Our Twin Pregnancy Diary is now a real book!

Twin Pregnancy Diary - out now!

We get a lot of people finding our blog after searching for twin pregnancy information and know that they may not want to read through everything else just to find the diary entries.  

We are pleased to announce that our Twin Pregnancy Diary is now available to buy in paperback, so they don't have to!  Pop on over here to get a 30% discount off the list price.  In a few weeks it will also be available to buy on Amazon as well. 

The Twin Pregnancy Diary is available on Kindle too, and also as an EPUB, which means you can download the Twin Pregnancy Diary eBook to your e-reader, iPad, iPhone, Nook (and lots of other techie things) or even directly onto your PC or Mac, so you can follow our journey any way you want to!

We've also got some more very exciting things to tell you about very soon, so make sure you come back to get the news first!

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The sands of time

It is hard to believe that the twins are a month old today.

The time has passed so fast.

Too fast.

Anna and Libby at 26 days old

To think that they went from this...

Libby and Anna at 7 weeks 6 days

...which grew to this...

Libby 4d scan at 21 weeks

...and this...

Anna 4d scan at 21 weeks

... and then became this...

Libby and Anna just born

 They are growing fast.  Their little personalities are blossoming.  

Anna and Libby 28 days old

I'm as overwhelmed with love as I was with my firstborn...

Ben and Libby 

 We cannot imagine life without them in it....

Anna smiling at 26 days old

And they are adored...

Paddy holding Libby

... so adored...

Oliver holding Anna

How blessed are we?



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Top 5 special things about multiples

Last week Karen at Tales of a Twin Mum wrote a post titled, "Top five special things about multiples" which was inspired, she says, by the post I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how we were wrong to celebrate our twins' arrival.  Her twin boys celebrated their second birthdays last week and she has come up with a list of positives in response to the article's opinion that twins are double the burden.

I don't normally participate in memes but I thought this would be a fun piece to write to celebrate the twins' four week birthday today.  Then again, you have to bear in mind that I have only been a twin mum for four weeks so a lot of the things that mum's with older twins would cherish I have yet to experience and appreciate.

So with my limited experience as a multiple mum I bring you my very own "Top 5 special things about multiples":

1)  While I was pregnant an online friend who had two sets of twins herself (a boy/girl set then two boys) wrote to me and told me how seeing them together would bring a whole load of "Awww!" moments.  She wasn't wrong.  Already we have had more "Awww!" moments than we ever dreamed possible.

2) I am in awe that God created two perfect, tiny little people and that they grew in me.  I still find it hard to realise that the big belly bump was housing these precious babies.  It's a miracle to have a baby.  It's such a privilege to have been doubly blessed.

3) Even though they are only four weeks old we have noticed that they already seem to know each other and take comfort in each other's presence.  When placed close together it seems they've missed each other and like to be nearby and snug together and they seem calmer.  To know they will always have one another is so heart warming.

4) Sibling jealousy in this house only goes as far as to whose turn it is to feed/hold/hug/kiss a new baby.  With twins there are more of the feeding/holding/hugging/kissing opportunities and the arguments are fewer and further between.  Yes, like I said, there are more of the feeding/holding/hugging/kissing opportunities.  Full stop.

5) I love it when I am cuddling up with both babies at the same time and all three of us are snuggled safe and warm.  I watch them together as they look intently at one another and then at me, then their sleepy eyes drift and I kiss their soft downy heads and I savour the moment.  I will only be able to do this for such a short time and I want to treasure every, single second of it.

I thought I would be hard pressed to think of my top five things but you know, I could have gone on.  And on and on and on.  I look forward to this list getting longer over the years but first thing is first - number five on the list is calling.


You can continue to keep up with our journey by subscribing to a full feed in your reader.  You can also chat with us on Twitter  (click here or search for the handle "@largerfamily") and become a Facebook friend too.   

Don't forget that our story on how and why we came to be parents of 11 children is available worldwide now.  Click for details on where you can buy your copy of "Larger Family Life", the book.


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Blessed

Triplets?!

The photo above was taken yesterday when the twins turned sixteen days old.  Where did those two weeks go?  It's frightening how quickly time is flying by.

I'm still in a state of shock and awe at being blessed with twins.  I still can't believe they are here.  I still can't believe how tiny and perfect they are and I still can't believe that there are two of them - at once.  I wonder what they are thinking when they look at each other.  Do they remember being together in my belly?  Do they know already that they are sisters?  Do they already share a special bond?  I do wonder.

They have fitted effortlessly into the family.  The other children all dote on them.  As two year old Ollie says several times a day, "I love 'em!".  Then he kisses one and makes sure he goes over to kiss the other all in the name of fairness.  Jealousy extends only to who got the chance to hold a baby already/more/first and whose turn it now is and the eagerness to stroke or pat a baby while marvelling at their tiny features still hasn't worn off.  If memory boxes could hold real memories, these are the ones I'd keep forever.

We have been so incredibly blessed and I am so thankful.

Eleven times over.


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The first two weeks with twins

It is hard to believe that the twins are two weeks old today.  In one way it seems like only yesterday that they were born yet in another way it seems like they've been part of the family forever.

No matter which way I look at it, I can't imagine a second without them.

It seems we've been blessed with two very laid back babies.  Libby, the older, darker and bigger of the two is a little more vocal with her younger and smaller sister seeming to be more placid.  Both are undemanding and settle quickly.  (Please Lord, don't let me have jinxed it by writing about it!).  

They don't seem to understand that with seven older brothers their chances of doing stuff like going out, dating and marrying are probably well off the cards so they may as well not bother day dreaming about it...

Here is one of the older brothers in question.  Joseph seemed so small.  Now he looks like an elephant baby in comparison to the twins.  He hasn't been fazed by their arrival at all.  He was curious when he first met them, leaning in for a closer look and then backing off quickly when they moved.  I think he thought they were dolls!  Now he ignores them.  We'll he is 12 months older than them and far too cool to hang out with his little sisters. 

The others battle over who the twins love most.  Paddy seems to think by making himself known to them at every waking moment he'll be in the lead...

It doesn't matter what is going on or what they are doing...

... no moment is too small to gatecrash...

... I'm enjoying cuddles...

... and so is Daddy...

All in all I'd say the first two weeks have been fun getting to know our newest family members.  I think these two would agree...

(No surprise to see Paddy in shot again!)

You can continue to keep up with our journey by subscribing to a full feed in your reader.  You can also chat with us on Twitter  (click here or search for the handle "@largerfamily") and become a Facebook friend too.   

Don't forget that our story on how and why we came to be parents of 11 children is available worldwide now.  Click for details on where you can buy your copy of "Larger Family Life", the book.


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Subscribe to Larger Family Life and get the latest news directly in your inbox or reader.  You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter too!

Larger Family Life is also available on Kindle!

Gallery of newborn babies sleeping

There is nothing like watching a newborn baby sleep.  I could do it for hours.  I don't just mean the peaceful, deep slumber but the sheer entertainment value which is provided by the different facial expressions they unknowingly pull while sleeping.  Who knows what they're thinking or if they're even aware of what they are doing?  Either way, it's fun to watch.

Let me show you what I mean.

Here is Libby sleeping away last night.  Before I go on any further I would like to point out that they aren't my hairy legs in the picture.  Not that I don't have hairy legs but you just aren't that lucky to get the chance to see them.

Anyway, back to the point.  Libby sleeping soundly...

It looks like she's snoring with her mouth open.  She's not though.  Here comes the eye rolling thing:

There is a sort of smile there.  She's not too sure if she got the smiling thing right so she decided to pout instead...

... but not wanting to be a quitter at the tender age of 12 days she decides to attempt another go at sleep smiling...

Eureka!  

It goes to show that perseverance pays doesn't it?

Of course, we can't humiliate extol the virtues of one twin over the other so let me share Anna's sleeping expressions with you.  She's been working hard on them too.

Anna sleeping like a... well, a baby... which isn't hard considering she is a... um, a baby....

... this performance starts off with a small flicker of the eyes...

... which gives way to an eye rolling extravaganza accompanied by a small, shy smile (yes, she is still sleeping!)...

... and the super grand finale....

... a sleep smile to end all sleep smiles!

What's not to love?

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Larger Family Life is also available on Kindle!