How to… change two babies’ nappies

1. Wash hands
   
2. Place baby one in cot


3. Place baby two in cot and start mobile


4. Place baby one on change table, change nappy, repeat as she poos.


5. Redress baby one, place in cot, restart mobile


6. Place baby two on change table, undo nappy, remove, quickly place new nappy under bottom, but too late


7. Place nude baby in cot, put on clean nappy


8. Change outfit and place in wash


9. Ignore wee in baby’s hair


10. Wipe down change mat, refill wipes and nappy bag


11. Wash hands


12. Pick up both babies at once and move to feeding area

3 months

E right M left

The girls are three months old today!

They've already put on almost 3 kg each since birth, and are real chubby bubbies now.

Both girls favourite book is 'Squeak Squeak' (about a mouse), favourite toy is the Winnie the Pooh mobile, favourite song is 'I'm a Little Teapot', and favourite thing to look at is the window. Evie loves being rocked, and Minky still likes the bouncer. Evie has started to like having a dummy to settle, and Minky needs to be swaddled super tight in a cot sheet.

Mikayla

It's been a very long three months of very little sleep, but is also going so fast! They think Dadda's dancing is hilarious and aren't too worried about Jack barking (not at them!). Despite being premmie, the girls started to smile and laugh not long after other babies their birth age, and recently are discovering each other to look at. They've moved from the bassinette to a cot (still sharing), still in our room. They're in 000 already and don't both fit in the sling anymore.

Evangeline

Two of the same?

We're coming across the assumption a lot that the girls are just two of the same baby. A few people have even commented to us that twins must be easier than having two kids of different ages, because at least they do everything at the same time. Yeah right.

Looks

While the girls are looking more alike as they grow, they still look very different. Evie has light hair and an oval face, where Kaylee is darker and chubbier.

Crying & Sleeping

They have distinct cries. Evie tends to work herself up into a purple-faced frenzy, but then settles quickly when cuddled. Once asleep, she's out until woken up. Mikayla cries on and off, takes a very long time to settle completely, sometimes doesn't sleep, or only sleeps lightly. She also talks in her sleep, which is pretty funny. The girls have conspired to spend most nights unsettled after different feeds. So we might spend 11-1am settling Evie and then 2-4am settling Mikayla, and then start again. They both sleep better some days than others, but overall we're getting about 4-5 hours sleep a day.

Eating & Burping

Like sleeping, Evangeline will latch on and stay on until she is finished. Then she'll burp, although she is more windy and gets distressed often after eating and can take a while and a few techniques to get the burps out.

Mikayla struggles to latch on as well and always tries to stick a fist in her mouth instead. Once on, she is more on and off and needs a burp halfway through. She usually vomits after each feed, often a few times, but doesn't get too upset about it. Kaylee also loves her dummy (which is very annoying for us to have to keep popping it back in when she spits it. Hadn't planned on giving dummies yet, but good old SCN gave her one in hospital). Evie isn't interested in dummies at all.

Both girls are smiling in their post-feed dream land, and we've had one smile at us from Evie. Mikayla also loves the rocker, where Evangeline can take or leave it, but loves being held in the rocking chair.

Evangeline: just saw lunch

Mikalya: stretching

4 weeks

The girls are 4 weeks old today! They've put back on their birth weight plus another kilo each. They've lost the jaundice and are eating and occasionally sleeping well. Both are the most beautiful baby girls in the world!

Twins

Some newborn twin stats.

In one day we spend:

• 8-11 hours double breastfeeding



• 4 hours changing nappies



• 3 hours dual burping



• 6 hours settling/cuddling



• 4-5 hours sleeping

In a day we use:

• 18-20 nappies



• 40 wipes



• 4 wraps



• 2 blankets



• 4 burp/vomit cloths



• 3-5 onsies



• 4-6 singlets

We get:

• half the sleep



• twice the tears



• twice the smiles



• and twice the cuddles

Evangeline and Mikayla

Evangeline Olivia Murray & Mikayla Trinity Murray

Born 3rd February 2009

E: 6.40pm, M: 7.10pm



E: 2050g M: 2210g



Most beautiful girls in the world!

From 2 plus 1 to 5

The news is, Bek is being induced on Tuesday. An ultrasound last Thursday showed that the babies both look healthy, but aren't growing enough. Estimated weights were 2.1 and 2.3 kg at 35.5 weeks. This means their placentas probably aren't working properly anymore, and they've well and truly run out of room, so it's wiser to bring them out now.

It's been a very mixed pregnancy, with us both extremely happy to be having children, to Bek being extremely sick and uncomfortable the whole time. The twin pregnancy has been fairly horrible, from hyperemesis (non-stop vomiting all day every day), pelvic pain to the point of not being able to walk much, overheating (!), even the babies' movements hurting because there is so little room, very itchy skin, sore back, fatigue, swollen feet, carpal tunnel syndrome, and the list could go on. But all this ends in two days, and the reason for it all makes every last pain and discomfort worth it:

Psalm 92:4 'For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;

at the works of your hands I sing for joy.'