Doctor Tells Mom To Rest...

I was out of commission towards the end of 2018. I got a sore throat the day after Christmas which I thought would go away if I rested a bit and gargled with warm salt water but by the middle of the day things quickly escalated to a flu-like illness. I had joint pain, a terrible headache and even lost my voice. I was down the whole afternoon and only woke up for dinner.

The following day, I went to the doctor and she told me I had a viral infection that would resolve itself within a week or so but I had to rest.

Surprised by our favorite lullaby

When the twins were newborns, my go to song whenever they would cry was You Are My Sunshine. All I had to do was start singing it and they would instantly keep quiet. It was a win-win for everyone because the song helped me relax too. It worked in any given situation from the small stuff like when they would get cranky after waking up from a nap, to the big stuff like when they had to go through blood extractions during their hospital confinements. I must have sung the song at least 20 times a day in 2017.

 

Life Before Kids Vs. After Kids

The photo above was taken exactly two years ago. Joey and I were already married for 14 months and hoping to start a family. A few months later, we found out we had two babies on the way. Twins! Imagine that! While we both knew parenthood would entail enormous responsibility, we didn't expect that it would mean...

My First Time Attending A Twin Parent Support Group Meeting

As a mom of twins, I've gotten used to drawing lots of attention whenever we go out. At the doctor's clinic, at restaurants, and even in restrooms, people just come out of nowhere to ask "Are they twins?" But even though people notice us all the time (we're pretty hard to miss with the million stuff we're lugging around), there are times when I can't help but feel invisible because people find it difficult to relate to my experiences as a twin mom.

Yaya Problems

Mary Poppins (1964), from Disney Screencaps

Joey and I both work so we hired yayas (nannies) to take care of the twins while we're at the office. They would each be in charge of one baby and share in other baby-related chores like washing bottles, baby laundry and some light housework, which I'm told is the normal job description of a yaya. We also gave them a good package: salary way above minimum wage, paid time off and holidays, SSS contributions, healthcare,  and of course free board and lodging. 

So far, we've gone through 7 yayas. Yup 7!

Mommy Motto

I have always admired Amy Poehler as a comedian and a writer. My favorite character of hers is Mrs. George from Mean Girls. Remember this:

It never gets old! But I recently came across a statement of hers (Amy's not Mrs. George's!) about motherhood which I think should be a mantra for all mothers:

When Is It OK To Ask A Woman If She's Pregnant?

"We have strollers in pink and blue. How far along is your pregnancy? Do you already know the gender?" asked the sales assistant. Yes, a girl and a boy. Except I knew because I already gave birth to my twins two weeks ago. I kept the last sentence to myself. My husband and I were in a hurry. Our twins were born three weeks early so they were still in the hospital. We just made a quick trip to the mall to buy their strollers and car seats then it's back to the hospital to be with our babies and do kangaroo care.

That was definitely not what I needed. But I just let it slide because I had bigger things to worry about. Then it happened again when I was 6 weeks postpartum. Here's the exchange:

Me: Do you have a wedge pillow for babies? (Shows photo)

Sales Assistant #1: We used to have that but now it's out of stock. (Turns to Sales Assistant #2) Right?

Sales Assistant #2: Yes. (Turns to me) Ma'am what you should get is a maternity pillow to help you sleep.

Me: No it's OK thanks.

SA #2: It's really helpful. I used it when I was pregnant and it helped with my back. How many months pregnant are you? When you're nine months pregnant your tummy will get even bigger and make your back sore.

Me: I already gave birth 6 weeks ago. AND YOU JUST LOST ANY SALES YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE OFF ME!

Don't worry, I also kept that last sentence to myself. Along with the thought that we really need to be careful when it comes to asking a woman if she's pregnant or when her due date is. To make it easy, we should have a reference guide like this:

They Grow So Fast

When we were able to bring Audrey and Antonino home, they only weighed 4.9 and 5 pounds respectively. They were born 3 weeks early so they had to stay in the hospital until they reached term. My mom bought them cute going home outfits which they didn't get to wear because they were too big for preemies. They were also gifted plenty of cute clothes by family and friends. While most of them were sized newborn or 0-3 months, the twins still looked like they were in togas when they wore them. I was so scared that my tiny babies won't be able to grow.

What is Motherhood?

I have only been a mom for three months and in those three months, I can say that motherhood is…

Figuring out whether your baby’s cry is a call for milk, nappy change or a need to be held.

Buying skin firming gel in an attempt to get your pre-pregnancy tummy back but not getting to put it on regularly because you already consider yourself so lucky to get 5 minutes a day to shower.

Giving up chocolates and nuts when you’re breastfeeding and your baby has a sensitive stomach.