Surviving The First Year: Newborn Products We Love

Products We Can't Live Without by jmjohnson4 on Polyvore

A lot of people ask me what my day looks like—how exactly we handle having two babies at once. And to be honest, I have no idea how we handle it. I'm not sure I've got it all figured out; in fact I know I don't have it all figured out. Some days it's like nothing has changed and we are a seamless unit. Other days, we're firmly on the struggle bus. Like last Wednesday for example.

The biggest thing I tell people that ask questions about this whole shebang called having newborn twins is that I don't know any different. Yes, it's hard for other mothers of singletons to relate, because you only know what it's like to feed one child in the middle of the night or maneuver one infant carrier through a doorframe. I've never done just one. Don't bless my heart when you see me rolling through a door with my double snap'n'go (lifesaver by the way). I don't need it. This is my normal.

But my normal is GREATLY aided by some key products. In fact, there are a few things that I believe 10000% are worth the larger price tag they carry. We are fortunate that I have a large family and two moms that threw me baby showers, so we got a large number of the things I registered for.

One notable thing we didn't get, and had to purchase ourselves was the Baby Brezza Bottle Maker. Y'all. This thing is a gamechanger. Think of it as a formula Keurig: place bottle in slot, push button, have prepared bottle in minutes. I used a coupon and purchased it when Target had a rebate available so that helped shave off some of the sting, but honestly, even if you can't get it on discount, purchase this item. Especially if you have twins. I make at least 12 bottles a day. 12. Mind you, that's with both sleeping through the night. Using the Baby Brezza, I can make all my bottles when I need them, no reheating, mixing or keeping track of anything.

Besides the Baby Keurig, the two other biggest keys to my sanity have been 4moms products: the infant tub and the MamaRoo. 4moms infant tub is more expensive than others, but it has a thermostat build in as well as two drains in the main basin, allowing water to flow out of the tub during the bath. No more sitting in dirty bath water. When you are bathing two babies back to back, that kind of feature is awesome. So worth the $50 price tag, in my opinion.

The MamaRoo is the top product in our home right now. Because, I could make it without the baby Keurig, not that I would want to but I could, and I could just use the sink. I could not survive without the MamaRoo. This spaceship looking contraption is a swing on steroids. It's got like five different patterns it moves in with adjustable speeds as well. Putting my kids in their MamaRoos is like giving me a glass bottle of wine and a box of fluffy puppies after a tough day. It's just incredibly soothing. Two babies means two MamaRoos, and at $250 a piece that's not exactly budget friendly. Luckily, we got ours as a gift from Grandpop Ditz and MarMar, but I have seen MamaRoos at consignment sales and listed on Craigslist, so there are other options. I can't stop gushing about this thing and have steered multiple well meaning grandparents at a metro Atlanta Babies R Us towards this as a gift for their daughter/daughter in law.

Even though my kids are strong and I am lazy, I fully believe in the healing power of a snug swaddle. Enter Summer Infant Velcro SwaddleMe Sack Thing. The three pack is what you need to buy every preggo you know that you are going to her shower and don't want to spend more than $30. The tabs are easy to use and the swaddle stays snug all night long, helping that angel babe of yours stay asleep longer.

We use Dr. Brown's bottles, and have no complaints. Pretty much everyone, including our pediatrician, recommended them to us and I have to say, I like them. They are a total pain in the ass to wash by hand SO.MANY.PIECES. But, we have, knock on wood, not battled colic and the gas seems to be under control.

Same goes for my bib of choice, Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature—recommended to us but more personal choice than anything. I think the rolled neck cuts down on a lot of the would be neck cheese, but otherwise, it's just a drool and spat up milk catcher.

I like the Carter's three-piece sets because boy clothes are surprisingly cuter than I thought they would be. Same goes for jammies, the zippers are so easy! I HATE buying the ones with snaps now.

So that's what I've found works for us nearly four months in. What do you think I missed? What do I need for the next three months?

Birth Announcements

So, birth announcements are supposed to be sent when exactly? When the baby (or in this case babies) in question is around three months? Good, because that's when I got these mailed out. #momfail

The last of these adorable things hit the post office yesterday, so I don't feel guilty sharing them with the internet now. Thanks to the super talented Shelby Berry for designing them and the super talented Kim Box for snapping the pictures. They are honestly perfect. My favorite touch was that the were printed front to back, so each baby had his own side!

Shop Our Closet

Fitz and Alex recently sized out of their preemie and newborn clothing. While I was cleaning out their closets I realized just how much stuff we have. I've saved a few favorites, but I have a lot of stuff that was worn maybe once or twice, some not even at all.

Ever the eternal optimist, I am going to try to sell some of the things that we longer have a use for that are in excellent condition. I listed a few things Wednesday and will continue to list things each day. I didn't realize how time consuming it was to post stuff!

Curious about what we've got? Follow us on Instagram!

Three Months

So, we're going to all pretend like I did the boys two month update already and this ON TIME three month update is just falling right in line.

How is it already January 7th?! It's already been three months to the day with y'all. I'm amazed everyday by what you can do and what I have learned to do. You are both starting to change in ways I never thought I would notice. For example, Fitzy you now love to stare at the squish balls on top of your MamaRoo, and I learned that I can in fact hold your bottles and sleep at the same time. Amazing, right?

I still struggle with taking y'all's picture though.

It's been a big few months for us all. We survived Alex's surgery, Christmas, Momma getting the stomach flu and transitioning from an at-home nanny to going to "school." You both have amazed me in how you've handled everything. I'm so proud of you!!

Alex is not easily amused with getting his picture taken.

You've both started to smile when you hear my voice, your Dad's voice or see either of us. The first time I saw you both smile at me I nearly melted into a puddle. It was the cutest thing.

#heartbreaker

Fitzy, you are still my little Fuss Budget. You love to make as much noise as possible and get realll upset if you think you're missing out on something. I hate hate HATE to admit, but you might have picked this up from me, because I love to just sit with you, your Dad and your brother. You definitely picked it up from your Dad, he has FOMO (fear of missing out) like no one's business. At your two month check up, two weeks late, you weighed in at 10 lbs. 1.9 oz, you're certainly built like your Dad. You're long as well, 23 inches! You’re firmly in size 1 diapers and 0-3/3M clothes. We've recently made the switch and I hate to part with all your newborn stuff!

Sadly, I see this face a lot...

Alex, you my dear have taught me so, so many things in your three little months of life. That's a nice way of saying, damn if you haven't put me through hell kid. I guess that's just practice for when you're learning to drive and play full contact sports and date and go to college and well, be a teenage boy. You're still Squeaks every now and then, but after your surgery you've mellowed. I think you were squeaky because you didn't feel good. You're still our little Shrimpy, though you are quickly catching up. Papa Mark says it'll be no time before you are taking on Fitzy and winning!! You're long and lean, just like me: 22 inches long and 8 lbs. 10.6 oz. In an effort to make Momma's life easier, We switched you out of NB clothes and diapers when it was time to switch your brother. The 0-3/3M clothes are a little big on you, but the length is perfect. The diapers are big-ish but you've got no, and I mean NO, problem showing of your fancy new intestines and filling them up!

Buddy, you have to get better about letting me take your picture!

You are both great eaters and great sleepers. You tease us every now and then with 12 hours of sleep. We were on a three day in a row streak that Fitzgerald broke this morning with a 5am wakeup…You both vaguely like your nighttime bath, hate getting lotioned up, and have lately not particularly cared for being swaddled. The MamaRoos are still the most beloved item in our house, besides our precious doggies.

TOTAL HAMS.

I can't wait to see what happens over the next month.

15 for 2015

via

I recently saw a post on a blog that got me thinking…what exactly are my goals for the new year?

I've never been a huge resolutions/goals person. Maybe that's because I'm lazy? But I always seem to get the things done I want to get done…eventually. So this year I'm going to try something different, you know since I'm someone's mother now I should maybe be more of an adult am going to hold myself accountable for things?

Maybe I should add take pictures with my DSLR camera instead of my old, crappy iPhone to my list?

On January 2, 2014 I had no idea what the year ahead would hold. It's been a helluva ride to say the least. This year I plan to be a little more intentional with my time, enjoy my babies, enjoy my husband and really be present in the moments. I'm usually pretty good about that last one but damn, these days I am TIRED.

"What do you mean your tired? Sleep is for the birds"--My child, probably

So, here goes...

15 for 2015 

Hit the Pure Barre Montgomery 250 Tuck Club…I’m so close! 

Spend another long weekend in Curacao 

Show Fitz and Alex the beach 

Read 15 books 

Take an entire month and not buy a single piece of clothing (or accessory) for myself 

Finally re-decorate our living room 

Update my phone software...my phone's pictures are horrible!

Visit Kimber, Gentry and Saylor at the farm in Pennsylvania 

Go home for Alabama Homecoming 

Write my Nanny once a month 

Try 15 new recipes 

Completely clean out my closet 

Take about a zillion more pictures 

Clean out the storage unit and sell the furniture we are never going to use 

Show Mark Philadelphia and the Porecca family 

Christmas 2014

Well, we've officially survived our first Christmas as a family with four children!

It was a perfect few days. Until of course I got the stomach flu, because I have to get sick every Christmas or it just wouldn't be Christmas.

The babies really had no idea what was going on, but hey, I did it all for the pictures—and then of course forgot to take pictures!

Literally the only picture I've got of the two of them together on Christmas. #momfail

We enjoyed some lovely meals with family, opened some presents, shuffled to Atlanta, and shuffled back to Montgomery. It was eventful and uneventful all at the same time.

I've dropped the ball on keeping this online record of our daily disasters, but am going to make it a goal in 2015 to at least write down their monthly updates. (We're going to pretend I did a two month update and just skip right on over to three on January 7th. When did my children turn three months? Was I not just like the biggest pregnant person ever five minutes ago?)

Alex's Time at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta—Egleston

Seven days feels like a lifetime. "We've come so far," is Mark's new favorite thing to say when I even want to broach the subject of our stay at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta—Egleston.

As I've said before, my littlest little love Alex had a congenital intestinal condition called intestinal malrotation. He didn't show symptoms and it was by the grace of God we found out about this life threatening condition the way we did. So in the hours and days following his operation I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Our experience at CHOA was wonderful. The staff was fantastic, the facility clean. However, and I say this with complete conviction, I never want to go there again, ever.

Squeaks was slated to arrive Friday at 11am for a 12:50pm surgery time. He was not to have anything (no Pedilytle, no water, no nothin') after 9am. By the time we got to Egleston he was not pleased. Then we found out that an emergency had come in and that child needed our doctor and our OR. We had been pushed back an hour and had a new surgeon. Which freaked me out a little, but I was fine to roll with it. A children’s hospital will really put life into perspective for a person.

Alex with Dr. Meisel before he went back to the OR.

Fast forward the longest hour of my life, up to this point at least, to me handing my starving child to a sweet RN with the promise of "see you soon." At ninety minutes the phone rang in the cold, sad, but somehow still cheerful, surgery waiting room for A. Anderson's parents. "Still working," the voice said. I think I spoke but honestly I can't remember.

Dr. Meisel, our new surgeon, had told me between 90 to 140 minutes was how long the surgery should take. When 140 minutes hit I was ready for the phone to ring again. I was ready to hear that my tiniest love was okay. The call didn't come. As my dear friend Anne told me before the surgery started, it's hell in the hallway. I was in hell indeed.

At the three and a half hour mark, I really started to worry. I started to play out the scenarios in my head. I started to cry.

At four hours I somehow found my voice and spoke to Mark, "What if… What will we do?" Mark and I prayed together for our son and Dr. Meisel. We didn't address what if.

At nearly four and a half hours, Dr. Meisel walked into the waiting room. I saw him and my heart fell to my feet. I'd seen only one other doctor come into the waiting room in the six hours or so throughout the day I’d been in there. That doctor didn't bring good news. I was preparing myself for bad news.

Dr. Meisel opened with, "Alex is in recovery and doing well." I think I actually screamed. Just thinking about this makes me want to cry all over again. 

There was more damage than the original scans showed, and it took a lot longer than expected, but Squeaks was going to be okay. He was stable and we could see him shortly.

Of course he was moved from recovery to his room during shift change and we didn't get to see him in that thirty-minute window. I tried not to jump out of my skin. When he was finally wheeled into 4226, he was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen while simultaneously being the scariest thing I'd ever seen.

With his various machines and tubes, he looked like those kids on Grey's Anatomy—except it wasn't a kid on TV I was looking at. It was my son.

There was a flurry of activity and honestly I don't remember much. Except when Dr. Meisel strolled in the next morning and delivered some good news. Later that afternoon the tube going down his nose to pump bile and stomach acid out of his stomach could possibly be removed and we could, finally, feed him, not long after.

 He was so hungry, I could just tell, he's an Anderson after all. I knew he wanted, needed, food. But I also knew feeding him could be a challenge and I was scared. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The other shoe never really dropped. He had small steps back, but he seemed to hit every milestone. He checked every box with vigor. He wasn't his usual chilled out self, I couldn't even get him to smile while we watched Coach Saban hoist up another SEC Championship trophy for our beloved Crimson Tide, but he was getting better.

When we were discharged, I remember looking at the nurse with tears in my eyes. She simply reminded me he was okay, I was okay and we were all going to be okay. Anne, one of my biggest cheerleaders throughout the entire process, shared similar sentiments. The other shoe wasn't going to drop.

He's got some scars, everyone knows chicks dig scars, but otherwise he's completely unfazed. I am forever changed, but he is completely unfazed.

Dr. Meisel was able to repair his damage laparoscopically, so he only has four small incisions. Instead of one long one.

Since he didn't show symptoms of his condition I never really knew the breadth of how it affected him. Before the surgery he would struggle to eat, taking the full suggested thirty minutes to feed, and made a dirty diaper MAYBE once every two days. Now? He's all about showing off those expensive, brand new intestines, farting and making dirty diapers every two hours or so. He sucks down his formula like a champ.

He's okay. I'm okay. The other shoe didn't drop.