The featured blogger this week is Tricia of Life with Gemelos! Tricia is the proud MoM of twins Leah and Isabella. Tricia’s blog is a virtual baby book that she hopes her girls will look back on one day.

What got you into blogging?

I started the blog when the girls were first born to keep family members (my dad who lives in GA and in-laws who live in South America specifically) informed and to share pictures… but it has really turned in to a digital baby book for the girls. I don’t have the time (or energy) to create a baby book, so I use this to keep track of what is going on in their lives. I want them to be able to look back at it to see what they were like at each milestone. I have also already had to look back on it to remember things….as I am sure most multiple parents can attest to…so much of the first year (and beyond) is a blur, so it has been nice to be able to look back and remember specific moments! I can’t wait to share this with them when they get a little older!!

Were you surprised to find out you were having twins?

Aghhh!! YES! We tried to get pregnant for about a year…which seemed like FOREVER to me (although I know compared to so many it is nothing!). So, when we found out I was pregnant, I was beyond excited. The first time we went to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy, here was how the visit went:

Doctor: “Here’s the heartbeat…aaaaaand here’s another one.” Husband: “Another WHAT??” Doctor: “Another baby…you’re having twins…congratulations!” Husband smiles, “Oh, OK!” Doctor leaves the room for a minute…Husband: “WTH! How did this happen?!? Did you take drugs to make this happen? WTH?” Needless to say, he was a little shocked…and it took quite a while for him to adjust to the idea. In fact, it took us both a while to adjust. But…now, we can’t imagine what life with only one baby would be like. We wouldn’t trade our two blessings for anything in the world!!

You mentioned you struggled in the first 3 months of your twins life , can you share your experience and offer some advice for families who may be going through something similar?

The first three months were miserable. Really. Miserable. They felt like THE LONGEST three months ever. I struggled with everything. Everything! I couldn’t figure out the breastfeeding thing…I wanted to breastfeed to have the “bond” with the girls, but i felt like I wasn’t bonding with them at all. The girls had such bad acid reflux and always seemed to be in pain and upset. I felt like I had so many people “supporting” me, but i felt completely alone. I felt like NO ONE, not even my husband, could understand how I felt. I felt life would NEVER NEVER NEVER be the same. I longed to sit on the couch and watch a football game, to go to the store without feeling rushed, to wear “nice” clothes. I felt like I was in a thick fog and would never get to have those things again! Don’t get me wrong…I did love the girls and enjoyed having them around…but it was just so H-A-R-D! But…around the 3rd month, all the sudden it started to get better. It was like the fog was clearing and I could see some normalcy coming back….not a lot, but just a hint.

Each month, things seemed to get a little easier. The more things they learned to do (i.e. sit up, crawl, walk), the easier it seemed to get. I mean…it was (IS!) still hard, but life started getting a little more normal. I still have days where I think…”holy cow…how am I goign to get through today?” But, the good things are FAR outweighing the hard. Hearing them speak a new word, master a new skill, or just give me a big hug and kiss make all the hard worth it. It does get better!! I guess my advice would be to hang in there…know that so many people know exactly how you feel. Get in touch with a local multiples group and utilize them! Just sending an email out to the group and having them confirm my feelings helped SO much.

You mentioned your family loves the outdoors, what are some of your favorite things to do outdoors as a family?

Well, right now its going to the pool. My girls are FEARLESS in the water! They LOVE to dive under the water. Everyone stares at us because they are so crazy! We also have been taking the girls hiking quite a bit. They love to jump off of the rocks and run down the paths. Other than that, we just spend a lot of time going on walks, going to the neighborhood playground, playing on the deck…pretty much anything that gets us out of the house. The girls are constantly asking to go “ou-side!”