1000 Words

1000 Words

And 

Happy World Breastfeeding Week 2020

Front Porch Pictures

Recently we were fortunate enough to actually have two batches of Front Porch Pictures taken... which is a story in and of itself.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from my favorite batch:

World Breastfeeding Week

Every August I realize through Facebook and Instagram that apparently World Breastfeeding Week is going on.

 Photo by Simply Blessings Photography

 

I was able to breastfeed all of my children until near or beyond their first birthdays, and it was great.

That being said, I've never really felt the need for World Breastfeeding Week.  I scored one free photo shoot last year with Lee Lee and myself because I was a breastfeeding mother (not the one pictured) but other than that, the week is just like any other.

That being said, many women take the chance this week to share their success with breastfeeding.  They share their pride with sticking with it and breastfeeding for some length of time.  They share their struggles but determination to do what was best for their baby and how amazing the triumph feels.  Then, in the next sentence they add a disclaimer that any way you feed your baby is okay as long as you baby is fed.

You know, during Black History Month, I don't spend the month stating how great the Whites in History are.  I have no problem with acknowledging those who are Black and have done great things in history without needing to pacify other races during that month.

When friends of mine cross the finish line for a triathlon, or marathon, they write on social media about how hard the training was and how much support they received from their family and how amazing the victory feels.  They don't they say, "But if you play tennis, you're still a good athlete," or "Don't feel bad if you can't run a marathon, as long as you're healthy you should feel good too."  No.  These athletes have worked incredibly hard for something, and they are taking a minute to acknowledge their hard work and dedication on a day of victory.

Breastfeeding should be no different.  If there's going to be a World Breastfeeding Week, then women would be allowed to take a minute to acknowledge the hard work and dedication and pain and determination to stick with breastfeeding.  They should be allowed to thank the people who supported them and helped make this possible.  They should be allowed to celebrate the victory without pacifying anyone else.

Well done, Breastfeeding Mamas!  Keep up the great work.

 Photo by Simply Blessings Photography

 

Fun to Find

I don't know who took this picture (probably Tracey) but it sure was fun to find on my phone.  :-D

 

Just The Beginning

I suppose my finding fun pictures taken by my girls on my phone is just beginning...

Here are some I found the other day taken by Caroline and Tracey...

Great Autumn Saturday

Yesterday was such a great autumn Saturday.  Very busy but our kiddos held up through everything, which is a nice change from what would have been the same Saturday one year ago.

I saw almost none of the Michigan game... but they beat Maryland!  Yay!

I start most days with a morning workout... and I always text a picture to my mom as accountability.  So, here was my picture from Saturday morning's workout.  I'm not very good at handstand kicks.

 

The kids and I walked in the Carbondale Potato Days Parade with the kid's school, and Hubby was doing a work event back in Rifle, so it was an accomplishment for the kids and me to walk in the parade without Daddy.

 After the parade, we came back to Rifle and found that NO kiddos were going to nap because they fell asleep for about 30 minutes in the car.

So, our fall family photo shoot was supposed to be around 5:30pm... but with no children napping, and rain in the forecast for the evening, we bumped up our photo shoot and took the kids to a park to smile for family pictures and enjoy the beautiful fall colors.

 Then, we went to a friend's baby shower where our kids (despite nearly no naps) had a blast playing with friends and ate a great dinner.

Then, we got home right as the rain arrived, changed everyone into our pajamas and enjoyed a family movie together in the family room.  Well, Hubby and Tracey enjoyed a movie in the twins enjoyed about 10 minutes of the movie and then got into mischief for the rest of the time -- and I played traffic cop and tried to entertain Addallee.

But, the truth was, it was a great fall Saturday made perfect by the cool 58* high and scattered showers.

 

Howard's Photography

When Howard exercises his photography skills, we never really know what we'll be getting.

 

Christmas Greetings

Christmas Greetings to you and your family from our Crazy Mountain Miller Crew.

Our Christmas Letter 2016:

What a crazy start to the year we had this year as Chris insisted on driving me to the hospital in the wee hours of January 1^st, New Years Day morning.  It’s a good thing he did so, because our twins were born a few short hours later – Howard at 8:41am, and Caroline at 8:45am.  They were the first babies born in our county in 2016, and were even featured in the local newspaper.

After that very eventful start to the year, we have pretty much been in a crazy place ever since then.  When I think back on this year, I’m surprised at how much of it I don’t remember given that I’m pretty sure I’ve been awake for most of it.

Our rambunctious Tracey Ann is almost three and loves being a big sister.  She keeps Howard and Caroline in check and is very quick to inform Mama of any mischief “Howlard” and “Airoline” are doing.  She is such a little chatterbox and likes to pretend she is a doctor or a cook.  She has been attending a Montessori toddler program a few mornings a week for almost a year and is thriving.

Our little Caroline Christine is such a sweetheart.  She is very social and loves new people.  She adores her brother and sister, and our animals, Lexie and Lloyd.  She has so much fun keeping up with Howard and Caroline, and can walk around pushing toys.  She also loves to laugh.

As our only boy, Howard James, has his hands full with his two sisters.  He makes it his goal to try to keep up with Tracey, try to look out for Caroline, and keep a skeptical eye on any new person in our midst.  He climbs on everything possible, and loves to explore -- cupboards, drawers, boxes, rooms and more.

We wish you, our dear friends a very Merry Christmas a joyful holiday season.  Truly, this is such a special and miraculous time of year.  Christmas joy and traditions have been so much fun the past few years with our daughter, Tracey, and this year, the laughter and smiles and chaos is multiplied with eleven-month-olds, Howard and Caroline joining in the fun.

We have been so blessed this year to watch our three healthy children grow and learn together and become happy close siblings.  As we thank God for our beautiful children, we are so very thankful that God sent His own son to earth as a baby to be our savior through His death on the cross.

Twins -- One Month

The twins are one month old... or they were about two weeks ago.  So I have to do this post quickly before they're suddenly two months and these facts are obsolete.

Weight: 

Unofficially, my estimation is that

Howard is about 7 and a half pounds, and

Caroline is almost 7 pounds

Length:  

Howard was 20.25 inches at birth... and he's on the verge of growing out of newborn sleepers... so he's probably longer now

Caroline was 18.5 inches at birth, and she is definitely longer now too, although she still has a little room to grow in her newborn sleepers, so she's not quite as tall as Howard.

Clothing size: 

Howard and Caroline are in newborn sleepers, but depending on the sleeper, Howard has grown out of a few.  Caroline is still in newborn sleepers, but she is filling them out more every day, which is wonderful to see.

 

Eating:  

Both babies have eaten nothing but my breastmilk... but they eat both at the breast and through bottles -- which, I've got to say, is a little complicated, but the most important thing is that both twins are eating only breastmilk... it is less important how they get it so long as that is all they're eating.  Sometimes they eat every three hours... sometimes more often.

For the first month, the pattern of feeding from my perspective was as follows:

One baby nurses for 20 minutes

The second baby nurses for 20 minutes

Mama pumps breastmilk for 20 minutes

The pattern of feeding from the perspective of a baby was:

20 minutes of nursing with Mama

Being burped by Grammie, Papa or Daddy

Eating another 10-30 ccs (mls) via bottle given by Grammie, Papa or Daddy

Another round of being burped by Grammie, Papa, or Daddy

Diaper change

... by the time the first baby was done with his/her bottle, the second baby was done nursing and ready to be burped and bottled.

Feedings generally take about 75-90 minutes at minimum.

Sleeping:  

 Howard and Caroline sleep in a double bassinet in our bedroom and are usually swaddled, and wearing a hats.  Following a feeding, they usually sleep about two hours.

 

New things/discoveries: 

• Howard and Caroline are doing more every day -- trying to keep their pacifiers in their mouths
• Tracking better with their eyes
• Cuddling up next to one another when we lay them near each other
• Nuzzling up to my cheek when they're letting me know that they are hungry
• Howard was circumcised this month
• They have had quite a few baths... more then their messy diapers do not stay in their messy diapers (we have had this much more often with both Howard and Caroline than we ever did with Tracey Ann)
• Going with Mama and Grammie to drop Tracey Ann off at preschool
• Both were dedicated at church when they were 9 days old because both sets of grandparents were in town that weekend

  New Accomplishments: 

• Wrapping Mama, Daddy, and their grandparents around their baby fingers
• It was a big accomplishment for them both to be gaining weight and for me to establish and maintain a milk supply enough to nourish both twins
• Howard had a high bilirubin level before we left the hospital, which necessitated our staying in the hospital two additional days... it was a huge accomplishment to have those levels back in a safe zone and stay down thereafter

 

Likes: 

• Being held
• Being burped
• Pacifiers
• Nursing
• Bottles
• Being held cheek-to-cheek while I say "Shhhhh" right in their ear

 

 

Dislikes:

• Being hungry
• Spitting up
• Cold diaper wipes
• Howard did not like the 24 hours following his circumcision -- he was very sore

 

  Places They Went:

•  Carbondale
• Grand Junction
• Church
• Doctors' offices

Special Memories:

• Honestly... they're being born is a really special memory that I will be trying to recount from my perspective soon... born New Year's Day, before the Michigan game, unmedicted labor and delivery... and two healthy babies
• 3am feedings with Grammie and Papa
• Daddy and grandparents being able to give bottles and participate in feedings
• Tracey Ann adjusting to life as a big sister and responding whenever one is crying.  She will say, "He's Crying" and run over to the crib where the baby is
• Learning how to treat a circumcision in the immediate aftermath
• Seeing Caroline in Tracey Ann's hand-me-down sleepers
• Getting to buy little boy clothes for Howard
• Watching the two of them nestle together while they're sleeping
• Getting newborn and family pictures taken when they were one week old

Nicknames:

• Howard
• Baby Howard
• Mister
• Buddy
• Doc
  

• Caroline
• Sweet Caroline
• Sweetheart