Small Spaces

For those wondering how we plan to house all four girls in our little house, I ask, who says kids each need their own room? And, furthermore, who says they each need their own bed?

Megan and Bridget have taken one for the team and decided to share Bridget's crib. So selfless.

Good Morning, er, Afternoon!

Good thing there's not a time stamp on my camera. There's no telling what time breakfast will actually be served around here. It usually happens after both babies go down for their morning nap. Luckily, we have two patient little girls who are happy to get their bananas and cereal once babies have been changed, fed, changed, topped off, swaddled, rocked and set in any of the three swings we have in our house. It's more like brunch most days :)

Westlake Story Time

Okay, so it's not at the library. Details.

Daddy's Girls

I know, Father's Day is a few weeks away, but at the pace I'm able to update this blog lately, I thought I'd slide this post in a little early to ensure some timeliness for Matt's big day!

Our girls are so lucky to have such a great daddy - here are a few of the things he is the best in the world at:

1) "Hot scratchies" (Mommy's hands are way too cold for good back-scratches, I've been told), singing the "Papa Song" and telling "Dorothy Adventures," all of which are sorely missed when he's not around for bedtime.

2) Spur-of-the-moment acting jobs. When necessary, Matt is a dragon (mean or nice), a prince, a baby, a daddy, a mommy, a pirate, a "bad guy," a doctor, a nurse, or a patient:

Megan has an overactive imagination, and loves to play director: "Okay, you're the baby, I'm the Mommy, Bridget's the Daddy." Imagine this over. and. over. again. Lucky for her, Matt always wanted to be in drama! We definitely have some skits and plays in our future.

3) Anything that requires his skillz as an Eagle Scout, which apparently includes camping indoors. He recently pitched a tent in out living room, just for fun, and wanted to have the girls sleep inside. That was a no-go, but roasting marshmallows in our fireplace was a hit!

(These are the types of things that happen when I leave the house for a few hours with the babies, or in the case of the marshmallow roasting, when I'm stuck nursing the babies to calm them down/get them to sleep - this can last a good 2 hours, and I never know what's going on downstairs!)

4) Never growing tired of a dip in the hot tub with our two little swimmers.

5) Filling sippy cups.

6) Filling milk bottles.

7) Jumping out of bed in the middle of the night to respond to a little voice faintly calling, "peepee's coming!" from down the hall.

8) Pacing with Annie or (usually) Tessa for as long as necessary in the middle of the night.

9) Scooping up a crying Bridget in the middle of the night, who always wants to go to "Daddy's room."

10) Knowing who's who in every cartoon or Disney movie and having the appropriate stash of both in our DVD collection or on Tivo.

And lots of other things that my baby brain can't think of right now, but I'll come back and add to this later!

Happy Father's day, Matt!

One for the baby book

It's time to dust off those baby gates - we have a roller!

(Okay, there will be no dusting. It's only been about three months since we finally felt comfortable with Bridget on the stairs. They've been an almost constant fixture in our house for almost three years now. And, they'll get their third go-round pretty soon! We're trying to get our money's worth on all of our baby equipment by having as many kids as we can.)

Tessa rolled over from her stomach to her back - twice! Or was it Annie? I'm questioning everything now :) Definitely Tessa. It's kind of crazy to see such a small baby do this. But, at six weeks, she doesn't hold the record in our family. Megan rolled over at three weeks, believe it or not. (It's OK - our pediatrician didn't believe it either, so we had Megan perform at her one month appointment. We took her on the road with that act for a few months.)

Okay, bragging over.

Sleep Issues...

I think we need a king sized bed. Matt took this picture the other morning after a particularly rough night. Megan was nice and cozy in her own bed, but everyone else ended up with us, er, me. I think Matt slept at the foot of the bed - no, I'm not kidding.

Maybe We'll Tattoo Them....

The most common question we are asked about the twins is, "Are they identical or fraternal?" (Actually, that's the second most common question - the first is, "Do you have help?" Ummm, no. But I digress.)

I always say that they're fraternal because I can tell them apart so easily. After all, I explain, Tessa has that tiny birthmark over her lip, a little more hair, and a slightly rounder face. But, I guess those aren't the biggest differences ever :) I would love it if they were identical (for obvious reasons!), but I just haven't been very convinced. Well, this picture has me thinking we might need to order that DNA test. When I uploaded this picture, I didn't know who was who for a minute.

In case you're wondering, Tessa's the one looking very bored with this entire discussion.

Deja Vu!

If I ever have questions about handling twins, I have an expert I can always turn to! When Mop and Poppa came to town two weeks ago, Mop insisted on holding both babies. What a pro - she's still got it!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

No one is more surprised than me to discover, with the addition of the twins, that I still have a little downtime during the day (two hours when everyone is napping, if I'm lucky!). But, I also have a little one-on-one time with Megan and Bridget occasionally. Bridget woke up early from her nap recently to help me get things ready for dinner (I love casseroles!), and she and I bonded a little. And, I took a couple pictures. Yes, there are many things wrong with these pictures:

a) the fact that Bridget still has a post-nap bottle

b) she still uses a pacifier

c) she's sitting on the kitchen counter - so safe!

d) and the kitchen is in DESPERATE need of HGTV or some other kind of miracle.

Good thing I'm not a celebrity. Suri Cruise has been villified in US Weekly for just one of the above offenses.

Out and About - It Is Possible!

I'm proud to say that we have actually had a busy couple of weeks, getting out of the house almost every day! I definitely didn't foresee being able to schlep all four girls around so early, but it's not as hard as I imagined.


It's made easier with two of my dearest companions - Sara, and my Fisher-Price portable potty, in no particular order :) And no, the potty is not for me.

Let me just say that the best-laid plans are derailed pretty quickly with an urgent "Pee-pee's coming, Mommy!!" I guess I could let Megan pee anywhere she wants, a la Joey. Instead, my options are limited and I have to act fast. I can either herd all four girls to the nearest questionable bathroom (and ignore that voice in my head that reminds me of that Oprah I just saw about bacteria and that flesh-eating disease) and, hope that this bathroom accomodates my limo of a stroller. Or I can just whip out our trusty little potty. It's a lifesaver! As is Sara, of course - an extra set of eyes, ears and arms to help me keep track of the girls when out in public.


So, recently, we managed to spend mornings at Parkside Playground, the zoo, the "inside park," and even storytime at the library yesterday. It's definitely exhausting, but so worth it to get the girls tuckered out enough to take 3 hour naps ;)

Here are Megan and Joey enjoying 80 degree weather last week:




And, the girls posing by the flamingos at the zoo:

Oh yeah, and just to prove I didn't leave these two in the car:

Little trouble makers!

Just The Six of Us

We finally have photographic evidence of our family of six! I brought the girls out (in SI colors of course) to support Matt at the SI Alumni game, where the current varsity baseball team plays all the old-timers - usually pretty hilarious to watch! We were a little conflicted with who to root for though - Matt coaches the varsity this year, but he also had an at-bat with the alumni He actually got a hit - that I missed - I was a little busy. Although, to be fair, I probably would have missed it if I was sitting without the kids - there are so many more interesting things to do at a baseball game than actually watch the game! Anyway, thanks Barbara Cecchin for capturing our family - we definitely need more of these shots!

A New Twin Dorkiness Low...

Sara and I have shared many a dorky twin moment in our day, but today's was an amusing one that's now recorded on each of our blogs. Apparently, we independently decided to post our newborn picture, with witty commentary of course, a couple of hours apart from each other. Not surprising to us, but a little embarrassing. As I pondered this today (no, I do not neglect my children!) , I glanced over from my computer to a framed picture of us in our Brownie uniforms - one from the Dorky Twin File. I thought I'd scan this in for posterity, too. And, for the record, our weights had evened out by elementary school :)

FYI - any attempts to dredge up evidence of further dorkiness will be flatly denied, at least on my part. I'm willing to share a Brownie moment, but let's just say that our journey with Girl Scouts didn't end at the Brownie level. And, wait a sec...yes, Sara agrees. She just sent me an ESP message. Who needs any other form of communication?

Check out Sara's version of the newborn shot here.

"Don't Twins Skip A Generation?"

I guess not.

This is just one of the many questions I get asked these days. So, to prove that they do not skip a generation, here's an oldy but goody of Sara and me as newborns...

Who would have thought we were identical from this picture? Oh, and just to be fair, one of us (not naming names) was a healthy weight at birth, although it's hard to tell with an anorexic twin next her. I was 6lbs.9oz. next to Sara's 5 lbs. Okay, I named names.

Take me out to the ball game!

Matt experienced coaching a baseball game at AT&T Park, for the second time, on Tuesday night as SI went up against Sacred Heart, with the coveted Bruce Mahoney trophy a stake. Last year, I forgot my camera, and have not heard the end of it! This time, I remembered the camera- Matt wanted full documentation! But, I didn't quite get a shot of him coaching first base. I did get him with his little bat girl after the game, though. And, with these smiling faces, you might think SI won. Sadly, they lost, but we all had a great time. Yes, all of us... Annie and Tessa made their public debut for the big game. We were definitely a spectacle, but I had a lot of extra hands to hold babies, replace pacifiers, and entertain the "big girls," since there were quite a few Stechers and Cecchins there!

How Dirty Can A Newborn Get?

Our littlest girls finally got their first bath at the ripe old age of one week. Yes, I realize that is a long time to wait, but unfortunately, it was low on the priority list around here. And, I figured, they can't bathe more often than I do!

So, while Matt occupied the "big girls" by taking them to story time at the library, I bathed the girls one by one. Tessa was up first, and she loved it! We get such great light at our kitchen sink, but I have no idea how to take good pictures in that light, apparently. So, these are a little shadowy. Anyway, as you can see, Tessa settled right in, and, as soon as she was comfortable, she started sucking her thumb :)

Annie's turn...she was equally mellow. We have two little water babies!

Trust me - not all babies take to this first bath so readily - here's a shot from the Stecher Archives, circa March 2006:

Megan has come a long way, and now loves the bath!

Bunkmates

We probably have hundreds of pictures of these two nose to nose now, and I can't resist sharing some. It's so cute that the girls can sleep together in the same bassinet, and seem to really benefit from it. They calm down when they're next to each other, and they don't wake each other up when they cry, either.




It's going to be really sad when they need to be separated into their own bassinets! I'll enjoy their cuddle time while it lasts.

Miss Theresa Maureen Stecher

Weight: 6 pounds 11 ounces

Length: 17 inches

Distinguishing Features: Birthmark over lip, 2 dimples!

Known Aliases: Baby A, Tessa, Bridget (okay, this is just me in the middle of the night, very confused!)

Hobbies: Sleeping (and not nursing!), sucking on any of her fingers or thumbs

Miss Anna Grace Stecher

I had to include this picture. I think she's really embarrassed - she's saying, "Sorry about that feet first thing. I didn't get the memo about going head first!"

Weight: 6 pounds, 0 ounces

Length: 17 1/2 inches

Distingushing Features: Narrower face, generally a shrimp :)

Known Aliases: Baby B, Annie, Anna Banana

Hobbies: Nursing!

The Details....

Here I am, two weeks later, and I'll try to recount the story of the twins' birth as best as I can remember. I'll warn you that the whole first week is a hazy blur for me, so I won't stand by the accuracy of any of the following...

One more side note: Read on at your own risk! Unless you watch TLC's "A Baby Story" on a regular basis or are equally comfortable with labor and delivery details, you may just want to skim and look at the pictures. Even those may freak you out, especially this first one!






I include this "before" shot to remind everyone exactly what a twin pregnancy does to one's body, namely mine. So, for the next year or so, when we run into each other, just refer back to this picture in your mind before you make any judgements on my overall appearance. That's an extra 50 pounds, people!

So, here's the timeline of how things transpired (thanks to Matt for jotting down the details!):


9am - We arrived at CPMC for our scheduled induction. I was 38 weeks, which is considered full-term for twins, and my doctor didn't see any reason to put me at further risk by waiting any longer to deliver. I was also beginning to show signs of pre-eclampsia, so our best option was inducing delivery.


12pm - After a few hours of getting checked in, getting hooked up to monitors, trying to locate Baby A's heartbeat as she flipped and scooted all over the place (this required at least 4 nurses and doctors and consumed a solid hour- just the beginning of trouble with Annie!), I received my epidural and my catheter (Don't say I didn't warn you!).




1pm - Once the epidural was in place, Dr, Wiggins came by to break my water and check to see how dilated I was. I was already 6cm! Unbelievably, I was in labor on my own anyway, and I hadn't really felt more than a little uncomfortable. Things were moving very quickly, and I'd barely finished US Weekly. I hadn't even opened People!



2:30pm - Dr. Wiggins came by again to check on me, and I had already progressed to 9 cm. This is where things began to get blurry!



3:15pm - I was wheeled into the OR down the hall. Even though I didn't have a C-section, it's routine procedure to deliver twins in an OR in the event that an emergency C-section might be necessary. As I was wheeled in, I couldn't help but notice two little baby stations all ready to go. Surreal - it really hit home that we were having twins!!

Dr. Wiggins introduced me to another doctor in the practice, Dr. Callan, who assisted during the delivery. They're both very experienced in breech extractions for Twin B, which was our plan for little Annie, and it couldn't have gone any smoother.

3:31pm - After maybe two contractions and a few pushes, Tessa was born!

3:32pm - Yes, that's right, one minute later, after one more contraction, Annie was born with minimal pushing, feet first! She was noticably smaller than Tessa, and needed oxygen for maybe a minute before we were able to hold her.

I was really scared at the possibility of a C-section, or worse, a vaginal delivery for Baby A, and an emergency section for Baby B (yes-that's a very real possibility!!!!), so I'm so thankful the delivery went so perfectly!


A few hours later, had all of of our little girls together! Megan and Bridget were so excited to meet the babies. Bridget looks a little dazed here, but she really was excited!! We now have two extra mommies in the house, and it's so much fun to see them interact with Tessa and Annie.

Lest We Forget.....

We officially have a 3-year-old - Megan's birthday was on March 8th, and, although we didn't have a big party at our house, she had several celebrations for her big day. Luckily, no babies were born on her big day either, which we are definitely thankful for!


We began her birthday festivities with lunch at Red Robin with Mop, Hop, Joey and Clara. Joey was ecstatic to welcome Megan into the 3+ club. He showed her the special handshake and everything. Fortunately, Megan doesn't seem to have inherited my utter dread of being sung "Happy Birthday" to in a Red Robin. It haunted me through my formative years, and I'm happy to report that Megan not only tolerates it, she relishes the attention I shrank from! With balloons in tow, we bade farewell to one set of grandparents and met Grandma and Grandpa back at our house for more fun and gifts galore. Most notably - Princess dolls!




Yes, large, plush Disney Princess dolls that now adorn the foot of Megan's big girl bed. Speaking of her big girl bed, here's a before and after. Yes, she was three and still in a crib, but she loved it! And, she's doing very well in her big bed now, too. Surprisingly, she hasn't tried to get up at night after we put her down. We'll cross our fingers that she doesn't try shenanigans like that for a while still, at least as long as poor mommy and daddy have their hands full with two other little girls at that hour.

But, I digress....

Megan got to blow out candles that night, too. I don't think I have a happier picture of Megan in recent history. Maybe she was really excited at the chance to wish away the babies she knew would be there any day!



Either way, she loved her cupcake, and so did all of the other kids at the party. Okay, Bridget was the only other kid in attendance, but she had a blast!

And, last, but not least, Megan was very excited to join Aunt Stacy and Uncle Fred in their birthday celebration the following weekend, where she got to blow out candles yet again! Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate our "big girl" while we were preoccupied with the twins' arrival and in no condition to throw a party at our house!