2011 - What a Year!

Tonight we bid 2011 a fond farewell, a year filled with many life altering and unbelievable events. This was definitely a year we will never forget, highlighted by Brady & Rooney's arrival, our wedding and the seven weeks we spent in India!  A quick summary of a year that was NEVER boring.

January - I married the love of my life and a new Khan Family was "officially" created (after a short nine year courtship)!

February - was all about recovering from the wedding and planning the details of our trip to India - the honeymoon and SCI part of the trip!  Lee also closed a pretty big deal, so we upgraded some of our honeymoon hotels (behind us is the Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur from the James Bond movie "Octopussy").

The Honeymoon

March - was life changing with the following message from SCI -

"We are very happy to inform you that the value is 221.2 and we would like to congratulate you as R is now pregnant."

April - We received news that we had strong healthy heartbeats growing in Delhi!  I also started to learn the meaning of patience (it took a lot of reminders from Lee), as October seemed so far away.

May - This was probably our quietest month of the year.  We kept ourselves busy with work and school.  At the end of May, we started to share the news and the below photo  with family and close friends!  TO, now known as Brady, was already showing signs of being the "big" brother, taking up most of the room in Mrs. R's belly and pushing Rooney off to the side).

June - Weddings, weddings, weddings...we had a great month attending my brother Tom's wedding and one of my best friends Meredith's wedding! We got a sneak peek at life with multiples by taking care of Tom's three boys - Jack, Max and Sam - the weekend of their parents' wedding...Lee might still not be over that exprience.

July - We celebrated our wedding in my hometown with many family and friends who couldn't make it to Florida for the big day in January.  

August - I made a mad dash to the end of my MBA - the month flew by as I finished a semester's worth of classes in five weeks while working full-time.  Luckily, we were able to fit in a quick trip back to my hometown for my little cousin Colleen's weddding.  It was a gorgeous evening with great family and wonderful food!

September - MBA completed!  I attended my last class during the first week of September and then we had a quick babymoon/graduation celebration trip to Montreal!  While there, the babies got us worrying, as R was in the hospital having contractions at only 30 weeks, but it all worked out for everyone involved. 

At the end of the month, our sisters threw us a wonderful baby shower!  Our family and friends generosity was so appreciated, as we gathered all the 'must haves' for TO&TT.

October - The wait was almost over, or so we thought, we had a celebratory drink before boarding our flight to Delhi.

November - The month our dreams came true!  Welcome to the world Brady and Rooney!!!

December - We spent the month loving on our little ones, watching them grow and enjoying life as a family of four!  Cousin Ben also seems to like the new additions. Thankfully, Lee's hair grew back to normal (don't know what he was thinking pretty much shaving it before we headed to Delhi).

2012 will no doubt be eventful, as we raise our adorable little babies!  We wish you all a wonderful, healthy and successful New Year!  Thank you all for your love and support through 2011. We are looking forward to helping many of you celebrate the arrivals of your long awaited bundles of joy, a couple more weddings, and generally good times with wonderful friends and family.

18+ pounds of baby

R&B had their six week doctors appointment this morning.  Brady is now 10 lbs and Rooney is 8 lbs 4 oz!  Check out the difference six weeks and 8+ new pounds can make...

Brady at 5+ lbs

Brady at ~10lbs

Rooney at ~4.5 lbs

Rooney at 8lbs 4 oz

Our Little Models

R&B had their first professional photo shoot this week.  Check out some of the photos HERE 

We owe a thank you to the guys and girls over at Faith to Vishwas for posting the name of their photographer on their blog.  We called her and before we knew it, she was at our house working her magic!

This past week, we were managing the twins without the help of the grandparents, as this guy decided to head back to his other grandsons....as you can see Rooney was not too excited about his departure.

But reinforcement is on the way with Grandma Khan heading north on Sunday. And just a few days later R&B also get to meet Grandpa Khan.  We're all looking forward to spending our first Khan family Christmas together, with the family having grown by three since last Christmas (hard as it is to believe, Stacey wasn't actually a Khan until January of this year).

Enjoy the photo shoot pics HERE

One Month

Rooney and Brady are a month old today!  How is it possible to feel like you have known two little people forever, yet holding them for the first time feels like just yesterday?

The last month has been truly amazing.  We’ve enjoyed the babies more than we ever thought possible.   “Operation Get Out of India” feels like ages ago.  Both babies continue to be masters of the eat, cuddle, sleep and poop routine. This past week they’ve added two new talents – belching and farting like old men – Lee is very proud!  I never knew something so loud and stinky could come out of such cute little bodies.

But what a difference a month makes.  A big night out on the town used to end after 3:00 AM, now 10:00 comes around and we still can’t see straight but it’s not from the drinkin. Talking about how many bottles we went through also has a newmeaning – some of you might remember that dinner at our place a couple years ago when we had 20+ bottles of wine, a couple cases of beer and some mixed drinks – now, how many bottles we went through refers to Enfamil. All joking aside, we couldn't be more happy with the changes in our lives!  We love you Rooney and Brady!!

Our thinker - Brady

 Rooney

Happy Boy!

Traveling with Babies

Many new parents stay in Delhi a lot longer then we did and are probably better resources.  I am definitely not an expert on living in Delhi with newborns or travelling with infants.  But, I know there are many people travelling soon for baby pickup and I thought I would share with you what worked for us and some of the things we packed that didn't work.  We plan to travel often with R&B and will most likely refine our traveling skills, as time goes on.  If you have anything on your 'must have' list for travelling/living with twins, please leave a comment!

The great thing about Delhi is almost all baby items you will need are available.  However, the brands we are use to at home come at a steep price.  Besides the obvious preemie clothing and bottles, our packing list consisted of the following items (and my review):

Baby Stuff

Preemie Diapers - Pampers worked for us.  We found newborn diapers in Delhi, but no preemie diapers. To be honest, we didn't look too hard since we had the diapers from home.  Also, there is very little difference between Preemie and Newborn sizes.  Since returning to the states we have been using a combination of gdiapers, 7th generation and huggies.  gDiapers and 7th Generation seem to contain the most bodily fluids.  I expected huggies or pampers would be the best, but I am happy to say that is not the case. 

Wipes - I took three weeks worth of 7th Generation wipes because I wanted to keep their chemical exposure to a minimum.  You can find similar chlorine free wipes at MotherCare in Select City Walk.

Disposable Changing Pads - We used these to set up a temporary changing area on the couch in our apartment and to change the babies on the airplane.  I did have the changing pad that came with my diaper bag, but it is much smaller than these pads, which cover the entire airplane fold down changing station.  We reused each pad many times, as they fold up easily and don't take up much space.  I would recommend these to anyone travelling with diaper wearing children.

Thermos - I never expected to love a thermos, but I do.  We kept the sterilized water in it and now home we keep lukewarm water in it, so that we don't have to worry about heating/cooling each bottle.  When you are making 20+ bottles a day it is nice to have the water the right temp.

Sterilizer Microwave Bags - I found these to be easier than boiling the bottles and parts.  Sterilizing the bottles was a huge pain, but obviously necessary.  These bags don't take up much space and are reusable.  Obviously, you need a reliable microwave in your apartment to use these.

 Formula Dispenser - This is great when you are out of the apartment, on the airplane and late at night when you are holding a crying baby (or two) and only one hand to make the bottle.  This is an item that I didn't think was necessary, but now I strongly recommend it.

 Infant Carrier - All four of us love these. They are easy to put on and the babies instantly fall asleep. The carriers are great at keeping the babies covered and the germs/onlookers at bay.  I

Swaddle Blankets - We use these blankets for everything!  In Delhi, they were sun, bug and germ protectors, as well as the appropriate level of warmth for the warm days and nights.   Our babies are always wrapped in one of these and I would definitely recommend these to any new parent. 

Pack n Play - we bought one at Mom & Me in M block.  The babies used it with a bug net while in Delhi and now home it is functioning as our changing table.  There are many different items that you can buy for your baby to sleep in that I am sure work great.  This option worked well for us.

Car Seats - We brought our seats from home.  These were nice to have in the car and they made us feel better from the safety aspect. These are probably not a 'must have' since Rahul has one car seat you can request. If you decide to bring your car seats, I highly recommend these travel bags.  We filled the extra space in the bags with blankets, diapers, wipes, etc.

A Notebook to write down every feeding and changing.  It is amazing how easily one can forget the last time one of the babies were fed or changed.  This is an absolute necessity.  I bought a really cute notebook in Delhi for 50 rupees.

Other stuff - We bought Pigeon infant laundry detergent and dish soap in Delhi.  These are items that don't take up much space, but eat into the precious weight limits the airlines put on our luggage.

A few things I packed that we didn't use were car seat bug nets (swaddle blankets work perfectly fine) and Halo Sleep Sacks (the babies were too small).

Non-Baby Items that are Great

Many babies things are on the 'must have' list.  However, if a retailer can put the word baby in front of the product it some how adds a 100% markup!   When possible, I have attempted to avoid the short-term baby stuff in exchange for things I know we can use for years to come. 

Diaper Bag/Backpack - Everyone with more than one baby told me to buy a backpack diaper bag.  I read through many product reviews and ultimately decided to stick with a bag we already had.  This backpack is the perfect size and has many pockets and sleeves to make a fantastic diaper bag.

Since we need many bottles every time we leave the house, I needed a bag to store our Dr. Brown Bottles when on the go.  The Eagle Creek, size medium, travel bag works wonders!  I fit 4/5 bottles and 3/4 spit-up rags in the bag.  The bag is waterproof and has a nice little latch that attaches to the top of my diaper bag, so I don't lose it and need to go digging-

The Plane Ride

My biggest concern was running out of food!  I took 12 Enfamil nursettes and disposable nipples with us just for an emergency on the plane ride home.  We came home with 14 dirty bottles and six empty nursettes. 

One of my other fears on the plane ride was running out of clothes for R&B, Lee and me, as well as not having the right clothes packed for the temperature.  Since the babies were use to the warm weather in Delhi, I was very concerned about them being cold.  I filled six zip lock bags each filled with a hat, bib, spit rag, cotton pad, onesie, one piece pajamas, socks and a jacket/sweater.  I used the zip lock bags because I thought we would be in coach and that way I could just grab a bag and have everything I could possibly need with me in the dirty airplane bathroom.  We didn't need to worry about since we had so much room, but I will use this packing method on our next plane ride.

We also each packed extra pants and t-shirts for the spit-up/poop session that could potentially happen. 

I am sure there are a few things I am leaving out, but by this point I am sure everyone has stopped reading this post so I'll put an end to it.

R&B Update

R&B have now been home for longer than they were in Delhi.  It's hard to believe we have been home for two weeks tomorrow, but on the other hand, it feels like we were in Delhi ages ago.  Both babies continue to grow and amaze us.  I didn't realize that their growth would be visible on a daily basis, but we can both see it and feel it - especially with Brady! 

The past two days we have been working hard to extend the meal times from every two hours to every three hours.   Hopefully, this makes the nights a little shorter! 

Round two of our help came yesterday.  Grandma G. went home and Grandpa G. arrived just in time to spoil these two little ones!

R&B enjoying some Boppy time

Sleeping Brady (notice the new addition - double chin)

I may be bias, but darn she is cute! I can't get enough of her big eyes and endless stares.

The Khan Grandsons, Ben and Brady.

After 11 days of hand washing and sterilizing, I love my dishwasher more than I ever thought possible.  The new contents - ~20 bottles, bottle paraphernalia and coffee mugs!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have a very long list of things to be thankful for this year!  I want to spend the day with my family instead of writing on the blog, so I will only mention a few.

Obviously, the healthy arrival of Rooney and Brady is at the very top of our list.  We will be eternally grateful to Mrs. R for her braveness, love, stamina and sacrifice, and for keeping them growing and healthy for 37 weeks and 6 days!

Arriving home safely six days ago is also high on our list.  Without the help of Poonam and Rachna at SCI, we would likely still be in Delhi trying to get our exit visas instead of cooking Thanksgiving dinner at home with my mom and sister.  

We are so thankful for the many hours of late night feedings my mom has logged over the past week, which has made jetlag almost none existent and Lee’s return to work almost painless.

Our friends and family have been amazing this year, helping us celebrate so many milestones!  The support and encouragement we have received this year has made everything just that much more sweet!

And last, but not least, thank you to everyone following our blog.  We have read every comment and greatly appreciate the support we have received from the blogging community!

Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Smiley Brady

Sweet Little Rooney

Home Sweet Home

We made it!  After a 14 hour delay, the eagle took off headed for home.  We arrived home on Friday night, exhausted but VERY happy!!  The delay turned out to be a great thing for us because many of the first class passengers made alternative arrangements, which led to plenty of room in first class for our upgrade to be processed.  The flight was fantastic.  R&B had a bassinet to share, we had seats that opened into flat beds and the entire crew visited us frequently to hold the babies and check out our lovely babies.  Lee and I find it amusing that at 11 days old, R&B have passports, Onepass numbers and 7,500 miles traveled in a manner most only wish about.  If you are returning from India with babies and can swing the upgrade, it is well worth the extra money! (be sure to just pay for an upgrade and don't buy first class seats, much better deal).

Once home, R&B were greeted by a few new faces....

Grandma G. and Brady



 Aunty Amy and Rooney

 Uncle Jeff and Brady

Both babies lost their umbilical cords this past weekend, so we gave them their first baths.  I expected many tears, but they both loved it.  My mom thinks they may be future swimmers, but I think it might have something to do with their home for the past few months!



  Rooney

Brady

It was a bit sad to leave India not knowing when we will return, but there truly is nothing better than being at home with our babies!  R&B have made us unbelievably happy and now that we are stateside, we can't wait to introduce them to so many of our friends and family! 

Delayed

We have all the necessary documents to leave India, but no aircraft.  Our flight is delayed 13 hours!  We will head to the airport tomorrow and hope that the plane arrives ready to take us home.

I have lots to tell about the last 11 days, but it will have to wait until I am on the other side of the world!

Because I know this is why you visit this blog.......

Rooney, Dr. Shivani, Brady and me

Brady

We have Passports!!!

Rooney and Brady have the much-anticipated passports!   After dealing with a bit of Indian bureaucracy to obtain the birth certificates, the U.S. passport process was a dream.

For anyone planning to go through this process or interested in how we got passports so quickly, let me tell you -

Babies that are genetically related to one or two American citizens are automatically citizens.  Where they were born or from what womb they came out of doesn't matter as long as the genetics are clear.  So, to anyone wondering, no we did not have to adopt Rooney and Brady since there is a genetic link.

Prior to coming to India, I emailed Nancy Hamilton at the US Embassy to introduce myself and explained our specific situation.  She answered the few questions I had when filling out the forms and in general was exceptionally helpful!

Once the babies were born, Rachna from our clinic (SCI) filled out all the necessary paperwork to get our birth certificates, which have me listed as the mother.  Rachna completed the paperwork on Monday afternoon and we got our birth certificates on Friday evening.  Be prepared for some wait with the birth certificates.  We had two broken machines - the type writer that they use to manually enter the information and the stamp machine used to make the certificate official - which delayed the process by a day or so.

With the birth certificate in hand, we made the Embassy appointment.  The appointment was much like any government-related appointment in the states.   We had three things to accomplish at the Embassy -

1. Consulate Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) - U.S. governments authentication that a U.S. citizen was born abroad.  This will take seven days and will be mailed to our house in the U.S. and is not needed to receive the exit visas.
2. Social Security Number - the embassy submitted the birth to the social security department, much like would happen if the babies were born in the states, and in a couple of months we will receive the SS card and number in the mail.
3. Passport - we used the same form and documentation as if  we were applying in the states.  The only difference here is that the Embassy issues emergency passports, which allow you to enter the U.S. and then we will send the passports to the State Department to issue us regular 5 year passports.  There is no additional charge for issuing the passport once we return home, if we apply within one year. 

We were at the office for a grand total of three hours, waiting for all documents to be reviewed and the passports to be made.  I was impressed!  Seriously, the Embassy had their stuff together.  Some may think three hours is a long time, but they had to review our medical records, birth certificates, three forms, submit all information to the various U.S. departments and make the passports.  Before we knew it R&B's passports were in hand! Not that R&B even noticed because they slept through the whole appointment. The total cost of our visit was $205 for each baby
 
About 30 minutes into our wait, the nice man who was handling our passport told us to wait in a little room off to the side of the main waiting room.   The room had a door that we were able to close to keep all of the germs away from R&B and the many curious onlookers in the waiting room.

We have confirmed flights for Thursday evening!!!  We will spend the next few days getting the exit visa from the Indian government.  We have hired a woman by the name of Poonam to assist us through this last part of "Operation Get Out of India".

Wish US luck...

These two little ones are off to the Embassy tomorrow!  If all goes well, they will have US passports before dinner.

 Rooney

Brady

It seems that we are only capable of accomplishing one outing per day.  Today, Rooney and Brady had their very first play date.  Their friends, Mila and Nev, broke free from the hospital yesterday and were up for a visit from the Khan family.

Mila, Rooney, Nev and Brady (down at the bottom)

A Quick Update

The past five days have been amazing!  We have been very busy getting to know Rooney and Brady and loving on our two little bundles of joy.  They are amazing and it seems time races on at the speed of light with these two around.  Both babies are very healthy and gaining weight!

I will post very soon the recent events, but in the meantime, I wanted to give you a little bit of our goodness....

Rooney and Brady

The Happy Family

Best of Luck tomorrow to the guys over at http://justoneoutofsevenbillion.blogspot.com/ , as they welcome their twins to the world!  

Having babies in a developing country...

...sometimes means you have to expect some things to not go as smoothly and as quickly as they would at home. We completely understand that and are pretty well-prepared to deal with it. Then tonight happens. The last thing I expected on the night I bring my newborns home is that there won't be any water. Not just only a slow stream or just a drip or two, but full-blown no water. It's kind of an essential element of life so naturally we tracked down our housekeeper, who then brought in his boss's assistant, who then called in a plumber and an electrician. The age old question has been answered...turns out, it takes 5 Indian guys (add me to the other 4) to figure out that the motor on the water tank on the roof was broken which is why we didn't have water...at the perfect time, of course. Who knew you needed a motor for a water tank anyway? But, we're assured it's fixed, but we still won't have water until about 7:00 AM. We were given two full watercooler jugs to get us thru the night and make sure the babies are fed). Over the course of the three hours it took to sort this all out, we also managed to sort out some details on follow-up pediatric appointments, found out the birth certificate won't be ready until tomorrow night, arranged car service to get to a diffeerent pedeatric appointment to check for jaundice (we had to agree to bring Brady and Rooney to the Dr's office for the next three or four days in exchange for bringing them home today) and welcomed a night nurse to help us make sure we don't break our babies in the first night or two.

But, none of that matters today because we got to bring home our babies this morning and have been enjoying them all day. I even managed to change my first poopie diaper, EVER. Brady and Rooney are as adorable as can be, even though Rooney is unfortunate enough to be a spitting image of me. She's definitely going to be my favorite daughter. Brady is the strong, silent type, who just chills while his little sister brings on the drama, earning him the "favorite son" tag. I'm not even making those titles contingent on what happens in their first night at home.

But enough of my rambling, here's what everyone cares about anyway, a cute pic of our two little angels.