Three Months!

We sit here and wonder, "Where did the last month go?!"  There were many changes and happenings during the last month that kept us busy.  We blinked, and our twins are now three months old!

I will be writing separate posts on some of the major happenings, but here are the highlights: I went back to work for seven days at the end of May and early June, Aiden and Owen were baptized, Owen caught his first real cold and battled some congestion, Aiden and Owen took a dip in the pool for the first time, and both are babbling our ears off!

Currently, we love going for walks every evening.  They play so well during the day, but they seem to become restless from 6:00-8:00 p.m. We have found that a stroller ride keeps them calm and relaxed.  It is a nice time for me to get out of the house and for Kyle and me to have an opportunity to engage in some conversation.  For my birthday, my parents bought me a double jogger.  No running for me quite yet, but we love taking the twins out in this new ride!

The boys are sticking to a routine pretty well.  Many ask me if they eat at the same time, and they do - mostly because we've made that part of the routine since the beginning.  They do a pretty good job sleeping at the same time, too; however, we still struggle putting Aiden down for a nap!  He just does not want to miss a thing, and he fights it when we try to lay him down for a snooze.  It is pretty cute, and thank goodness for that swing (you are a lifesaver, Brittany Schroeder).

Both boys have been smiling for a while, but it is so fun now to see them respond to people with their sweet smiles.  They are noticing their hands and grabbing toys placed in front of them.  Pretty soon, I imagine they will be rolling all around the living room!  It is not uncommon to find Aiden laying on his side, and Owen is becoming a pro at Superman!

Aiden and Owen keep changing everyday in their appearance, size, and personality.  We love every day with them and look forward to spending time together as a family this summer!

 Owen and Mommy love baby wearing!

 Happy little guy!

Seriously adorable animal feet!

Aiden's smiles are HUGE!

Our little shark!

We were relieved to see this big smile after Owen got over the first part of his cold!

Stylin' in their polos!

 This picture nearly made me cry... How is he getting so big so fast???

Captain Adorable, indeed!

Happy Memorial Day!

Aiden loves playing with the animals!

All smiles!!!

Looking dapper in their Sunday best!

Some morning playtime!

We get the hint, Dad.

Our cool dude!

First family swim!!!

Evening stroll and snooze!

Two Months!

Our sweet twins are now 65 days old!

At his two month check-up, Aiden Kyle nearly doubled his birthweight, weighing 9 lbs. 3 oz.!

Owen Eric hit double digits and is wearing size one diapers! :) He now weighs 10 lbs. 2 oz.!

We hit some major milestones during week eight, and so much has changed around here.  The boys have changed.  Our schedules have changed.  Our lifestyle has changed.  And it is all so beautiful and fulfilling.

I realized it when I walked into Wauseon Middle School carrying a car seat loaded with a sweet baby in each hand.  Yes, babies: No longer newborns, these twins have gone through a wardrobe change and advanced to 3 month clothes.  I truly felt like I beat a level in a video game or graduated from some kind of new mommy program.  I packed up the boys in the car and took them somewhere by myself.  Going out into the world with them (even if it was only two miles to a middle school to have lunch with daddy) is quite a change.  I used to go places by myself, and since bedrest started at the end of January, I have spent 85% of my time indoors, sitting on the same brown couch in our living room every single day.  But what a joyful change this was to take my sons along with me out of the house and into my life.

We also took another large step: We brought the boys to church with us.  Each let out a cry only once during the sermon, but otherwise, they slept the entire time.  We used to sit at the front of the sanctuary, but now, we reserve ourselves to the back, each holding a baby boy in our arms.  What a joyful change it is to sway back and forth with them during the songs and to hold a precious miracle while listening to the scriptures and sermons.

And of course, Mother's Day was a change this year, too.  I met the day with many "Happy First Mother's Day" messages.  Me - a mother.  This is seriously still true?  I still cannot fully believe sometimes that I am so blessed to be a mother to two precious boys - twins!  My boys do not know to call me mom yet, but celebrating the day with their cute smiles as they make eye contact with me is the most joyful change in my life.  Life was certainly good and sweet before, but the love I have for these twins brings more fulfillment and purpose to my life than anything else.

So much has changed, and even though this new life can be tiring and challenging, with nearly sleepless nights and shower-less days (thank goodness for baby wipes and dry shampoo), it so much more beautiful than anything I have ever experienced before.

Week 7

Our wiggle worms!  These two are constantly moving!

The twins just continued to grow in week 7!  When we went in for a weight check, Aiden weighed 8 lbs. 9 oz., and Owen weighed 9 lbs. 8 oz.  It is amazing to see how both boys are growing, but it is especially amazing to see Aiden slowly catch up to his brother!

Friday night was extra special for the twins; they met their family from Indiana!  We were so blessed the following visitors popped in: Great Uncle Mike and Great Aunt Cindy, Great Uncle Steve, cousins Meredith and John Michael, and Great Aunt Maureen.  My Aunt Maureen spent all of Friday evening with us.  She brought us several meals, including a delicious breakfast, as well as great company.  We enjoyed talking and sharing laughs with her while she loved on our boys!  She is one of the kindest, most giving souls I know, and I am so thankful she is my aunt.  On Sunday, the boys helped Grandpa Storrer celebrate his birthday!

During this week, we just tried to soak up every moment.  As both boys (but especially Owen) catch up to that 10 pound mark, I can sense that the true newborn phase is ending for us.  As I hold the boys, I am simply in awe of how their wrinkly skin they left the hospital with has transformed into fuller and chubbier legs, arms, and cheeks.  Their noises, sounds, and screams continue to grow louder and louder.  The smiles are continually becoming more frequent, and each day they are growing stronger.  What a gift it is to have the honor of witnessing, helping, and nurturing their growth every single day!  

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Storrer!

Aiden is smiling more and more everyday - and they are just the sweetest smiles!

Oh my heart!!!  Moments like these fill me up with love and joy! 

That face!  And that hair!

Sending selfies to Nana and Grandpa!  We are missing them while they enjoy some time in Florida!

Super cute smiles from Owen!

I was thrilled when the boys enjoyed story time with me!  I read two books to them, and they were as happy and content as could be!  I had to document the moment!

Fun facial expressions from our expressive littles!

Weeks 5 & 6!

Our little womb-mates!  We cannot wait to watch these two become friends!

Time is an amazing phenomenon.  It is amazing how days can be so long yet pass by so quickly.

Our boys are growing - not just in size but in development.  During week six, I started to recognize that our boys are slowly starting to recognize us.  With Owen, I distinctly remember walking around his rock n' play one day, and his head and eyes followed my every move.  There were also two moments I told Owen "I love you," and he smiled back.  Aiden did the same thing just a few days after Owen did it for the first time!  What a joy it is to know they are slowly recognizing my voice and to see those smiles becoming more frequent with both of them!  They are both becoming vocal now, too, making super cute baby sounds during their awake time.  Owen actually makes a noise that sound like he says, "Hiiii," and we always get a laugh out of that.  Aiden constantly needs movement!  My friend Brittany loaned her swing to us, and Aiden absolutely loves it.  Owen just wants to be held all of the time!

We were immensely blessed by our closest friends during these two weeks.  Meggan and Jason stayed with us for a weekend, and we managed a small night out with them, thanks to Aunt Hannah and Grandma and Grandpa Storrer for babysitting.  It felt extremely strange putting on makeup, styling my hair, and putting on clothes other than sweatpants and a nursing tank.  It was incredibly refreshing, but I was eager to come home to my twins... even after just a few short hours.  And when Meggan and Jason were around, they cleaned, they changed diapers, they swaddled, and they did so much more to help us.  Our friends the Harmon's made sure we took a break the following weekend, too.  Katie graciously came over to watch the twins while we ran up to Sullivan's for a quick dinner.  The next evening, the Schroeder Family came over, and we had a wonderful cook-out.  I'm so grateful for wonderful friends who are helping pull me back into the real world and loving on my boys.

Another highlight was the stretch of warm weather we had last Friday two weekends ago.  We managed to go for a walk with the boys each of those days.  Last weekend then, we managed our first trip with the boys aside from doctor's appointments: We took them to Nana and Grandpa Patty's house for an evening!  By Tuesday, however, Kyle and I both developed some oddly strange symptoms: We both had headaches and felt achey.  I felt just as exhausted as when we came home from the hospital.  We still cannot put a finger on what had us down for two straight days, but since we recovered on Thursday, I felt like a new person... literally.  It is as if my body has finally adjusted to the fact I will only manage four straight hours of sleep at night - at least for this season.

It was around this time that my spirit began to change, too.  At the beginning of week six, after having gone a week without Kyle at home, I was starting to question how long I could really keep up with the twins on my own.  I was not managing time to do the smallest things for myself, and I found myself overwhelmed and frustrated.  There is one mommy in this house with two hands trying to meet the needs of two precious newborns.  Once we pushed through our physical exhaustion though, I realized that I needed to work harder on making our days more enjoyable, and I could choose to change my approach to my job as mommy from panic to peaceful.  Instead of panicking when one or both of the boys cried, I began to pick them up, bounce and walk around the room with them, and talk or sing to them.  Instead of stressing when I did not have time to read my devotional, I made a choice to pick up their Bible storybooks and to read those stories to them.  Instead of fighting "hangriness" when I could not leave the living room to simply walk ten steps into the kitchen for food, I learned to prepare ahead of time and to bring my snacks into our living area with me.  As I adjust the daily routine of my life, I'm adjusting my spirit.  I'm learning that being a mother of twin boys is going to require mental and spiritual toughness.  I can do it, and I am doing it, and I love how I am changing and growing into this role.  Thank you, God, for grace!

 Two handsome guys with two handsome babies!

 Mom and Dad's Night Out!

No shirt, no problem!

"Hey!  I think know who you are!"

 Aiden loves the swing!

 Our happy, chatty Owen!

 Mom went to the grocery store by herself!!!

Yes, we love Owen's hair, too!  We've got the combover, the "Dumb and Dumber," the mohawk, and the slick back look.

Our happy twin boys!

Owen smiling on a weekend morning!

And a smiley Aiden on Sunday morning!