Kansas City

In my last blog, I mentioned the girls and I spent a week in KC. It was such a fabulous time. We were able to catch up with some family and friends, attend a NICU reunion and I was even able to attend a wedding of one of my sweet friends from high school. 

On Saturday, the girl and I (and my mom!) went to the girls NICU reunion. We had such a great time and we were able to see so many people who are near and dear to our heart. Going through time in the NICU is full of emotional ups and downs (I'm tearing up as I write this). No one really knows what it's like unless you have gone through it with your children. But, one thing that really made it a little easier on us was that we had the most fabulous nurses. Seriously, it made all the difference. On the day I had to leave the hospital and my sweet girls had to stay, I was a wreck. Austin had already had to go back to work (it was about a week after the girls were born) so I went to say good bye to Kate and Grace and I lost it. Their nurse for the day came over and hugged me and told me that she promised that she wouldn't take them on their first pony ride or take them to the zoo. She said all she was going to  do was make sure they ate, slept and pooped. While it was so silly, it was just what I needed. After we were discharged, the girls got admitted to Children's and one of the nurse practioners found out about it and called me to see how the girls and I were doing. We weren't even at the same hospital. They were seriously the best. All of this to say, it was such a treat and joy to see these wonderful people again. 

These were some of our great nurses!

We got to see a lot of family in KC as well. The girls are really starting to go through seperation anxiety, so we had a little trouble with that while we were there. But, for the most part, they did excellent with the people coming in and out of their day. 

The girls with Austin's parents

The girls with their cousin Annalise. They LOVE her!

Finally, I was able to go to an old friends wedding. It was the first time since the girls were born that I have really just to go out with girl friends without them and it was a blast. I laughed so hard. It was good for the soul. 

The best part of KC? Hanging with my mom. She's the best, and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful relationship with her! I can only hope I have the same kind of relationship with my sweet girls!

Two Weeks

Guest Post: Aunt Kristen

Day Two.

Two Weeks.

These last two weeks have been quite the experience. I have learned how to successfully sleep through the sound of crying babies, how to successfully catch excessive amounts of spit up, and the best possible way to put a onesie on a squirming baby. I am a huge sucker for family time and my favorite role in life is being an aunt. I was so excited to spend two weeks with Sara, Austin, and the girls, and although I knew it would be an exhausting two weeks, it was completely worth it. And as hard as it may be to go home, I am extremely excited to plop down in my bed. 

The first time I saw the girls, I could not believe how big they had gotten. It had been about six weeks since my last visit, and they had gained about two pounds each. Also, since I had seen the girls last, they had started babbling, flipping over, holding their babies, and "helping" us hold their bottles. It's amazing to see the girls grow and develop and I am so proud to be their aunt. 

Chicago has also been an experience in itself. Kansas City is not quite the same as Chicago..and so it was a bit of an adjustment coming to the city for two weeks. There are certain things that I am not quite used to (like walking instead of driving or going 30 mph on the freeway) but I have become as accustomed to as possible. 

Another adjustment that I have made is helping out with two babi/es. One baby is a handful...two babies are two handfuls. So, the fact that I have two hands and two arms has been quite a great thing for the Hey family. It's so different going out in public with the girls. I understand that the girls are cute and I understand that people think that twins are rare (which is really not true...these days, twins are a 1 to 33 ratio to just one kiddo) and I understand that they are fun to look at...but what I don't understand is people stopping us while we are out and about, trying to live our lives and marveling at the fact that there are two children in the stroller instead of one. Yes. It is awesome that there are two babies, but you do not need to tickle their feet and ask about them. This could be more tolerable if it only happened once a day, but this is not the case. Every time we go out, at least one person stops us every five minutes. It is not only obnoxious but is also extremely uncomfortable. 

Despite the awkward conversations with strangers, the excessive amounts of spit up, and the dirty diapers, I have had a blast these last two weeks. I have loved every minute here and wouldn't trade these two weeks for anything.

Aunt Kristen and Grace (NICU days)

Aunt Kristen and Kate (NICU days)