The girls are 4 months old now. Wow, I just can’t believe it. They have grown so much already. I look back at the pictures of when they were first born and can’t believe how tiny they were. Of course, I couldn’t believe it then either.
Elsie weighed 3 lbs 14oz and Mallie weighed 4 lbs 1 oz. Then, like most preemies, they lost weight and slowly started gaining it back.
Here are a few pics from the hospital.
Mallie
Elsie
When they were first born they had to have special breathing treatments. Their heads were under these plastic domes that looked like a cake cover, kinda like you would see at an old fashioned diner. They had all kinds of tubes, wires, wrappings, and machines that monitored everything and were always beeping about something.Little tiny tubes pumped milk into their little tummies. They weren’t even eating an ounce yet.
All of these machines almost made me scared to touch them. And it was forever (about a week) before I got to hold them and even longer before they were able to be put together in an isolette, which I wanted very badly. It was a rough start but they are little fighters and were doing really good considering they were born at 35 weeks (5 weeks early).
Elsie
Elsie (pink hat) & Mallie (yellow hat)
Mallie
I plan on writing their birth story and all that we went through in getting these babies here as safely as possible, but I’m not quite ready yet. It is a long story as well as very emotional for me; long hospital stay, 911 calls, helicopter rides. One day real soon I will put it all down. But for now I will just focus on bits and pieces here and there.
It was the day before Thanksgiving that I got to bring them home. I had to set my alarm and wake them up every two hours to eat.
Elsie & Mallie
And somehow we managed. I’m not sure how I did it at the beginning with little to no sleep every night and taking care of two other children. I wished Brad was able to stay home but he had to work. My mom had to work also, but would come over on her lunch breaks. We have grown together andhave gotten into a pretty good routine. It is so much easier now that they are older…and I don’t have to wake them up every couple hours to eat.
There were times when I would be so stressed, waking up at 6 am, having only 4 hours of sleep, and trying to feed two crying babies who always seemed to wake up at the same time, along with Collin who still needed his diaper changed. Bradley, my 5-year-old, would try to be extra helpful and would climb on the counters to get the cereal down and try to make breakfast, which ended in more of a mess. Especially when he poured the orange juice. But at least he was trying, what a sweetie.
The boys love their baby sisters. Bradley is super helpful and Collin is always trying to kiss them.
What a good big brother. Mallie (left) & Elsie (right) and their first dolls from Grandma Lorraine
Bradley kissing Mallie
Collin & Elsie
Mallie (front) & Elsie (back)
Now Elsie weighs 10 lbs 2 oz and Mallie 11 lbs 8 oz.
They have changed and grown so much in only four short months, but some things stay the same.
Elsie still likes to sleep with one eye open to see what is going on everywhere.
Mallie is laid back and just smiles and coos all the time.
They still love to snuggle together. At night I put them at opposite sides of the crib and when I wake up they are next to each other. They must have scooted and squirmed to get close. They always say how twins have a special bond, it will be interesting to watch and see how their relationship develops.
xxx
p.s. They are fraternal twins. I am also so amazed at how they look nothing alike. Elsie is petite and blonde. Mallie is chubby and round with dark hair. Sometimes people say that one looks like me and the other Brad.
Amanda St.Clair 