WHAT YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HAVING KIDS LESS THAN TWO YEARS APART

First off, apologies for the long break, but our lovely newest addition has taken up a fair amount of my time, and brain space lol. Hope you've all kept well, and today's post is about what I've learnt so far about having almost-Irish twins, and I am aware that I still have plenty to learn, so this is just the tip of the iceberg and I hope you will enjoy!

What Is This Sleep You Speak Of? 🤔
I know I don't need to say this, but sleep will become very technical, so just prepare yourself for a semi-sleep zombie state for a while, because you are one lucky gal if the tots will have synchronised napping times. One will be up and the other asleep, and one is bound to wake the sleeping one if they cry too loudly so work around this by either placing them in rooms that are very far apart, and having a nanny or other helper to deal with one when the other is a handful.....

Eat, Pump, Nurse, Repeat 🙃
If little one suckles well (which is good), and you still want to feed your nourishing milk to the not-much-older baby (which is also good), you have a lot of feeding to do because although your fat reserves aka baby fat will cover some milk, it will be nowhere near enough, so you need to be eating pretty much constantly, and the best way I found is to eat lots of medium servings of healthy food very often, as often as baby feeds. You also need to drink lots of water to avoid the dreadful constipation that cones to add misery to your problems because you are losing lots of water. Milk will be produced on a demand basis so the more you nurse and pump the more you will have, so it's a cycle. After the first few days it gets easier so you fall into a comfortable rhythm, and I cannot stress water enough, and of course this isn't the time to watch weight.....

Send Help! 🤒
One toddler is a handful, so now picture two, and they're not twins, so one will be more advanced than the other and will need different care from the other one but both want affection and demand attention. I am sure even an octopus would have a hard time with many babies if they were in a human scenario because your brain is usually the casualty so do not try to go it alone. Sweet talk your partner and have them understand they need to help, get a nanny, call your sister, cousin, or friend, move in with your in-laws, just anything because I promise you it's not a walk in the park. Hearing the elder baby cry for attention while you are busy with the little one does a number on your brain, so I learnt that even though I feel capable, I am simply not.

You Thought You Knew Everything From Last Time? Think Again 🤓
They say each pregnancy is as different as each individual is, and this could not be more true; in my case,with my first one  I got terrible nausea, and he would position himself on some nerve above my hip causing me pain and discomfort. The second one had practically zero nausea and was so playful I would be constantly worrying if she was ok in there. My moods were also different, with the first time around giving me too much feels and intolerance for some people while the second time around my heart turned into a solid block of ice lol. So you should expect anything literally, and know that if you get overwhelmed you are allowed because you are human...

Sore, Not Sore 😅
You know how with the first pregnancy you get aches and pains all over, with bones, muscle, and ligaments moving around to accommodate little one and bring him into the world? If the second one comes soon after and you had gotten the first one normally, then you are in luck because your body has not yet returned to default settings so the soreness won't start from scratch. If however you had a cs the first time, you will be reminded almost constantly of the first scar with little one stretching and kicking with no worry in the world while your body acts as a shock absorber. It's however not so bad so take heart, but the biggest disadvantage is that I searched far and wide but could not find any doctor or health practitioner here in Kenya willing to aid me through a normal birth as they all said it was too risky, so cs number two. But the moment I held little Natalie I felt it was all totally worth it and the two weeks or so it took me to heal were made much easier by seeing her healthy and whole.

Why Won't Nat Understand Things Like Nik?! 😩
BECAUSE SHE'S A BABY! I will start by saying I am not thinking impaired, but even the most logical logistic out there will need to remind themselves every so often that they are both babies, one is just more baby than the other, so please refrain from asking Nik to hold his sister just yet because he doesn't understand what that soft squirmy little thing is just yet, and no, Nat cannot pull her tiny hand out of Nik's death grip just yet so she's totally defenseless against his vigorous play-activities. It might be exasperating but you should get the hang of it soon enough so hang in there. Just avoid getting mad at either of them and scolding them unnecessarily; accommodate their baby ways because it will be a a short while and you will miss this stage so just try and enjoy it while it lasts, hard as it may be at the moment. That broken cup is just glass at the end of the day and there is so much of it in the world, and only one heart in each of your lovelies to cherish and to keep warm, so get your priorities right, love your babies and cut them some slack, you will be fulfilled when they turn out to be great adults with your help.

And Finally, Too Much Loveliness!! 💙👶💝👶
Cuddling one baby to sleep is usually a taste of heaven, so what about two? There's just extra to love and to hold, and who doesn't want a heart full of joy? As much as I avoid lifting Nik off the ground on doctor's orders, he finds me cuddling Nat so she can sleep and climbs onto the bed or seat and snuggles up close, occasionally pushing Nat or pinching her tiny hands gently and I am always surprised at the gentleness he shows. As they drift off to sleep, I don't think there is a single bad thought or regret that can dare cross my mind. At that moment I am drifting up on cloud nine, happy as can be and free as a bird, with the innocence they offer I count myself completely lucky to be with them and any aches and pains I may be having are momentarily lost. I don't think I can describe this feeling quite accurately, it's one of those 'you just had to be there' things, and if there is anything that has helped pull me through from dark thoughts and such, this is it.

So there you have it, my experience is so far quite ok, and if you have a story of your own be sure to let me know in the comments. Also leave any suggestion, question, or concern below, and don't forget to subscribe and also follow me on telegram and instagram with the same name as the blog, no spaces. Otherwise have a lovely week, see you next time! *Hugs and kisses* 💞💖💞