10 January 2011

celebrate twins like the Danish Royal Family

Greetings all,
Well a hearty congratulations to our Australian born Crown Princess Mary & her Danish Royal Family on the birth of twins on the weekend.  How exciting, i know twins were a complete surprise to us at that 14 week ultrasound & changed our lives.  My parents told me i needed a challenge as our first daughter was so easy!!
 
I do wish the media would calm down about the "OMG 4 children under 5, how busy will they be" as you know what, many of us mere mortals without housekeepers, nannies, extended family (or husbands!!) certainly not trust funds . . . managed it just fine!!  I had to giggle when the media were gasping that Mary was out & about with her other 2 children, days before the twins were due.  Guess what, life goes on & if you can fit behind the steering wheel, you can drive!!  I think Mary will do a brilliant job as from all accounts, she's not a 'princess', she's very real & a hands on mummy.  I had to drive myself home from hospital after having twins as my husband had his wisdom teeth out the day before.  See, life goes on!! 
I do wonder if Mary will get the top 4 questions i got wherever i went:
1. Are they Identical?? No, my twins are fraternal & yes, mummies of boy/ girl twins get asked this too & people will agrue with you they could be identical??  Honestly!! 
2. IVF??  In my case no, but really, what does it matter to anyone else!!
3.  Delivered Naturally??  In my case yes, again, what does it matter to anyone else!! 
4.  Breastfeeding??  After breastfeeding my first born for 18 months, i figured i was such a cow, feeding twins would be a breeze.  It was, i had plenty of milk for 18 months.  I loved breastfeeding (twin feeding) as it was the only time i ever sat down. 
I also used cloth nappies for all 4 of my children, that tended to freak people out, like i was looking for things to do, oh & launched my business too, seriously, easiest babies ever!!  They never even cried, so content & having babies in the tropics is extremely relaxing & calm.  We moved back to Sydney when they were 9 months old & continued with our tropical ways.  My husband went to East Timor (again) a week after we moved to Sydney, for 8 months.  This has set me up nicely, being so independent, that these 3 years i'm in the middle of, with my husband away, is quite manageable, not fun, but possible.    
We had twins in the middle of our 4 children while living in Darwin.  I was working full time in the oil & mining industry, so twins meant 'retirement' aged 26.  Ah yes, i got to be a full time stay at home mummy to our 3 girls . . . & never look back.  They will be 10 this year & yes, i'll be 36!! 
 Born at 37 weeks (pretty much full term for twins, thank you very much, i was a whale) . . . one natural, one breech & still has no sense of direction, combined a healthy 6kg straight into my arms!!
 They were a dream, like their text book big sister (& later on little brother), they slept for 12 hours a night from about 3 weeks.  No sleep deprivation for me!!  Also no sibling rivalry!!
 They have always been silly!!
 They have always been cuddly. 
 They have never liked or wanted the same things.
 They had each other on the first day of school!!
 They have ONLY ever worn matching pyjamas, not clothes.
 They start every new school together, but in different classes (their request). 
 They have always had different hair styles - starting from when they cut each others hair aged 2.
 They always stand out when we holiday as a family.
 They often pair up with different siblings.
 They are the least alike of our 4 children & often teachers don't realise they are twins or sisters!!
 
Twins are just something else, singles like me will never know what it's like to be a twin & twins can't really explain it to you either. 
Just in case this all sounded a little too perfect . . . i spent time in physio, tore all my transverse abdominal muscles, had to use crutches & wear a brace during my pregnancy, then do 20 months of Yoga to rebuild my tummy, just in time to get pregnant with our son.
So wishing all of you out there with twins an amazing adventure.  Love Posie

34 comments:

Melinda @ Here We Go Loopy Lou said...

Gorgeous photos! A friend of mine has twins and she gets asked those questions all the time too! Once a lady said to her "oh I am glad it is you and not me, twins would be awful". She said "well I am glad it is me because they are beautiful and I love them" - to be met by a blank stare!!!!!

Kerry said...

Bloody heck...you never cease to amaze me!! In an entirely good way of course :)

posie blogs Jennie McClelland said...

I completely forgot about those negative comments about double trouble & how awful to have twins. Love that response, yes, they come to those who will love them!! I did get a lot of pats on the back from older people thanking me for breeding!! Oh my all time favourite comment, i should do another post . . . "did you mean to have so many children??" Or "did you plan twins??" Honestly!! Love Posie

Christy said...

I get asked if my two boys are twins. Clearly, they are not. I think some people have poor eyesight and refuse to admit it!

Jennie said...

Great post Jennie!
My brother and his wife have identical boy twins. And our first was a twin, but we lost the other one while I was pregnant. My father in law was a twin too.X

Liz said...

Great post and great photo's of your gorgeous family Jennie. I never had twins, although I always wanted to, but had 5 babies in just under 7 years and got the same questions..! You just do it is what I always said, you don't think about it until someone asks how you cope, err duh, I'm a mum so I do..!
Lizzie
xxx

Maxabella said...

I loved this post, Posie, a real celebration of twindom. Since my niece and nephew were born 2 Christmases ago, the world of 'twins' has been opened right up to me. How wonderful to always have a buddy. I think that's very special indeed. And, yes, Coo was asked "Are they identical?" even though one is a blue eyed, blonde boy and the other a dark eyed, dark haired girl... go figure! x

Ruby Star said...

Sweet post. My twins were so excited in the lead up to Princess Mary's delivery. They were hoping they would be born on their birthday which is next week. I used to have people stand in front of the twin pram and ask if they were identical when they were clearly dressed in gennder specific clothing so I'd explain one was a boy and the other a girl and they'd continue on saying they could still be identical or mention how they'd always wanted twins etc. I mostly humoured them. Japanese peeps especially thought they were awesome. I breastfed too but only for the first 3 months. Getting 2 hours sleep a night and not all at once isn't as fun as it sounds. Thankfully I didn't get the Ivf question. My dad is a twin too.
Thanks for sharing Posie, it's always nice to see how others do it :)

Brenda @ 13 Acres said...

hats off to twins - and mother's that have them!!! I am always amazed by twins and I get was you say about us single babies that will never understand the bond that is between twins!! I was really pleased for Princess Mary and her new babies!! Can't wait to hear what she names them xx

beachvintage.com said...

Wow, great post Posie. Love this story, so touching. Happy New Year to you.

Thea said...

I loved this post too. Your twins are gorgeous and I love that they want to be in different classes. Quite the individuals but I'm sure very close. x

Cate said...

Wow, 37 weeks - what a fantastic start you gave them!!
And I split my rectus muscle too...and I was only carrying one! (darn you weak tummy muscles!!) You rock!! :-)
xxxCate

Unknown said...

Hehehehe, I love in your comment above 'did you plan twins???'!!!
You are amazing Jennie, I loved this post and yes I think the media are funny how they're making a big fuss about 'how will she do it, 4 under 5!'. Thanks for the inspiration, you have such a great attitude :)
Jxx

Sue said...

I have new twin nephews whom I am yet to meet as yet but I am looking very forward to it. My SIL says they are wonderful babies, sleeping well and doing everything for premmies that they should be doing. Your girls are super cute too. I think it is nice that they want to be in different classes and have different hairstyles, as twins arent one person - they are all individuals who are lucky to have a very best friend who shares the same birthday in most cases!

Freckled Sparrow said...

Gorgeous post! What lovely kidlets you have :)

Aussie-waffler said...

Oh aren't they just absolutely gorgeous, love that one still has no sense of direction *tee hee*. I can only imagine the challenges that arise with twins, I found just two, three years apart tricky enough :)

mamabook said...

I had to laugh at fraternal and boy/girl twins being asked if identical. My eldest 2 would sometimes be in double stroller together and ppl would ask if they were twins! The kids (twins included) are gorgeous. I always loved the idea of having twins and my nan and FIL both twins. But we got to 4 the singleton way.
Michelle (4kids1dogblog)

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

I did enjoy that post Posie! What lucky girls I say. I would think it pretty neat to have a sister the same age. How lucky that you had an older daughter to help you out too.

by marie-nicole said...

So nice to be reading one for your posts again Jennie, I've felt so out of sync with the rest of the world of late being so consumed with our big move... speaking of which thank you for your lovely comments on my blog.

I'm an slightly envious of you, as I hoped both times that I was pregnant to have twins growing inside of me. My hubby and I wanted four children and though it would be fantastic to have a set of twins. But it took so long to just have the two beautiful children that we are now just really grateful that we've been given the opportunity to be parents.

Looking forward to catching up in person again soon... we move down there next week!!!
xx

Naturally Carol said...

At least the mums and children of ordinary families don't have to put up with world wide media scrutiny when raising their little ones...makes you value your privacy!

bee said...

Ah Jennie, you really are a super duper mummy! What an inspiration you are to me, about to become a mummy myself (but not to twins!). Thanks for sharing your gorgeous photos and anecdotes :D
Oh and thanks also for your lovely comment on my blog :)

Heidi said...

I prayed for twins when I was pregnant but now I think God knew best...they do run in our family. Yours are so adorable all of them.

The teacher at school is pg and she will have 3 under the age of 3....this will be fun to watch. She's so excited, just an amazing Mom!

Corrie said...

awwww I've never seen those twin photos. adorablexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

corrie:)

Sarah B said...

What lovely children :) I doubt Princess Mary will ever be as busy as you. Yes, she is a hand on mum, but how hard can it be when you have so much help at your disposal? Uggh, I'm a cynic!
My Ikea book came yesteday and it's great! Thanks so much Posie x

Amanda said...

You deserve a medal!! You do so well with hubby away managing by yourself, I freak out if mine's away for a few days and I only have one littlie to deal with :) Sounds like your 'babies' were perfect sleepers etc. I have twin nephews (identical). Hope you're having a good week x

Raine and Sage said...

I loved this post! It's so true the media can still act like it's in 1950 in relation to women and children. You've gorgeous children and it was interesting to get a Mum's perspective on twins. My Dad is a fraternal twin, but interestingly he and his 4 siblings all look the same! :) I have twin friends (identical) that could not be more different in personality. Great photos!

Photography said...

Great post! Loved reading it :-)

Photography said...

I get all the time "are they ALL yours??" (I don't have twins though.)

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post, made me feel a bit teary. I can only imagine how awesome having a twin & being a mother of twins would be.

Kylie said...

You forgot to add beutiful:)

And you have such calm babies cause you are a calm mummy I know you have your moments like everyone but you love your children and it shows.

Has your soldier left you yet - could he bring the ark with him PLEAE - it is all getting a little scary here.

Off The Peg said...

Ahh twinies! I often think it would be great to have twins, but then I am not so sure about those traverse abdominal muscles - ouch!

Rachel said...

Wow, what a beautiful family you have! And the twins are gorgeous. You are a lucky mum to have been able to stay home with your kids, and they lucky to have a mom so dedicated.

Mon Alisa Design said...

What a beautiful post on your little treasures! x

Anonymous said...

I can't get past the bit about them never crying!!!!!

I'm speechless!

(Great photos!)