3 milestones in one day

So February 8th 2014 has been an exciting day for Blake. We have our first tooth, bottom right. It's not very visible but I can definately feel it. Secondly Blake pulled himself up to standing on the sofa for the first time. This happened just as Daddy walked through the door and was met with lots of excitement. 

And finally and most exciting for me is that both Bailey and Blake slept all through the night with Bailey waking at 6.40 and Blake at 7.08. This is so exciting and has taken 3 weeks of work of ensuring there is no feeding to sleep and rarely lifting out of the cot if they need soothing in the night. It has actually been easier than I thought. I am not naive enough to think we will never be up in the night again, we might even be up tonight, but at least I know it can happen. 

Just incase Bailey ever looks at this and wants a date for sleeping through the night. Bailey you slept through the night at 1 week old but when I proudly told the midwife this at a check up her face dropped in horror to think I hadn't fed my new born baby at least every 3 hours. I felt like I was about to be wisked away for child abuse. So we had to create a routine which meant sleeping was replaced with more feeding. 

Bailey and Blake sitting under a tree after morning walk.

Celebrity Outings

Trips out with Bailey and Blake in tow have proved to be very entertaining. I'm now known locally as that lady with the twins. People who join us on shopping trips are often shocked at all the celebrity status we seem to have claimed.

I just wanted to share some of the funny situations and conversations I have experienced. 

We always encounter strangers who approach with the opening statement 'are they twins?' I know people just want to make conversation but I do feel like saying. 'How else do you think this happened?' I've also had people say to me ' they are not twins' I think referring to the fact that they are not identical . But again I revert to, ' how else do you think this happened?'. 

Blake is very easy to get a smile from and Bailey is much more serious and you have to work for a precious Bailey smile , but they are worth it. So I often have strangers comment in a confused manor 'mam, that one is smiling and that one isn't' my reply is ' yes, they are not the same baby' and not linked by wires that make them do the same thing all the time. 

There are also the chasers, yes I spot them, they see you from across the shop and make a b- line for you. You are hilarious and sweet really ( if you catch me on a good day) Really you just want a glimps or a baby smile or to say a few kind words. 

I may sound cynical but I do completely understand that people mean well and are just excited to see twins. I get lots of people pass and say you are so lucky or so blessed and I totally agree and when I really think about it makes me feel all emotional. Twins are special and people are fascinated by them.

I also appreciate it when people pass me and say you must have your hands full. Because yes I do and it's nice to get the recognition. Mostly I quite like all the attention really and I know Bailey and Blake enjoy it. 

We get so much attention that when someone passes and does not give me or the babies a smile I mentally curse them for being so miserable. How can you not smile at my cute babies. 

But for anyone reading please appreciate when you get a snappy response from a twin mum or any other new mum that you are making nice conversation with,  she may have only had a few hours sleep all week. She may have been stopped by 10 people before you and be trying to get the babies home before nap time meltdown, and she may not want your grubby hands on her precious newborns.

And for the people who comment, on the choice of their outfits or if they may be cold in the freezer isle of the supermarket. Which I have also had. Butt out it really is non of your business.

I'll save the experience of shopping or going for coffee with other twin mums for another post. But it is funny how you quickly turn into some kind of circus act.

Bailey and Blake ready for a party January 2014

Sleep deprived and back to blogging

In true twin mummy fashion i haven't had much spare time to be writing blog posts. But my sleep deprivation rivals most and I'm sure my memories of this first year and beyond may be sparse and I really want to keep a record for Bailey and Blake, so I'm back to blogging. 

So I'll start with talking about the big topic of sleep. Every new mum asks and wants to know how to achieve a full nights sleep and when will it happen. It's something that if achieved mums boast about as if they have a shinny medal around their necks for good parenting. 8 months in and I don't have a medal yet. Well maybe I could claim half as Bailey is a great sleeper and will often sleep from 6.30 pm until 6am. Blake however, can need me between 2 and 8 times a night. I feel that I have partly created this problem because when he cries I go to him quickly to prevent disturbing  Bailey. A very common problem with mothers of twins I'm sure. I also always feed him to sleep and put him down in his cot asleep. I always knew they where big no no's. But when you are desperate for sleep and know that these things will work you do what ever it takes to survive. I also know that Bailey was naturally a good sleeper and Blake isn't so it's all luck of the draw. 

Over the last few months I've made lots of silly mistakes which I will attribute to sleep deprivation, leaving my purse at the supermarket, going to the shops to get my eyebrows threaded and forgetting to get them threaded are just a few.

I am ashamed. To say I am keeping Starbucks in business. I am known by name in there and my friends 1 year old calls my name whenever she see's a Starbucks.

I have been toying with the idea of getting a sleep consultant to help. I know if I had someone to answer to I'd be much more effective. But against my better judgement I'm going to attempt to fix it myself. Tonight I'm changing the routine so that the breast feed comes before the bath and so I don't feed them to sleep. I will read a story with them before bed and then try to put Blake down using 'shush, pat' I will keep bailey out of the room until sleep is archived with Blake. I'm hoping this is the first hurdle then he will learn to put himself to sleep and not wake and need me so much in the night. 

Blake if you find this traumatic and it haunts you in later life, hopefully you can understand that I'm only doing this to help teach you the skill of getting to sleep without help.  This skill will last you a lifetime. I'm sorry for the short term pain and I love you. Xxx

Bailey and Blake with Aunty Christine.

Letter to Aunty Christine

Dear Aunty Christine,

Dear Aunty Christine,

We just wanted to write to let you know how much we enjoyed meeting you for the first time. Thank you for coming and helping mummy to look after us. 

We particularly liked the songs you sang and our favourite was the Good Morning Song. Thank you for being so patient with us when we where a little bit upset.  We really appreciated your loving and caring voice.

When we are a bit older it will be nice to look at the pictures that you took of us together and of our special walks around the lake. We promise to learn lots of things to show you before we see you next time. Mummy tells us that we will be able to see you And hear you through the computer screen, that will be nice. We are sad that we won't be able to have cuddles but we will save them all up for when we see you next.

Also thank you for helping to look after our mummy by making sure she had some nice food to eat and helping keep the house clean and tidy and giving her lots of good advice.

Mummy and Daddy say you can stay at our house whenever you like and we hope you do as we are going to get bigger and need to play games with our Aunty, uncle and cousins.

We love you lots and lots and can't wait to create even more special memories in the future. Cuddles and kisses Bailey and Blake.