Twin Update... 11 weeks

Age:  Actual age = 4 months, 2 weeks. Adjusted age = 11 weeks...almost 3 months!!! 

Height/Weight: Rebecca is 60 cm tall, 5.3kg and Finn is 63cm tall, weighing 6.2kg - growing so well. Paed was happy with their development and growth and says whatever we are doing to keep doing it! They have both crossed over the second percentile line and are well on their way to catching up for their actual ages. Looking at adjusted ages, they are just perfect.

Developmental notes: Both babies are showing new abilities everyday...it is wonderful to watch and I know I am going to miss this so much when I am back at work. They look around, move and hold their heads up, especially Rebecca.She is so strong and can already take her weight standing for a while! They push themselves around their cots at night landing up sideways most nights. They have started grabbing and grasping. They touch and stroke. They talk and coo and laugh. They smile spontaneously. So proud of my babies.

Eating: Same as before. To keep up with 3 BM feeds, I am going to have to express at 6am, at 12pm at work, at 5pm and then 10pm.. Interestingly though is that the paed says we need to start solids at actual age 6 months.  So they will be starting cereal in just a month and a bit time - wow! I will start at the10:30pm feed hoping that this fills them up enough for a sleep through!!!Going to need to buy bumbo chairs and high chairs next - can't believe it is this time so soon!

Sleep: They are sleeping about 4-5 hours before bedtime and then from about 7:30 all the way through until 6am with two dreamfeeds at 11pm and 3am...so, pretty fabulous. It is rare that we struggle to put them back to sleep now during the nightfeeds.  I am hoping to be able to drop the 3am feed soon. As soon as Rebecca reaches 6kg, we will try it again - not waking them for the 3am feed and try stretch them to 5h30 or 6am...We are about to move them onto a 4 hourly routine, down to max 3-4 hrs sleep during the day and cutting a feed. Hopefully we can get their mls up so they can get all of their nutrition during the day...but Rebecca is already not even finishing 100mls and she is supposed to be taking 130mls!

Favourite Things: Smelling my babies, kissing my babies, hugging my babies, looking at my babies, being called a mommy.

Dislikes: When Rebecca cries and cries...breaks my heart sometimes and I wish for her to become a chilled out babba like her brother is now...roll on 4 months and NO colic!

Their accomplishments: All their growing and smiling and talking - loving the way they are starting to be so much more aware of their surroundings and noises and colours and movement...

Our accomplishments: Still being a strong team..couldn't have done this without my DH!

Looking forward to: Babies sleeping through from 11pm to 6am...

Mommy musings: I still can't believe I am a mommy - I know this sounds lame but I think not being one for so long has left its mark and now I still struggle to process that I really am one...and I am loving it more than I believed possible.  I may not be able to be a stay-at-home mum, but I will love my babies every minute I spend with them...I am going back to work tomorrow...not sure what I will feel but am prepared for some anxiety...how do I leave them in someone elses care for so long everyday? It is a tough one.

Cutie pies

Such a cutie

Wake up sis

Twin update...

 
Age:  3 months, 4 weeks...adjusted age = 2 months or 9 weeks on Thurs!

Height/Weight:We went for a weigh-in and innoculations yesterday...do NOT like the innoculation part and hearing my poor little babies screaming after each injection. And they had to have three! Not great. Poor little Rebecca was inconsolable for ages and she then got a temperature and was not herself. On the weight front however they have done fabulously!  Both have put on about a kg in the last 4 weeks. Rebecca weighs almost 5kg and Finn is almost 6kg at 5.8kg. He is getting so heavy now and both are putting on fat and looking more chubby like real babies...so cute!

Developmental notes: The twins are doing so well...growing and becoming more interactive each day. There are loads of smiles now and gurgles and cooing noises.  Finn is more vocal and has a whole range of chuckles and sounds. Rebecca tries to "talk" with more gentle sounds. They both focus fully on you and track movement nicely. They have started grabbing things in front of them and are beginning to discover their hands. Rebecca especially is very strong with her neck muscles and holding her head up.  Finn is also good but more floppy. I think Becs is quite tense muscularly and we may take her to a physio - she just seems too tight sometimes and always stretching and rigid - it is almost as if she wants to start walking aready!

Eating:Still expressing my BM...it is such a chore but I am so happy to be doing what I can to ensure the babies get breast milk. We are half BM half formula - on S26 Gold. Despite the guides saying that they should be increasing their feeds now with weight gain - I am struggling to get them to eat more than they are. Rebecca is on 90ml (should be 110ml) and Finn on 120ml (should be 130ml) and they dont finish their bottles sometimes. This is distressing when it is BM :( - wasting momma's gold lol!

Sleep: They are sleeping well and in a nice routine most of the time.  They nap during the day for about 4-6 hours and then sleep from 7h30/8pm until we wake them at 10h30 for a feed.  They then sleep until about 2am.  Sometimes we have to wake Rebecca still at the 2am feed - usually Finn is the one to wake first.  We tried the Sleepsense method of leaving them to wake naturally but it was chaos...one woke at 12, the other at 1am and then again at 3 or 4 am...and they were fully awake so getting them back to sleep was hectic - NOT fun for the parent on night duty!  We decided to stick with Gina Ford and dreamfeed...at least we more or less know what to expect then.  

 

Finn has stopped his constant grunting from 4am however he sometimes wakes up early moaning and crying but usually can go back to sleep until feeding time at 6am. More than not, I fetch him to sleep in bed with me rather than listen to the moans or risk him waking Rebecca. So on an off-night, you get 6 to 61/2 hours sleep and on duty anything from 3 to 5 1/2 hours. I am dreading going back to work beginning Feb with constant lack of sleep - babies please start sleeping through soon!!! They have started being more active sleepers though and ruffle up their nests or work out of their swaddles so sometimes you find them with the blankets under their faces or around their heads - not great!  I have just moved all the "nest" things out of their cots and bought sleepsacks to use from now on.

Favourite Things:"Talking" to mum and dad after feeding time lying against their legs in bed. For us, these bonding times are so special - nothing beats having your baby smile at you and coo sweet sounds in response to your talking.

Dislikes: Being made to finish a bottle of mums BM when they don't feel like it lol!

Their accomplishments: Growing, watching, grabbing, looking, smiling, talking!

Our accomplishments: Getting by with lack of sleep...amazing how you adapt...you have to!

Looking forward to: Babies sleeping through...

Mommy musings: The babies really like sleeping on their tummies, which is not ideal...with the swaddling going pear-shaped, I have bought sleep sacks which require the babies to sleep on their backs...hope they take to it. Finn is getting pretty good at self soothing himself to sleep from a drowsy state, but Rebecca has to be fast asleep before being put in her cot to sleep...going to need to start working on this with her as she must learn to self soothe in her cot...for down the line this will become tricky.

 

Our au pair started last week and she is amazing and everything is going so well - so I have decided to return to work early and to use the annual leave I would've used for Feb to leave work early for a few months so that the au pair is not alone in the "crazytime" evenings. I have been in hospital and then with them for the past 5 months and feel ready to go back to work, but I know it is going to be hard and I am going to shed many a tear missing them and wondering why the hell I am working, even though I enjoy my work and need to be fulfilled professionally as well...it will be tough finding the balance and I have no doubt, there will be much agonising to come...

Good morning world

Sunday morning sweeties

Roll on 3 months

I don't want to wish any phase or time away as every moment is precious, but seriously...I want this colicky phase over ASAP!  Finn has sorted through his colicky issues only for Rebecca to now be plagued by them...inconsolable crying for hours on end really wears the strongest of us down!  I am trying Bennetts Colic Remedy, but this evening was really bad, poor thing and poor mum and dad - nothing would ease her crying...eventually she has cried herself out and is sleeping...just...hope it lasts...

If it miraculously eases at 3 months or so they say, then we have 4-5 weeks left of this!!! Heeeeeelllllp!

Becca

Becca and mum

Look at this little cutie girl!!!

The year of our miracle

I will always remember 2011 as the year of our miracle. After 12 long years of waiting, trying, hoping, our babies finally arrived. 2011 has been such a special year and I am filled with gratitude. May 2012 be a year of wonderful discovery and love as our little family grows...