A Do-over Please...

We have had a few rays of hope that spring will actually come back to us... Days where the sun shines and warms the air enough to sneak into our back yard or a park for a few hours. A few weeks ago we had one of those afternoons and I had the common sense to grab my camera as we raced outside to get in as much fresh air as we could. I didn't even look at any of the photos until tonight. I found myself smiling and proud of the young people these five joys are becoming... And tearful because of how old they all appear. It's not an optical illusion or trick. They are old. Will is 8. Riley is 6. Emery is 5. Hadley and Ainsley are 2. 

Today was one of those days that seemed to drag on... and then tonight the Lord gifted me with the reminder of these faces. Time isn't dragging on. It is flying. Flying by.  Earlier today, in the midst of winter coats and endless energy I would have wished winter away. I would have skipped the next two months. Tonight? I would go back to October when it began to get cold and start again. I would take a do-over if I could. All the more time with these precious faces.

Hadley and Will

Ainsley

A Truly "Scary" Night

With 5 children so small and close in age, I find that days and weeks tend to blend together. It is sometimes hard to remember particular memories clearly... This is not one of those nights. We went to the zoo in early October 2014 for Boo At The Zoo and it was one of those nights that was full of wonderful memories... The weather was perfect. Cool, but not cold. It was sunny. No traffic getting into the parking lot. My Mom, Paul(brother), and Laura(sister in law) all came to help us keep track of everyone. There were no melt-downs(unusual with 2 two year olds). Hadley led our group from candy station to candy station like a pro. A trip to Comfy Cow for ice-cream afterwards. After getting everyone in bed that night, Blake and I sat down and were able to look through these pictures and have distinct memories about all of them! Such a gift during such a busy period of life...

Hadley

Will

Emery, Will, Riley

The Gang

The crew with Mimi, Uncle Paul, and Aunt Laura

Ainsley and Aunt Laura

Emery

Add caption

Ainsley

Hadley

Ainsley

Hadley

Big Girl Baths

These photos are not of the best quality, but I had to post them! None of our children have liked baby baths, and the twins were no exception... Until they could sit up! These pictures are from their first "big girl bath"! That was a fun night for Blake and I as we sat and watched them laugh and giggle and smile! This night was a few months ago, but as I have said before... This is my photo album! I need to remember! I want to remember! These were a precious few minutes of watching our babies grow up just a tiny bit. 

4 Things I've learned In My First Year of Parenting Twins...

I have been trying to come up with a way to describe our first year with the twins... There is so much I want to share. So much to remember. This time last year, I really thought this year would have been consumed with Hadley and Ainsley... But, in a way, this year has been about me. The Lord has been molding and shaping... It's been painful, but joyful all at the same time.

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1. I have learned that there are friends that will give, even when you can not give in return. This past year... Really, a year and a half, have overwhelmed our family. It's taken longer then I expected for our life to feel manageable. It started a few months into the girls pregnancy  as we lived a life where I could seldom leave the house and could not do anything to take care of my family. I had good friends  that would show up at night to sit with me and provide female companionship. They would come bearing the gift of my most recent pregnancy craving without me even making the request. They helped Blake manage the children at church while I lay at home on the couch... I literally could not do anything for them beyond pray. For a year it has taken everything in us to simply care for our family.... To spend adequate time with our individual children. To load the dishwasher or put up the folded clothes. These friends still showed up at night... They cared for their children all day, put  them to bed, and then came and walked the floor with mine. They understood that life was all we could manage... These ladies requested nothing from me. I was a terrible friend, but even knowing that, I knew that I could do nothing differently. I was called to be a wife and mother first and that has been all I have been able to poorly manage this past year. And yet they still call, text, write notes, ask me to sneak in a lunch... They are a gift... A blessing I hope to somehow repay one day.

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2. I have learned that almost everything can wait. You should have seen my kitchen last week. For like most of the week. Dishes in the sink. School stacked on the counter. You would have thought that I would have rushed to clean after our 2 teething babies went to bed. If I'm being perfectly honest, that is what I wanted to do. But instead, I watched Babar with my big kids. I could speed through the grocery store in an hour, but I'm learning that the extra hour it takes if I take Riley with me is worth far more. I think when you literally don't have time for it all, when you have to truly prioritize... I realized that grilled cheese and tomato soup is a compromise I can make to spend nap time making q-tip paintings with Will, Riley, and Emery. They would rather have that to eat then my healthy chicken and asparagus anyway. Pause. Slow down. Sit a little longer. Listen a little more attentively.

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3. I have learned to give people the benefit of the doubt. I like to be on time. Ok. I like to be early. And I am organized. At least I always thought I was... And then life changed. Sometimes I just assumed that the excuses were just a line. Then life changed. When someone tells you that they are late because their baby had a blow out diaper as they were walking out the door... Take it from me! It happens! When someone tells you they forgot it was their week to bring breakfast to BFG - even though they wrote it down on, oh, I don't know, maybe 2 calendars? - it happens! Things happen people! There were days my hormones were crazy, and therefore I said crazy things... I didn't mean them. I basically couldn't control them. I now thoroughly understand what pregnancy hormones and lack of sleep can cause a person to say. My feelings are not going to be hurt by the exhausted new mom that says she likes my hair long - after I cut it short. I've been there. I understand. Now the mom that says that with a well organized household and who is sleeping through the night? I probably wouldn't take it so well. :) But I am learning that simply assuming that someone is late simply because they slept in, isn't compassionate. We haven't been late this past year because we slept in. We haven't really slept. At. All. Things happen and I think the Lord has really used this past year to plant a compassion in my heart that was lacking before my life became total chaos.

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4. I have learned that if you live a life of gratefulness, life is more enjoyable. There have been some hard days these past 12 months. I'm gonna be honest. There have been more "hard" or "long" days then easy ones. In fact, our new "easy" is still kind of hard. But those "long" days? They have been good days. I was a very dis-content person for many years... And about 2 years ago the Lord began to really work on my heart in the area of gratitude. The timing of his plan is always so perfect, because had He not started this work several years go, this past year could have been... Well, I'm gonna be honest - it could have been almost miserable. We are talking about 2 babies and 5 kids 5 and under, people. But the Lord knew that! The Lord knew the season He was bringing our family into and graciously began to prepare my heart in advance. I had already begun to attempt to put into practice a life of gratitude. I don't do it well, I don't live it consistently enough, but on the days I do?... I am so thankful for the little bodies wearing the clothes I can't bear to complain about the laundry. When I am thinking rightly, I look at our first floor strewn with toys and praise God for giving me a house full of healthy children. When we have had to spend money above our grocery budget for the 12th month in a row, I find myself grateful for the way the Lord has provided for us to do that. It has been a long year, but it has been a good one. It has been a precious one. 

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The Lord certainly used this year to burn somethings onto my heart... I feel like this year - for me - has been a bit of a painful learning experience. The Lord has really brought a humility into my life that was lacking. In the past I almost prided myself on having things together. It's impossible to be that person this year. He took my ability to be the stable friend. He filled our life with wonderful things that have caused us to be late... So I'm putting 'pen to paper' so to speak - because I don't want to forget the things he has done for me this year.

Hadley and Ainsley

Hadley and Ainsley
Photo courtesy of Caleb Drahosh

The girls are 7 months old... Time is moving quickly. Too quickly. The days are long, but every day I feel as if I can't soak up enough time with them! They both long for their mommy most right now, and in the midst of my guilt that my time is so split between them, I find such joy in thinking about the beautiful friendship that is to come. 

Both girls can easily move from laying down to sitting up. Hadley was the first to master this trick. And just last week Ainsley began full on crawling first. Her 2 minute older sister joined her a few days later. Now Blake and I are obsessively checking the door to the basement - making sure to continually remind the big siblings to keep it closed. While there is more to think about, the contentment that has come with crawling is worth the effort!

Hadley and Ainsley are down to 5 bottles a day... They eat 3 simple meals that seldom consist of baby food. Once they got a taste of "real" food there was no going back. They can mush things like well cooked carrotts, peas, green beans, apples, pears, and peaches. They love banana, muffins, bread and puffs. Yogurt and cheese were favorites until we decided that they were spitting up after every serving so we have cut dairy for a few months, though I feel they will quickly outgrow the sensitivity. Both enjoy their sippy cups, though neither have been able to figure out how to use them on their own yet.

Blake and I haven't created good nappers and the girls are no exception. Their sleep schedule consists of a 30ish minute morning nap, 1.5 hours in the afternoon, and a 15-20 minute evening nap. They really are doing great at night, though! Normally about 8pm - 7am. Perhaps a trip in for both girls to pop a paci, which is just how it goes when you have paci sleepers. 

If their big siblings are in the room playing, the girls are often content to play for about 20 minutes. If one of us will sit on the floor with them they will play as well... If they are alone in a room, they do not play. They cry. :) Or now they are beginning to crawl to find us. It's getting tricky, because Hadley is beginning to understand when I walk into the room and pick up Ainsley - and vise-versa. It's getting tricky! We want so desperately to be equal and not hurt feelings... 

I wish I could bottle their personalities - where they are right now. Both Hadley and Ainsley smile... All. Of. The. Time. I'm not kidding! They smile more then any baby I have ever known. Both of them! When we walk into the room their entire face lights up just like in the picture above. It melts my heart and wipes my memory of how hard it has been to manage 2 babies. The girls are just really beginning to laugh. Their papa and Riley get the best giggles out of them. Recently Riley has even gotten Ainsley to "sing" and "dance" a bit. They are sweet. So sweet. They give kisses - all on their own! They are wet, open mouth kisses, but I LOVE them! Our entire family feels so blessed by the sweet presence of  Hadley and Ainsley.

Hadley and Ainsley

The girls were 3 months old on January 4th... 

Here are a few things on the twins- Mainly for my memory then for anyone else! :)

Schedule:

8:00-8:30 - Wake

9:00 - Eat

10:00-10:30 - Nap(20-30 minutes)

11:30-12:00 - Eat

12:30-1:00 - Nap(2-3 hrs ideally, normally 1.5 - 2 hrs)

3:00-3:30 - Eat

4:30-5:00 - Nap(20-30 minutes)

6:00 - Eat

7:30 - Top them off(2-3 ounces)

8:00 - Bedtime

10:00 - Feed(before we go to bed)

5:30 - Eat

Ainsley

 Feeding: Hadley and Ainsley BARELY make it 3 hours in between bottles during the day, but we are just now coming out of the lazy, sleepy eating phase! They are taking 5 ounces at a time and have been for a few weeks. Nutramigen... We are attempting a switch at this very moment to a formula for sensitive tummies. Still on the higher side, but much cheaper then Nutramigen!The slow mixing technique seems to be going well so we are hopefully their little bellies can take it. If not? Oh well. Happy babies are worth the over $400 a month we are spending on formula. 

Sleeping: Praise the Lord! They are doing so much better! They are ready for bed between 7:30-8:00 and rarely cry more then 5 minutes! With a dream feed, they will stay down(with some paci popping) until about 5:30. After a quick diaper change and bottle, they typically go right back down with minimal fussing and sleep till after 8am! Napping is another story, but I'm hearing that nap scheduling doesn't normally happen until around 4 months so I have backed off a bit. They take a VERY short morning nap, a longer afternoon nap(some days), and a VERY short evening nap. I try not to complain too much, because nights are going sooo well! The girls are officially in their own cribs due to the fact they are rolling over and scooching around - They were in each other's personal space too often. :) I was also afraid they would disturb one another when we have to let one fuss some. 

Hadley

Personalities: 

Ainsley seems to be our easy going twin. It takes more to agitate her. She goes down for naps/bedtime easier - Sleeps more soundly.  It takes very little effort on our part to get her smiling or talking. Ainsley's smile can be slightly lopsided, which is a precious characteristic I hope she never loses! And boy is she miss chatty! We have even heard a few giggles in the past week!

Hadley gets heated more quickly. Basically instantly if annoyed or hurt. And her scream. We might not be able to tell them apart by looking at them, but we can certainly tell them apart when they cry! :) Hadley shrieks! She has to work a little harder to talk, but her smile is precious. I love that her entire face smiles!

Hadley

Just in time for their 3 month birthday they girls started rolling from their belly to their back! They don't mind watching cartoons for short spurts which has been a life saver... I was so excited last week when I realized they were batting at their toys intentionally! They will both lay in a crib together and watch a mobile for 20 minutes at a time, but Hadley is far more interested then Ainsley. 

Last week was the first time the girls have seemed interested in each other - It was so precious. They just stared and smiled at one another! It makes me so excited for where their friendship is going...

There won't be anymore babies in the Ring house... So I am really soaking in these days with Hadley and Ainsley! I am loving their baby coos and smiles. I love that Ainsley's eyes often follow me as I walk around in the room she is in. I love that there are times Hadley will only eat for me. There are times that the constant attention can be tiring, but I find myself missing them when they take an unusually long nap or I run an errand.     We are so blessed by the gift of these precious babies... There is not a thing I would trade for these days!

Still Thankful...

I hate to not be blogging much right now. I feel like the kids are growing so much...so quickly. And I want to remember every. single. moment. 

Mothering five kids is hectic. 

Wonderful. A dream come true. 

But busy. 

Will(5 yrs), Emery(3 yrs), Riley(4 yrs)

I can feel life beginning to become more managable... 

Big kids are back to normal.

Babies are letting us set them down some without screaming.

Parents are sleeping. 

Hadley, Ainsley

 I don't think it's harder then I thought it would be. 

I feel like I was realistically terrified of life with new born twins - 5 kids.

But - I can't believe I am already saying this - the girls are growing. 

When you're a baby, three months changes things. 

And far too quickly for this momma's heart!

These are the last babies our home will know and Blake and I are attempting to soak it all in as best we can!

Hadley, Ainsley

 2011 was a long last year of school for Blake.

2012 was exciting, but even more difficult for me then the year before(Blake argues for 2011). 

2013... It's going to be a good year. 

A year of slowing down and enjoying our children.

A year of firsts.

A year of family resolutions we work hard to fulfill.

Ainsley, Hadley

 Amazingly, blogging is on the list.

It's our memory book... our photo album. 

Our record of first steps and first loose teeth.

The overwhelmed feeling is fading and the excitement of what God has for our family is setting in.

The goodness of the Lord has clearly covered the Ring family and we feel the warmth of it's blanket still... Always. 

It's going to be a good year. 

Upcoming Blogs: 

Detailed family update

Will's birthday

A few recipes

Some home updates

An Update...

The past 2 1/2 weeks has been a whirlwind. :)

I thought I would give a brief update on how everyone has been doing...

Will, Riley, and Emery are doing wonderfully... They really are. They adore the twins. They kiss them. They hug them. They hold them. They comfort them. It has been precious to watch their devotion in action. And while there has been adjustment issues, things have gone so much more smoothly then I could have ever expected. I am so proud of them and the love they shower on Hadley and Ainsley. These girls are lucky baby sisters.

 Hadley and Ainsley are precious. We adore them! While they look identical, we are already seeing differences in personality! :) Eldest Hadley Paige is more tempermental. She ALWAYS cries when having her diaper or clothing changed. Ainsley is the more laid back... She will often just stare at me as I change her. Oh, and Ainsley almost always goes to sleep much more easily then her big sister. :) 

 We are still working out how to function with two babies. :) We have weathered nursing, supplementing, bottle feeding, weight drops, weight gains, reflux, colic, sleepless nights... It has been a very full life for these two. :) 

FEEDING

After several days of nursing in the hospital, both babies had significant weight drops and were only allowed to come home after we began to supplement. After 24 hours they were still dropping so I had to nurse less and bottle feed more - with a formula change. To Nutramigen(a rediculously expensive hypoallergenic formula). My supply was affected by the steroid shots I received at about 33 weeks to help speed up their lung development. The amount of time it was taking to complete the entire feeding routine was intense. After nursing, pumping, and bottle feeding(with the help of at least 1 other person), feeding time was taking well over an hour. With prescription supplements, herbal supplements, and a hospital grade pump, my supply continued to drop and at 9 days we switched entirely to formula and I haven't looked back!  

SLEEPING

There is no real pattern to their sleep. They do wonderfully during the day, but nights are a totally different story. :) Some nights they do well, eating and then going back down within an hour or so. Some nights we don't go to bed at all. Seriously. Some nights they are simply alert and not tired. Some nights they scream all night long. Both girls are on medicine for reflux and also seem to have some colic. It's a good thing these tiny bundles are just soooo cute. :) Just kidding. We know this is but a brief phase. 

STATS 

At the doctor on Friday the girls were doing beautifully. 

Hadley weighed 6 lbs 3 oz.

Ainsley weighed 5 lbs 10 oz.

 Blake and I are doing well. He went back to work full time today. While I miss him being home so much, the idea of getting back into the swing of life is appealing. I am still recovering from the c-section. It's been harder then I expected, but really I can't complain. I have had so much help, I can't imagine getting anymore rest then I have gotten with 5 kids. Blake's parents came down the day the girls were born and spent 7 days... What a blessing! And my parents... Always amazing. My mom has spent 3 nights a week with us since we came home from the hospital. When she stays, Blake sleeps in the basement. Since two babies require two people to be up for feedings at this point, it can be exhausting so she has been a tremendous blessing, by allowing Blake to rest a few nights a week since he is working. Mom has also been ever present when Blake is gone and I have not had to weather the twins alone yet. 

The exhaustion has been over-ridden by the pure joy these girls have brought to our home. 

I simply can not believe they are mine... I have no way of ever deserving them...

How good is the God that gifted them to me.

*The photos aren't labled because I have no idea which is which - We are working on a better system.*

*If I had to guess - Hadley in the first few photos, Ainsley in the final ones. But I'm not staking anything on the guess.* :)

The Twin's Birth Story

Dr. Thomas was visibly excited when we made it to our 35 week appointment and the girls were still cooking! The c-section was scheduled for exactly 2 weeks after that. 36 weeks and 6 days. While I have never been so miserable or uncomfortable in my entire life, I really was thrilled that God has gotten us so far!

We knew from the beginning of the pregnancy that a c-section was likely. Sure enough - the girls stayed transverse and breech basically the entire pregnancy. 

On October 3 we spent the evening celebrating my dad's birthday and put the kids to bed at their home. We picked up mom on October 4th around 6:45am and headed to the hospital! I thought I would be nervous, but honestly I was so ready for the pregnancy to be finished and so ready to see the girls faces.... I was calm and peaceful. 

The beginning of the c-section was what I expected. Went in alone for the spinal with my sweet nurse. They kept telling me that by the time they wiped my belly with the antiseptic I shouldn't really feel anything, so the the nurse was surprised when I told her I not only felt the coolness, but I felt her rubbing my belly. Then Dr. Thomas did a pinch test. I definitely was more numb then a few minutes before, but also felt pain when she pinched. I didn't want to over-react and thought I might actually be imagining it.... I told her I felt more then I expected to, but was fine. So she started cutting...

I was not fine. I couldn't see my bp, but imagine it was starting to sky rocket. I turned to Blake, terrified, and said, "It hurts. I can feel them and it hurts." My knuckles were turning white I was clutching those metal bars so tightly and Blake immediately turned to the anesthesiologist and directed him to me. When he asked about my epidurals I realized I had forgotten to tell him that those have not worked well and I felt much of labor with Emery... I was verging on tears and moans now.

He quickly turned around and I could hear him rustling behind us and then I don't really remember anything for about 2 hours. 

Today, I finally asked Blake about the rest of the surgery. He told me that the anesthesiologist told him that he had to knock me out basically. He said that the girls were given their once over and then quickly whisked away to the nursery. I remember about the last 20 minutes of recovery and then it was time to go to our room! 

The girls did beautifully! When they got to the nursery, the nurses looked them over for some sort of distinguishing mark - They found none. :) Hadley and Ainsley never had to go to the NICU. There was no jaundice. I was able to begin nursing them that day. It went so much better then I could have ever imagined. The Lord was so good to them... to us. We even went home within 3 days -  both my doctor and our nurses were shocked at our desire to do so. :) There had been so much anticipation that I believe that I was just ready to start our adjustment. 

Recovery has been harder then I imagined it would be. My hemaglobin dropped 3 points in the first 24 hour period so I received several iron infusions and B12 shots. The girls weight had dropped 10% by Sunday(the day we went home) so we have been supplementing after I nurse and today they had shown significant improvement at their weight check. 

We have been overwhelmed by the prayers and service of the friends and family around us through out this pregnancy and delivery. We are grateful... So, so blessed. 

Even at only 9 days old, I find myself trying to imagine the past 9 days without the girls and stop myself....  I don't want to imagine the past 9 days without them. Our entire family(kids and all) adore these precious girls and are so glad they are here. We've been missing them...

Enough To Wet Your Appetite

The girls are here. 

Born October 4, 2012

Hadley Paige Ring

10:00 am

5 lbs. 13oz. 

Ainsley Grace Ring

10:02 am

5 lbs. 11 oz. 

The past 5 days have been a whirlwind like I couldn't have imagined. 

We didn't take nearly enough pictures. Have barely slept enough to function. And are blissfully happy. 

I promise - updates are coming. Photos are being taken. Measures are being taken to ensure that the girls aren't mixed up. :) Yes. They are that identical.