Hi Everyone,
The twins are one year old! A year ago today, Jeff and I were in the hospital, feeling anxious, grateful, excited, and terrified all at once. You can read all about our journey here. Looking back now on the twins’ first few days with us in the hospital seems like a different era, much less just a year ago. I scroll back to my photos from those early days now and think back on them opening their eyes briefly, trying to focus on our faces, and then see them today standing up and laughing and giving us big hugs and smiles- it's been a wonderful ride so far. So much has changed in our lives this past year, I wanted to share with you all some of the things we experienced, learned, and loved while watching them grow month by month.
In their first few weeks home, two things were very clear to us. First, the kids were born one month early, so we were faced with some challenges. Max spent one week in the NICU while Dove was released from the hospital so our first week as a family was hectic with one parent at the hospital and one at home. Though it was emotional, that difficult time really bonded us as parents, and as a family. When Max finally came home and all four of us were under one roof, I remember looking at our house in a totally new light… this was not just a house anymore, this was a home. Secondly, it was super important to get them both in a routine and sleep trained from the start, especially with two babies! We were able to consult with a newborn care specialist who helped us learn how to juggle two babies at once through the night– talk about an angel!
For the first four months, things were fairly routine - regular feedings, snuggling and sleeping in their bassinets a lot. Then, after the first four months, things started to change quickly. The twins transitioned from bassinets to sleeping in cribs in their nursery. They finally started to smile and began to sit up. We took so many photos, as you can imagine I'd want to, and captured their rapid changes every day. I'll never forget watching them rolling around together in our playroom, and the first time they smiled and giggled at each other- it would be the first of endless moments of shared joy between them.
Finally, summer rolled around and we got to leave for our newly renovated home on Lake Michigan. The twins were just learning how to sit up on their own during our first few days there. Our daughter progressed faster than our son (as girls tend to do), and it was fascinating seeing them develop at their own pace. Traveling from LA to our little town in Michigan with the dog, the twins, and all the gear for two months was quite the experience. We had to buy some duplicates of some necessary baby care items for our home there, like a bottle sanitizer, but it was well worth it considering how long we were there. One great lesson learned is to not overpack, and try to use a luggage courier service like Lugless, so you don’t have to be overwhelmed by bags on top of all the travel day essentials.
Our two months in Michigan were supremely special. Jeff and I would work each morning remotely via video conferencing and then in the afternoon we’d go on adventures with the kids. We learned to be ‘brave’ during this time with regards to taking the kids places. We navigated new journeys—going to the community pool, the farmer’s market, the petting zoo, the boat harbor, and long walks along the shore of Lake Michigan without our cell phones. We nailed a few tricks, like getting them to nap on the beach with a white noise machine, and finding the right pool floats they could sit up in. Dove even said her first words, da da da da, which we were lucky enough to capture on video. But above all, that time with friends and family members from both sides, was truly priceless. Being in nature, and in a quiet place that I, myself, was able to spend my childhood summers growing up in, allowed us to appreciate the greater power of community living. We truly cannot wait to return for many more blissful summers ahead. Jeff and I were beyond happy to have made the decision to build a home for our family here and already see it bringing so much happiness to us for decades to come.
Returning home in the fall, we had a lot to look forward to with the twins as they kept up their rapid pace of change. We got to have lots of playdates with friends we hadn’t seen all summer. Dove began crawling in Michigan the week before we headed home, and by the time we got back, it was Max’s turn. A quick call to the baby proofer was placed, and we learned that our LA house has a lot of hazards, so we took a lot of furniture out of the home and used it in our recent office renovation. We also changed our under-used formal dining room, and converted it into a new playroom! The old one had simply been out-grown now that our two munchkins were mobile.
Balloon Styling by Wild Child Party
As we headed into the fall holidays, we got to do a sweet family-themed costume for Halloween, The Wizard of Oz, and even got to include Stella as our Toto. By the time we got to Thanksgiving last week, it was finally their last “first” holiday! Now with their one year birthday upon us, and getting to reflect back on it all, it really is amazing how fast it has flown by and how much has happened. Moving forward to the holiday season ahead, we know we are truly blessed and are thankful to have time to spend together with our family. Year one is now officially in the books- and there’s so much yet to come.
Cheers everyone!
Xx
Gray