How long does it take 12 day old boys to eat??

Eating is a big event in our household. Food has always been a favorite thing for both Rob and Marla, but lately, mealtime at the Leman household is an almost continual event. For those of you who haven't fed 12 day old boys lately, let us fill you in on how the feeding schedule works for us. First, Brock wakes up and stretches his arms and gives us a big yawn. Then, he starts telling us he is hungry by wimpering slightly. As his wimperings get a little stronger, we start getting a bottle ready for him (even if mommy feeds the boys, we still supplement them with formula). By the time his bottle is ready or Mommy has her things together to nurse him, he is demanding to be fed. Mommy and Daddy rush to pick him up and cuddle him so that he is just asking again, not demanding. Whether Mommy or Daddy feeds him, he eats ferociously at first, then drifts into a milk induced coma, gently filling his belly. Now Kyle is starting to stretch..and the same process begins for eater #2. Sometimes the order is reversed, depending on who got the fullest at the last feeding. After Brock is half-way done he has to be burped, so Mommy or Daddy will pick him up and place him over their shoulder and gently tap his back until he burps (normally, it is pretty polite, but not always). By now Kyle is starting to eat. He also starts out very robustly, and is downing a lot of milk, but then he starts to choke and eases up a little. By now it has been about 20-30 minutes since eater #1 started. Now Brock - remember he was burping - will start his second portion of his meal, and he will look at Mommy or Daddy, then he will start to fall deeply into his milk induced coma. This requires intervention by Mommy or Daddy, otherwise feeding would last forever and they would never get any sleep!! Intervention for both boys is typically a diaper change, and boy is this effective!! In case anyone is keeping track of time, at least 45 minutes have now passed. After Brock has been changed and awakened, phase 2 of feeding time is resumed, and for those of you wondering about Kyle, he is now burping. After phase 2 for the baby that Mommy is feeding, supplementation, or phase 3 begins. This includes a formula bottle being coaxed into the mouth and more "wake you up" interventions. We love the feeding process, but sometimes wonder if our little 7 course eaters will always be so time consuming to feed.

Today we found out that all of our hard work at keeping their bellies full is paying off. We went to the doctor's for a weight check and both boys have surpassed their birth weight. According to Dr. Toohill, this is the goal for a 2 week old baby, and she was very pleased with their progress. Kyle weighed in at 6lb 7oz, and Brock was 4lb 14oz. If we stay on this course, we may be able to move out of our premie clothes within a month.

For those of you who are needing a picture fix--you know who you are. Brock is wide awake and Kyle is sound asleep.