Where shall I begin? Well, life is certainly very different now from the last time I checked in. We're getting a much better handle on how this whole parenthood thing works, though as I've learned, it's a constantly evolving process.
I'll be honest, the first month was... not great. That's a big part of the reason for the radio silence around these parts. After writing for almost two years about how much we wanted to start a family, I didn't know how to talk about the fact that I was not coping well with the reality of actually having babies. Everyone talks about how hard babies are, and I never doubted them, but there's truly nothing that can prepare you for those feelings of inadequacy, overwhelming fear of doing something wrong, and the exhaustion. OH THE EXHAUSTION. I confess, I had more than a few moments of wondering if we'd made a huge mistake.
Thank goodness my mom was here to help--making me rest and eat, cooking us dinner every night, taking shifts with crying babies. As hard as things were, it would have been infinitely harder on our own. Then, once we got through that first month, things got a little bit easier, but a horde of family descended upon us, then it was the busy holiday season, and then everyone headed back to their mouseholes, and Colby and I were left alone to figure out how to take care of two little ones on our own.
Charlotte, 4 days old
Annabelle, 1 week old
The good news is that we've managed to keep them alive--and I think happy--for ten weeks now. And as each day goes by, it gets a bit easier. They've been sleeping long stretches at night, and just getting more than three or four hours of sleep at a time makes a huge difference. On Friday night, they actually slept for nine hours straight. The odds of just one baby doing that at two months old are pretty slim--but both babies?? It felt like an actual miracle. I don't think I'd gotten that much sleep in one go since the first trimester sleep fest.
Two months old. Can you tell who's who??
I have a great deal to write about--since my last post I've visited three countries, celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, survived the Mayan apocalypse and turned 30--2012 definitely went out with a bang! One of my New Year's resolutions was to get back to blogging on a more regular basis, and if it means taking time away from a Homeland marathon, then so be it. This little corner of the internet has seen me through my single years in the Air Force, my engagement and wedding, three moves, two puppies, a struggle with infertility, and pregnancy--I have no intention of letting it fizzle out now that there are babies to talk about! But for now, I'm going to get back to Downton Abbey. Who knows how much time I have left with two babies sleeping and a hot cup of tea? We'll chat again soon!
