Again I say... Where has the time gone? I can not believe it has been 4 weeks since I last posted an update. Needless to say, it has been a bit busy around here. My mom helped me go through the entire house to deep clean, organize and get all the basics done. She also helped me run errands, kept the babies so Stuart and I could spend time with Jace, and kept all three so I could get a chance to visit with friends. God bless super Grandma!!! Stuart's parents have also been a huge help with keeping Jace so we could get more done. We had everything in good shape when Pops, Aunt Missy, and Terrick came to visit last week. Missy, Rachel, and I were able to take the boys (Terrick and Jace) to do some fun activities while Grandma and Pops loved on the babies. Sorry Auntie Jess that we made you work when you came to visit! On April 10th, the family headed back home. After having either my grandmother or mom here since November, except the weeks when they had Jace in Arizona, we were home alone. The last time Stuart and I functioned in our "normal" family structure I was 21 weeks pregnant, proud of my little belly, busy chasing Jace around, and working 2 jobs. What an amazingly different, yet blessed life this is now! When they all left, Staurt and I had to begin to figure out how our family will now function with two adorable little boys that want to be held most of the time and a very precocious and sweet 2 year old! So now I present to you....
The ABC's of Life in the Riggins Home!!!
A is for Aunties: These boys are so lucky to have wonderful aunts that have showered them with love. They have gotten to meet all of my sisters and Aunt Mendy, and we are excited to see Aunt Summer tomorrow! Their honorary aunts have also spoiled them rotten. Thank you Aunt Manda, Miranda, and Alison. We also love our Uncle Chad and Uncle Joe!!
B is for Blessings: I can't say enough how blessed we are to be surrounded by such amazing family, friends, and medical providers. The support and love that has been shown to us over the past several months means so very much to Stuart and I. These boys are a true testimony of God's work and the power of prayer. Thank you all for playing a part in our miracle story.
C is for Cow: I won't go into details, but somedays I feel like I should start to moo! Actually, I feel a bit more like a momma pig this week. Both boys have snotty noses and are so snorty when they eat, just like two little piglets. Seriously though, we have been very fortunate that they are both good eaters and can nurse at the same time. I love my mumbo jumbo nursing pillow!! We have only had one incident when Lane rolled off the side, onto the couch luckily!
D is for Down Drowsy: This is the goal of the month, to get the boys to go down drowsy and fall asleep. We have had success in the crib a few nights, but there is something magical about our bed! They will fall asleep so well in it and then we have to move them to the crib. At least they are not having to be held anymore to fall asleep!
E is for Elmo: Jace has recently become very picky about his diapers and only wants to wear the diapers starring Elmo. That kid will sort through a whole package of diapers to pick out the one he wants.
F is for Favorites: As mentioned above, Elmo is Jace's favorite diaper, but he has also developed preferences in several areas. His favorite movie is The Little Mermaid, fav color is red, fav number is 8, and fav song is Clementine. I love to hear him singing along to the song my grandmother sang to me. He lets you know what he likes and wants- "Jace no like this", "this one no", and "oh yes" are his favorite sayings.
G is for Gowns: After several attempts at wrestling screaming, chunky boys into sleeping gowns, I finally figured out it is WAY easier to put them on from the feet up!
H is for Head Control: Stuart and I have been so impressed with how well these boys are holding their heads up. They can both lift their heads and chest up off a surface to look around!
I is for Independence: Yes, our little Jace is growing up! "Jace do it" is heard many times around here! He will even back track a task if you start it and he had wanted to do it. The scary side of this independence is catching him pushing his chair around so he can climb up to the counters/light switches, the great part is he really is quite helpful loading the dishwasher and helping with the babies. He is quick on the draw with shoving a paci into a crying mouth (he tells the babies "eat it") and deals out diapers like the best blackjack dealer around. He also loves to dump his own potty... sometimes it makes it into the toilet. And while I am impressed by his ability to operate electronic devices, his obsession with pushing buttons often leads to time out or a little spanking.
J is for Jace: Of course! Just to brag a bit more, Jace can now count to 20, identify letters even when they are upside down and backwards and spell his own name. And he has amazing selective hearing- he got that from his dad!
K is for Klenex: I couldn't think of anything for K!! But we have been ging through a lot of Klenex lately with all of our snotty noses. We sent Terick back to Arizona with a snotty nose too.
L is for Love: I just love my snuggly, cuddly boys- all of them! If you ask Jace who grams/grandma/daddy loves, he proudly proclaims "Jace". And Jace loves his babies. He has been known to body block other kids from getting to close to the stroller, saying "my babies".
M is for Multitasking: The key to survival with 3 kids! I have learned how to feed two babies, play a game with Jace, eat lunch and catch up on a show all at the same time. I must say these two do get manhandled more than a singleton would. There is just not a real gentle way to carry around two of them and sometimes tasks like a bath have to be fast and furious. After having to carry 2 carseats in one hand, I have a new appreciation for snug fitting carseat straps. In case anyone was wondering, Bumbo seats float with babies that weigh 11 and 12 pounds. This is NOT a good way to multitask a bath.
N is for Naps: Naps that Jace needs but won't take anymore at school, naps that I try to get as often as possible when all the boys are asleep and naps that the little boys take so good when you put them on their tummies with a paci in their mouths.
O is for Outings: This week I have had to figure out how to get around with all three boys by myself. Our first trip out was to Miss Keegan's volleyball game, but we had plenty of help from the Dunns/Hicks once there. The next stop was Walmart- one boy in the Moby wrap, one in the basket in his carseat and Jace in the seat of the basket and we were set. Unfortunately this does not leave much room for groceries. When we take the stroller out Jace does a good job of holding onto the side and walking, but I have thought of attaching a leash to his belt buckle in case he gets a crazy idea to run off. Long gone are the days of just running in really quickly to grab something. I have also learned to allot time to answer the "twin questions". I don't mind people peeking at them and asking questions, I am proud of our miracles. I don't even really mind the people that want to argue with me when I tell them they are not identical, I just have had to plan for visiting time when out.
P is for Persistent/ Preparedness/ and Poop: Persistent is the best way to describe Jace these days. When he has his mind made up on something, it takes an act of God to get him to change it. He is stubborn, like his dad. Preparedness has become a life necessity. It is not good to have one baby in the tub, one in a Bumbo waiting his turn and then realize you don't have towels nearby. Just as it is not good to have to put a wet diaper back on one baby and a too small newborn diaper on the other because you didn't double check the diaper bag stash. This leads to the next P word- poop. Lately, these two are averaging one huge, blowout poop every 3-4 days. Imagine this in a full or too small diaper, you are imagining correctly if you think of a giant mess. Let's just say Oxyclean works miracles!
Q is for Quiet: What does that word mean again??
R is for Rationing: I find myself rationing diapers and wipes throughout the day, not because I am afraid of running out, but because that Diaper Champ seems to fill up every 3 days!!!
S is for Size: So basically, these boys are huge! A week ago Monday, Lane weighed 11 pounds 1 oz and Cole weighed in at 12 pounds 5 oz! They are about to outgrow 0-3 month clothes and fit well into size 1-2 diapers.
T is for Tears: Both boys now cry real tears!! It breaks this momma's heart. There are times when they just have to cry for a bit, but it is so much sadder to see tear streaked faces.
U is for Updates: For the updates I have been bad at posting, which lead to me writing a novel every 4 weeks; for Facebook updates that I check in the middle of the night, which allow me to stay current on news, weather, and what everyone is eating for dinner; for daily deal updates, which are very exciting to see in the wee early hours of morning.
V is for Visits: Last week, we all went out visiting to see our friends at our doctor's offices, antepartum, nicu, and Accolade. We plan to head to Covenant rehab tomorrow! At each of these visits I was so touched by how many people had been praying for us and following our journey. It was so wonderful to see everyone. While I love being home with these boys, I do miss seeing all of you! We will always be grateful for the amazing groups of people in our lives.
W is for Wubbanubs: I know I have said it before, but I love these paci animals! Thank you Sassy!! They stay in the boys mouths so good. You can launch them across the room to whomever is holding the crying baby. They also make it easy to identify, at a glance, who is who by which paci is near them. This goes for identifying babies in pictures too!
X is for X-Large: This is how I still feel, but I guess having more surface area makes it easier to have 2 babies draped on you!
Y is for Yippee!: I am so proud of Stuart for getting promoted to a charge nurse position in the pedi ER!! He has also been working so hard in school. Thank you Stuart, for being a great husband and father to our boys!
Z is for Zzzzzzz: This is what I should be doing now!! I am glad the boys are finally getting days and nights straight. They are so much more awake and alert during the day. They have even been cooing this week. I can't say they love their swings or bouncy chairs yet, but it is getting better. To sleep, Lane still likes the boundaries of being swaddled. We love the Miracle Blanket, aka baby straight jacket, because he can't break out of it. Cole will only sleep on his tummy, unswaddled. I know, I know- I will still medically recommend "back to sleep" but for Cole his tummy has been our saving grace. Refer back to H- head control for concerns. In fact most mornings he has turned himself 180 degrees with his legs pointing at his brother. Poor Lane has been kicked awake several times.
Well, that about sums it up!!! Please know that thank you cards are in the works for all the extremely generous gifts we have received. Thank you so much to everyone!!
Please say a prayer for 3 special families. Two of our dear friends are going through fertility issues, both have lost babies, and another family recently had to say goodbye to one of their twins so he could go be God's angel. God knows who they are, so any prayers would be helpful.
