Mini-vacation to Williamsburg.

Last weekend, Kate and I took the girls on a mini-vacation to Williamsburg. We wound up having a really nice time! I was so pleased. I was a little worried about how the girls would do being off their routine -- and away from any sort of home base for much of the weekend -- but they were troopers. We took the trip so that Kate could take a three-day continuing legal education course in Estate Planning. It seemed like a fun idea to get out of town for a few days!

We left on Friday right at 9AM, so the girls fell asleep pretty quickly and took their morning nap in the car. Grace woke up a little before we stopped for an early lunch, and Zoe actually woke up when we got there, so that worked out well. We stopped and had lunch at a Subway, the girls had their 11:30 bottles and some puffs, and we could do diaper changes and all that. We got into Williamsburg around 12:15, 12:30 and found where Kate's course was located. It turned out to be in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg, which was so cool! We got the girls in the stroller and went inside to get Kate settled and then the three of us walked all around Williamsburg - through Colonial Williamsburg and up to the College of William & Mary and then back. It was really fun! They both dozed for about 45 minutes in the stroller, which was adorable. The girls and I had a little picnic behind the Lodge at one point and they had their 3:30 bottles. I forget when Kate got out, but then we headed to where we were staying to check in.

The place we were staying was pretty nice! We'd found the place through a Living Social. I guess it's normally a timeshare destination. Anyway, it resembled little mini apartment-style condos: our suite had a full kitchen, living room, dining area and two bedrooms - one with a bathroom inside and another with an adjoining bath. It worked out so well! We had a fridge for milk, a dishwasher, a sink for bottle washing... we even made breakfast the first two mornings. The girls had their own room, with a door, so we could close their door and not have to sneak around all evening.

By the time we were in and had all our stuff hauled inside (good lord, we cannot pack light anymore!), it was nearly 6, so we nixed the idea of going out. Kate ran out and picked up Sonic and we gorged on that while the girls ate. All in all, not a bad day! I couldn't believe how good Grace and Zoe were. They loved riding in their stroller and looking at everything. By the end of the day, my fitbit said we'd gone 7+ miles. Not too shabby.

Kate went to her seminar the next day, and the girls and I stayed at the condo. We played and ate and took a walk around the complex. Kate brought us lunch back from The Cheese Shop. Then the four of us went to the nearby Outlets. Wow! They were packed. We had to park far away, which was tough, since we had to Bjorn the girls (stroller won't fit into any shops). We wound up basically just going to Gymboree, Carters, and Osh Gosh. Remember the days when we went shopping for ourselves? Me either! But we found the girls some good summer clothes and used some coupons, so not bad. They were really good, too.

That evening we went from the Outlets to some steak place Kate had read about in one of those restaurant brochures. It was very old-fashioned inside and the waiter looked like he'd been there since the restaurant opened. We were clearly his only customers for quite some time (in his defense, we were eating on the early side) and he would stand right by our table, watching us. The girls were quite the hit with everyone there and they loved the high chairs with actual trays. The food was good, though probably not worth the cost, but it was a fun, amusing experience. We got Sweet Frog after (yes!), took a walk with the girls at home, and then everyone crashed.

Sunday we had to check out, so we were up and packing like mad. Left around 9ish, so the girls slept on the way to the Lodge. Kate went back to her seminar, and I stayed in the car while they slept for a bit. Grace woke up rather early, but she played in her car seat for a while, and I finally got them out of the car and in the stroller around 10:30. We walked around Colonial Williamsburg again and down to Merchant's Square, which was fun. It was very bustling on a Sunday morning. We wound our way back and met Kate as things ended. We ate at Quiznos on our way out of town, fed the girls, and they slept for a good chunk of the trip home. We were probably home by 3 or 3:30.

It was a crazy trip, but I've come to accept that any trip with the girls won't be restful, per se. Still, I was so proud of how good they were and how they adapted on the fly. Plus, we had two days without laundry and didn't have to clean as much, or worry about the cats - it was great. Most of all, I'm proud of us for trying. Sometimes it's just good to get out of the house.

Here are some pics from the trip. You can find all the photos here.
Colonial Williamsburg


Colonial Sheep


Zoe was so in love with the sheep. She's trying to get out and get them in this photo


Happy in their stroller


Picnic time


It's great fun traveling with two pack and plays!


At the Outlets


Eating Out (Z)


Eating Out (G)


Ready to walk on Sunday


~Kristy

Three months old!

I simply cannot believe that the girls are now three months old (as of October 16th)! When did this happen? Where has time gone?


The girls seem to grow and change every minute. Their personalities are still so different and distinct. Grace started "talking" first and has been chattering away ever since. Her stomach issues have eased up slightly and she is a much more cheerful baby (though she certainly has a set of lungs). She is smiling like crazy and loves to turn her head and flirt and smile at you (or anyone who comes into her frame of reference). She is still a great eater and a good cuddler, though she is very insistent on sitting up now. She likes to sit in your lap and look around the room. She seems to be taking it all in. She is big enough to sit in her Bumbo, as well. Yesterday, she rolled over half way, so we think the full roll won't be too far behind.

Zoe caught up with Grace quickly on the talking and smiling, and she's just so adorable. Kate calls her smile the "goofy grin," which is very apt. She is a big talker now, and is generally a tad lower in decibels than Grace, with the exception of the occasional shriek. She is still a very content and easygoing baby, who typically only tends to cry when she's hungry (knock on wood). She is also able to sit in her Bumbo and likes to sit on your lap and look around, though perhaps not quite as much as her sister. She has been eating much more lately and seems to be growing like a weed.

I cannot remember when they started sleeping in their cribs, but they are regular night crib sleepers now. They are doing pretty well with falling asleep in the evening. The nights themselves seem to be hit or miss. They wake fairly often and cry, which is a change from the past, but hopefully they are maturing through that. We've had a few "good nights" lately, so we shall see. They are still getting up to eat around 1 or 2 am each night and then are back awake between 6:30 and 7:30 am.

We went to the beach at the end of September, which was very fun. The girls were amazingly good on the car ride, with only a few crying spells from Gracie. We stopped once each way to feed them and they really were troopers. The beach itself was great -- we got in lots of walks to the beach and into the town of Duck. We are looking forward to next year when the girls are more aware of their surroundings. At the beach they also started facing forward in their Bjorns. This is really fun -- they seem to be able to take in so much more when facing forward!

We had a lovely weekend this past weekend. The girls' Aunt Nicole & Aunt Katy came for a visit and we went up to Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival, which is a big festival about 40 minutes from our house. We had a great time. The girls slept through their first hayride, while us adults got to eat a lot of good food and browse all the vendors. It was a lovely day and the trees were absolutely gorgeous. We're so glad that Nicole and Katy live in Maryland now and can be a part of the girls' lives. Kate and I also love seeing them and catching up on what's happening with them.

I returned to work a couple of weeks ago, which has been difficult, but has gone well. I certainly miss Grace and Zoe while I'm gone, but I'm lucky that I have Kate and my Mom to care for them while I'm away. My employer is also very flexible and has been letting me work from home on Wednesdays, which is really nice, as I get a chance to see more of them on those days.

Overall, time just seems to fly by. I spent this past Sunday sorting through the girls' clothes -- we had to bring down the 6 - 9 month bag for Grace! I already have two big bags full of clothing they've outgrown (and that doesn't count what we've already donated back). I look at the pictures of them as babies and am just floored by how they grow. I feel so incredibly lucky to be their mother, and I couldn't ask for two better kids.

Three Months!


Us at the beach


13 weeks in their Bumbos


Smiles all around




Sleeping Grace


Watchful Zoe


At the Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival



We took about a million pictures of the girls at the beach, so if you're bored and have a few hours (haha, joking, sort of), you can find them all here.

Pictures of Grace and Zoe from October can be found here on flickr.

A Place in the World: Grace and Zoe's Birth Story

I’m not sure where to start with Grace and Zoe’s birth story, so I shall start with the day when we discovered when they would be born (if that makes any sense). The doctors had already scheduled a C-section for the girls on July 27th at the end of my 38th week, since both were breech (feet down). However, when we went to an ultrasound appointment on July 3, we were in for a bit of a surprise. My bloodwork had come back elevated, showing signs of cholestasis of the pregnancy, a liver/gallbladder issue that could eventually affect the babies. Because of that, the doctors told us, they were moving up the day to July 16th. We suddenly had less than two weeks to go.

I remember calling parents and friends to relay the news. But the enormity of the date didn’t really hit me until that evening in bed. I would meet my girls in two weeks – it felt like I’d been waiting for this moment for years.


The Night Before

Leading up to the 16th, I had problems sleeping at night. I wasn’t worried; I was excited (and, let’s face it, I was huge and unable to move around in bed without much effort). On the 15th, our friends Nicole and Katy arrived for a visit. They would be staying at our house to take care of our cats while we were in the hospital. Their company and distraction was wonderful. Kate’s parents stopped by and we all had pizza. After they left, we chatted with Nicole and Katy and played Wii games. Before I knew it, it was time to go to bed. I sat in bed most of the night, wondering how things would go. I couldn’t believe how much my life would have changed by the next day. I agonized over the spinal block and the IV (yes, those were my worries!), but most of all, I worried about the girls. Would they be big enough? Would they be healthy? I felt my stomach constantly to ensure they were moving. It was bizarre to think it was our last night “together.”



The Morning Of
Early morning arrived (not quickly), and I had slept very little. It took us little time to prepare –we had been packing our bags and getting ready for months. Now it was finally the big day. I said goodbye to the cats – the hardest part of the morning. Not sure if they understood that much would change for all of us. We said goodbye to Nicole and Katy, gathered our bags, and were off. The ride to the hospital went by amazingly quickly.



We parked in the parking garage and just walked into the hospital – one of the most surreal moments of my life. When I pictured having children – in an abstract sense – I always pictured a panicked rush to and in the hospital, with labor pains and all that jazz. Instead, we walked right up to the Labor and Delivery unit of Martha Jefferson Hospital and announced we were here for a scheduled C-section.

Our nurse for the morning came up, introduced herself, and took us back to a post-partum room where we would prepare for the C-section and then settle after the procedure. Everything still felt surreal; I was nervous, but mainly about the medical aspects. I’d never even spent a night in the hospital. However, the nurse was friendly and walked us through what would happen that morning. She hooked up my IV (one part I’d been dreading – only took two tries) and got us all prepared. Of course, by then, we’d received the announcement that they were backed up in the OR. We’d be waiting a little bit longer. We turned on the TV to the Today show, which was featuring an interview with a woman who’d given birth to twins and then contracted a life threatening flesh-eating bacteria. Comforting.



My Aunt Mare, who works at Martha Jefferson in Labor & Delivery, came by – she had generously offered and arranged to be in the OR with us during the C-section. Just knowing she would be there – for me and the babies – made me feel better. She talked with us and walked us through a few more things.

Before I knew it, it was time. We walked (well, I lumbered) down the lengthy corridors of MJ’s lovely Labor and Delivery Unit to the OR (seriously, their hospital is gorgeous ). Another extremely surreal moment. Once there, Kate was asked to wait outside for a bit while I was prepped. I was sad to leave her and grateful my aunt was there.

The OR
In the OR, I met the many nurses and doctors who would be helping with the girls’ birth. The anesthesiologist was a very calming woman who helped me feel more at ease, along with the other folks in the room – including the many nurses there for the girls, their pediatrician, and the doctor, Dr. Porter, who would be performing the procedure. I was prepped and given the spinal block – nothing I care to endure again – but less horrible than I expected. I immediately began to feel the effects of the anesthesia: talk about strange. The curtain was put up, Kate was brought in, and it was time to begin.

It was the most amazing and weird feeling to know the doctor was preparing to bring out our girls. Suddenly – and it seemed so quick to me – Dr. Porter was pulling out Grace. Someone held her up, and I couldn’t believe how big she was. People were saying she was nearly 7 lbs. She wasn’t crying until they put her in her little station to be checked. The doctors were laughing that she came out pooping. And then, almost immediately, they were holding up a crying Zoe (who also came out pooping), who looked smaller, but so cute.

Everything was a whirl then, as everyone started checking out the babies. They were so quick to reassure us that they were OK. Before I knew it, they were plopped down on my chest for me to see before they were whisked away to the nursery. It was the most magical moment to look into the eyes of my tiny little daughters. They seemed so small and yet so big. I remember Zoe’s little squished face and open, watchful eyes, and Grace’s amazing lips and sleepy eyes. I couldn’t believe how healthy and happy they seemed. I couldn’t believe they’d both fit inside me! We told the people in the rooms their first names – something that had been kept a secret for so long – and suddenly my daughters were here, being called by name, and present in this world. So amazing.









Before I knew it, they were gone, along with Kate, to the nursery, while I was “fixed back up.” My Aunt Mare was there to hold my hand. People came back in to tell me how big the girls were and that they were doing amazing, with great Apgar scores (9 for both). Grace weighed 6 lbs, 14 oz (20 inches long) and Zoe weighed 5 lbs, 11 oz (19.5 inches long). It was such a comforting feeling – all I had ever wanted was for them to be healthy. Aunt Mare headed off to tell the family everything was okay and then returned. Soon, all was done, and I was headed to the recovery room.

Recovery Room
The main thing I remember from the recovery room was how happy everyone was. When Kate finally came back, she was beaming. Aunt Mare was also beaming. All the nurses were so happy and telling me how healthy the twins were. Suddenly, they were wheeled back, and there they were – my girls. I couldn’t believe they came from me, that I had helped make them. They were beautiful little miracles.

The nurses helped me and Kate figure out how to nurse the girls and before I knew it, they were both nursing simultaneously (tandem nursing). The nurses were aflutter at how rare this was. I just couldn’t believe it – I felt like I was getting everything I’d ever wanted. I was also able to drink a little water and ginger ale – I had been parched since last night! I kept willing my legs to move and for the anesthesia to wear off so I could return to my post-partum room and introduce our family to the babies. It seemed to take forever, but soon, it was time. We were on the way to the next phase of our life.



Back In Room 3042
Once back in our room with the babies, the family was told they could come back. The grandparents arrived first – my Mom, my Dad and stepmom, and Kate’s parents. They were introduced to the girls for the first time and told their names – Grace Butler Hamilton and Zoe Katrina Hamilton. Grace was named after my Dad’s mom, one of the most peaceful and kind souls I’ve ever met, while her middle name is a family name in Kate’s mom’s family. Zoe was a name we simply liked, picked out once we knew we were having twin girls. We chose it randomly and never deviated – she was Zoe immediately, even in the womb. Her middle name, Katrina, was chosen after my dear cousin, Trina, who passed away in 2006 and was one of my best friends.

Watching my parents and Kate’s parents interact with the babies was one of the best moments of my life. No one had known the names, and I loved watching their reactions. I had always feared I would miss this moment while in the recovery room or OR, but Mare and my whole family helped make it possible that I was there for it. Each of their faces was filled with joy and amazement. I couldn’t help but watch my Mom closely, my dear Mom, who was a first (and second) time Gram on this day. My Mom, who retired from her job just to help care for these girls. It was wonderful. I felt so blessed.

Soon Nicole could come back, along with my Uncle John, and the room was filled with family and friends. Later, my Aunt Peg and Uncle Len would visit as well. It was clear that these little girls’ lives would be filled with love forever.







The Rest of the Day
The rest of the day would take a sudden turn, when I realized that I felt like I was bleeding profusely. The room was filled with happy family members and friends, and I was scared to upset anyone. I caught the eye of my Aunt Mare and called her over. Before I knew it, the room was emptied of people. Nurses descended on me. It would turn out that I was having terrible post-partum hemorrhaging. It was such an awful feeling. I remember feeling covered in sweat, with my hearing going out, and fearing the worst. The doctor was running worse case scenarios with me, and I was completely panicked. I kept looking up at my daughters and worrying, yet drawing comfort from their sleepy faces.

But, I was lucky to be in the hands of amazing doctors and nurses. My uterus – stretched to its max by two babies – was having problems contracting back down, and as a result, I was passing blood and clots. I was given medicine to help the contracting, along with other things. I remember the doctors continually feeling my uterus – stomach area – to see what it was doing and experiencing the worst pain ever. It was agony. Much of the rest of that day was a blur.

As a result of the blood loss, I was weaker than after a usual C-section and unable to get out of bed, and as a result, my vision for things after my daughters were born changed dramatically. I would be able to nurse them, but that was about it. My poor, dear, amazing wife was the one getting up to change the diapers, fetch the babies, and care for them. Eventually, in the days to come, she would be the one to help me slowly around the room. I don’t know what I would have done without her quiet calm and amazing caregiving abilities. I drew my strength from her and the girls…



And there you go. July 16th: the day my life changed forever—but only for the better. It was a long time coming, but they were worth every bit of the wait.

I love you, Grace and Zoe. Mama is so glad you’re here.
~Kristy