We have waited 4 years (of trying to conceive) and about 9 months since we began the IVF process and now we have two beautiful children, Evelyn and Elliot, born on November 9, 2015 at 5:01AM and 5:04AM. They were born at 4lbs 11oz and 4lbs 3oz, respectively. With a short one week stay in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) they were discharged home. Linh recovered well and had some postpartum issues that were resolved after 3 weeks.
As a father of twins who use a wheelchair, I've had to figure out ways to adapt to provide care for my twins, how to support my wife, and how to be the best father I can be. We share all areas of the child care. I change diapers, feed, cuddle, put the twins to sleep, talk, sing, and read to them. I built a changing table with my friend that is basically a small desk with a changing pad so that it is easier for me in my wheelchair. When pushing around the house in my wheelchair, I cross my leg and place one of them in there and my leg cradles them safely.
At first the twins slept together in a co-sleeper at the foot of our bed. If they are fussy and are awake I can scoot to them, pick them up and am able to take care of them from bed. They also sleep in a rock and plays or a bouncer in the living room during the day. When they were smaller I would pick them up with one hand. I cradle their neck in my hand and support their body in my forearm and lift, luckily I haven't dropped them yet (hopefully never, but it's bound to happen when they get squirmy and I will have to adapt another way). Now, I do the one handed pick up less often and I've started to grab them with two hands more often which is difficult without the use of my abs. When they are in their sleepers, I just grab the sleeper and lift.
Seeing the twins grow over the past five months have been amazing. Each child is hitting their milestones faster than we have thought. Both like to roll, laugh, chatter none-sense and in general are the happiest babies I know. This week we thought Evie came down with her first cold, but we noticed she was sucking on her thumb more often so last night we checked and we figured out that Evie is now teething and has a tooth trying to poke through her gums. Both babies have been sleeping through the night for about two months now and sleep from 7-10 hours.
Evie is our princess, she is the diva with a bit of an attitude...just like her mom. She's beautiful, bubbly and happy. Elliot is the go with the flow, quiet, observant, and chill...kinda like me. We both have our own mini-mes and there's always some type of excitement. I can't wait to see their personalities develop even more and how they continue to interact with each other and with us.
It's only been five months, but it seems to have gone by so fast. Every time I wake them up for their morning feed and come home from work, I get a smile from both of them...a smile that melts my heart. They are growing so fast and soon enough, they will be eighteen years old.
Our first Christmas together
Two Months old
4 Months Old
And our lil family last weekend at Tilden Park
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