In April we had our first swim in a pool Our first dip into the sea A Bumpkins massage with our Mum Helped by Helen and Kelly In April we played in the garden We had a paddling pool too … Continue reading
The Gallery – April Firsts
Category Archives: development
Twin Toyologist Tryout!
From September 2010 to March 2011 every day for us was a rainy day. Esther and William, born 3 months too soon, are classed as having Chronic Lung Disease because of their early dependence on oxygen therapy and so we … Continue reading
What Am I Passionate About?
Kerry at Multiple Mummy is encouraging us all to take some time out from being a Mummy and share things we are passionate about. I have only been a Mummy for 9 months but I have to say that my own passions and interests are already a hazy memory. What did I do before Esther and William were born?
Drama – acting and directing
I love the theatre. I love going to London to watch a show but I also love small theatre, amateur theatre and schol plays. I have always enjoyed acting from a very early age and have been lucky enough to play some fantastic roles in amateur theatre. I have also worked with some exceptional children when directing school plays. Theatre is my main passion. I have been involved in all aspects of theatre at one time or another and know that I will be again when the babies are older. This is a passion that I share with David and I hope that we will both tread the boards again one day.
Writing – blogging and poetry
I have written poetry, stories and plays since I was a young child. I love writing! I find it easy and can write a poem very quickly. My poetry is quite childlike in format and style but it works. My writing has taken a new direction in the last year since starting this blog. When I was a teenager I went mad with my Mother for reading my diary now I am publishing it online for all to see. I find blogging therapeutic, a release, an escape and a way of making friends.
Photography – taking photos and sorting photos
My camera goes with me everywhere. I have always loved taking photos and being in other people’s. I took GCSE Design and specialised in photography but spent more time modelling for other people’s photos than taking and developing my own. Photographs are another form of diary for me, I record very milestone I can, especially since the babies have been born. I am currently taking the 365 photo challenge to try and improve my skills and if I a feel at the end of the year that I have been successful then I am going to treat myself to a proper SLR camera and deveop this passion even more.
Reading – to myself and out loud
Any regular reader of this blog will know that I love reading with Esther and William. I want to encourage them to have the same love affair with literature that their father and I share. Our house is full of books of every genre and we all love to read. I love to read aloud. When David and I first met we used to read plays aloud together. Now I read out loud to Esther and William whenever I can. We generally share at leats three picture books a day and you can read about some of our favourites here.
The West Wing
David introduced me to this series when we first met in 2007. Since then we ave watched all 7 series about 5 times. I am sure we are on our fifth go through. This is an Amrican drama set in The White House with a Democtratic president. It is fantasticaly written, superbly cast and very well acted. It is easy to watch yet challenges your thinking. It makes you laugh and cry. It feels real. It sparked an interest for me in American political systems and I have learned so much through watching it. It is great! David and I can quote many lines from it and often share them as personal jokes. It is a shared passion and a strong bond between us. We have watched it every day for years. I love it.
Planning
I am a planner. I love to make lists and tick things off. At the moment I am busy planning our wedding, before that we have Esther and William’s first birthday party to arrange and after it their christening to plan. I love researching ideas and making plans.
So there we go, seems I can remember after all! But none of these things compare to the passion I have for my children and sharing in their learning and development. None of these things compare with my love for David and my desire to make him happy, to make us happy as a family. There is nothing in the world that beats that!
But it has been nice, really nice, to take a few minutes out to write this post and remember who I am for a while, who I am when I am not being Mummy x
Easter Baskets – Boys will be Boys!
Yesterday Esther and William celebrated being 9 months old. I did not buy them a present but instead gave them each a treasure basket that I had been collecting the contents for for weeks. They both enjoyed their baskets but … Continue reading
A Day in the Life …
A Day in the Life of Esther and William
As a first time Mummy of twins I am beginning to wonder if I am doing enough for my little ones.
Here is a typical day at home for Esther and William, how does your little ones typical day at home compare?
6.00 Esther and William get up and have breakfast and a play with Daddy
7.15 Daddy takes Esther and William out for a 4/5 mile run in their pram
8.30 Mummy welcomes Esther and William home. We go in to the playroom for time under the gym and on the Jumperoo. During this time both babies will also have some milk.
10.30 Nap time
11.30 Both babies up and playing on a circuit of activities in the lounge. We have a chill out zone, the gym and a sitting up area also space to practise crawling.
12.30 Lunch and milk
1.30 Nap
2.30 Playtime with Mummy and story time. I try to change the toys and activities whenever they have a nap so that they do not get bored and can find something slightly different when they wake up.
4.00 Mummy takes Esther and William for a walk in their pram or nap time if raining
4.30 Play and dinner
5.30 TV Time
5.40 Bath time – this includes an all over wash before the bath and any medications / supplements needed
6.15 Bed time
I encourage Esther and William to play independently but they are not very good at it. I worry that I do not spend enough time talking to them. I wonder should I try to have some individual time with each of them?
I often think that with one baby I would put them in a sling and go out to town for coffee, read magazines in a cafe, meet friends, go shopping. We don’t do any of that because it is just impossible on my own.
What does a day in your little ones life look like?
Here are some pictures to illustrate our days x
Active under the gym
Gym, Mirror Talk, Bouncy Chair, Sit Up Play, Cosy Snooze Corner
Playing together, learning to crawl
Gym, Sit Up Play, Chill Out Corner
Sitting and Chilling
Concentrating
On the Move!
Getting to Know You
Independent Play
Jumperoo or Jump A Poo more accurate in our house x
Story Time
Photo 365 Introduction and 001/365
Today I am starting the Photo 365 Challenge. I know that it is usual to start this in January but I am in need of a new challenge and photography is something that I long to be better at so this seemed the right way to go. I am going to try hard to take good, different photos and improve my skills and my blog in the process.
To start the challenge I am going to introduce two young models who I think will feature quite heavily in my photos to come. My very nearly 8 month old twins, Esther and William.
Esther and William were born at 27 weeks and 3 days gestation on 24th July 2010. In 8 months they have come on in leaps and bounds. At their corrected age of very nearly 5 months they are rolling at will and caterpillar crawling around the floor. They can sit independently for a few seconds a a time and have in the last few days developed a love of bubbles and balloons. They are becoming quite chatty in their funny little way though it is hard to make out separate sounds when they have all of their fingers stuffed in their mouths!! Poor teething babies! I hope to get lots of improving shots of them as they change and grow.
I hope you will stick with me throughout the challenge.
Here is Photo 001
Introducing Esther and William to 365
Reasons to Be Cheerful
In a week when many people around the world are holding on to hope with their bare hands I feel quite selfish gloating about my cheer. And yet here I am, because this week I do have genuine reasons for cheer and pride. My little miracle babies are doing so well and I cannot hide how I feel about that after the terrible start to life that they had.
My Reasons to be Cheerful this week:-
Esther and William are above average in their general development
This week we had a clinic appointment for Esther and William at the hospital. At this clinic they are weighed and undergo a number of developmental checks that I do not pretend to understand. What I do know though is that the Consultant told us that she is very very pleased with both babies. William is just above the 75th percentile for development and Esther is just below. This is marked against their corrected age of 4.5 months. I was so proud watching them work thorugh the exercises with the physio I thought that I might burst with pride and they did everything with a smile too. The session was topped off when one of the nurses said to us, “We always knew these babies would be clever ones!” Proud Mummy moment!
Esther and William loved their first baby class, Baby Sensory
Today we went to Baby Sensory for the very first time and Esther and William both loved it. In particualr they loved helium balloons and the ball pool. I was so impressed with the class leader, Julie Reynolds, and her welcoming manner that I signed up for 10 weeks straight away and we start next week!! I am so excited!!! I am going to review the session on my blog so please watch this space x
Esther and William have moved into their very own BIG cots!!
After William crawling on top of Esther in his sleep a couple of times we decided that the time had come to move Esther in to a cot of her own. It has only been one night so far but again it is a really proud Mummy moment though I am also sad that they are not sharing anymore. My babies are growing up. Next move will be into a room of their own and no longer with their Daddy and I. That will be a big moving day. This was just a small moving day but a big reason for cheer.
Need more stories to make you smile? Hop on over to Mummy from the Heart’s blog and share your Reasons to be Cheerful.
Tots 100 Learning Through Play
Zu3D – Learning Through Play in the Early Years
For this month’s Tots 100 Blog Hop I am submitting the post above. It tells how animation and Zu3D software in particular can be used throughout the early years curriculum to encourage and enhance learning through play. Animation can be seen as digital role play for children of all ages and is a great way of using technology with small children. It is easy to do at home as well as at school. It fosters sharing, team work, speaking and listening skills.
This month’s Tots 100 Blog Hop is being sponsored by MEGA Bloks. These kits would make great animation models providing children with characters and props for their stories and even plot ideas.
To find more ideas to help children learn through play, hop on over to Tots 100 to read the other entries in this month’s Blog Hop.
And please don’t forget to read the post I have chosen to submit this month:
Answers on a Postcard Please!
Well, this is a new one for me.
It is 4.30am and I have given up trying to get any sleep and come downstairs with Esther.
I went to bed nice and early last night as I know that sleep deprivation is really starting to take its toll on me. I am becoming very grumpy and emotional and I am worried that when my Mum leaves this time next week I am going to struggle to cope on my own again.
Not sure why Esther can’t sleep?
But here we are, 4.30am, in the lounge. Esther playing on her gym and me tapping on my laptop, waiting for the kettle so that I can have a cup of tea. Herbal. I have given up the good stuff for Lent! Bad idea! And biscuits. Supposedly on a diet but needs must!
So anyway, after having this early night I was woken for feeds at 11pm, 12am, 2,40am and I have not been back to sleep since!
I think my total sleep is somewhere in the region of two hours!
William and David are now sleeping soundly. And I just do not know what to do with my wired little girl, or with this problem long term.
Esther and William are 7.5 months old and I am still up every 90 minutes on average at night feeding one or both of them. I feel like I am never going to ever sleep for longer than this again.
They are being weaned now and eat 3 meals, albeit small meals, a day on top of their considerable milk intake.
I don’t think that it is hunger keeping them up at night.
So comfort, or habit?
What do we do to break the cycle? If that is what it is.
David wants me to go away and stay in a hotel for a night, leaving him to feed both babies for a night, even though William has always refused a bottle. He says he will manage with a cup or a syringe.
I am sure that cannot be the answer, short or long term.
Answers on a postcard please. Or in the comments below will do.
Kettle’s boiled.
A Wonderful Week of Cheer!
I have had a lovely week this week and have much to cheer about. So here I am to share it with you and Michelle at Mummy from the Heart who always inspires and encourages so many of us to share our positivity and cheer. Thank you.
Esther and William have finally met all of their cousins!
On Sunday it was David’s Mum’s birthday and to celebrate her special day she really wanted to have all six of her grandchildren together for the first time. This had not happened before as one is only a couple of weeks old and we have been out of circulation through the winter. But on Sunday we were all together for a few hours and it really was rather special. Seeing Esther and William begin to interact with their extended family was quite emotional. Their almost 5 year old cousin kept stroking them which was very sweet. William in particular was avidly watching the boys playing and seemed keen to get involved and have a go. The Henley family are a very close family so Esther and William will grow up with these cousins around them. They are very lucky and I think their first meeting bodes well for adventures in the future.
I have had a great week out and about with my Mum
I was rather apprehensive about having my Mother here for any length of time but it is the end of the second week and things seem to be going well. We are enjoying each other’s company, she is looking after David and I, and the house, so that David can focus on work and I can focus on Esther and William. She is being great. Mum is also getting to know her grandchildren better and watching their enjoyment of her is a wonderful reason to be cheerful. As she lives in Spain she will not see her grandchildren all the time so periods such as this are extra special. Love you Mum x
Weaning is going well and the babies are enjoying lots of different foods
Esther and William are loving exploring new foods and this week have even been negotiating lumps!! They love mango and papaya and all fruits. Esther sucks slivers of mango from my fingers as she cannot quite grip them herself. They have eaten broccoli, cauliflower, lentils, sweet potato, cucumber. They are having lots of first tastes and seem to welcome them all. Feeding them is such fun and they get so messy as they try to help with the spoon or the pots. What a great stage of babyhood this is. Makes me smile.
To see what is making others smile this week, hop on over to Mummy from the Heart and perhaps share your reasons to be cheerful too x