You Can't Scare Me. I Have Twins.

Having survived the first 5 years with twins, I am often asked for advice by expectant mothers of twins.  Here's my best advice for expectant mothers of twins.  Parenting is such a personal thing and there are so many ways to do it.  This is what worked for me and my family.  I have no problem with other Moms doing something totally different.  I'm ok with other people disagreeing with my methods.  Just offering this to anyone who wants it.  Take what you like, leave what you don't:  

Congratulations!  It's not going to be a piece of cake but having twins is really fun.  So many sweet/precious experiences are in your future that only come with twins.  Here are my thoughts for you.  I hope it helps.  I read a lot of books on twins but there wasn’t one that stuck out to me.  I learned many valuable things from all of them.  I suggest checking out whatever you can find from the library.  Following is everything I could think of that I learned from my experience.  Feel free to keep asking me questions via comments.

1.  Take a deep breath and accept that yes, twins will turn your life upside down for a while but it's totally doable and you will love it.  If you prepare mentally/emotionally to have it kind of dominate your life for a little while, that's half the battle.  I have a friend with triplets who said that it got dramatically easier every 6 months.  She was so right.  Try to think in terms of how to enjoy and survive the first 6 months for now and know that every 6 months things will get dramatically easier.  I think by the time my twins were 3, it really wasn't much different than just having multiple children of different ages.  If you have other children, that is going to be a real help in so many ways.  Everyone I know with twins has some circumstance that made their situation even more complicated in the beginning and they all survived wonderfully.  For example, my twins were born at 25 weeks in another state and were in the NICU for 3 months.  We could hardly take them anywhere for the first 8 months.  Then, when they were 10 months old, I got sick went to the hospital for 5 weeks and had brain surgery.  We are all totally fine now and we have many happy memories from that first year despite the challenges.  A friend of mine had her twins when her other 3 children were 5, 4, and 2.  She had 5 kids 5 and under for that first year.  Her twins are 1.5 now and she's doing great.  Don't worry if you are in a similar situation.  You can totally manage it. Really.

2.  Start thinking now about how much you can clear from your schedule for the first 6-12 months after they are born.  You might need to start this a month or two before they are born.  Twins tend to come early and there is a good chance you'll go on bed rest.  In the beginning everything is so much easier at home.  I'm not saying you have to become a hermit.  Going out can be really fun but trying to get places on time and do things that aren't baby friendly will be tough that first year and limiting it as much as possible will make life simpler for you.  If you have lessons or activities your other children need to get to, consider trading rides for them for watching other kids at your house.  Maybe not when your twins are newborns, but as soon as they are on some kind of schedule, watching other kids at your house could be a lot easier than piling everyone in the car to drive someone somewhere.  As often as possible, plan outings when your husband can go with you.  Consider doing most errands on your own when your husband can watch the kids.

3.  Get an Amazon.com Prime membership.  I have learned that Amazon will ship you almost anything and most of it for a really great price.  A Prime membership is I think $75/year and gets you free 2-day shipping on most of what they sell.  I bought/still buy most of my toiletries, laundry detergent, diapers, presents for bday parties, baby showers, Christmas, office and school supplies etc. on Amazon.  I homeschool my kids and teach classes in a co-op and every week I get most of my supplies for class from Amazon too.  Things you use regularly like diapers you can set up a "subscription" for and they will come every month or every other month or whatever frequency you like without you having to do anything.  You save money on subscriptions too.  It's called the subscribe-and-save program.  Seriously, Amazon has been one of my hugest secret weapons.  It has eliminated so many errands and shopping trips from my schedule and it saves me money. 

4.  Start preparing and storing freezer meals.  If you don’t have a large extra freezer, consider getting one.  In the beginning, especially the first month, you will spend almost all your time feeding and caring for your newborns.  I’m certain you will have plenty of people bringing you meals but when that ends, it is nice if you have the means to, easily, and healthily feed your family.  It always makes me feel happier and like a good wife/mother when I can feed my family healthy, yummy food.  Freezer Meals are the best way I know how to do this.  Most of the things you already make can probably be made into freezer meals.  Some things can be pre-cooked  then frozen in gallon Ziplocs to be reheated in a crockpock after defrosting in the fridge for 24 hours, some can be assembled and ready-to-bake in a disposable foil container after defrosting for 24 hours.  Search the web for freezer meals – tons of ideas out there.  You’ll get lots of great recipes from friends too if you start asking.  If you can have a month’s worth of meals ready to go in your freezer before your twins are born, that will be a huge help to you.  It’ll take practice to remember to defrost them a day ahead of time in the fridge so they are ready to reheat or bake but this takes 5 minutes and it’s not a hard habit to get into.  Also consider having 1 night a week when your husband cooks dinner and 1 night when you get Subway, takeout, already roasted chicken from the grocery store or something else like that instead of cooking.  If you know you can plan on those 2 nights during the week, it will ease some stress and give you a little break 2 nights/week.

5.  As quickly as possible get the babies on a schedule.  I don’t know what your experience with other children as babies has been like but I know a lot of people struggle with the idea of getting a baby on a schedule.  With twins, it isn’t an option to not have them on one.  Hospitals are experts at this.  You will be an expert on it soon:).  Basically you need to feed them, play with them, put them to sleep, let them sleep, and change their diapers every 3-4 hours.  My favorite book for helping me get my babies on a schedule is The Baby Whisperer.  But don’t be afraid to disagree with her or ignore anything that doesn’t feel right for you.  I didn’t like her twin schedule personally but I loved what she taught me about sleep training.  Another book I’ve liked is The Happiest Baby on the Block. Read them now while you can.  You won't have time or mental capacity after your babies are born.

Depending on whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, that will significantly influence your schedule.  I breastfed my twins for the first 10 months.  You have to decide first if you want to have your twins on the same schedule or slightly staggered.  There are pros and cons to both.  If you want them on the same schedule, I recommend using Podee Bottles for one twin every feeding, switching who has the Podee and who has you every feeding.  Here’s a picture.  A Podee bottle allows an infant to kinda feed themselves.  You put them in their car seat, put the bottle between their legs and the bottle nipple is kinda like a pacifier with a straw connecting it to the bottle.  You can put the nipple in their mouth and they suck on it.  Whenever it falls out, you put it back in their mouth, just like a paci – very easy.  This allows you to give most of your attention to one twin every feeding.  Initially I nursed my twins one-at-a-time, back-to-back.  That meant I was feeding them 16 hours a day in the beginning.  My situation was complicated because I adopted my twins and I was using an SNS system to supplement.  Even if you fed yours one-at-a-time, back to back it wouldn’t take that much time.  After 3 months I switched to tandem nursing.  Some Moms really love tandem nursing.  We had some sweet moments with this but most of the time it was a 3-way wrestling match and after 3 months, my nipples were so sore I had to stop.  You might be able to make it work – you probably won’t be contending with the SNS.  It does cut feeding time in half and allows your babies to be on the same schedule so you get more time when they sleep.  When my babies were 6 months old, I discovered Podee bottles and started using them. It allowed me to keep them on the same schedule, keep feedings to 6 hours a day instead of 12, and feeding one twin at a time allowed me to really bond with the one I was feeding and have a pleasant nursing experience.  I switched who I fed vs. who got the Podee every feeding so they both got half their feedings with my undivided attention every day. 

For sleeping, I highly recommend swaddle blankets like these.

Babies sleep so much better all swaddled up, even in summer, and they can’t unwrap these blankets.  Twins often do better sleeping next to each other in the same bed but if they aren’t swaddled good, they can disturb each other.  They eventually become immune to each other’s noises and crying.  My twins shared a room till they were 5 and very rarely woke each other up, even when one was crying really loudly.  They learned to tune each other out. 

I don’t know what your experience with sleep training babies is but it is critical with twins.  It just isn’t possible to rock-to-sleep or hold two babies while they sleep at once.  One option that could work if sleep training seems too daunting is get two swings and let them fall asleep in there.  I have a friend whose first baby slept in a swing for the first 6 months.  Totally doable.

6.  Say yes to any and all offers of help.  People are probably so excited for you and most people recognize what an overwhelming thing having twins is.  They will offer you lots of help.  Say yes.  You will need it.  You will pay it forward in the future.   Whatever they offer to do for you, if it seems helpful, say yes.  If they give a vague offer or ask what they can do, tell them you can use meals, rides for your older kids, or a couple hours to do errands or take a nap.   Ask anyone who offers to bring a meal to you to bring it in disposable containers – you won’t have time to wash, keep track of, and return people’s dishes and pans. 

7.  Figure out your strategy for going out with all your kids.   You need to figure out your diaper bag and your stroller/carrier plan.   I recommend a backpack for your diaper bag.  It holds so much more than a regular diaper bag and you need double the space with twins (two changes of clothes, double the diapers, two blankets, burb cloths, bottle, snacks etc.). Also it allows you to have both your hands free.  My twins are 5 and I’m still using my backpack whenever I go out with my kids.  You’ll need to decide how you want to convey your babies once out of the car.  In the beginning a double stroller that holds two carseats is very convenient.  Makes getting the babies in and out of the car quick and easy.  But, the stroller is enormous and unwieldy.  It took up almost my whole trunk and forget keeping it in the house.  And you can’t use it for grocery shopping, Costco, or other shopping trips where you need a lot of space in a shopping cart.  Even if you limit your errand outings with kids, there will be times you need to take everyone to the store.  When my twins were about a year old I discovered the Boba Carrier.  If I were to do it all over again, I’d use a Boba and a regular stroller right from the beginning.  With the Boba I could wear one twin and put the other in a single stroller or shopping cart.  So much easier to get around.  If you already have a stroller you wouldn’t have to buy a new stroller. If you have a toddler in addition to your coming twins, a Sit and Stand stroller plus a Boba could work really well for you.  You could wear one infant, put the other in their carseat in the stroller and have your toddler sit or stand in the stroller too.  When you go to the grocery store or somewhere with a cart, you wear one infant and the other can go in the shopping cart.  A lot of places have carts that will hold both your infant and a toddler.  Boba's are expensive yes, but worth every penny.  If you aren’t buying a new stroller it makes it easier to afford one of these.  Such a lovely way to carry an infant and I can still fit my twins (one at a time) in my Boba now.  Obviously a 5-year-old can walk on their own so I don’t use it anymore.  But I did regularly until they were about 4. We actually had two so my husband and I could carry them both when we all went out.  It’s nice not to deal with a stroller in some settings like a busy city or an event with large crowds. You can buy one from amazon here and from the boba website here.

8.  Plan now for how to refill your mental/emotional tank every week.  This is going to be an amazing and wonderful experience.  But, it will test your limits and take a lot out of you.  If you can figure out a plan for regular dates with your husband and regular times for you to run errands or take a nap or do something else for yourself, you can avoid breakdowns and running yourself ragged.  For dates, I recommend securing a babysitter for a regular weekly evening.  For you time, you could schedule an evening or time on Saturdays when your husband will watch the kids so you can do something for you.  You could also do a babysitting trade with a friend or pay a babysitter once/week so you can have you time.  My twins were on a pretty good schedule with 3 naps a day by the time they were 4 months old.  By the time they were a year old, my twins took one 3 hour nap, every day.   My oldest daughter was really good at staying quietly in her room during nap-time.  Having nap-time every day, all to myself, was my saving grace.  I couldn’t go anywhere but I could nap, read, get stuff done or whatever I needed and it kept me sane.  When my twins outgrew their naps at age 4, I started to lose it.  That’s when I started paying a babysitter to watch them one afternoon a week.  Still doing it.   The best way I know of to be a great wife and mother is to take care of my basic needs.  When I do that, I have a lot more to give my family. 

9.  Get whatever support you need.  It will be important for you to have other women you can talk to as you go through this experience.  Some women really love being part of a Moms-of-Multiples group.  They are everywhere. For me talking to my sisters and friends on the phone worked well.  Make sure you have some women you can vent to, problem solve with, and get emotional support from.   I have struggled with both anxiety and depression in the last several years.  I have found a wonderful counselor who has helped me manage both really well.  If you need help from a professional, get it. 

10.  Along with simplifying your schedule, put any major projects on hold for 6-12 months.  If at all possible, don’t try to potty train anyone, move, start a new exercise routine, or make any major changes to your life until your twins are 6-12 months old.  This might not be possible but do what you can to limit additional stress.  You’ll be able to handle whatever you have to but simplify what you can.  The one exception is my next point.

11.  If you have other children, start now to prep them to help with work.    My oldest was 5 when my twins were born.  She was and remains a HUGE help to me.  I don’t know what you and your kids are used to now so forgive me if I’m preaching to the choir.  But, kids are capable of a lot of work and you will need all hands on deck.  Even a 2 yr old can help with some work. If I were you, I’d focus a lot of energy now and until the twins are born on helping your kids learn to do chores and get used to a schedule of personal chores and family work so that when the babies arrive, things will keep humming along.  Depending on how many kids you have, you may be able to teach your kids to do the majority of the basic family work so that you are free to take care of the twins.  I’d focus on helping them learn to do their personal chores (make beds, clean their rooms, get dressed, put clothes away, brush teeth etc.); learn to help with laundry (sorting, washing, and folding); dishes /kitchen (loading and unloading the dishwasher, clearing the table, rinsing dishes, washing tables, and counters, sweeping or swiffering the floor); and bathroom (the mirror, sink, toilet, bathtub, and floor).  I use baking soda to clean my bathtub so it’s not toxic for a child to clean.  I do recommend gloves so their hands don’t get scratched.  It would also be nice if they knew how to do some basic food prep like microwave instant oatmeal, make PBJ sandwiches, peel and section Clementines or bananas, etc.  There may be meals when you need to rely on their ability to prep food for everyone. 

12.  Come to terms with the idea that someone will have to cry often.  With twins it is impossible to see to all of their needs immediately. Very often, one twin will be crying while you are helping the other one.  If you have other children, even more likely.  This is not a problem.  No baby or child ever died of crying.  All twins experience this and I don’t know of any of them suffering lasting damage because of it.  I actually find that twins and triplets seem to have a little more patience than other children because they are used to waiting their turn for Mom's attention.  If you already have other children, you probably already get this idea. 

13. Get Ready for lots of comments and questions.    I don’t know what it is but when people hear about or see your twins, a lot of them are going to start asking all sorts of bizarre questions and making strange comments.  Learn to laugh at it and respond appropriately.  You don’t owe anyone explanations and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of your situation.  This video is hilarious and so true to my experience.  I’ve had almost all of these things asked of me/said to me.  I get even more fun stuff because my kids were all adopted and my twins are African-American while me, my husband, and my oldest are all Caucasian. 

14.  When at your wits end, just hang on.  I’m not going to lie, there were a few moments in that first year when I wasn’t sure how I’d make it another hour, let alone another day, week, or month.  But they were moments.  They passed.  When you feel like you are at your wits end, just hang on by your fingernails.  It will get better.  You will sleep again.  You will feel human again.  You will feel really happy and wonderful again.  All you have to do is keep you and your children alive, fed, maybe dressed.  Everything else is a bonus. 

15.  Enjoy this unique and precious experience.    As a mother of twins you will get to experience some amazing things very few other people do.  Most twins have an amazing bond.  I remember seeing my twins asleep in the same crib with one of their heads on the other’s tummy and arms wrapped around each other.  This still happens on occasion - on vacation last summer they fell asleep in a hotel bed wrapped up together. My little girl is brave and bold.  My son is cautious and shy.  My twins always have each other in almost any new situation.  It is so cute to see them holding hands when they go into any new situation together.  They always prefer having the other one with them – they are each other’s security blankets.  I’ll always remember how cute it was when they started crawling, watching two little bums wiggling down the hallway side-by-side.  I’ll never forget when they both started learning to say the work “fork” and practicing at the dinner table.  With twins the cuteness is more than doubled, it is exponential.  Dressing them is sooooo fun.  It might be my favorite hobby.  It is really nice to have two babies to go around.  My oldest was so excited to finally have siblings.  When they came home from the hospital, she told me, “Mom, you get the boy, and I get the girl.”  When grandparents, aunts, and uncles, are around, it’s nice to have two babies to pass around.  There will always be people dying to hold your babies.  If you feel comfortable, let them.  I love being a Mom and there is nothing like the feeling of having both my twins in my arms at the same time.  It is getting difficult to fit them both in my lap now but I so loved it while they were little.  As they get older it is so nice that they always have a playmate.  Now that my twins are 5, they really do need less of my attention than they would if there were only 1 of them.  They fight like any siblings but they also play really well together. 

Congratulations!  I’m so happy for you.  This is going to be a wonderful experience.  It’s normal to be worried but you are in for some great times.  Please do follow up with any questions you have. 

Good Luck!

Jennifer

Information, Perspiration, and Inspiration

I think successful parenting takes a lot of information, perspiration, and inspiration. 

My twins, now 21 months old (yikes!), were born 4 months early at 25 weeks gestation and each weighed about 1lb. 5 oz. at birth.  They are some of the smallest born babies to have ever survived such a rocky beginning.  As such, they were invited by the hospital where they were born to participate in a National Health study on very-low-birth-weight babies.  The tricky part is, they were born in Utah and we live in Washington.  The hospital said the study involved an evaluation a few months before or after the twins were 18 months old, adjusted age.  I told them if we were somehow magically in Utah during that window, we would participate.

Well it just so happens we were.  So last week we took a break from our family vacation and went to Salt Lake City to have the twins tested as part of the study.  We owe the Universe for how miraculously our babies have recovered from their early health challenges and we know they have benefited from all the research and work that has been done in the past.  We hope our participation may help other babies in the future. 

A bonus for us was hearing what the Drs had to say about how the twins are doing now and what the future looks like for them.  The twins were a month old when we found out about them and were chosen to adopt them by their birth-mother.  So, we missed the really scary first days and weeks.  They spent the first month on ventilators and struggled to gain a few grams of weight.  When we met them, they were still each under 2 lbs, on oxygen, and very fragile.  Here’s a separate blog with pics and all the details of their NICU stay:  www.jarrettfamilyadventure.blogspot.com.

Liam had a few additional problems: a little hole in his heart (PDA) that hadn’t closed yet, urinary reflux, and he had suffered severe brain bleeds on both sides of his head.  We were told he was at serious risk for developing cerebral palsy due to the brain bleeds.  Both kids would have delayed development and be at risk for cerebral palsy and learning disabilities. 

We studied about all the ways to address these issues, prayed a lot, were blessed with very talented specialists and hoped the twins would escape early death and maybe even severe developmental deficiencies. We had no idea just how miraculous their recovery would be. 

Liam’s PDA is almost gone now, so small it’s not really of concern, his urinary reflux is gone, and his brain appears to have recovered almost completely from the bleeds.  The study evaluated their cognitive, fine motor, and large motor ability.  Chloe is 100% caught up to her real age of 21 months in every area!  Liam has caught up to his real age in cognitive and fine motor.  He is behind his adjusted age 3 months in large motor.  The Dr. said this large gap between Liam’s understanding of what he should do with his body and what he can make it do, like when playing with a toy, causes immense frustration.  We have certainly observed this.  Liam will get frustrated and fight with a toy for an hour sometimes.  The Dr. who evaluated the twins said he was amazed at how well both are doing, but especially Liam.  He said he fully expects Liam’s large motor development to catch up and doesn’t expect him to have any problems in the future. 

AMAZING! 

He also commented that if we had not provided the right kind of stimulation and environment for the twins, their brains could easily have turned to mush – scary.  This comment really had me reviewing the past and thinking about the stimulation and environment we’ve given them.  There’s one thing I keep coming back to.  This spring I listened to a TJED Forum lecture by Keri Tibbetts called A Journey through Core Phase.  I blogged about my response to this lecture here. 

Based on what I learned from her, I decided to get rid of the majority of the twins toys, especially battery toys.  I had mixed feelings at the time.  I wrote:  “I guess I'm struggling right now with the fact that my little boy LOVES toys with music, sounds, and lights.  I do see though that by playing with these he uses no creativity and does no work, just gets entertained.  I don't want to stifle his natural ability and desire to think and play creatively.” 

I have a new perspective on this now.  I think Liam loves toys with buttons, lights, and sounds so much because they are easy.  It is so hard for him to play with “plain and lifeless toys.”  It’s a lot easier to push a button and let the toy do all the work.  I’m sure I’d feel the same if I were in his shoes.  But, having those “easy” toys around eliminates Liam’s motivation to wrestle with the toys that make him do the work.  Working at it and giving his body a chance to learn and develop is what he needs most.  I am SOOOOO grateful I was inspired by that lecture to get rid of the battery toys.  I think they would have damaged or at least slowed Liam’s brain and development if I’d continued to let him play with them. 

From my own faith-based perspective, I see God’s hand in this as well.  We are so blessed.  To all you mothers out there who are trying to do what’s best for your kids: I know you are seeking good information and sweating like crazy as you raise and care for them.  Don’t forget to listen to the inspiration you receive.  Do what you think is right even if you don’t totally understand it.   There is someone out there who knows more than you and cares deeply about your children.

Day at Greenlake

We went with our homeschool group, Little Acorns, to Greenlake today.  We're having very weird weather in the Seattle area this year.  It's Feb 19 and there were crocuses and daffodils in bloom at Greenlake today.  It was cold enough to want a jacket but the sun was bright, the sky was clear, and we got lots of vitamin D.  It was beautiful.  Chloe and Liam crawled on grass, ate dead leaves, and swung in a swing for the first time today.  We will definitely go back soon.

Pictures of the Kids

Chloe loves to kiss Liam.  He seems to like being kissed.Belle loves to read and color in "Mommy's Chair"

I love Chloe's profile.

We use gates often to keep the twins out of the kitchen.  This is what Chloe thinks of gates.Isabel likes to put Chloe in tiny spaces to see if she will fit.  Yep, Chloe fits in a small plastic bin, with some toys.  Isn't that cute they way Liam is reaching for Chloe?I guess we misjudged his intentions.  Wollops aren't so cute.Finally put the dollhouse together that Isabel got from Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas, a year ago.  Forgive us, we had a busy year ;)  Thankfully Isabel did.  She was very patient.

Reading with Boys and Girls

It is so fun and interesting to watch boy girl twins develop along side each other. They are so different right from the start. My twins are 14 months old but if you adjust their age for their early birth they are only 10 months old. Developmentally they are probably somewhere in between 10 and 14 months.

I've been excited to mentor Chloe and Liam through core phase and watching for when they'd be ready to enjoy books with our family. We have a very strong culture of reading. Bookshelves stuffed with books are in every room of our home. We don't have a TV in our living/family room so there is nothing to do in there but talk or play with others, or read. I find Isabel at various times and places throughout the day curled up with a picture book or trying hard to read a few words in a chapter book. Whenever I'm not taking care of basic care and feeding of my family I'm reading to myself or with someone else, most often Isabel. So the twins have grown up seeing that reading is what people do.

We have a shelf of much-loved board books that the twins know they can play with. They've recently seemed to be bored with these and have been very persistently exploring the other shelves in there reach where picture books and chapter books live. Now that they can pull to standing, there universe has grown dramatically. My first inclination was to protect the books from the twins. Both of them like to tear and chew paper. But I've noticed that often, if I will just take whatever book they have and show it to them, slowly turning the pages, describing the pictures, and letting them feel the pages, that will satisfy their curiosity. I've tried to remember when I started reading picture books to Isabel and I can't. I know I read a few of them to her when she was as young as 6 months old. I don't know how old she was when she started bringing them to me to read. I just know we've read hundreds and hundreds of picture books.

Today instead of redirecting Chloe from the picture book she was exploring I sat her in my lap and read it to her. She was so happy. She reached out to touch a page occasionally but otherwise she was perfectly still in my lap and seemed very interested in what I was reading. Liam on the other hand, was initially interested and sat down with us but within 2 pages he was crawling back to the forbidden bookshelves trying to take down a book and "play" (in the roughest sense of the word) with it. This including shaking the book, trying to bend and tear pages, and mouthing it. I took the book away from him and tried to engage him in listening to the book I was reading to Chloe but of course, he just fought his way back to the forbidden bookshelf. Soon after, Isabel came to the room with an overstuffed toy animal, bigger than the twins, that we call "fat lamby" and when Liam saw it he begged Isabel to let him play with it (Liam doesn't say a whole lot but he can do really compelling puppy dog eyes and combined with some vigorous bouncing and whining it's not hard to figure out what he wants). She consented and Liam began wrestling with "fat lamby", one of our family's favorite things to watch. Chloe continued to sit with me while I read 5 books and then she decided to go play.

I have friends with boys and I've read a lot of things about the differences in the way they play and learn so I wasn't surprised by this morning's experience but it was fascinating to see it play out with my own kids. I know many of Isabel's friends that are boys spend far more time playing with blocks and legos than reading and she wants to spend at least half her day being read to. I won't be surprised if I see something similar with Chloe and Liam.

Christmas 2009

We had a really great Christmas season this year. The calm, peaceful, quiet experience was such a contrast to last year's crazy adventure. The twins have added so much to our joy. We've spent a lot of quiet evenings at home all together reading Christmas stories, singing carols, and dancing to Christmas music. We celebrate Christmas Eve with an enchilada dinner and a family performance of the nativity. Sadly, Kelly was sick with food poisoning all day on Christmas Eve but by Christmas morning was much better. We've saved him some enchiladas for later.

This year's nativity was one of the cutest things I've ever seen. I'll put a clip from it on here so you can see who I think are the most adorable Mary, Joseph, and Angel ever cast in a nativity. The camera man was queasy-sorry if his filming makes you feel the same. The donkey was a little sheepish about being filmed but it was necessary.

Christmas morning was a joy. The twins couldn't believe it when we handed them presents and encouraged them to tear open the wrapping paper. We've been shooing them away from the tree and presents all month. They were happy to get gifts but really wished we'd just let them eat the paper. All the Christmas morning pics are on Kelly's camera. I'll try to get them uploaded soon.