"The second month of life for the boys has been... well... challenging. One night Chris and I looked at each other and Chris said, "We knew this was going to be hard, but is this more difficult that you imagined?" I didn't hesitate when I replied "Absolutely." Chris said, "Yeah. We had NO idea."And then I went on to complain endlessly about how awful my life was. Wow. I am soooo glad that I didn't push that 'publish post' button. Sure those were my true feelings at the time, but I was only focused on the negative. So I have removed them from this post. And I saved them. For me. So I can read them again in 5 years if Chris ever says he wants to have another baby! hahahaha ;-)
We were really put through the wringer during those four weeks. I'm so glad they are over. I hope that month 2 of our boys' lives will be the most difficult that our family will have to endure for a long time..."
What I should've said was...
Life with Two Babies AND Two Small Girls is REALLY hard. But also REALLY rewarding and wonderful and lets be honest - there is so much potential here! Often Chris and I have glimmers of hope, glimpses of the future with our four kids so close in age, with a same-sex sibling as a best friend for life and we realize how awesome our family is going to be! Once we are sleeping... hehe ;-)
Our boys are two months old! Yay! They just barely hit their full-term due date and I finally started letting 'outsiders' into our house. I literally kept our house off-limits to any and all non-family members and tried to shelter our premature babies as much as possible. Six weeks of treating my bedroom like a NICU was tough work! My entire house was scrubbed with bleach constantly and my hands began to crack open and bleed because they were so raw from scrubbing them. We weren't even close to sleeping and I just couldn't keep it up any longer so I sent out an SOS to my friends and received more than an outpouring of love and care. We were bombarded with help! It was incredible!!! (more on that another day)
Lets just get on with the pictures - that will keep me positive I think :-)
During the second month of Tyce & Dax's lives...
...they captured every one of our hearts...
They snuggled a lot...
They slept in their own room for the first time (for about 20 mins ;)
They spent A LOT of time in their swings...
They "played" with toys for the first time...
They were doted on by their biggest sister endlessly...
Jada even learned how to feed them bottles... (lifesaver)
They went on their first walk...
(Kalle is hiding from the camera. Of course.)
They did a lot of "sunbathing" (poor kids were fighting high bilirubin levels for weeks!)
They were blessed in church...
They met lots of new family members...Here are the twins with their grandmas & grandpas (their namesakes)
And here are the boys with their smoking hot Aunties!
Tyce and Auntie Lindsay...
Auntie Stephanie and the twins...
Grandpa Craig and the boys...
We even celebrated Auntie Lindsay's 18th Birthday!...
The boys stayed home a lot and missed out on pool adventures with Grandpa Steve...
And they missed Jada's preschool parade...
Despite my best efforts at sheltering my premie babies from everything, they still ended up back in the hospital with bronchiolitis and RSV...
I rode in the ambulance to the hospital with both babies when Dax stopped breathing one night. The twins got their nose and lungs suctioned out a ton and they HATED it. This was an especially challenging experience. None of us got any sleep for DAYS. Dax refused to get an IV, so the nurses finally just gave up trying...
Poor Tycen just laid there and cried his eyes out every time a nurse so much as looked at him...
But we all somehow survived and returned home :-) Unfortunately, we still had to wake up around the clock to feed the boys and give them nebulizer treatments (inhaled steroids for their lungs)...
Life in our house was a three-ring circus!
As a result of our diligent feeding efforts, the boys started to pack on the weight! They started to outgrow their newborn things...
Then they hit their official due date and we were able to consider them like 'full-term' babies. And then finally, they turned two months old on April 23rd :-)
We survived!!!!
Aren't they adorable?Tyce was 11 lbs. 2 oz. & Dax was 11 lbs. 11 oz.
They tried out their Bumbo chairs...
Lucky boys - their biggest sister is sooooo in love with them :)
Best shot of all 4 of my kids. So typical. Both boys screaming, Kalle pouting and hiding from the camera and Jada smiling like an angel :)
Ahhh... a few moments of quiet...
Its been difficult for me NOW to look back and reflect on those few weeks in March/April. They were REALLY challenging and actually I have forgotten most of what was going on (probably a good thing). I was not myself, I was a walking, talking, barely functioning zombie. Interestingly enough I just taught a lesson on Sunday (6/26) about overcoming opposition and how all things are given to us to help us learn, stretch and grow. Now I'm reflecting on some of the most difficult days of my life and realizing how much I have learned and grown. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love being a Mormon. I love my family so much, we are so incredibly blessed.
6 comments:
This is why, when people say they would love to have twins, I say, well I hope you get them because then they will realize it's SO much work. I'm so impressed with how you've handled everything. Way to go Wernli's! I need a nap after reading this!
You guys are so awesome! Keep up the great work! Keep posting when you have a chance - we love to see pics of these little guys and hear how you are all doing. Wish we lived close so we could chip in and help. =)
:) I love you! Your kids are all so cute and it will be easier at some point, I think. I'm still kinda waiting on that.
Thank you for sharing these pictures and your thoughts. I have been thinking of you constantly these past few months wondering how you guys are doing... these boys are over 4 months now, which is mind blowing. I love the way the Lord helps us forget the really hard and awful things/days and only lets us remember what we learned from them. That is truly a blessing.
We love you and pray for you.
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Hi Kimberly, I know you don't know me. I went to high school with Chris. I came across your blog several months ago. Looking back, I am not really sure how. In November, I found out like you I was carrying twins. Since then, I have your read your blog a little more often because I love how you have described your experience. I felt like I had a companion of sorts. Like you, my Emma and Brady were born at 34 weeks... however without much warning. I had worked as pediatric resident until the weekend of their birth. Anyways, I just wanted to thank you! Your words have been inspirational and have calmed my fears at many a time! Best wishes to your family and keep on blogging. ~ Amanda Dvorscak.
What a great "re-cap" post. I felt like I was there! Well, you've made it through the worst. I always feel like every 6 weeks gets so much easier with a baby- little by little you will get your life back.
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