Another iPhone Photo Shoot - V-Day!

Although we don't celebrate Valentines Day here in Brazil I thought it would be fun to put together a little photo shoot with the twins. We do celebrate a similar "holiday" in June, but it is much more focused on couples rather than friendship and love in general, (and less candy which is good!) It is hard to believe that this time last year David took me out for breakfast - long-haired and big-bellied and now my little ones are almost 9 months old!

Anyways, enough sentimentality for now. We have a nice stone/brick wall in our parking space outside and it's a great place for setting up a shoot. I made a simple heart garland backdrop with four colors of cardstock; red, dark pink, light pink and white. Each heart was taped to a string and the strands hung up with masking tape. It was pretty windy so some of the other hearts had to be taped down as well.

Since my last "photo shoot" with the twins in December, they have gotten a lot more mobile! Making it that much harder to get a good shot. Also it's quite difficult to get them in position and then run back, pick up the phone and get the shot before they move. Difficult, as in, impossible. Twin photo shoot tip #1 - have at least one baby-wrangler on the scene!

Attempts...

Props are always a good idea when working with babies. Obviously they thought my backdrop was fair game too. I was hoping the blocks would keep them in one spot, but they kept coming after the "love" blocks I wanted in the foreground. My ideal shot was one of them holding "x" and "o" with the "love" in the foreground. Didn't happen.

More attempts...

More toys brought out to keep them immobile. Finally I resorted to cookies.

This is the best I got! Lisa is just incredibly hard to capture because she is always on the move!

I'm still glad I got to capture them at this exciting stage, because they are growing up so quickly and I can only imagine how much harder a photo shoot will be when they are walking!

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!! Spend it with someone you love. :) 

Quick Takes

--1--
You know you have four kids when a "date" with your hubby means having an hour in the car "alone" (i.e., all four kids sleeping in the back) and you stop to pick up your favorite drinks and snacks to enjoy on the way.

--2--
There's not much point spending half an hour writing out your meal plan and grocery list if you take it to the store and then forget to look at it until you've finished shopping and put everything into the car. Forgot one thing? No way you're going back into the store!

--3--
Lucas: Mommy, your belly is really squishy...
Me: Yes, it is Lucas, because mommy had a lot of babies in there.
Lucas: Yeah, first Lucas was in your belly, and then Elena, and then Lisa and Leila. You're right mommy! That's a lot of babies!
*pause*
Lucas: But how did the babies all get out?
Me: Well...
*pause*
Lucas: Look mommy! Leila's awake!
Me: *phew* dodged that bullet. 
At least he didn't ask how the babies got there in the first place!

--4--
How can my babies be 8 months old already? The time is flying by so fast. They are well over 8 kgs (about 18 lbs), eating all kinds of foods, sitting and playing by themselves, crawling all over the place and already trying to climb up on the furniture. They babble and sing and love to laugh. It is getting harder and harder to get a good photo of them together!

--5--
A few random numbers for ya:
30 - The average temperature (Celsius) this week. It's been hot, folks!
4 - Number of times I was up in the night with the twins. And this was actually a pretty good night! Each was up twice.
3 - Approximate number of times my cup of tea gets re-heated before finally finished.
6:00am - The time Lisa decided to get up for good this morning.
70 - The length (height) of my babies (in cm).

--6--
Lucas and Elena are getting to a wonderful stage where they love to hear stories. Mostly at bedtime as I think they want to prolong the process as much as possible. What are some good books to read aloud to them? They are age 3 - 5.

--7--
I was pretty happy about this Angel Food cake I made for David to celebrate his birthday last week. Not too hard as long as you're careful about any oil, grease or egg yolk that can mess up the rising of the cake. Baked it in a tube pan, then filled the centre with fresh strawberries and "frosted" with whipped cream. So, you know, if you happen to have a dozen eggs lying around, give it a try! Here's the recipe I used.

Happy Friday everyone! 

Two Peas in a Pod

... Or not!

Aside from sharing womb time, Lisa and Leila are as different as any other two siblings. People love to know just exactly how different they are, often asking "who is more happy / sleepy / loud / smiley" etc. We have a tendency to make a lot of comparisons between our children - Lucas did such and such at this age, Elena didn't do such and such like that. Of course we never quite remember exactly  how it was with the older children, so it is quite interesting to be able to compare the twins in "real time" as they are growing up together - going through the same stages at their own pace and in their own way. 

So how similar are Lisa and Leila? In some ways about as similar as night and day! Lisa is our loud one - she was born first with a great big wail of a cry, bringing tears to my eyes. When Leila was taken out she had a small, delicate little cry. This has continued to be the case when they get vaccinations or when they had their ears pierced.

Leila in her favorite toy on the left and Lisa in hers on the right. 

As we've moved past the sleeping-all-day part, we now get to enjoy watching the two of them play "together" - side by side usually, and occasionally one crawls on top of the other. Leila is much more easily occupied by our baby toys, and quite happy to sit on her own inspecting the small details of all our toys and books. Lisa is much happier when she's close to someone (and thankfully Leila helps with that) and is much more intrigued with household objects like spatulas and TV remotes. Of course with the two of them everything also goes into the mouth... As I sit here writing this, they are playing on the floor fighting over sharing a balloon. 

We started our wonderful solid food journey about two months ago, and at the beginning Leila refused to eat off the spoon. So I'd let her experiment by herself with the food on her tray and feed Lisa with the spoon. I would say we do a mix of baby-led eating with finger foods and purees / spoon fed meals. 

Sleeping is where they seem to differ the most. Lisa is a cat-napper, often lasting no more than half an hour in the crib. She prefers to nap in a stroller or bouncy chair. Leila takes good, long naps, sprawled out on her belly in the crib. Lisa needs to be coaxed (rocked, bounced etc) into sleep, Leila gets fussy and we lie her down and within minutes she is sleeping. This has made it interesting to try to get them on any sort of reliable schedule together!

Lisa is our more "high maintenance" baby and Leila is just so laid-back it is amazing. They both love to smile, babble in different ways, play with Lucas and Elena and be held by mommy and daddy. 

With all their differences there is one thing that remains the same; every day we fall in love with them even more. What a surprise it was to learn we would be having twins - and each day they surprise us as they each grow into their own unique little person. Such a privilege to be a twin mommy! 

Four in Tow

This past weekend I had the opportunity to get all the kids out of the house for a birthday party. Hubby, unfortunately had other responsibilities so it was just me and the kiddos. Now with four kids age five and under, you might think it's a little crazy to go trekking across the city with them as the only adult. While it can be stressful, it beats being stuck inside the house all day, so I decided to go for it. There are several things to do to make going out with your kids an enjoyable time for everyone.

1. The Destination
Obviously I'm not going to want to take my kids to an event that is unsuitable - say, where they have to all sit quietly for a long time. We were headed to a kids birthday party, so I knew there would be lots to entertain the older kids. It was primarily for them that we went. There would be kids we knew for them to play with, and people to help with the twins.

2. Set Expectations
We had attended another birthday party at this same location about a year and a half ago. I had taken the kids by myself (obviously without the twins) and we'd had some issues with behavior and obedience. So this time I made sure to set the expectations of what we would do and how the kids were to behave while we were there. Combined with the fact that they are a little bit older and more mature, it helped to prepare them for going out.

3. Be Prepared
This means a fully stocked diaper bag; food for babies, snacks for older kids, changes of clothes for everyone, sippy cups and pacifiers, toys, blankets, bottles, etc. (See the next point for where to keep the mounds of baggage you need.) I knew we'd be parking on the street so I planned to arrive a little "early" - i.e., party is set to start at 2:00 and we arrived at 2:30 - basically the first guests apart from the family. This meant we were able to get a good parking spot close to their building. I would guess most of the guests arrived between 3:00 and 4:00. This is pretty typical for Brazil.

4. Use your stroller
While strollers are useful for carrying children (especially multiples), they offer more than just that and storage for all your stuff; the stroller becomes "home base". The older kids can easily find us when we're out. The stroller also helps keep us all together - when we cross the roads the older kids know to hold onto the sides of the stroller. They also discovered that they can ride on the sides of it. When momma says the train is pulling out, they hop right on. It's pretty hilarious (and heavy to push!), but helps when we need to get moving.

5. Stand Out
I learned this tip from an article about taking your kids to the beach. Dress them in brightly colored shirts so you can easily spot them from far away. I took this to the next level and also dressed in a bright shirt so they'd easily be able to spot me if they needed something. Here in Brazil it also helps to have blond haired kids as they're in the minority and easy to spot in a crowd.

6. Accept Help
One thing I have really noticed with twins is that people are much more willing to help. I had so many people offer to hold one of the twins while I nursed / bottle fed / changed the other. I met another mom of twins who could empathize with me. Also I can strike up a conversation with anyone on the basis of my babies. (Great for an introvert like me.) Some of the dads there pitched in as well - helping Lucas go on the monkey bars and watching Elena play.

All in all we had a great time; the kids basically slept all the way there and back in the car (about an hour and a half each way) and we all thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get out, play with friends, eat good food, celebrate and make connections with our church (and wider) community.

What other tips do you have for getting out with your gang?

First Christmas

Before we get too far into January, I wanted to record some memories from the twins first Christmas. Lucas and Elena were very excited for Christmas this year, understanding more of the true meaning of Christmas and of course also looking forward to getting some presents. Lisa and Leila, at 7 months, had fun just coming along for the ride, and eating the wrapping paper. Oh, and stealing the other's gift...

 We had a nice quiet Christmas Eve at home with just our family; reading the Christmas story and watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special before opening one gift (gifts for the kids from their Auntie Grace and Uncle Drew in Canada).

On Christmas Day we had a nice breakfast of French toast and bacon before opening more gifts and getting ready to head into Sao Paulo for a big Christmas meal with my in-laws. My sister-in-law was also there with her two girls and her parents. The big kids did really well during our little service and then we opened gifts. Lucas really enjoyed helping grandma hand out all the gifts and stockpiling his own stash to open at the end.

Playing with / eating / opening their presents

 At the end of the evening when all the gifts had been cleared away and we were packing up to head home I managed to get a few shots of the girls in front of the tree.

Love their matching expressions. 

 Lucas is already asking to have the Christmas decorations back up in our home. It's a good reminder to keep Christmas in our hearts all year long. Hope yours was a wonderful celebration of the greatest gift - Jesus Christ.

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.

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! 

Four Months - Turning, Toys and Tummy Time

Yup, it's that time again; another month has flown by and my little girls are already a third of the way to being one! It's been a pretty normal month for us; older kids in school, easy days at home. The girls had a bunch of vaccinations and did really well. Now we only have to go back in November.

Their doctor is on holidays right now, so we didn't get to a four month check-up, but I'm going to say they've definitely been gaining weight. Some days I just can't believe how big they are getting already. We've had some of that normal four-month sleep regression which isn't so nice, but Leila seems to be settling back quickly and hopefully Lisa will follow. For now they both still fit in the same crib at night, but now they move so much that one sometimes wakes the other up.

Development wise, we've seen the usual suspects this month - babbling a lot, grinning and giggling, starting to grab at toys, beginning to roll over. Leila has managed to master the art of rolling from her back to her stomach but can't get back around. Lisa is still working on it. They love interacting with people and don't like being alone. I guess it's good they have each other!

Leila in mid-turn

Lisa holding on to one of her books. 

Enjoying Sunday afternoon with Great-grandma and Grandpa

We're still on the basic 3 hour feeding schedule, and I think we're about 70/30 in regards to breastmilk and formula. It's sure going to be interesting to start the two of them on solids in a few months.

Leila makes the best faces! 

Look at those baby blues! (Lisa)

I love watching my little ones grow and develop, but it's kind of a bitter sweet process as these two are our last. *sniff* - they grow up so fast! I am trying to cherish all the sweet moments of snuggling and rocking them to sleep.

3 Months!

It's 10am, and I'm sitting in my little desk corner, having just nursed Lisa, a recently emptied tea mug on my desk. Leila is still napping away on the other side of the room. Lisa is tucked into my lap, anxious to get onto other things, but maybe she'll let me write for a little while...

Even though this post is, well, almost 3 weeks late, this photo was taken on the exact day of their "3 month-iversary"

Again, I can't quite believe how fast this month has flown by! The older kids are well into their school routine, and we celebrated Elena's third birthday a few weekends ago. I love having my mornings with just the twins, and they enjoy having some time to play safely (i.e., without the threat of the older siblings who are still learning how to love "gently" on their sisters.)

We are getting into a nice routine with these little ones. They are growing and changing so much each day and it's such a privilege to be a part of it. They are starting to interact and "talk" with us, smiling a lot and we even managed to catch Leila's first laugh on camera. It's really too bad that Lisa was wailing the whole time in the background. Lisa's been suffering through her first cold; stuffed up and coughing a lot but I think we're finally on the way up.

At their 3 month check up the doctor was really impressed with their weight gain. Lisa is now 5.4 kilos and 60.5 cm, passing Leila by 0.3 cm. Leila weighs 5.15 kilos and is 60.2 cm.

The biggest accomplishment this month? SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! Let the Hallelujah Chorus ring! Such a pity that it's only Leila who has managed this. It is a real gift though - she usually has a good 10 hour stretch at night. Lisa wakes up once usually around 3 or 4 to nurse, but goes right back to sleep, so I can't complain. Hopefully once this cold passes she'll follow her sister's example.

Since they are still sleeping in our room at night, they are sharing a crib. Pretty soon though we'll have to get them into their own cribs, they're getting so big!

They don't really like tummy time, but are getting stronger everyday. I am so looking forward to them sitting up and being able to play with each other. The other day I laid them down together on the floor and Lisa turned towards Leila and really smiled at her. It was the first time she had acknowledged her sister as another living person. Most of the time they are pretty unaware of the other.

Here's to another great month!

How to Bathe Twins

This was one of the things I thought about a lot before the twins were born. The logistics of how, exactly, was I going to bathe them both myself, and keep them together? (mostly a safety issue with the other kids around.)

Turns out it's not too difficult, as long as you have a decently sized bathroom, a big changing pad on the floor and a bouncy chair. And the bathtub, of course. 

Since our two are distinctly different looking, this doesn't happen in our house...

So once we get all set up - two sets of clothes, diapers, warm water, towels, soap, sponges, one baby on the changing pad (1st to be bathed) and one in the bouncy chair (next in line), it's just a matter of keeping them both happy while being washed, or waiting. 

Unless, of course, this happens...

And we all know you shouldn't wake a sleeping baby...

Spontaneous vs. Scheduled

Every birth is different. Unique and filled with a myriad of emotion. No matter how you plan to have your baby. And while every woman generally knows what to expect in labor and delivery, you never really know what to expect. Things can change in a heartbeat and your birth plan goes out the window.

I've been very blessed to have three deliveries that were low risk and without complications. On one end of the spontaneous vs scheduled spectrum I've had one completely natural birth, and on the other end, a scheduled c-section. My middle child, fittingly, was in the middle - a scheduled induction.

I loved not knowing exactly when Lucas would be born, waiting the last few days, anxiously anticipating my first birthing experience. You can read his full birth story here; it was definitely an interesting one!

It is so amazing to me how a woman's body works; throughout the pregnancy growing that small, tiny collection of cells into a whole person, and at the right time creating the perfect conditions for giving birth. It is something so natural, beautiful, painful and messy.

Now, my kids have all loved being in the womb, the first two almost overstayed their welcome - which is why I had an induced birth with Elena. In many ways it was the easiest of my pregnancies and deliveries. We sauntered in to the hospital on the day of her birth, got some drugs and relaxed until the contractions started. Nine hours later Elena arrived and I got to spend the first hour of her life nursing her in the labor and delivery room while I was under observation. It was time I never got with my other kids.

After having two vaginal deliveries, I thought the third one would be easy as pie. Then we found out it was twins! I had high hopes for the first few months that I'd still be able to have a natural delivery, but by about 32 weeks both girls were heads up and I was getting anxious to get them out! Since the birth I've basically been told that doctors here rarely allow a natural twin delivery. It was quite a different feeling to know almost exactly when they would be born (barring complications, of course). Despite a little scare a week before their "due date" they were pretty happy in the womb. I'm not sure how much longer I could have gone though!

36 Weeks and 1 day - in the hospital just about to be prepped for surgery.

So at 36 weeks we checked in to the hospital and got prepped. Honestly I kind of felt like I was cheating by skipping the whole painful labor part. (Of course I knew I would probably make up for it with a painful recovery). It was my first ever surgery. The weird thing is they remove the babies and they get whisked away to be cleaned and checked. Ours went to the ICU for observation seeing as they were technically "preemies". Then you spend about 45 minutes getting sewn up from the surgery and taken to an observation wing to wait for hours as the anesthesia wears off. It is this bizarre time, feeling frozen and "alone", sensing that something is just missing. I spent many minutes wondering about where all four of my kids were, what they were doing, and when I'd be able to see and hold my new babies.

If I were to do it again (which I am not) - I would try again for a natural delivery, probably with an epidural. The recovery just seemed so much harder and prolonged with a c-section. This could also be because it was twins, or because it is the most recent of my birthing experiences. I am, however, so thankful to have had a c-section in a time and place where it is safe, routine and relatively "low risk". If I'd had minimal medical resources, I probably would've died trying to deliver two babies who were in breech and transverse positions!

Beyond all that, of course, is the fact that I have four healthy, thriving kids and I'll be glad to share with them the amazing ways they entered the world.

2 Months!

How can it be that my little babies are already two months old? Every once in a while I look at them and just can't believe we have twins! It's been a whirlwind few months, as it always is with newborns. They have grown so much and they are finally fitting into their "newborn" clothes.

The day of their birth - May 20, 2013. They don't look very small here, but they were tiny! 

Love this photo of me and my girls - this was the first time Elena held one of her sisters. 

 We were a little concerned with their jaundice, but after a few times in the sun, it was all resolved. As you can see, the girls really look very different. As the weeks have passed, we've seen their appearance change and their own unique personalities coming out. In two months we've learned a lot about our little ones; we can tell their cries apart! Lisa has a croaky, plaintive cry and Leila is our snorter. Lisa is our spitter and loves to bounce in her baby chair. Leila is very laid back and always falls asleep lying flat on her back. Both love to be swaddled tightly and only rarely use their pacifiers.

 They do everything together. It's really the only way to do it with twins. The older kids are on school holidays for the month of July so our routine has been pretty flexible, but when August hits, I'm sure the feeding/napping/bathing/playing schedule will be a little more structured.

 I get lots of help from the older kids. Still very much supervised, but it's fun to see them loving (gently) on their little sisters.

Here are a few stats on my little ones at the two month mark:
Height: Lisa - 54.5cm, Leila - 55.7cm
Weight: Lisa - 4.06kgs, Leila - 3.77kgs
Feeding: We keep a loose 3 hour feeding schedule, always nursing first, and then supplementing with formula. I had hoped to be able to exclusively breastfeed, but with two other kids to look after I just don't have the luxury to feed all day long, or pump after feedings to try to increase my milk supply. Maybe once the older kids start school I'll be able to try that.
Sleep: They usually nap pretty well during the day, 3 or 4 times. Nights have improved vastly from the first month, but they still wake up at least twice for feeding/changing. Although, last night Leila slept from 10-ish until 4am, but Lisa was up at 2:00. So, hopefully they'll both start sleeping for longer stretches. The girls share a crib in our room, but are getting so long already that I don't think we'll be able to have them sharing a bed for much longer. We're getting their own room set up sometime soon.

It has definitely been an interesting and exhausting couple of months as we adjust to life as a family of six. The twins are such an integral part of our family already, I can hardly remember what it was like to have only two kids.

We are so thankful to God for our little girls and love seeing them grow and develop.

Things to do while nursing

When my eldest child was a newborn, I loved our nursing times together. Armed with a tall glass of water, a snack and usually a book, we'd settle down and I'd promptly lose myself in whatever I was reading. Often a good forty minutes would fly by before we switched sides. Needless to say, he was a chubby little baby.

Nowadays, with four kids aged four and under and a set of newborn twins, nursing is still enjoyable, but also a little more, um, shall we say, challenging? And considerably less relaxed. When I'm not feeding both the girls at the same time, I've discovered quite a litany of things that I can do while nursing one of them. These include things relating to the other baby; rocking them in a chair with my foot, feeding them with a bottle, burping them over one shoulder. Still haven't had to change a diaper while nursing, but you know, it may be necessary one day.

Nursing Lisa and bottle feeding Leila

Other things I do relate to the two older kids running around our house; reading books, putting on socks, mediating fights, helping with potty runs. Nursing certainly doesn't mean getting to put my feet up for a few minutes.

Nursing Lisa and reading to Lucas

I've also discovered a lot of household things that I can get done with one baby nursing; cleaning bottles, preparing snacks for the older kids or coffee for momma.

And on the rare occasion when the older kids are sleeping or otherwise quietly and peacefully occupied, I enjoy a cup of tea and my iPad for a few minutes of catching up on Facebook, email, blogs, playing a game or two and of course, writing blog posts.

Post-partum Pleasures

Things I'm enjoying after surgery (and a few weeks of recovery)

It's really all about the small things...

- Being able to sit close to the table and eat more than a few bites before feeling full,

- Not having to go to the bathroom every half hour,

- No more heart burn or acid reflux,

- Coffee!

- Feeling more like a human and less like a beached whale,

- The ability to lie on my back and turn over in bed easily, 

And speaking of small things, these two small ones are pretty precious...

The Twilight Zone*

Bright lights overhead, loss of sensation. Dark blue drape cloths, a barrier broken.

New life emerges, cries break the silence of the cold theatre. Time slows, hours slip by drip by drip.

Winding hallways, stark white walls. Rest.

Day becomes night, night becomes day. Snatches of sleep. Glimpses of perfection, awe at the creation of tiny beings.

Long, slow, painful walks. Recovery. Life-sustaining nourishment - one to another.

Life-long bonds created, cherished moments anticipated, the miracle of life celebrated.

Leila and Lisa - 5 days old

*AKA - surviving the first week with twins...

They're Here!

This post is going to be short and sweet - just wanted to announce the arrival of Lisa Beth Portela and Leila Joy Portela!

On their way to the ICU, sharing an incubator

More specifics later of my delivery and recovery, but for now...

Lisa Beth Portela

20 May 2013 at 1:14pm

Weight: 2.665 kilos (5.8 lbs)

Length: 46 cm

Leila Joy Portela

20 May 2013 at 1:15pm

Weight: 2.425 kilos (5.3 lbs)

Length: 46.5 cm

On our way home from the hospital - Thursday. 

Still can't quite wrap my head around the fact that I have twins, and four kids! My older two have been home with daddy, nana and auntie Jaz for the past few days and since they are all still getting over colds, I'll be staying with my in-laws and the twins for a few more days before heading home.

We praise God for healthy, happy (and currently very sleepy) babies. The girls only had to stay in the ICU for a few hours for observation and then we had them in my recovery room. We did make good use of the nursery at night though, as my recovery was a little harder than I expected. Tonight will be my first night with the girls on my own (and my mother-in-law to help).

Thanks for all your prayers and congratulations.