My Peas and Our Pod

Little Fishes

Friday Five just became 8 because wow, it's been awhile.  We've been so busy with trips, renovations and fun with friends & family.  Even as I'm typing this I really don't have the time, we move TOMORROW!  Phase 1 of renovations are basically done but there is still so much more we have planned for the space.  I cannot wait to share some glimpses of our dream home soon.

August '09

Alot has changed in the 7 years we've been together.  When we met I was freshly 21 and now, I'm pushing 30.  We spent many of our nights choosing what movie we would see at the theater in Old City or what new restaurant we'd try.  We grabbed drinks after I got home from work or I cooked dinner after shopping for a recipe I found in Bon Appetit.  We loved to grab breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays and then head to our respective gyms for the morning.  We went to street festivals and beer gardens, explored new towns and islands.  Before the boys got here, I thought we were the closest we could ever be.

July '16

Campbell and Lucas have not only changed us as people, they've changed our marriage.  I knew Mike would be a great dad but it's beautiful to watch how the boys light up when he comes home.  He reads to them, tells them stories, and is always asking how he can help me.  I love him in a whole new way.  We've seen each other in a different light this year, we respect each other more.  We've been in the trenches together at 3 AM when one of the boys was losing his mind for only a reason a newborn could.  We were exhausted and hungry and needed showers but he reminded me often in those first few months of motherhood how he was in awe of me as a mom.  We value our time together, knowing that grabbing drinks on a Wednesday just isn't an option.  Even if dinner out is with boys in tow, we make the most of it.  I've learned since having the boys that our marriage should change.  It can not always be how it was, we must adapt and grow as a couple.  I can be nostalgic for the days when I didn't have to pack 4 people 3 days in advance of traveling just to keep myself sane.  But we can't go back to them and I don't want to.  Our marriage is no longer just the two of us, it includes our family.  Cheers to our third year of marriage, the year that pushed us to grow both in size and in our relationship.

Windy days can't stop our walks

Covers as blankets on 4moms seats

One thing I have found hard to get used to is how many people stare at you when you are pushing a double stroller through a public place.  No matter where I go, I command attention.  And although it is sweet how many people want to ask you questions and talk with you, it takes patience.  I have found some remedies to make getting out easier but what I stress to you is you MUST get out.  You need to get used to the stares and that you can do this mama!  And what's even better is you can do it alone, with no help, I promise!  Here are some things I've learned over the past few months.


Covers, covers, covers. Every one loves a baby and you've got two.  You are a sweet old lady magnet.  But you do not want people to have direct access to your babies because eww germs.  I invested in pretty covers almost immediately and I keep the boys covered when we are out.  Now I will warn you, there will be people who approach and do not even ask and up goes our Milk Snob cover.  But for the most part, the cover acts as a deterrent.  Milk Snob covers are my recommendation because they come in the cutest patterns and they're protective while also being breathable.


Learn early.  As soon as the boys came home from the hospital, I was determined to get out of the house by myself.  When the boys were about 3 weeks old and Mike was still working from home, I made my decision that it was time.  I packed the diaper bag with all of our necessities and I set out for the mall(about 5 minutes down the road).  Mike called an hour later to check on me because he was sure I would need help at some point.  But I didn't.  If I couldn't figure out how to unfold the stroller or get the car seat out of the car, I just took a deep breath and tried again.  You will always have a moment when you need to step back and breath through it so learn early.  Now I'm a pro and have a routine for loading them.  Stroller out first, then the diaper bag and my coffee, calmest twin at the time in the back, fussier twin in the front, close all doors and we're off.

Mommy hooks.  Mommy hooks will become your second best friend(your first is coffee, no maybe wine, no maybe hand sanitizer).  If I'm heading to Target or the grocery store, I will make sure to bring reusable shopping bags.  You put your reusable bags on your mommy hook, load your items into the bag and then there is no need for a shopping cart or basket! Buy yours here!

Mommy hooks & reusable bags

Plan. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT try to go to more than two places in one trip out where you have to unload and reload your twins.  First, it's a lot on you but it also disrupts them if they're napping and you will end up in the middle of a meltdown in Target.  Make your list of your errands in the morning and plan in which order you will hit each place.  Businesses such as dry cleaners or tailors may be willing to run your items out to the car if you call and ask.  Switch to a pharmacy that has a drive-thru lane.  Go to a grocery store that has mommy with small children parking.

Happy adventuring with your nuggets!

Remember to follow us on insta @mypeasandourpod and snapchat @skryzzz!

It was February 9th.  A Tuesday.  Every Tuesday and Friday for the past few weeks we had been seeing our Maternal Fetal doctor to do a non-stress test.  Today was like any other Tuesday except we were going to see the babies' growth since 32 weeks.  These had become my favorite days.  Mike and I would grab coffee and I would waddle into my appointment.  We would sit through the non-stress test with Mike making jokes the entire time and giving me updates on what the monitor said because it sat behind me.  We would chit chat with the nurses about the babies' room or if we had twins in our family.  We'd usually go out to lunch after and then take a nap in the afternoon.  The morning of February 9th, it was very cold and lightly snowing so I reluctantly put on my Uggs and we called Mike's mom telling her to stay home because we were both nervous about the road conditions.  We'd call after with an update on their growth.

We started the 35 week non-stress test and surprisingly both boys passed.  This is unusual with twins, especially mine, because one will kick or wiggle the monitor off.  We headed into our formal ultrasound to see how the boys measured up.  The tech always checked them quickly on Tuesdays and Fridays but today we were measuring for growth as well.    Campbell looked great but he refused to show us his face.  He was difficult towards the end, he was done with the poking and prodding that occurred so regularly.  Next up Luke.  The tech rolled over Luke who had positioned himself early on up in my ribs folded in half with his feet near his head.   She laughed and said "Well it looks like you'll be having the boys today!"  My head jerked to my left to look at Mike whose face was in shock.  "What do you mean?  Are you sure?" I asked frantically.  I hadn't even packed my hospital bag, it was on my to-do list for that week.  The tech couldn't find a pocket of fluid big enough in Luke's sack but she said the doctor would make the decision.  As soon as she left, I started crying.  I was excited to meet my babies but I wasn't ready.  I didn't have their pictures hung in their room, Turbo was at doggie daycare for his Tuesday visit, and did I mention I hadn't packed a hospital bag!  Our doctor came in a few minutes later with a very somber look on her face.  She has a sarcastic jokey personality so this wasn't making me feel any better.  "Well it looks like you're having your babies today!"  "Ok so I'll run home and grab my hospital bag(I was obsessed with the hospital bag, I know) and get the dog to.." She stopped me.  "Stephanie you need to walk over to the hospital right now, someone else will have to get the bag and take care of the dog.  You need to call your family.  Baby B has no fluid left in his sack and we aren't sure why.  He also really hasn't grown since week 32."  I didn't hear much after that, just a laundry list of disabilities and disorders that she was pretty sure we had avoided.  There was no option of what kind of birth I would be having.  Dr. Delaney would be meeting us in the maternity ward and I would be prepped for a C-section.  

It all happened so fast.  Our families showed up and we figured out our arrangements for the next few days.  Mike told work he officially wouldn't be available for awhile and we called our closest friends to let them know today was the day.  I was taken into the OR without Mike at first so I could get numbed from the chest down and he could scrub in.  I had an unbelievable team taking care of me.  It felt like an eternity until Mike finally walked in and sat down beside my head.    Every part of it did feel like an out of body experience.  There was a mirror angled down from the ceiling across the room and I remember seeing our reflection but refusing to believe that it was us.  We couldn't already be here, about to have two little baby boys.  Dr. Delaney warned us that because of the C-section, the boys may not cry but not to be worried.  But then I heard it, a little scream and they lifted Campbell up over the curtain.  I've never felt the way I did the first time I saw him.  Then exactly one minute later, Mike heard "Well that explains it, the little guy tied a knot in his umbilical cord" and the teeniest little baby was lifted over the curtain. I saw Lukey for the first time and felt the rush of emotion again. Mike relayed what he heard our doctor say but I couldn't comprehend the humungous bullet we just dodged.

Campbell 5 lbs 6 oz

The day the boys were born, I saw them for a total of maybe 15 minutes.  They were taken out of the operating room almost immediately after birth, laying cozily next to each other in an incubator.  I was wheeled to the NICU in a hospital bed about an hour later to visit with my teeny guys.  The first time I touched them, I was allowed to hold them for a few minutes.  I could do skin to skin for a little with each but we all needed our rest.  They needed to be in their heated beds with many wires attached to monitors, keeping a close eye on their vitals.  Before we left, I kissed my hands and laid one on each of their heads.  I had to say goodbye for the night.  I could come back in the morning the nurses reassured me but for now Campbell and Luke needed to sleep and I needed to start pumping.

Lucas 4 lbs 7 oz

I didn't know it yet but we were about to embark on quite the journey in the NICU.  Learning the ins and outs of NICU babies and what that entails.  But at that moment, as we were taken to postpartum, we were happy.  Mike and I were finally Dad and Mom.

Sleep deprivation is no joke.  It's no wonder they use it as a form of torture.  As mentioned in a previous post, Mike and I were switching baby duties after 4 hours of sleep but the boys weren't doing well when I arrived back in our room for my "shift".  Around 2 months, the boys no longer liked sleeping.  They managed to wiggle their little arms out of their swaddles leading to a ton of flailing and waking up.  One day I checked on the boys and Luke had gotten his feet out!  Campbell thought it was great that after our 2:30 AM feed, all he had to do was cry a bit and he could snuggle on my chest until 6 AM.  This routine of no naps and a nightly snuggle buddy went on for a few weeks before something had to give.  I can't get into co-sleeping so I needed Cam in his own bassinet.  I needed them to nap so they could play and exercise those little necks when they were awake.  I needed naps because hey a girl needs a minute to load the dishwasher and maybe shower.  I remembered my barre instructor telling me about this suit she was using with her Cam and I did a little investigating.  I was nervous about buying it but then another friend mentioned that it was what she used with her little girl because she was a terrible sleeper.



I was off to Amazon Prime to buy two Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuits.  I wanted cream because I keep telling myself I'll save all of the boys' stuff for the girl we'll definitely be having(yes I'm already thinking about Baby #3).  Amazon Prime couldn't get it to me in two days though so blue it was!  Sorry future baby girl!  Let me tell you, this suit actually has magical powers.  (Warning: you will laugh uncontrollably the first time you see your baby in this suit and this may continue for several minutes.)  Once I finally stopped giggling, my boys spent a full hour napping in their own cribs before I heard the slightest whimper.  The first night was amazing, sleep from 9-4:30.  For the past two weeks, the boys have adjusted to their new bedtime at 8:30 and they sleep until 5:30-6 AM! I only have the boys in a short sleeve and shorts jammie set at night and sometimes just a diaper for naps because I get worried about them overheating.  I also ordered the cotton version of the suit because we'd be using it mainly in the summer.  Both boys are gaining weight so no dream feeds for us, eating and napping wonderfully, and seem to have a lot more energy for playtime during the day.  This suit would be a great shower gift or for any friend you know struggling to get their baby to sleep! Thank you Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit, we are your biggest fans!

One of the first nights home with Campbell & Luke

Everyone, and I mean everyone, has some piece of advice to give you when they find out you're having a baby.  I didn't meet many twin moms while I was pregnant and the ones I did never prepared me for those first few weeks.  I knew they were going to be hard but I didn't know just how hard.  Advice from my friends was helpful but there is something different about having two newborn babies.  And no one can understand it unless they've been in the trenches with you.  Here are 3 pieces of advice I'd go back and give my pregnant self:

Get sleep.  Not now while you're pregnant which everyone seems to think is a funny joke.  There is no amount of sleep that will help you with newborn twins.  You will be exhausted in a way you have never felt.  Both you and your husband will want to claw each other's eyes out, you will be so sleep deprived.  We were running on fumes and I think my pediatrician could tell when we visited for a weight check after the boys came home from the NICU.  She demanded I sleep at least 4 hours a night because at some point you can not remain sane without getting a solid 4 hours daily.  So I moved myself to the guest room every night after that from 9:30-1:30.  I turned on a sound machine and shut the door so I wouldn't be tempted to go help Mike if the babies were crying.  At 1:30 in the morning, my alarm would go off and Mike and I switched places.  A few days later, I was a different mom.  I wasn't living in a fog dreading the night. I could drive without being in a daze. If you do nothing else, do this.

Get some me time. I remember talking with some moms who said they could never leave their baby with the dad.  Yeah that's crazy when you have twins.  Mike is an awesome dad and I never questioned his ability to take care of the boys solo from day one.  You need to leave for an hour every once and awhile.  It does not make you a bad mom, it makes you an even better mom.  I found a nail salon 3 minutes from my house and once a week I would pop out to get a pedicure or manicure.  I would run to Target or the grocery store.  Our families offered to watch the boys so we could get dinner together.  Luckily, Mike was home for awhile even after we were released from the hospital but use your support group to get some time for yourself.

Pump when the babies are eating. I had to pump all.the.time.  It never stopped.  I could only breastfeed twice out of 8 feedings a day because the boys required extra calories from formula to gain weight and help with brain and bone development.  But I was stupidly feeding them and then pumping.  It took an hour ad half every feeding.  Then my wonderful pediatrician helped me out, again, when I called run down from my schedule.  Her advice makes perfect sense now.  Buy a pumping bra and pump while you feed the twins bottles. Duh!  Maybe this isn't ground breaking advice but I never thought of it.  I made more milk because I was with the boys and I was killing two birds with one stone.  It was life changing. 

Take all or none of my advice.  Remember that everyone will weigh in on your pregnancy and on your babies once they are here.  They mean well but find what makes your day go just a little smoother with your newborn twins.