My 1st 6 weeks as a Mother of Twins!

WOW! I can’t believe its been six weeks…and a few days. We are 100% in survival mode right now! Exhausted is an understatement & I now have mad respect for all the mothers out there, especially twin mommas! I have become quite the multi-tasker (pumping as I type at the moment) & there have been multiple days where I did NOT brush my teeth. *facepalm  But, I am totally & completely in my element. God made me to be a mother. I have never been happier & more exhausted in my life. These tiny humans have my heart & I am so blessed to be their mommy! They are starting to slowly show some personality & boy do we have our work cut out for us! Eli does a mean side eye & is always looking around, taking in the world. He is so chill (most of the time) & an absolute doll! Owen is going to be my sweet mommas boy who wants to be held ALL the time. He has grown the chubbiest cheeks in the last few weeks & they are the cutest! Both boys have their clingy moments were they want to be held & I am trying to soak it up as much as possible until I have to go back to work.

Being a FTM to twins is hard. Everything is new to me & each kid comes with their own wants & needs. Luckily both of our boys have been healthy since being home! PTL! They both suffer from a little gas (mostly Owen), but I feel that’s normal for newborns. Owen is already outgrowing newborn clothes & Eli is right behind him. I am already turning into a hoarder because momma doesn’t want to get rid of any newborn clothes!!! They are so cute & I always want to remember how tiny they were at one time! They are growing way too fast & I keep telling myself to not wish this time away. No matter how exhausted Mitchell & I are, no matter how much I yearn for 8 hours of sleep, they will only be tiny & snuggly for a little while! *tears This truly is the most remarkable thing I have ever been through.

Here are a few things I have learned in the last 6 weeks!

1. 1. This is hard. Having twins is hard. They both cry, they both fuss, they both poop, they both pee everywhere, & they might have a meltdown at the same time. If both are crying, I have to decide who to pick up first. Who to change first. Who to hold & console first. That is one of the hardest parts about having twins. If I am at home by myself, I am outnumbered. Sometimes I feel like one twin gets more attention than the other if they are having a fussy day. But with all of this comes double the blessings, smiles, cuddles & CUTENESS! They have their own needs & sometimes they arrive at the same time. I have had to learn that it is okay for one to cry while I console the other. It’s going to happen & I have to get used to it. 
2. Breastfeeding/Pumping is hard. WOW! My boys have never been the best latchers so I have been exclusively pumping since we came home from the hospital. So far I have produced enough milk for both boys, but since they were in the NICU our Pedi has us supplementing half formula & half breast milk. They are getting breast milk with each feeding & that makes me a happy momma. But pumping is hard, it is a lot of work, super time consuming & freaking hurts. I am constantly having to watch what I eat to make sure nothing gives them a tummy ache. It is especially hard when you are home alone & both babies are fussy while you have engorged boobs. I have thought about giving up, but I am lucky to be producing what I am & I have been setting small goals for myself, freezing what I can, & getting through one month at a time.
3. Husbands are super heroes! I could not have survived the hospital experience, Nicu, or these first few weeks without my wonderful husband! He impressed me so much with how he handled the birth & the boys being sent to the NICU. I was in recovery for a few hours & he was out there taking care of our boys. The NICU nurses were very impressed with how hands on he was. Now that we are home, nothing has changed. He is a very hands on dad & I am super lucky! There is nothing better than seeing a man changing a crying babies diaper while you sit on the couch! 😉 Especially with two babies, it definitely takes two people & I am so thankful for Mitchell. 
4.  Family is everything! We could not be doing this without our families. My mother-in-law & mother have been a tremendous help. My mother stayed with us the first 2 weeks (YASSSSSS) & when she left I cried for 2 hours before getting my big girl panties on! My MIL comes over at 530 am & 830 pm to help with feedings. How awesome is that!? My mom comes twice a week & stays for 2 nights so we can get some sleep & this gives her a chance to love on the boys! I don’t see how people do this without families around! I would go crazy… Since having the boys I don’t think I have ever had more respect for anyone like I do for my mom. I find myself constantly second guessing myself & she is always available to answer questions no matter how dumb they seem! 😉 She has become my confidant & I appreciate her & my mother-in-law so much.
5.  Babies are totally selfish. They have our 100% attention all the time. It doesn’t matter if it is lunch time, or coffee time, or if you have to go to the bathroom.  Having two infants in our household has flipped our world upside down. Mitchell & I were used to watching movies together, going to bed whenever we wanted, eating whatever we wanted & now we have these two babies that need our undivided attention. I am lucky if I get to finish a meal or my coffee without having to warm it up a few times in the microwave. We sleep in shifts & barely have any time to ourselves. Like I said… survival mode! But, we wouldn’t want it any other way. We both know that this phase in life won’t last forever so we are soaking it up as much as we can.

We have survived the first 6 weeks & loved every tiresome second. We have prayed for many years for a family & now we have one. It seems surreal sometimes & I constantly thank God for all that he has blessed us with.

I apologize that this post has taken me so long, but I will get better about my updates! My plan is for this to become a “Twin Mom” blog, along with infertility help. I hope that I can keep up! lol

For all you mom bloggers out there, kudos to you! This is hard! 😉

Thanks for all the prayers & support!

XOXO- Ashlee