High: I learned it is manageable to get out with all the kids, especially since the twins sleep most of the time. One of our first trips out was Hobby Lobby, naturally. The women there were so surprised to see me with more kids, and several remarked that they had never even seen me pregnant. Awesome.
Low: One employee said that I got the twins the easy way: adoption. I decided right then and there that I have a choice about whether or not to take offense. I know she just meant that I didn't have to carry them myself, but I would not call adoption the "easy way."
High: The girls have continued to be incredibly sweet with the babies, and I am so grateful.
Low: There have been many moments when I have been a bit overwhelmed by all the needs around me that I am responsible for. All the kids are fairly high maintenance, though Lily is moving out of that phase a bit.
High: We are figuring out the feedings and how to keep the twins content. Mostly. We are also both getting pretty good at feeding both kids at the same time.
High: We checked out the new Little Rock Children's Library. It is really well done, and we picked up a bunch of new books. I am trying to keep track of them so that we can keep the library as a free program for us instead of having to pay for books that get ripped to shreds (Bella) or lost (Lily).
Low: Getting Bella buckled into the car. As John put it, "Bella cannot learn how to do her car seat soon enough." I have to do it one-handed, because of the set up, and that means it is slightly dependent on Bella's cooperation. So - a bit hit or miss.
High: We took our first mini family road trip to NW Arkansas for newborn pictures and family pictures. We like just getting out of town, and Luke does such a great job. It is kind of crazy, because while the babies were in the hospital, I actually mourned the fact that I probably would not get those precious, sleepy newborn shots. God gave me the unexpected gift this week of getting those. Can't wait to see how they all come out!
Low: We took the diapers off the twins to get some cute birthday suit shots. Both babies took this as license to poop and/or pee on everything, including each other. It was constant clean-up. Oh the sacrifices you make for cute pictures.
High: Many funny things and conversations have happened this week to help keep it light - things that are funny because they ended well.
- Bella managed to lock herself into our master bedroom. It took me a while to figure out that our house key would unlock the porch door to our bedroom and free her.
- Having babies around has reminded Lily that she was a baby once. She has constant questions about what she did and looked like as a baby. We had a long talk about how her hair and Violet's hair are not and probably never will be the same.
- During our family picture shoot, we walked out of the studio to get some outdoor shots. We had a couple of chairs in tow, and the twins in our arms. As we were starting to cross the street, a ways down from the studio, I realized that Bella was not with us. Luke and John went back to the studio that Luke had locked to find Bella hiding from everyone, not concerned at all that she was left there alone. It was then that we realized keeping track of four kids, instead of just two, will be a challenge. Especially with Bella in the mix.
- For reasons only known to them, Lily and Bella have been offering consequences to one another. The most popular of which goes something like this. "If you do not do _____, then you will not get candy from Mattie (a friend of ours)." I have no idea why they think Mattie is always going to be giving them candy, or that their behavior at our house could somehow put that in jeopardy. I giggle every time I hear it.
Basically, we are making it work. There will be and have been some long days (and longer nights), but we are adjusting well, and I am so thankful. Thanks for the prayers and encouragement - we really appreciate it!
1 comments:
You all WILL make It. But you will also question the truth in that statement frequently during the next 5 years. ;) I still wonder some times myself. Your babies are so cute. It will continue to get harder, but I always felt like the harder it was the stronger and stronger the bond became with our twins. I never realized how much bonding is done during pregnancy and how you kinda have to " make up" for that lost time. It always seamed like that was done most when god would bring us out on the other side of some difficult situation, like sleep deprivation, or stomach bug, or medical issue times 2. We have 4 children, 2-bio and boy-girl twins we adopted from the foster care system as newborns. The twins are now 5 and only recently have I been able to breath normally again. Ha! It has been a long, long journey....worth every single mile.....yard.....foot...inch! You will continually look back and be amazed at what God gave you the strength to do, and then beg him to please do it again when you come to the next mountain. Oh, and maybe teach your oldest to buckle her sisters car seat, or at least to be your other hand and do it as a team. That's what we did. Our older two became our extra hands and feet. I would worry some times that they were being expected to grow up to fast or some how were being cheated out of being little them selves. But now I can see that way more than giving the twins a " good home" he gave the 4 of us the twins. They have taught us much much more about who we were and who god wanted us to be, than I could have ever imagined. Kinda funny that we began the journey thinking God was doing something great for them or maybe saving them from a bad situation, but really he was saving us, and our family from what he didn't want us to be or become. Pretty amazing really. Our older two have learned about Christ like Love, sacrifice, compassion, selflessness, and Family in a way we could have NEVER taught them with out the twins. You will never be the same, your husband will never be the same, and your children will never be the same again. But that is a GOOD thing. Refinement is a wonderful thing. Even if it sometimes feels like we won't live threw it. Oh, and one more thing.....Hands free bottles are AMAZING once your Littles get to be a few months old. You can like continue walking threw target even during feeing time. They really did save us from falling right over the CRAZY cliff a few times. Blessings, Roxie
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