One Week Old!!

The girls are a week old. What a week it has been too. Everyday we learn something else about them, see another side of their personality, and get to know our little babies a little more.

Rowan is now jaundice-free. We went back to the pediatrician yesterday and it appears the Billy-blanket worked. Her skin is nice and pink and her weight is 5 lbs 10 oz. She actually gained 5 oz in a day. Those formula lattes are so fattening. You can really tell the difference in her already. She's a lot more active. She's strong for such a little baby and can almost turn over completely. She's very good about lifting her head too. She rarely ever cries and she still has these very inquisitive looks on her face as if she's thinking, "what on earth am I doing here?" She sleeps well next to her sister and she loves to sleep on our chests. I think her favorite place is snuggled up on her daddy's chest. They'll sleep together for hours like this.

Evelyn is a doll and has been growing steadily. She weighed 5lbs 7oz at the doctor yesterday. She seems to know exactly what she wants and she'll let you know too. She's the more vocal of the two, but her little cries sound like cat mews until she gets really angry. Then she sounds like the Count from Sesame Street, "ah, ah, ah." She's been nursing really well and is very alert. She seems to dislike being swaddled and will struggle back and forth like a magician in a straightjacket until she gets out. And you have to find her in a sleepy mood for her to enjoy the moby sling (it's a sling that basically ties the baby up close to your chest). She also dislikes the vibrating bouncing chair and the swing. Maybe they're just too young for that. She likes to be rocked and quickly falls asleep if we sing to her.

Both girls seem to be able to sleep through each other's cries easily. They sleep through dog barking too. Although the dogs become very concerned when one of the babies cry. The girls do seem to know each other's presence though in a way that I assume most non-twin babies could at that age. They will reach for each other and be comforted when placed together. They'll sleep long hours side by side and wake up as soon as one is missing. Some of the most challenging aspects of being twin parents is trying to do the same thing at the same time or conversely, deciding who should go first. I suppose that is a challenge that will last for quite a while.

Andre has been a great father. I can't imagine taking care of them on my own. We are completely a team switching off babies: I'll nurse, then he'll change the diaper, and so forth, switching babies back and forth. At one point yesterday I felt as if we were jugglers tossing batons back and forth. Not to worry, we always carefully pass the babies.

So their first week is over. I am much more healed now and its easier to care for them, and yet already I'm sad the week has gone by so quickly. The days are long, but the weeks are short--such is life eh? I suppose the only thing to do is to enjoy every minute of it.

They don't know it yet, but when they wake up from their little nap they are taking their first at home bath. Then we're meeting with the lactation consultant to help Rowan kick the formula habit. And then later this afternoon they are meeting with the photographer for their first professional pictures. Busy girls already.