Tonight at a family Super Bowl party was the first time that all of the immediate Balhoff cousins have been together since the twins were born. The girls were very interested in the twins… especially in Claire.
So the girls were happy to sit together for a few photos.
Each one wanted a chance to Continue reading
Caption contest! Ready… set… go:
I’ve decided that the timing has to be just right to photograph twins together.
Claire, Edward, and I have a pretty packed schedule right now. I’m feeding them separately, administering medicine, pumping, and sterilizing bottles every 3 hours while we’re trying to get rid of thrush. In the few “free” minutes between cycles, I’ve yet to get the timing right to photograph two happy babies. Every picture I try to take of them together has either one or both crying. Awe… look at the unhappiness:
It works a little better to give Edward a chance to relax:
And to give Claire Continue reading
My pregnancy with the twins was relatively uncomplicated. We managed to avoid some high-risk hassles like gestational diabetes, bed rest, preterm labor, etc. I experienced (double?) my share of unpleasant pregnancy symptoms, but the twins were perfectly content and healthy throughout the pregnancy. They seemed in no rush to join the rest of us. At 37.5 weeks it was time to intervene and introduce them to the world.
Edward was breech, so we scheduled a c-section. I asked if the date could be pushed out a few days from Dec 17 (37 weeks gestation) to be Continue reading
I have a new appreciation for professional photographers who take adorable photos of twin newborns together. It was trickier than I expected. Before I started, I assumed I could get pics of one twin, pics of the twins together, then pics of the other twin. It took so much longer than I expected that I lost the natural light from the window, couldn’t keep the babies asleep, and ran out of time once our 3-hour feeding schedule started over. I was also using Patrick’s bedroom as my “studio”, and he needed it to take his nap. The result was that I had a very short window to try to capture them together. According to the image timestamps, they were together, still, and quiet from 3:23:17 – 3:24:12 pm. That wasn’t much time!
I would have liked to adjust them more, but here’s what I got of my precious babies for their 2-week-old twin “portrait”. Claire is on the left and Edward’s on the right:
Claire & Edward, 2 weeks old
I was able to get several cute shots of Edward before Continue reading
This morning under my tree, I found exactly what I never knew I always wanted.
Santa and two tiny elves were seen leaving Woman’s Hospital tonight…
Just in time to be home for the holidays! 
Our twins were born yesterday, and it was amazing to finally meet our two beautiful, healthy babies. (More photos and details coming soon.) There are many perfect moments to remember from their birthday yesterday, but this morning might have been my favorite part of welcoming the twins to our family. That’s because Patrick got to meet his new baby sister and baby brother this morning!
From the moment Patrick saw the twins, he was in awe. He was literally speechless. He couldn’t stop smiling at them, smiling at us, and smiling back at them.
He loved looking at their faces, holding their Continue reading
First we were just two…
Then Patrick made us three…
And now…
37-weeks pregnant with twins
… to be continued…
… VERY SOON!
Patrick is 3 years old! I love birthday parties, and we have been looking forward to this event for months. Really… Patrick has been asking for a “bug party” for his 3rd birthday since last spring. He loves insects; he loves to read about them, watch the movie MicroCosmos, and look at them at museums. We need to take our “junior entomologist” to the Insectarium in New Orleans once the twins and I are mobile enough to make a day of it. For now the big event was a Birthday Bug Safari! We invited family and hosted it at our house in an attempt to keep the party “small” with Patrick’s nine cousins.
The party was two weeks ago, ahead of his birthday, because I didn’t want the twins to make a surprise appearance. I’m glad we had the party when I was one day shy of 33 weeks pregnant instead of this weekend. I was much more capable and mobile just two weeks ago.
In the carport we set out tables, chairs, and everything for pizza lunch. I decorated with Continue reading
Camp-Counselor Mom 