what the hospital doesn't tell you about back-sleeping

Any first-time mom will ultimately hang on every word spoken by doctors and nurses before leaving home from the hospital. Yes, there were many things I was already in-the-know about, but other things were kind of new.

Like back-sleeping.

Not in regards to being the newest way to sleep your baby at night, but rather the downside that comes along with it. Sure, SIDS cases decrease, but plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) increases. In fact, it's becoming pretty common these days. So why didn't the doctors tell us that before we left? That little bit of information could've saved us the hassle we're going through now.

Apparently, plagiocephaly can happen for a number of reasons, but the most popular seem to be seen on babies that are really good sleepers and babies that have torticollis (stiff neck), which causes them to favor a certain side.

Our babies fell under both categories.

We noticed it somewhat early on the twins. We repositioned. We propped them up. We did tummy time. We let our pediatrician know our concerns. They monitored it at each visit, but didn't really give us much advice, other than keep doing what we were doing.

Our wee ones were able to hold their heads up around 4 1/2 to 5 months of age, so we started sleeping them on their bellies. I was terrified to give it a try, but as much as they were starting to roll, we couldn't keep them on their backs much longer unless we strapped them down. In the beginning I had a lot of sleepless nights, but they LOVED sleeping on their bellies. I think most babies do.

At their 6 month checkup, we again voiced our concerns and were referred to the Plastics department at Children's Hospital. It was there we learned a lot more about torticollis and plagiocephaly.

There are specific stretches and therapy that can be done to loosen the neck muscles. Had we known about the stiff neck and the exercises, we would've done them  a lot earlier in the game. Maybe that would've nipped it.

We were told that our little ones are perfect candidates for helmet therapy. Thankfully they'll only have to be worn for 3 to 5 months, but sadly, not all insurance companies deem them medically necessary. Some companies like ours, consider them cosmetic, meaning it comes out of pocket unless you have Medical Assistance. Unfortunately, these helmets run from about $2,000 to $3,400 a piece. We're currently praying that our MA kicks in and covers it...

I write this so new moms and dads out there can nip it early. If you see your baby favors a side or if you see any flat spot forming, get the process started earlier. For some reason, the hospitals like to wait around the 6 month mark for helmet therapy. That's fine, but the exercises can be done early on, in order to prevent the helmet therapy in the first place. Most states offer free in-home therapy from birth to age 3. I recommend taking advantage of that as soon as you can.

I'm sad that the helmets will be coming soon, but I'm happy knowing that we'll have nice little round heads. I know our little ones will do great with them. Much better than Mommy will...

wiggles, rolls & toe munching

So, our baby girl has been dealing with hip dysplasia from being breech in the womb. For roughly the past 18 weeks, she's had to be in a brace almost 24/7. This doesn't cause her pain, which is great, but it can be a nuisance. I think even more so for mom. We knew the brace was necessary if we wanted to avoid more aggressive measures, like a cast or surgery, but it was distressing to see her mobility inhibited.

Well, we went in for a follow up X-ray today and we are 95% there. God is indeed the ultimate healer and He does answer prayers! We're not done just yet, but our sweet girl only needs it during nap time and bedtime. Since she's only sleeping during those times, this'll be a breeze! We'll go back in 2 months for what we hope will be the last X-ray she'll need.

For those of you who've never seen what this brace looks like, here's Leah posing for me in it.

It's basically a harness that spreads her hips. Velcro helps keep legs in place. 

Fortunately, we'll have less of that during the day!


Now, we'll have more smiles, 

wiggles, rolls and 

toe munching. 

eager eaters

Since they were 4 months old, our babies were showing signs of being ready for solids. So, we decided to give it a shot. The oatmeal seemed too bland for them, so we jumped past that right into fruits and veggies. Success! Not only have they liked all we've given them (so far), they are so eager to try new things. This is a huge blessing for us since my husband and I love a wide variety of foods and flavors.

Today we had avocado for the 2nd time, and just like the first time, it was gobbled down. Just watching them today made me think back to the very early days when food seemed cover the faces more than than it filled the bellies.

Makes me smile...

Wait, I've got some peas on my thumb

Is green my color? 

you are my sunshine

Granted, I don't have to deal with the sweltering Texas heat anymore, but lately, it's been pretty warm for PA. Yesterday however, we finally got a little bit of a break and managed to get out of the house.

We swung by a car show, the first of many to come for our wee ones. Surprisingly, the loud roar of engines didn't scare either one of them into tears. Gotta start them while they're young right?

Afterwards, we headed over to my in-laws house for dinner. Nathan and I made it to their house first, so while we waited, we walked around the property with the babies. It was such a nice day and I just had the urge to lay them down in the grass for a picture. Both were wearing their new hats and looked so cute--I just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

And there in the sunshine, were my little sunshines...

six months in and ready for more

I consider this the perfect time for starting this blog. Six months ago today, my husband and I headed to the hospital, to prepare for the birth of our babies. The thought of being parents to not just one, but two babies should have really freaked us out. On some level it did, but there was no turning back. Even with all the nervousness we felt, our excitement and anticipation grew. We were so ready for our baby boy and baby girl to join our family.

Sitting here today, thinking back, I recall those times I thought we'd never survive--the sleepless nights, the frustrations, the tears. I was so wrong. We not only survived, we conquered. But how did we get from there to here? How did our little ones get to this half-year marker already? I'm so amazed that time has passed so swiftly. They still seem so new and shiny, yet so familiar, as though they've always been with us. It's almost as though we don't remember our former life. What did we live for before they got here? All I know is that our life is richer, sweeter and much more comical than ever before. 


There are times I think I might burst from all the love I feel when I look at them. I always knew I wanted to be a wife and mom, but I just didn't get how truly wonderful that whole package could be. God has truly blessed my life and since I love to write, it's only natural that I want to record those moments made better by these amazing little people. 


To my babies, a very happy 6 months to you. You are so loved, not just by mommy and daddy, but by so many others. I look forward to watching you grow. 

Our sweet babies at 6 months