Days 1 and 2

We have been home for two days now.  It was a bit different bringing two newborns home, and then we added the complication of two sick toddlers.  Elaine has been coughing and fighting a fever for a couple of days.  She wants nothing more than to help with Baby Sister – to hold her, to change her, to rock her – yet I have had to say to stay away. 

This is our last morning at the hospital.  These hats were made by some of the residents at Shepherd’s Home where my Aunt JoEllen lives.  She gave them to the twins for Christmas.

The first night was terrible.  All three of us adults were kept busy with the twins, though Ben & I each took a turn sleeping in the bedroom.  I fed the babies, changed them, and laid them each in the pack ‘n’ play.  Not 30 seconds after we crawled into bed, they were both crying!

I wasn’t very organized – I didn’t get extra outfits or blankets out of the bedroom before putting the kids to bed.  Nehemiah wet all over his stuff and we had to go rummaging to get him dry.  Liberty doesn’t like to be put down, so she was held constantly.  Grandma Hamilton is staying in our living room, but we didn’t take the air mattress out.  So between someone bouncing a baby, me feeding a baby, and Grandma trying to sleep, the couch was constantly full.

Then we add Elaine & Nolan – each up several times in the night because they are sick.  Grandma was a lifesaver and helped Elaine avoid a bed-wetting incident.  But we had to administer medicines and get the kids back to sleep several times.  Then Nolan woke up with a soaked bed & PJs.  I guess we succeeded in getting lots of fluids into them during the day!

Last night was much smoother, though not perfect.  Grandma got her own bed, though still in the living room with the crying babies.  I left out extra everything and set up a changing area in the living room.  We started bedtime earlier. 

I’m so thankful for the breast pump that was given to us, and that we found some tubing which would work for it.  I was able to leave a bottle for each baby while I got four hours of sleep.  Ben still struggled to keep Liberty quiet – she really likes to be held!

After I took over and gave another feeding, the twins settled down for the night and I had a couple more hours of sleep on the couch.  We are still working on getting their days and nights straight; then perhaps we can utilize the crib a little bit. 

We have already rearranged the kids’ bedroom to make it more conducive for four kids.  The crib was in the back of the room; now it is next to the door so that I have easy access to the babies in the night.  This actually makes the room seem bigger where the kids have a play area, so I think the arrangement will work well.

The twins do like being together.  Daddy is holding them just before leaving the hospital.

Home!  Liberty (left) and Nehemiah (right).