To my beautiful children,
You are home!! As I sit here and type this, I am sitting on my bed and you are both asleep in your bassinets after I changed your diaper and fed you. We survived our first night. Wahoo, go us!!!
Your dad and I woke up yesterday and were so excited that it was the day that we got to bring you home. We tried to pick up Goldie on Sunday and then found out she hadn’t eaten much so we couldn’t bring her home, so we were happy to see that when we got to the hospital, you were both doing wonderfully and the plan was still to take you home! We brought your stroller to take you home in as well as both car seats that fit into it. The doctor examined you both (checked your eyes, looked over your bodies, etc). I tried to feed you both but you weren’t really interested in breastfeeding so we ended up feeding Goldie her bottle right before we left and Harris finished his when we got home.
Your Aunt Jocelyn was in town and she literally saved me by doing countless loads of laundry and cleaning up my really unorganized and messy room. I don’t know what I would have done without her and my mom! They worked with me for hours in organizing your nursery closets and clothes and making sure we were ready to bring you home. Jocelyn also came to the hospital and took pictures and videos to help document such a special day for us. She really did come at the perfect time! We sure love her and are so glad that she was able to spend some time with us and help prevent me from having a mental breakdown by being so organized ha ha! She was so thoughtful and picked up on things like Tyler saying we were out of toothpaste. The next morning, there was toothpaste that she had gone to the store and purchased for us!
Before we left the hospital, we got more instructions. Preemies are very fragile, so they don’t want us bringing you out into crowds for 3 months. The occupational therapist told us a couple days ago that she doesn’t want you to leave our room for at least 10 days because it helps to acclimate to your new environment and is good for growth and development. They told us that they don’t want any visitors coming over except our parents. When they come over and if they want to hold you, we have to put a blanket on their shirt before they pick you up. She said that reason for this is that they think they might be clean, but different harmful things can get on clothing and we don’t want it to rub against you. The example she used is someone fertilizing their lawn a couple hours before and not thinking that anything got on their shirt but it actually did and then it could get on you.
They also recommended that we keep you on the schedule that was created during the NICU which is changing you diaper and feeding you every 3 hours at 7,10,1 and 4 then repeating. When we got you home yesterday and it was time to feed you, I first changed and fed Harris, then changed and fed Goldie, then I pumped. That took me a little over 2 hours and by that time it was almost time to start again! Before your next feeding time, your dad went to the grocery store to pick up some groceries and prescriptions so I was alone. I decided that we needed to feed you both at the same time because otherwise each time it would take 2.5 hours and that just isn’t good because I need to sleep at some point in my life! The doctor actually recommended getting you on the same schedule. When the time came around to feed you, I got your bottles ready and Harris was already awake but Goldie wasn’t so I picked you both up and laid you on my bed and changed Harris’ diaper then Goldie’s diaper. I then put on my “Brest Friend” which is hilarious to say and don’t think I haven’t said it a million times 🙂 I mean, I practically got it just so I could say, “Tyler, will you please get me my Brest Friend?” It is SUCH an awesome pillow and I love it. I put you both on either side of me on the bed, then picked up Harris and got you situated on the pillow, then picked up Goldie and got you situated on your side. I then picked up the bottles and started feeding you both at the same time!! In that moment, I literally said a prayer of thanks to our Heavenly Father for making it possible to me a mama of twins 🙂 I’m going to need to simplify and multi-task to make it work so I was really grateful that it worked out!
After you were done eating, I burped you both one at a time then laid you on the bed again. I swaddled you then put you back in your bassinets! I then pumped. That whole process saved me an hour this time feeding you both at the same time. You could say I won the gold medal in multi-tasking and gettin’ biz-ness done. For real though, I was proud of myself! Being a twin mom is intimidating because you wonder how you’re going to get it all done, and I was so happy that it worked out that time!
Here is how our feeding schedule goes:
First I mix up 5.5 oz of water and 3 scoops of Neosure formula for preemie babies and put it in a bottle, then I mix up 2.5 oz of breastmilk and 1 tsp of Neosure formula and put it in a bottle. When they are ready to eat, I mix half of their bottle with the first concoction and half with the second.
We alternate every other time doing a full bottle one feeding, and then breastfeeding and topping off with a bottle the second time. After every single time, I have to pump afterward and put the milk in the fridge.
You both did a great job last night and we all survived!! I woke up you every 3 hours and changed both of your diapers then fed you. Your daddy would help do thing like change your diapers or hand you to me when I was breastfeeding you both. The whole process would take a little bit over an hour so I would try to get a couple hours of sleep in between each feeding. You kept coming unswaddled so at 4 am, we went into your nursery and got these little SwaddleMe infant swaddles and wrapped them around your other blanket and it was AMAZING. We got a lot better sleep after that because you couldn’t kick them off and you were really cozy and secure.
Last night before we went to bed, your Grammy and Popsy and my mom came over to visit and we all had Cafe Rio together. You have a lot of people who really love you!
I am sitting here looking at you laying in your bassinet, Goldie. Your eyes are open and you’re looking around the room. You are so cute I almost don’t know what to do with myself!! I am so unbelievably in love with you both. Ooh we are so lucky we get to be your parents!!
xo
Mama
jenica this is so lovely to read. You are such a remarkable woman. This mom thing is so you??. The twins look so good. Best wishes in being parents. You and Tyler are awesome. Xxx
Aw thank you. What a kind comment!! Means so much to me!
What sweethearts!! I'm so excited they're home!!
Her Heartland Soul
herheartlandsoul.com
Yay; us too!!
Soooo precious.
I am so happy for you and your beautiful babies. I remember the "every three hours around the clock" feedings. Brutal!
I say this only as encouragement– if breastfeeding gets too hard, give yourself permission to quit. I stuck it out for just 2 weeks with my twins and quitting felt like such sweet relief. That sounds terrible but it's true! Just keep doing what works for you. Those are some super lucky babies to get you for their mama!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that 🙂 We all do the best we can and that's enough!
Wow caring for twins is so very full on and your schedule is hectic but you are doing an amazing job Jenica and those two little darlings are so lucky to have you both. Love following your journey and seeing these gorgeous happy photos. Enjoy every precious cuddle while they are so little because the newborn stage goes by so so quickly.
Aw thank you so much. It is more than a full time job and there isn't a job more rewarding! You are so sweet. I will enjoy it all!
Perfection!! Enjoy your time home!!!
We sure will; thank you!!
You are such a rockstar. Look at you go with those tiny babies!! So happy for you !!
Also if it seems to much to breastfeed, just know it's ok to stop. –I hope with all my heart that this come out with the right tone and you can feel my warm fuzzy feelings when I say this– but with my last I felt so much pressure to breastfeed, that I couldn't stop and I didn't give myself this "permission" to stop. Even though logically I knew it would be ok, logically I knew it would be fine, but I felt like if I stopped the whole world would end in a sense. So coming from a mommy that wanted to stop nursing and didn't feel like she could, let yourself know it's ok. Love your blog and love to hear your story!
Thank you so much!!
You are so sweet. I totally agree with you. Just do the best I can and that will be enough!