Long Time...
Here I am at 8.56pm with unaccountably itchy calves, and feeling a little chilly, also full up (fromage frais with sugar and blackberries, tortelloni with tomato sauce) thinking that I would like to mark today and write something and say hello to you all out there, anyone who is still passing by.
Today my babies are five months and five days old, and tonight, for the first time, I put them in separate cots. Up until now they have shared the same cot, sleeping side by side across its width, pushed right up to my four poster bed. But last night, Twin Two rotated ninety degress and woke up Twin One – who sleeps on her tummy with her thumb in her mouth – by kicking her. And this afternoon, during nap time, Twin Two rolled into Twin One, effectively pinning her into the corner of the cot where she likes to wedge herself in sleep. And so, I decided, regretfully, that it was time.
They are right now upstairs, a cot each, still in my room, but a few steps from my bed, under the window. I wonder if they will notice? At the beginning they slept nuzzled up close, and they didn’t move much, but now they rustle and stir at night and sound like real people. Twin Two also thumps like a giant rabbit. She lifts her legs up, so they hit the jungle animal mobile and set it off, and then brings them down, hard, on the mattress.
The next milestone will be weaning. I do not look forward to solids, to the gradual process of moving them off my bosoms. I love breast feeding. The girls are so funny to watch. They are very efficient – they can drain me in less than ten minutes – and as they feed they stretch out their hands and poke each other in the eye, and claw at each other, and pat my breasts. Twin Two likes to pull back every ten seconds or so and crane her head to look at me for a reassuring exchange of smiles, before going back for a feed. Twin One is just frustrated. My milk isn’t bountiful or plentiful enough for her, so she pulls at my nipple and tugs at it, and bites it (her sister, last week, actually tweaked my nipple in her hand). They have also started waking twice in the night – up until now they only woke once at four am and I could get good long stretches, six hours or so, of sleep. I suspect they are hungry, and, again regretfully, that it is time for solid food.
They are growing fast. They are not babies for long. I held Twin One under her arms today and she stood firmly on the floor, supporting her weight, and looked like a child. Their legs are less bandied, more straight when they lie down. They hold their toes in their hands and smile. They play with toys. They try and move towards things that interest them. They get bored. They splash with a mad, exuberant joy in the bath. They smell glorious.
I wanted to write about something else, but my love for the babies spilled over again. I’ll write again in a couple of days. I wanted advice.
Today my babies are five months and five days old, and tonight, for the first time, I put them in separate cots. Up until now they have shared the same cot, sleeping side by side across its width, pushed right up to my four poster bed. But last night, Twin Two rotated ninety degress and woke up Twin One – who sleeps on her tummy with her thumb in her mouth – by kicking her. And this afternoon, during nap time, Twin Two rolled into Twin One, effectively pinning her into the corner of the cot where she likes to wedge herself in sleep. And so, I decided, regretfully, that it was time.
They are right now upstairs, a cot each, still in my room, but a few steps from my bed, under the window. I wonder if they will notice? At the beginning they slept nuzzled up close, and they didn’t move much, but now they rustle and stir at night and sound like real people. Twin Two also thumps like a giant rabbit. She lifts her legs up, so they hit the jungle animal mobile and set it off, and then brings them down, hard, on the mattress.
The next milestone will be weaning. I do not look forward to solids, to the gradual process of moving them off my bosoms. I love breast feeding. The girls are so funny to watch. They are very efficient – they can drain me in less than ten minutes – and as they feed they stretch out their hands and poke each other in the eye, and claw at each other, and pat my breasts. Twin Two likes to pull back every ten seconds or so and crane her head to look at me for a reassuring exchange of smiles, before going back for a feed. Twin One is just frustrated. My milk isn’t bountiful or plentiful enough for her, so she pulls at my nipple and tugs at it, and bites it (her sister, last week, actually tweaked my nipple in her hand). They have also started waking twice in the night – up until now they only woke once at four am and I could get good long stretches, six hours or so, of sleep. I suspect they are hungry, and, again regretfully, that it is time for solid food.
They are growing fast. They are not babies for long. I held Twin One under her arms today and she stood firmly on the floor, supporting her weight, and looked like a child. Their legs are less bandied, more straight when they lie down. They hold their toes in their hands and smile. They play with toys. They try and move towards things that interest them. They get bored. They splash with a mad, exuberant joy in the bath. They smell glorious.
I wanted to write about something else, but my love for the babies spilled over again. I’ll write again in a couple of days. I wanted advice.
posted by katty at 1:21 PM
7 Comments:
Can I say hi?
I've been reading your blog for a while and probably commentd before.
I am freaking out a bit at discovering I'm pregnant with twins after De IVF ... already have a 4 yo .. particularly about possible prematurity, medicalised birth and getting my head round parenting twins.
Thalya suggested you as a good role model! I'd be interested in your experiences.
Do you have to wean them? Are you going back to work? A friend of mine is still breastfeeding her child of 9 monhts in the mornings and evenings. The other meals are solids.
Spill over all you want. :-)
that's my goal, lut.
role model...drowned girl? don't know about that. but please feel free to ask me whatever you like.
are you single?
I remember the first night we separated them, right around the same age. In the end I think it was better for them, though it was hard for me.
I was also apprehensive about starting solids. In addition to liking BFing, I expected solids to be a lot of work. Here we are, less than a week before their first birthday, and they love solids and still love BFing (perhaps too much still!). And I actually really enjoy giving them solids, sharing new tastes and experiences with them.
I've been too shy to make a comment here, but I wanted to say "hi" and let you know that I've been following your story for a long time. My son was born the day before your daughters and I love to hear what other children are doing at this age!
I'll try to be less shy in the future!
5 months and 5 days.. wow! It is always so nice to read about the girls... Your love from them is so touching!
I separated mine after some months but as soon as the girl could pull herself up she threw herself in her brother's cot. They are 9 now but to this day the like to sleep next to each other - which I don't allow during the week.
To be a twin... it must be lovely.
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