A Wonderful Visit

Finally! Friday night I hopped a flight for a visit with the babies and their daddies.

Now that's more like it! 

Brady and Cohen are doing great! They've changed so much and gotten so much bigger since I saw them last. They've filled out and are much stronger, as they should be. They've been a lot of fun to snuggle and play with during my visit.

Of course, I'm also checking in with Brad and Rodney. Not having had twins of my own, I'm curious to see how they are adjusting to their new life. (Checking in, not checking on.)

From all appearances, they are doing great as well. Slightly more sleep deprived than a parent of a single newborn, but handling it very well. Isn't it nice to know that this is just for a short time and not how they have to adjust to life forever? :-)

It's been fun catching up with them and hearing about life with the boys. Of course big changes have happened in their lives in the past three months, but these changes have been good. They are doing a great job of keeping the boys on a schedule (of which I've been told is a must when you have twins ) and the boys are thriving so nicely in their loving care. 

I noticed right away that Rodney's accent is back. It's no longer slightly tinted with Minnesota. Brad, on the other hand... I'm amused to note that after hanging around me for just a day or so, some of the speech patterns he picked up while in Minnesota are back! Or maybe they never left. Hmm. :-)

Brady is still a busy boy. He likes to be moving or have action around him. He's very inquisitive and is always looking around. He makes you work for a big smile, but once you get one it lights up his whole face! 

Cohen is such a little snuggler! He is still a mild mannered little guy. He gives great smiles and giggles that go all the way to his toes! He's giving the guys a run for their money when it comes to bed time. Good thing there are willing arms to snuggle with him so he can sleep. 

The boys really loved to be held, which is great with so many loving grandparents wanting to be involved and help! There is no shortage of caring arms to snuggle them! I was able to visit with several of the grandparents on my trip. It was nice to see them as well.

I've never met a baby who likes to play on the floor as much as Brady and Cohen. They were on their play mat for a long time on both their tummies and backs and just having so much fun!

I told the guys that I don't know how they get anything done with the boys at home. They are such snugly, cuddly babies who curl up so nicely in your arms or on your chest. It would be hard to put them down! They are a real joy to be around.

That pretty much wraps up my trip to see them. Lots of chatting, lots of snuggles, lots of fun was had on my long weekend. Shawn and I are planning a visit late next month on our way to a conference for Shawn, so until then I'll enjoy pics of these amazing miracles! 

Hanging out on their play mat. They were amused by the strange person above the mat snapping pics! 

Chillaxing with Cohen.

Classic Brady with his tongue going!

Brady is ready to go!

Cohen ready for the restaurant.

What's In A Name?

"Pumping" "Expressing" "Collecting Milk" All of these are proper terms for using a breast pump. 

"Doin' what you need to do" is how my coworkers phrase it. (Or they just avoid the topic all together.)

"Go pump," "spend some quality time with a machine," "take a 20 minute break" are all phrases I've used at work. 

My daughters, however, are a different story. Annalies is pretty blunt with her "do you hurt, mommy? You need to pump?" Natalie has no filter and will ask anywhere  "is it time for you to pump the milk out?"

My friends are so all over the place! "Squeeze titties/boobies" or "drain the girls" are the current favorites.

So, what I've decided is that I need to name my pump. I'm currently pumping 6-7 times a day for anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. Averaging things out, that's about three hours a day I'm hooked up to this machine. The silly thing deserves a name.

The machine itself is black with butter yellow machine parts. It's boring looking, makes a rhythmic "hee-oo hee-oo" sound, and has a couple of silver zippers.

Once the machine has a name, then I can "go spend some time with (insert name here)," or "visit/talk with (insert name here.)" Maybe naming it would make life easier/less taboo for my coworkers, too. 

But, what to name it? Hmm... I happen to think Sean Connery and George Clooney are very good looking men. However, I can't call my machine either of those names. I'm married to Shawn and that could just get weird. As for George, is that even an option? Other that Mr Clooney, oh, and the ever popular Mr George Lucas (of whom my husband happens to bear resemblance) I don't really associate George with a heartthrob kind of name. (No offense to any reader named George... I am sure there are some good looking men out there named George. I just don't know them.) That being said, I'm taking suggestions for names!

Speaking of names, it was three months ago that we were introduced to two little guys named Brady and Cohen! Happy three months, little guys! Can you believe it's been three months already? Just another part of miracles! 

Milk, It Does a Body (or Two) Good!

This week Rodney informed me that their milk supply was getting low, so he made arrangements for me to send some more milk. I was able to send three boxes filled with bags of frozen milk. I think I was able to send somewhere around 80 bags in these boxes, so that should last the boys a few days.

Look at those little guys! They have filled out so much and are just as adorable as can be! Obviously, the milk is doing its job well and they are thriving on it. I've been told that Brady is 10 lbs 7 oz and Cohen is 9 lbs 12 oz. Way to grow, little guys!

I really can't believe that I haven't been down to visit them yet, but I am working on resolving this. I have a little secret... I have flight privileges for non-urgent flights. If I HAVE to be somewhere, I purchase a real ticket. If I am not on a set schedule and have some flexibility I can fly standby. That being said, I am looking into visiting the boys really soon. I need a Brady and Cohen fix!

Little miracles make me smile!

"Oh, you HAD a c-section."

Women, and particularly mothers, this post is for and to you.

I love telling people that I had twins for another family. I love saying that I was a surrogate. I loved the whole process from embryos transferred to the birth of the babies. 

Yes, there were a couple of things that at the time were not fun. Contractions every 2 minutes while in the car at 3 a.m. was not my favorite part. The epidural not having time to work and giving birth to Brady naturally was not in my "birth plan" (ha! Like I even had a birth plan!) Enduring my doctor pushing on my stomach for 45 minutes and still ending up with a c-section for Cohen was definitely not something I had even considered.

All of that said, the ultimate end goal of all pregnancies is a healthy baby, right? 

I think people, and other women who have given birth particularly, tend to forget that goal: healthy baby. For some reason, women get hung up on the whole c-section thing. I don't know why some people think they are more or less of a woman because of how they gave birth. 

This week, as people at my workplace have been learning more about Brady and Cohen, I have heard that obnoxious phrase "oh, you had a c-section." It's always said with that tone. You know, the one that implies you are less of a woman or not strong enough or I don't know what else all because you had a c-section. 

The way I look at it is that the ultimate goal of any child birth is that of a healthy baby, healthy mom/surrogate. Period. Is a c-section the easiest way for a baby to enter the world? No, it's usually easier to have a vaginal delivery. I think there are very few women who actually would chose major abdominal surgery over a natural birth experience. But it happens. 

I'm thankful that we have the option of c-section for when things don't go as expected or planned. I am so thankful for my doctor who had the knowledge to know when it was time do the surgery. Cohen's existence is proof of her skill as a physician.

So, as people patronizingly say to me "oh, you had a c-section," I just calmly smile and respond with "yes, thankfully I had a c-section with Cohen. What a blessing to be able to deliver another healthy baby!" After all, because of that surgery, there are two healthy miracles!

Supplements, and Teas, and Capsules-Oh My!

I received a box in the mail yesterday. Remember how much I love getting packages in the mail? It's like Christmas, baby! Even though I was the one who ordered the items in the box, it's still the excitement of actually receiving the box that makes me happy. 

My girls crowded around as I opened the box. "What did mommy get? Toys? Clothes? A new purse?" Nope! I received a box filled with Mother's Milk Tea, fenugreek seed capsules, and blessed thistle capsules. Were they as excited as I was? No, not at all. They had fun smelling the items (fenugreek=good, blessed thistle=nasty!)

My breakfast teas of cold chai and hot mother's milk to wash down my crazy pills. Prenatal vitamin (as long as I'm pumping I'm supposed to take it), Zyrtec, BCP, my first of three daily doses of two blessed thistle caps, and my first of four daily doses of three fenugreek caps.

I feel like the supplements and tea have helped my body get to the production level it currently is producing (right around  60oz a day). I definitely don't think they've lived up to the hype of "doubling" a women's supply. If I had a low supply, I think I would have stopped pumping when Brady and Cohen moved back home. According to Rodney, I'm pretty much on track with where the boys are right now, maybe a bit ahead. 

I've had a pretty cool development in the past couple days. An acquaintance from years past contacted me to learn more about surrogacy. As this is a favorite subject of mine, of course I'm willing to talk with them! Also, another friend is just starting to explore the infertility route and all there is to offer medically. She's been asking me a bunch of questions regarding surrogacy as well. 

I'm so glad I'm able to help others out, not just Brad and Rodney with a healthy twin pregnancy and their two boys, but the acquaintance by sharing my story and my friend to walk through infertility treatments along side of her. I love being able to help others any way I can, so if I'm carrying a baby, being a support to another, or informing people of an option, I count it all as a good thing. It is all just to be a part of someone's miracle.