what's up weekly. (Babies Got Bath, and The Chickens Went Home To Roost.)

Hello again, friends!  I just got the babies down for nap, so I have a few minutes to fill you in on life lately.  My goodness, it just flies.

The babies are doing really well!  They'll be seven weeks tomorrow.  They have settled in to a predictable night time routine, and as long as I'm going to bed shortly after they fall asleep in the evening, I am getting decent sleep, which makes life feel much more manageable and calm.  We usually head back to the bedroom after dinner between 7:30 and 8:00, and they spend the next hour or two cluster feeding.  (If I'm going to cave and tandem nurse, this is the time that I do it.  I still really dislike it, but it's sometimes necessary.)  Knox usually falls asleep between 8:00 and 8:30, Eulalie is more of a night owl and might be up until 9:00 or 9:30.  They wake up in the night around 2:00, and then get up for the day around 5:30 or 6:00 the next morning.  It's doable!

The single swing is getting too small for them both and I could just cry!  This is one of my favorite sights.

Through the day, our routine is pretty full.  Feeding the babies one at a time takes around 45 minutes to an hour, then I take a little bit to cuddle with them, then it's time to swaddle them back up and get them to sleep again.  Knox falls asleep in his bed on his own, but Eulalie fights it more.  Once we're done with that routine and everyone is down for nap, I might have thirty minutes or so before they wake up and start it all over again.  (I know I should tandem nurse to save time, and I likely will down the road, but it's not a good fit right now.)  Once I shower, or walk on the treadmill, or eat something, my free time window is up, so the days fill up quickly without much extra getting done.

We crossed the six week mark last weekend, and I have been reveling in it.  I'm so glad I took those first six weeks to radically rest, but by the end of it I got pretty itchy for normal.  So this week I started walking on the treadmill, and I made short trips out to the library, the grocery store, and Goodwill.  We also took the babies to church for the first time on Sunday.  They did amazingly well, especially considering how long our church days are.  We were at church from 10:30-2:00, and they ate once and slept almost all of the rest of the time.  Hopefully they do as well this weekend - they're getting baptized on Sunday!

Their first time in the car seats.

Their first time in the car.  We have just enough seats in the van!  We have a 15 passenger, but we took out one of the three-seater seats so that we have room for groceries.  Which leaves ten back seats - just enough!

My first time back to church, too, since the babies were born!

In other fantastic news, Callista turned seven!  It's hard to believe, first because I can't believe she's so big already, and second because I can't believe she's still so little.  She is a huge helper with the babies, and is totally adept at picking them up out of the swing or bouncer (and setting them back down safely), and walking around patting them.  She frequently gets one to sleep for me while I'm feeding the other one.  She was clearly made for taking care of babies.  She loves it when I let her help, and often doesn't stray far from me when the babies are up so as not to miss a chance to help.

She is funny and animated and tells the best stories.  She already has deep thoughts about theology and evangelizing and logic.  She likes to clean and tidy and can often be found spontaneously sponging off the outdoor playhouses or vacuuming her room.  She is enthusiastic about school and is working really hard this summer to become fluent at reading.  She is very feminine - she likes making sure her hair is done each day, and she is growing her nails out long, and she loves picking out just the right outfit for the day.  She is incredibly affectionate, and will often burst out, "I LOVE MY LIFE!"  She is so colorful and beautiful and fun.

She wanted to go to the Sonic playground for ice cream after dinner on her birthday.

Gratuitous shot of Oey, because she is just too adorable.

In other news, we have had some other really fun items of note.

First, Todd took both Atticus and Penelope out for driving practice, since they're both permitted drivers now.  Atticus has been out driving before, and spends time at work driving machinery, so he's more comfortable behind the wheel.  Penelope had never previously driven anything but an ATV, so it was more of a learning curve for her.  All I can say is that I'm thankful for Todd.  Teaching new drivers is a whole new level of parenting.  (Or so I can say from my comfortable spot on the couch.  I don't know from personal experience, nor do I have much interest in switching seats with Todd.)

He also took the kids out to buy fireworks for the Fourth of July.  Juni then spent the early part of this week asking if today was "Bomb Day."  I'll post photos of our celebration next week (or rather, the next time I blog, whenever that might be.)

The babies got their first baths!  Those of you who can do age math are probably shuddering right now, but I don't like to bathe babies earlier than I have to.  I spot clean them, obviously, but I don't like making them cold and wet and stripping their skin of important oils, so little babies only get bathed every so often.  (It's a different story once they're older and actually getting dirty.)

Eulalie

Knox

And in sad news, something got into our chicken coop early this week and massacred all four of our chickens.  Two were left for us to find, two disappeared.  We held out hope for a bit that maybe they escaped and would return, like when the pit bulls got in, but we found their feathers all over the back field so we are quite confident they are all together in that great coop in the sky. 

 

The aftermath, minus the carcasses.

Atticus was gone at work that morning, so Finneas played the man and shoveled the dead chickens out to the woods for me.

All that remained of Rosie, who was the most annoying chicken in the world, but who didn't deserve this.  Fly high, Rosie.

Since the kids were pretty upset, and Chick Days are over at Tractor Supply, we got some fertilized eggs from a friend and are going to try our hands at incubating some replacement chicks.  I'm a little hesitant, since hatching isn't guaranteed and I've heard many fully developed chicks don't make it through, which is its own new drama, but I think it will be a good process for the kids to learn from.

And last, the big girls moved into their new bedroom this week, and the younger girls moved to the big girl bed in the old bedroom.  Everyone is excited.  There are still a lot of logistics to finagle - decorating the new room, figuring out the dresser situation now that the girls are split between two bedrooms, moving Ophelia in with the little girls at some point, figuring out where everyone (including the babies) will nap during the day.  It's far from over, but we're at least getting there, and I'm grateful for the extra bedroom space to work with.  This house never ceases to be a blessing to us.

I will leave you with a little ghost of Knox's smile.  Both the babies have started giving social smiles, but they're so hard to catch on camera!  But they're so sweet - and I get smiles from two babies!  I LOVE MY LIFE!

what's up weekly. (time flies! the twins are a month old!)

Hi, friends!  Long time, no write.  I haven't had a ton of time with my hands free; I'm sure you understand!

So let me fill you in on what's been going on the last few weeks:

First, we finally decided on names for the babies - only two weeks after their birth.  World, meet Knox Nolen Reuel, and Eulalie Day!

Todd wrote their names on the white board and propped it in our room, which helped the kids for the first week or so.  We lived so long calling them Mister and Sister, or Boy Baby and Girl Baby, that it took a while for their real names to settle in.

Todd is better at writing about the meaning of the names we chose, so when he posts a blog about it, I'll make sure to link it.  In the meantime, here's my abbreviated effort:

Knox, after John Knox, the Scottish Reformer.  Nolen, after Todd's side of the family.  (His mom's maiden name.)  And Reuel, after Moses' father-in-law, and a gentle nod to Tolkien.  (Have you ever wondered what the "J.R.R." stands for?  Well, Reuel, among other things.)

Eulalie, which means "sweetly spoken," or "good news."  I've always liked the name, but it seemed especially apt after we got the good news that she was a bonus blessing we weren't expecting!  Day, after my sister, and the postmillenial understanding of the world.  (The light is increasing, the day is here.)  I love the line from Hillaire Belloc, "Do not, I beseech you, be troubled about the increase of forces already in dissolution.  You've mistaken the hour of night; it is already morning."  I am reminded of this when I think of her name.

Callista standing sentry while I took a shower.

When Todd was home those first few weeks, he'd bring me breakfast on a tray and I'd get to eat in bed with the babies.  (He had also made me bacon and chocolate milk, because that is what I've been eating every day.  That sad little egg on a plate is not all he brought.)

I love about twins that they can do all the things singles do, but TOGETHER.  And they look so cute doing it!

Getting some sunshine to cure his jaundice, and some sister hugs to cure their blues.

In baby milestone news, the babies are now a full month old! 

Todd went back to work after three weeks off, and it has been an adjustment for everyone.  We loved having him home, and he was a big help, so I'm working on adjusting to managing/supervising by myself during the day, and he had to tackle all the workload that piled up at work while he was gone.  

Holding both babies at once.

Feeding both babies at once.

The babies are starting to sleep a bit longer at night, and more consistently sleep at night.  Daytimes are still a bit less predictable - sometimes they're really sleepy, sometimes they're wiiiiiiide awake for long stretches, and sometimes one is in one rhythm while the other is doing something wildly different.  Many days I don't leave the couch much except to grab something to eat and use the bathroom.  My arms are always full and and I'm almost always nursing.

The babies are growing!  Carolyn came at three weeks postpartum to weigh them, and since then I've also borrowed a baby scale from another twin mom.  Knox has already gained over a pound, and Eulalie has gained more than half a pound!

Knox's jaundice has mostly cleared up.  His eyes are still a bit yellow, but his skin is a good color.  He's still a good sleeper and super chill, though, so it's good to know that wasn't just due to his jaundice!

Lots of time outside.  Lots of furrowed eyebrows.

This is how I spend a good portion of many days.  It is toasty with all those swaddled babies up against me, I have to say.  

The brothers holding the babies so I could get a shower and cook my breakfast.  The kids have been so helpful to me - I don't know how I would do it without their help.

Callista the Baby Whisperer steps up to bat.

While I've been snuggling Knox and Eulalie, Todd and the kids have been veritable socialites.  The kids went to a LOTR-themed birthday party and dressed to the nines.

Samwise Gamgee.  He had all kinds of authentic gear in his pack and everything.

They also went to an airsoft war with some friends at church.

They went to a park with a splash pad.

We've been treated to a lot of baked goods, which is good/bad since I eat them all.

We celebrated Todd on Father's Day.  Atticus was especially excited to have an actual gift budget to work with now that he's working, and he got him some nice cigars.

Todd also got some amazing original art.  

A couple of kids had half birthdays!

And now that she's two-and-a-half, Oey has been acting like a big kid.  First, she got her first turn to go get the Friday night pizza and groceries with Todd.  (He takes one kid with him each week for a little one-on-one time.  She has been too little to care until now, but she was very excited to go.)

She's so proud to get to carry the grocery list!

And she's also exercising to grow big and strong.

And while that's far from everything that has been going on around here, that's all I have photos for and time to tell you about!  Five very intimidating kids would like to wish you a good weekend.  (Or, five very good kids would like to wish you a very intimidating weekend.  Whichever.)

"Are you sure it's not twins?"

So, a question I got a lot after the babies were born was, "Did you really not know you were having twins?"  I wasn't keeping anything secret the whole time; I was as surprised as everyone else!  

I didn't have more morning sickness than normal.

I only gained about ten pounds more than I usually do.

Even though I never got ultrasounds, only one heartbeat was ever detected.

My fundal height (uterus size) always measured normal.  At my twenty week check, I was even measuring a week too small, which is how I always measure at twenty weeks.

I (mostly) never felt unusual movement.  (More on this in a minute.)

Even though people made comments like, "Are you sure there's only one in there," people have said that literally every single pregnancy and, before now, they've always been wrong. It's hard to put any stock in comments like that.

When my neighbor (mom of five) found out after the birth that I had had twins, she said, "You never looked Twin Big."  And my milk farmer has nine kids of her own, and when she commented about how big I was a week or two before the birth, I joked and said maybe it was twins, and she said, "You're big, but you're not that big."  I think that was a perfect, succinct way of saying how I felt all through the pregnancy when my size made me wonder about twins: "I'm big, but not that big."  I wasn't Twin Big.

Except.  There were things that were different through the pregnancy that made me at least wonder at times.

I started putting on weight and showing a bump earlier in the pregnancy than I normally do.  Because we waited to tell people until we were about 18 weeks along, it made it more challenging to keep the secret than I'd anticipated - usually I don't start showing until after twenty weeks.

My belly ended up getting so big, and it was heavy.  I felt like the weight was balanced much farther forward than normal, and my skin and muscles were stretched so low under my belly.  I was constantly asking my midwife if I was growing at a normal pace, and if she could tell how big the baby was.  I felt like I could feel my muscles and new stretch marks actually ripping!

I felt unwell for a lot of it.  I had no energy at times; it was like my legs were filled with water.  I had a hard time with my protein and glucose readings - every time we measured up until the very end, my protein and glucose would show up so wonky, even though I was eating (though I also struggled against almost zero appetite and tons of heartburn).  My upper back killed me - I wonder now if this had to do with the positioning of the back baby.  I almost passed out at the chiropractor when asked to stand too long.  Just strange/unusual pain and weakness that I hadn't experienced in previous pregnancies, at least as far as I remember.

I felt more concerned than I ever have before about the size and positioning of the baby for birth.  I spent a lot of time praying about this, which I'm really glad for because I do believe those prayers were answered.  The babies weren't a single ten-pounder like I was worried about, but they also weren't too small.  And their positioning was beautiful - each baby was out with just a few pushes.  Neither was breech.  It was perfect positioning.

I think there were a few days where I felt both babies.  My midwife, Carolyn, was unavailable that week, and after months of knowing exactly how the baby was positioned - I could feel exactly where the head, bottom, feet, hands, etc were located and moving - all of a sudden the positioning changed.  Instead of a single baby curled along my right side, I could feel a hard spot on either side of my stomach, and all the movement was in the center.  I was worried the baby had turned sideways and I was feeling a head on one side and a bottom on the other side, and feet and hands were moving across the center.  By the time Carolyn had gotten back, movements and positioning felt normal again - except this time the single baby was curled along my left side.  It makes me wonder if somehow I felt both babies at once, or if they even switched positions during that time.  I can't know for sure!

I had heard the Purely Parsons story about the gal who had been surprised by twins at her home birth, even though she had had an ultrasound the day before (due to her unusually large pregnancy growth) and only one baby had been detected.  Babies get missed sometimes!  It was in the back of my mind, and it would come to mind when I was feeling especially big!  

Todd took this photo the night before the babies were born because, "There is just so much belly!"

But those things from above never changed!  Still only one heartbeat, only one set of movements, a uterus that was measuring normal and a baby that seemed to be average sized.

So, yes, to answer the original question, I was genuinely surprised it was twins!  ...Mostly.