The Milsteds

SIX MONTHS. We have made it half a year, and to be honest, it has flown by. The first 3-4 months were incredibly difficult. We had to handle the NICU for the first 22 days, and then we had to adjust to having two newborns. Looking back, I don't remember a lot; I do remember being very overwhelmed, and feeling tremendous amounts of guilt. Once we got the hang of things, It was amazing and heartwarming to watch our girls grow and learn. There was one morning I had realized that Alexis had rolled over on to her belly, I remember when she started to coo and giggle. I watch Olivia squirm herself around the floor and how she reaches for faces. At 6 months old they are showing more and more of their personalities. They are also developing more of a bond, and have started to notice and interact with each other more; it's defiantly a sight to see. Alexis is our diva, however she is also our snuggle bug. She is a stickler for attention, and has come up with a fake cough to get you

I wasn't conscious of my weight until i was in 6th grade. What followed was years of low self esteem, yo-yo diets, and shape wear. Long before I become pregnant, I worried on how my extra weight would affect my ability to get pregnant, and my pregnancy. To be honest, I was completely terrified in a very, vain way that I wouldn't look pregnant. During my first appointment it was brought up that I was overweight, but carrying twins, they expected me to gain more than the average 15-20 pounds. During the duration of my pregnancy I lost several pounds, and only gained 20 pounds. With how quickly my belly grew, I was in maternity pants by 12 weeks. Fortunately I didn't have to worry about not looking pregnant, my belly seemed to pop almost immediately. As the weeks went on, my belly stretched, it stretched to the point I didn't think it could get any larger; but it did. I remember sitting in the doctor's office and having a women ask me if I was delivering that

Over the past few months, I have noticed certain things have become easier to do. It use to take us a solid three hours to get everything together, and everybody ready to leave the house. Now it's closer to an hour and a half. Feeding the girls on my own is easier, and we have found a routine that works for us. I feel slightly more confidant handling the 'mom' role. All too often I feel like I am not doing enough as a mother. I don't have the perfectly cleaned house, I'm not graceful when doing daily tasks with the girls, and I leave the house looking a hot mess 90% of the time. However, there are some days I rock the twin life and motherhood. We leave the house and I look slightly put together, we arrive to places on time, and I have a nice home-cooked meal on the stove. Those are the days that I feel like supermom, but those days are few and far between. It's okay. It's okay not to be supermom. Social Media can kill one's self confidence. I pe

When you become a mother a million things change. You adjusting to taking care of a tiny, helpless human being. You are trying to configure a schedule and rhythm that works for your family. As I was trying to figure motherhood, I found that I was neglecting myself. How am I suppose to do the best for my children, if I am not doing the best for myself? I knew the moment I found out I was pregnant, my priorities changed. The blurry little blobs on my sonogram would forever be on the top of my list. I would need to take care of myself for the next several months. When my girls made their entrance, I was relying on my body to feed them, it was again one of my top priorities. As the days became weeks. I lost myself, I was learning who I was as a mother, but I struggled to recognize myself. I am trying to take advantage of naps and bedtime to make sure I am taking care of myself. I try to make sure I take that time to work out, paint my nails, or write. At least once a week I work to h

Left to right: Alexis and Olivia at 24 days old.  Here is a list of 5 things that I use to handle motherhood. Learn to be patience. It takes an incredible amount of patience to raise tiny little human  beings. I wished I was able to practice my patience more before my twins arrived. Take the help . If someone offers to cook a meal or do a chore for you, let them. It makes your life a little bit more manageable. Have a routine. Whether it is baby led, or a routine you build around your schedule, you need one. It will help keep you level headed.  Have a hobby. This may sound like an odd, but it's crucial for you to find a way to relieve the stress. So, find a hobby, crafting, baking, games or working out.  Communication. Make sure you and your partner are on the same page. Speak up if you need help, and be aware of your partners needs. There have been times when I have asked my husband to take over. We are a team, and working together helps everyth

The diaper bag is essential. However, knowing what to pack in your diaper bag can be a challenge. It took me a couple of trips to figure our what i really needed for my twins. I also decided to stop carrying a purse when I am out with the girls, so I to make sure I had room for mommy essentials. With twins I will be carrying double the amount, but thankfully I found an adorable, and roomy diaper bag. Let's first start with my bag. It's the Oh Joy! Tote diaper bag. I ordered it off target.com (my favorite place.) I found that it fits everything. I can carry it on my shoulder or or as a cross body, this comes in handy when I am running errands alone. Diaper Bag items: Diapers-I usually carry around 6-8 diapers with me. Diaper cream-We use good ole Desitin. Wipes-Pampers or Huggies. 4 sets of clothes-2 extra outfits for each baby. If I know we will be gone for 6+ hours I'll pack each girl and additional outfit.  Socks!-Each girl has a pair of socks. Plastic Bag-th

My hospital stay and delivery, were slightly unique. My water ruptured at 34 weeks, I was admitted to one hospital and then transferred. Once I was transferred I labored for 36 hours before it all ended in an unplanned c-section. Here is a list of 5 things I think every mommy or mommy-to-be should have with them during their stay. Sugar free gum. This was wonderful, I wasn't able to leave my bed once they put my epidural in, so having the gum to help me stay fresh was so nice.  Make up wipes. This would have been a life saver. I went into labor with a full face of make up, (that wasn't planned) after awhile it was making my eyes water. The wipes would have made it a breeze to clean my face. Chapstick. Trust me, this is a MUST. Extension cord. This was incredibly helpful. All the hospital plugs are not in convenient places. Having the extension cord helped me be able to keep my phone charged and, close by. Pen and notepad.  This was great to have to take dow

Alexis The NICU is a stressful place to be, and being a twin mom I knew that my girls had a higher chance of needing additional care. My girls arrived at 34 weeks, and did required the care of the Neonatal Unit. It was scary and intimidating, but here are some steps to help survive the NICU. Take care of yourself.  I know it's hard to think of yourself right after you bring a tiny helpless human into the world, but they have professionals taking care of them. Make sure you are eating, keeping hydrated and sleeping when you can. The twins are my first children, so I didn't have children at home that I needed to take care of, I was able to go home every evening and rest. My husband also made sure I left the NICU to get meals, and take a break from the hospital atmosphere. This was essential, I knew that once they were home they would only have Jake and I to relay on.  Take "Home" with you.  Make things more comfortable. I brought our boppy pillows w

Life with twins is hectic. The only thing that keeps me sane is our routine. With the girls only being 3 months old we are still working on perfecting our routine. Our night time routine is down pat. We start our night off with a feeding. The girls take 4-6 ounces every 3 hours. We then do story time. The girls need to be kept up right for 15-20 minutes after their feedings. This is due to their reflux Alexis at 2 months old Next is bath time. Not only does this help clean the girls up from their day, and of spit up, it also helps calm them down. We use the Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort Bath, once out of the bath we moisturize with coconut oil, and get dressed in our pajamas. Once we swaddle their girls and place them in their crib, they will sleep for 4.5 hours. I usually do a one dream feeding, and they wake up for an early morning feeding. The time the go to bed is led by them. They don't have a set nap schedule yet, so their bed time is anywhere in between 8-

Bringing premature babies into the world is a challenge. Seeing my girls in the NICU for the first time brought on an array of emotions. They are covered in wires, and monitors, they look too small for the bed they are in. The sounds are frightening, especially since you aren't sure what all the sounds mean. You're unsure how to hold your baby, your timid with your movements because they seem so fragile.  Alexis Olivia Your goals start out small. One goal was to have them breath on their own. Olivia did not need extra help, Alexis did need the CPAP machine to help her. The next goal was to eat, and grow. The girls would be weighed daily, the nurses measured how much they would take in at each feeding. Olivia was a great at eating her feedings. . Alexis would fall asleep and not be able to finish. They eventual had to put a G-tube (feeding tube) in her nose. Lastly they would need to hold their own temperature, this was another goal that Olivia was able to reach b

My world flipped upside down once my girls arrived. I truly thought I was prepared for them, but i was wrong. When you become a mom you instantly have a thousand more worries, and countless sleepless nights. That being said, being a mommy is the most rewarding thing I have done in my life. The baby smiles, the giggles, and the cuddles make up for the sleepless nights, and the frustration. I would not change it for the world. Me at 33 weeks & 5 days Motherhood also makes you incredibly insecure, and question your abilities. Carrying a child and bringing them in to the world is traumatic for your body. I carried two little lives in me for eight months. There were weeks I didn't think my belly could get any bigger, but it did. By the end of my pregnancy, I could not walk, sleep or eat comfortably. Once the girls made their exit, my body was left with loose skin, stretch marks, and a scar. In the end I can handle the physical changes, but its so trying to constantly think you

My best friend happens to be my husband. I can not vaunt about this man enough.  I can confidently say that I love this man more today, then I did when I said "I do". I met Jake during a difficult time in my life, and he was exactly what I needed. When had a fantastic courtship, and an engagement that helped us test the waters. Followed by the perfect wedding day; we bought a house, a couple of cars, and now have two beautiful daughters. During all this time, he stayed my best friend. In some ways he seems to be my opposite, he is calm, and I'm hyper. He goes through out his day with a purpose, and I am more erratic. He was able to keep me level headed during our time together. He is the backbone to my support system. He is thoughtful, understanding and kind.  Watching Jake take the role of a "dad" has been remarkable. He is so patience, and loving with our girls. He has stepped out of his comfort zone to raise them, and he has become an expert at cha

Let me introduce my girls to you. They are spontaneous, fraternal twins. Although these girls are twins, their personalities are completely different. The girls are 3 months old today! Lexi weighs 9 pounds 4 ounces, and Livi is 10 pounds 2 ounces. Alexis Belle was baby A in utero, even than she was ornery. We had a sonogram appointment where we witnessed her kicking her sister in the head! She was stubborn from the get go. She spent 22 days in the NICU, she needed to work on her eating, and her brady spells. She loves attention, she wants to be held as much as possible, and she is a drama queen. Alexis Olivia May is as calm as can be. She is a very content baby. She is very much a daddy's girl. She came home after 9 days. She was in the NICU just to grow. This girl loves to be heard, she coos and squeaks constantly. She enjoys her sitting up and watching all the action at home. Olivia Both girls love story time, singing, and bath time. They both have great head

We found out that we were expecting twins in June of 2016, they were due to arrive February 21, 2017. I was both elated and nervous. This was my first pregnancy, and twins did not run in my family at all. What followed was a blur of appointments, worries, and celebrations. January 11th my life turned upside down. My water broke. 36 hours of labor and an unplanned cesarean and my two little angels where born on January 13th. Alexis Belle, 4 pounds 11 ounces, and her sister Olivia May, 4 pounds 5 ounces. They were the two most perfect babies ever. They had also arrived 6 weeks early, they needed NICU time. I tried to prepare myself for the NICU the moment I found out I was carrying twins, but nothing did. I got one brief glance at both girls in the operating room, and they were taken away. In recovery I said goodbye to Alexis as they took her to a different hospital, Olivia followed several hours later. Olivia May Alexis Belle  Recovery was rough. I was alone most of my stay.