Recently I have been thinking and remembering about the haze of the newborn days. Trying to remember those first moments and thinking about how this time around might be the same, or different.
Last night I was catching up with a friend and she was talking about how she spent those first 6 weeks in her 'baby bubble'. How sweet that time was, how she would spend hours just nursing and sleeping and holding this new little being.
Don't get me wrong, we did do some of that - but life with twins is very different. VERY different. I didn't have my kids with me until they were a week old, my first weeks were spent in an out of hospitals and doctors appointments, and the lactation center. I lived in a constant heightened sense of awareness - that I didn't or couldn't get all cozy with one little bambino because the second we would drift off, number two would awaken. There were moments of crying, because you physically could not meet everyone's needs in that moment, and it's heart breaking.
Thinking back, I don't think it was until they were closer to 3 months that I could sit back and savor those sweet moments. For me, with two it felt like we had to be more regimented, more scheduled more on top of it...just to survive.
So as I am preparing for the arrival of this new little lady - I am having trouble imaging life with just one. How will it be different? What will we do differently this time - not only because this will be our second time around as parents, but because this time we will have only one infant to contend with.
I want more of that lazy complete newborn period, those moments where you can just sit and stare and soak up each and every moment of this new little person.
Any thoughts about the differences?
I think naturally, having twins is twice as hard. I obviously have never had personal experience, but I cannot imagine juggling two delicate newborns with constant needs/feedings. I think little lady will be a much slower pace experience for you. A week after I had chunk, I was cleaning house and cooking meals. Although he ate every three hours, he slept every 2 1/2 hours, so I had lots of time between feeding when I couldn't sleep but he did. You will work it all out and having an infant AND little people will add other challanges that having only one newborn didn't have.
ReplyDeleteDe- lurking to say that I'm a new reader and a 2nd mom of b/g twins (19 mos). We've talked about having another, with my partner carrying again. She wants to be able to experience a full pregnancy having given birth at 35w with our twins.
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm pretty sure I actually know you too. From back in the GS days. I used to work for SF Bay GS.
Here's our blog, we're not great at updating, but here it is.
http://oneluckyduck-luckyduck.blogspot.com/
Would love to add you on our roll if that's alright.
I remember that too was my dream. To be able to carry one last single baby, a girl, a sister for Syd.
ReplyDeleteI knew how hard twins were and when I found out it was twins AGAIN I cried. I was depressed. Isn't that awful. I mean really really terrible.
It took some time for me to come around..but I was ready for them when they came.
I guess what I'm saying is...you guys are living my dream :) I'm so glad you are as excited as I was. and I hope you blog all about the differences.