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On my wish list

Loving this Pixel ring from www.hardtofind.com.au

This online store has fabulous one of a kind gifts for everyone in the family.

I love my family

10 Things they don't tell you about having Twins

When I was pregnant with the twins I found it really hard to get information about having twins. Not just the birthing process, there was plenty of info on that but on tips about how to get by day-to-day with twins and another toddler running around. So here you go - these are my top 10 tips on what to expect  with new-born twins.

1. Nothing will prepare you for the moment that you hold both babies in your arms for the first time. Seeing those 2 sets of eyes staring at you for the first time will floor you. You wont know where to look, who to look at first. They will both be looking at you and you can literally feel the love pouring out of you for two babies at once.

2. Telling them apart will be difficult. Even with fraternal twins, they can look so damn similar! The only way I knew who was who in the first month was by keeping the foot tag on one baby and checking constantly. There was many a time that we put the wrong baby in the wrong cot!

3. Breastfeeding will be hard. I breastfed my first daughter till she was over 13 months old. It was hard to establish of course but once we did it was fantastic. It was easy. I took that same attitude along with me when I was pregnant with the twins and knew that I could do it again with them. I started feeding them tandemly straight away and one baby could do it and suck easily but the other needed help. Once you help one baby the other comes off. You need to reattach both and then of course they need to burp, each at different times.  I always needed someone to help as I needed another pair of hands. The whole process took a long time and I had to top them up with a bottle each and every time as I didn't have enough milk for both. I still kept at it for  2 months. Then I got an infection and the migraines started from being so dehydrated. It killed me to stop  but I had to admit that I couldn't carry on. I felt like a failure and I STILL feel guilty about it. But I want to stress that I have friends with twins who are still breastfeeding them both happily so you can do it. The point is to try.

4. Being 38 weeks pregnant with twins in the middle of summer without air conditioning is torture. I had to lie on my side (as you cannot lie on your back) under the fan and suck ice cubes. You had to swap sides as you can feel them moving all the time and it is very uncomfortable. You also cant believe just how far your stomach can stretch. Which leads me to my next point:

5. Your stomach will never be the same again. For those of us who cant afford a tummy tuck after birth the sad reality is that your skin has been stretched soooo far (especially if you went full term like I did) and it will not return to how it used to. My personal trainer at the gym even admitted that all the sit ups in the world wont return it to its former glory. Her advice was to work out and sweat, work out and sweat and gradually over time it will improve. Until then I have to live with looking like I am still  4-5 months pregnant. Nice.

6. The exersaucer will be your best friend. Every twin mum needs at least one of these little beauties. Or should I say big beauties as they are quite bulky. They are a godsend from 6 months onwards as you can sit them in there and they are safe and love to play with it. I bought one on ebay for $50 but you can also get them brand new for $200.

7. Twins are definately twice the fun but you WILL get half the sleep. On a good night I get up twice (at 11pm, 3am and then they wake at 6.30am for the day). On a bad night they will wake up twice each, so I am up at least 4 times a night. They have NEVER both slept through the night. The truth is they are in the same room and the do wake each other up. Its a fact. It can also be hard to settle them as one will almost be asleep and then the other will cry. It feels like you are trapped in a viscious circle of settling and re-settling sometimes. Thankfully my 3 year old is an excellent sleeper who goes to bed at 8pm and I don't see her till 7am.

8. When you go out with twins you feel like a celebrity. You will get stopped constantly. Elderly  men are the worst! My dad proposed that I make a sign to attach to the stroller:
YES THEY ARE TWINS.
YES WE ARE BUSY.
NO WE ARE NOT GETTING MUCH SLEEP.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST.
Of course I didnt do it. Sometimes it is nice being stopped by strangers to show them off :)

9. As a twin mum with other children you will become the multi-tasker of the year. I can feed the babies bottles at the same time, as well as play with my 3 year old and read a magazine all at once. I have 3 hooks in the laundry with 3 packed bags ready to go at all times. I do 3-4 loads of washing a day and the number one rule is to clean as you go otherwise your house will be messy in no time.

10. The twins will be such a fabulous addition to your family that you will count your blessings every single day at how lucky you are to have been chosen for this amazing role. The relationship they will have with each other and their other siblings is so special. Children are such a blessing and to have two at once is amazing. I have started to see them less as twins and more like I have 3 children but two of them just happen to be the same age.

11. I had to edit this to create another point. You will forever be in debt to your mum/mother-in-law/ relatives for all the help they can provide. I am lucky in the fact that I have a wonderful mum and parents in law who help me so very much and give me a much needed break. It is also fantastic to see the girls grow up and the special relationship they have with their grandparents.

xx Hayley

How do people do it all?

 I got this print from Donna Hay and framed it in a white Ribba frame from Ikea. It hangs in my kitchen and makes me smile on days like today when I feel exhausted. It's not even 11.30am and I have been up since 5am (thanks girls). I've  done 2 loads of washing and hung it out on the line, got 3 kids breakfast, dressed etc, searched high and low for the appropriate show and tell item, loaded all in car and out the door by 8am, dropped 3 year old out day care, went shopping for some pressies for birthday parties coming up, came back home and fed twins, cleaned up house, vacuumed, settled babies to sleep and made lunch. All I can think of is what I havent done yet, like my gym class and the mound of damn ironing sitting in the corner giving me a death stare. Ironing kills me, it is SO BORING. If I am not organised and I let one task slip them we are that little bit more behind tomorrow. I am supposed to go back to work in 3 months (which I am looking very forward to) but how will everything get done then?? I think I need a PA.

How do you get it all done? What are your secrets? Gin and tonic anyone?

Ch-ch-ch-changes

It's time to make a change, ch-ch-changes...

This design a blog thingy is so much fun! I have been tinkering away today and finally found a look I am happy with. It creates the tone of the blog, so I wanted to make sure the design of it was 'us'. I have to give full credit to Clover Lane for the guide. Thank you! What are your favourite website/blog designs?

Recipe of the Week - Sticky Sesame Chicken Legs

I made these yesterday and they are a sure hit for little ones. My 3 year old ate all her chicken and you can drizzle the sauce over vegies and rice.



Ingredients

• 125ml (1/2 cup) salt reduced soy sauce
• 125ml (1/2 cup) honey
• 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger - I grate mine with the microplane thingy
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 12 chicken legs - for those on a diet you can remove the skin
• 1 tbs sesame seeds

1. Combine the soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic in a glass pyrex jug. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours to marinate.

2. Preheat oven to 200 c. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Place the chicken on the lined tray.

3. Bake in oven, basting occaionally with reserved marinade for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for a further 10 mins or until chicken is golden and the juices run clear. 

YUM! (I was given this recipe from Charli's kindy but I think it originated on Taste.com).

Twins are now 7 months old

Their little personalities are starting to show. Boy are they different! Harper is quiet but so active. She started rolling very early (I think by 3-4 months?) and she hasn't stopped since. She moves from one side of the room to the next. She says 'Dadda' and cannot sit still for one second. She is a little pocket rocket. Sophie is very alert, she knows what is going on. She is always watching, knows where I am in the room at any given time. She smiles ALL DAY LONG. She wants to play with Charli. When Charli looks at her she laughs. They both dont have any teeth yet but they are dribbling like mad. The most precious times are when they look at each other when they are lying in their cots. The peek through the bars at each other to check the other one is there. Even at 7 months they have a special bond.

Where has the time gone??  And yes that is my washing in the background. All 3 loads a day of it. I have turned into the washer woman. I could open a laundromat.

About Me

Hi my name is Hayley. I am a mum, wife, daughter, sister, friend. I like to laugh with  hubby, watch, dissect and discuss movies, have long lunches at restaurants,  travel overseas, see bands. Living near the beach makes me happy. I love my 3 girls to bits. Having twin baby girls and a 3 year old daughter has been my greatest challenge yet.

When I was 19 I moved to America to go to university. It changed me. I loved it.

The day after I got back I met my husband Raj. We have been together for 11 years. I still cant believe it has been that long. He is truly my best best best friend. He still makes me laugh every single day. We got married on February 26, 2006 and it was beautiful.

In January 2008 I gave up my demanding but fabulous job in an advertising agency and became a mum for the first time to our darling daughter Charli. She is such a girly girl. She loves princesses and sparkles and anything pink. She goes to ballet school and has been planning her ballerina party for the last 11 months. Wow we found it a challenge when she was a baby but now she is almost 4 she is such a good girl and oh so well behaved.

Then in June 2010 we found out we were having TWINS. I cried. Raj stared into space. My mum laughed hysterically. The pregnancy was hard. So hard. I sweated through the hottest summer on record and in March 2011  our new two beautiful girls Sophie & Harper were born full term. Without a single blemish. They were perfect. The midwife at the hospital nicknamed them Scrumptious and Gorgeous... 

Our days can be a struggle at times and we are constantly busy. But we try and do it with a smile and laugh through the tears! 

x Hayley

My first Post EVER

We have all been ill this week, or as my English friends say - poorly. Not much sleep and constant washing & cleaning to get rid of the germs.