Alistair & Emerick - 2 Months

Oh boy.  The 2nd month.  I survived. It was a marathon of a month and I crossed the finish line, sweating and drooling. I wish I had more of a glowing report for twin mommies to be. Maybe that will be the case in a few months.  For now, the bags under my eyes tell a different story, one of epic sleep loss and desperation.

I wish there was a way to detail all the trials and tribulations and yet spare you of the urge to pity me, but I don't have the necessary brain power to pull that off. It's being spent on baby survival essentials. And I think the fact that this post is 8 days late is all the illustration any of us could ever need to understand just how trying things have been.

Nursing: The first month was all perfect, perfect as is my wont. I tandem nursed and recorded every minute of it. Neat. Tidy. Smart. I scoffed at the idea of nursing one baby at a time. Who would do such a wasteful, lazy thing? ... I'll tell you who! Me! About a thousand times this month. I did it first so I could semi-sleep through nursing one night. Gateway drug. Then I did it because my nerves were shot to hades in a handbasket when Thomas would hover and touch and add to the already overstimulating experience.  Bless his heart. The 2nd month was a month of experimentation and frantic nursing: one baby, then this baby, then both babies because we have to go to that thing and I need both babies fed.  I keep telling myself I'm going to return to full tandem nursing and never look back. After just one more solo session.

*I could write an entire book about twin nursing alone. Ok, not really but I feel like it.  But I'll sum it up this way: Tandem nursing is efficient. Solo nursing is lovely. Either way, I get to share it with two little souls staring up at me so win-win.

Sleep: I slept 5 hours in a row one night this month.  Everything else has been in one to three hours (and three hours very, very rare) increments.  I know I should get more sleep and insist on it and so forth but I'm so tired I forget to do so.  I know that sounds like one of the dumbest things you've ever read, but it's entirely true.  I'm sitting here typing this and blinking my way through remembrance of the past sleepless month.

Outings: After seeing my shortcomings this month in nursing and sleep management, I'll say a bit about getting out of the house to boost my morale. This month we managed to get out of the house often for programs, for "me time", or just to pick up groceries.  We've started going to the library for story time every Monday, just me, the boys, the Eddie Bauer (affectionately referred to as Eddie) and lots of prayers that we make it there and back again.  We've also started going to programs at the Nature Center.  These are great things for Thomas to enjoy with his peer group and me to enjoy in the sense that it forces me to shower, look decent, and talk to adults who are not my husband.  I refuse to think taking the boys out by myself is a big deal.  I don't want us to miss out on fun stuff just because it takes me something like 3 hours to prepare us to get in the car.

Growth: At the one month check-up the doctor announced the boys were at the 23rd and 28th percentile for weight...on the preemie chart. Now we've made it to the regular chart! I worked darn hard for those 1st and 3rd percentiles. Alistair weighs 9.13 lbs and Emerick weighs 9.10 lbs. It's bizarre to think some babies are born this big. When we're out people exclaim "newborns!" Mm. Not so much. But they are right about the size. The boys are just barely still fitting in newborn clothes, a size Thomas wore for maybe a week of his life.

New Tricks: Alistair & Emerick ----> smiling (it takes a bit of work...but they're adorable)
                      Me ------> herding all three boys in the same direction
                      Thomas -------> toothpaste art in the bathroom sink when mommy is busy tandem nursing

A Day in the Life: Wonder how things are with twins? (Well, and a toddler).  It's like this... It's really not a big deal. I'm just like everyone else in any other situation. The boys are fun. There's extra work. The washing machine gets just as little rest as me. But it's all good...until it's not.  And this probably has just as much to do with bigger families as it has to do with twins but there can be extremely intense periods where multiple needs are being thrown my way and it's particularly stressful.  Sometimes it only lasts 10 minutes. Other times, things won't settle for 3 hours. I'm talking non-stop go, go, go. The trick is repeating to myself: this will pass, this will pass, I love my kids, this will pass.  And it does. And then I smile because I feel pretty awesome for answering the call to love and somehow not breaking down into a puddle of tears.

Cloth Diapers: We use bumGenius 4.0s. We love them. I need more in the worst way.

Happy Holy Baptism!: The boys were baptized during this month and we hosted family for the celebration. Alistair & Emerick are so blessed to not only have my sister, Andrea, and my brother-in-law, Josh, as their godparents but so many aunts and uncles (just counted... as of today, 17!) to watch over them and guide them.  The boys just don't know how good they've got it. But Paul and I do, and we're so appreciative!

I'm raising my mug of coffee to surviving that 2nd month and hoping big that the 3rd month is just a tad easier!