We made it a month!!

 

WEll.. The girls are a month old..Can you believe it? Yes, they have made it.. and we have made it.. so Success! Here is their 1 month old Pics.. As you can tell, they are not thrilled with it..Londyn is still bigger than Crosslee (right) but Crosslee's legs are as long as Londyn's, so she's not too far behind. So far they don't seem to care about each other too much..I'm sure that will change!

 

Joy (Ali J Photography) came back and took some more pics for us.. We talked Papa Steve into holding the girls.. We knew he would be scared, but we kinda flung them on him, and it worked out pretty good.. Look how cute they are in their OSU stuff..

Of course we had to get mom in there too.. Londyn and Cross were pretty cooperative. It was a nice day and we were at this pretty church with lots of greenery, so they turned out really cute..

So Yesterday MJ & I got brave and decided to take the girls to our Sunday School class.. We had missed everyone, and wanted them to see the girls.. So we got them up, ready, and ironically we were EARLY.. lol.. Don't worry, I'm sure that won't happen too often.. We enjoyed it, but man, we are scared to death they are going to start flailing and crying, or something.. so yes, we made it, but yes, it scared us.. lol.. I think next time we are just going to get them out of their car seats and give them to Laura & the girls in class and let them entertain them while Terry preaches.. I was so glad to be there though, because I had missed hearing Terry preach.. We will go back.. Not sure how soon, but we will go back.. lol..

I will say, for the most part, the girls do pretty well.. They like riding in the car, and like riding in their stroller, so as long as we keep them moving, we are good! I got brave last week and took them to the park and took the dogs with us, so they could run free.. everyone had a good time.. Sawyer likes the babies now.. he always liked them, but Miss P didn't let him get close to them for awhile, so now he likes to jump up there and lick their toes.. Miss P lets him do that..she's very protective, and such a good baby sitter!

I went to my checkup at Dr. Goff's.. as I was sitting there in the waiting room looking at all the pregnant women, I kept thinking "Keep them in! Keep them in!" Its so much easier! Although, man, does my body feel so much better now that they are OUT.. I literally felt better the second I had them, lol.. Now my back is trying to remember how to walk without the added weight of twins, lol.. It takes awhile to bounce back, but I literally lost 20lbs the second I had them.. I've lost around 40 now. Breastfeeding makes you lose the pounds like a Boss..

I am now keeping them by myself during the week.. I made it through last week, lol.. It was touch and go for awhile, but we made it! Yesterday mom came over and kept the girls while MJ & I went to watch "World War Z".. Man! It was good! Its about Zombies.. which yes, sounds ridiculous.. but Brad Pitt is in it, and its actually really good.. It gets into it FAST too, like in the first 2 minutes of the movie.. You should go see it.. We both really liked it.. and the popcorn of course.. Plus, has anyone else noticed that Brad Pitt looks good no matter the role? He can be dirty, crazy, homeless, cleaned up, long hair, short.. etc.. All good.. so go see it.. We saw it in 3D, and scary fast zombies in 3D is impressive..

So here we are.. a month later.. Lives changed and blessed forever. Its rough, I'm not going to lie.. there are times when they both start screaming at the same time and MJ and I are looking at each other like, "well what now?".. but we know that God only gives twins to people who can handle it, so we know that if it doesn't kill us, it will make us stronger...............right??!? lol..

Don't be THAT guy..

Well The girls are now 3 weeks old.. I'm sure to YOU it seems like its gone by fast.. Not so much for MJ and I.. The baby phase is ROUGH.. Especially when they are like "Sleep through the night? No thank you".. They get up every 2 hours to eat.. So far MJ and I have been taking a baby each and we get up with our baby and pass each other in the night.. lol.. I've heard of other ways to do things, like he stays up for 4 hours with them, then I stay up.. which would probably be legit if you only had ONE baby, but alas, we do NOT. Our girls are not really on the same schedule, so I fear if we did that there would really be ZERO sleep for us.. So right now, we are just going for survival. Last night was a good night.. We still got up every 2-3 hours, but between all the getting up, I think we DID get at least 5 hours of sleep.. so yay us right! lol

MJ took off last week, and also this week, but  I've convinced him to go back to work today.. I mean really, at some point, I'm going to have to do this myself, so might as well just throw me into the pool, and we'll see if I sink or swim! I got brave today and decided to put on the baby bjorn and walk around the blocks with a baby.. It was a success.. No baby was dropped, and I didn't drop dead.. so boom! So Today I loaded up the girls, and we made a trip to target to get some baby stuff, and some fenugreek.. Which they didn't have.. annoying. The biggest trip in shopping with twins, is you roll in pushing this train like stroller with their car seats in it.. So then where do you put your groceries/items? NO where.. So then you end up strapping the diaper bag onto the stroller, then you end up either pulling ANOTHER basket behind you, or carrying one of those little tote baskets.. So you get the visual.. Its bizarre.. Of course you can't really stack items on their seats, or put in the bottom of the stroller, because then you look like a thief.. Blargh.

We also considered (for about 2 minutes) taking the girls out to eat.. yeah.. we weren't brave enough. Granted, they do a good job out in public for the most part.. But for the past 30 years I've wanted to punch all the parents in the face that take screaming, crying, baby/toddlers to restaurants.. So I'm certainly not going to be THAT guy..

For all the women who tell you C sections are terrible.. let me be the one to say "BS".. Maybe it was my amazing doctor, but man, I think thats the way to go! I was back in action, and feeling pretty much like myself a week later.. I even carried Mulch and decorated the flower bed! I had forgotten I was not supposed to lift stuff.. but it all was ok.. Also, I am able to drive, and have been since I came home, and I'm able to take my awesome, hot baths again! AHH! I had missed my baths, and my wine the most, so that has been amazing!

We got our storm shelter ordered.. It won't be installed until next year, lol.. Yeah, they are a bit behind due to crazy demand.. But after having to run from the storm when my girls were a week old, lesson learned.. we are getting a shelter. It will be the kind that goes in the back yard, not the garage.. the garage kind make me claustrophobic.. When that storm was headed toward Yukon, MJ packed up us, the girls, and my mom and we moved South to get away from it.. Only for it to follow us to Moore/Norman.. We got into a Cellar at MJ's dad's neighbor's house, and we rode out the storm there.. The girls were AMAZING. No one even knew we had babies in the house! They did a great job.. We got home and just crashed, and the next day looked into getting a shelter.. So hopefully will be installed by next year.

So Mom went home a week ago.. MJ and I were on our own last week. The girls are still alive, so I consider it a success. I hope I am saying the same thing next Friday after I've had the girls a week by myself. So far so good.. but I'm sure they are plotting a take over..

How the girls FINALLY got their names

 

 

So Most of you who have followed this blog know that MJ and I have had a SERIOUS problem coming up with names for the girls..  I had my list of names, he had his.. I hated his, he hated mine, and we were seriously worried that we were not going to come up with anything.. Ironically we didn't until the birth certificate lady kept on us every day and every hour on the last day to come up with something. Yes, they WILL let you leave without naming them, but then you don't have all the documents you need..


So here's what we did.. On day one we decided to call them certain names. I believe on Day 1 it was Piper & Scout.. didn't work. MJ said that baby B was too pretty to be called Scout.. I agreed.. Day 2 it was Reese and Rowan.. But that didn't stick either.. However on Day 2, I came up with Crosslee.. It came to me from our Church, Crossings.. Because that place has been such a HUGE blessing to us. I gave MJ options to see what he liked better.. Crossland, Crosslee, or Crosslynn. He liked Crosslee the best, so we started calling her that on Day 2, and it stuck..

On Day 3 still nothing for baby B.. We went back to our lists.. The lists had like 40 names on it by now, both his and mine.. We came back across London.. We already had their middle names, Crosslee Shelton (Shelton is Jordan's grandpa's name) and ___________ Lucille..We had Lucille already because she is named after my grandma Leona Sheperd. I lost her in 1999 to Pancreatic cancer,and I still miss her so much every day. She was a big important factor in my life, and I know she will always be smiling at the girls from heaven.

 We both had always thought double L's would be cute. So we decided we wanted a different spelling, and went with Londyn Lucille.. Everyone we told the name loved it, and it fit her because it is pretty, and she is pretty.. So that is how we FINALLY arrived at the names.. Man it took forever, and I was honestly thinking it wasn't going to happen for awhile..

So this next week will be a test.. A test I have not studied for, and I'm quite sure I'm not prepared for.. My mom will go home and MJ and I will be sitting here with our babies for the first time by ourselves. We are going to try and see a movie and get Mama E's before she goes back as our "Last Supper"..

Speaking of Supper.. Have  I told you how much I love our Sunday School Class?? They have been bringing us supper for the last 2 weeks so we haven't had to cook.. We are so proud to have them around us, and even more excited to bring up our girls in an amazing church with an amazing church family.. This whole journey has truly been a God thing.. so when I'm in doubt these next few weeks because I haven't gotten any sleep and I'm wondering what I have done, Im' just going to try to be Still for a moment and know that he is God..and he will get us all through this.. because seriously, I can promise you its going to take all of us.. lol..

They Have Arrived!

 

ONE day old at the hospital!

Well the girls are here! I had them at 7:40, and 7:41 on May 25th. They wheeled me in, got me prepped for the C Section, and they were seriously born like 10 minutes later. Jordan didn't even have time to vomit at the site of blood! It was THAT quick.. Dr. Goff said, "I see a cute butt" and that was Crosslee.. she was born first, 6.03lbs, and 19" long. Then right after he pulled out Londyn, 6.15lbs, and 20" long. Both big and healthy.. We thought for a second that Cross would have to be on Oxygen for a little while, but then she started whailing and was fine. They both were able to go back to the room with us immediately. No Nicu time.. So yes, you can carry twins full term! What can I say, I build big babies! MJ took some pics of them.. Londyn screamed the whole time..she has a great set of lungs!

 We came home on Tuesday.. Mom is staying with us till this weekend, and then she will go back home.. So thankful she is helping us. Otherwise, I think the girls would be sorely disappointed in us, because who ae we kidding, MJ & I have no clue. We have never had babies, and certainly not TWO at a time.

I have to be honest, the C section is pretty great.. I mean yes, I had some pain, mainly from them pressing on the surgery area to make sure everything had gone back to its regular place..but other than that, I was up and around that same day, and have felt quite excellent since coming home. I've been able to drive, able to bend, etc.. its not nearly as crippling as some people describe it.. Or maybe I just have an excellent Doctor! Well I know I do have that.. but in talking to my friend who had her baby 3 days before I had my girls, the whole process of birth is not really that pleasant for anyone, so if given the choice, I'd pick the C Section.

The girls have been doing well at home. We've had to make a few trips to the Dr which is like a circus. I mean seriously.. You just can't travel anywhere without people stopping and asking you about the girls.. Partly because I'm pushing a giant train stroller and that says "Hi look at me!" I just took Crosslee on Monday. She didn't pass her hearing test at the hospital, (had fluid in her ears) so I had to take her back to retest.. well she passed with flying colors.. But getting there.. Lawdy.. I went by myself, and I made it, so it was like a personal victory..

We also had to take Crosslee to get checked for Jaundice. We took her while Mom kept Londyn.. To get checked they have to prick their heel with a needle, and then bleed her enough to go into a vial.. NOT great. She handled it like a champ though..MJ sits and talks to her, and she liked that.. so she barely cried. You know what else was hilarious? We forgot the diaper bag.. Yup, didn't even bring one with us.. So we were hoping for No blowouts, blowups, or fits of rage.. Cross didn't let us down. She was a champ, as if she knows we are first time idiotic parents, so we appreciated that.

We had to take them both to their 'well baby' check at the pediatrican.. which they should really call "I'm going to irritated the crap out of your baby by tormenting them" check.. They put them on a cold scale without their clothes on to weigh.. (they really hate being cold in case you didn't know) and they start manipulating their arms/legs.. shine lights in their ears/eyes.. I mean its really awful. Yes, it has to be done, but man, do they hate it.. MJ and I both went to that one.. This time we had giant diaper bag and all.. We are realizing that traveling with them is not really going to be a common thing.. Its going to be a "Is there anyway we can avoid doing this" thing.. Because its just TOO much.

For those of you wondering how the dogs were going to be.. one word.. AWESOME. Payslee is like the best little nanny/helper ever.. She has adopted the girls as hers, and is constantly checking on them to make sure they are ok. She will go up to them and smell one, then go and smell the other.. If they cry, or make a sound, she runs over and looks at them, then looks at us like "Um, do something".. lol. She has been great. Sawyer likes them too, but I think he will like them a lot more when they are able to interact with him. They are both super sweet, and so gentle anytime they get around them..I'm so thankful for them..

So thats my life for now.. We don't sleep much, but we are trying to power through! More to come on this little adventure!