2016, the year I will document the real Grigsby life

There are SO many updates to write, but here's the quick and dirty. David and I are the parents of 4 (WHAT?) kids now! Ellie is 5, Cameron and Kyle are 3 and sweet baby Jane is just 6 weeks old. Life with 4 kids age 5 and under is madness, exhausting, busy, chaotic, beautiful and the best thing we've ever done. You think adding that 4th child is going to be absolutely crazy, but for us it just adds beauty and joy to our already crazy life!

I share loads of pictures of my kids on social media, but I haven't taken the time to write the stories behind the pictures, shared my thoughts and feelings of motherhood and really documented our lives. I'm going to share the real Grigsby life here for anybody who wants to read it. The good, the bad and the ugly. I hate reading about and seeing seemingly-perfect lives because they put the idea into my brain that I'm not good enough, organized enough and fun enough, so that's not what you're going to get here.

I hope you'll enjoy reading about the crazy Grigsby life as much as I know I'll enjoy writing about it!

Cameron & Kyle: 5 months

5 months. SOOO late... but here we are! Hopefully I'll add pictures later...

5 months has been rough. Teething has started with Cameron, Screaming, crying, napping strikes happened, bedtime strikes. you name it. We were exhausted, we cried, I cried, they cried, we all cried.

Cameron:
Started rolling over more from his belly to his back.
Pushes up really well
Smiles and laughs more
Talks and is social
Loves to play with his toys
Thinks his sister is silly
Loves to play in the jumperoo
Loves the door jumper
wears 3-6 month, and size 3 diapers. Still fits into some 0-3 month clothes.


Kyle:
Rolls all over the place
Pushes up well
loves to smile and laugh
is ticklish on his belly, neck and feet
Loves to play with Ellie
Loves to chew on everything and especially sophie the giraffe
Doesn't like to be set down
is a cuddle bug
Loves the door jumper and jumperoo
at 5 months he wore 3-6 month clothes, and size 3 diapers.

Eating:
Cameron and Kyle both eat every 3-4 hours during the day, and if they're not sick, then every 4-ish hours at night, but it's been  bad lately with colds, teething and who knows what else.

They both take good naps at 9, 1, and a cat nap at 5. Bedtime is usually around 7:30-8 depending on how quickly we get everything done, and if it's a bath day!

They're growing up so much, it's insane, and I can't believe they're SO BIG!

We love them so much and can't imagine only having one baby! Twins are definitely the way to go for us, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Cameron & Kyle: 4 months

Late again, but I'm going to catch up anyway!

Another month older! I can't believe it's going by so fast, but at the same time it seems like we've been in the baby stage forever. These two little boys keep me tired, happy and on my toes. Here's some things about them at 4 months that I want to remember:

Cameron's stats at 4 months:

Weight: 13 lb 11 oz - 15th percentile
Height: 24"- 8th percentile
Head size: 40 cm - 8th percentile

He's my tiny guy!! He's getting more and more fun lately!

• He wears size 2 diapers, barely fits into size 3-6 month clothes, and his feet are probably still smaller than a 1.
• He nurses every 3 hours or so during the day, and 1 or 2 times at night.
• He takes 2 sometimes 3 naps a day, and is starting to sleep better at night. Still working on that one!
• He sleeps in the swing, but we're trying to wean him off it slowly.
• Loves bath time
• Getting better at tummy time, and occasionally rolls from front to back.
• It's not so easy to make him smile
• loves to talk and make noises, but is very quiet when talking, which is funny because he's SO LOUD when he cries!
• Loves to jump in either the doorway jumper or the floor jumper
• Loves to stand
• tries to sit when you hold his hands
• loves to eat his hands, and anything he can get his hands on
• he still loves the binky
• He takes a bottle really well, and sometimes pukes less when he's had a bottle.
• Loves to hold soft toys, and minky blankets, especially when he's tired.
• He's starting to play with toys more and more.
• Starting to kick his feet when he gets excited more and more.
• He will giggle when you tickle his neck.
• He likes to play with Ellie and loves to watch her.
• He gets fussy easily, and sometimes he can be hard to calm down. We're still trying to figure him out.
• He sort of acts like he might be getting some teeth, but nothing yet.

Kyle's stats at 4 months:

Weight: 15 lb 11.5 oz - 55th percentile
Height: 24" (I think more like 24 1/2") - 21st percentile
Head size: 42 cm - 61st percentile

Kyle's a big boy, and seems even bigger when he's next to Cameron!

• He wears size 3 diapers, 3-6 month clothes, but his feet are probably size 1.
• He nurses every 3 hours during the day and 1 or no times at night.
• He takes 2 or 3 naps a day, and has been sleeping through the night more lately. Even in the crib!
• He's a lot more aware of toys, people and things lately..
• He does NOT like it when you set him down and leave the room! He gets a big fat pouty lip and cries a ton.
• He loves to kick when he's excited and when he's playing
• he also loves to jump in the doorway jumper or the floor jumper
• He still hates binkies most of the time, but sometimes when he's really tired, he'll take one to fall asleep
• He giggles when you tickle his neck and belly
• He LOVES to talk and eat his hands. Mostly at the same time.
• He loves to watch people. Especially Ellie. And Ellie is always happy to play with him.
• He goes to bed pretty easily, and is really the easiest baby on the planet. Only cries when he's hungry, needs a diaper change, or tired. It's awesome.
• He smiles at ANYTHING and EVERYONE. Seriously, this kid is a little grinner. It's adorable!
• HE LOVES taking baths, and loves kicking and splashing his feet in the tub.
• He favors his right side, so we have to kind of force him to look left sometimes.
• He can roll from tummy to back, but still hates tummy time

I'm sure I'm probably missing some other details about the boys, but this is what I can think of right now.

These little guys bring us so much joy! And YES my hands are full, but so is my heart!

Cameron & Kyle: 3 months old

January's over (thank goodness) and that means Cameron and Kyle are one month older!

Cameron:

• LOVES it when mommy sings the itsy bitsy spider to him and does the hand motions
• still pukes buckets, but is happier about it than he used to be
• he's wearing size 1 diapers, size 0-3 month clothes and is still a little squirt
• he's no longer taking Prevacid, OR Zantac! Woohoo! He's not too bad without them, either!
• He's starting to "talk" and coo so much and he LOVES it when we talk to him or make faces at him
• He takes about 3 naps a day, and wakes up once at night to eat.
• On a good night he sleeps from about 9-2 or 3, then again until 6 or 7.
• He nurses about every 3 hours during the day, and once at night. He's a guzzler, and I have to stop him every 5 or so minutes so he can burp, otherwise everything he just ate comes right back up!
• Tummy time is not his favorite, but we try to have him do it anyway.
• He LOVES sitting in the bumbo!
• He also loves playing in the bouncy seat and watching the bubbles and lights move.
• He generally loves to suck on a binky and takes the gumdrop or nuk kind
• He likes being held, but only in certain ways, and he's not super cuddly
• Being outside is probably his favorite thing ever.

Kyle:

• is such a little smiler! He will smile and coo at you all. day. long! We love it!
• He hates tummy time. Like REALLY hates it. Working on that...
• He's a little chunker, and he's growing out of some 0-3 month clothes, but still fits in a lot. He wears size 2 diapers.
• He likes to nurse more often than Cameron during the day, and sometimes eats every 2 hours, however he sleeps MUCH longer at night, like usually from 9-4 or 5, then again until 7 or 8.
• He also takes 3 naps a day.
• He talks a lot and loves to look at everything and anything
• He follows us when we walk across the room and gets SUPER sad if we walk by him and don't pick him up.
• He's a little softie and gets his feelings hurt easily
• He has super sensitive skin, and we've found we can only use a really expensive organic baby wash on him.
• he HATES binkies, but sometimes when he just won't go to sleep I can force one on him and it gives him that extra push to get to his sleepy place

Updates:

• Now that it's two weeks later, C man is sleeping longer at night!!
• Kyle takes a latex Nuk binky selectively
• Kyle can roll from front to back
• Tummy time is better for both boys
• Cameron does better with pumped milk since it doesn't drown him
• They both love the jumper
• Cameron loves to be outside
• Kyle doesn't fit in 0-3 much at all anymore

I'll update more with pictures soon!!

And probably more things I remember!

Cameron & Kyle: 2 months old

One more month has come and gone, and little Cameron and Kyle are growing up so fast!

 My handsome little guys!!

 Cameron and his Tiger                                       Kyle and his Elephant

 

My handsome little Cameron!

 

 I didn't rotate this one, sorry Kyle! But look at those BLUE eyes. Aren't they dreamy? :)

This picture sums up how picture taking went today...

Things about Cameron at 2 months old:

• At his 2 month check-up, he weighed 10 lbs 3 oz, 6th percentile and was 21 inches long! He's only on the charts for his weight and head size, which is 38.5 cm, 27th percentile.
• He wears size 1 diapers, and size 0-3 month clothes.
• He loves to hold blankets, burp cloths, my shirt, hair, really anything soft in his hand when he's falling asleep.
• He loves his binky.
• He loves his soft minky blanket, especially when he's tired. He likes it touching his face.
• Sitting in the car seat isn't so bad anymore!
• He nurses every 2-3 1/2 hours during the day, and will usually have one 5 hour stretch at night, if I'm lucky, he'll have two 5 hour stretches.
• He is very alert and aware of his surroundings. He loves to just look around and take in the world.
• He is a little cuddle bug and LOVES to fall asleep on our chests.
• He loves having a bath.
• He's starting to smile a bit more here and there, but he hasn't quite gotten it yet.
• He loves to fall asleep in bed with me.
• He has to have Zantac twice a day still, for reflux, but it usually helps him with the pain. Only sometimes with the puke...
• He takes 3 naps, but we're still trying to figure his nap schedule out!
• He loves to sleep in the swing and bouncy seat.

Things about Kyle at 2 months old:

• He weighed 11 lbs 7 oz , 26th percentile and was 22.5 inches long, 23rd percentile. His head is 39 cm and that's in the 41st percentile.
• He wears size 1 diapers, and size 0-3 month clothes.
• He loves to snuggle more than Cameron does, and will fall asleep easily when being held or laying down with you.
• He's not so much a fan of the binky, but will take the Avent silicone one and sometimes a Nuk brand when he's super sleepy.
• He loves to sit in the bouncy seat and swing, and often falls asleep in either one.
• He is a super stuffy little guy, and often has to have his nose suctioned out after we pump it full of saline. Hopefully as he grows this trend doesn't continue!
• He is a super smiley guy, and smiles at just about anything!
• He makes the most adorable frowny face, and I may or may not make him make it a lot because of how cute it is. lol!
• He takes 3 naps and sleeps for 1 4-5 hour stretch at night, and 1 3 hour stretch.
• He nurses every 2-3 hours.
• He loves bath time.

They can recognize us from pretty far away, and love to follow us across the room. They like their sister for the most part, except for when she makes them cry by putting her face on their faces, rubbing their heads or just getting too close to them.

They are getting SO much easier to deal with and we rarely are feeling like pulling our hair out these days, so that's an improvement!

They're the best thing that has happened to us, and I love to have them in my life. Even through the hard times, I wouldn't trade them for the world. Some of my best moments are when I'm snuggling them while nursing them and realizing how incredibly blessed I am to have them here with me.

Cameron and Kyle: One Month Old!

Cameron and Kyle turned one month old on their due date. How fun!

I took them to their one month check-up on the 4th and they are doing so well! My little guys are thriving and doing great!

Let's start with Mr. Cameron:

• He's up to 7 lbs 3 oz and is 19.5" long. His head is 36 cm. He's only on the charts for his weight and is currently in the 3rd percentile! At least he's on the charts! :D He's been having issues with spitting up a huge amount, arching his back, being extremely fussy and inconsolable and acting like he's in pain for hours on end. He was diagnosed with reflux and prescribed some Zantac. It has already started to help him, and he's sleeping better, eating better and keeping his food down better! hooray! This makes me very happy, since he is my little guy, I'm always concerned about his weight gain!
• He eats every 3ish hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night. 
• He's becoming a better sleeper, but he takes a while to calm down. He hates being wrapped up tightly, but needs to be so he will relax. 
• He has periods of happy awake time and we're glad he's happy! He loves to look around and explore his world. 
• He is wearing size nb clothes and diapers.
• He sleeps best when he's really warm, and loves to sleep in the bouncy seat or swing.
• He hates riding in the car seat, and usually screams for a good portion of the ride to wherever we're going.
• He sometimes likes bath time.
• He is extremely easy going with Ellie's poking/prodding and bugging. It's wonderful.
• He likes his binky most of the time and it's our favorite when he's being fussy.
• He has really strong neck muscles, and sometimes tolerates tummy time.
• He may be small, but he's loud and he'll let you know when he's unhappy!

Now for Mr. Kyle:

• He is 8 lbs 8 oz, 20.5" long and his head is 37 cm. He's in the 25th percentile for weight and 10th for height! He's pretty much the size of a normal one month old! He's my chubby guy.
• He's VERY mellow, and thank goodness. With Cameron's reflux and colic, I don't know that we could handle a fussy Kyle, so thank you, Kyle for being a SUPER easy baby!
• He eats every 3 hours as well, and 3-4 hours at night.
• He likes to snuggle a LOT. 
• He loves to be next to his brother, even when it seems Cameron doesn't care ha ha.
• He sleeps best when he's snuggled with one of us!
• He doesn't have as much awake time as Cameron, but he's starting to be awake a little bit more now that he's past the due date.
• He will sleep pretty much anywhere. He falls asleep relatively easily, but gets very upset if he has the tiniest of bubbles in his belly.
• He is wearing nb and some 0-3 month clothes, and nb diapers.
• He likes the car seat, and falls asleep very quickly when riding in the car.
• He hates bottles and binkies. 
• He is also easy going with Ellie.
• He hates tummy time, and doesn't do too well lifting up his little head yet, but he'll get there.

Life with twins is a roller coaster. Some days are easy and seem like we've got a good handle on things, then there are days like yesterday when they wanted to eat every hour-hour and a half!! At least they slept well last night!

They are such a joy to have in our lives! I can't imagine life with just one baby. It would be so easy ha ha! I wouldn't know what to do with all the extra time I would have!! I'm thankful that we've made it to my goal (almost) of nursing for at least the first 6 weeks! Things are going well though, so I don't think we're quitting any time soon. Sometimes they eat at the same time (daytime only) and at night I always feed one right after another.

Life is busy, but it's a joyous kind of busy because having two adorable little boys look up at you with their little baby faces makes all the tough times worth it! They are so much fun, even though I hit my breaking point and hit my exhaustion limit every single day!

We played around with the camera the other day and here are some pictures (none of them are edited...that will come when I have more than a few minutes...Also I was using my phone's camera...my real camera died. Next month I shall plan this out better!!)

Cameron and Kyle: Birth Story

Where do I even begin? I guess I'll start with my appointment on Monday, October 29th. I had my appointment, the NST went well, I didn't have contractions on the monitor as usual, and the doctor seemed like I could be having the babies any time. We talked about if I went into labor where I should go (there are two hospitals here, a small community hospital where I wanted to deliver, and a big hospital with the attached children's hospital and NICU). He said I would be fine to go to Franklin Woods (small community hospital) since I was 35+3 that day, and they can handle pretty much anything past 35 weeks.
We also talked about delivery plans and seeing if I would be able to have them vaginally. I was scheduled for an ultrasound on Nov. 1st to check weights and positions, but obviously didn't make it. The doctor thought I could have them at any time, since I was dilated to about a 3 and 70% or so effaced. I asked him how much I needed to be in labor for them to admit me since I was already to a 3, and he said if I was a 4 and having regular contractions, he would admit me. This gave me hope. I was feeling all sorts of finished. My poor body couldn't handle it much longer, and I had made it to 35 weeks, and that was good for me!

I left the appointment feeling OK but not thinking anything was going to happen any time soon. I had taken myself off of bed rest (I wasn't ever REALLY officially put on it, just told to take it easy, don't do too much, etc. and to be safe was staying down as much as possible) the Friday before, when I was exactly 35 weeks. The next day (Tuesday) I was feeling yucky. I had had bouts of feeling gross, crampy, like labor was coming a million times, so I just figured it was one of those days, and it would stop and I would just go about my normal day: sitting in bed, reading blogs, watching shows, etc. and doing a little bit of this and that throughout the day. Well, nothing happened all day so I figured we were in the clear for missing Halloween as a birthday. At about 11 pm on Tuesday the 30th, I started having contractions that felt like real labor. I was laying in bed and counting them, and just figured they'd stop. After an hour I still didn't believe I was in labor. The contractions were about 5-7 minutes apart, but they didn't hurt like I remember contractions hurting with Ellie. It was strange. I woke David up because they still weren't going away, and I figured we should probably do something about it. Once we got up and got a few things together, it seemed like they were dying down and I was having false labor. After another couple hours of debating whether or not to go in, I finally decided to go in to Franklin Woods and get checked out.

We got to the hospital around 3 ish in the morning, and I was feeling fine. I had a few painful contractions here and there, but they were very easy to deal with and I just breathed through them. Once I got checked in and taken back to a triage room, I found out I was about 4 cm dilated and my contractions were real. Woohoo! I was relieved! The doctor on call was one that I really liked, and since he said I just needed to be a 4 and have contractions, I knew I was having babies that day!

 Look! Contractions!

After we were in the room for a while and the nurses talked to the doctor, they decided that I should wait it out for about an hour and see what happens. So we sat there, I continued to have contractions, and when they checked me I hadn't really changed much, but the doctor still hadn't decided what to do with me. Personally I think he was buying himself time, since the shift change happens at 7 a.m. and it was 4:30 at this point. I don't blame him. Tired doctor who had been on call since the day before probably didn't want to deal with another patient, especially a c-section twins patient. ha ha! So he decided that I should have a bolus of IV fluid (an entire 1000mL bag of IV fluid in one hour) and see if my body was just dehydrated and needed fluids. That hour passed, and I was dilated to a 5 when they checked me. I was definitely having the twins on Halloween. Great, I thought. Halloween...the ONE DAY I said I really didn't want to have them. Little stinkers!

So, they changed my IV to a slow drip and I waited longer, and when the shift change happened, the new happy fresh doctor came in and talked to me. He talked to us about the risks/benefits about delivering at Franklin Woods at 35 +5 and told us that one or both babies may or may not have to be transferred to JCMC for the NICU. This was a horrible thought, to be without one or both babies for 2 days while I recovered from a c-section. No way, I thought. I was heartbroken, as I had my mind totally set on the fact that if I made it to 35 weeks, I could have my boys at the lovely hospital I spent 5 days at when I was in pre-term labor just a month before. I knew all the nurses, loved them and wanted to have them be the ones caring for me and my boys! However, I knew that these thoughts were selfish and I needed to put my babies first. So, it was decided that I should be transferred to the medical center just in case one or both babies would need the NICU.

Because I was in "active labor" I had to be transferred by ambulance to the med center. Most exciting thing of my life, really...jk. One of the nurses who was on shift that morning was one that had stayed in my room for almost 3 straight hours when I was having pre-term labor, and we got to know each other super well. I was so bummed I wouldn't have her for delivery/recovery/friendship! However she got to come with me for the transfer, so that was lots of fun! The EMT team came, and apparently they were told they were going to transfer a woman in "active birth". So, when they got there and I was all calm, cool and collected, they didn't know what to think. They thought they'd be dealing with someone ready to push, and it was me...someone who barely felt the contractions. I was laughing, talking and joking the entire time. It was crazy that I was in labor, and having contractions every 2-4 minutes and feeling just dandy! They put all the monitors on me, got me on their little bed thing and strapped me in, and off we went to the ambulance. The EMT who was riding in the back with me and the nurse kept asking me my pain, and honestly it wasn't ever above a 2. It was nothing. Kind of makes me feel gypped that I didn't get to deliver them vaginally and without an epidural. I was past a 5 and feeling great! Totally opposite than my labor experience with Ellie!

Look, here's a picture :)

So, once we got to the hospital, they got me into a room and everyone was waiting for me. The doctor was ready for the c-section, and I was feeling somewhat antsy about what doctor it was, since I didn't know her well. However those feelings went away when a member of our Bishopric came and helped David give me a blessing. He talked about how this particular Dr. delivered one of their children, and I felt much better. The blessing helped me feel more at ease, too even though I was still so nervous for the anesthesia, surgery and recovery and all else that comes with having twins!

After waiting what seemed like an eternity for them to do my blood work, get all my paperwork transferred and get me prepped for the surgery, it was time to go back! It was 10 something, so I had been in labor for about 10-11 hours!! Crazy! I wonder what I had dilated to by that point!?

I was so nervous and excited! David was ready and walked by my side until he had to go to the waiting area. I got to the OR and I was SO NERVOUS! It was silly. I was basically crying because I was nervous about everything. Once David came in everything started going so quickly and before I knew it, I heard a tiny loud cry, and Cameron Alan Grigsby was born, at 11:08 a.m. I immediately started crying tears of joy because he was crying, and that meant he was alive and healthy and here!! I was feeling so overwhelmed and David was just as overwhelmed and excited as I was and minutes later, I felt a big tug and out came Kyle David Grigsby into the world! He wasn't much of a crier at first, but decided to give his lungs a try. More tears flowed and I was so excited they were here!!! Things were busy and everyone was doing their jobs to get the babies checked out! Cameron's apgars were 9 and 9 and Kyle's were 7 and 9. They were doing GREAT!

The nurses were done with Kyle first, and when I saw his tiny perfect face I was in love! He was so tiny and so much fun!! He was awake and aware and I couldn't believe he was all ours! They later brought Cameron over and we took a picture with both our boys and we were so excited!! Not much time had passed, and I was ready to go to recovery. This is where things are a bit blurry. I don't remember if David went with me, or the babies. I think he went with the babies...

 

Kyle left, Cameron right

 

 

Cameron Alan Grigsby

 

  

Kyle David Grigsby

Anyway, they got me to my room and after a while, David came back with a napkin with their weights on it. Cameron weighed a tiny 4 lbs 15 oz and was 18.5" long, and Kyle weighed 5 lb 11 oz and was 19" long! Whoa! 10.5 lbs of baby! No wonder my body was done...

Not a lot of time passed, and they brought my two beautiful babies to me. A lactation consultant came in and helped me get both of them nursing. Cameron knew what to do right off the bat, but Kyle was lazy and wanted to sleep.

The rest of the day is sort of a blur, as I was given benadryl for the itching caused by the pain medication given with my spinal. I was so excited, so exhausted and so glad I was finally done being pregnant.

 

Cameron left, Kyle right

 Cameron left, Kyle right

 Kyle

 Cameron

 Cameron left, Kyle right

Mommy & Kyle

While their arrival wasn't exactly how I wanted it to be, all that matters is that my boys got here safely! We love them so much and while we're having a lot of long late nights and frustrations with colic (Cameron's super colicky) we are so grateful to be blessed with our two perfect boys! Things are going well at home, and I will update about the first few weeks soon-ish (if I magically find the time, and if I'm not too sleepy!).