Astral And Defy Are 12 Weeks Old...

11 weeks old

10 weeks old

8 weeks old

7 weeks old

4 weeks old

7 days old

Wow!! Time has flown by!!! Our sweet little babies are 12 weeks old today. Without a doubt, the past 12 weeks have been the BEST time in our lives. The boys are absolutely amazing and super healthy. At 10 weeks old Astral weighed 13 lbs 4 oz and Defy weighed 12 lbs 13 oz. They have met all of their milestones and are holding their heads up, smiling, cooing, rolling half way over, etc. Every day they are discovering something new in the world around them and it is just absolutely beautiful to watch. They now notice their reflections in the mirror and are acknowledging the presence of the other more and more each day. They are always reaching out and touching the other, interlocking arms and legs, and holding hands. It is super sweet and cute. We love watching them connect and grow closer and closer.

They haven't been sick or even had a rash since they were born. Though they might be allergic to soy, which I have completely taken out of my diet just in case. When they were 3 weeks old we noticed a pink tint in their poopy diapers and rushed them to the ER to find out the deal. They did a bunch of tests and said the boys were fine and that it may be a soy or dairy allergy, but it couldn't be determined for certain. Since I don't ever and would never consume dairy I have cut off my consumption of soy and quit supplementing my breast milk with Farley's Soya Formula (now discontinued, but that is a story for another post) just in case. I thought it would be a big deal to cut the soy, but it really hasn't been at all. There are so many other delicious vegan choices. The pediatrician said I could slowly reintroduce soy back in my diet at around 6 months. They also said that most babies outgrow their allergies.

Although they are identical twins they have little differences that have helped us tell them apart since birth. As they get older and closer in weight it is getting harder and harder to tell them apart.

I had my first day back at the office on Monday. It was really hard to leave the boys and of course I cried a lot, but thankfully Lucas is staying at home with them and I don't have to hand them off to strangers. Ugh...the thought is unbearable. I had been working from the hospital until the day before my cesarean when I officially went on maternity leave. I am grateful that I was able to spend 12 weeks bonding and just being a full-time mommy. I miss them so much during the day, but papa keeps me posted and texts me the cutest pics of the boys.

It took a long time to recover from the cesaren, but just as long to recover from being confined to a bed for 4 months. It was a very painful recovery and I would not have been able to do it without the help of my husband. Just going upstairs to my bedroom was a struggle.

We didn't sleep much during the first 3 weeks of their lives and while chaotic at times, I miss those early days already. Now the boys only wake up during the night for one feeding around 430am, but usually sleep all night before that and usually sleep for a couple more hours after.

Tonight will be the 5th night they have slept in their nursery. They slept in their bassinets next to our bed since they were about 2 weeks old, before that they refused to sleep anywhere except in our arms or in their cradle swings. We both slept on the floor of the nursery for the first 2 nights we put them in their cribs (even though we have a video monitor) and for the last 2 nights Lucas has slept in there after their 430am feeding. Tonight will be the night when they finally sleep alone all night. They are perfectly fine with sleeping in their cribs even when we aren't in the room with them, but we have first time parents syndrome and worry constantly about them. They are growing up so fast.

In the beginning they were too small to fit the organic all-in-one cloth diapers that we purchased so we used 7th Generation and Earth's Best disposables, but thankfully they've grown so much and for the past few weeks we have been cloth diapering. It isn't nearly as bad as people say. I feel really good about it and it is so worth the initial expense.

Sunny and Star love the boys and are very protective. Star (the female and younger of our two companions) is sometimes a little jealous, but she has been the baby for years so we expected nothing less. Astral and Defy are noticing the doggies a lot more and smile and stare at them often.

Everyone always asks "how we do it" or "if it is hard raising twins". Honestly, we don't know anything else, so it doesn't seem extra hard to us since we've only ever had two babies at once. As far as it being more difficult, I think the problem lies with typical gender roles and mothers being the primary and sometimes only care-givers (whether it is one baby, two or three). We tag team this whole parenting thing and it makes it soooo much easier.

There is so much to say and I'm trying to cram it all in to one post since we haven't posted in forever, but we totally plan on posting more and answering any specific questions you might have about being a pregnant vegan or raising vegan kids. Thank you for your comments and inspiring me to get back to blogging!

Astral And Defy Are Here...

7 Days Old Photo Shoot In Their Nursery

Astral Defiance Hayes and Defy Aster Hayes were born on 3/03/10 via cesarean at 9:44 and 9:45AM. Astral (baby A) weighed in at 6.8 oz and Defy (baby B) weighed in at 5.13 oz, very good weights for twins born at 37 weeks, 3 days. Vegan since conception, they are both very happy and healthy babies that have met all their milestones so far.

Astral is defined as "of, relating to, or proceeding from the stars" and "visionary". Defy is defined as "to challenge to do something considered impossible" and "to resist attempts at: withstand".

The babies were born on a Wednesday and we were discharged from the hospital that Friday. Since the babies were perfectly healthy the doctors left it up to me and my recovery to decide when I would leave. After being in the hospital on bed rest since December I wanted out right away so Friday was the big day. We were elated to have the babies go home with us and no NICU time at all.

Every day the babies amaze us and we fall deeper and deeper in love. It is hard to believe that we are so lucky to have two beautiful little people to guide through life. Though we are sleep deprived and constantly busy being first time parents we are cherishing every single moment. We have so much more to share about the birth and the first 3 weeks of Astral and Defy's lives and will be back soon with the details.

Oldest (bottom) Newest (top)

The Babies Will Be Here Tomorrow...

The twins will be born tomorrow morning via cesarean section. We can't believe the time has finally come. Words can not describe how I feel right now. I wanted to make one more post before the babies arrive. Today they weighed in at 6lbs 9oz (A) and 6lbs 10oz (B). It is unbelievable how amazing their growth has been throughout the pregnancy and the odds that all three of us have beaten. It is hard to imagine that I have over 13lbs of baby in me right now. Today during the ultrasound the babies had both moved to a head down position side by side. It was insane to see because they have both been breech the entire pregnancy and transverse for most of it. Unfortunately, because they share a placenta this hospital has a policy refusing to deliver them vaginally even if they are in the perfect position for it.

I met with the surgeon (my perinatologist) and the anesthesiologist today to go over every detail of the procedure. I am very nervous about all of the needles that I will encounter tomorrow, but the joy of finally meeting our little bean sprouts outweighs the anxiety. I am not allowed to eat or drink after midnight tonight, just like Gizmo. Lucas is spending the night with me and in the morning we'll be ready to head down to labor and delivery.

I will update the blog as soon as I get the chance. I want to say thank you for following our vegan journey through pregnancy and we hope you'll continue to come back to read all about our vegan journey through parenthood! So exciting...

WE ARE ALMOST AT THE FINISH LINE...

35 weeks

33 weeks side and front view

36 weeks today and only 9 days until they're here! We are super excited, it seems so unreal...

A date has been set for the birth of our identical twin boys!!! My c-section is scheduled for March 3rd 2010 at 9 am! I will be 37 weeks and 3 days pregnant!!

I have been on bed rest since November 28th and hospital bed rest since December 28th. Every excruitaing second has been more than worth it. These babies are so healthy and so big. Thankfully they stayed put and next week they'll officially be full term! This is such a huge accomplishment after having a short cervix for the last 2 months!! The boys were weighed at 34 weeks (2 weeks ago) and were way bigger than even the average singleton. How amazing is that? Baby A weighed 5 lbs 5 oz and Baby B weighed 5 lbs 2 oz. We had hoped for them to weigh at least 5 lbs at birth and they have exceeded those expectations. I am sure in the last two weeks the babies have gained even more and are at least 6 plus by now!! So great for identical twins! If everything keeps going as well as it has been then we will be avoiding NICU time which was our major goal!! We want to bring both of these little sweeties home with us.

I would have to say that even though I have a short cervix that has caused me to be hospitalized, it didn't stop my organic and vegan diet from greatly benefiting the babies and their health for the best. The twins continue to flourish and grow and be active even though my movement has been restricted. I still feel great, though I have felt a little nauseous the past few days. The doctors ordered lab work just in case and it all came back perfect. They said it is normal at this late stage to start feeling nauseous and be more tired than usual again. Other than those symptoms I continue to have no swelling, no back pain and no other problems.

Sometimes with the pressure of this heavy belly I imagine that they will just drop out of me at any time! I have gained around 33 lbs so far! I'd gain 33 more to make sure that our babies were as fat and healthy as possible.

We recently picked our pediatrician. We have to drive 30 minutes away just to go to a practice with a more holistic approach, that doesn't force drugs and vaccinations down your throat and will let you as a parent decide how you want your children to be cared for.

I have had several meetings this past week with hospital pediatricians, neonatologists, lactation specialist and the postpartum nursing staff to discuss what happens during and right after the cesarean. I am nervous and excited at the same time. I was really excited to learn about what the nurses call "baby boot camp" where they help us learn everything we need to know about caring for and breast feeding the boys before we're discharged!! We have established our birth plan, explaining what we don't want going in or on their bodies, etc. I feel very confident that everything will go well, though I am totally freaked out that this isn't the natural birth I dreamed of and that shortly I will be having a needle full of drugs stuck in my spine. UGH! I understand why I have to get this surgery, but I am nervous nonetheless.

Boy, we have come so far along during this amazing vegan journey through pregnancy! I will try to post again before the babies are born. Though the c-section is scheduled, they could come at any time now. I am hoping they will be born on their daddy's 28th birthday on Feb 26th, but we'll see....

33 Weeks and Counting...

31 weeks twin bump

29 weeks twin bump

Today is day 34 of hospital bed rest and we are officially 33 weeks pregnant. While I am eternally grateful to have made it this long and to have the boys doing consistently well, it has been less than an easy road to travel being trapped within these four walls. I would say that the hardest part about being hospitalized is being unable to nest and do the mommy preparation things that I've dreamed of for my entire life. Handing over control of your vision is never easy. I acknowledge that this is most important investment to ensure the boys are healthy and strong and that keeps me going! No NICU time is our total goal! Everything has gone rather smooth, though around 30 weeks the monitor picked up some contractions that thankfully turned out to just be braxton hicks.

I have been annoyed by a lot of administrative problems in the hospital, that I won't elaborate on too much. I'll just say that our companion animal Star isn't allowed back here because she barked and the woman who runs the "animal program" seems to have the opinion that animals should be obedient to their "masters" at all times and not exhibit behaviors that are completely natural. I've already set up a meeting with the hospital director to voice my concerns. At least I have a private room and the nurses are pleasant, though I can barely stand being checked on every hour and at night every 2 hours. They just peek in to make sure I'm okay, but still SOOO obnoxious. I understand it is necessary for many patients, so I just have to deal.

I feel perfectly normal, I don't have back pain or any of the common problems most pregnant women complain about at this stage. No swelling, no constipation, no lack of sleep, etc. I feel better in this 3rd trimester than I did in the first 2. I have gained at total of 24 lbs so far, my weigh in is tonight and I can't wait to find out how I've progressed this week. My cervix has shortened quite a bit since I've been here, but I'm not dilating or contracting so we are pretty much golden. I just have to stay in bed and make sure I keep as much pressure off of it so the boys stay in for at least a couple more weeks.

The doctors are still considering letting me go home at 34 weeks due to the reduced risks of any problems, but they aren't making any promises and I'm not getting my hopes up. As much as I despise being confined, I like the peace of mind I have being here. I don't have to worry about the well being of these guys because we are all closely monitored. If I was at home I would probably be nervous and panicking that every little movement I felt was labor or something.

The boys should be here in around 3 weeks, which is just so amazing to us. We are so close, yet being here makes time pass a little slower. I can not believe how far we've come. We both can't wait to walk through the door with our two bundles!

I missed both of my baby showers (one hosted by my mother (a natural born hostess) and the other by two of my closest friends), but was able to participate for a little with each via Skype. We have been humbled by the generosity of our friends and family. We have almost everything we need for these babies. We are using all organic products (clothing, cloth diapers, bedding, plush toys, toiletries, etc) for the boys and we really appreciate everyone making sure they met our needs! My friends did an extra special job hosting and made sure everything was vegan, even though we are the only vegans and weren't able to attend their shower. How cool is that?

Lucas continues to bring me food every day (since they still don't accommodate people who take a principled stand against the exploitation of animals) and I am still "working from bed", which helps me feel relevant and helps pass the time during the week. I am staying pretty sane, though at times I just want to pack my bags and go home. I know that this will just be a distant memory once our miracle babies arrive...

28 Weeks and Complete Bed Rest...

dc metro snow storm 09

25 weeks bump (will update soon)

Where to start??? There has been such a long gap in my posting for which I apologize, but I have a feeling that I will be posting a lot more in the future.

I'll start at the present and go from there. I am officially 28 weeks and in my 3rd trimester! YAY! The boys are doing great and just 2 days ago they weighed in at 2 lbs 13 oz and 2 lbs 14 oz. They are measuring over a week ahead! We had our routine 2 week appointment on Monday and were shocked to find out that my cervical length had shortened quite a bit. I was immediately admitted to the hospital for strict bed rest. I had been on modified bed rest at home for just around 1 month, but of course when you're on bed rest at home you sometimes tend to extend yourself beyond the parameters of "bed rest".

Having two babies puts a lot of pressure on my cervix and I am here for the duration of my pregnancy as a precaution. Close monitoring should help prevent preterm labor and keep the babies baking for as long as possible. There is a slight chance that they will let me go home at 34 weeks, but there is no guarantee. Luckily, I am not on any medication, or hooked up to any machines or IV. They check the twins' heart rates 3 times a day and check my vitals 3 times as well. I am only allowed to go to the bathroom and take a 10 minute shower a day. This is nothing like home bed rest, but I know it is for the best.

When I first found out I was being admitted I cried and cried. The first thoughts were not being around Lucas and the pups all the time. The last month on home bed rest was so fulfilling to me and I will cherish the memories forever. I was able to spend so much time with my husband and my pups and I just felt so warm, cozy and happy to be able to relax and enjoy being spoiled for the rest of my pregnancy with my greatest loves by my side. Right now I am in a room with another high risk mother, but I should be getting a private room at any time. Once I have a private room Lucas will be able to spend and the night sometimes AND Star and Sunny will be able to come and visit!!!!!! Hearing that information was the best news and totally perked me up. Just thinking about being away from Star and Sunny for 6 weeks or more was tinkering on total emotional break-down for me.

The hospital does not properly accommodate vegans. They have a vegetarian menu full of cows' secretions and chickens' eggs and of course salad, but not the varied diet that a pregnant vegan should be eating!! Lucas to the rescue!!!!! Thankfully, they have a refrigerator where I am able to store my soy milk and other cold foods safely. I keep a bunch of fruits, bread and other dry foods in my room for snacks, breakfast and lunch, then Lucas brings me a hot dinner. Hopefully one day vegans won't have to over-extend themselves just to get the proper nutrition because they choose not to exploit animals, especially at one of the best hospitals in the nation.

We moved into a larger place just a week before I was admitted. Great timing, huh? We were supposed to move a couple of days before, but there was a huge snow storm where we ended up with over 20 inches of snow. It was such a beautiful disaster. My mother-law was in town visiting us just in time for the storm and was one of the lucky few to only have a couple hours of a delay on her return flight home.

I am so happy we moved before I was hospitalized, though we still aren't fully unpacked. Upon being admitted I was also a little upset because I wouldn't have the opportunity to be there to set up the nursery. Though I have everything picked out for the babies, I won't be there to see it all be put together!!! My parents are coming this weekend to put shelves in the nursery closet and paint the room. I am grateful for all the support!!! I have never felt so helpless before, but I know it is all for the well being of these little boys!!

I am still working from bed! My company continues to be supportive. I think that I'd be bored without having any responsibility during my hospitalization. I can't imagine how it will be over the next few weeks, I can only take it one day at a time. As long as the boys continue to be healthy I am satisfied. Once they are born this period of bed rest will be such a distant memory and for now I need to relax and let nature take its course. I feel completely normal, except I have a heavy belly and that makes it even harder to accept the fact that I'm in the hospital when I'm not even sick or in pain.

The babies move around so much. I first felt them really kicking and moving around 23 weeks and they haven't stopped since. Luke has finally been able to feel and see the movement which is amazing to share. I've gained around 19 lbs so far, it seems to be all in my huge bump!! I'm sure I forgot something I wanted to say, but it seems I have all the time in the world to catch up...

Another Daddy Post - (Mis)Representations of Non Human Animals On Baby Products

What children are taught to believe:

Reality:

Kenya and I have babies on our minds! As parents-to-be we've been recently exploring the vast world of baby merchandise. It came as no surprise to us to see many representations of non human animals (which I will be referring to simply as “animals” for the rest of this entry) displayed on everything from bedding to clothing to wall paper borders to pacifiers to baby dishes and beyond. The vast majority of the representations are of warm and fuzzy, cuddly and cute animals with joyous expressions on their adorable cartoon faces. Cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, fish, frogs, birds, dogs, cats, bees, dolphins, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, lions, and many more animals are often shown in themes of either free settings; an open pasture, the forest, a jungle, or just “the wild” in general – or in captive settings; farms, zoos, circuses, etc (although the cages are rarely included). In either setting these animals are clearly shown as being happy and comfortable, often with big anthropomorphic smiles to prove it.

Now, as vegans, Kenya and I are quite aware of the realities of animal exploitation that are sanitized and misrepresented on baby products. I'd like to briefly go over a few prominent examples.

On “farms”, for instance, animals are forcefully impregnated and bred in order to be confined and exploited for unnecessary human desires and they are all eventually killed. To not kill them, from a business standpoint, would not be economical, regardless of the size of the operation, from small scale to factory farm. They are all exploited and used in ways that would be considered torture if humans were in their place. Rape (forced impregnation), torture (mutilation, intense confinement, rough handling, etc.), and murder are standard business practices. The animals are all the property under the law (same as a couch or an Ipod – only animals have interests) and, of course, they are treated accordingly. When they no longer serve a purpose to the “producer”, they become a hindrance to making profits and are ultimately killed at a very early age. Not exactly what was depicted on the burp cloths and in the wooden toy sets that we've seen.

Dairy cow's, for example have to give birth constantly in order to produce milk. Forced impregnation is necessary to the operation and, in many instances, this occurs while the cow is restrained in a contraption referred to as the “rape rack” (this goes for female pigs --sows-- as well). They, as all other mammals, certainly do not produce milk just so humans can steal and consume it. They produce milk, which is “designed” by nature, for their own babies, to feed their calves. When they give birth to a male, he would cost too much money to raise in order to run an efficient operation (too much input, not enough output). So what is done with them? They are torn from the mothers and turned into something economical: veal, the flesh of calves. When dairy cows are “spent”, meaning no longer productive, they are killed just like the male “beef” cows, often ending up in hamburgers.

Egg laying hens are certainly not any better off. Whether the operation is “free range” or “cage free” or your average factory farm setting, the hens' beaks, a very sensitive part of their bodies, are often cut about half way off with a hot blade so that they do not naturally establish a pecking order, peck and/or cannibalize other hens also within close confinement. Egg laying hens are starved and their reproductive cycles are manipulated into laying more eggs, simultaneously with other hens, so that they are productive and efficient so as to compete on the market. Male chicks are an unwanted byproduct of the egg industry. Once hatched, they are simply killed - gassed, suffocated, crushed, electrocuted or ground up alive in large numbers. That way a “producer” can eliminate what would otherwise be uneconomical: the life of male chicks. This reality is much different from the idyllic scenes on the blankets, clothes, and bibs.

As vegans, Kenya and I are also aware that many free or “wild” animals, many represented on baby items, are killed in order to protect ranchers and their “livestock”. The USDA's Wildlife “Services” program kills hundreds of thousands of “wild” animals, using tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, every single year. In 2004, for example, Wildlife “Services” killed 2.7 million “wild” animals such as coyotes, beavers, raccoons, feral pigs, snakes, skunks, squirrels, foxes, deer, prairie dogs, and rats. These animals are shot, poisoned, gassed, snared, and caught in leg hold traps. In addition, millions of birds are killed in order to protect crops, many crops which are primarily used to feed “livestock”. Starlings, pigeons, crows, ravens, sparrows, geese, swans, vultures, and many many more are killed in the thousands and millions annually.

Other “wild” animals that are depicted on baby items are, in reality, shot and killed, or sometimes left injured, just for “sport” and/or tradition.

Zoos and Circuses are also prominent themes appearing on baby items. In pretty much all the zoo themes, the animals are depicted without having any barriers around them, or as if they were in their natural environments. This is very much in contrast to the actual reality of zoos, on and behind the scenes. In reality animals in zoos are often prevented from doing many of the things that are natural and important to them like running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a mate, and being with others of their own kind. This causes them great stress, which is blatantly apparent if one knows what signs to look for. Furthermore, many animals in zoos live only a fraction as long as they would in their natural environments.

Circus scenes on baby items are often the most exciting. Anthropomorphic animals can be seen smiling as they perform various acts, seemingly having the best time of their lives. In reality, animals do not naturally perform “tricks” as they do in circuses. In order to force the animals to perform tricks trainers use whips, tight collars, electric prods, bull hooks, and other painful tools. The scenes behind the scenes at circuses are not so much exciting and fun as they are horrifying.

Knowing these realities behind what is often represented on children's merchandise as “happy”, “playful”, “natural” forms of animal exploitation, I think at least two questions need to be raised:

1) Why do we want our kids to love the animals that we routinely exploit, and brutally harm for no other reason than for our personal pleasure?

And...

2) Why do we lie to our own animal loving children about, and make them unwittingly complicit in the injustices that occur to their beloved friends and companions, the animals?

Having once been an unapologetic omnivore and then a confused vegetarian in denial about the unnecessary harm I was causing for most of my life, I am in a position to expertly answer these questions. We can't be honest with our children about the ways animals are exploited because we ourselves are uncomfortable with it on some level and know our children would not be comfortable with it either. Most of us are aware that other animals, including the ones we regularly exploit are intelligent, sensate individuals with interests in living and continuing their lives free of exploitation.

Many of us are now aware that we don't need to consume animals or their bodily secretions to survive and live healthfully. Therefore, we want or need to believe in this fantasy that animals bred and raised or captured for unnecessary human purposes live happy, full lives and are treated with love and respect by their exploiters. Otherwise, we would come face to face with the reality that for no justifiable reason we are directly responsible for the many pitiful lives and cruel, brutal deaths of animals that are every bit as alive, conscious, and sentient as we are - that we are the oppressors of our children's lifelong friends. This is why we need to show “happy” representations of animals to our children when those animals are in reality very far from being happy as they are exploited and killed.

This is early indoctrination into a speciesist world, to erroneously teach our children that animals are merely things that are meant to be, and even happy to be, used by us. Never mind that animals have their own lives and their own interests. That would ruin the fantasy... not to mention dinner.