened, it was a false alarm, and they told me I shouldn't come in until they got painful, and they never did. So, I ignored them, and Monday morning I went in for my usual NST (non-stress test). At the appt, my blood pressure was 154/114 (this is HIGHLY unusual for me, because my blood pressure is usually very low...even during the pregnancy). The babies seemed to be doing fine and had normal heart rates, but the nurse seemed quite concerned and called my doctor right away, and mentioned that they may have to schedule an induction that day. I thought for sure that would be it! But when my doctor checked for dilation, there was nothing! So an induction would be long and miserable, especially since the babies didn't seem at all ready to come. They told me to rest there for the next 10 mins or so, and re-took my blood pressure...which had returned to semi-normal: 128/70. SO, here I sit, watching movies, reading, and mustering up my strength to flip my whale belly over every so often. Thanks to all the nice friends and family who have brought me movies, food, and helped with cleaning...you are SO appreciated. We'll let you know as soon as the babies decide to make their appearance!

36 Weeks

Well, we made it to full term! 36 or 37 weeks is considered to be full term with twins, so we are absolutely delighted! It could be any day, or it could be a couple weeks. Today was our last prenatal ultrasound at the Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic (specialists for multiple or high risk pregnancies), and everything is looking good. Babies are now weighing in at 5 lbs 3 oz and 5 lbs 4 oz. "Milton" is head down. In fact, his head is so far down that they had a difficult time getting it in full view for a measurement. "Millicent" started out the appointment head down, but the ultrasound tech moved over to do measurements on Milton, and by the time she came back for Millicent, she had flipped herself into breach position! Naughty little thing! The ultrasound tech made a couple of comments about her being feisty or agitated today, so she may be the one to watch out for after she's born. I suppose the good news is that she is ABLE to flip herself around, so there still may be a chance of her moving back to where she's supposed to be.

35 Weeks

34 Weeks

I suppose I should post a few pics of the nursery in its current stage. You can see them above. I am definitely "nesting" as they say, but everything is going so smoothly that I'd be surprised if we delivered already this week or next week. But, as we've learned in past experiences, sometimes God has other plans!

I am now visiting Dr. Freeburger once every week, and I am supposed to be going in for fetal non-stress tests every Monday and Thursday...so THREE doctor visits every week! I don't know how people who work full time and are pregnant with twins do it! Next ultrasound isn't until 36 weeks. Dr's say it would be ideal if we can make it past that point.

Yes, we do have names picked out, but they are top secret! The names are special to us for various reasons, but that's all we're going to say about it. You'll just have to wait and see!

I will also post a few pictures from a baby shower last weekend. My dear friend Judy, my mom, sister, and good friend Connie hosted it for us. Everyone's generosity has been completely overwhelming. God has blessed us so much more than we could ever deserve!

PS The baby in the cinnamon roll was a play off the "buns in the oven" theme, and whoever got the baby won a prize!