Month 1

I have been trying to find time catch this blog up, and finally they are both asleep at the same time so I am going to give it a shot!!!! Presently Graham & Liza (who will be referred to as G & L in the remainder of the blog) are 1 month 3 weeks and 3 days old, but this post is going to cover the first month of their life...what I can remember of it!!! I have thought it over and a monthly post seems doable with some random posts in between! I hope to include pictures and also a little section at the end of each blog to cover the most frequently asked questions, my personal thoughts on motherhood (more like my confessions), and other tidbits on what is going on in the Saas household!!! So here we go!

The first month is nothing but a blur to Chad and I.....as I mentioned in the last post the sleep deprivation is unimaginable and no matter what you think you are prepared for, simply you are not prepared at all! The first month was spent doing the basics eating, sleeping (babies, not parents), pooping, peeing, changing, and bathing then REPEATING! For me, my main focus was feeding G & L, breastfeeding is TOUGH, don't let anyone tell you any different. But, it is doable even with twins!!! Liza was a little more sluggish than Graham and didn't gain weight as quickly which was a little concerning, but by week 4, all three of us got the hang of it and life was much better at week 4 than week 1.

G & L's first month brought about a few of the many firsts that they will experience this first year!

Their first game! WVU men's basketball's appearance in the Final
Four for the first time in 50+ years and their 2 newest fans were ready to cheer them on complete with their "Huggy Bears"


Their first Easter!




Lots of crying took place during the first month!!!! First pic is Graham, Second Liza!

They also did a lot of growing their first month! I don't have pictures of their trip to the doctor (it is a bit chaotic when we are there) but at their 1 month appointment Graham weighed 9 lbs 8 oz (birth wt was 6lbs3oz) and Liza was 7lbs 15 oz(birth weight 5lbs 3oz), I am a bad mom and didn't record nor do I remember their lengths : (

Now for my favorite part of the blog just a list of random thoughts that I have had during the first month!

I'll start with frequently asked questions by friends, family members and strangers!

Are they identical? No they have different plumbing! (I don't really respond this way)

Is having two babies harder than one? Don't know we've never had just one baby!!!

Are they twins? Ummmm yeah, I don't think it is humanely possible to have babies that close in age...(again not my real response)

Now some random thoughts
Both Chad and I talk to G & L like they are adults and like they understand what we say here is a few examples:

Graham is a little more high maintenance than Liza! He and I have "talks" all the time! I tell him that he must not of got the memo that he is a twin and is expected to have a little more patience than the average baby!

Chad has "talks" with them both when they are crying or fussing and tells them that he is "disappointed in their behavior" or that "their behavior is unacceptable"

My newest accessory is baby spit, my kids can spit up with the best of them!

I am pretty certain that my son thinks he is a dog and needs to mark his territory by peeing on everything, when you take his diaper off...take cover! He has peed on me, Chad, the wall, the head board of our bed..you name it he has peed on it!

In time your body does adjust to its new sleep pattern or lack there of!

A few confessions: I have done things that are no-nos...for instance the first few weeks they slept on bobby pillows. I have left them laying on the bed or changing table unattended to run to get what ever supply I am missing. I am sure their are more I just don't remember, but the point is they survived!

Finally here is a pic of their one month birthday!!!!


Well there you have it month one complete and we all lived to tell about it!!!

The BIG day!!!

Well this post is a LONG time coming....I have been a tad bit busy over the past month, but wanted desperately to get back to blogging!!! So here is the story!

The last time I posted I was 36 weeks and waiting for something, anything to happen! I had been so fixated on getting to 36 weeks that I thought once I got there I would magically go into labor...didn't happen!

At 36 weeks and 6 days I woke up early not feeling well, went into the doctor and my blood pressure was elevated which bought me and overnight stay in the hospital, all testing was normal and we returned home with a plan of delivering at 38 weeks!

On Saturday 3/27 I attended one of my best friend's bridal shower and then watched with great excitement as the WVU Men's Basketball Team beat Kentucky advancing to them to the final four!!! On the way home from watching the game I started feeling stronger contractions than I had felt previously, and didn't sleep particularly well that night! Things stayed the same the next morning, I was uncomfortable, but not what I imagined labor to feel like, and again I didn't feel well! After some coaxing from my nurse friends on L & D we made the trek to the hospital! My BP again was high, my cervix was 2 cm and very high, my doctor was there and he and I made the decision that it was time to meet these two! We decided to deliver via C-Section as my blood pressure was high and it appeared that inducing labor may take to long!!!

Soooo.... on March 28, 2010 at 12:13pm Graham Thomas Saas was born and one minute later at 12:14 Liza Dare Saas was here!!! Graham weighed in at 6lbs 2oz and Liza at 5lbs 3oz, both healthy and beautiful!!!

Here are some random thoughts that I have regarding pregnancy, delivery, and going from a husband/wife family to the parents of two newborns:

First I am so proud of myself for carrying twins to term with little to no complications....in the beginning I didn't think it was possible!

I was scared to death of surgery, I had never had an IV as an adult...neither were as bad as I imagined!

I had the best team taking care of me!!! Everyone one from Dr. Shon Rowan and the nurses (all of which I am lucky enough to also call my friends), to the anesthesia team, and surgical techs....were the absolute best!

As with anyone who becomes a Mom for the first time I often wonder what I did with all of my time before!

I'm not to proud to admit that there was a part of me the grieved for my previous simple life and also would look at my two beautiful babies and think to myself if there was only ONE things might be a little easier...not that I would give one or both back...just both thoughts that have crossed my mind at one point or another!

Multitasking has taken on a whole new meaning...I can hold two babies at once, I can feed two babies at once, I can feed one baby while changing the other! I'm talented!!!

Not that I didn't before but I truly believe now that God only gives you what you can handle and not an ounce more...there have been multiple times that I have thought to myself I can't take another second of crying and magically the babies have stopped!



Chad is AWESOME!!! An awesome husband and and even better DAD! (He stood and watched the whole surgery)

Being a patient in general is tough, I don't really ever want to experience that again! I would much rather be taking care of patients then being one!

No matter how much you think you know your life is going to change when you become a mom.....you really have NO CLUE! Especially when it involves becoming a mom twice over in a matter of minutes!

The Baby Blues are REAL....I cried at the drop of a hat in those first few weeks!!! And I still have my moments!

Breastfeeding is hard...matter of fact I think it is the hardest thing I have ever done...but I guess anything worth doing isn't easy!

Sleep is overrated...really it isn't I'm just telling myself that!

We have awesome family and friends...they have made sure we were fed and had rest or anything else that we may have needed!

I now know unconditional love...not that I don't love Chad unconditionally...loving your children is different!

And now a few pictures (these uploaded in reverse order), first in our carseats going home, with our WVU hats gearing up for the FINAL FOUR, our first family photo, and the last pic (ever) of me pregnant!!!







I will do a post of our first month at home hopefully this week!

36 weeks and waiting patiently

This past Wednesday marked the 36th week of this pregnancy! It is so crazy to think that I have spent so much time willing the babies to stay inside and grow, and now I am cautiously willing them to make their way out!

Our last measurements on them was approximately 2 weeks ago and there was a combined 10lbs of baby in there! Both of them estimated to be around 5 lbs.

Last week Baby B(girl) decided to do a little flip flop and was breech. This totally shocked me, first that I didn't feel a 5 lb. baby move, and second that a 5 lb baby was able to completely switch positions while sharing space with another 5 lb baby!
So...last weekend was spent doing multiple stretching exercise/yoga poses to encourage her to return to a "head down" position. I'm not sure it was due to the exercises/yoga poses but she did indeed reposition herself to being head down, and do believe I felt the second flip and it wasn't pleasant, I actually contemplated if the discomfort I was having at the time was the beginnings of labor!

I'm really glad that spring is here...it does feel like it has been a long winter!

And....I cannot forget to mention the 2010 Big East Champion Mountaineer Basketball team! How exciting was that???? Last year Chad and I went to NYC and watched the Big East Tournament which was a blast, but for obvious reasons were unable to attend this year! Let me tell you, if those come down to the wire, nail biting games didn't send me into labor....nothing will! Here's hoping for 6 more wins so that my babies can say they were born days before WVU won it's first National Championship!

A few pics below of my belly @ 36 weeks..




A little blurry but a pic of Wells and the BE Championship trophy!!!!

33 weeks...The countdown is ON!!!

Well I'll start this post as I do every other.....33 weeks where has the time gone????

The babies could be here in approximately a month....that is pure craziness!

Things are going well, many people have been asking for "belly pics" so I will post some at the end of the post....all I can say about my stomach is that it may need it's own zip code! Most people tell me that I am not "big", but I feel "big" and I feel as if it grows by the second!

At last ultrasound, which I believe was at about 30 weeks, the babies were estimated to weigh around 3lbs a piece!!!

Here are some tidbits since my last post and then I will end with some pictures!

-I failed my one hour glucose test (a test for diabetes of pregnancy for all those non medical people) and I thought it was the end of the world and had a complete meltdown, (I truly didn't want to be a diabetic, Chad says I had a meltdown b/c I don't like to fail things, he has a point)...the good news I then passed the 3 hour so I don't have gestational diabetes. (I included this for my own humor later on when I look back at these posts)!

-New job is going GREAT...I love it!

-I have had a baby shower and our house now looks like Babies-R-Us!!! It is unbelievable that such little people require so much stuff...our friends, family, and co-workers were so generous with their gifts!!! We truly appreciate them all!

-I have this since of urgency to have everything done around the house....can we say "nesting"????

-I can't complain one bit about this pregnancy, knock on wood so far I have sailed right on through...although in the last few days I think pregnancy is getting the best of me! My pelvis feels as if it is going to split apart, my feet have been a little swollen at the end of the day, my rings are getting tight, and at times when I talk it sounds as if I am out of breath! I'm not complaining just stating the facts...and I know that there are plenty of women out there who have it a lot worse than me and for that I am thankful!

-We are anxiously awaiting their arrival, first of all to know that they are safe and healthy and second I am so curious to see them!!!!

-I have finally finished knitting both blankets...now on to hats!

Okay pics below, the first set (tank top) are the most recent I was in between 32-33 weeks and the second set (blue scrub pants) I was 31 weeks

24, 25, 26, 27, & 28 wks

Whoaaaaa!!!! This is an all time record for me ignoring this blog!!! The last time I posted I was soooo happy to be hitting the 24 week mark and I was setting my sights on 28 weeks!!! Well....28 weeks is now only a few days away! UNBELIEVABLE! So now my new goal is 32 weeks (I really am taking it day by day, but the 4 week marks are like major milestones to me!)

Many things have been happening since the last post....the babies are super active! Last night I swear they were having a ping pong match, one would move and then the other and this went on for at least 45 minutes....not to mention it was 4 AM! I guess they have already studied up on Newton's Laws of Motion "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"!!! Not only are they moving like crazy, but I am starting to be able to tell body parts that are hitting me, Baby A's (Boy) foot is and has been lodged under my left rib, and Baby B's (girl) butt has been right above my belly button! I'm not complaining about their movements at all...I must say it just amazes me every time I feel it!!!!

My last ultrasound was on New Year's Eve...all three of us were doing well! Both babies weighed in at approximately 2 pounds, which was really good for their age! We won't talk about what Mama weighed in at LOL! I fear the scale is going to hit a number that I don't want it to, but I am trying not to dwell on it but have already warned Chad that if and when that number flashes on the scale I may shed a few tears....and then I will be over it! He assures me all my weight gain has been in my belly...I know different and am not really worried about it as much as it sounds here it is just overwhelming at times!

Here are a few things we have been up to since last time:

-After much debate on style and safety ratings we purchased two cribs! They came in last week and we assembled both of them in less than 1 hour! I was impressed with this! Things left to do in babies room, get a rocking chair, get a changing table/dresser, and decorate!

-I have finished knitting Baby Boy's blanket! It took me about one month which was the goal that I had set to have it done! It is Navy Blue and I do love the finished product! I will post a pic below! I have now started on Baby Girl's blanket it will be the exact same blanket only in purple! I have not "theme" for the nursery, I will just be using shades of blue and purple! The pattern for the blankets is out of a Debbie Bliss baby knits book and is basically done in Seed stitch with a knit border, for any knitter out there!

-I started my new job on January 4th! I love it! I enjoy what I do and I enjoy learning new things there! The job even comes equipped with a doppler, fetal monitor and an ultrasound machine!!! I have refrained from having them ultrasound me to peek in on the little ones, but will admit to listening to their heartbeats first thing every morning! I do miss all of my former co-workers (that's for you Angie and Diana if your reading)!

-I am trying to come up with a mental list of everything I want to try and get done prior to the babies arrival, I keep hearing about this "nesting" phase and I am waiting for it to kick in! So I am documenting it here...I want to hand clean our hardwood floors and ceramic tile, wipe down walls and base boards, shampoo our bedroom carpet, and organize the kitchen cabinets and our dresser drawers, along with all the other daily/weekly housekeeping chores! Oh and finish the nursery! Okay there I have written it out so now I have to get it done!

- New Year's resolutions....I haven't spelled these out clearly yet for myself but first and foremost I want to get these babies here in the safest healthiest way possible! I thing my biggest goal non baby related is that I want to start running again! Last year I along with Chad completed a 5k and I would like to do a couple more at the end of summer and in the fall this year and then gradually work my way up to a 10k or even a half marathon!!!!

-My mom has officially turned in her retirement papers, so at the end of the school year she will be done teaching and will enter into her new position as grandma/babysitter! With the help of Chad's mom they are going to be our childcare plan!

Pics....whats a post without some pics?!?!?! In no particular order the pics will be of Baby A's foot that is lodged in my left rib, Baby B's hand, my belly at 27 5/7 weeks, and a not so great pic of Baby Boy's blanket!

Weeks 20, 21, 22, & 23

I have done it again...ignored this blog! Maybe after the holidays I will be less busy and will remember to blog more! In fact maybe I will make this one of my New Year's Resolutions (although this year the Resolution list might be quite lengthy :))!

Unbelievably as I am writing this I am only a few days shy of 24 weeks pregnant! Those of you in the OB world now the significance of this, for those of you not familiar, 24 weeks is the point where the babies would have a small chance to survive outside the womb! Twenty four has been a number that I have focused on since finding out I was pregnant, now I am setting my sights higher! I have taken to thinking in four weeks at a time...so next goal is 28, then 32, then 34! At 34 I have a feeling I will be begging for it to be over LOL!

Since blogging the last time we have confirmed that we are having both a BOY and a GIRL!!! I never really cared what we were having as long as they were healthy, but since finding out we are having one of each I really just think that I couldn't have asked for anything better! As I mentioned in the last post I have switched to one of the physicians at WVUH. I had my first appointment with Dr. Shon Rowan and am set to see him again on New Years Eve, along with another ultrasound! I swear these babies are some of the most photographed babies I know (don't get me wrong I don't mind a bit and enjoy seeing them any chance that I get!)!

On non pregnancy related subjects things that we have been up to since last time:

-Chad has been hunting...still! Although I think this past weekend may have been the last of it, or should I say I pray that it was the last of it! I am ready for it to be over and for the hunting paraphernalia to be put away until next year!

-I have been busy starting to knit baby items! On the needles currently is the Baby Boy blanket. I started with his as we were certain there was a boy and not as certain of the Girl! I have set a goal to have it done by January, and I need to get on it I have a little under 10 inches left to do! Of course when it is done I will post some pics!

-I am not sure if I mentioned this the last time but I will be switching jobs at the beginning of the year! I will be working in Fairmont, WV in an OB/GYN practice. I am definitely excited about this!

-We once again got WVU season basketball tickets and are expecting a GREAT season for Coach Huggs and the boys!

-We traded in my car for a new 2009 Toyota Venza! I call it the mom mobile, I do like it and it has more options on it than I have ever had in a vehicle! I do admit that I miss my Solara!

-I survived the Blizzard this past weekend, while Chad was in Ohio hunting! Thankfully my brother Matt was in for Christmas break and happened to stay at our house with me. We were stranded at our house for 48 hours, 24 of which was sans electricity! I learned many things during this time period...I realized how much we take everyday things for granted like walking into a room and flipping on a switch and there being light! Also I must mention, Matt and I successfully lit the gas logs without blowing up the house!

Below I will post some pics of the snow, my growing belly at 21 weeks, and a couple 3d ultrasound pics of each babies face!
Enjoy and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Weeks 18, 19, & 20

WOW....I have totally neglected this blog!!!! I am now 20 weeks pregnant as of tomorrow and will probably regret saying this but time is flying!!!!

Last week I had my 19 week ultrasound!!! First and foremost everyone (me included) appeared healthy which is a true blessing! Both babies were very active and already seem to enjoy tormenting each other as throughout the entire scan they continually jabbed, punched, and kick each other. Baby A was not shy and definitely let us know that he is a BOY! Typical guy, right? Baby B wasn't quite as ready to let us know but appears to be a Girl! Hopefully we will find out for sure in the next couple of months! Both are weighing in at a hefty 10 ounces a piece, which for their age is about where they are supposed to be!

Below are some pics of both of them and also one of Betsy Miller and I, she is the midwife that I was seeing! Sadly last week was my last appointment with her as she has transferred my care to one of the doctors due to the twin pregnancy! Betsy if you happen to read this, thanks for everything and please please please keep up on us and I expect to see you when these babies make their debut in the spring!

Baby A profile


Baby B who appears to already be a thumb sucker!


Betsy and I


Here is a few other things that we have been up to lately:

-Chad has been hunting, hunting, and hunting some more!!! No surprise there!

-I went to the Notre Dame/Pitt game with my brother Andrew and cousins, the game was so disappointing that we left at the beginning of the 4th quarter and missed all the action and I missed what I have been waiting for all season... a Golden Tate punt return for a touchdown! The Irish still lost and have had a very disappointing season, but I still love them!

-I saw the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes with my mom in Pittsburgh...one word AWESOME!!! I wanna be a Rockettes!!! LOL!

-Went to see New Moon-yet again AWESOME!

-I am definitely looking more pregnant as the days go by! I will post an updated belly pic soon!

-I am starting to feel the babies move which is a cool yet awkward sensation!

-Oh...I almost forgot! I have accepted a new job! As of January 4, 2010 I will begin work at Dr. Bonasso's office in Fairmont! I am really excited as this is a position in womens health which is something I have wanted to do ever since I set out to be a Nurse Practitioner! I will however miss my co-workers as TCHC dearly!

-And last but not least now that we know one babies gender for sure and have a good idea on the other one...what on earth are we going to name them? They can't be A and B for the rest of their lives! I have some ideas, but naming is hard business and is causing me major stress! Any ideas?

That is it for now! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Missi