Twins & Peanut Update

30 minutes to myself = time to write a quick disjointed post about how things are going... please  forgive the incomplete sentences and punctuation errors that are bound to occur!

Last Wednesday the twins were four weeks old.  The last four weeks are a blur.  It is amazing how many things have changed in four weeks though...

Milk supply has gone from shaky to pretty solid...

I have gone from not sure how to handle twin feedings to starting to get a system...

I have realized that ANY system of feeding twins (breast, bottle, pumping, combination, tandem, staggered, etc) is HARD.

I like feeding the twins one at a time, but I inevitably fall asleep while feeding the second twin.

I have never appreciated the ability to nurse lying down like I have with twins.  My body gets so tired... even if I am not sleeping, lying down is SO much more restful.  Sitting up to do the burping = no fun. 

There are so many baby products that I have changed my mind about since having Melody & Peanut... Example: I was gung-ho for glass bottles with Melody... no plastic near my babies! Now I am gung- ho about Breast Flow Bottles since they mimic the breast and help keep babies' suck strong and in a correct placement while nursing.  Potato- Potahto I guess...

It is weird to me that some things work better for different babies...  Butt Paste & Pampers Swaddlers & Sensitive wipes from Wal Mart are the perfect diaper combination for Peanut (no leaks, no blow outs & diaper rash goes away in one application)...  But Balm-X & Sensitive Wipes from Target are the best for avoiding diaper rash for the twins... it is strange to me that you really can't use just any product for any baby on sensitive baby skin. 

I am waiting a little longer to begin cloth diapering with the twins.. Sometimes you can change 5 diapers in a 15 minute period with twins... I am going to wait a few more weeks before we start that adventure.  We will... just not quite yet.

I am finally to the point that I am so tired that I am okay if the twins cry a bit before they sleep.  The irony in this is that when I finally decided to let them cry until they slept (being sure of course that every other need was met) they only cried for about 2 minutes before they calmed themselves and drifted off... Oh irony... I was scared about two babies crying loudly at the same time for hours (or you know, 20 minutes or something) and it has RARELY every happened that way.  Again, ironically, the more I try to intervene to help them soothe to sleep, the longer they cry (even with me holding them)... lay them down and they are out in no time flat- even though they are LOUD for a few minutes.

Last crazy thing for today before I go have 10 minutes to myself that's NOT on the computer... Peanut had an ear nose and throat doctor appointment today where we discovered that he has partial hearing loss (meaning only hears REALLY loud noises)... He may have not heard our voices EVER in his life.  The doctor believes it is temporary caused by fluid build up behind his ear drum that will hopefully drain eventually (or we may have to help it along somehow)... I can't even write my response to how this makes me feel.  It would take hours... I just keep looking at Peanut and wanting to cry because I keep wanting to talk to him and I keep re-realizing that he can't hear me.  We have to wait a month to go back to see how his ears are doing.  It will feel like a long month...  Pray for Peanut to regain his ability to hear and for everything to resolve itself simply!

Thanks for listening to my random tangent...

Love,
Rachel

Georgia and Craig

Georgia and Craig- 3 days old

We are a six person family now.

Yesterday was our first day at home without extra help.  No moms, no nannies... just us.

This morning I am sick with some kind of cold, but yesterday was... close to perfect.

Calm.

Peaceful.

Enjoyable.

One thing at a time.

No dishes were done, no laundry was folded.  Just playing with our kids.  Taking naps.  Nursing babies.  Husband and wife talks.  Dreaming dreams for our family's future.  Making plans.

I will be thankful when my sister arrives in town tonight or tomorrow morning and when our housekeeper comes to do the deep cleaning tomorrow, but yesterday told me that we can do it!  We will eventually (keyword- eventually!) go back to being a self-sufficient family.

In the meantime thank you to everyone who has given gifts, brought food, called to check in, watched Melody and prayed for us.  We wouldn't be feeling nearly as peaceful without you.  You have been God's provision for us.

Love,
Rachel