Easy DIY Christmas Photo Shoot

So a couple of weeks ago on a friend's blog, I was inspired to try a photo shoot with the twins for Christmas. I had hoped to do it some morning while the older kids were in school, but somehow the time got away from me. It ended up happening on a saturday afternoon, just a few days before Christmas. I got my inspiration and instructions from here. Unfortunately all I had to work with was my iPhone so I was somewhat limited. But I still loved what I came out with.

Check it out:

A nice easy set-up which would have been nicer if all my lights were actually working. But we made do. Lucas helped me test it out, and my first subject, Leila, just wanted to get her hands on my phone/camera.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! 

Advent 2013

So, it's a little late to be writing about Advent now, considering Christmas is merely days away. Somehow December just caught me off guard (I'll blame my brother's visit from Nov 10 - 30). Last year I wrote about our Advent Calendar that we've used for the past four Christmases. While I had some ideas about doing a different kind of advent calendar using match boxes, I was already late so I didn't do anything drastically different.

I decorated our home with lots of red this year, so I wrapped match boxes (filled with two chocolate coins for the older kids) in red, blue and green snowman paper.

I did want a different way to attach the boxes so that after they were taken down there was still something on the calendar. I decided to make some cute numbered tags and attach it with a ribbon that would stay on after the boxes were taken down. I threaded each ribbon through the loop on the tree, then taped the number and the box to the ribbon. The box is easily removed from the bottom part of the ribbon.

We also found a better place to hang the tree this year - last year it kept falling down. I hung all the boxes with the numbers all mixed up; Lucas is enjoying the challenge of finding the numbers. With only five days before Christmas our tree looks emptier, but it's nice to see the ribbons and little number tags. Along with the lights we hung around it, I really like the set up this year!

How are you getting ready for Christmas?

6 Months - Sleeping, Slurping and Sipping

Well, we are here already - at the half way mark to one year! The days and weeks are just flying by, and soon the twins will be walking and talking. Thankfully for now they are still immobile. :)

And not quite sitting up on their own. :)

Our biggest change this month has been to start on solid food. We are still nursing a lot and taking a few bottles a day to supplement, and have tried avocado, bananas, cooked apple and runny oatmeal. Today we experimented with fresh orange juice (an acid free type that is often given here as one of the first "foods"). We are not having a lot of success, but they're getting the idea slowly. 

It looks like we are transitioning to two naps a day and it's becoming harder and harder to keep the two girls on the same schedule. They are just so different! Lisa is our cat-napper who we can't get much more than an hour out of, and Leila seems like she would sleep all day if we let her. Actually, using the term schedule isn't really accurate - what we have is a very fluid, flexible sort of rhythm to our day. It works for us and has enough structure for me right now. Nights haven't been the best either, but we seem to have turned a corner recently - I actually had one night with a five hour stretch! I'm hoping the addition of solid food will help them get through the night without needing to nurse.

When Lucas was born, we were far from family and so David started making videos of him, every day to share with our friends and family. (You can check out those videos here)

When Elena was born, we were closer to David's family, while mine was still far away in Canada - and I think we made four or five videos of her first days. (You can find more videos of Lucas and Elena here)

Predictably, the twins being the babies in the family are desperately behind in the video department. So I finally managed to piece together a little video of their first six months. 

Double Blessings from Taara Portela on Vimeo.

Life Lately

Well, it's been a little quiet here lately, but only because life outside the blog has been rather noisy and busy! Here's what we've been up to...

Meeting a new friend - Through several connections I met a new friend, a young mom like myself who is expecting twin girls in the new year. I invited her over for coffee and twin talk.

Decorating - I had the privilege of decorating for a good friend's baby shower. I had about a week to prepare which is probably the quickest I've put together something like this! I'll be posting more about it, but here's a little look...

Teething twins - yup, we've started that lovely phase. Fussy, teething Lisa = baby wearing day!

Pool time - with a holiday on Friday, and hubby away on Friday and Saturday for a speaking engagement, we enjoyed two afternoons at a friend's pool where both Lucas and Elena made progress with their swimming. The twins were happy to sit in their chairs this time.

"Sunday best" - Elena loves choosing her dress for church each week, and I finally convinced her to choose this one she got a little while ago from her grandma. Lucas really enjoyed posing for these photos.

First foods - We started our first food adventures with the twins. They seemed very interested and ready but we've had a slow start. I'm happy to go slowly though; with the twins turning 6 months old this week it feels like their baby stage is passing by much too quickly.

What have you been up to lately?

NOT a first time mom

I'm so glad I'm not a first time mom...

You wouldn't believe how many times I have thought this since the twins were born.

I remember feeling so overwhelmed before Lucas was born. I had hardly held a baby, dare I say it, I think I hadn't even changed a diaper. And now they were going to let me leave the hospital with this baby; that I was to feed, change, bathe, love and care for - without instructions? 

Due to his somewhat stressful arrival, it was hours before we really got to see and hold him. The feeling of cradling that swaddled little boy for the first time was so amazing. And, did I mention, overwhelming? We unwrapped his little blankets, holding him so gently, and also a little awkwardly as we tried to figure out how to hold a newborn...

Of course, after a day or two it all seems very natural, and you can hardly remember what life was like before. The learning curve for new moms is so steep, coupled with recovery from labor and delivery and at least a few weeks of severe sleep deprivation - it's no easy feat! And yet, we keep going back and doing it again? Why?

I think the answer to that is pretty obvious; it gets "easier" with each successive baby. I'll admit, when we were expecting Elena I felt quite anxious about going through the whole baby thing again, and questioned myself over so many details of the infant stage; would she breastfeed well? how would I balance a baby and a toddler? when and how will we start solids? can we synchronize their naps? And all that worrying for nothing - Elena integrated herself into our life so seamlessly and all those stages and milestones passed by so quickly and easily. (I know it's easy to say that now with two potty trained, sleep trained, food trained pre-schoolers, and at the time it probably all didn't "feel" easy - it just turned out easier than I expected)

I guess that's why they say the third time's the charm! When we first found out we were pregnant with baby #3, I had no doubts about my abilities as a mother and very few worries about how to include a baby within our day to day routine.

Then we found out we were having twins!

This unexpected surprise threw me for a bit, and my mind immediately raced weeks and months ahead as I tried to imagine nursing, bathing, feeding, soothing and looking after two little ones. So as we prepared for their arrival and made it through the first few hard weeks of infancy, this thought kept coming back to me, "I'm so glad I'm not a first time mom!". I think it would be so hard to have twins as your first baby experience and I'm glad I didn't have to go through that! Lucas and Elena prepared me so well for another baby - even the fact that they are so close in age! I already knew how to do all the newborn things - now it was just a matter of learning to do it with two.

So if you're a first time mom, or even a second-time mom, wondering about this journey of motherhood, be encouraged. It does get easier; and those skills of nurturing and caring for a baby come so quickly. Don't worry about having all the right "stuff" or following all the rules. Even if there were no cribs, strollers, car seats, baby bathtubs, bottles, pacifiers, baby swings (ok, this list could go on for.ev.er...) all your baby needs is you! Isn't that amazing? So don't stress out if your baby is hungry 2.8 hours after their last feed, or if they haven't had a bath in two days, or if they need an extra nap one day. Respond to their cries, listen to them, and gently guide them and grow them.

The biggest lesson I've learned from my twins so far has been about sacrifice. It was easy for me to imagine adding one other little one to our lives. So easy, and so little sacrifice. With twins I am constantly reminded of my need to give of myself - my time, my body, my dreams, for their well-being.

And we all know, that in the end, the sacrifice will be worth it. 

Five months - Rolling, Rotating and Raspberries

It's been a pretty quiet month here, mostly because of all the sickness we've dealt with. Lisa and Leila were the best sick babies ever! They handled their chicken pox so well and we are so glad to have that chapter behind us.

Lovely photos taken by someone at church this week!

Increasing mobility has been the big thing these past few weeks. No more leaving the baby on the sofa to grab a diaper, wipes or clothes, lest a baby roll off! Leila can turn herself onto her belly in a matter of seconds. Lisa is still working on this skill, she prefers to rotate around on her back.

Remember how they used to sleep like this all night long?

 Now this is how they wake up!

This month they'll definitely be moving into their own cribs. Unfortunately we can't fit both cribs into our bedroom, so it seems fairer to move both babies into their own room, rather than keeping one with us and one on her own in a separate room. Sleep hasn't been the best this month either, which is keeping me from making the switch. Both girls are waking up at least twice a night. I'm thinking the kicking and moving around doesn't help! Hoping they'll start sleeping better soon.

Just a usual afternoon in the Portela household. 

Both girls are expanding their vocal abilities, and Lisa has perfected the raspberries. Leila loves to laugh, especially at Lucas' antics. Both the older kids love to play with the twins, although Elena is still learning how to be gentle. The twins are dying to sit up and are holding and playing with more of their toys. Next month we'll begin a gentle introduction to solids.

I just can't quite believe they are almost half a year old! The 3 - 6 month age is one I absolutely love (more so when the baby is sleeping at night, but I've gotten so used to it, I can hardly remember how many times I've been up by the next morning).

You think it's hard to get a good photo of one baby,... try it with two! 

Play of the Day

Alternately titled; "Who needs toys?"

Apart from one or two special items that my kids are really into, we actually don't get a lot of play out of our toys. It seems that kids can make a game out of anything, and if I can allow them to be occupied with other "things" and encourage their imagination and a bigger sense of "play" then I go for it. (As long as the mess is not too extravagant! See this bean experiment here...)

So for anyone wondering what my kids get up to when their toys just aren't hitting the spot, here are a few examples...

1. Let's use the chairs and stools to make a jail in the kitchen!

2. Mmmmm! Cinnamon and Sugar! Seriously, she was occupied with this little bowl for at least 20 minutes, and didn't even make too much of a mess. Nor did she eat all of it.

3. Oooh! Plastic containers! Admittedly this one didn't last long before he was into a "cooking" adventure involving juice, milk, flour, mustard, basil, nutmeg and parmesan.... I should have gotten a picture of that "cake" when it was done; Lucas and Elena actually tried eating it. Might have to guide the cooking a little more next time so it ends up somewhat edible.

4. Yay! Boxes to rearrange! 

5. Let's play TV! On the air, a special episode of the Backyardigans, for about 5 minutes before they rearranged everything into an obstacle course.  

Looking through these, it appears my kids spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Other things we do usually involve moving furniture in the living room to create "houses"or obstacle courses. Ok, who am I kidding, with four kids in our small-ish house and the baby paraphernalia, our house IS an obstacle course! 

What do your kids like to play with?