Wrapping up maternity leave...

Friends!  20 Weeks ago I had my second set of twins!!  

here's a picture from September when they were just two weeks old:

It was nearly 8 years ago that I had my first set of twins!  Here are all my twins together, taken back in November:

As awesome as it is to have two sets of twins, that's not all.  I had two singletons 13, and 11 years ago.  Bringing my total kid count up to 6!  That's right.  I am now the proud mother to six lovely children:

And in these past 20 weeks, not only did I birth this second set of twins, but I also allowed my oldest son to turn into a teenager.  And if you thought having babies and toddlers was hard, just wait until you get the pleasure of entering the world of Middle School with your child.  And watching them grow up into a mini-adult, but still they need you almost more than when they were a baby (if that is even possible!).  Plus, my two oldest are boys.  A teenage boy, and pre-teen boy.  If I thought nursing infants every 1.5 hours for two months straight was crazy, these two boys of mine could eat every hour, on the hour.  

In short, I've been a bit busy for the past twenty weeks.  

But things are starting to settle in.  The babies have gone through a sleep training boot camp.  I finally got my evening back because they go to bed at 7pm and stay asleep most nights until 1am for their little night cap.  Along with their new skill of night time sleeping came the skill of daytime nap taking.  I am starting to get a collection of hours during the day when the house is once again QUIET.  It's magical.  I will never be ungrateful for peace and quiet ever, ever, ever again.  

And through it all, I've dreamed of sewing almost everyday.  Sewing is my creative outlet.  My way of letting off steam.  My way of sorting out the pieces of the day.  My way of forgetting all my failures from the day.  My way of making order out of chaos.  And I've missed it sew much.  

In October, I did turn my little babies into owls for Halloween:

And it was probably also in October that I finally made them each a minky backed carseat blanket:

Other than those two simple projects, all sewing has been on hold.  On hold while I have worked so hard to survive, and find my footing.  

I feel like we're in a good place.  

I am so excited that 2013 has proven to be a good year of sewing, so far.  The long dreamed of baby quilts that I conceptualized while I was still pregnant, are coming to life! 

This is the Plus Sign and the Inside Out quilt pattern from Cluck Cluck Sew.

I used my fat quarter collection of the Denyse Schmidt Free Market Fancy reprint that I bought sometime over the summer.  

I hope to get these quilted and bound next week.  But I cannot think of a better way of celebrating these past 20 weeks than with two completed quilt tops! 

Welcome to the World Eleanor Anne!

Welcome to the World Walter John!

Here's to hoping Maternity Leave is over.  And here's to hoping I get to resume creating things to showcase on MOM!    

*Felt numbers and letters are courtesy of my Sew Sister and Best Friend, Liz!  As are the #1 and #2 onsies.  Eleanor was born first, and Walter was born second.  Even though Walter is about three pounds bigger than his little big-sister.