Twins: Finding your Stride
Well Folks, again... it's been too long. I've missed you. ;) And a lot has happened these last few weeks! Babies have gone to baseball games. We've had college friends come and visit. Friends have gotten engaged. Babies got to see John Piper in person for the first time (don't judge us... the Mister & I both went to seminary... excuse our nerdiness). Like I said... it's been crazy. A lot has happened! But... I think we're finally there. You know that place after something crazy and life changing has happened and for months you can't quite figure out where you're going, what you're doing, and HOW exactly to do life again. Well, we're finally PAST that.
(insert falling balloons, confetti, a live band, a trophy, & a party cake. GLORY. HALLELUJAH. & Amen? AMEN.)
It might have taken us 7 1/2 months, but I feel as though we've finally found our new normal. Don't get me wrong, we still have tough days and setbacks (two teeeeeeeeething babies at the same time... HELLO.), but I feel like we've finally hit our stride. I was told it can take anywhere from 6-12 months with twins and with preemies it usually is closer to the latter, so I'm thankful. And please, hear me out. I'm not saying this to brag or boast, but instead hopefully to encourage any other families with twins out there.
These past 7 months have been the hardest of our lives. But it has also been the most rewardingly beautiful, crazily amazing, overwhelmingly joyous days in our lives! YET as a mom, it's hard not to compare to other folks. I had quite a few friends have babies at similar times and I would look at their lives and constantly compare to where they were at & where I was at. And at the end of the day, I felt like I was behind (which is why we should NOT compare... but let's be honest... it happens). I saw folks getting out and about, going and doing so much more than I felt that I was able to do! And here's the thing, if you are there now, please please please know this...
It is ok.
You take your time, because I promise, your time is coming. You WILL find your new normal. Your stride is just around the corner, keep going!
One morning you'll wake up after 5-6 hours of sleep and go... Holy Cow. I feel good about today. And then one day you'll be out in public and someone will ask to hold your babies and although you have officially been trained by your doctors to say NO (if you had severely premature babies), you'll finally be able to let go of it all and hand your baby over without having an internal nervous breakdown or squirting the kind soul with GermX. And step, by step, you'll figure it out. You'll consistently take your twins out to the grocery store or to church or to wherever it is that you go, and one day you'll come home from a full "normal" day and say to yourself, "I've got it. I can do this. AND I love it."
It might not be at 3-4 months like the rest of your friends. And it might not even be within the normal time frame for twins (6-12 months), but I promise... one day it's going to click. And out of nowhere, you'll find your stride.
To the mama of twins, in the thick of it all right now, I promise... you WILL sleep again. You WILL go out again. You WILL be able to go to the grocery store. You WILL feel like yourself again. You WILL run again & you WILL find your stride.
Your normal will look differently than life before twins, & it will definitely look than others'. But you will find YOUR normal.
Give yourself time. Stop comparing. It will happen.
Much love to you all,
