3 months!

Kate and Maddie are 3 months old today! Oh, and Happy Birthday Bud! (my dad)

Oh mom, we are so happy even though we just spit up all over ourselves! 

The past few weeks both girls have become so much fun! They interact all the time with us, and I swear sometimes are jabbering to each other. I can leave the room, and it sounds like they are having a cooing conversation. The smiles are constant! Makes this momma happy! It is amazing how much they develop in such short periods of time! I can't wait to see how much more they will change over the next month! 

Kate: Don't you think she is funny
Maddie: I don't think she has a clue what she is doing!

Maddie:

-9lbs 2oz on Monday (only gained 1oz in a week...not good! This is due to all the feeding trouble we've been having...more to come on that)
-0-3 month clothing! Finally! 
-LOVES...I mean LOVES when Matt whistles to you
-"talking" all the time
-loves listening to music, you kick and squeal! 
-Our observant one...You really don't eat when there is a lot going on around you. You just want to watch everything!
-You are a happy girl! You cry typically only when something hurts (spit-up, eating, etc) or you are tired
-Discovered your hand...better than a paci! ;)
-Rolling over from belly to back
-Grabbing things...my hair!

-Lifting your head better and better everyday. Kate rolled over on you the other day during tummy time and caused you to face plant...just the beginning of twin accidents!
-Enjoys "standing up" 
-Now unswaddled at night...you have made no fuss about it! ;) Still like being swaddle for naps. We will do this for a few more weeks until we get the hang of it! 
-Bedtime feeding at 8:00, then down by 8:30...you've slept through the night until 7:00, but I wake you at 5:00 to squeeze in more feedings, then start our day at 7:30.
-Since switching to formula, you have become a much better napper! My breastmilk just did not fill you up! You take 3 naps, plus one little catnap at night before bath.

Kate:

-8lbs 6oz. I think Maddie wants you to catch up with her! 
-0-3 month clothing! It's pretty long on you still though! 
-You like to chat on your changing table
-"talking" all the time
-You LOVE for me to read to you! I think we could do it all day. You coo, kick, squeal, and stare at the book intently while I read! Makes this momma happy!
-Nothing makes you happier than the bird noises on the play mat. If you are upset...I put you down under it, and all is calm again!
-You go from fussy to smiling in seconds. I think you are going to be quite the actor! 
-You smile so big when I wake you from naps
-Grabbing at things and starting to bat at things too!
-Rolling over from belly to back. You no longer like to stay on your tummy to practice lifting your head! 
-Enjoy sitting on my legs and "talk"

-Love bathtime!
-You kept escaping from your swaddle in the past few weeks. No matter how tight I got it around 2:00ish you would be free. Sometimes you would escape again within the hour! So we decided it was time to take the swaddles away! Night one...not a peep until about 4 with a little fussing. Night two...you had a little harder time adjusting and fussed off and on...not a full on cry though. Night three will be tonight, so we will see! ;)
-Around Christmas you were NOT a good sleeper! I don't know what the deal was, but you would just fuss off and on sometimes starting at 12. Finally, we kept pushing you later and later to feed...then ahhh...7:00am! We've had to back track a little and wake you up at 5:00 for another feeding. 
-You are still a pretty good napper! You take 3 naps a day.You are usually out for the catnap in the evening, but awake happy.


Feeding: 
Over the weekend things seemed to get worse. Saturday was very difficult. They took very little, and cried through most feedings. Out of desperation we talked to our friend who is a nutritionist at Children's. She suggested trying Nutramigen formula just to see if they could digest it easier. Maddie hated it! She took it the first few times, but then refused on Sunday. So back to Enfacare. I tried once again to give them breastmilk. It does not work for them! It makes me so sad, but it does not satisfy them. They don't nap, fuss more, spit up more, and usually are hungry within an hour. I wish so badly that breastfeeding/expressed milk would work for them because it is what's "best." I had to come to the realization (and release myself of guilt) that for my babies formula is best. They NEED the extra calories to grow! 
On Sunday it dawned on me to try Dr. Brown's bottles again. It was worth a shot to see if it cut back on gas in their bellies. They didn't take the Dr. Brown's bottles I had, but then I looked online and realized I had the widemouth ones! Off to Target I ran to get the "standard" nipple bottles...they took them great! Big time fail on my part for not realizing this sooner! ;) I really do think the bottles have helped. The biggest difference is they will start eating again after stopping! This is huge! There has been much less fussing/screaming during feeding too!
I took the girls in for a weight check on Monday morning. Maddie only gained 1 1/2 ounces and Kate gained 4 ounces...not good! They should be gaining 1/2 ounce per day! Our pediatrician was concerned more about the discomfort than the intake amounts. He assured me that we were not at the "failure to thrive" point...which was in the back of my mind. Also, when you look at where they started they have doubled their weight. This is good! But, they started off behind, and we need them to catch up more quickly. We discussed if it may be a milk intolerance (formula) or more of a reflux issue. I told him that feedings are really the only times the girls are upset! After they are done, they are happy and content. To him this meant it was more of a reflux issue. So we had a gameplan. Switch to Prevacid for their medicine and give it a week or so. If things got worse then come in sooner, if things improved check back in a week. I don't "like" giving the girls medicine...yes I eat organic yet feed my daughters formula and give them Prevacid....They'll get the organic stuff when they are older! ;) 
We have really seen an improvement! Feedings aren't "perfect," but the intake amount has increased and the discomfort has decreased!!!! Kate took 22 ounces total yesterday, which is big for her! Matt and I both realized that we needed to try to relax during feedings too. It can get SO stressful sitting there trying to figure out how to get them to eat more...so the other day I started singing hymns to remind myself to stay calm...First off...I CANNOT sing! I have no pitch memory! It's horrible...I didn't even make elementary choir! ;) hahaha But the girls seem to like it, and it keeps me distracted from thinking about how many ounces they are taking in. I'll just keep the singing for at home though! 

We are SO thankful that the past few days have been better. Praying that it continues to improve and that the girls grow, grow, grow!!! What a crazy month this has been!