My baby boys are a month old!

I know I will say this on every post, but wow! It's hard to believe how fast they change and how quick it goes. We have now been home a month. The boys were 4 weeks old on Thanksgiving day. We are all doing good and adjusting to our new lives. We have had help consistently since they were born until my parents left this week. We will now be on our own until Christmas when the Riley family comes to stay with us. Part of me is scared and thinking how little sleep we will get, but part of me is excited to start our routines and adjust to "real life". Plus - I get to hold my babies more :-)

We can't believe the amount of diapers, formula, and laundry we are doing. Diapers are approx 15 per day per child. We have about 7 feedings a day of 4 oz of formula to about 56 oz per day. We change their clothes from spit up at least 5 x's a day. We use new blankets and burp clothes with most of those feedings because they all smell like milk. I breastfed (supplemented) and pumped for the first 4 weeks but I could not keep it up. So they are strictly on formula now.

Eli developed colic about week 3. The pediatrician said he has classic symptons. We switched to the Dr Brown's bottles and are using the gripe water/gas drops. We also elevated his mattress. The swing is our best friend. Even when we don't turn it on, he is comforted by laying in it. I know its the angle and helps with his tummy aches. With all these methods combined, he is doing much better. We are doing what we can to keep him comfortable and he is greatly improved. I think just knowing that it isn't something we were doing and that his crying was "normal" takes a lot of pressure off. Poor guy - the doctor says that he will grow out of it. I think its better and we are handling it much better. He is growing so much. He weighed right about 7 lbs last week so I am sure he is over 7 lbs now. He is really active when he is awake. He can now reach out and hit his toys on his play gym and grab them and pull. He snores like his dad! Really loud.

Beckett is doing great too. He doesn't have colic but he spits up more than Eli. I have figured out that putting him in the bouncer seat first for about 30 minutes and then moving him to his bed works best. We were changing his clothes and blankets at least 3 times in a row after putting him down because of spit up. No matter how much I burped and burped as soon as I lay him down, he spits up. The pediatrician says that is normal and is not considered reflux or abnormal unless it happens 10 or so times during a feeding. We are no where close to that. He is so different from Eli. During his awake times he has a lot more facial expressions. He puckers his little lips and then opens them into and O shape over and over again while kicking his legs. He also sounds like a little sheep. In fact Jesse brought a barn toy with her over Thanksgiving to play with and it had a sheep that made noise. When she pushed the button we couldn't tell if it was the toy or Beckett! He is growing fast too and weighed 6 1/2 lbs last week. So still behind his brother a little bit but eating just as much.

They are both such a blessing to me. I know what people mean when they tell me that they can't stop watching their babies sleep. I just look at them and I am overwhelmed by the goodness of God and how much I love them. I think about how long I prayed for them. For so long even before they were conceived, during the pregnancy, and now here they are. These 2 little people who have changed our lives forever. Justin and I went on our "first date" post baby while my parents were here. We went to a sushi restaurant and had a great dinner. We made it almost all the way through before we started talking about them (again!). We concluded the date with a stop for more diapers and formula.

I am reading a popular book my friend gave me (in all my spare time) usually while feeding "The power of a praying parent". I am praying for these boys daily. It is a great book to make you think about how these are really God's children. They are just on loan to me. I don't know how long I will get to have them or what will happen in their lives, but He does. I am working in my heart to committ them to Him. To turn my fears and "what ifs" over to Him knowing that He loved them long before He gave them to me. I am just reminded of what a special blessing I have been giving and what an awesome responsibility it is to have these 2 lives entrusted to me. I want to enjoy each moment and each day as I know they pass so quickly and never miss an opportunity to love them or show them they are loved.

Beckett and big sister Oyster

Eli and big sister Raleigh