Two weeks at home with two new babies

We've been home from the hospital for two weeks.  We've been busy entertaining a toddler, eating good food, and holding two little babies.  (They're still tiny, even if they have put on a little more weight.  Someone at the park commented that it looked like I was just holding a blanket in my arms.)  Before this stage of life passes completely, here are some thoughts about these newborns:

Identical?
Not sure.  Initially they seemed to look alike, but the more time we spent with them, the more we noticed little differences.  For example, Mila's head was a lot smaller and rounder, while Siena had a longer forehead.  Also, for a few days Mila had goop in her left eye, which made it easier to tell them apart.  As they both put on weight though, it's getting a little harder to tell them apart, or at least requires a double take sometimes.  There's nothing like getting done feeding a baby and rocking them, then realizing it's not who you thought it was.  If they continue to look alike as they grow, we'll end up having them tested (DNA) to confirm if they're identical or fraternal.

Mila/Siena

Mila/Siena... or Siena/Mila... not sure.

Personalities
After spending a few weeks with them, I'd say Mila is a little more cuddly and also gets concerned more easily.  She spends a lot of time with furrowed eyebrows and her forehead all wrinkled up.  It takes some effort for her to completely relax (and it usually happens when she's curled up on someone.)  Siena started out sleeping a little better (just like her first several hours after birth), but she kept me up for a long time last night so I won't give her that title of 'best sleeper' any more.  They're both much more calm than Tiago ever was and don't cry as much.  Thank goodness.  I'm sure as they get older I'll start noticing more differences in their individual personalities, but for now I feel like a lot of things change day-to-day and I end up feeling like they're slightly interchangeable.  (Around here you hear things like, "Bring me whichever baby that is", "This one was just changed", "One of them is crying.", etc)

Siena

Mila

Tiago and the babies
The first day we brought the girls home, Tiago almost seemed offended.  He wouldn't go near them.  Then he woke up the next day, and I think the reality started sinking in: those girls are still here.  Gradually, he's at least acknowledging their presence.  Once or twice he's rubbed their heads.  He brings pacifiers to them.  But beyond that, he's not interested.  If I try to help him hold one, he still will push her away.

The most interesting thing about his behavior the last two weeks is how affectionate he has become with the rest of us.  He loves to sit in my lap, be held, and have more one-on-one time.  I think he sees us spend so much time with his sisters that he wants his fair share.  For a kid that's never been very affectionate, it's kind of nice!

He's back to his sweet normal self, but last week he had a few days of complete terror, to include throwing his body around on the ground, throwing anything in sight onto the ground, and not eating.  I think he had some teeth bothering him, and he had a slight fever for a day or two.  Maybe all of his emotions took a physical toll??

When Tiago was sick, he fell asleep on my lap (second time that's happened... ever). We took advantage and had him hold his sister (Mila, I think).

Life has been fun: baking with Grandma (including eating as he went) and dancing with Dad

How do they sleep?
The first 3 or 4 days the girls were home from the hospital they slept pretty much non-stop all day.  The whole twin gig seemed like a piece of cake because there was nothing to do except change their diapers and feed them.  [The exception was the first night--they woke up every hour or two for most of the night.  On night #2 we started swaddling them, which seems to have made a big difference, and they're sleeping better at night.]  Now they spend a lot of time awake during the days, which is surprising to me considering their age.  They both like to be held and will fall asleep laying on you, but often as soon as you put them down they'll start to be restless.  Their 'witching' hour is usually in the late evening.  And if both of them start crying at the same time... good luck.  Fortunately, we have several hands around to hold babies.  But I'm getting nervous for next month...

Sleeping arrangements
We have them both in the same crib for now--Mila sleeps on the left and Siena is on the right.  It eliminates the need to think in the middle of the night.  Because they're so small we're waking them up every 3 hrs during the night to eat.  Can't wait for them to grow a bit!  During the day we put them a lot in these little baby rocker things.  They're definitely one of the best purchases I made in the last few months.    We can move them back and forth between the nursery and family room, and they keep the babies off the floor and safe from Tiago's reach.

Eating
I feel like one of the best decisions I've made so far is to feed them with bottles.  I had a very positive experience breastfeeding Tiago for almost his first year, but circumstances this time around are very different.  Even if I'd given Tiago bottles, there was no one around to split the feedings with.  With the girls, I have me, my mom, and Hyrum to cover feedings.  (At least for the next few weeks.)  Also, I think it takes less time to pump and feed both girls than it would if I were breastfeeding.  That frees up time to play with Tiago instead of being chained to the couch all day feeding babies.  They eat every 3 hours and I like knowing exactly how much they're eating instead of the guesswork that comes along with breastfeeding.  Eventually I'm sure I'll transition to formula, but for now this is working.  Because I'm getting more sleep, I feel less dazed and brain-dead than with my first baby.  And I love having a working brain so I feel good about my decision, even if it means a lot of bottle washing.

Day-to-day
Hyrum was able to stay home on paternity leave until last Thursday, which was great.  It gave us time to spend together as a family, and even better, it gave Tiago and Hyrum a lot of time to play together, which makes them both happy.  My mom has been a huge help with rocking babies, cooking (and baking!) and washing bottles (among other things.)  I have a descent amount of flexibility with getting out of the house, because whoever stays home to watch the kids can feed them bottles.  A few days ago we all took a day trip to the Nuremberg Zoo on the train, which was quite an adventure.  The girls have been out to the park (because poor Tiago hates being stuck at home all day) and to church.  All of these activities have been relatively smooth because there have been three adults around.  Next month Hyrum will be gone and my mom goes home, so getting three little ones out to the car to go anywhere will become much more of a challenge.  So for now, I'm enjoying my mobility and the chance to just run to the grocery store or pick up mail.  I'm afraid things are going to get a little worse before they get better.

Siena (L) didn't enjoy her first bath nearly as much as Mila (R).  I usually make my mom bathe the babies because she's better at it.  

Fish and manatees at the zoo