Baby Pictures

OK!! Portrait time!!!

In this one, Emily is on the top and Kate is on the bottom, fast asleep!



Here is a close up of Emily...


And one of Kate...

The Sleeping Beauties... (as if this ever really happens!! )

And one of the three of us. Don't worry, family portraits are coming as soon as they are sitting up and smiling!

February Update

Hello everyone! It looks like I'll be lucky to update this blog once a month - the girls are really good at keeping me busy! It seems impossible to believe that they'll be 8 weeks on Tuesday, the time has just flown by.We're all doing really well. Both Steve and I are coping with the sleep deprivation. Honestly, I thought it would be worse that it has been. They are still on a three hour schedule, which means that we get about 2 1/2 hours of sleep at a time. Every once in a while they will go four hours between night feedings - and once I think they even went five. I never knew that four hours of uninterrupted sleep could feel like such a miracle!! Everyone keeps telling us that they'll start sleeping longer when they get to be about 3 months old, but I refuse to believe it. Don't want to count our chickens, you konw? Still, 2 1/2 hours isn't so bad... between the two of us, Steve and I can get them changed, fed and back to sleep in about a half an hour, and neither of us has ANY problem falling right back to sleep afterwards. Of course, if they won't go down, or if they wake up before it's time to be fed again, then it falls on me to get them back to sleep since Steve has to get up and go to work.

The days themselves have also found a rhythm. Our mornings are usually the best part of the day, afternoons and evenings are more challenging. Although it seems like we've avoided the dreaded colic, both girls are susceptible to what I've heard called "the witching hour" - that period near the end of the day where babies are especially fussy and challenging. And how! I make it a point to get out of the house at least once a day, whether it's going for a walk, running errands or meeting friends for lunch. They seem to like the change of scenery, cry less, and usually fall asleep. As a result, they've been dragged all over the city! Can you blame me? :)

OK, well... it's time to go and make my day's worth of bottles before the you-know-whos wake up and destroy any illusion of peace around here. Love to you all, hope you are well!

They're Here!!!

And they're pretty damn cute, if I do say so my own self! Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Kate and Emily Shivley: (FYI, that's Emily on the left, and Katie on the right...)

Aww...














I told you they were cute, didn't I? :) Here's their stats:


Kate Elizabeth Shivley
6 lbs, 1 oz
18 inches
born at 1:03 pm


Emily Kay Shivley
6 lbs, 7 oz
19 inches
born at 1: 04 pm

So far, they are both really good babies, crying rarely and sleeping a ton. I'm realistic enough to know that this will probably change in the near future, but for right now it takes some of the fear away from the idea of taking care of two infants at the same time. I'm recovering well from the surgery, getting around easier and easier every day, and am looking forward to feeling back to my old self again.

I know this post is short, but it's all of a sudden feeding time again so I'll have to cut it short. Hopefully, we'll get a chance to update you more fully in the very near future!

Love to you all!

-Alyson, Steve, Emily and Kate

GMail Accounts

OK, just a quick little note to say that I've edited my settings - you no longer need a GMail account in order to leave a comment. I didn't realize it was set up that way previously! Feel free to comment at will!

Hi Everybody!

Hi everyone! Welcome to Emily and Kate's new blog! I hope to use this space to post pictures and periodic updates of the girls and our new little family. With family and friends so widespread these days, I thought this might be the best way to keep us all connected in some small way. :)

I'm currently 33 weeks and 5 days along, which means that we're at t-minus 27 days and counting. (!!!) For those of you who don't know already, Dr. Schori has scheduled our c-section for December 26th -> if the girls don't decide to come on their own before then. So, every time the news announces that there are only "x" more shopping days until Christmas, Steve and I mentally tack on one more day, and take a very deep breath!

I'm not thrilled that their birthday will be the day after Christmas, but we'll figure out a way to work around that when the time comes. That said, I *am* thrilled that I will no longer be pregnant on the day after Christmas, because I am just about done at about this point. Together, the girls weigh close to 9 pounds already (Kate is measuring at 4lbs., 8oz., and Emily at 4lbs., 3oz.), and I am starting to get more and more uncomfortable. My back hurts more often, sleeping is getting harder... the usual complaints. Can't imagine what I'll have to say 4 weeks from now! (We're hoping they'll be 5.5 to 6lbs each by then... can you imagine???)

Anyway, here's a belly shot for all of you. The doctor says that I'm measuring 42 weeks, which is just about two months farther along than I actually am! Everyone tells me how good I look, not that big, for having twins. Well, I'll tell you: I FEEL big! Especially at night, when I'm trying to roll from one side to the other! :)

OK, I'm going to get this posted so that I beat Blogger's 10am scheduled outage, but I'll be back with more to say later. Please leave comments when you come by and visit... it'll let me know whether maintaining this site will be worth it or not!

Love to you all!!!

-Alyson