Jesse Coulter

ONE YEAR! My babies are officially a year old! I love them so much I could eat them up. This past year has been filled with MANY smiles and MANY tears.

• The first few months were filled with extreme anxiety, sleepless nights (well I still have those), and trying to figure out how to raise three kiddos. I gave up breastfeeding after a week, spent lots of time in my hometown for extra help and went back to work after 3 months. I am EXTREMELY grateful for my mother and the rest of my family and friends for helping us. Our village was strong and still is.

• When people say, "Oh my goodness, I want twins!". I look at them like they're crazy. I know that sounds mean, but this is NOT easy. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. It has put extreme pressure on every aspect of my life, but it has taught me, changed me, and molded me into a stronger person.

• We had a very simple first birthday party with close family and friends. You'd think I would go all out, but I really didn't have the energy to plan it and I didn't care about going big. No invitations, no balloons, no elaborate decorations. I bought two simple cakes from HEB,  finger foods (meat, cheese, fruit, nuts) and had custom cookies made by ShortBread Baking Co. Not having to cook was a GAME CHANGER! I remember at Turner's first birthday running around like a mad woman trying to prep everything and cook, and I did not want to repeat that. The only thing that took time was making the pom pom garlands and a ONE sign, but making them was so much fun! 

To my little ding dongs...that's what I like to call them these days. What a month it's been! Their personalities are hilarious to watch. Whitney is stoic and doesn't crack a smile easily, but when she does it's the sweetest thing. Walt is my goofball and laughs at anything I do.

Life lately:

• STOP the sickness! I don't remember a day I haven't given one of them antibiotics in the past 6 weeks.

• I took a new job and life has been insane! I've doubled my commute, and I have much more work to do during the day. I leave work at 4, get home just in time to pick them up by 5 and it's a $%&# show till about 8pm. However, I love my job!

• Alex and I took a mini-vacation to Houston for my 30th and it was the best! Much needed time away from kiddos, where we could actually talk and eat in peace. My in-laws drove down from Dallas to watch all three!

Onesies: Gap. Moccasins: Freshly Picked.

9 Months! This month flew by and the babies didn't change much developmentally.

Life lately:

• I feel like we've had a crazy amount of appointments so I've had to take a lot of time off of work. Thankfully I have a lot saved up. 

• We took a road trip to Dallas last week for a family reunion (Turner side) and the babies were able to meet aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time. I spent most of the road trip in the 3rd row of our van entertaining or feeding them (definitely not fun).

• Nights seem to have gotten crazier this past month for some reason. Both are super cranky and fussy from the moment I pick them up from school till bedtime. I usually take them for a walk to get at least 30 minutes of peace and quiet!

• We had family photos taken with Laura Morsman Photography, and I just love having photos of all 3 of my kids together! Know though that it was EXTREMELY hot, humid and there were hundreds of mosquitoes in the greenhouse. I was sweating like crazy and we only shot together for 15 minutes! 
  
  

I love this shot of the babies because you can see all three of their hemangiomas. Thanks Laura for these beautiful photos!

Can you believe that Walt and Whitney have NEVER worn shoes until this point?! There are tons of baby moccasins around these days, but Freshly Picked was the first one on the market. I've followed FP for years and have always wanted a pair for my kiddos! I loved seeing Susan on Shark Tank and have enjoyed following her business's journey.  Since I won't ever have any more babies I knew this was my final chance to try them out and I've got to say...I'm SOLD! I've drunk the koolaid and I'm a fan forever. Why you ask?

Happy 7 months Walton and Whitney! This past month has been HUGE for development. They have changed so much, and are starting to interact with Turner, Alex and I much more.

Life lately:

• I've started getting rid of baby items that we no longer use - Twin z pillow, Rock n' play, Bumbos and lots of clothes. I feel like they are growing much faster than Turner did and going through outfits like crazy. I've been buying mostly second hand, but if I see a cute outfit that has a coordinating color like the onesies below, then I immediately buy them because....TWINS!

• My social schedule has calmed down this summer, so most nights I'm at home. Sometimes Alex and I are lucky enough to eat a hot dinner together.

• We had 6 month photos taken with Laura Morsman and even though I forgot their outfits they turned out adorable! See the full post here.

Outfits: Aden and Anais. Bow: Little Poppy Co.

I know how fast babies grow up, so I want to capture Walt and Whitney in as many photos as possible in this stage! Life is crazy beautiful, and most days I'm running around like a hot mess. A perfect example of this is...all week I was so excited for this shoot with Laura Morsman. I envisioned what the babies outfits would look like and then I shopped till I found exactly what I wanted. The day of the shoot, I rushed around like always trying to pack everything I needed for them (bottles, diapers, burp rags, pacifiers, measured formula, etc.), and pack up their stuff, fasten them in their car seats, load them up and finally head out! When I showed up to Laura's house, I realized I had completely forgot their outfits. D'oohhh! We went with it and shot them in their diapers, and I love how they came out!

Photo by Laura Morsman Photography

SIX MONTHS! We've made it halfway, hallelujah! Time has not flown by...it's slooowwwlllyyy krept by BUT we are happy, alive and grateful. 

Life lately: 

• Sleep deprivation is still a very real struggle due to Walt waking up at least twice a night.

• We started buying diapers and formula this month and WHOA! Talk about a budget buster. Our new phrase might be, "Put it on the credit card."... kidding and kind of not kidding.

• Work and planning my local blogger event has kept me VERY busy, and by Tuesday of every week I feel like it should be Friday. Most nights I don't get to bed till around 11pm, and I'm passed out in less than a minute. 

• I'm so excited to have 6 month photos of the babies taken by my good friend and Austin photographer, Laura Morsman, next weekend!

Every month we hit with these babies is a huge milestone and accomplishment to me. FIVE months Alex and I have survived raising twins + a toddler. That may sound dramatic, but it's how I feel.

Life lately: 

• Sleep deprivation and going back in to the office every day has been a killer this month. I'm back to about 5-6 hours of broken up sleep a night. It's times like these I wish I drank coffee!

• Here's an interesting fact, Alex and I haven't had to buy formula or diapers YET! We bought a few cans of special formula when Whitney was super gassy, but other than that we have been gifted formula that has lasted us until this point. It's been through coupons and samples from our pediatrician. We have been tons of diapers and wipes from family!

• Alex has been super great about watching the kids when I've had an event to attend. Watching all three is VERY hard....you've got to be ready for lots of crying, fussing from Turner, and never a moment to yourself. I'm extremely thankful for his support of my hobbies and blog.

As a mom who knows how fast time flies when raising a child, I want to capture every moment and every month my babies grow. And as a lover of blogging and Instagram, I've learned how to take simple yet fun baby photos. When I look back on their milestone photos, I absolutely love seeing their physical transformation (as sad as it is to see them grow). Today I want to share with you how I stage the perfect photo, and all of these photos were taken with my iPhone.  This post is sponsored by Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Month 3 seemed a tiny bit easier because the babies gas and colic was subdued and feeding was much easier! I had my first full week alone and a couple of weekends with just Alex and I, and finally felt comfortable handling both babies. Now handling all 3 of my children is another story, and I haven't had to do that yet.

Let me tell you, weekends alone suck. Alone meaning no extra help from family. I feel like it's a never-ending cycle of no sleep, feeding, rocking, burping, repeat. It's been tough on me, because I love to be active...especially when the Texas weather is absolutely AMAZING right now (mid-70's). We can get out, but it takes forever. So what usually happens is Alex and I take turns. For example; last Saturday afternoon, I took Turner and Whitney to a friend's baseball game, and later that night Alex took Turner to a movie while I took care of the babies. So basically we're never all together unless we're at home. I don't mind it too much, because it gives me an opportunity to spend quality time with Turner. Finding the new normal has been hard, and going back to work is going to bring a whole new dynamic to our situation. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

I discovered my new favorite activity during month 3, selling baby clothes to second hand stores (Once Upon a Child, Kid to Kid, and SparkleKids)! Walt and Whitney have outgrown their newborn clothes, and many of their winter 0-3 month outfits so I took a bunch of clothing and miscellaneous items to a few kids second hand stores and was blown away! Not only did I make some great money, but I also discovered super cheap clothes that I adored and most for less than $4! Whitney doesn't have a lot of clothes, so I bought her a few zip-up terry cloth Carter's sleepers for $2 each, and then 4 new comfy 3-6 month summer outfits for less than $15 total. Old Navy and Gap are my baby clothing kryptonite (seriously, they have THE cutest dang clothes), but it's SOOO hard for me to spend money on baby clothes. It feels painful at times. I might buy a few outfits that I can't walk away from BabyGap or Old Navy, and then get all of her outfits for daycare from second-hand stores. I've been wanting to bite the bullet and buy a cute pair of baby moccasins for both of them, but I seriously can't justify spending more than $15-20 for a pair...and even that is pushing it. This is mostly because they can't walk. When they start walking I won't mind spending more on a quality pair of shoes but $25 is usually my limit. I also have this strong desire to find cute matching outfits (in different colors), so when I do I usually have to spend more money.

Sleep:

• Alex still sleeps in our bedroom, and Whitney is in our closet in a rock n' play. Walt sleeps in the nursery in a rock n' play, and I sleep in our guest bedroom. We do this because we get more uninterrupted sleep that way. I only wake up when I hear Walt, and vice versa for Alex with Whitney.

• Walt's head is very flat on his right side, so I've been trying to get him to nap on his belly in hopes that he won't have to get a helmet. When I transition them to their cribs, I will likely put both on their bellies once I'm completely done swaddling.  

• Walt sleeps 3-4 hours straight on a good night, and Whitney has a great 5-6 hour stretch. Poor Walt...no one wants "Walt night duty" because it's a lot more work than easy going Whitney. Although, the first night after they went to daycare all day, Walt slept 6 hours and Whitney slept 10!

• Naps are getting a bit better. They will have a good 1-2 hour nap during the morning and afternoon, but they usually aren't at the same time. Then they'll have a few short 30-45 min. naps throughout the day.

Health: 

• Walt and Whitney have both had a cold for a few weeks, but Walt is much worse. We took him to the doctor a few days ago and sure enough he has an ear infection (the day after I go back to work...typical). He has a rattly chest and coughs like an old man every once in a while when he tries to cough up the phlegm. They both have tons of green snot, but thankfully I have the Nose Frieda to save the day.  

• I got whatever they had, and it got so bad that one night my throat was so red and swollen that I could barely swallow. I didn't sleep a wink because every time I did swallow it was extremely painful. I went to a throat specialist the next day and he prescribed me a steroid and an antibiotic. This same sickness actually happened to me about a month prior, and I had to go to an urgent care facility and was prescribed antibiotics as well.  They ruled out strep both times. I will never take my throat for granted again! With all that being said, taking care of a baby while your sick sucks...taking care of TWO babies while your sick is HELL! I texted my mom at 5am when I was feeding Walt because I knew that I couldn't make it through another day without an extra hand. She is the best, and came right away (praise you Gigi)!

Eating:

• Whitney is on a added rice starch formula for reflux/spit up, and Walt drinks a gentle formula for gas. They are drinking 4-5 oz. per feeding, which can be every 3-4 hours.

• I just changed out our Dr. Brown nipples to size 2 for 3 month olds, and I'm hoping this makes feeding take less time. Walt takes FOREVER to eat.

Growth:

• Clothing - 0-3 months
• Diapers - Size 1 Huggies (Pampers are too tight)

Likes:

• Baby Einstein play gym, they enjoy looking up at the dangling toys that play music
• Walks in the ACK Wrap. If I have trouble getting Walt to sleep I put him in the wrap and he's OUT! It's also a way for me to help round out his head instead of having him on his back during the day. I felt like a supermom when I grocery shopped with Walt in my wrap.

Dislikes:

• Walt seems to have an love/hate relationship with pacifiers. He will take them for a few seconds, and it will soothe him...then he spits it out. Not sure if his latch is just weird, because he's always had trouble with bottle feeding as well. 

Fun Facts:

• Walt:
• This child does not stop moving! He is constantly grunting, looking side to side, stretching backwards, wiggling and squirming. Whitney on the other hand is the exact opposite. She's calm, quiet, and stares deep in to your soul with her blue eyes ; )
  

• Walt can roll to his back if he's laying on his stomach.

• Whitney: 
• Loves to smile, and likes when I stick my tongue out at her. I think I got a little giggle the other day.

• I'm officially obsessed with dressing her up. My budget is going to take a hit once she starts walking.

Tomorrow I'm officially heading back to my full-time marketing job. I was beyond blessed to be able to stay home with Walt and Whitney for 12 weeks and be payed for that time off. It's sad that is rare in our country. I got to spend countless hours holding, feeding, rocking and playing with my babies and I'll forever be grateful for that time. I didn't sleep much, received tons of help from family and friends, went on many afternoon walks, cried a lot and took lots of weekend trips to my parents. I will miss their sweet faces, naps on my chest, newborn smell, smiles and giggles.

I'm a tad anxious about heading back to work, not so much about leaving the kiddos, but being able to perform and be on the ball. Lack of sleep is very real, so I don't want it to affect my work or business decisions (Walt still wakes up every 3-4 hours). I also know that I will have to take more time off due to sick babies (it's inevitable), Walt's laser treatments for his hemangioma, and monthly check-ups. Not to mention I will likely be getting sick more often (I was sick a ton the first year I put Turner in daycare). I think every working mom worries about the push and pull of motherhood and work and keeping a good balance.


When my maternity leave ended with Turner I was devastated about leaving him, but I'm much more ready to get back to work this time around. I'm looking forward to having a hands-free lunch everyday, socializing with other adults, and putting my marketing skills back in to action. I'll also be able to work out during my lunch break, and I'm so ready to get back in to shape. As a second time mom, I know my babies will be fine at daycare. They will be loved, and at the end of the day won't hate me for leaving them. Now, don't get me wrong I would love to spend some days of the week with my babies, but financially that is not an option for my family. I wrote about my decision to go back to work on Austin Moms Blog months ago, and it was the most controversial article I've ever written. The comments from stay at home moms were nasty, and made me realize how real and RIDICULOUS "mommy wars" are. To each their own is what I believe. We all parent different and that's OK! The post barely scratched the surface of why I was going back to work, but if I had known what a reaction it was going to cause I might have done a bit more explanation...but then again, I don't owe those judgmental women anything.


I think the hardest part in the beginning will be getting everyone ready and out the door in the mornings. Wish me luck with this new transition. I know it will feel a bit rocky at first!

Just 6 days after Walt and Whitney were born, Kayla Snell, came to my home to shoot photos of the their new closet for The Container Store's blog. I asked her to snap a few photos of Alex and I with the babies as well and I am in love with them! Turner was at school so this photo shoot went much smoother than our family photos. 

I was sweating profusely, felt fat, and my boobs were extremely swollen, but gosh dang it my hair looked good...haha. Their cute outfits and beanies are from Old Navy. I will cherish this images forever.

Hello 2 Months! The second month with these babes was quite difficult due to gas, fussiness, and not much sleep. Thankfully I had lots of help from my family, and took many trips to my hometown on the weekend to get some extra rest. Many times during a rough day, I would tell myself...If you can just make it till Friday, you will sleep! I'm finally starting to become semi-comfortable with handling both of them on my own, most days I don't have a choice...but now I don't necessarily dread it. I don't dread the babies, but I dread the stress, 2 babies crying at the same time, anxiety and the lack of sleep.

We had our first family outing to dinner (hello pizza buffet), which was insane. Both babies were fussy and crying, so they had to be held. Turner was great, but kept standing on the bench of the restaurant. There wasn't anyone around, and I didn't have the hands or patience to discipline him, so I just went with it...choosing my battles at this point.  On the way home Turner was trying to talk to me from the very back, but I couldn't hear him over the screaming babies. At one point he yelled "STOP IT!!!" to the babies, haha. First time he's been annoyed by their crying. Turner doesn't have much interest in the babies, except a few kisses every now and then.

Between the hours of 6 and 9pm is the most stressful time. Trying to cook, play with Turner, hold babies, feed babies, give baths, put Turner to bed (such a long process), and the babies to bed takes a TON of work. Alex and I barely have time to look at each other, let alone have a conversation. We need a date night desperately.

Adorable outfits by Rainy Lain

Sleep:

• Our sleeping situation is very odd right now. Alex sleeps in our bedroom, and Whitney is in our closet in a rock n' play...might sound crazy to you, but it's dark, quiet and Alex doesn't have to hear her grunts. Walt sleeps in the nursery in a rock n' play, and I sleep in our guest bedroom. I close the door, but can wake easily to Walt crying when he's ready to eat.

• Walt sleeps 3-4 hours straight on a good night, and Whitney has a great 4-6 hour stretch.

• After thinking about it for quite a while, I've decided that I'm going to split up their cribs. I will move one crib to my guest bedroom, and leave one in the nursery. It's going to be a major change. Currently we have a queen bed in our small guest bedroom, so we'll have to sell that, and buy two twin beds. One for the nursery and one for the guest bedroom, since we want to have a place for our guests. They say to keep your babies on the same schedule, but I when one sleeps WAY better than the other, I'm not going to wake that one up. 

• Naps are a bit up in the air...they tend to take a long morning and afternoon nap. If I'm lucky, I can get them to nap at the same time, this has only happened about twice all month. 

Eating:

• Whitney is on a heavy formula for reflux/spit up, and Walt drinks a gentle formula for gas. They are drinking 4-5 oz. per feeding, which can be every 2-4 hours.
• I use Dr. Brown's bottles, and feel like my life is revolved around washing bottles.

Growth:

• Clothing - 0-3 months
• Diapers - Size 1

Likes:

• Baths if the water is just right
• Being carried in my ACK Baby Wrap

Dislikes:

• Tummy time
• Car rides/car seats...I'm in SHOCK. Turner would immediately calm down when we would drive around with him. These babies aren't having it. Stop signs and red lights are my worst enemy, seriously. 
• When the other one cries. I swear Whitney could be as calm as ever, and if Walt starts fussing or crying, she immediately joins in. This makes feeding time extremely difficult and stressful. 

Fun Facts:

• Walt:
• We took Walt to a pediatric dermatologist for his hemangioma on his nose. He was prescribed a topical and we will do a few laser treatments.
  

• .He's starting to get chunky and I'm LOVING it! Turner was always so tiny (in the 2 percentile or less category for the first 2 years), so the thought of seeing some baby rolls makes me giddy. 

• You know when this kid is pooping. Turns bright red and grunts so loud, you would never know Whitney pooped...lady like manners ; )

• Whitney: 
• We found 2 more hemangiomas, one on her butt cheek and one at the top of her head. Although these are growing at a much slower pace than the one on her arm.

• She is very strong, and holds her head up much more than Walt. She's great about looking me in the eyes, and I could look at her cute little face all day.