Our Twins: A One Month Update

It’s been exactly a month since my husband and I became fathers to two adorable twins, one boy and one girl.

Made possible by a loving donor and a selfless surrogate, our new family has survived three days in a hospital, five in a cramped hotel room, one court hearing, two flights up to my family’s lake house in New Hampshire (where we’ll be spending our paternity leave), three doctor appointments, and twenty-two days of paralyzing anxiety, immense joy and unparalleled satisfaction that we’ve kept them alive long enough to write this post.

The truth is, a one-month-old isn’t all that exciting to write an update about. They eat, they sleep and they poop. That’s about it. BUT the seemingly dramatic rumors are true: you love them unlike anything in the world, they grow up much faster than you expect, and with each day they become less and less like a blob and more like an engaging human being, making the sleepless nights and endless cry fests a little more bearable.

As I write this post, it feels like the twins are finally coming to life. Their eyes are tracking, their necks are getting stronger, their cooing is getting louder, and their personalities are starting to come to the surface.

As of October 11th, 2017, our son is…

• 8lbs 10oz and 20 inches tall.
• Obsessed with cuddling, especially skin-to-skin. It’s honestly the only guaranteed way to get him to stop crying.
• A great sleeper. He’s consistent, quiet, loves vibrating bassinets and doesn’t mind getting wrapped up in a straightjacket-like swaddle.
• Very animated and attentive. He spends most of his awake hours staring around the room and locking eyes with his family.
• Convinced that his neck is as strong as an adults, and practices holding it up all day long.
• A big fan of bath time.
• Not aware that he has a sister.

Our daughter is…

• The EXACT same height as her brother, 20 inches tall, and just a little bit lighter at 8lbs 8oz.
• Not a huge fan of socks or gloves.
• An advanced mover. She rolled over twice last week (yes, we have video proof) causing my mom to start planning her early admittance to gymnastics.
• A big fan of her own voice. She’s well aware that when she cries she gets cuddles, so she practices this new technique as often as possible.
• Not 100% comfortable with feeding just yet. Her body isn’t loving milk and likes to spit it back up into the world a lot, so we’re working with her (and her pediatrician) on that.
• Not aware that she has a brother.

And we are…

• Very comfortable with swaddling, changing diapers, burping and making up milk.
• Sleeping much more than most parents. With the help of my family, who cover various shifts and let us go out on dates, we’re able to get about five hours a day. Thanks, family!
• Feeling a little antsy. We’ve been inside a little too much for our liking and are excited about planning more adventures – especially when it’s safer for them to explore hectic, dirty places after they’ve had their first vaccinations.
• Excited for month #2.

For real-time twin updates, follow me on Instagram. And stay tuned for our two month update coming on November 11th!

Until next time, stay crafty.