14 weeks already.

I really do not know where the time has gone - our girls are 14 weeks old already!  Emmeline & Vivian continue to grow and delight us every day.  They really are such contented babies and are full of smiles.  We have settled into a very good routine and both Ben and myself are feeling pretty relaxed and happy.  The girls are still waking for one middle of the night feed but that seems to be getting closer to 5am now so I think in another few weeks they will get through till the 7am feed.

We had a doctors visit this morning and he was really pleased how well the girls are growing.  Emmeline is now 5.45KG and Vivian has for the first time taken the title of heaviest twin weighting in at 5.55KG.  The Doctor commented (like everyone else) just how happy the girls were and was dazzled by Emmeline's smile!

We have Nannie coming to visit on the 1st June and are all looking very forward to it.  I know that Jutta will be amazed at just how much the girls have grown and will fall in love all over again as soon as she sees them :)

My Auntie Valda hosted an absolutely amazing post baby shower for us while Jutta was last here!  I have to say the day was quite overwhelming - I still cannot believe how spoilt the girls were with lots of love and mountains of presents!!  Ben could not believe it when we got home and he looked in the boot of the car - it was absolutely jam packed with presents.  Thank you so very much to all of my wonderful family for a beautiful day!!

Last week we had a wonderful visit from my brother and his family.  Out two beautiful nieces could not get enough of the girls and my sister in law wanted to take one baby home as she reasoned I was being selfish as I had two babies LOL. We are planning our first big road trip to visit them all in July.  Six hours in the car with two five month olds should be interesting.......

I know I have been a shocking slacker regarding my posting but I have been keeping a close eye on you all.  Bernadette, I was so amazed to read about the early birth of your children and have been thinking about you and sending positive vibes everyday and will continue to do so.  So glad to see Scarlett discharged and I am sure in no time at all you will have Hayden with you too xxx

Congratulations to Doug and Bill on the birth of Cristina.  I am so happy for you and wish you all the very best!

Best wishes to everyone whatever stage of the journey you are at.  It's a roller coaster that just keeps rolling but it sure makes life intersting!

Here are some pics for you all. xxx

The bounty after our baby shower - Thank you Aunty Valda and Co xx

Girls big night out on the bottle!!

Mummy and Vivian

Mummy, Vivian, Olivia, Lucy, Emmeline and Aunty Carol

Vivian

Emmeline

Nannie & Emmeline

Lunch at the Pub

Feed me Nannie

Emmeline, happy happy happy!!

Vivian looking good!

The amazing nappy cake my cousin Amanda made - just incredible!!

Aunty Carol and Emmeline

The girls and Kenny the Cocker Spaniel

Bath and beer time - watch the baby you tow!!

Nannie and Vivien at bath time.

xxx

So good to be home!

Sorry for the long delay in posting an update!!  We pretty much hit the ground running when we got home and life has changed big time as you can imagine! 

We are so happy to be home with our girls and life is settling into a nice routine.  The girls are feeding, eating and sleeping well.  They don't cry much - only if they are hungry or have some wind.  Emmeline is our little efficient machine.  She just eats, burps has some awake time and then sleeps.  Vivian is still having some problems with tummy pain but mainly grunts and groans her way through.  They have both settled into their own cots in their nursery and everyone who has visited is amazed at how contented they are.

Ben and I are coping quite well (after the very long trip home and no sleep for about 35 hours straight and wondering what the hell we had gotten ourselves into).  We have our feeding schedule down pat now and do a feed together at 7pm, then Ben does a 10ish feed and I get up to do the 2ish feed then he is up at 6ish.  From there Ben is off to work and I stay home with our gorgeous girls.  Our first week was pretty rough as I found it very difficult to sleep but that is now sorted and I get up each morning with butterflies of excitement waiting to see the girls. It's amazing how everyone says that life is so different and it's so true.  I simply cannot imagine life without our girls now and I really am enjoying motherhood so much.  It really is different with your own children as even a big burp after a bottle makes me happy now!

We have been to the Doctor and seen the clinic Nurse and both are happy with the girls progress. They are both putting on weight and should by now be over 3.5kg. I have been advised to get some probiotics for the girls and will start them on that tomorrow which should especially help Vivian.

I spoke to a very lovely lady who also went through SCI and has two girls aged 7 weeks who lives in Perth so we are setting up a date to meet in the next couple of weeks.  I am really looking forward to that as it will be so nice to meet another mother who wont ask me a million questions of how the surrogacy process works.  To be honest I am getting a bit sick of talking about it and just want to move forward and just be a Mum.

Ben, myself, Nannie. Poppie, Emmeline and Vivian walked up to our local golf course for an early dinner last night and had a wonderful time with some friends.  The girls slept the whole time and as usual drew plenty of looks in their twin pram.  I had two women come up for a look and ask how old they were and when I said nearly five weeks they could looked at me and said "wow and you look so good" so I just smiled and thanked them LOL!!

Our time in India went pretty fast once we had the girls back at the hotel with us.  We had a night nanny each night and did our own thing during the day.  We didn't get out much - only to do the dreaded paperwork.  Our DNA results took a week to get back.  They got sent on a Wednesday and the High Commission only received the results the following Wednesday and we had our flight booked for Friday so we did not think we would get everything done in time.  Thanks to a speedy Citizenship process and our wonderful helpful man at the Passport office who got the girls passports done in about 19 hours we picked them up Thursday morning and went straight down to the FRRO.  What a truly undelightful place that was.  In any event we managed to get the exit visas and made our flight on Friday at lunchtime.

The Svelte was great (apart from the shopping centre renovations at night) and the staff were really lovely and helpful and thought the girls were adorable.  I would highly recommend Svelte as it really does have everything you need and having the shopping centre attached is a huge bonus.

I hope all of you in blog land are well and now that I have my new laptop (purchased Saturday) I am again connected to the world and am looking forward finding our how all of you are getting on.

Thank you to everyone for all of the beautiful presents the girls have received.  Their wardrobe is now full of lovely outfits, toys, books and teddy's that are very much appreciated!!

Now for what you have all been waiting for - here are some updated photos for you.

Little Vivian

Emmeline and Vivian in Emmeline's cot.

Emmeline at morning tea.

Emmeline and Vivian all dressed up!

Poppie, Nannie and Dad.

A very proud Dad with his girls.

Morning tea with the girls.

A little update

Firstly I would like to thank all of you for your beautiful, moving and funny sentiments on the birth of Emmeline and Vivian.  It's so lovely to hear such wonderful thoughts and makes us feel a lot closer to you all considering we are halfway around the world from home.

The girls are doing really well.  Emmeline is eating like a trooper and both are sleeping well.  Vivian had some tummy pain yesterday and last night but the Colicaid drops seems to have helped that a great deal today and she seems much better.  Ben is very impressed with the girls "monster poos" as he calls them and is very adept at changing them now after realising that the nappy is much better positioned over the bum cheek to catch the before mentioned "monster poos"!!

We took the girls to the paediatrician on Tuesday to get Emmeline's legs checked as she seemed to have some pain when straightening them.  Dr said it was normal for her age and to massage them each day at nappy change and sure enough he was they are getting better each day. Thanks Tammy for asking Gwen for the advice and Gwen was spot on :)  The doctor weighed them both and was happy with their progress so we will take them back next Tuesday for another weigh in.
The nurses organised through the clinic have been a Godsend and has made the experience much less stressful. We are especially grateful today as Ben and I are both sick with Delhi belly but Dr Shivani had got us on some medication and we hope we will be feeling better tomorrow.  We have spent most of the day in bed (when not in the bathroom).

We were discussing the pros and cons of being here and one of the cons was having to hand wash the girls clothes and blankets and then try to dry them with the small room heater.  We very quickly decided that having a nurse each night so we can sleep far outweighs the hour of so spent on organising laundry!! 

We continue to fall more in love with the girls each day and are finding it hard to stop starting at their perfect little faces.  The little sounds they make and their funny little faces they pull are so sweet.

Here are some new pics xx

PS - thanks Doug and Bill for the hot Mama and Daddy comment and yes I am now swaddling like a pro!!

Emmeline drunk on milk.

With Dr Shivani and our angels

Burp time

Snug bugs!

Emmeline sleeping beauty No1

Vivian sleeping beauty No 2

Our family all together!

We got to pick up our daughters yesterday and now we are all together at last!  The car ride back to the hotel was nice and uneventful as they both slept all the way.  We got back and gave them a bottle each and had lots of cuddle time before the night nurse arrived.

It was very overwhealming for me and I was pretty sooky for a bit but my wonderful husband was there as always to make everything OK again.  I guess I just felt unprepared for looking after two little people who rely on us totally.  Strange as I thought I was fully prepared but thats life, always throwing the curve ball!!  Today is a new day and I fell amazing and ready for anything (having a nurse on hand may have something to do with that feeling) :)

The girls look great and are feeding well and doing lots and lots of sleeping.  They are so tiny and look even smaller swaddled in their pink bunny rugs in the cot.

Wierd fact - Ben can swaddle like an old Indian woman!!  He is amazing and nailed it the first time _
WTF??  My first, second and even third attempt looked like I just screwed up the balanket and threw it at the girls.... 
Here are a couple more pics for you xxx

Dad and Vivian

First family photo!!

Daddy's perfect swaddle!!

Feeding Emmeline her 1st bottle

Tomorrow is the day (we hope)

We went to visit our girls today and were very happy to see them both moving, stretching and yawning.  We also got to hear Vivian's first little cry!  They are suffering from mild jaundice so are being kept in overnight just to be sure they are OK.  We were told today that they should be able to come home with us tomorrow - Yay!!

We have organised a nurse to come and help us tomorrow night and are thinking we may do this for the next few days.

We have filled out lots of paperwork tonight so we can spend tomorrow cuddling our daughters.  As Ben keeps saying they are just "mesmerising".

Daddy and the mesmerising Vivian

Darling Emmeline

Welcome to the world!

 

Welcome to the world (written Friday 17th - yes we are catching up now :))

Emmeline Jackie Webb - Born 14 Feb 2012 at 1.02pm 2250g

 

 

Our Beautiful Emmeline

 

Vivian Jutta Webb - Born 14 Feb 2012 at 2.38pm 2270g

 

 

Our Beautiful vivian

 

We at long last got to meet our beautiful girls at 12pm today. They are both in the Neonatal Clinic and doing very well (they were the biggest babies in there). The specialist said we can take the home either tomorrow or the next day. Typical India with the crossed wires of taking them home today but we both agree we are happy they are spending another day or two in the clinic. We are sad that we are parted for a bit longer but agree that we will trust in the Doctors decision.

Our girls are so cute!! I know everyone says that but they really are!! Emmeline looks very healthy and has quiet a bit of meat on her bones for such a tiny girl. She looks a little fairer that her little sister and does not have as much hair though it looks much darker than in the first photo.

Vivian looks smaller than her big sister with less meat on her bones (strange as they weigh about the same). She has a full head of black hair that looks so cute and reminds us of her cousin Lucy.

We both got our fingers grasped by both girls and I had to keep leaning away from the crib so my tears of happiness did not drown them! It was very emotional for me but I was not too upset to leave as we will be back with them tomorrow morning. Love to all of you, Suzie xxx

Bens thoughts..

 

What a week ! it all seems surreal ...... getting on plane to go pick up the kids! Life is going well but that saying still seems unreal!

 

Surprise Surprise ! middle names are after both Grandmothers! Or in Jutta's case Nannie! (Sorry Mum to make you cry & Jackie from what I understand I think you would be in the same predicament !)

 

I still can't believe they are here & how small they are but I guess that's how we all started, even so its still a mesmerizing thing!

 

Our Babies are Here!!!

Here I am sitting in the Qantas Club Lounge waiting to board our flight that will take us into Delhi just before midnight tonight.

We got the BIG phone call at lunchtime on Valentines Day that our surrogate who was in hospital had gone into labour.  Dr Shivani asked us if we wanted our babies born on the same day as she had reviewed the situation and was happy for Baby No 2 to enter the world with Baby No1.

We have 2 Beautiful little GIRLS!!!

The emotions have been amazing -
Relief that our babies are all OK.
Joy that we are now finally parents!
Sadness that we are were not in Delhi sooner for cuddles and kisses!
Anxiety  - have we got everything we need to parent 2 little girls??????

Our girls were born at 35 weeks and both weigh 5 pounds.  They both look big and healthy in the photos but I am sure they must be tiny.  We got the email yesterday to say that our girls are ready to be discharged from hospital when we arrive. That means on Friday morning we will be taking our babies back to Svelte with us!!!

We have 2 names that we love but are waiting to meet our girls before we make a final decision.  How did this happen?  How did we get so bloody lucky? Well better go as the tears of happiness are starting again.

I will keep you all posted and hope to post some photos once we get organised.  I hope everyone is well and I apologise for not bogging sooner but the last couple of days have been a whirlwind!

Love to you all xx