Hayton Family

9 months later. .

2010-05-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Since my last posting, a lot has changed... including the title of this blog since we now must go beyond Grace and Faith to include Will.
Looking back on the date of my last post, I believe it was a few days after I found out I was pregnant again. From those early days of being a bit overwhelmed by the news of another to the grueling, nauseating 32 weeks of morning sickness to the exhilaration of meeting Will David on April 29, here is a quick recap of the last 9 months:

Though the news that we were expecting Will was a bit of a surprise, it was truly miraculous as we were not expecting to be able to conceive without help. The day I found out was also the first day the girls decided to skip their morning nap which then became history. Though I longed for the extra sleep, I was grateful they were growing into the next stage.
I had a tough first trimester with prolonged nausea and exhaustion; it didn't help that I had to be up and down all day taking care of two toddlers and couldn't just rest. My days at work were actually a break (thanks to great babysitting by Nai Nai and Grammy)

The girls continued to be a joy as they grew up more and more, especially in language and mobility. The days came where they were anticipating Baby Will and enjoyed talking to him through my tummy and bringing him binkies, blankies and bottles.

He arrived early at 37 weeks. Unfortunately much of our family was out of town and the country, but he arrived safe and sound with Grammy and Bump, Auntie Holly and Huck, Auntie Louisa and GG there to welcome him. He was 6 lbs 4 oz and 18 inches. Aside from a little breathing trouble at the beginning, he was perfect and in my arms in time for my recovery from the C section. How special it was to hold him and examine all his features.
His first three weeks have been smooth. One is much easier than two and nursing is a lot easier. We are calmer and more confident, but we do have two others to handle making things a little more hectic. We are grateful that Andy has been home these three weeks on paternity leave. It has been a special time. God is very good and has blessed us immensely.

Grace and Faith are such a joy, growing up each day. Faith continues to be our verbal one, narrating life and stating very clearly how she feels often. Grace is still so loving and sweet, giving hugs and kisses to everyone. She has definite ideas about plans for playtime and holds her own against bossy Faith. She loves puzzles and books and mostly taking care of her babies (from diapering, to burping, to feeding, to strolling, she is a very good "mommy")

Some funny things Faith has said in the past few months:
-While praying before bed with our extended family, she yelled out nai nai is peeking, as she saw Nai Nai opening her eyes to look at the girls during the prayer.
-Today she ran out of the bath to tell me that "it was scary, the water loud fell on her head, daddy helped Gracie"
-While climbing up the ladder and being prompted by daddy to jump into his arms, she said "no daddy, too high, its scary"
Faith is very into baby Will narrating what he is doing at all times: "Baby Will is eating mommy's milk", "baby will is crying, or awake". Baby Will needs to go in his bed, etc etc

Grace's vocabulary has grown and she enjoys stating things when they are important like Baby Will in his crib now. or Music, ok now. or her favorite, "unbuckle" from the wagon or car seat or high chair. I love when she says "yes" with such annunciation I can't help do whatever it is she wants.
She hasn't been as thrilled that Baby Will has taken mommy's attention, but she still loves to kiss him and especially buckle him in his car seat.

Time with Will for me is special as I was never able to give all my attention to either Grace or Faith. He slept on my chest the first two weeks, sealing that mother, son bond. He is so precious and calm so far. I can't wait to see what he looks like as he grows up and how his personality develops.

I will try to keep up on the blog as I have enjoyed my previous posts as a sort of "baby book" recap for the girls first year.

One Year Recap

2009-09-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

As I think about this past year I am amazed how much my life has changed and especially how full it has become. I am also amazed how much I actually have forgotten. My sister Holly keeps asking me detailed things about breastfeeding and sleeping in those early weeks and honestly it is now a blur. I think that is God's way of ensuring that women will actually have another baby after that first experience.
We have come a long way from nursing most of my life (literally about 12 hours per day) to now walking to the park with each girl holding onto my hand- so sweet. The demand on me is much less than those early days and so much fun. Each day is discovery! Like today when Faith "discovered" that if she screams real loud in a restaurant, that is sure to mean that mommy or daddy will pay quick attention to her and give her something. They are showing their true womanhood now as their favorite thing is to try on shoes. They get very upset if one of them gets their shoes put on first so Andy devised a plan that he would put one shoe on each. They seem to be satisfied with that.
Their personalities are more and more defining themselves. Grace still is our bookworm, she has now discovered that the good books (like hand hand fingers thumb or The "Twin" book) is hidden in the corner on the table she can't get to so now she crawls over there and just points and grunts until we read these good books. She also is very happy sitting in her own chair reading a book. She doesn't say much yet, but she speaks her own language to herself when she reads the books. She also is very lovable giving kisses whenever we ask. I love this!! Especially when I need a kiss!
Faith distinguishes herself with her many words and boisterous personality. She lets us know what she wants and is able to find words, might not be the right ones, to describe what she needs. Today she cried out dadamamauhoh all in one breath cause she really needed help with a toy. She has learned to run now and takes off when we go outside.
Both girls are very social, especially when they are let down from their holds or high chairs in a social place. We turn our heads for one second and of course they are in two directions saying hi to everyone.
Challenges of twin life right now: mostly the running in two directions thing, but that is solved by directed activities mostly at home or in a closed environment. The whole changing their naps to one is a bit tough right now, but I think will prove to be very nice giving me one long break rather than two short ones.
Reflections on this year: exhilarating, exhausting, precious moments, transition, change, deep commitment, love, joy, peace and probably most of all fun!

First Birthday Party

2009-08-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

10 -11 Months

2009-07-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Well, 10 months is almost over so I thought I better get writing. Plus, Uncle Todd keeps bugging me for updates.
What a nice month! It seems like it may be the honeymoon phase. They are very mobile with crawling, not falling any more, not getting hurt and staying within confines of one room. No opening kitchen cabinets or climbing onto furniture yet. It has been a blast to see their little personalities shine through even more distinct.
Faith continues to learn new words. Her repertoire includes: da da (she definitely knows when to say this one correctly now!), ma ma (usually in a whining tone when she needs something), ba ba (she knows how to ask for it when she wants milk), bye bye along with a wave- (so cute, especially when she is saying bye bye to something she doesn't like), uh oh (a word we use for no, or don't touch or when we drop something), good girl (sounds kinda like doo doo), ball (one of her favorites, she can now point to a ball in a book and recognize it as ball), up (sometimes this is a sort of yell to get her out of her predicament) I think she said toy the other day, but this hasn't really stuck. There are a few more and every day she keeps learning. It is nice because she is beginning to communicate her needs.

Grace cracks us up with her own language. She talks a lot, but with few inteligible words- mostly she says Da! with exclamation. I think Faith understands her best because they often talk with each other and laugh at each other. She does say dog and gets so excited around any animal that might resemble a dog- she does love Soda (Holly's dog) the best! Her physical agility is very good and she loves to push her sister around in the truck. She is small but, very strong. She continues to love books and has learned to turn the pages as she listens intently to every word.

The pictures below depict our first beach day. Their opposite preferences came through as Faith said bye bye to the ocean and preferred to cling to mommy or daddy up high away from the sand, while Gracie dug into the sand, loving every minute. She squealed with delight as the water came up over her and she discovered digging into the neverending sand. Yes, and in true Hayton fashion, she ate lots of sand.
The girls, as well call them, are such a joy and each stage gets more and more fun.

9 months

2009-05-24T21:47:00.001-07:00

This month marks the biggest change for me as I completely weaned from breastfeeding. I guess my intention was clear because from the beginning I said I would nurse for nine months and it was exactly to the day that the weaning process was over. Unfortunately the end was not so fun with 2 cases of mastitis and some severe pain and fevers, but I finally figured out how to stop the process that was so hard to actually get started and regulated.

I have really enjoyed this new stage and the freedom I have. They are changing so much every day. Mobility is the biggest change as they are not only crawling, but now standing up each chance they get and cruising. This has greatly increased my cleaning of messes with baskets emptied several times of diapers, burp clothes, toys, etc. Why is it that babies love things other than toys so much more than toys- like shoes, remote controls, technology wires?

9 months also brings more teeth, new smiles, and new words. Faith now seems to know when she says ma ma she means me and da da with Andy. She also says ba ba for bottle and bebe for Benson. Yesterday she said uh oh. She also does a peculiar movement with her hands that I have decided is a wave?? Faith continued to refuse cereal despite my trying every day for several months. I discovered she wanted control and wants to eat on her own. The first time I gave her little veggies cut up she ate a ton. From then on, she shovels the food in her mouth. For some strange reason she will take only Gerber sweet potatoes from a spoon.

Gracie is so mobile, quick to crawl and walks with the help of a big truck. Her favorite thing is still to read. She goes crazy when we pull out the books (especially noisy farm and the Twin book). She even gets the books now and brings them to me to read. She does a funny jump while sitting with her hands out when she is excited. She also loooves it when you talk to her in her language of ahhhh. She spent lots of time talking to Ga Ga (Grandpa Bill) this way.

It has been fun to see their interaction. They have a twin language that they stand in their cribs and talk to each other with before and after naps and early in the am. Faith has a very loud, deep groan and Grace replies with a high pitched ahh sound. Its pretty fun to see how close in proximity they remain to each other even when crawling around the room. They are learning how to "share" toys. So far we have stayed out of their tiffs allowing them to work things out on their own.

As I write this blog, Todd and Holly are visiting. Grace and Faith are looking forward to two new baby cousins this year. Baby ? Peterson in July and Baby Boy Hayton in October.

First International Adventure

2009-05-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

What a lovely vacation we had with the Hayton family in Cabo San Lucas. Lots of firsts for the girls as we traveled from LAX to Cabo, stayed in a lovely condo by the beach, lounged in the water of the pool all the while trying new cuisine each day. It was so nice to have Ga Ga and Nai Nai help with the daily activities of our little ones as we were able to relax a little. Grace and Faith loved hanging out with cousin Benson, Uncle Ryan, Auntie Shar and Auntie Jules.
Each morning we looked forward to Benson knocking on our door yelling, Babies, Babies. He gave several kisses to each of them several times a day.
The girls enjoyed the pool very much! They lounged in their floaties for nearly hours at a time. We enjoyed the swim up bar for cool drinks and appetizers while the girls floated nearby.
Nap times for the babies was game time for the adults. We enjoyed reconnecting with Ryan and Shar and being together as a family.
The girls discovered solid foods while on the trips. From stir fry veggies to avocado and beans, they were pushed along in their culinary appetites by watching cousin Benson (especially the "cado")
Aside from the miserable side effects of weaning I had a relaxing time and was grateful for the beautiful location and connected time with family. Can't wait till next year.

8 months- Crawling and Eating

2009-04-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

The two biggest milestones this month are crawling and eating. These two events have changed everything! I am no longer nursing 5 times a day, just three and they are enjoying discovering all kinds of new tastes and textures. Faith and Grace have reveresed roles and now Grace has gone full speed ahead, the first to crawl and the first eater. Faith is not too far behind . She is now eating and very close to crawling. Faith now has two bottom teeth, to catch up with her sister who got hers in 2 months ago. Faith continues to be the one who likes to stand and "cruise" along the ottoman coffee table. She gets very excited with her jumper and tends to be very verbal, communicating with all sorts of sounds and grunts.
We just started to teach them sign language- it is so fun to see them learning; every day is a new adventure.
Enjoy the photos from Easter and the new crawler!

7 months

2009-04-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind in blogging even with my new commitment to blog just once per month. This has been a very busy month with my birthday, two plane trips and a wedding! The girls have had a ton of new experiences from the jogging stroller (gift for my bday), the trip to Detroit and visiting cousin Benson, watching mommy at Kami's wedding and making their first trip up to Pleasanton to see Grandpa and Grandma Sell, the Bairds and Autie Kate and Suey.

Month seven has been filled with new ways to "scoot" mostly backward getting stuck under furniture, trying to eat new things but not really liking them, their first ear infections (very sad for mommy and tiring) and learning patty cake. I guess every age is a fun age, but I enjoy watching them discover their world right now and each in their own unique way!
Grace is in her own world, squealing and laughing at most things and has become the aggressor in stealing toys from Faith. Faith is very verbal with all kinds of noises including da da and yesterday she said ma ma.

Sleeping has finally become easier. Thanks to some tough times of letting them cry a bit, they easily are put down for naps and nighttime sleep. This has been a life saver.

Looking forward with trepidation to crawling which is coming very soon! They have assumed the position and are scooting backwards. My life is about to change again!

Visit to Detroit

2009-04-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

Grace and Faith's first very long airplane flight was to Detroit to visit Uncle Ryan, Auntie Shar and their highlight, cousin Benson. We had a blast introducing the cousins while being amused by Benson's fascination and sweet love for the girls. A highlight was when we woke up in the early morning to Benson yelling "Bubbas, more Bubbas" from his room above ours. He was so sweet and gentle with them and they all kept each other very entertained. We wished we lived closer and hope one day we will. Here are some photos from the trip; including our crazy flight home with no air on the plane (hence the reason for the babies in only their diapers on my lap)

Six months

2009-03-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

As I sit at my computer with Grace on my lap trying to keep her from typing for me I reflect on the last 6 months and how much their lives have changed and my life as well. Andy and I looked at their birth pictures yesterday and relived the wonderful experience. We thank God everyday that they are healthy and growing and so much fun! We noticed that the first picture we have of Grace shows her hands out to her sides in a dainty fashion the same as she does now when you are reading her a book or she is playing in her exersaucer. Some little traits they are just born with.

Six months is such a fun age! I remember when I used to babysit that I always loved this age. They aren't moving around yet but they can sit up and play on their own. The most fun has been to see them play with each other. Sitting up has finally facilitated this. We can see their personalities shining through and the beginnings of some definite sibling patterns. Grace seems to have good coordination so she very deliberately and patiently reaches for the toy she wants until she achieves it. Faith makes more sudden random movements, which usually results in taking that toy from Grace that she worked so hard at. Eventually Faith will have collected all of Grace's toys and placed them to the opposite side of her away from Grace. I am pretty sure this isn't deliberate, but it does seem to eventually get to Grace. Yesterday I saw Grace lunge from one side of the mat they were playing on all the way on to her stomach and scoot to get the toy back from Faith. Then she proceeded to grab Faith's ears, hair and any other part of her that looked fun. Needless to say, they usually require supervised play to referee!

Our six month checkup was uneventful. They are still small, but gaining weight appropriately. Faith is 1 1/2 lbs bigger than Grace, but they are the same height. They are reaching all their milestones a little ahead of schedule.

Eating is the next big adventure. I haven't been all that thrilled about it cause it is messy and just one more task in the day. We tried rice cereal which they haven't really loved. Grace gagged on her peas today, Faith liked them. We will see. . . adding vegetables first one at a time this month. Faith did love sucking on a firm pear yesterday- she decided it was hers after we let her try it.

Crawling is coming soon. They are already scooting and Grace does the backward scoot. They love tummy time and reaching for their toys. Again, though crawling will be fun, it does mark a new level of activity for me that I am apprehensive about.

Talking has begun from Faith- she is so itching to say everything on her mind, which I know is a lot. Instead it comes out in a series of sounds starting with da da, then nai nai, then deep guttural groaning then high pitched screaming for fun. Daddy noticed the sequence and caught it on video. When he showed it to her, she chimed in with herself right in sequence. Grace is a lady of few words (or sounds), kinda like her daddy. But when she wants to talk you definitely hear her. She does a very high pitched screech followed by a sigh- it is very Gracie!

We had our first airplane trip this month and the first night away for Mommy and Daddy. Lots of adventures and more to come. We leave for Detroit next week and then Cabo San Lucas in May, can't wait.

Four Generations

2009-01-21T23:53:00.000-08:00

Grace and Faith got to meet their Great Grandma Margie (GG) this past week. I had so much fun seeing my Grandma interact and enjoy my girls. Here are some fun pics from the visit. I wish she lived closer and we could see each other more often!

Baby Dedication of Grace and Faith

2009-01-21T23:44:00.000-08:00

We were blessed to have such a wonderful service as we dedicated Grace and Faith to the Lord last week. We had such a wonderful showing of support from our extended family. My Grandma Margie came from Oregon, my aunt Cathy from Kansas, cousins Emily and Sid from Houston. Andy's Grandma from Norway also was there. We were also blessed to have Andy's "aunties" who he grew up with in Taiwan at the event.
My dad and our friends Tom & Caroline spoke and prayed for us and the girls during the service. The service reminded me of the great responsibility of raising children and the essential need for extended family and friends.
We enjoyed a "cucas" lunch at our house following. Thank you to everyone who attended and made the day special for us and Faith and Grace.

5 months old

2009-01-21T23:39:00.001-08:00

This is such a fun age!! Sleeping through the night, taking long naps together, starting to sit up on their own and making all kinds of new sounds. Smiling and laughing a lot. Faith sits up unassisted for about 15 min, Grace needs a little support. Grace has found her voice and is also making long "Ai yai" sounds. No solid foods yet, though Grandmas and Grandpas try to sneak bites here and there!
Mommy went back to work 2 days a week in January giving Grandmas 2 whole days a week to themselves. Faith and Grace have been enjoying lots of visitors including Great Grandmas Edwards, Farmor (Bestemor) and GG Margie. We are so glad to have such a large supportive family!

4 months old

2008-12-23T15:23:00.000-08:00

We have hit 4 months and life as a newborn is way over. We are grasping toys in our hands and playing with each other. We love to hold hands while we nurse and play with mommy's mouth. Baby Einstein exersaucer is our favorite thing aside from playing and laughing with Daddy.
Our doctor said we are doing just fine. Gracie is the petite one weighing 11 lbs 6 oz, while Faith was called "chunk a love" by our doc at 12 lb 4 oz. Grace is 3/4 in taller though.
Sleeping is still sometimes a challenge, but most of the time we sleep from 7 pm to 6 am with only a few minor wakenings where we maneuver mommy to put our pacificers back in and give us back our "lovies"(security blankets).

In the Christmas Spirit

2008-12-23T09:10:00.001-08:00

Grace and Faith have had so much fun with Christmas: the lights, the decorations and dressing up in fun clothes. . . well, not sure if they love that part, but mommy sure does. We have had several Christmas parties to go to and show off our little Santa Babies!! We are looking forward to having Auntie Holly and Uncle Todd and Grandpa and Grandma Sell here for the holidays.

Three Months Old

2008-11-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

August 15, 2008

September 15, 2008

October 15, 2008
November 15, 2008

The girls are so grown up! Andy commented tonight that each day gets more fun as we discover new tricks the girls can do. Sleeping and eating are no longer their only skills. They smile, coo, laugh and now roll over. They sit in their bumbo chairs and like to stand supported by us. Faith sucks her thumb and Grace still "gracefully" stretches. They go to sleep around 7-8pm and wake up only one time in the night. I awake between 6:30 and 7am to sounds of their talking in their individual cribs. I love the morning times. They are so happy and talkative all morning.

We are still working on getting nap time down. I have a hard time figuring out if they are hungry or tired. It is challenging to get them down for naps when I am by myself, but I am working on a routine. They are so different in what they need which means I need to remember to treat them differently. I still haven't seen them notice each other much- hopefully that will come in this next month.

Visit from Great Aunt Cathy

2008-11-23T21:52:00.000-08:00

We celebrated my Dad's birthday last weekend and were excited to see my Aunt Cathy from Kansas. It was so fun to have the whole family together. Go Karting, Rock band, shopping and baking cakes were some of the highlights.
See any resemblance between Faith and her Grammy? How about Auntie Holly? Kinda funny how genetics works.
We miss Auntie Cathy and I am so glad she could come even for a short visit.

Rolling Over!

2008-11-23T21:44:00.001-08:00

Faith and Grace have both passed their milestone of rolling over! I was giving Faith an afterbath massage last week on her tummy and realized she was very active as she almost propelled herself off the changing table. This motivated me to get back in her tummy time routine. Later that day, while doing tummy time, she flipped herself over! Grace followed a few days later. It is fun to see how different they are from each other. Faith is so active and uses a lot of energy. Grace seems like she is behind, but then suprises me with a very strong roll or scoot on the floor. Can't wait to see what comes next!

Outdoor Bath with Grandma

2008-11-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

Grandma Cheryl is always coming up with new fun activities for Grace & Faith. We had fun staying down in sunny Dana Point for a few days while Shar and Benson visited. The girls got to experience their first outdoor bath- we thought it would prepare them for future hot tubbing!

Faith sported the "gangsta" look as she was inspired by her Auntie Shar's influence from Detroit!

Visit from Grandma & Grandpa Sell

2008-11-23T21:33:00.001-08:00

Whenever Grammy Debbie comes to visit, so do several new dresses for the girls. As always, we had a photo shoot for their "activity time" This was the first time Grandpa David got to see them since they were born. He was able to spend some early morning bonding time getting to know them. They got to hang out with grandpa during his prayer times.
It was nice to have a quick visit with Mom and Dad as they brought some things to prepare us for the holidays.

Mummy's Little Pumpkins

2008-11-23T21:25:00.000-08:00

Doing a little blog catch up and realized I hadn't even downloaded photos for about a month. The little girlies have grown considerably in a month.
Nothing exciting for Halloween, but I had fun dressing them in their little pumpkin sleepers. Here's a few shots from that day.

4 Babies in a bowling alley

2008-10-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

What a blast we had last weekend visiting our friends the Davis Family! We enjoyed meeting David and Beth's little girl Julia who is about one month older than Grace and Faith. She is such a laughter and rolling over already- what fun we have to look forward to. We also got to meet David's sister Misty's newest addition, Skylar, only two weeks older than our girls. All four babies and a troupe of Davis kids headed to the bowling alley. There were plenty of helpers to keep all the babies held and happy while we enjoyed a fun bowling game. We miss David and Beth and wished they lived closer than Boston. I enjoyed getting "expert" advice from David's mother of 12 kids. We hope to see them again soon!

10 weeks old means a little sleep

2008-10-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

I think we have reached a turning point, finally. Overnight the girls started sleeping two 4-6 hour stretches at night with only one hour long feeding in between. This has made such a difference for me, allowing me to get some much needed rest and gain independence from the absolute need for someone's help at night.
I have really been enjoying our morning routine. If they wake up before 8 am, daddy feeds them my pumped milk from the 3 am feeding. I get to sleep until 9 am and then we all wake up for our morning feeding. Andy leaves me my coffee and I grab something quick to eat while I feed them. They are so adorable in the morning! They just smile and coo after the feeding while I pump. We then begin our day which still requires constant attention from me. I haven't been able to get them to nap simultaneously very often and they eat every 2-3 hrs during the day still, but it is well worth the sleep at night. When they finally drift off to sleep at 7:30pm, we breathe a sigh of relief and get to spend some time together until the 10 pm dream feed.
It is amazing how they change so quickly and how a few hours of sleep can make the world of difference.
Here are some pics from their recent photo shoot with our personal photographer, Kate Kelly!

Relaxing weekend with our girls

2008-10-20T00:11:00.000-07:00

Andy and I stayed at home this weekend and for the first time I think since they were born had no visitors. We took it easy, walks to the park, out to a restaurant for lunch and caught up on watching Prison Break. Here are a few shots from the weekend. Stay tuned for some video since we purchased a video camera this weekend! Andy couldn't bear not recording his adorable "Brown eyed bear"- Grace and "Blue eyed Jay"- Faith as they cooed and smiled.

2 Months Old!

2008-10-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little ones are already two months old. With their advancing age means more fun time awake during the day (which means no nap for mommy). It also means their visit to the doctor and first shots. It was a sad day to see them scream. Daddy held them and Grammy cried. They are reaching all their milestones- lifting head, smiling, tracking and are 9 lbs 12 oz for Faith and 9lbs 9 oz for Grace.
I am adjusting to the breastfeeding which has gotten a lot easier. I hardly notice the sleepless nights anymore thanks to TVO- watching lots of movies. I love my time with my girls and enjoy every minute of seeing them grow.

Visit from Katie

2008-10-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

We were privileged to have auntie Kate, photographer extraordinaire visit and help take care of the little girls. She took some awesome photos. Check them out on her blog at: http://www.katekellyphotography.com/blog/

Can't wait to have her come again soon. Thanks Kate.

Family Photos

2008-10-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Its been a while now, but we had our first overnight outing to celebrate cousin Benson's birthday own at Dana Point. the girls had a lot of firsts that weekend including birthday parties, picnics, day at the beach and the first of many Hayton family photo sessions. We enjoyed a 2 night stay at Grandpa and Grandma Hayton's where the girls got to snuggle with G&G while mommy slept. Here are a few samples of the photo shoot.

A Little Help from my Friends

2008-09-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

I have been so appreciative of all the help I have received from my friends and family! I don't know how I could be doing this all very well without the constant help. I had a taste of life on my own yesterday morning which was quite an adventure. Fed both at the same time, pumped as they were in their "milk drunken state". Geared up for the crying, they suprised me and slept for 2 hours while I showered and cleaned the house. Up again and ready for another feeding, only this time it was one at a time which was a little more difficult. As I was finishing feeding Faith a little extra pumped milk, Grace began to scream. It was a challenge balancing the burping, feeding and changing of both of them while they were fussing. Then, Faith spit up a lot and soaked herself so to the bath we went. Luckily Grace was mesmerized by the sound of running water and sat peacefully in her bouncer as I bathed Faith. Finally, after a little crying, they both were dressed and ready to feed again, this time at the same time. A little double burping and we were good to go. Thank God when Auntie Shar and Grandma Cheryl arrived (mommy could finally go to the bathroom!)

All that to say, I deeply appreciate the help, though it is sorta fun to see what I can do on my own. A few pics of my helpers so far and luckily I have a few more coming! It is fun to see how each person interacts with the babies and offers something new.

Nursing Joys and Woes

2008-09-02T16:40:00.001-07:00

I have been trying to figure out what to write about since I am so behind on my blog. The only thing I have been doing and thinking about and yes even dreaming about is nursing. Everything from pumping to nipple shields to nursing cups to bras to evaluating my milk supply. I have been told that nursing twins is everything from awesome and convenient to impossible, don't put yourself under that pressure. So far all I know is that every day has been different. I have gone from a few days of not enough milk while in the hospital, to pumping 8 times a day and using all kinds of paraphenalia, then came the painful engorgement and blocked ducts. Now we are dealing again with not enough milk resulting in one hour feeding sessions followed by one hour soothing sessions. I guess that describes the woes.

Now for the joys. . . my little girls are so adorable! When Grace wakes up ready to feed she purses her lips and stretches for a long time. She feeds with her little fists by her face, so cute! Faith wakes up and lets me know she is ready to eat with a very loud wail and very expressive faces. When they fall asleep while nursing they are little angels. Having them skin to skin is something I look forward to at each feeding. I feel satisfied knowing I am meeting their needs. I felt very proud when at the pediatrician's they had surpassed their birth weights- Grace 6 lbs 4 oz and Faith 6 lbs 2 oz.

I won't scare you all with some nursing pictures to go along with this entry, but instead here are some recent photos of our growing girls.

Praise God for beautiful, healthy babies!

2008-08-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

I was rocking Faith to sleep last night in her beautiful room and was overcome with how grateful I am to be the mommy to these two precious, beautiful girls. I recalled all the prayers by myself and many of you that led first to their conception and then to their healthy birth. I remembered the words of my friend Nathan who said that it wasn't until he had children that he more fully understood the love that our God has for us. I praise God and give him the glory for this blessing in our life!! Filled with emotion and gratitude I wanted to share with all of you the miracle of their birth.

As I walked down the breezeway into A level while Andy parked the car, I had a flood of memories back to my first visit to LLU as an interviewing med student and felt a sense of coming full circle. Experiencing God's peace, we went into the day filled with excitement as both sides of our family gathered in the waiting room. We waited a little longer than expected due to an emergency C section, but were quickly ready to go in the OR. I remembered the words of Ryan while getting my spinal and distracted myself by talking to the med student who I had worked with last year as chief. The anesthesia resident did a great job and soon I was an official patient, feeling the effects of numbness down my legs. It was sureal being in the operating room as a patient watching the med students (a brand new first year and "experienced" 4th year), feeling vulnerable to whatever was going to happen next. There was such a positive atmosphere in the room as Dr. Balli called out- are you ready to meet these babies?

Everything went so smoothly as they operated and then delivered Grace first. I was still anxious until I heard her little cry (it is still her same cry that I have learned to identify late at night when I can't see them). A flood of relief came over me knowing that that strong cry meant she was ok. They soon peered her little head over the sheet and I began to weep. What an awesome experience, I knew instantly that Faith would be ok too. She was more than OK, one minute later I heard a very loud cry, distinctly different than the first and soon saw a very different looking little girl wailing loudly, warming my heart. Andy and I were overjoyed and emotional. He asked sweetly if he could go see them as the NICU team checked them out. I felt such a peace at that moment, I didn't need to see them immediately, I wanted to bask in the feeling of gratitude ( I think the morphine in the spinal contributed a little to my semi-drunk feeling).

Andy soon returned and informed me that both girls were fine, no problems, no need for NICU and he was going to bring them into me soon. Grace measured 5 lbs 15 oz and Faith 5 lbs 14 oz. Allison Blaze was the closest in her guess of the weights- congrats!

Andy, the proud daddy, came back into the OR with two swaddled little girls, one on each arm, to let their mommy kiss them. It was cute how he had difficulty maneuvering them so I could kiss both; we eventually worked it out.

We then got to spend about 1 1/2 hours, just the four of us in the recovery room, both of us skin to skin with the babies. I remember when we were engaged, Andy saying that he can't wait to be skin to skin with his babies after learning about the importance of that while on Pediatrics. Our nurse Susan was an angel and took some great pics of that special time.

The rest of the day is sort of a blur, many, many visitors, nausea and vomiting from the anesthesia and basking in the joy of staring at these new real life dollies! Everyone tried to see who they look like. The consensus is, they don't really look strongly like either of us, but have some individual features of both of us. It was pretty amusing hearing every family member claim certain features.

My nurses were amazing at the hospital, each with their own style and words of advice. I was so grateful to be a patient at Loma Linda and appreciated the mission of the hospital even more. I learned the importance and amazing ministry of nurses and have a greater glimpse into the feelings of being a patient.

Since that first day, I have been recovering amazingly well, learning the joys and frustrations of breastfeeding and loving every minute that I get to look at my girls. I will blog more on some of those specific topics in the days to come. Thank you for your patience in waiting for this entry and sorry for its length!!

If you haven't already, check out our pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/andyhayton

A long-awaited hello

2008-08-16T16:41:00.001-07:00

This is Daddy (Andy) blogging.

Grace and Faith came into the world yesterday, healthy and beautiful. The delivery was an amazing and peaceful experience. We arrived at the hospital at 7:00 AM on August 15, 2008 for the scheduled cesarean section. It was not rushed because there was an unscheduled c-section going on in the operating room that we had to wait for.

It was so exciting to see first Grace come out and cry and then Faith. After a quick look-over to make sure they were OK, I was let into the transitional nursery to touch, kiss and hold them. They also let the grandparents come in and have a first look.

Then I carried them both (what an amazing feeling to hold both my girls in my arms at the same time) back to the operating room so Amy could get a closer look and kiss their faces. After the c-section the four of us spent skin-to-skin time in the recovery room before we moved to our hospital room. The hospital's goal is no more than 30-min away from the parents in the first 24-hours, so they came into our room for the first baths--this was my job!

Last night Amy and I took turns holding Faith and Grace, trying to sleep between feedings, diaper changes and vital signs checks. I found that zipping one of them up in my sweatshirt against my chest worked best.

Today Amy has spent time out of bed in a chair and breast feeding. Her appetite has returned too!

Here is a link to more pictures.

Last Day!!

2008-08-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

It is very hard to believe this is my last day being pregnant with twins. I am now very ready to finish this process and meet my little daughters. Last night was exhausting, lots of contractions, nausea and no sleep. It will be nice to roll over again. Though I realize I really don't know what "exhausted" means yet.
I am eagerly anticipating the coming days, wondering what a C section will be like. My questions aren't about the medical side so much, but the things we never care about as med students, like- how long will I be in recovery? when do I get to see my babies? where will the babies go? will I be in a lot of pain all day? will I be groggy? when can all my family and friends see the babies? These are the questions that run through my mind at night when I can't sleep. Then I shift to more fun questions like: what color will their eyes be? will they have Andy's cute bottom? whose feet will they have? (hopefully a combination of my flat and his very arched) In what ways will their personalities be like me or Andy or maybe like our siblings or parents?

Our visit to the doctor on Tuesday went well. They are still in the same breech positions. He is excited to be able to deliver me after following me the past 9 months. The pics are of my mom and I at the Dr's office. It has been really nice having her around!

Hopefully our next few posts will include some pics of these babies! Thank you for all your prayers and support. Andy and I feel so blessed right now and are grateful for the wonderful people in our lives.

Waiting

2008-08-12T02:24:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been filled with anticipation as we eagerly await meeting these little girls. Though I didn't think it was possible, I think I am actually getting bigger. I find it very difficult to stand for more than 5 min and walk more than a block. They are just too heavy. For the first time in my pregnancy I had some random person at the movie theater ask if I was having twins cause I looked so huge. That didn't feel to good to hear. Now if I go out, everyone is saying something and when they hear I am having twins they usually follow with either advice or worrisome comment like: "two girls are hard to raise; your life is going to change forever; how are you going to do that" Occasionally I get a positive comment, but it is funny how many people look at this twin thing negatively. Oh well, all that matters is that I remain positive! I am very excited right now while cautiously anticipating the challenges ahead.

My mom came down last Friday to help me with last minute things to do and practice cooking and getting to know her way around the house. We have had fun trying new vegetarian recipes (see the picture of curried pot pie, yum!) and counting our blessings for each additional day we have. Can't wait for the whole Hayton and Sell families to be here and to finally meet Grace and Faith. We will keep you all posted ; looks like we will make it till Friday!

Grace Settles the Issue

2008-08-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

Last night as I was trying to fall asleep I felt some enormous movement on my left side. Something is definitely happening I thought and looked forward to seeing my girls on ultrasound. Today at my doctor's appointment, as we were discussing the pros and cons of C section again, we saw what was happening, Grace had flipped and is now breech, meaning both girls are breech. My doctor said, I guess that settles the issue. It was kind of a relief to know this was the only option. There is still a slight chance they both could turn, but seems unlikely.
We went ahead and scheduled the C section for Aug 15, next Friday. My doctor thought I would make it until then; we will see. . . As anxious as I am to meet these girls, I am not in a huge hurry to get them out so I hope I do make it to next week. I praise God that we have made it this far and each day more is a bonus!

Lazy Days

2008-08-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been very unlike my typical life. Laying around in my PJs all day with my biggest accomplishment emptying the dishwasher. Every morning I wake up after a sleepless night with great intentions such as getting my files organized or hanging pictures, even reading my twin books. The day ends up going something like this:

8am- breakfast, feeling ok, start on a project, check internet
9am- nausea sets in, have to lie down
11am- wake up from a nap, now hungry- try to make something for lunch
12- have to lie down again since there was no room for that food
2pm- try some brainless TV
4pm- feeling depressed that I wasted the day, take a shower
4:30- waiting for Andy to get home
5pm- make dinner
6pm- gotta lie down again, food still won't fit in there
6:30pm- Heartburn sets in
7 pm- direct Andy on to do list or lie on the couch while he catches up on le Tour de France
10 pm- bedtime, not looking forward to this cause it means up about 8 times in the night

All the while I do have fun thoughts of meeting these girls and what it will be like to hold them. My organized side is making sure I have everything that I can do ahead of time done:
1. bag packed, yes
2. car seats installed, yes
3. nursery completed, oh yah
4. list of meals we like and grocery list prepared, yep
5. schedule of help prepared, yes (thank you all who volunteered)

I know there will be so many things I can't anticipate and everything I do expect could be totally different, but I do feel better knowing I have done what I can, now all I can do is . . . wait.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2008-08-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Aug 3, 2002 Andy and I were married. Can't believe it has been six years! We enjoyed watching our wedding video this morning and commenting on how young we look. It was a wonderful day filled with joy and hope for the future!

We celebrated the weekend by chilling at home in quiet (something that will be rare in the months and years to come). We had our last nice adult dinner at Citrone and then enjoyed an outdoor theater production. It is nice to just be together during this quiet weekend.

We are glad the babies weren't born this weekend so we don't have to share our special day with birthdays ( I guess I shouldn't speak too soon, the day isn't over).

36 week Visit to the Doctor

2008-08-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

We are so excited we have made it to 36 weeks!! I know now that no matter when I go into labor, the babies are going to do great. We saw Dr. Balli yesterday to see how I was progressing and check if Faith had turned her position to be favorable for a vaginal delivery.
Looks like my nightly few hours of contractions this past week has started to do its job and change my cervix. I am 3 cm dialated and 60% effaced! That was a little shocking and brought a sense of urgency realizing this could happen at any time.

Babies looked great on the ultrasound, couldn't tell how big they were, but didn't seem to be any problems. Except, Faith never turned, she is still in the transverse position. I know she is going to be the stubborn one. So what does this mean? To section or not, that is the question.

Our doctor did a great job of explaining the risks and benefits of a vaginal birth when the babies are not both head down vs the risks/benefits of a planned C-section. Hopefully all would work out fine if we delivered vaginally, but there is a significant risk of having Faith come down in the breech position and then having to do C section after the vaginal birth- that doesn't sound too appealing to me.

At this point, we decided we would schedule a C section for the 14th or 15th or August, but not sure if we will make it that long. Still praying for Faith to move down in the vertex position. The nurse educator at our birthing class last night gave some interesting suggestions to make that happen- sounds a little hocus pocus to me. Using a flashlight to guide her head in the right position or music or imagery.

A C section isn't as "romantic" as what you always think of your labor to be, but then I really analyzed that thought and realized that 18 hrs of labor is really anything but romantic, so maybe it is a blessing. Curious of your thoughts!

Dinner with Andy's Psych team

2008-08-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

While in medical school and residency, Andy and I were always impressed by the attendings who invited us to their home for a meal while on their service. It didn't happen very often, but made a big impression. When Andy took the job at the VA as the inpatient attending, he wanted to create a friendly environment for the students and residents that was not all work. We decided we would commit to having his team over for dinner every month. The other night was the first time and we had a lot of fun! It was a bit challenging to put on a dinner for ten in my current condition, but thanks to Juliana's help, it was a success. I enjoyed getting to know the residents and their spouses as well as talking to the new 3rd year students. Seem like so long ago that we were in their position.
Hope we can keep this up when the babies arrive!! I was pretty tired afterwards. Next month we will cater in.

Last Lunch with friends

2008-08-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

I feel as though these next few days will be a lot of "lasts". My friend Amy called and asked if we could go to lunch (as we often did this past year while working at the VA) since this may be our "last chance". It was fun to catch up with Amy and Christina, talk about work and medicine again and not focus entirely on my pregnancy. Its great to have friends in similar places in life. We were all classmates in med school and all married a classmate from med school so our lives have a lot in common. Will miss you guys as you continue life in the modules at the VA. . . but not that much as I am glad for an extended break. Hope we can do lunch again soon!

Andy' s Race

2008-07-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

That is Andy right behind the finish line in blue and orange.

I am so grateful that Andy found something that makes him so happy, even if it is barreling down a street at 35+mph with only a small helmet and "shaved legs" to protect him from injury. His first race of the season was last weekend in Ontario (we'll see how many more he gets in this year given our upcoming arrival!).
My mom and Aunt were visiting so they got to witness his athletic talents. He just missed making it into the top 10, but raced elegantly! Way to go Andy!

Nesting

2008-07-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Nesting has taken on an expanded meaning as we moved into a new much larger house two months ago. As we get closer to our due date I realize I only have a few more chances to get projects done that likely will not happen after the babies are born.
I am grateful for all the help from my family to help us move into our house and get organized. Most recently, Louisa helped me hang some pictures in my kitchen and Lauralen helped me organize my office. Allison came and helped me organize all our media stuff- thanks Al.
Thanks to Auntie Cathy and mom for painting the hutch in the kitchen nook- it looks great!

This weekend Andy got a few more things checked off my list and the baby's room is now complete! I love sitting in there and thinking of all the moments to come.

The items still left to complete: fans in three more rooms, garage organized, car seats put together, pack n play set up, office files completed, family pictures hung- not too bad.

Here are some pictures of our house- thanks Auntie Cathy for taking them!

Child Birth Class

2008-07-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Last night Andy and I went to our first childbirth class for first timers. It was pretty fun meeting 25 other couples (many other residents, physicians, and nurses) who were getting ready to have their first babies in the next month. I didn't feel so huge as many of the others were as big as me!
Andy volunteered to wear the "sympathy suit" where he put on 30 lbs of extra weight so he could see what it felt like to be me for a few minutes.
We are going to need to work on the massage and breathing a little, but we got some good practice cause I was having contractions throughout the whole class. Nothing to worry about, not regular or very painful.

The Nursery

2008-07-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Creating the nursery for two little girls was such a thrill. I first was inspired by a visit to "Paris in a Cup" tea house in Orange with Jessica shortly after finding out we were having girls. The black, white and pale pink Damask patterns highlighted there featured a modern, yet feminine look.

Special thanks to Shar who searched endlessly online for the perfect pattern for the bedding. Stumbling on the Wendy Belissimo black, white and pink pattern while shopping Babies R Us in Detroit was like finding gold. Her name plates created for Faith and Grace also inspired the theme.

From finding two black cribs on craigs list, to Andy sanding and painting them, to my strong desire to paint the room pink myself, to Shar's sacrificial creative work in painting the white harlequin design and finally Andy learning how to put up chair rail, we feel very invested in this adorable nursery and can't wait to see two little babies in those cribs.

Maternity Photo Shoot

2008-07-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friends Katie and Sue came to visit me in May. Katie, a professional photographer (check out katekellyphotography.com) along with Sue took some amazing pictures of my growing belly. I was grateful for their talent and eye that captured how I was feeling holding my little Grace and Faith in my belly. Thanks so much Katie!!

Some History of Grace and Faith

2008-07-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

Some of the memories that brings me the most joy to recall during this pregnancy is when we found out we were pregnant, then that they were twins, and then girls and got to share each of those moments with our family and friends.

We're Pregnant!!
December 21- After two long years of trying to conceive and many episodes of peeing on those stupid sticks with a negative result, I finally saw the amazing plus sign on the pregnancy test! What a thrill (though I didn't really believe it was true). Telling Andy by wrapping up the test in an "early Christmas present" was even more fun as he opened it up by the fire and we both cried out of joy.
Telling each of our family members who had been praying and believing for us was such a blessing. Mom Hayton was thrilled and couldn't believe it (love her fun laugh), Dad Hayton was a little cautious, but helped us confirm it was really true. Ryan frantically yelling for Shar on the speaker phone when Andy said we wanted them both on the phone. Louisa laughing out of joy and excitement as we told her on the phone. Hearing reports of Juliana's glowing face full of joy as she danced with our church dance group right after hearing the news.
Telling the Sell family all in person around the Christmas tree brought many tears- Mom in denial, Dad crying, Todd running to get the camera and Holly broken with tears. It was a moment I will never forget! (Thanks Todd for documenting it as you are always so faithful to do)

There are TWO of them!
7 week ultrasound- feeling pretty nervous and holding my breath to just see a heartbeat. "I see a couple of sacs" says the doctor. I still didn't catch on until I saw not one healthy heartbeat, but two! What a thrill, and of course more tears. I also remember thinking how my life was truly going to change- a flash of worries mixed with incredible joy (everything from: we bought the wrong car-just bought a prius, to I don't think I can work as much as I thought, to awesome deal getting two babies in one shot)
All laughs and screams from everyone we told this news to! Both grandmas screaming and laughing on the phone. Sue, Jess and Kate laughing histerically and Sue thinking of all the silly things that twins will mean like having to choose 4 names!

Twin Girls 20 week ultrasound- people present: Andy, Cheryl, Louisa, Juliana, Shar, Benson, Holly, Chelsea. We had quite a crowd to witness the unveiling of who these little ones would be. The majority were voting for boy and girl, only Ryan and Chelsea had voted two girls- you won.
When we discovered the sex of the second twin, my mind was once again filled with thoughts- how fun to dress two little girl babies, tea parties and dolls, how difficult to go through the teenage years, two weddings, etc... Secretly I was thrilled, I really didn't feel ready to raise boys since I grew up such a girly girl.

Welcome to our Blog!

2008-07-25T07:51:00.001-07:00

Well. . . So many of you have been asking to hear updates about Grace and Faith and my growing belly that I decided to follow the trend and start this blog. Thanks to Katie's friend Heather who I don't even know (just had twins two days ago) who inspired me and kept me addicted to her blog, waiting to see when her twins were born and how it went.

So begins a fun journey of documenting my last few weeks before my life changes forever and then hopefully giving you all a peak into life with twins.

This first picture was taken a month ago at Andy's graduation from Psychiatry residency.