These Days with Laryngomalacia

I mentioned in my last post that Grady had a swallow study performed.  He was a champ, and we learned he has an uncoordinated swallow that causes him to occasionally aspirate on thin liquids.

We had another study the following week to check to see if he has Laryngomalacia, aka A Floppy Airway.

Grady always sounds like he's congested and needs to cough/clear his throat.  ALWAYS.  He and Atalie both had RSV when they were two months old, and he has sounded terrible ever since.

So a couple of weeks ago we went back to Children's in Little Rock for a scope that would check his airway and give us an idea of what's going on.  (This day also happened to be Jarrod's 32nd birthday!  He's a great Daddy.)

We met with an ENT and a Speech Pathologist during our visit.  Grady was called "a ham" and made several professional females blush more than they ever knew to be possible before!

My chubby boy being so sweet before the test!

The doctor, who was very professional and didn't show a lot of personality towards Jarrod or me, declared right before the test that she really didn't want to have to scope Grady because he was smiling so much at her!

The nurse was the sweetest, most informative person ever.  She held Grady all swaddled up while the doctor put the scope down his airway.  We watched everything vibrate onscreen as he screamed and cried for the 60 seconds it took to get the view the doctor needed before pulling the scope out and calling it done.

The test revealed that Grady does have Laryngomalacia (a floppy airway), and that we do need to continue to thicken his liquids.  We, thankfully, got some more instruction on this during this visit than the one we had previously with an OT in the radiology dept.  We also found out about a thickener that's safe for Grady to use and will work with breast milk.  We had previously been told that the only thickener safe for him to use would not work with breast milk.  It's been a rough couple of weeks getting things figured out with all of this!

So now Grady gets his bottles with thickener and the milk looks like the consistency of honey.  If you tilt a jar of honey, that's how his milk runs now.  I feel like most days he tolerates it well, and then on others he seems a little frustrated.

These babies have been bottle fed from basically the time we got home from the hospital.  I tried tandem nursing them in the hospital (you haven't nursed until you've tandem nursed babies!), and we continued to try after we got home.  I was totally prepared with a huge, double nursing pillow and the assistance of my mom, Jarrod and the nurses in the hospital, but it just did not work out for us.  The babies had jaundice and feeding them on a very set schedule was a must.  We didn't have time to sit and try to get one latched on and then get another latched on while the first one came off and then to repeat the whole ridiculous thing.  During all of these tests, we also learned that Grady has a bit of a tongue-tie.  We were told this at birth, but no one else ever said anything about it to us.  So learning about his swallow issues and the tongue tie being re-confirmed, have helped me a little with the regret over not being able to nurse him.

Moving on...

The twins are growing and going.  Everyone who saw Grady at Children's Hospital said, "Well, he clearly isn't having any issues getting nutrition!"  Because, yes, he is a chunk!!  Like a hefty, hefty chunk.  Atalie is army crawling and scooting everywhere, but Grady lays on his tummy and flails his arms and legs like a beached whale.  He hates being on his tummy!

Tears in those pretty, gray eyes because he didn't want to be on the floor!

He was still upset, but sister was talking away!

He's a little happier here because Collin was making him smile.  Gotta love that big brother who comes to the rescue!

Grady LOVES playing with toys.  You just have to keep them rotated in and out steadily so he doesn't lose interest.  Atalie loves to chew on everything!

And this kid, he just wants to sit and take silly selfies.

I can hardly get her to keep a headband on these days.  She pulls them down, eats them, flings them across the room, etc.

Sweet babes

Love how Atalie looks like she's laughing at a funny joke!

Telling secrets

Atalie is telling brother that it's all gonna be alright!

LOVE her sweet, sweet face.  Good luck trying to give her sugars!  She is squirmy and will slap ya!

I was tickling Grady to get him to laugh!  Collin is just playing away in the background.

Collin's new favorite thing is to get to take a bath with his brother.  I call this "Tub Time with Fatso Watso and Skinny Mini".

Jarrod took Collin fishing one day last week, just the two of them.  We didn't tell Collin until that morning, and he was super excited and super surprised.  They went fishing on the Little Red River and had lunch together.  

They even ate chocolate pie, my favorite, and then bragged about it! 

They were supposed to come back to town and go play racquetball (something only those two do and Collin really enjoys), but Collin requested fishing some more over racquetball.  They did make time to fit in a snow cone before coming home, though.  Even if it meant Jarrod dragging a super exhausted Collin into the snow cone place!

I was told that Collin managed to stay completely safe all day until he fell backwards off this bench and hit his head on the ground.  He was fine!  But of all the things that could have happened, it had to be that!

School started this week.  Collin is in Pre-K, conveniently located right across the hall from "his babies", instead of on another hallway.  I cannot believe this time next year he will be in Kindergarten!  I love him so much, and I'm so thankful for his help with the babies.  They think he is the coolest thing EVER.  He is right up there with the dog and ceiling fans.

Almost 2 years old, almost 3 years old, almost 4 years old and now - almost 5 years old.  He's such a big boy!  And handsome ;)

#twinmama

Let me put this out there, if one more person says any of the following to me, I may slap them.  I've discovered that my filter is quickly fading these days, so beware!

Do not say to a mama of twins:

Oh!  I hope I have twins one day! 

I told my daughter she needs to have twins next (because, hello!  it doesn't really work like that.)

I had two babies in two years, so that's gotta be just like having twins.  If not worse.

Having had a single baby before Grady and Atalie, I can tell you, experiencing life in public is totally different!

And here's the thing, I love the well-meaning old people who want to pet and coo at the babies.  They get bonus points when they make eye contact with Collin and talk to him about how great of a big brother he must be to his brother and sister.  It's just that no one seems to acknowledge how FREAKING HARD it is to have multiples.

I feel like with Collin, we did everything we normally would have and then penciled him in to areas.  I got up in the mornings, took a SHOWER, got ready and then fussed over Collin.  The Mommy Blogs that talked about never showering, wearing spit-up covered shirts for multiple days and feeding your family cereal for dinner used to puzzle me a little bit.  Hello, having multiples!  Days go by without having an actual conversation with my husband.  I miss leisurely cooking dinner.  The DVR is full to the brim because once the kids are in bed, I'm either too exhausted to sit through a show or too afraid of waking one of them with the TV.  There are two of EVERY THING.  Bottles, toys, bibs, burpies, clothes.  I'm buying baby food like it's Y2K.  Every cashier loves to ask, "So, you have a baby to feed??!"  Yes.  Yes, I do.

So, yes, they are super adorable and it's fun to have two babies so full of personality and snuggly cuteness, but please know it is one of the hardest things I have ever experienced.  And with that, here is what we've been up to lately...

Saturday morning errands with these two are never dull.  

This girl is army crawling and all over the place these days.  She was featured on Instagram again for her headwrap this day :)

This boy is a super big brother.  He loves to help Daddy mow these days and is talking non-stop.  He turns 5 in less than two months, and I don't know what to do with that information.

 Atalie and Grady are sitting up on their own now.  They are both still a little wobbly, but we're working on it. We're also working on playing nicely.  I'm not ready for this!  They steal each other's toys and try to bite one another already.

This picture just cracks me up.  Last week I was told Atalie is going to be sassy and bossy!  She doesn't always seem like it, but she is a goober!  Just like her flirty brother.

Collin took swim lessons for a week with Ms. Sarah.  He did really well.  I was a lifeguard for several years in high school and college, and I taught swim lessons.  I always, always thought I would teach my own kids how to swim.  Sadly, every time I tried to work with Collin, he would flat ignore me or we would get frustrated with each other.  Sarah used to babysit him often, and he loves her so this worked out well!

Jarrod and I went on a dinner date.  We literally drove 45 minutes to a restaurant, ate and then drove back home.  It was a good first run :)  We are going to have to do this more often.  Part of our new normal includes us looking at each other from across the room and literally saying, "I miss you".  There's not a lot of time for US these days, and that was something we struggled with BEFORE twins.

This girl.  She cracks us up.  Her new favorite face includes pursing her lips and snorting through her nose a lot!

 Those eyes!  Thank goodness her eye lashes are finally coming in, and she has the slightest peach fuzz starting to emerge on top of her head.  One day she'll have hair!

 Babies trying to take their first selfie :)

Grady laid on her like this for a good couple of minutes before we made him stop!

This chunk has had a hard time for several months now.  He does not sleep through the night, and the majority of the time he wakes up several times a night.  He has always been harder to feed than his sister, and he always sounds congested.  We have tried so many different things with him, so this week he had a swallow study.  We found out that he has a difficult time swallowing, and occasionally he will even aspirate on thin liquids.  He was a champ during the study, and he was the sweetest thing to everyone he met!  We have another study with an ENT next week to cross another concern off the list.  We're hoping to get this boy some relief and to get the rest of our household some rest!

Handsome boy

 No clue who this kid looks like!  He is shorter than Atalie but chubbier by far with those rolls all the way to his hands!  He sucks his bottom lip in and has done that since birth.  He is sweet, has the best smile, beautiful gray eyes, and he seriously loves to play with toys and books. He LOVES his older brother.  He thinks Landry is the best and loves to pet her.  He would rather be held and fussed over than left alone, unless he has a steady supply of books and toys.  He likes to touch his sister and will often sit with his hand on her knee/shoulder/arm - whatever he can reach at the moment.  We call him "Meatball" and "G Money".

Also, not sure who this kids looks like!  She is obsessed with those two bottom teeth.  She sticks her tongue out, she purses her lips and snorts, she is army crawling and loves to yell just to hear herself.  She is already bossy.  She will grab her headbands and pull them down around her neck and either try to eat them or leave them there like a necklace.  She is trying to give open mouthed, baby kisses these days, and she loves to touch your face.  Even if that means occasionally pinching and pulling at things like your eyes, mouth and nose.  She never wants to be still, and we call her "Peach-Peach" or "Wild Woman" depending on the mood!  

**We thought briefly about piercing Atalie's ears but decided against it for now.  I came across some vegetable dye, temporary tattoos for little girls' ears and couldn't resist trying them.  It's hard to tell, but Atalie is wearing little, blue elephants in this picture.

7 months later

I just checked Google+ on my phone for pictures that may need to be uploaded to this here blog, and y'all.  I can't even.  185.  I will not bore you with all of those, but I might get close.  I will try to blog more often!  Because if the fact that our twins are now 7 months old doesn't help me realize that time is indeed passing by, then I don't know what will.

We've been trying to enjoy summertime around the Baum household, but the truth is that nothing has really slowed down for us.  Jarrod jumped into a "summer job" that has been more responsibility than I think either of us expected it to be, and our kids never got the memo that Summer = more relaxed.  They are just as taxing as ever.

Collin is very near to being 5 years old, (I can't linger on this realization; I have to push through the thought because, tears) and he is really trying a lot of new things.  Mainly in the attitude area.  He wants to be a "big kid" so very badly.  Since he has responsibilities now, he thinks that means he should get to drive a car and tell his Mommy and Daddy when to go pound sand.  I'm trying to get it through to him that making his bed, feeding the dog, and helping with his brother and sister are just part of being in this family.  It doesn't mean he should be rewarded with Popsicles and endless cartoons.

I know he's just trying new things, and I know he has gone through A LOT of changes over the last year.  However, I cannot explain to you how defeating it is to pick up kids from daycare only to have to discuss behavior issues that Collin had that day.  We just got back from being in Texas for a week over the July 4th holiday, and we are hoping that was a good recharge for him!

The babies are keeping us busy.  Atalie has two bottom teeth, and she loves to feel them with her tongue.  She constantly sticks it out.  She woke up at 4:15 am yesterday morning and would not go back to sleep.  She just stared up at me in the dark with her tongue out of her mouth.  I told her to put that thing back in her head because it is NOT cute before 7:00 am.

Grady is still a flirty ham, and just as needy as ever.  He is either hot or cold; he has no medium.  I'm praying about this!  The boy can actually laugh and cry simultaneously.  It has done wonders for my nerves.

We started baby food.  Mostly we were forced.  The twins moved up at daycare to the next class over from the Infant room (again, have to push through that realization!), and I learned that everyone in there eats baby food and table food.  Those kids are also crawling and pulling up.  Our two are content to roll across the floor and yell at you for a bottle, so I figured I better do my part to help them catch up!

Atalie likes to eat, and while Grady probably likes to eat, he is more difficult to feed.  He just sits there and smiles at you or yells at you, but he doesn't really cooperate with the whole opening mouth bit.  We mostly just smear some food around his mouth and hope some makes it in there.

Here is a little of what we've been up to lately:

 

We've spent a little time outside!

Memorial Day with these nuts was an adventure.  Daddy was at work, and Mommy was flying solo.  We may have gotten a Happy Meal and gone to the park!

This was me choosing my battles.  When the 4 year old wants to wear his hair "spiky" and do it his self, you say, "Whatever, man".  By the end of the day, it was all laying down like normal anyway!

 We've gone swimming, and both babies LOVE the water!  

Collin played in a questionable creek with a friend from church at a picnic one Sunday. 

 There's that tongue!

I love this one...  Grady: "Let me help you get that thing off your head!"

 Those cheeks....  Those eyes...  !

 They love Daddy's whiskers!

We celebrated Father's Day with our favorite Daddy ever!

 We did cousin time at Mimi and PawPaw's in Texas!

 Collin and Tinsley

Uncle Jarrod & RayLee

 Ray Baby - the sweetest, easiest girl there ever was :)
I may have kissed her cheeks a dozen times sitting here on the swing while Jarrod held her.

 These two have to do everything the other one does.  I soak up all the girly things Tinsley lets me do with her, including painting her nails.  Collin insisted on having his done too.  We all told him it wasn't a good idea, but he won.  Don't worry, his Mimi took it off a day later!

Oh, my heart!  Atalie and RayLee are going to follow Tinsley around like little puppies one day very soon!

We visited my office in Athens so I could remind everyone what I looked like and so they could meet the twins.  I worked while Collin watched Netflix under my desk because he was "fweezing", and later we all met up at the Country Club for some swimming!

 This was BIG stuff for Collin Henry!

 Super proud of him for being less timid in the water this summer!

 Atalie girl can fall asleep on anyone's knee!  A couple of bounces and she's out.

Bill & Martha ;)

Ashlie & Kinslie 

 Collin, his new bestie, Ms. Briana and G Money

Atalie, asleep with Randi

We visited Nonne & Papa for the 4th of July.  Collin got to go to the movies for the very first time ever, and he loved it!  Say what you will, but this was a great age for this "first".  He appreciated it, he understood (for the most part) that he had to sit still and be quiet and he adored the popcorn :)

 Waiting for the movie to start.  He asked me why it was so dark!

These two turned 7 months on July 3.  We have a hulky boy and a girl who loves her tongue!

Happy July 4th !

 Papa and Nonne with their grands.

 Grady...Collin...  LOL

Atalie...about to snap herself in the head with her headband!

 Collin boy with his Batman glitter tattoo

 Atalie cheesing at Papa

That's one happy boy, up way past his bedtime!