Frequently Asked Questions Part 2

So a while back, I did a post called Frequently Asked Questions since I was getting asked the same questions a ton of times. I decided to do a follow-up including the same questions and our responses now and new questions we are getting all the time.

1) Do twins run in your family?
Yes. My maternal great-grandmother had 2 sets of fraternal twins and there are two other sets in my extended family. Since we are having fraternal twins, it is assumed it is because of genetics since we were not using any fertility drugs.

2) Were you using fertility drugs?
I think people are fine with asking this question because they generally expect twins to come from the use of fertility drugs (anyone heard of Jon & Kate?). No, we were not using fertility drugs or any form of fertility treatments.

3) Were you surprised to find out it was twins?
Yes. We joked about it and Luke even talked about it like it was a definite, but we were totally surprised when we saw two little blobs and two fluttering heartbeats.

4) Are they identical or fraternal?
We were pretty sure they were fraternal since they had separate sacs and placentas, but it was confirmed when we found out we had one boy and one girl (you can't have boy-girl identical twins).

5) What are the genders?
We are having one boy and one girl.

6) Do you have names for them?
Yes, the boy is Nathan Reid and the girl is Alexis Faith.

7) Will you still send Luke to preschool in the Fall?
Originally I said, "yes", but once we went through the logistics of him getting there three days a week (Lee taking him and me picking him up) and the financial cost, we decided against it. The preschool we wanted to send him to is 30 minutes from our house, so I would spend over an hour in the car with the twins and couldn't be guaranteed they would nap the whole time in the car. What if they had to eat midway? What if I couldn't actually get them ready and in the car by 11:15am? With gas and the cost of preschool we were looking at $200-250 a month. With two mouths to feed (What if they need formula?), we were nervous to put the extra item in our budget. Plus, we are going to be homeschooling Luke anyways and do preschool at home so it's not like he's missing out on the academic stuff. We also do playdates all the time so he is very social.

8) Will you still homeschool Luke?
I went into a lot of detail in the previous post and nothing has changed, so I will just say, "Yes."

9) Will you breastfeed or formula-feed the babies?
I am planning to breastfeed the twins, but only if I can tandem nurse (nurse them at the same time on the same schedule). If I cannot, we will try exclusive pumping so they get the milk, but we give it to them in bottles. If that doesn't work, we will do formula. I am not opposed to or set on any way. I just want to have my sanity, have time for everything in my life that needs me, and love on my babies.

10) Will you schedule the babies like you scheduled Luke?
Again, I went into a lot of detail in the previous post, so I will just say, "Yes."

11) How will you set up your house for two babies?
See previous post. Planning to do the same thing, minus that we got a co-sleeper that the twins can both fit in next to our bed until they total 30 pounds. We will be using that instead of a bassinet and pack-n-play so the babies can sleep together.

12) Are you going to have more kids?
See previous post.

13) Are you going to have them vaginally or do a c-section?
We are going to have a c-section. I am hoping we can plan it and make it that far. I had a c-section with Luke after 26 hours of labor and not progressing past 5cm. I would have had one with a singleton, so I am most definitely having one with the twins. We are hoping to make it to 37/38 weeks and having a planned c-section.

14) What does Luke think about having twins?
He is thrilled. He actually wanted twins and I told him I didn't think it was likely that we would have twins. I guess he knew more than I did. He wanted one brother and one sister so he is so happy. He enjoys kissing my belly twice, feeling and seeing them move, going to the doctor's appointments, and getting everything ready for them. I believe he is going to be an awesome big brother. I can't wait to see him with the babies.

15) What does Lee think about having twin?
He is also thrilled. He always said he wouldn't want to have twins (he wanted to enjoy one at a time), but the minute he saw them, he said they were our babies and he was excited. He is such a laid-back personality and doesn't worry or get anxious about anything (thank God!) so he is always positive and says, "Everything will work out just fine."

16) What do you (Ashley) think about having twins?
I am really excited. I wanted to have a baby right before Luke turned 2 but since we had him so young (I was just shy of 23 and Lee 25), we decided to wait. I was eager to have one and if Lee gave me the green light, I would have happily had another. We decided that we would try April 2009, but we decided to move so we waited. When the miscarriage happened I was devestated. So when we saw two healthy babies, I was over-the-moon excited. Two for the price of one. After the waiting (which wasn't always easy for me), God rewarded me with two blessings. I couldn't be happier. I will be honest and say I am a little nervous about the first few months, especially feeding them and getting them on a sleep schedule. I like all things organized, planned, and structured, but I am (slowly) realizing, it will all work out even if it's not in the manner I would like. ;)

17) When are you due?
This is the most confusing question. If I say, "November 5th," I get a ton of weird looks because at 30 weeks I am measuring at where a full-term singleton would be. I have learned to say, "I am having twins, so I am hoping they stay in ___ more weeks." It is so much easier.