Gas, Gas, Gas

How does that Rolling Stones song go? "But it's all right. I'm Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's a Gas! Gas! Gas!"

I have to admit, even though I'm 34 years old and have been around long enough to hear plenty of first-hand stories from family and friends about how to deal with babies, I'm learning new things on a daily basis. That being said, and as ignorant and simplistic as this may sound, I always assumed that the comfort and well-being of newborns depended on four things - keeping them fed, holding them on a regular basis, changing their diapers, and letting them sleep. As far as I knew, these were the full-proof ways that Brooks and I could stave off violent crying episodes by Mason and Ike and at least ensure that we could get an occasional two-hour reprieve from pure chaos. How wrong I was.

In the last few days I have come to realize that there’s a very important and little talked about x-factor (at least among guys) that can manifest itself in many different (and dangerous) forms – gas, or should I say, the release of gas. In the last two and half weeks I’ve come to fancy myself as a very skilled Dr. Brown’s bottle feeder, assuming that at the conclusion of each feeding either Mason or Ike would be content and fall fast asleep. Not to be. It’s the release of this painful gas, either orally or, well, you know the other method, that truly completes the feeding process and ensures that comfortable sleep will follow.

Now I’ve always been aware of “burping” a baby during the middle or at the end of a feeding, but “pooting” a baby??? Come on! Apparently I have achieved black-belt status in this discipline, one that far exceeds my skill in administering a bottle of formula or breast milk. It seems that every time I prop Mason or Ike up on my knee after a feeding, cup their chin with my hand and start patting their back to facilitate this release of gas, my thigh is jolted with a powerful (and loud) outburst of gas that reverberates up and down my thigh. Every time this happens, Brooks and I cannot help but laugh out loud at what just occurred. It’s truly amazing the comic relief that parents can find in their kids. But however these gaseous episodes manifest themselves the end result is always the same for Mason or Ike – pure relaxation – ensuring that Brooks and I will get our much coveted two-hour reprieve of crying.

I know it’s been a few days since I posted photos of the twins, so below are a few new pictures. This week Brooks has been helped out on a daily basis by my mom and Aunt Corinna, who came in from Winston-Salem (her daughter Bennett is expecting her first child in September). I’ve been resuming a full-time work schedule so the extra help is much appreciated. Thanks to everyone who has been helping out by bringing dinners by. We can’t thank you enough.

Baby Gifts We've Requested But Haven't Received Yet

Brooks and I can't thank all of our family and friends enough for their generosity so far. Between the dinners, gifts, visits, cards, phone calls and emails, we've been treated to a very humbling show of support. I know I keep reiterating this in my posts, but we really are reminded everyday how special it is to be back in North Carolina.

That being said, Brooks and I are a little disappointed in the creativity and functionality of the gifts we have received thus far. Yes, onesies, bibs and monogrammed blankets are cute and comfortable to Mason and Ike, and they look great in photos, but do they really make OUR lives easier. Nope, not at all. So, I'm directing this post to everyone reading this blog who has yet to give us a gift. If you're thinking Babies 'R Us, Pottery Barn For Kids or Target, please do us a favor and get rid of your traditional and stale thinking. The following items are what we really covet:

Baby Mop: Babies need to learn at an early age the value of helping out around the house. If Mason and Ike each had a Baby Mop outfit I doubt we'd ever need a maid.

Pee-Pee Teepee: Brooks got sprayed in the head with Ike's "pee-pee" the second time she changed his diaper, so this would definitely come in handy. What's funny is that they offer this product in camouflage, just in case you're ever in the deer stand hunting with your newborn son and have to change his diaper but don't want to scare away that 12-point buck.

Baby Keeper: I can't decide if this product is brilliant or teetering on the edge of cruel and unusual punishment. It seems more suitable for "time-out" situations than a convenient way to store your baby while while you go to the bathroom.

Buck Tooth Pacifier: I can't help but think that the strange looks that this gag would elicit from passer-byers would be more frequently directed at the parents who subjected their babies to this type of public humiliation.

Zaky Infant Pillow: I have to admit that this looks like a pretty cool (and creepy) product...when used in the absence of friends and family. Considering how Ike goes from a deep sleep to uncontrollable crying whenever Brooks or I try to place him in his crib at night, this seems like the perfect solution. I wonder if they also offer giant sized hands for adolescent kids whose parents are slow to ween them off of this type of coddling.

Baby Wigs: Really, do any of these babies look happy? Seems like another potential case of cruel and unusual punishment. I wonder if these babies' perception of their parents will change 15 years from now when they are flipping through family photo albums and realize what they were subjected to.

The Daddle: After further thought, we don't need this gift - we have Simba. Plus, I don't think I could pull this look off as well as the guy does in this photo.

Man Boobs: I love how the guy in this photo isn't phased by the formality of the sitiation - he's in a suit and tie! I think I'll leave the breast feeding to Brooks and stick with Dr. Brown's bottles.

Open House

This weekend Brooks and I felt like a realtor showing an open house. Though the volume of foot traffic was the same as you could expect in this type of scenario, we were actually showing off Mason and Ike for the first time to several family members who had never seen them - Corinna, Hunter, Angus and Betsy.

Every single person who told me before we had the twins that even simple, everyday tasks become hard with kids is absolutely right. It's even harder with TWO. Gone are the days that Brooks and I eat dinner before 9 p.m., much less eat together. I have forgotten what a morning shower is, hence the nappy oily hair I sport in most of my photos on this blog. If I have an itch, I don't scratch it because chances are I am holding either Mason or Ike. Even answering the phone has become a nuisance. At one point the other day I was sitting in my den holding a sleeping Mason when our phone, which was on the coffee table, rang. Because I didn't want to risk waking Mason up and having to endure another 30 minutes of crying, I had to maneuver my right foot over to the phone, pinch it between my big toe and second toe (yes, I have a large space between those two toes), and carefully lift it to my right hand. Mission accomplished. I suppose we're really having to act like responsible parents now because Brooks' mom left on Saturday after two weeks of "round the clock" nanny-like assistance. It really is amazing what just one extra set of hands can do to alleviate the chaos of caring for newborns, or to keep me from having to assist with diaper changing (note, I've only had to change one yellow poop diaper so far - I'm better at feeding and burping).

While we said a temporary goodbye to a teary-eyed Grandmother Carolyn on Saturday morning, we welcomed back my parents, who had been at the beach for two weeks and had not seen Mason and Ike since a few days after their birth. Visiting for the first time was my twin sister Corinna, her husband Hunter, and their two boys Grainger and Reston (scroll back down my past blog posts for a photo of Corinna, Hunter and Grainger when he was only days old). Corinna could not get over the twins! In fact, she was so excited to finally see them and hold them that she wanted to spend the night and help out. Hunter, if you're reading this, beware!!! I'm not sure if she's ready to stop at two ;o). It was very special to finally have all of the Grainger/Shull cousins get together for the first time. It's been a long time coming. Brooks and I can't wait until next year's Grainger family beach trip at Litchfield Beach with all of the kids. My parents are already trying to scout out a house that will comfortably accomodate all of the madness that will surely ensue.

My first cousin Angus, Betsy and their girls Catchie (2) and Mae (8 months) also came to visit us on Saturday. What was funny is that earlier in the week Angus had emailed me a recount of a conversation he had had with Catchie about the twins soon after they were born. During the discussion Catchie told Angus that yes, she did like Mason, but no, she did not like Ike. Even funnier was that he told me this conversation followed one where she confirmed that yes, she did like Mommy, but no, she did not like Daddy. Nevertheless, Catchie was great with Mason and Ike and even presented them with their very first stuffed animal toys. Somehow Angus and I were able to pose for a photo with all of our kids.

What a whirlwind of a weekend it has been, but how special it is to continue to have family and friends play such a supporting role in our lives. We can't believe that today was Mason and Ike's 14th day in this world. But we also can't believe that 15 days ago Brooks was 35 pounds heavier and the only cries we heard in our house were those coming from Simba as he begged for food off of our dinner plates.

Say Uncle

Thursday night the twins had a special visit from my "Uncle Jim", his wife Kelley, and their daughters (my cousins), Lee and Winn. This was Uncle Jim's first visit with Mason and Ike. What a special moment it was, especially since it reinforced one of the very reasons Brooks and I moved back to Charlotte a year ago - to be closer to family. Jim and the family live about a mile from us, making it a lot easier for visits like this to happen than when we were in Atlanta. Uncle Jim offered a small token of assistance to us knowing how strapped we were with having to constantly attend to Mason and Ike's every need while neglecting simple house duties. In addition to seeing the twins for the first time, he was here to help us with basic chores, such as bringing in the groceries AND taking out the trash. Personally, I think he was still harboring guilt for enticing me to help his family move 12 years ago in 100-degree heat and paying me a whopping total of $25 (it might have been more, but not by much) for two days of excruciating manual labor. Nevertheless, it was a very nice gesture. Not to be forgotten were the very thoughtful gifts that Jim and Kelley gave Mason and Ike - their very own monogrammed baby blankets.

Since I've been back at work this week it's been hard to for me to stay on top capturing new photos of Mason and Ike. I know I've said this before, but it really is amazing how grown up they look with each ensuing day. Here are two photos I took Thursday night while they were in their bassinets getting ready for bed. Ike's hair is really starting to turn blonde and he remains the more active of the two, whether he's asleep or awake. Mason, as has been her form since birth, is the epitome of relaxation. As soon as she feeds, she's out for the count. Friday they had another appointment with the pediatrician to get weighed again. Ike has passed Mason again in weight. Now he's 7 lbs. 3 oz. while she is 7 lbs. 1 oz. Everything looks great with them.

The Night The Lights Went Out In Cotswold

Only 10 days into our lives as parents, Brooks and I now truly realize that dealing with an unexpected ordeal in life is amplified ten-fold once you have children - make that twenty-fold, with twins. Not more than 30 minutes after I got home from my first day back at work yesterday a wicked thunderstorm blew into our neighborhood and opened the sky up with high winds, intense lightning and heavy sheets of rain. Then, the power went out, right as I sat down in the glider trying to rock Ike to sleep. Uh oh. A 95-degree day and a humid night is not a good formula for a comfortable, cool house without electricity or a working air conditioner. On top of that, our new night nurse was scheduled to start that night. Sure enough, 15 minutes after the power went out, she pulled into our driveway and informed us that there are two trees down on our neighborhood meaning we were looking at at least half a night without power.

Normally, Brooks and I would have tried to make due with our unfortunate circumstances and would have spent the night at our house despite the lack of air conditioning. However, with nine-day old babies, I had to shift into MacGyver mode and hatch a quickly-formulated escape plan that would ensure their comfort. As it turned out, my parents were out of town, meaning there would be plenty of room for Brooks, her mom, the twins and our night nurse, especially since the house was already kid-friendly thanks to Grainger and Reston (crib, changing table, etc.). Perfect thinking! I immediately called my mom to get the alarm code to their house. Next, I loaded everyone's overnight bags into the car. Then, we packed up the pampers, bottles and formula and loaded Mason and Ike into their car seats, all the while braving a major deluge.

Together with the night nurse, we caravaned over to my parents' house, braving downed limbs and power lines along the way, and immediately made ourselves at home in the comfortable air conditioning. How ironic - my parents go out of town and we all end up seeking refuge at their house. Ahh, the benefits of living close to family! I'm hoping there will be plenty more benefits when my parents are in town, such as free babysitting when Brooks and I feel like going out to dinner alone.

To be honest, I did end up back at our house with Simba that night - in the dark - just to keep him company. Quite the "survivor" I am (yeah, right). We were finally jolted awake at 2:30 a.m. when the power came back on.

The Crying Game

Okay, now we've had our little precious twins home for five days and their personalities are really starting to show. Ike will get mad at me later in life for posting this, but he is certainly the crier and more high maintenance of the two. Ike's first response whenever he's uncomfortable or not being held - cry. Whenever there's pee or poop in his diaper - cry. Whenever he wakes up from a deep sleep and doesn't see Brooks or me - cry. Whenever he has nothing else to do -cry. Meanwhile, Mason is so laid back. As long as she is fed regularly, changed regularly, and covered up when she is in her crib, she is the picture of "chill." Even when they're both asleep, Ike still looks tense with his furrowed brow, while Mason just raises her arms above her head and appears to not have a worry in the world. Maybe their personalities will flip flop in the next few weeks, months, or years, but right now Mason and Ike are polar opposites.

Now most of you are probably wondering what the first photo has to do with Mason and Ike, but I felt compelled to post the image after learning that in Japan they actually have an annual crying competition between babies. It's called the “Baby-cry Sumo” contest, held at the Sensoji temple in Tokyo, and it involves Sumo wrestlers holding babies against each other in a series of competitions to see who can cry the loudest. The event is thought to bring good health to the babies involved. No word yet on whether I will be making the global trip to Tokyo anytime soon to enter Ike into the competion. Sponsors are welcome!

Today Brooks and I took Mason and Ike to the pediatrician this morning for their first dcotor's appointment. Everything checked out well. Mason, though four ounces lighter at birth, has actually surpassed Ike in weight by one ounce. They are both gaining weight at a normal rate, but I guess all of Ike's twitching and crying is burning more calories.

On another note, Brooks and I are stunned at Simba's welcoming response to these babies. He tracks us all around the house as we tend to Mason and Ike, and, though he's very exercise deprived, he rarely cries. He constantly peeks his head over their Pack n' Play to check on their well-being and always licks their feet. But probably the funniest thing that he does now is "supervise" Brooks' breast-feeding sessions. Whenever she's on our bed with either Mason or Ike, he runs into the bedroom and jumps on the bed. I can't think of one session when he has not been on the bed with her. He literally has to be right there with her. No doubt he's going to be a great protector of the twins.

Too Tired To Sleep

First off, I apologize for the absence of blog posts the last two days. I forgot how much so many of you depend on this site for updates. As chaotic has people warned me that having TWO babies would be, believe me, it is, hence the reason for the brief hiatus. But if there's such a thing as good chaos this would certainly be it.

Mason and Ike are doing great, as is Brooks, though we're certainly sleep-deprived. Our night nurse has been awesome and she really has a way with the babies. She comes to our house at 10 p.m. each night and leaves at 7 a.m. This arrangement has allowed Brooks to get some much-needed, worry-free rest, even if for only five or six hours a night. As she told me today, she can't sleep much more than that since she compares waking up every morning to the twins as "Christmas morning." We're trying to establish a routine now not only for Mason and Ike, but also for ourselves. So far the feedings are consistent at three hours apart. Brooks will breast feed one baby and the other will get pumped milk. Then, three hours later, the other baby will "get the boob" while the other baby gets the pumped milk. At night the nurse feeds them formula until Brooks wakes up. We're encouraged that they're eating like champions and seem to be putting on a good amount of weight. During the last 36 hours Mason struggled with her "plumbing" as she adjusts to the breast milk and the formula, but after the last feeding we heard some heavy grunting coming from her bassinet - problem solved.

On Friday, Mason and Ike got to meet their great-grandparents, Gamommie and Papa (Brooks' grandparents). They came to Charlotte with her dad and spent the night with us. It was very special for them to see the twins and get to hold them. Carolyn is still here lending her support, and will be for another week. Brooks and I would be hard-pressed to manage this parenthood thing without her. We truly do need the extra pair of hands and the TLC for the babies.

Tomorrow morning we have their first appointment with the pediatrician. That will be an experience. Check back daily for updates. I'll get back on the ball this week.

Slow Ride

What a huge day today. Brooks and I finally got to bring Mason and Ike home from Presbyterian. After what seemed like it took the hospital forever to check us out, we finally loaded the twins into their car seats and packed up all of the luggage and flowers. It's really true what everyone said to me about bringing your baby(ies) home from the hospital - you literally drive about 15 miles under the speed limit. If I would have been driving at the Cypress (a retirement community in Charlotte) I would have been passed by every 90-year-old lady on the road. I can't tell you how freaked out I was about every pothole I hit and speed hump I had to go over.

Our biggest concern once we made it home was how would the "original" child of the house react to playing second - I mean third fiddle? Last night when I came home from the hospital I brought two shirts that Mason and Ike had worn and introduced Simba to their smell. Then when we went to bed last night I laid the shirts over his nose. When I woke up this morning his nose was still tucked under the shirts! I guess he liked what he smelled.

So today when we brought Mason and Ike into the house Simba couldn't stop sniffing them. He even offered his help when Brooks was feeding Ike by licking the extra formula off his face. What was even funnier was when we finally tucked Mason and Ike into their cribs this evening, about 10 minutes later we heard what sounded like a strange noice in their room. When we peeked into their room we saw Simba sprawled out on the carpet facing the cribs. Our consensus is that Simba is thrilled to finally have a mission in life - to serve as a watchdog for the twins (unless bribed with human food, of course).

Overall, Mason and Ike were very content at home today. They slept soundly in their Pack n' Play and seemed much more relaxed than they were at the hospital. Brooks' mom is here to help and our night nurse started today, so hopefully Brooks can get some rest.

Here are some photos from today. I'm going to stop labeling them in hopes that friends and family can start telling them apart. FYI, Mason has the darker hair and Ike has the fuller lips.

Almost Home

Brooks, Mason and Ike wrapped up their last day at the hospital today. We can't wait until Thursday morning when we have the chance to bring them home and REALLY begin the parenting stage. I know it will be stressful at times - we can't push a button and send them to the nursery when we want to grab a moment of peace - but it will be real. We're ready (I think).

Brooks is healing nicely from the C-section and she is up-and-about quite a bit now. The twins look different every time we see them. They are really sucking down the formula between the colostrum feedings and putting on weight by the hour. Now that they're opening their eyes more frequently it's so special to try to project what we think their personalities are going to be like. Ike is definitely the "whiner" of the two, while Mason is a lot more relaxed and just does her own thing between feedings. Brooks had a special "mommy" moment today when she was changing Ike's diaper and got sprayed in the forehead with a strong stream of urine.

Brooks and I were talking today about how special it will be for Mason and Ike to grow up together as twins, much like Corinna and I did, and develop that bond that only twins can have. Then we realized that after spending eight months in the womb together, literally wrapped around each other, they have spent the first four days of their out-of-womb life apart, either being held by different relatives or confined to their different beds. So we made a conscious effort today to keep them together whenever we could. Every time we put them side by side it was funny to see Mason completely oblivious to her brother, while Ike stared at her and tried to wiggle his way closer to her. How ironic. My parents always talk about how when Corinna and I were infants it was me who had to be with her at all times. When we finally got put into different kindergarten classes, my teachers noted that I would sneak away to her classroom. When we finally got our separate rooms, it was me who would wake up in the middle of the night and slip into her room to sleep. It will be great to see if this becomes the case with Mason and Ike.

Mason and Ike

Worried Ike