Rory & Patrick Are Two Months Old

My sweet twin boys are two months old today! Was it really two months ago when I was laboring with these sweet boys trying so hard to bring them into the world? And just like Elijah, I cannot imagine life without them though they have only been earthside for two short months. Life with twin babies is incredible. Daily, you just never know what you are going to get. I do not have the luxury of dedicating all my time to a child the way you can with your first born so every day I have to catch minutes with each one when I can. Patrick likes those minutes to be spent snuggling. And although Rory loves to snuggle too, he likes to interact more during his one on one time with lots of sweet cooing and giggles. Every day is different. There are days when it feels as easy as if I’ve had “three under two” for years. Then there are days like today when both babies take turns crying when I am lucky and otherwise are demanding me at the same time. Right now, I am listening to Elijah wake up from his nap and is singing to himself as I sit downstairs grateful for these few moments when the twins will be soothed with their pacifier so I can steal some minutes to record some thoughts on their second month of life. This may end up being a very short update.

RORY: Rory, like his big brother, is an extremely social baby. He coos and talks and smiles and is even starting to laugh a little. He LOVES to be worn and would stay close to Mama 24/7 if he could. He would have been an excellent candidate for first born child!

As of Monday, Rory was ten pounds, six ounces which three pounds one ounce above his birth weight! All that chowing down on Mama’s milk really is paying off! Rory would eat all day if I let him. He continues to struggle with reflux.  I have a pretty active let down and Rory will sometimes choke a little as he tries to keep up which is rough on his little tummy but after a few little cries and breaths, he is right back on the breast, chugging away. I am finding that he is sensitive to the common culprits such as dairy and wheat as I can see a big difference in his discomfort level (and poop color!) on days when I slip up on my diet.  I am suspicious there is another unidentified sensitivity based on his symptoms and am working on uncovering that mystery.  Pacifiers. I hate them but they are sometimes the lesser of the two evils…aka screaming baby that you can’t get to because you are taking care of two others. So we use a soothie. Rory chokes on the standard pacifier and even chokes on the soothie at times. He is not a huge fan of pacifiers which is just fine with me and I would love to wean him (and me) from them before we lean on that crutch too much.  Especially if it is not something he really wants, I don’t want to push it. But there are times……

Rory is very vocal. As I said, lots of sweet coos. He also will protest. And I tell you, if I didn’t know better, I would think those squeals were coming from a baby girl. It makes me giggle because he really is “so boy” that to hear these girly sounds coming from him makes me laugh. It just shows that each child sounds so different.

I am seeing so many smiles in this baby lately and his first big belly laugh was today when we were singing If Your Happy And You Know It and You Are My Sunshine. He just has the sweetest smile and loves to show it! He still sleeps pretty well through the night but does enjoy time with Mama when he wakes up to eat. He likes to visit for a few minutes before going back to sleep. I think he is pretty close to rolling over. Both he and Patrick have done it a couple times (both back to front and front to back) on the couch and the bed but I don’t count those since the soft surface gives the benefit of gravity. I give them lots of tummy time on the floor, though, so imagine this milestone is not far off.

Rory is very aware of the world around him and seems eager to interact with Elijah and Wrigley. He prefers to sit up, partially because of the reflux but I think also because he feels more a part of things. It is such a joy to be his Mama and watch him quickly grown and develop! But oh how I already miss those sweet newborn days though each stage of babyhood and childhood so far is precious and special.

TWO MONTH PHOTOS OF RORY

Patrick: I call Patrick our “brave boy”.  The whole time I had to give him shots and take him to the doctor where he was basically tortured for blood (at least that is how it seemed), he never lost his trust. He never flinched when touched. He never cried when laid on the changing table where I did his shot. That, to me, is amazing and truly a miracle. Now, our Patrick has found the normal rhythm of babyhood. He continues to develop his nursing skills. He loves being nuzzled up next to Mama and often wants to nurse to soothe. And though he is quite skilled at nursing when he is hungry, when he just wants to nurse to cuddle or because he has a tummy ache, he can’t seem to latch on properly. But it is always after he has already eaten his fill and just wants comfort. I think maybe he would prefer if he could turn the milk off at this time, like a faucet. Patrick does enjoy the pacifier but when he wants the breast, he will protest the pacifier angrily. Already, my babies know what they want!

As of Monday, Patrick weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces, up two pounds two ounces from his birth weight. Patrick has gained weight a little slower than Rory and last week there was only a little gain so I believe we could be coming up on a growth spurt. But who knows. Like I said, they are just so different from one another. But Patrick eats well and poops/pees often so I know we are dealing with a healthy little boy. Patrick also suffers a bit from reflux and sensitivities but it doesn’t seem to be as bad as his twin.  Right now he is going through an extremely fussy and needy phase but I believe that has more to do with a developmental leap (wonder week 8!) and that we should have our happy boy back in a few days to a week. Patrick is very quietly alert.  I see him just looking at things taking it all in. He loves eye contact.  He has such a sweet smile. No belly laughs yet but lots of sweet smiles with those big beautiful bright eyes. I can’t figure out what color his eyes are. In pictures they look dark, like brown but in person they are more of an olive green. He has such sweet eyes.

Patrick mostly sleeps through the night and some nights does not even wake to nurse though on those nights he is very hungry in the morning and ready for a feast. He is (normally) an excellent napper and does not wake easily. He loves his baths with Mama still and as the weather gets warmer (and babies get sweatier) he and his brother will get them more often. He is just such an amazing little boy and it is incredible to see how well he has developed and how easily he takes all these challenges that have come his way. You would never guess this baby has been through anything out of the ordinary.

PATRICK’S TWO MONTH PHOTOS

 

So how’s Mama doing? Well month two of twin babies….three kids….and my last month of three kiddos under the age of two. (Elijah turns two this month). I’d have to say I love it.  I love my children. I love all three of my babies. There are days when I want to lock myself in the closet with my fingers in my ear, yes, but not as many of those as you might think. What I have found the best thing for me when I start to feel like I can’t this is I go and do something I CAN do that most people don’t. Like, I’ll take my three to the store for something and, if it goes smoothly, then I get my maternal confidence back. If it doesn’t, I call my husband and beg him to come home early or my mother in law to come visit. Heehee. But I am finding that the most important thing is to enjoy my children both together and individually. The dishes can wait. The children cannot. And I wouldn’t want them to.  It is cliché but time goes by so fast. It is the most true with babies. I can’t believe they are no longer newborns. And they never will be again. Each stage is adorable. But seriously, where did the tiny babies go?

BROTHERS

 

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SECOND MONTH