Well its been 5 weeks and 3 days of being a mother to my little ginger babies! My how our lives have changed in just a little over a month. I find the days of my maternity leave are just passing too quickly! It seems like the days are filled with diaper changes and bottle feeding nonstop round the clock! Nap times are precious time the only time I can get things done. Oh but I love it. I have gotten down pat the art of feeding two babies at once. It's pretty hilarious what mamas can come up with to get the job done. One time I wrapped Ellie in a sheet around me since I didn't have a baby wrap so I could make a pie. We put the babies on the floor after they eat for what we call " floor time". Its the only way we can keep them awake for a long amount of time. Sometimes they just stare at each other and sometimes they start a boxing match with their swinging limbs! We sing Christmas music and just talk and talk to them during floor time. They don't know yet that their mother is a terrible singer. Good thing they can't take their singing ability after me :) Here's a little floor time action.
Ellie has had a little virus ( brother had it but it passed quickly through him). You can just count on both babies being sick if one picks up something. Guess that is a twin thing. Since Ellie is so small the dr said it would take a while to pass through her system so he instructed me to start thickening her formula with cereal. She is still having runny diapers and I just feel so bad for her. I wish I could take those tummy pains away and rescue my poor little baby.
People have been asking how our nights are going. Not gonna lie.. rough at first. This girl had to get used to running on few hours of sleep and getting up many times during the night. At first after I would get babies settled back in their beds I would not be able to go back to sleep.. listening for any little noises they were going to make or making sure they are not suffocating (first time parent probs). Well they are doing better and sleeping longer stretches through the night. ( 3.5-5 hrs at at time) Now we are having difficulty with getting them to actually " go to sleep" when we initially put them down. You know how it goes, perfectly content in your arms getting those heavy eyes and the minute you lay them down in crib.. BAM! Bloody murder screaming! they act like we just chopped off their leg or something. We are all for the "cry it out method" We believe in it whole heartedly, but at what point do you go in there and calm them down?? Well, Chase and I have a time limit and if they are still screaming we go in there and get them. I'm not going to tell you our time limit because you might think we are bad parents :)
We think Wade may be our strong willed child because he can sure cry for a long time and not get tired. One night he cried and cried past the time limit and I was laying in bed watching the monitor. Night vision by the way is just the neatest! All of a sudden I see these giant hands scoop him up out of the bed. These hands picked up our baby to soothe and comfort him. To stop him from his crying. To rescue him.
I immediately thought of Jesus. His hands are mighty to save. That is what Christmas is all about after all. The savior was born to rescue all from death. It's because of the birth and death of our Christ that we can find peace knowing we have been forever rescued. How beautiful the Christmas story is!
Then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. Luke 2:10-12
It's easy to forget the real reason for the season. We can get caught up in the stresses of the holiday season.. pushing aside the true meaning of Christmas.
Maybe you need to be rescued during this Christmas season. From financial burdens weighing you down. Or from a marriage spiraling out of control. Maybe from a job that you find yourself struggling to get up for each day and you feel like you have lost your purpose. Maybe from an unruly child that is constantly defiling you. Or from a deep pain that is heavy on your heart this season. Or from just your family. Maybe just from a simply crummy day....
I don't know. We all need rescuing from time to time.
BUT Thank goodness for those hands!
"For thus says the Lord, Indeed myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks outs his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a dark day". Ezekiel 34:11-12
Wherever you are scattered today, I pray you will find rest in knowing Jesus (our Savior) wants to seek you out and rescue you. May you allow his hands to scoop you up and provide peace only he can offer.
More twin shenanigans to share next time!
Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and your family .
Taylor