Happy Holidays.

This year to celebrate my girls 2nd Birthday we had our photos taken for a Christmas card and as I love supporting local businesses I would like to do a Big Shout Out Thanks to:

• Rachel from the Atomicbutterfly Photography. It was a challenge to get the girls to look and try to smile at the same time at the camera but we got there in the end.
• Jess from Belle Bazaar Boutique. Belle Bazaar Boutique is a beautiful boutique located in the leafy suburb of Upper Mt Gravatt. Jess sources the world trying to find the best unique gifts around. While at her store I bought my lovely blue dress (can’t stop wearing it).
• We also bought the red Christmas headbands the girls wore from Lila Designs.
• My ear-rings are crochet little masterpieces from Eumundi markets and lastly
• The girls Christmas dresses were hand made from Born Gorgeous.
  

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

xoxo

Yesterday I watched that Sarah Jessica Parker movie, I Don’t know How She Does it. I know in my last post I was a little frustrated with the tag line but it has been a few weeks and time does start to heal wounds and well today I decided that yes, I can do it. Today is Halloween and with the daycare notices notifying it was “Pirates and Fairies” day, I decided that my little girls were not to miss out. So I trawled the local craft market yesterday to find my Gold Coast retro creation filled with tie-dye, lace and glitter. Another stall made $5 wands and I dug up head bands that matched. Ta-Da 

This morning as I awoke and reached for my phone for the time it read 7:58AM. 7:58AM!!! Never in the past two years have I been able to sleep past 6:30am and I am supposed to on the freeway on the commute to work by now. But just a hint of my mornings with the added pressure of lateness and getting out the door here I go:

• Bowl of cereal for the girls. Not that healthy but at least they eat it.
• Race to my bedroom to throw on a skirt and not so matching top.
• Necklace and a ring – forget the ear-rings today.
• Cheap foundation (can really tell the difference from the nice stuff) and spitting on my fingers to rub in the jaw line. Slap on some lipstick and too bright pink eye-shadow.
• Moana has been coughing and sick. Decision made to go ahead with daycare taking risk that may be called later today to take her home. Give panodol and a kiss.
• Daycare bag packed yesterday. Bonus.
• Work bag pulled together. Lunch a $2.50 Lean Cuisine that was on sale.
• Try to dress girls as they run away and pull off shoes.
• Write letter to babysitter with list for dinner.
• Pick up one child and one bag – out in car
• Return to house, pick up second child, second bag and huge bag of garbage as trying to turn off lights, and lock doors and carry it all out to car.
• Drive to daycare.
• Take one child in, sign in.
• Rush back to car, collect second child. Speak to carer. Take Photo. Click.
• Speak to Director who confirms girls have been accepted in for a third day next year.
• Back to car. Turn on Blackberry. Lights flash. 20 messages and 2 missed calls. Crap.
• Notice ladder in stocking.
• Notice pale white stain on skirt – toothpaste?
• Notice hair a mess and need new shoes.
• Blackberry beeps – first meeting 9:30am.

Oh well. It is now 7:54pm. The house is Silent.

Lisa xox

I recently ordered two lovely personalised children’s scrapbook frames from LaLaLa Designs for my girls. Yesterday I was so happy to be able to put them up over their cots. I had seen Linda’s work at the Mummy Tree Markets and since I love locally designed art and fashion, I went and ordered two.  Moana means Ocean in Maori so that was the theme of her frame whereas Adelaide’s middle name is Rose so something Rose inspired was the theme for hers. If you want to check out LaLaLa Designs facebook and website there are many more gorgeous scrapbook frames to choice from.

Lisa

The girls in their cots with their LaLaLa Designs frames

My girls are reaching 21 months in 2 weeks and still do not independently walk. Besides the frustration, I am concerned. Are they just slow walkers as we had the “all clear” from the pediatrician at 18 months. The physiotherapist, which we had since they were 9 months, due to my concern for the late crawling, has discharged us as she was unsure how to proceed. The girls can pull themselves up and can start to walk holding your hand which is great. However any independent steps are few and far between. Walking is another fantastic milestone that most parents document but now it has become such slow process it is hard to get excited and more of a pressure to just do it. I remember it was Easter, months and months ago when they started to try  and stand up and we got all exciteid saying, “they would be walking in weeks”. But nothing ever developed.

A few weeks ago we went to the GP for their late 18 month final vaccinations. The nurse did a milestone assessment and asked:

“Do they run backward?”  - No

“Do they kick a ball?” – Does sitting down count.

Fortunately she referred us to the doctor on duty and he looked up his pediatric book on milestones and apparently 15 months was the norm so at 20 months it can be a concern. He followed up with an appointment yesterday.

I requested a report from my pediatrician in Brisbane however I am disappointed as the letter was from the girls 12 month check up. Even though I paid the $280 for their 18 month check up, he never bothered to prepare a report.

Even though I have been told the report is mild it is always a concern when you read sentences like:

• slow gross motor skills
• Adelaide low-normal; Moana outside normal
• Adelaide mild hypermobile
• Moana more extreme in the spectrum, very hypermobile in elbows and knees
• Not interested in rolling
• Mild pectus carinatum chest deformity
• Mild form of Ehlers Danlos but would not suggest this to be diagnosis.

So we have been referred to another pediatrician for a second opinion. Still waiting to hear of an appointment date. You never know they might just start walking but at this stage it would feel like a miracle.

Marcia of 123 Blog is hosting a link-up for screaming twins baby pictures. I know I have posted these two shots before but I couldn’t help but joining in and posting again. I just quickly scanned all my photos and I really don’t have many of my girls crying but these ones I do I have, I love.

The first one was taken from a mobile phone but its me holding two new screaming babies. I think the girls were only a month old and as they were 4 weeks early this is them – full term equivalent. I think my smile reads “OM F!@#@! what am I to do!!”

My twins 4 weeks old screaming. Poor Adelaide bright red in the face.

The second one was taken on the girls first birthday, 2 December 2010. We decided to go to David Jones to take their first photo with Santa. You can see it did not go that great! The rest of the photos are in the blog post, “It’s my birthday and I can cry if I want too”. Poor Adelaide on the left  has glistening little tears where she screamed whereas poor Moana just took the cue of her sister. Poor little mites. I wonder how this year will go. Enjoy!

First Christmas Photo on their Birthday

My toddler twins are now 20 months and although late walkers I am proud to announce we can all start to walk holding hands! I went to the G.P., the physio and pediatrician and they gave the girls the “all clear” but still we are waiting for them to break free and run. I think the older they get and more independent they become and if they have not already learned to walk they can just be stubborn and say “no.” Crawling is just as easy but we are trying.

Besides the walking milestone, I am amazed every day of the new words and capability to learn at this age. I was so excited when they started to recognize shapes and play with puzzles, sing songs and when you test them on animal sounds they can give you an answer. They are just a joy to play with that I miss them even more when I am at work but can also see some educational benefits of the two days in daycare.

From great sleepers (6pm t0 6am) in their first year, this year their sleep through the night has not been of great pleasure. From sickness, to teething, to “I have no idea what is wrong screaming,”  the girls continue to take turns to repeatably wake up during the night. On average I am up  3-4 times a night which is very frustrating. At the moment they just scream and point for me to take them to the rocking chair in the lounge room for extra cuddles  where they just curl up with me until I lumber them back to their cots. Although nice, it is becoming a habit that I really need to go something about.

I am reminded everyday that their second birthday is coming round fast and I reflect on where we were this time last year. On Tuesday we sat down and did the Australian census online. It was 5 years since the last one. I had moved three times in the last five years and from a family of me to a little family of 4, we registered ourselves. I wonder where we will be in the next 5 years but for the minute I enjoy today – holding hands at the beach.

I am not a Gardener. I wish I was but I confess I don’t have a clue. I know from primary school science that plants need sun, water and soil so I wish it was that simple. I am envious of lavish gardens and I do have a magazine subscription for “House and Garden” but my green thumbs remain quiet. However I am proud to say we have grown STRAWBERRIES.

I lie. Nathan has grown STRAWBERRIES and MINT, and Lavender and Rosemary and we have little seedling shoots of tomatoes and watermelon (?? – “why Watermelon i don’t know”).

Growing vegetables have been trial and error as we navigate the areas of sunshine on the patches of dirt we have. When we moved into the property my father and sister knocked out all the overgrown trees so we have patches of bare land that had scraps of sun in between the houses and national park. The front yard slopes up to the road but it is good to get out of the house and count our strawberries.

I thought I would participate in Shell’s linky - posting a favourite baby picture from the Blog, Things I Can’t Say, Rockin’ the Baby.

I confess I am really disappointed on my hospital-just-born baby photos. I blame the camera as being old and defunct. I confess I did bring the video camera but did not really use it. The photos we did take were mostly out of focus and not really pretty. Unlike my friends who have files and files of beautifully digitally crafted photos. I think for the most of the week I was a little overwhelmed and there was noone really around with a camera to take lots of photos. However here are my favourite ones.

6 days old. Juggling twins (37 weeks/1 week old) - camera phone

Newborn twins crying - unposing camera phone of "what the hell am I doing!" (40 weeks now/4 weeks old)

New camera . This is another spur of the moment photo Moana at about 5 months old with daddy.

“It gets easier,” they say. I do enjoy being part of the unofficial parents of Multiple Birth Club. A club where instant recognition and understanding between parents can bring an instant connection and conversation.  However when I do meet parents of older multiples the most common retort is “It gets easier.” “Really,” I sigh.

I confess we had two easy babies. After the sleep deprived period where I thought it would never end, things just did get easier. The girls slept 12 hours a night, 5 bottles (times 2), 2 naps in the day, and routine baths and nappies. It was such a routine I had no problem going back to work for a few days a week when they were 4 months old. The rest of the year was really a breeze. They were a joy to drive with and to walk around the shopping centre, and to cuddle and giggle with. What happened?

18 months happened and it has gotten harder. They wake up at night (are you cold, hungry, nightmares, teething, sick)and get sick a little more.

We are two individuals. I don’t like marmite, but I do. We love a bath but we don’t want to get out. We don’t want to go home from the park. You don’t understand me, That is my sister, No, no, no. I don’t want to go to bed. Up, pick me UP. I want Dora, No I want Dora. Waaaahhhhhh!!!!

To finish this post. The other weekend I went to the Mummy Tree Markets and while I was waiting I spyed a man pushing a double stroller with ten week old twins. Oh the memories as I looked down at my two trying to get out of their pram. Another lady from the unofficial parents of Multiple Birth Club went up to him and said the standard “It gets easier, my two are now 7.”

“It’s my second set,” he said.

I laughed to myself. No more advice needed to be made.

Bed Time!

What is the tipping point to decide to have Baby number 3? At 31 years old, a good group of my friends have at least 1, a lesser few have had no 2 and announced it as their last and only a couple of school friends in contact through facebook are having a third this year. As my mother says, “I have time on my side” so perhaps this will be a different post in ten years time at 41 where I survey the same group of friends on the final number of children. But who decides to have another baby after twins?

So what is the deciding factor to have a third baby? Are stay at home mums more inclined to have a third than a working mum? How many mums of multiples go back for “just one more..” and how many were twins again? How many “just one more’s” turn into multiples?

My twin girls are 17 months and no 3 has been on my mind as I feel the family is incomplete. BUT my career has just been getting back on track… finances are still unstable with N’s back injury, my weight is back to normal (except for the twin tummy which I will have forever) and I am trying to make room in our busy schedule for more things for me.

Having twins didn’t give me a choice for baby no 2. Overall since I didn’t know any better perhaps twins were easier than two singletons. When it is time to feed one, what is one more mouth to feed?, change?, clean?. On the other hand it was more expensive: twice the cots, bottles, formula, clothes and nappies. But one less pregnancy and they are both at the same developmental stage (Please walk). When is a good age gap between twins and another baby?

So baby no 3 is on hold for another year. Let’s reassess next year…

One month Twins...just one more?

L