siblings

Anderson and Maeva got to hold their little brothers for the first time this weeekend.  Both kids were sick, so they never visited in the hospital.  So they met the babies when we came home on day 11.  And they held Lochlan and Ewan for the first time at 3 weeks old.  The babies just hit full term (37 weeks), and are at 6 pounds each now.  It has been a very different experience having such little babies born 6 weeks before their due date.  Especially compared to Miss Maeva at 9 lb. 9 oz.  and 5 days after her due date.  Even though they are a good size, their systems are immature, they are more at risk of getting sick and hospitalized if they do get sick, they have to be kept very warm because it burns too many calories for them to keep themselves warm (we had the fireplace blasting for this photoshoot, oh my, was I sweating), and their early days were so much about numbers, how many millilitres they consumed, how many grams they gained, how many minutes they breastfed. And they sleep lots, we've been told to expect them to pretty much sleep until their due date.  It helps to ease us in a little, having newborn twins hasn't been too chaotic...yet.

 

Things are getting a little closer to normal since their birth, they feed well on demand and I don't calculate and time feedings anymore.  I just keep track in my head, and they are pretty consistent with being hungry every 3-4 hours.  And I just keep an eye on the diapers, which are always full, so all systems are working well.  They still spend lots of time all bundled up and sleeping. There is lots of hand washing, and we are slowly having a few visitors as long as they are healthy.