I keep getting the same questions from everybody, so I thought I'd just hit 'em all in one fell swoop. Here goes.
- Yes, we really will have three babies age 1 and under.
- Yes, if you have any extra Valium, please send it via overnight mail to my address.
- ;) Hee.
- No, I will not use cloth diapers. I gave up on those months ago, actually. They weren't my thing, and Posy seemed just as happy either way.
- Yes, we are going to keep homeschooling all of our big kids. Stop hyperventilating. It will be okay.
- No, I do not expect it to be easy. I'm pretty sure that God is lining up buckets of grace in Heaven and he's about to start dumping them all over us ad infinitum. I'm rather looking forward to it, actually. I like grace.
- No, I have no idea where everybody will sleep.
- Yes, I plan to wean Posy Pie at some point during the next three or four months. I like to nurse my babies for a good long time, so I'm sad about it, naturally. Pray for us.
- Yes, we will find out the gender of these babies, God willing. And yes, I will tell you as soon as we know.
- I'm due August 2nd, so that means these babies will likely be born sometime around the 4th of July. I am going to do everything possible to keep them in there as long as possible.
Twins! Oh my goodness! Double the baby love! I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. Just think of all the fun photography I can do with twins! I'm going to need a new lens. I'm going to need a new camera (hey, I didn't say I was rational). I'm going to have twin babies! This is going to be so fun! I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. We will have three babies age one and under. What is God thinking?! Posy will only be 16 months when these babies are born! I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. I am going to be as big as a house! Joy! I looooove being as big as a house! I'm going to get that giant belly I've always wanted! I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. I wonder if that big-as-a-house-belly will be as wonderful as I think? Or will it be agonizing to carry around? Who cares, right?! Twins! I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. Can you even imagine it! All those babies when I begged and begged for just one more! We are spoiled. Absolutely spoiled. I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. Why do I think St. Andrew is having a dance party in Heaven right now? Twins!--
You get the idea, right? :) It is tiring to have all those exclamation points dancing around in one's head, let me tell you.
I do hope to get back here soon and write, you know...a normal post. Like a daybook. Or a year in review. A Manual Mode Monday (I'm such a slacker!). Or a Read-Aloud Revival (oops! I forgot to run December's! We'll meet up on Saturday, Jan 26th, instead). It's just that I can't think about anything except TWINS, so I'm having a hard time focusing. Well, that and I'm in the first trimester which means I feel ick-ick-icky and sleep all the time. All worth it, though.
Hey- did I mention that we're having TWINS? :)
(Oh, right. Go ahead and cue those buckets, please, God.)
I begged and begged for more babies too, I got 3 in three years also but no twins - how exciting!!! I'm just thrilled for you!
ReplyDeleteOh my heart! I followed your latest BLOG post to your Nov. 2012 post. After reading what you wrote in that post, tears are streaming down my face. Your heartfelt prayer to offer to pray for others after receiving such a "beyond belief" answer to your own (hence, not one, but three miraculous new lives) just reminded me of how very much God loves us and wants to give good things to His children. I know I keep mentioning Ephesians 3:20 & 21, but I just can't help it. (This is from the Livng Bible paraphrase version): "Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us, is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of, inifinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes."
ReplyDeleteLove that verse, Mom. Thank you.
DeleteBless your heart, Sarah! Well...God did bless your heart didn't He :-)
ReplyDeleteEXHALE...slowly...it will all be lovely and fine and YAY! you are having twins. Twice the everything...twice the love, twice the smiles, twice the first times {two babies to love on at the same time}. What a wonderful Christmas blessing for you all. I am sure that St. Andrew is indeed doing a little dance of joy on your behalf ;) I too liked to nurse my babes for quite a while and it will be bittersweet for you to wean Posy, but, it will all be fine. And yes, you WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN and that will be fine too, because in the long run of being a momma it is all so worth it. Some of the best memories I have of my little ones are during the wee hours of the morning being up with them, loving on them, nursing them and just gushing over them.
Love that you had Posy on my littlest ones' birthday and found about you are having twins on my Mom's birthday :-)
Did I mention how very happy I am for you!!!
Thank you!!! :)
DeleteSo crazy exciting! I wish we could set up a little rotation during those first few months so that you could have an extra set of hands around when you need them! Thank God Prim is so helpful and that you're so organized...or at least will be ;) I know plenty of moms who have made it full term and past with twins. It's definitely not a given that you'll be early. Just make sure you're getting your at least 100 g of protein a day...tough but so so important! TWINS!!!! Still smiling goofily over here for you!
ReplyDeleteI have always been a bit afraid of the idea of twins yet at the same time intrigued, lol. You will do amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for you! My twins have been the most fun ever! Yes, the first 4 months or so were a blur of exhaustion and feedings and baby puke, but once we got out of that, it's been awesome. And mine were full term, which was crazy, cause I weighed barley 100lbs at the beginning of that pregnancy and my dr. was prepping me for a VERY early delivery - shocked the heck out of her when I made it to 37 weeks! Yes, I was enormous, and my tummy has never looked the same since, but hey, I got my boys and they are totally worth it!
ReplyDeleteNow get as much rest as you can, eat all the food you want (seriously, when I was preggers with the twins my husband chased me around with food ALL DAY.), but especially good fats and lots of protein!
Ha! Andy is already doing this with water. Every time I turn around I bump into him, and he's all "drink up!" Funny.
DeleteYou know, it occurred to me (some time around 2 AM that night) after reading a comment on your announcement post about how you were doubling the size of your family in less than 2 years... that we did the same thing! I guess I just never thought of it like that, but when our twins were born (at 35 weeks) I had 3 kids (ages 9, 6, and 2.5) and then 22 months later #6 was born! (The twins were 14 months old when I got pregnant again.) I think your #4 and #s 5 and 6 are going to be closer together, but it IS possible, and yes, they will all have a place to sleep, and eventually they *do* all grow up and start feeding themselves and sleeping all night long. Just get yourself a good triple stroller and be prepared for all the "Are they triplets?" questions, regardless of whether or not there are actual differences in size, etc.
ReplyDeleteI always tell people that I'm happy to have had my twins after I already had kids who could help me! I think you're ahead of the game since one of your girls already likes to bake for breakfast! Just focus on one step at a time and you'll do fine. It's only if you start thinking ahead that hyperventilation becomes a problem. ;-)
Awesome! I thought if you right away when I was thinking of who to ask about twins. :) my big kids are all ecstatic-they'll be lots of help, for sure.
DeleteAngel and Sarah.. i'm right there with you!! My 3rd was 16 months when my twins were born too... everyone thought we were crazy, but it was a gift from God to help us to live ONE moment at a time, literally. My mantra at that time was to never worry about anything that would happen after my next sleep. because even after a ten min snooze you get a little better perspective. when the twins were born, my oldest was 5, and we had 5 kids five and under (and were starting my first year of homeschooling grade one!). It was a crazy year.. lots of nursing on the couch (so much easier and faster if you nurse them both at the same time)... but somehow we got through it, all the kids got bigger and smarter and more helpful, and I even went on to have two more babies after twins. Now we have seven and are open to more.
DeleteMy hubby and I got along with each other so well those first few years always telling each other to 'change your expectations' about how things should go. For example, we lived 5 min from church but changed our expectations that it would only take a few min to get there (so we left an hour early for everything and were rarely stressed...).
I loved following Angelas blog when my twins were little, as her boys were just a bit older than mine and I could watch and laugh at how crazy our lives were :-)
This is just too fun;) You are in for such a treat! I agree that the first 4 months are the hardest. I don't think I went anywhere except walks to Starbucks with my hubby-- two adults, two babies, two baby carriers, two little-itty bitty snuggly hats popping out the tops of those carriers...and of course two venti coffees!:) I have extemely find memories of those earliest days and weeks and figuring it all out with my husband, both of us just scratching our heads the whole time.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioning the nursing made me smile and remember when my third was born, the twins were 24 mos (they're 8 now) and still nursing pretty much whenever they could get an open spot. When their little sister was born, I looked at her and looked at myself said to all three "okay, no. I've got two and there's three of you. " They were weaned within a month! Something- or someone's- gotta give!
You're gonna love it, Sarah. Doubly so.
Okay "fond", not find. So very fond:)
DeleteYou made me laugh out loud. I thought about creating a number system for nursing three (you know... "Take a number!" But alas I came to your same conclusion about the...um... Supply and demand. :)
DeleteI definitely think next year will be a year where we don't go anywhere!
Just fell out of my chair and then got back in to type my EXTREME JOY for you. And you will sleep again. I promise!
ReplyDeleteYou are so unbelievably blessed! I have 4 children. 14, 13, 10 and 10. Our oldest daughter has a disability and after the twins the WHOLE world told us to be done. And we listened. (Insert sad face here)
ReplyDeleteI would do anything to take it back. After years of prayer, my husband agreed that we needed to get back to where God wanted us. So after almost 10 years he had a reversal. I have begged and begged for "one more". So far, nothing. I pray everyday that God will bless us again but even if he doesn't, I will love every second of enjoying your journey through your blog. :)
By the way, you will be fine. More than fine. When my twins were born I had a 3 year old and a 4 year old. Since my oldest is disabled it was as if I had triplets. I still started preschool with the older 2. God has a funny way of helping those that ask. I joke that when I asked for patience, he gave me twins. I couldn't imagine it any other way!
Okay dear, I need your email address. Can you send it to me? Amongstlovelythings@gmail.com
DeleteLove, Sarah
My email is blessingswith4@aol.com. :)
DeleteCongratulations Sarah!!! So happy for you all!
ReplyDeleteSt Andrew is certainly dancing around in pure joy :)
Keep nursing as long as you are feeling good. I had a four yr old and 2yr old when I had twins and the two year helped keep up my supply when they we in the nicu. They were term but had some congenital issues. You will be fine and rest during your second trimester, it will keep you out of pre term labor. I found out at 24 weeks...stunned, thrilled, shocked etc.!! Twins are awesome!!
ReplyDeleteKeep nursing as long as you are feeling good. I had a four yr old and 2yr old when I had twins and the two year helped keep up my supply when they we in the nicu. They were term but had some congenital issues. You will be fine and rest during your second trimester, it will keep you out of pre term labor. I found out at 24 weeks...stunned, thrilled, shocked etc.!! Twins are awesome!!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! I am a fellow homeschooling mother across the globe who enjoys reading your blog (and admiring your beautiful photography), and I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS! I am pregnant with our fourth boy, due in April, and here's a confession: When I saw you're having twins, my first two instant reactions were, "Twins - how exciting!" and "Twins - Thank God it's not me!" I look forward to following your adventure, and am so happy for you! I will pray for you and those buckets, too :)
ReplyDeleteWow! I took you up on the whole St. Andrew novena and I REALLY hope (and still pray) that it turns out half as well...seems to be a pretty powerful thing :) How in the world are you able to get so many people to feel like your friend when we haven't even met you! Good luck with everything and I look forward to hearing more!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! I'll start praying sleep prayers now. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Better Than Eden- wish there was some way we could help during the waiting and after the babies arrive. I am so thrilled for you all! So much happiness! Thanks for taking us along. Sheryl in PO
ReplyDeleteI had twins a year ago, with a two year old in tow. It's crazy and awesome. You really are not in control, but it all works out. It's getting to be another level of crazy with everyone walking and climbing. I wish I could have had my twins after you, so I could see how well it could be done!
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteTwins!
I just keep thinking this is so very cool! We have 8 ages 10 and under and there are " moments' that are crazy. But they are just moments. We teach the kids to recognize them as just that and we all have a good laugh together. Be real. Give it all to God. There is a reason he has blessed and entrusted you with such treasures. Embrace the formation and give glory to God.
I am so thrilled for you.
MB
I'm not hyperventilating at all. I have every confidence that you and Andy will do whatever you want, in exactly the way you want to. No doubts whatsoever. xo
ReplyDeleteWe have twins, they turn 10 today at 6:24pm and 6:32pm EST. They are our last two. After two daughters, the twins brought a boy and another girl. Oh that boy, lol. He necessitated the extra bedroom, so we had to not only get a bigger car but also a bigger house. The first two months were incredibly rough, but as the night times settled and sleep returned it got easier and easier. When they were between 1 and 2 1/2 years old, trips to the grocery store were exercises in herding bunnies, lol. Good times. Actually, my heart is achy today b/c they are a decade old. I tried my best to enjoy my children at all their ages, it just seems to be flying by now. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteGosh, when I started reading your blog you had 3 children, now you have 6!!! I can't wrap my mind around it yet, this should be fun :)
ReplyDeleteLol, I can't either! ;)
DeleteNew to your blog and so excited to hear your great news!!! I always go into my ultrasounds like "Just please say there's only one!" but think twins are the coolest when other people have them. I'm a new follower and can't wait to start reading through lots of awesome posts here. HUGS!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your twins! In college I worked as a nanny for a mom of twins - just two afternoons a week so she could run errands, grocery shop, and go to the gym without two in tow. They were so much fun, but they really kept me on my toes. They were toddlers and would often run in opposite directions. You are so blessed to have three older kids to help out with your three little ones. You all are going to make some great memories!
ReplyDeleteGosh I love how everybody assumes (tries to convince you) that as soon as things get tough or busy or there is a major change in your family that the children should go to school. So much easier to continue on with what you all know even though it will look different with babies around. And who would want to miss out on one minute with those babies?? You are all going to have so much fun! Will be praying for your all
ReplyDeleteSarah: You and your St. Andrew's Novena blessings have built my faith so much. You are such a blessing. And don't worry about anything: where God guides, He provides :-)
ReplyDeleteCongrats!!
Oh Sarah, I can cry I am so happy for you. My twins are number 3 and 4, and they are 5 now. We are waiting for our next baby (nothing yet, but I have peace that these things are not in our hands). The best thing about the birth was that I was so huge and uncomfortable just before they were born (I carried them for 39.5 weeks), that finally having them in my arms trumped any hardship associated with two babies:) I kept on walking through narrow spaces after they were out, just to rejoice in the fact that I could! I nursed them for 17 months, it was wonderful. I look forward to following your journey here, and the pictures, all the lovely pictures...
ReplyDeleteEmma
I have 3 yr old twin boys who are numbers 8 and 9, I have homeschooled all mine, they never went to school. I kept homeschooling after the twins were born. It hasnt been easy and I havent done things well, but I have learned a few things that might help.
ReplyDelete#1 Eat loads of protien. I saw on line that you will need 3x the protien of a 200lb man during pregnancy and 4x as much during lactation. If all you eat is protien that is better than not enough.
#2 (this one I really messed up) buy or use a pump and let others feed the babies sometimes. I always breast feed till at least 2 and had enough milk so I didnt think I needed a pump:result they only let me hold them after a while (UGH) I should have at least been handing them off more than I did. One of my boys weighed 25 lbs at 8 months and I carried them BOTH all the time.
#3 you will get and read a lot of advice, if you are doing something that works, dont let people talk you out if it :)
#4 take breaks, twins is exhausting work. So do something just for you as often as you can.
#5 hug your big kids tell them you love them and not just the help they are giving you!
We are doing a gluten free milk free diet for one of our twins...what do you feed gf toddlers???
Thank you for this, Julie!
DeleteI don't know what to feed GF toddlers. ;) Mine were a bit older when we discovered our whole-family gluten-intolerance. I'm thinking it's going to be tricky at snacktimes!
Off the cuff thoughts: yogurt, cut up cheese, Annie's GF bunny cookies, fruit, veggies, dried fruits, GF granola bars (we like Bakery on Main brand), cottage cheese, Glutino crackers spread with PB or cream cheese... I'm sure there's lots more. I'm going to need to start brainstorming, too. GF in toddlerhood is going to be a trick, I bet.
You are the most amazing woman ever. Thank you for putting your thoughts into words =)
ReplyDelete