Once again, catching up on these monthly update posts has me realizing what a difference a month or two makes in babies’ lives!! Oh my word. Looking back at these images brings back so many memories of tough nights (witching hours from 6pm until 1am some days!) and also James and I struggling with each other a bit as we figured out sleep issues for the boys and had honestly no one on one time together because one of us (or usually both of us) always needed to be on baby duty. I was reading books on sleep (Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy Baby (or the twin version in my case) – saved us!) and was trying to relay the information to James, who thought I was crazy (and usually still does). haha
I was getting little to no sleep and with the impending official start of wedding season just a couple weeks into May – I was desperate to figure something out so I could manage to function a bit better when work was into full swing. Bit by bit we figured things out – but honestly, none of it had to do with what we were doing (the book definitely helped), but most of all it just took a lot of patience as we waited for the boys’ schedules to naturally start to shift as they got older. I have to say – weeks 6 until 10 were probably the hardest in babyland, and around week 10 we turned a corner somehow, and then at 12 another big corner – and things just kept getting better. So if you are in the thick of it right now – hang in there and know this isn’t forever!! Your little one is growing and adjusting to this big scary world and they just need you to help them navigate the waters!
Anyway – I’m happy to say that May was a big shifting month for us and you can really see that when you look back through the photos! (It helped that the boys started to smile at us during this month too!!!!) Here’s a look back!
- Back when naps happened anywhere and everyone, however we could get them!
- Fussy babies at witching hour while James was out for a run, meant I had to double carry. I still do this a lot, but it is getting harder and harder as they get bigger!!! 🙁
- We got a baby monitor!! And our life changed forever!!! We could finally have them nap in another (quiet) space and get stuff done (in this case, laundry!). They slept better on their own somewhere quiet, and everyone was happier!
- Little Micah man, straight chillin’ in his crib. (This was before I realized he needed the full swaddle to sleep his best.)
- 8 weeks old!! Oh my gosh – they look soooo different, it’s crazy!
- We went to Iowa City for our first engagement session of the season and that meant I had to head out for a shoot at sunset while James was left to fend for himself with the boys during witching hours in a hotel room. Surprisingly enough to me – I came back from the shoot to find THIS! Two passed out babies!!! Go ahead, dad!
- My first Mother’s Day brought mixed emotions and a quiet day off social media for me. I did my best to honor all those women who have lost babies and who so badly are still longing for their own babies by cherishing every moment with mine.
- The boys were starting to smile more and more at this stage and so getting these looks on Mother’s Day morning from them was amazing!
- My mom and dad came down to celebrate with us and it was so wonderful to have them there! It was also the same day as James’ birthday and my mom brought the best brownies for it!!! YUM.
- Their 2 month check ups and they passed with flying colors!! I was so thankful they were growing on track with breast milk only and am so grateful my body continues to be responding well to it! They also got their first shots that we had to witness and lets just say …. Yes, I cried. I never thought I’d be “that mom” – but oh was I ever!! I just couldn’t handle their sad little faces looking at us like “why did you do that to me, mom?!”
- Shopping for a new dress for my new body for wedding season was no easy task. I tried on about a million and had to finally settle on one that was a little too tight on top and a little too big on the bottom. Such is the life of a breastfeeding mom, I suppose???
- 9 weeks old!! They’re so CHUBBY here!! They’ve really stretched out since then (and Gabe’s hair has gotten BIGGER) – so this is so crazy to look back on!
- Cuddling up on daddy.
- Gabe found his thumb for the first time when Lauren was visiting and then never did it again!
- I mean…. like father, like son? Seriously.
- This is the face of a baby who thinks it is funny he and his brother only let me sleep for 3 hours before a wedding day!
- My boys! My loves!
- The smiles just kept coming in May and it was THE. BEST. more and more every day!
1. Twin momming at its finest. Fussy time, i.e. 7pm-who knows when… wear one, carry one if you have to!
2. Smiling in his sleep and breaking my heart with the cute!
3. Gabe is just trying to take a selfie with me here when Micah decked him! hahaha
4. A cold snap in May had the boys all bundled up for a walk!
5. Back when Gabe used to still enjoy baths! I don’t know what changed but I have about 2 minutes to bathe him now before he has a meltdown. haha
6. My man Micah! My heart could burst when he looks at me like this!
- They started noticing each other more and more this month and it was so much fun! Poor Micah always seemed to be trying to get Gabe’s attention without any luck!
- Passed out on his brother and Micah looks like… “Don’t even think about coming near my brother while he’s sleeping!”
- Yes, we still have an awesome dog! 😉 Chloe is finding a bit of sunshine to relax for a minute amid the chaos.
- Listening intently to one of his dad’s many stories.
- Our 7th anniversary was spent lounging with these cuties and eating breakfast in bed!
- The boys have taken a love for being read to now and it’s so much fun! Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is an early favorite for sure!
- These two peanut heads.
- 11 weeks old and Micah took the opportunity to eat Gabe’s arm. haha
- Two takes on tummy time. Ha!
- The night before a wedding, and as usual – the boys decided to have a sleep strike. We were up all night with them screaming for no reason after a week of relatively good sleep. Finally we laid Gabriel on Chloe and he stopped yelling! Magic! Chloe is a baby whisperer!
- We forgave them for the lack of sleep before work and James cuddled Micah man as soon as we got home!
- Family came to visit!! Last time they saw the boys they were only a couple days old so it was awesome to have their cousins down for another visit!
- More fun with cousins!
- And more! Gabriel was totally intrigued by M! So sweet.
- James likes to say he’ll put the boys down for a nap, then I can’t find him and there he is sleeping with them in bed! (Or just Gabe in this instance, since the boys like to nap at not the same time just to keep life interesting!! haha)
- He can’t believe how berserk those hippos really go! hhahahaha
- Chloe thinks we lay these set ups out for her I’m pretty sure.
- We ended May on the final day of the month being the first night in 83 days where we sat together on the couch and just cuddled. Prior to that we were managing the boys during their newborn days around the clock – taking turns sleeping and eating… then as the weeks went on – teaming up during witching hour, which would eventually always end with me so exhausted that I’d go to sleep as soon as the boys finally went to sleep (or with me falling asleep with them on me because it’s the only way they would go to sleep), to suddenly one night – after trying for months to get into a bedtime routine – they actually went to bed together EARLY! They were asleep by 9pm and it was the strangest, most amazing thing. We just sat on the couch and sort of couldn’t believe it!! Definitely a wonderful end to a crazy beautiful month.
What a month!!! So much growth and change!! Recently James and I were just talking about how we don’t remember how we got out of those tough nights, but that suddenly we just realized they had passed. There was no fanfare or big to do… we just one day said, “Hey, remember when it used to be REALLY HARD every night and we were just managing meltdowns for hours and hours?” …. “Yeah… what happened to that? All of a sudden it is just gone.” In reality – it got better little by little each day, so much so that we didn’t even realize it was getting better usually. But then it was. Just better. So hang in there, loves! If you’re out there managing meltdowns or praying for an earlier bedtime – they’ll get there. You’ll make it. xoxo
