"The Twins"
Two of a Kind….
8weeks old
Feb 16th
Wow, a little overdue on the update front!
So, what’s happened in the last month since updating the blog last.
Well, yesterday saw the girls reach 8 weeks old, they’re both growing fast and they had their first immunisation jabs at the Doctors yesterday.
The girls are now sleeping in their nursery and have been for about 2weeks now, they seem happy in there and often go to sleep quickly… except for the 7pm-10pm timeslot.. or witching hour as it’s known in our house now as Sophie really seems to struggle to settle down in that time window.
We’re taking the girls to Centre Parcs soon and have a swimming lesson booked, so we bought them swimsuits over the weekend. Cute as!
The girls have already been to London, experienced the trains and tubes. That’s an experience, dragging the pushchair up and down stairs at the tube stations. No idea how wheelchair users fair on the underground, I guess they don’t bother!
Over the weekend we got the girls passport photos and have now sent off the forms (along with £100) to get their first passports! Quite why they need a passport at their age, but they do. Another money making scheme by the government I’m sure.
Daddy is now fully back at work, working from Bristol, so has some long days but we seem to be settling into a routine very well. Mummy is taking the girls to baby groups, coffee meetings and various other activities, so the girls are socialising well.
Think that’s it for now.
Registered!
Jan 14th
Today was the day to have the girls registered.
So, we took a trip to Reading register office and registered the girls on the system.
They now have birth certificates and are officially known as Sophie Rose and Lauren Amelia, not that they weren’t called that already of course! 
Next up on the list, passports and bank accounts.
3 weeks old today!
Jan 11th
We’ve made it to 3 weeks, the girls are doing well. Both have put weight on, with Sophie some 12oz above birth weight and Lauren 8oz above birth weight.
In our first three weeks, we’ve done many things, most used to be seen as minor, but now seen as an accomplishment!
We’ve been on the girls first train to Newbury, the first trip to the shops, the first Tesco shop. See, all very minor in our previous lives, but with Tesco for example, we get stopped 5 or 6 times for “Ahhh, aren’t they cute”, “Are they twins?”. We do feel like we’re showing them off, but I guess we’re just proud parents!
The pushchair is being well used, both with the car seats and the carricots.
The girls now have a posh playpen in the lounge, so they have somewhere safe to enjoy.
Sophie & Lauren in their Playpen
Over the last three weeks, Sophie and Lauren have been blessed with many many lovely gifts, from clothes to toys and everything in between! Poor Daddy doesn’t get much… apart from stinky bums!
The Health Visitor is very impressed with how organised Mummy is and will be weighing the girls at the Childrens’ Centre next time.
So far, the Health Visitor (Helen) has checked weights, hearing and general health. All is good and results as they should be.
Sophie & Lauren met Dr Harris yesterday for the first time, he is our GP and gave them a check over as normal.
Both girls seemed fine, a hip check was one of the things the Dr looked at, all seemed fine.
One week on…
Dec 29th
It’s just over a week since the twins were born.
They are now 1week and 1 day old.
We bought them home on Christmas Day and another adventure began.
Since they’ve been home, we’re starting to get into a feeding routine, with only a few mishaps so far
Sophie & Lauren have had many visitors already, clearly popular little girls. 
They’ve had lots of lovely outfits as gifts, so their wardrobe collection is growing.
Both are sleeping well, feeding well and generally well behaved.
Midwife seems pleased with their progress, Sophie’s stump (belly button) came away yesterday and Lauren won’t be far behind I’m sure.
Mummy is doing well too, C-Section stitch has been removed, the rest are dissolvable ones that will disappear soon.
As for Daddy, he’s adjusting to the feeding schedule with 3am regularly seen for “middle of the night” feed. Sleep is broken into short stints but I don’t think we’re missing out on too much sleep overall.
One step at a time and we’ll see how we go.
Birthday!
Dec 23rd
21st December will never been the same again.
Sophie Rose and Lauren Amelia were born into the world by Cesarean Section at 12:53 and 12:55.
Sophie was born weighing 6lb 1oz (2760grams) and Lauren weighed 5lb 9oz (2548grams).
Having reached 38weeks of the pregnancy, the timings were right and we booked the C-Section 2weeks prior but managed to keep the date a surprise. The girls were also a surprise, a lovely one at that. Daddy was sure it was a boy and a girl in there, but his 2 little princesses will do just fine!
Mummy is recovering well, we’re now almost 48hrs on from the C-Section and she’s up and about. Feeling a bit tender is no surprise, but I think she’s pleasantly surprised at how well she does feel.
Sophie and Lauren are feeding well, Lauren preferring the Apitmil formula bottle and Sophie preferring the natural stuff! Clearly Lauren is a little lazier… wonder where she gets that from eh Daddy?
No news on when we’ll be leaving hospital, Daddy having to return home at the end of each day, leaving his 3 ladies at the hospital.
We’ve so far had visits from Grandma and Grandad Cripps, Aunty Stora & Chris, James & Katy, Nanny Irene and GrandDad Tony. Today, visits are planned by Aunty Nic & Uncle Martin, Uncle David and possibly Aunty Claire, we’re not sure yet.
Best go, Sophie and Lauren stirring in their crib.
36w Ultrasound & Consultant
Dec 9th
Yesterday, we had our 36week Ultrasound scan to check the position and growth of the twins.
The good news is that they are growing well and estimated weight is 5lb 13oz each. Thats almost single baby size! Clearly taking after their Dad!
The interesting news, is that both babies are now head down rather than 1 breech and 1 head down.
This has thrown the “automatic C-Section” decision into some sort of turmoil now as we’re not sure the best route to take.
Hopefully the consultant today will be able to advise on his thoughts.
Report back later with feedback!
Our NCT Class Group Photo
Dec 7th
Meurig had the forethought to take a camera to our NCT class, so here is our NCT Antenatal group.
NCT Antenatal Group - Pre Babies (November 2010)
So, from Left to Right:
Steve & Amanda
Lee & Alex
Simon & Lindsey
Chris & Lindsey
Richard & Janine
Meurig & Kat
Greg & Sarah
So far, Chris & Lyndsey are the only couple to have had their baby. Edward was born on 30th November.
Who’s next?!
36weeks – Today
Dec 7th
Today, marks 36weeks in the twins pregnancy. With scans and consultant visits this week, we will hopefully get a view as to how long they will be staying put for.
They could be here any time soon, or they might be far too comfy with the cold weather and decide to stay put until the 40week due date.
Either way, I think mum-to-be is getting ready or getting fed up lugging them about in there
All our NCT classes are finished, 1 baby from the group has been born, so 7 to go (including our twins).
So far, the mums-to-be have met for Coffee and the Dads-to-be have met for Curry
The other date on the horizon, being Christmas, is approaching fast. So will the twins make an entrance before or after Christmas!
Babycentre says:
Your babies are still gaining weight – about 28g a day. They weigh nearly 2.7kg and are about 47cm long from head to toe. You may begin to feel an increased pressure in your lower belly and notice that your baby is gradually dropping. This is called lightening or engagement, and your lungs and stomach will finally get a chance to stretch out a little – breathing and eating should become easier.
The good news is that by the end of this week, your pregnancy will be full-term and you could give birth any day. Babies between 37 weeks and 42 weeks are considered full-term. A baby born before 37 weeks is premature and after 42 weeks is post-term.
Your midwife will be keeping an eye on what position your baby is in, to estimate how far your baby has dropped into your pelvis. This information will be entered into your maternity notes so that your midwife will know the position of your baby when you go into labour.
Note: Every baby develops differently. This page is designed to give a general idea of how a fetus grows in the uterus.
So, our little ones probably aren’t as heavy as 2.7kg each, but they should be growing well.
34 weeks
Nov 23rd
34 weeks today, we’re nearly there!!
According to babycentre:
Our babies now weigh more around 2.2kg and are 45cm from top to toe. They are filling out and getting rounder – They’ll need their fat layers later to regulate their body temperature once They’re born.
If you don’t already talk to your baby, this is a good time to start – at 35 weeks her hearing is fully developed. Don’t feel ridiculous if you’re already chatting in baby talk. Some evidence shows that newborns pay closer attention to high-pitched tones.
So, with 6weeks or less to go, are we ready?
Well, we think we are! We’ve got the pushchair sorted, the car seats ready and tested, the nursery furniture is built and filled with baby clothes.
Mum has had the Baby Shower last weekend and was given lots of lovely gifts from many friends and family. The twins arrival is certainly anticipated by many people now, so will they keep everyone waiting or will they come early?
30 weeks
Oct 26th
The twins are now 30 weeks into their 40week term. Although, from what we’ve been told by a number of people, twins are more likely to come early.
Preparations are coming on well at home, another delivery from Mothercare is due imminently which will contain the mattresses for the Cotbeds (already assembled in the nursery) along with other bedding items, changing mats and a 2nd changing unit that will live downstairs.
Nanny Irene and Grandma Julie are both currently organising the “Baby Shower” (click link to find out about a Baby Shower) to be held at our house in November. Thankfully Dad-to-be (aka me) will be Karting!
So, what does 30weeks mean for the little ones?
Our babies now measures a little more than 39cm from crown to toe. Their growth in terms of their length will soon slow down but they will continue to gain weight until they are born. They probably weigh about 1.3kg at this stage.
The babies lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed. They continue to open and shut their eyes. They can probably see what’s going on inside Mum’s uterus (womb), tell light from dark and even track a light source. If you shine a light on Mums stomach, the babies may move their heads to follow the light or even reach out to touch the moving glow.
Not long to go now! Whilst the house is being readied, are we?