Sonny and Theo are three months old! Shortest three months of my life! It was so hard to picture what it would be like to add twins to our family, but now I can’t imagine our lives without them. Funny how it always happens like that! I loved doing these updates when Rosie was a baby (it’s a great way for me to remember everything too!) so here is a 3 month update for Sonny and Theo.
What Sonny and Theo Are Doing:
- Good head and neck control
- Started doing fencer pose at just two weeks
- Super alert and a lot of awake time during the day
- Lots and lots of diapers with twins (but slowing down some!)
- Both eating really well and gaining weight
- They usually eat at the same time (using Twin Z pillow or parents each feeding one)
- They LOVE their swings, love the stroller, and love to be worn in the wraps
- Waking twice per night (around 2am and around 5am) then up for the day around 7
- Smiling and making the cutest expressions
- Starting to babble and make little noises
Fun Things We’ve Done:
- Lots of cuddles and snuggles with mom, dad, and big sister
- Grandparents stayed with us for the first month and helped A LOT
- Met their aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends
- Help from grandparents and baby-sitter during the week
- Fun activities like: March Madness, Kentucky Derby, Trista Days, and Canterbury Park
- First Mother’s Day and first Father’s Day
- Nicer weather has us going on lots of walks, playing at the park, and more!
- Went out to a few restaurants (usually Rosie’s favorites like Lion’s Tap!)
- Hanging out by the pool and enjoying the nice weather
- A visit from Aunt Mallory and Uncle Drake
- Baptized on June 12th at the Basilica (where we got married and where Rosie was baptized too!)
Exclusive Pumping and Feeding Twins:
It’s hard to believe that I have been exclusive pumping for twins for 3 months now! I pump approximately every 3 hours or about 8 times a day. I try to pump for 15 or 20 minutes at a time, with the goal of pumping for 120 minutes a day total (I read somewhere to try and get to that 120 number every day). With that amount of pumping, I am usually able to give the twins 7 of their 8 bottles a day. We then supplement with formula for one bottle. I’ve learned a lot in this process, and changed some things along the way. I think I will do a whole post with tips on exclusive pumping for twins!
We use these bottles (have used for all three kids now). During the day, I either feed them one after another, or feed them at the same time using the Twin Z pillow. At night, my husband and I each feed one of them. We try to keep them on the same schedule as much as possible. At night, when one baby wakes up, we wake the other baby to eat as well. During the day I am a lot more lax about this. I just try to make sure they are each getting enough ounces in. Currently, they are both eating about every 3 hours (even at night), so about 8 feedings a day. We are hoping to get some longer stretches at night very soon!
Hospitalization:
When the babies were four weeks old, big sister Rosie gave them a cold. They seemed to be okay for a day or so, but then their breathing started to be pretty labored, and we took them to the emergency room. The boys both had enterovirus and rhinovirus (basically just colds) but their little preemie lungs couldn’t handle it and it resulted in bronchiolitis. The boys both needed immediate medical attention and were admitted to Children’s and given a lot of support for about a week. They needed oxygen, IVs, a feeding tube, and of course a whole lot of love. It was one of the hardest times we’ve ever had and we are so relieved that they are okay. They had lingering cold symptoms for several weeks after that. We’re so happy that they are doing so well now.
Theo Radiology Visits:
The pediatrician had a few concerns regarding Theo’s hips and spine. Because Theo spent most of my pregnancy breach, there is risk for hip dysplasia. He had two scans with radiology to look at his hips and they look great! Our pediatrician also wanted radiology to look at his spine to make sure that his spinal cord had attached properly and that also looks great! We were worried of course about both of these items and so relieved that he is growing and developing really well. Theo will always give us all kinds of worries I think!
Sonny Torticollis and Plagiocephaly:
Sonny has torticollis on the right side, meaning he favors looking to the left and his right ear tilts more to his right shoulder. Our pediatrician identified this at their 2 month well visit. This is really common with twins (I guess) because they are so cramped while in the womb. Our pediatrician recommended taking Sonny to physical therapy so that he could work on correcting the torticollis. In addition, because he looks more to the left, he has developed a flat spot on the right side of his head, which is called plagiocephaly. We have an appointment in a few weeks to see if he needs a helmet or not. More to come on this! The physical therapist recommended we put these in their swings to keep their heads on the midline, so I bought one for each of the twins.
Favorite Baby Gear:
I did a whole post on newborn essentials for twins (see post here!) You can see why I like each of the products in a little more detail. Here are links to some of our favorite items.
Other Cute Finds
