The babies were really great sleepers at the beginning, they would pretty much only wake up to feed. Lately it's been a little rough with them, but things have been getting better.
Jayna on the other hand is a great sleeper. Goes to sleep around 7:30 usually and wakes up around 7:00. If she wakes up in the night, something's wrong. That is definitely a rarity, thank goodness.
Last night on the other hand, I don't even know what to say. I noticed while Jayna was having her bath that she's getting her two year molars, but by her actions last night, you would have thought someone was murdering her. She woke up constantly until 2:30 and was screaming. We have let her cry it out in the past and have also done a bit with the babies, but this was by far the worst experience. We know that this is not normal for her at all and now she can talk and call our names, which is especially heart breaking.
All I wanted to do was sleep. It's the most frustrating feeling. After hours of trying, Jayna finally fell asleep for the night around 2:30 and then the babies were up at 3:45 (thanks to Derrick for waking me, because I didn't hear them) to eat. After that, I was able to sleep till 7:30!
Here's to a day full of coffee and trying really hard to be patient!!!! Hopefully tonight all three kids will cooperate in the sleep department. One night is all I'm asking for right now.
A blog about surviving parenthood with a set of twins and a three year old.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Rough day
Yesterday was not a good day. It went a little something like this:
Jayna peed all over the floor (which is really unlike her at this point) in the morning.
We were going out later and I wanted to bake muffins. Of course, this means she must help me but on this particular occasion, she was doing everything possible to drive me crazy and not listen.
I put the babies down for a nap in the morning and Davin napped for maybe half an hour and then proceeded to do nothing but scream for the next hour, no matter where he was. Mara also joined in on the screaming once she was awake.
I didn't shower the day before, so I had to shower on this day. By the time I got around to it, both babies were screaming and Jayna kept banging on the door the entire time. Just when I thought I could escape it all for 5 minutes. I was also hoping to blow dry my hair and put on mascara, but that just didn't happen. Thank goodness putting on a bit of jewellery makes you feel a lot better.
Where we were going involved a really short walk so I needed to put the twins in the stroller. Of course, this means that Jayna must follow me outside as well. This makes a 1 minutes job become at least 5 or 6 minutes, all the while both babies are still screaming inside. Because Mara and Davin were so cranky, I didn't even put socks or jackets on them. It's a good thing they were dressed earlier in the day, otherwise they would have gone in their pjs. It was chilly out, but it's only a two minute walk and I put a blanket on them. I still feel like a terrible mother, but I didn't want to deal with them anymore.
When we get home from our visit, I'm looking forward to quiet time. The babies cooperated, but Jayna definitely didn't. She threw a fit and then continued to play in her room for a bit. At one point, I heard a weird noise, but chose to ignore it....I will later find out what this noise was. When Jayna tells me she needs to go potty, I open the door to find her topless. She has never taken off a shirt by herself before so this caught me off guard.
Jayna gets out of her bedroom and heads to the bathroom. I went back to the living room, because she can do this on her own. She later comes out with an item that I'm sure I put up on a shelf above the toilet and she can't reach that high. I decide to investigate and I find her stool next to the toilet and the lid is down. Clearly she has climbed onto the toilet to get what she wanted. I ask her if she went pee, she says "yes toilet". I then notice that she did use the real toilet and not the little potty. By this, I mean there is pee on the floor, on the toilet seat, and her stool. Another clean up job.
Jayna comes out to play and starts moving furniture round in my living room. I didn't even ask her to stop because I am really not int he mood to deal with it at this point. It'll take me two seconds to put it back once she gets bored of this activity.
Derrick gets home from work and I'm about to take Jayna to the park for a bit. I go into her room to get socks for her and I now discover what that weird noise was earlier during her "quiet time" in her bedroom. Jayna used another stool to reach on top of her dresser and dump the entire container of fish food into the fish tank, on her dresser and the floor. I notice the fish floating at the top of the tank, but thank goodness he moved once I banged the tank. I don't particularly like cleaning the tank to begin with and this is a huge mess, which I don't need. I was not very nice and needless to say, Jayna didn't get to go to the park.
On a happy note. I went out and finished planting my flowers, (which I'm sure died last night due to frost, I'm so annoyed) and Jayna came out and "helped" me. It was nice to have a positive moment with her to end the day.
The best thing of all was that all the kids were in bed by 7:15 and then Derrick and I poured some wine and ate dinner. Then we actually talked. It was like a date, but we didn't leave the house or need a babysitter. It was very nice. I think we'll be doing that a lot more often.
end day with all kids in bed by 7 and dinner date with my hubby, no kids while we eat dinner and drink wine and we didn't even need a babysitter!
I do look forward to the babies sleeping better at night so that I have a lot more patience during the day. I'm not the most patient person to begin with, so this does not help. Mara and Davin are settling into a better sleep pattern, but we still have a bit of a ways to go. Here's to hoping this changes soon. Everyone in our house will be happier!
Jayna peed all over the floor (which is really unlike her at this point) in the morning.
We were going out later and I wanted to bake muffins. Of course, this means she must help me but on this particular occasion, she was doing everything possible to drive me crazy and not listen.
I put the babies down for a nap in the morning and Davin napped for maybe half an hour and then proceeded to do nothing but scream for the next hour, no matter where he was. Mara also joined in on the screaming once she was awake.
I didn't shower the day before, so I had to shower on this day. By the time I got around to it, both babies were screaming and Jayna kept banging on the door the entire time. Just when I thought I could escape it all for 5 minutes. I was also hoping to blow dry my hair and put on mascara, but that just didn't happen. Thank goodness putting on a bit of jewellery makes you feel a lot better.
Where we were going involved a really short walk so I needed to put the twins in the stroller. Of course, this means that Jayna must follow me outside as well. This makes a 1 minutes job become at least 5 or 6 minutes, all the while both babies are still screaming inside. Because Mara and Davin were so cranky, I didn't even put socks or jackets on them. It's a good thing they were dressed earlier in the day, otherwise they would have gone in their pjs. It was chilly out, but it's only a two minute walk and I put a blanket on them. I still feel like a terrible mother, but I didn't want to deal with them anymore.
When we get home from our visit, I'm looking forward to quiet time. The babies cooperated, but Jayna definitely didn't. She threw a fit and then continued to play in her room for a bit. At one point, I heard a weird noise, but chose to ignore it....I will later find out what this noise was. When Jayna tells me she needs to go potty, I open the door to find her topless. She has never taken off a shirt by herself before so this caught me off guard.
Jayna gets out of her bedroom and heads to the bathroom. I went back to the living room, because she can do this on her own. She later comes out with an item that I'm sure I put up on a shelf above the toilet and she can't reach that high. I decide to investigate and I find her stool next to the toilet and the lid is down. Clearly she has climbed onto the toilet to get what she wanted. I ask her if she went pee, she says "yes toilet". I then notice that she did use the real toilet and not the little potty. By this, I mean there is pee on the floor, on the toilet seat, and her stool. Another clean up job.
Jayna comes out to play and starts moving furniture round in my living room. I didn't even ask her to stop because I am really not int he mood to deal with it at this point. It'll take me two seconds to put it back once she gets bored of this activity.
Derrick gets home from work and I'm about to take Jayna to the park for a bit. I go into her room to get socks for her and I now discover what that weird noise was earlier during her "quiet time" in her bedroom. Jayna used another stool to reach on top of her dresser and dump the entire container of fish food into the fish tank, on her dresser and the floor. I notice the fish floating at the top of the tank, but thank goodness he moved once I banged the tank. I don't particularly like cleaning the tank to begin with and this is a huge mess, which I don't need. I was not very nice and needless to say, Jayna didn't get to go to the park.
On a happy note. I went out and finished planting my flowers, (which I'm sure died last night due to frost, I'm so annoyed) and Jayna came out and "helped" me. It was nice to have a positive moment with her to end the day.
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| Another cute moment yesterday. Jayna helped herself to Derrick's hockey gear. |
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| Thanks to Supper Central, we had a yummy, but easy dinner! |
end day with all kids in bed by 7 and dinner date with my hubby, no kids while we eat dinner and drink wine and we didn't even need a babysitter!
I do look forward to the babies sleeping better at night so that I have a lot more patience during the day. I'm not the most patient person to begin with, so this does not help. Mara and Davin are settling into a better sleep pattern, but we still have a bit of a ways to go. Here's to hoping this changes soon. Everyone in our house will be happier!
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Stupid things people say
I found this posted on the MBFOM Facebook group the other day and totally laughed when I read it. For most of the comments, I could sympathize as my twins are only closing in on 6 months, but we're out and about a lot and I get these questions all the time. I have added my own commentary in bold beside the original article.
Parents of twins face a special brand of stupid comments, delightfully all their own. Three friends, all moms of twins, recently gave me some keen insight from the frontlines. I've compiled their comments into a special list:
The Top 15 Stupid Things People Say to Parents of Twins
15. "I could never do it." (Oh really. What would you do? Are you suggesting I put them on the curb with signs around their necks that say, "Free to a good home. My mom can't do it"?) On a day like today, I think putting the kids on the curb is a good idea. Oh yeah, and if I don't do it, I'll have CFS breathing down my neck. My world isn't perfect and neither are my children, but we get by every day and sometimes we even have a lot of fun.
14. "Do they have different personalities?" (No. They are the same human being divided into two parts.)
13. Said by a stranger, "They're identical, right?" Mom answers, "No. They're fraternal." Stranger response, "They are NOT!" (OK. You're right. I have no idea what I'm talking about. These are not my children. I thought it would be fun to borrow them from a mom down at Baby Gap. It's been more than an hour. I guess I should return them.)
12. "Are they 'paternal' twins?" (Yes. They have a father. There was only one virgin birth.)
11. "Just wait till they're older. It only gets harder." (Thank you. I woke up this morning hoping I'd receive a word of discouragement while pushing a cart of preschoolers down the cereal aisle.) I find this one funny, because every mother of multiples has told me that it gets easier. I'm pretty sure you're not living my life right now and you actually have no clue how hard it currently is so mind your own business.
10. "When one cries, does he wake the other?" (No. Twins cannot hear each other's cries because they all communicate with their special telepathic language only.) We are actually lucky in this regard, although we get the question regularly. The babies usually sleep through the other one crying and they share a room.
9. From a perfect stranger: "Were they in the same sac?" (Hello. Nice to meet you, too. Will you be sharing your gynecological history with me as well?)
8. "Are they developmentally behind?" (Well, let's see. They're 3 years old and thus far, all their graduate school applications have been denied. We'll get back with you on that.) If someone ever asks me this, they will regret it.
7. "How do you do it?" (Haven't you seen the Nike commercials?) My response is, "You just do. You don't have a choice." If you don't....see #1 about CFS.
6. Said by a dentist: "I was shocked that they didn't have the same bite patterns." (They are two different human beings, not clones.)
5. "You must be so busy." (Are you volunteering to clean my house?) Nope, all I do during the day is sit around and drink coffee and eat bon bons. This is usually said to me while I'm shopping and I usually want to answer by saying, "Yes I am, now can you please leave me alone? I'm shopping with three kids two and under and I don't know when the shit is going to hit the fan."
4. Said to a mom of fraternal twins who are different sizes, have different eye color and different face structure: "How do you tell them apart?" (I just look at them.) For me, mine are also different genders so if I was really that confused, which I'm not because they look so different, I would just open the diaper.
3. "What do you do when they both cry at the same time?" (Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I go to Starbucks.) Sometimes I ignore them. I also realize that I cannot meet the needs of three children at the same time all the time so sometimes someone is unhappy. For the most part, they are good though.
2. Said to a mom of boy/girl twins: "Are they identical?" (Uh. Not exactly.) This is my most frustrating one. Usually after I've just said it's a boy and a girl (or Mara is clearly dressed in pink and Davin in a boy outfit), they ask me if they're identical. I bite my tongue and say no, but what I really want to say is, "take a second and think about what you just said." I'm sure if I said that they would think and then I would see the look on their face as they realized what a stupid question this was.
1. Only one comment could be voted No. 1. The choice was clear. Drum roll, please. After a stranger had been informed that the toddler boys were twins, she asked a simple question: "Are they brothers?" (Enough said.) I haven't had anything quite that stupid, but I do get asked if Davin and Mara are twins all the time. I feel like telling them that I didn't have enough on my plate with a two year old and a baby, so I thought I'd borrow someone else's baby to go do my shopping with. I may be crazy, but not that crazy.
Let's be honest. People are fascinated with twins. They don't mean to say stupid things. It just happens. It happens to all of us. Saying stupid things is one activity that joins us all together as human beings. Learn to forgive the frailties of others and enjoy the laughs later. Life is a journey. Enjoy the double-stroller roller coaster ride!
Once again, this is unrelated, but I will include these cute pictures to remind me of the good times while I'm having a bad day.
Friday, 25 May 2012
I'm surprised people still visit
After a visit like today, which was quite normal actually, I'm surprised I still have friends who want to visit with my children and I.
Today my friend came over with her little baby and Jayna didn't nap, which isn't the end of the world, but it usually means that there will be a moment when she has a crazy melt down. Thank goodness today's meltdown wasn't actually all that bad. She was being a little annoying so I put a movie on for her downstairs. Of course she only stayed down there for about 10 minutes, only to return upstairs to be even more annoying. This finished with her winding up to hit her brother, which I was close enough to stop and then carry her to her room. I returned to the living room with my friend and we chatted over top of the screams and Jayna banging on the door. After she calmed down, she played in the room a bit and then returned and was fine.
A little while later, the twins started wailing at the same time and my friend was holding her sleeping baby and laughing. I don't blame her and if I was in her shoes, I probably would have run out of the house. I decided it was time to feed the babies and Davin was so tired that he was fussing the whole time, meanwhile Jayna was being way too quiet in the bathroom. She had already come out once and asked me to unbutton her pants and returned once she was finished to pull her pants up. Jayna finally came out of the bathroom with a bunch of lotion on her hands and wanted me to rub it in for her. Apparently I don't look busy enough while I'm feeding two babies and one is still crying.
Despite not wanting to, I helped Jayna, only to have her return to the bathroom. Sometimes I choose to ignore the fact that she's too quiet because it's easier in the moment when I'm busy, although I sit there and wonder about what I'm going to have to deal with later. Without me saying anything, my friend got up and caught Jayna playing with the lotion again and now she had an even bigger blob of it on her hands. Needless to say, I've now put the lotion up too high for her to reach (as well as the scissors, but that's another story).
As I write this, Jayna is playing quietly downstairs, but I'll wait for Derrick to come home to discover what she's been up to!
When people come to our place or we go visit, I think they realize just how chaotic our world is, but I'm happy that they can laugh it off and like us enough that we are welcomed back. I'm sure this will change once the twins are running around!
This is unrelated, but this video makes me laugh. We really didn't spend any time teaching Jayna this, but here is a video of her karate moves
Today my friend came over with her little baby and Jayna didn't nap, which isn't the end of the world, but it usually means that there will be a moment when she has a crazy melt down. Thank goodness today's meltdown wasn't actually all that bad. She was being a little annoying so I put a movie on for her downstairs. Of course she only stayed down there for about 10 minutes, only to return upstairs to be even more annoying. This finished with her winding up to hit her brother, which I was close enough to stop and then carry her to her room. I returned to the living room with my friend and we chatted over top of the screams and Jayna banging on the door. After she calmed down, she played in the room a bit and then returned and was fine.
A little while later, the twins started wailing at the same time and my friend was holding her sleeping baby and laughing. I don't blame her and if I was in her shoes, I probably would have run out of the house. I decided it was time to feed the babies and Davin was so tired that he was fussing the whole time, meanwhile Jayna was being way too quiet in the bathroom. She had already come out once and asked me to unbutton her pants and returned once she was finished to pull her pants up. Jayna finally came out of the bathroom with a bunch of lotion on her hands and wanted me to rub it in for her. Apparently I don't look busy enough while I'm feeding two babies and one is still crying.
Despite not wanting to, I helped Jayna, only to have her return to the bathroom. Sometimes I choose to ignore the fact that she's too quiet because it's easier in the moment when I'm busy, although I sit there and wonder about what I'm going to have to deal with later. Without me saying anything, my friend got up and caught Jayna playing with the lotion again and now she had an even bigger blob of it on her hands. Needless to say, I've now put the lotion up too high for her to reach (as well as the scissors, but that's another story).
As I write this, Jayna is playing quietly downstairs, but I'll wait for Derrick to come home to discover what she's been up to!
When people come to our place or we go visit, I think they realize just how chaotic our world is, but I'm happy that they can laugh it off and like us enough that we are welcomed back. I'm sure this will change once the twins are running around!
This is unrelated, but this video makes me laugh. We really didn't spend any time teaching Jayna this, but here is a video of her karate moves
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Some happy moments!
I had a request to add more pictures to the blog. I have often thought of this, but I just haven't had the time to do so. Once again, I also thought that people didn't really care, but I am now taking a few minutes to do this and I will try better in the future to add more pictures. I also had a prior suggestion to update the picture of the three kids from the twins newborn shoot. We will be getting pictures done soon and that is one of my requests. Once I have those pictures, I will post them and you will be blown away at the difference in size of the twins....they are beasts!
I really like this picture as it reminds me of the joys of being a child. One of my favourite things to do with Jayna is to take her outside to play in the puddles. Unfortunately, this usually means in the back lane as there aren't really other places to play in the puddles. Good thing she listens and moves out of the way when cars come. Jayna is usually joined in the lane by our neighbour Tate. We are really going to miss those impromptu play dates once they move in a couple months.
The picture below makes me smile and is a reflection of the relationship Mara and Davin have. They are like a little old married couple. They are constantly looking for each other and one can be playing across the room from the other and they will have a conversation. When it's time to eat, they sit in their high chairs on the table for now and they are constantly looking over at each other and grabbing for the other one. I think it's so sweet, since at this age it's definitely not taught. I hope that they grow up to be close and include Jayna in that relationship as well. It'll be interesting to see what happens over the years.
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Potty training easier? Clearly you don't have kids.
I've heard many times that life is so much easier once your child is potty trained. I really do laugh when people say this. Let's start at the beginning...
First of all, we were very fortunate that Jayna was ready for potty training early. She was sitting on the little potty for months already, but I didn't expect her to actually potty train any time soon. In all honesty, it was nowhere in my plans to do so for the next while since life was busy enough with the twins as well. One day, I decided that I would let Jayna play around the house in underwear (we have laminate floors) and just see what happened. The first day, she actually peed on the potty, which shocked me because I didn't think it would actually work. From there, she would wear underwear at home and a diaper when we went out. I wasn't prepared to deal with that mess if I didn't have to. We had a few accidents at home, but they were easy enough to wipe up, when it was pee anyway.
After a short time, I noticed that we would go out for a few hours and upon coming home, I noticed that her diaper was bone dry. After this had happened a number of times in a row, I decided to venture out of the house with Jayna not wearing a diaper. For the most part, we were good. We have also been very lucky with the overnight training. Jayna went a week or more without a drop in her diaper overnight so we decided to try no diaper again. She has yet to have an accident over night and it's been over a month for sure!
As for the not so easy part. For most children, the pooping on the potty is the hardest part. Jayna had some issues because she would hold it in and then she would end up constipated and that would be painful for her, which would make things worse. As you can see, this became a vicious cycle. It also became very annoying because she would be in and out of the bathroom a million times for an hour or two and I had a million other things to be doing. Somehow, this usually occurred at the same point the twins were screaming. After giving her some stool softeners, life became a little easier and she saw some success in the number 2 on the potty area. Thankfully, the constant poop accidents only lasted a couple weeks. It could have been much worse.
I also find that now I have one more thing to worry about. I'm always asking her if she has to go to the bathroom and staking out the nearest washroom or taking note of the fact that we're not going to be around one. I feel like I'm now obsessed with the bathroom and my child going to the bathroom. I also have to have an extra set of clothes with me at all times....just in case.
And the most difficult part......I said to my mom the other day that sometimes I have a hard time remembering that Jayna is barely two years old. I have to remind myself about this when she has accidents as well. Sometimes it would be easier to still have her in diapers, because if she has to go to the bathroom and I can't get to her right away or we aren't near one, then it's not an issue. I find this the most difficult at the park, even though we haven't had too many accidents. A couple weeks ago, Jayna said she had to go potty when we were at the playground by our house. I took her away from the crowd and took off her shoes and as I went to pull down her pants, I realized I was too late and there was a huge mess. I felt really bad for her having to walk home with poopy pants, but what was I supposed to do? It wasn't supposed to be bath night, but it became so. Yesterday there were two occasions at two different parks. When she told me she had to go the first time, I just undressed her and she went at the park. I knew we weren't going to make it back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. This lead to a pee party for the rest of her cousins, because they saw her peeing outside. Later in the day, we were at Assiniboine park and she peed her pants. I got frustrated, not at her, but just at the situation. I guess we just have to do a better job of making her go and not just asking if she has to go.
Yes, it is nice that I have a few less diapers to change and buy, but at the same time, sometimes it would make my life a little simpler and less hectic.
First of all, we were very fortunate that Jayna was ready for potty training early. She was sitting on the little potty for months already, but I didn't expect her to actually potty train any time soon. In all honesty, it was nowhere in my plans to do so for the next while since life was busy enough with the twins as well. One day, I decided that I would let Jayna play around the house in underwear (we have laminate floors) and just see what happened. The first day, she actually peed on the potty, which shocked me because I didn't think it would actually work. From there, she would wear underwear at home and a diaper when we went out. I wasn't prepared to deal with that mess if I didn't have to. We had a few accidents at home, but they were easy enough to wipe up, when it was pee anyway.
After a short time, I noticed that we would go out for a few hours and upon coming home, I noticed that her diaper was bone dry. After this had happened a number of times in a row, I decided to venture out of the house with Jayna not wearing a diaper. For the most part, we were good. We have also been very lucky with the overnight training. Jayna went a week or more without a drop in her diaper overnight so we decided to try no diaper again. She has yet to have an accident over night and it's been over a month for sure!
As for the not so easy part. For most children, the pooping on the potty is the hardest part. Jayna had some issues because she would hold it in and then she would end up constipated and that would be painful for her, which would make things worse. As you can see, this became a vicious cycle. It also became very annoying because she would be in and out of the bathroom a million times for an hour or two and I had a million other things to be doing. Somehow, this usually occurred at the same point the twins were screaming. After giving her some stool softeners, life became a little easier and she saw some success in the number 2 on the potty area. Thankfully, the constant poop accidents only lasted a couple weeks. It could have been much worse.
I also find that now I have one more thing to worry about. I'm always asking her if she has to go to the bathroom and staking out the nearest washroom or taking note of the fact that we're not going to be around one. I feel like I'm now obsessed with the bathroom and my child going to the bathroom. I also have to have an extra set of clothes with me at all times....just in case.
And the most difficult part......I said to my mom the other day that sometimes I have a hard time remembering that Jayna is barely two years old. I have to remind myself about this when she has accidents as well. Sometimes it would be easier to still have her in diapers, because if she has to go to the bathroom and I can't get to her right away or we aren't near one, then it's not an issue. I find this the most difficult at the park, even though we haven't had too many accidents. A couple weeks ago, Jayna said she had to go potty when we were at the playground by our house. I took her away from the crowd and took off her shoes and as I went to pull down her pants, I realized I was too late and there was a huge mess. I felt really bad for her having to walk home with poopy pants, but what was I supposed to do? It wasn't supposed to be bath night, but it became so. Yesterday there were two occasions at two different parks. When she told me she had to go the first time, I just undressed her and she went at the park. I knew we weren't going to make it back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. This lead to a pee party for the rest of her cousins, because they saw her peeing outside. Later in the day, we were at Assiniboine park and she peed her pants. I got frustrated, not at her, but just at the situation. I guess we just have to do a better job of making her go and not just asking if she has to go.
Yes, it is nice that I have a few less diapers to change and buy, but at the same time, sometimes it would make my life a little simpler and less hectic.
Friday, 18 May 2012
Feeding....times two!
Feeding the twins has been one of the biggest challenges since they were born. This may sound really odd, but as a new mom, you enjoy the bonding time while feeding your child. Whether nursing or bottle feeding, it's nice to be able to forget about all the chores that need to get done and just cuddle your little one. These cuddles only last so long. These cuddles also help with the bonding process and to give you a moment when you realize that this is what it's all about, despite the lack of sleep and stress that comes along with a new baby.
During my pregnancy with the twins, I had thought many times about how I was going to feed both babies. I nursed for a day or so in the hospital, and then I eventually quit. I'm not usually that quick to give things up, but with two babies and a 21 month old running around, I wasn't prepared to be stressed about feeding as well (and nursing didn't go so well with Jayna). Judge me if you want, oh well.
So this is how feeding has progressed in our house. We started with two nursing pillows. The babies would usually be propped by the nursing pillow, then the bottle would be propped by a blanket. There are many experts that suggest against this, but clearly they didn't have multiples. At the beginning, I would try to cuddle one while the other was propped, but when their bottle slipped, it was hard for me to fix it as my hands were already full. The babies got bigger and we stopped with the pillow and would put them in the chair and the swing and prop them the same way. It was nice that during these times, I could usually get something little done, but at the same time I was missing that bonding moment. I could have held them both and just fed them one after the other, but that was too time consuming and I'm too impatient. I usually took advantage of Derrick being home to cuddle one or a visitor would also allow me the opportunity. They don't seem to be lacking, they still like me and they are happy babies.
Here's where we are at now. We introduced cereal about 6 weeks ago. Mara didn't take to it at all and for a few weeks we didn't even try to give her any. She got a little better and then we introduced real food. Last week, it was like there was a switch flicked inside her and now she's a good eater. Davin took to the cereal and food right away.
I remember how frustrating feeding time could be with one, but with two...oh my. Davin is usually hunched forward in his seat because he can't get the food fast enough, and if you don't feed him fast enough, he will let you know. I feed them both from the same bowl and spoon. This is what has been recommended by other moms of multiples and it has made it easy. Mara has her hands in her mouth in between spoonfuls, which leads to quite the cleanup afterwards. Yesterday she had carrots and peppers in her hair and her ear. Jayna is usually wanting to help feed the babies and this also contributes to the mess and the frustration, although she doesn't do too badly. They babies will now eat a meal of three ice cubed size portions and a bunch of cereal mixed in with it. After their food, they have a 4 oz bottle. I'm amazed at how much they eat and it really worries me for their teenage years. Jayna also pounds back a ridiculous amount of food usually.
I have been making the fruits and veggies so far. I remember making food for Jayna and it would last a lot longer. With two kids with huge appetites, I'm going to be getting my use out of my Magic Bullet.
I really do enjoy this time with the babies. Now they are both rolling over a lot more and interacting a lot. They follow Jayna around (with their eyes) and smile at her all the time. They absolutely adore her. The food experimenting is a fun time to me as well. I love the faces they make and I love watching them explore and try to figure things out. The babies have eaten apples, bananas, pears, carrots, peppers, zuccini, avocado, and either broccoli or asparagus is on the menu tonight. I look forward to the kiwi trial (Jayna's was video taped and quite funny!).
On another note, we got rid of the swing today. It's nice to see some more space in the living room. On tap for the weekend is getting new car seats for the babies and getting rid of the bucket seats (which are stored in the front entrance....yeah more space, less clutter) and also taking the bumbos to my parents' house since the babies can eat out of the space saver high chairs at our place. It's really sad that the twins are growing out of things, but at the same time, it's nice to get stuff out of the house. I look forward to visiting my friends and their little babies to get my fix and not having to go through it again myself!
During my pregnancy with the twins, I had thought many times about how I was going to feed both babies. I nursed for a day or so in the hospital, and then I eventually quit. I'm not usually that quick to give things up, but with two babies and a 21 month old running around, I wasn't prepared to be stressed about feeding as well (and nursing didn't go so well with Jayna). Judge me if you want, oh well.
So this is how feeding has progressed in our house. We started with two nursing pillows. The babies would usually be propped by the nursing pillow, then the bottle would be propped by a blanket. There are many experts that suggest against this, but clearly they didn't have multiples. At the beginning, I would try to cuddle one while the other was propped, but when their bottle slipped, it was hard for me to fix it as my hands were already full. The babies got bigger and we stopped with the pillow and would put them in the chair and the swing and prop them the same way. It was nice that during these times, I could usually get something little done, but at the same time I was missing that bonding moment. I could have held them both and just fed them one after the other, but that was too time consuming and I'm too impatient. I usually took advantage of Derrick being home to cuddle one or a visitor would also allow me the opportunity. They don't seem to be lacking, they still like me and they are happy babies.
Here's where we are at now. We introduced cereal about 6 weeks ago. Mara didn't take to it at all and for a few weeks we didn't even try to give her any. She got a little better and then we introduced real food. Last week, it was like there was a switch flicked inside her and now she's a good eater. Davin took to the cereal and food right away.
I remember how frustrating feeding time could be with one, but with two...oh my. Davin is usually hunched forward in his seat because he can't get the food fast enough, and if you don't feed him fast enough, he will let you know. I feed them both from the same bowl and spoon. This is what has been recommended by other moms of multiples and it has made it easy. Mara has her hands in her mouth in between spoonfuls, which leads to quite the cleanup afterwards. Yesterday she had carrots and peppers in her hair and her ear. Jayna is usually wanting to help feed the babies and this also contributes to the mess and the frustration, although she doesn't do too badly. They babies will now eat a meal of three ice cubed size portions and a bunch of cereal mixed in with it. After their food, they have a 4 oz bottle. I'm amazed at how much they eat and it really worries me for their teenage years. Jayna also pounds back a ridiculous amount of food usually.
I have been making the fruits and veggies so far. I remember making food for Jayna and it would last a lot longer. With two kids with huge appetites, I'm going to be getting my use out of my Magic Bullet.
I really do enjoy this time with the babies. Now they are both rolling over a lot more and interacting a lot. They follow Jayna around (with their eyes) and smile at her all the time. They absolutely adore her. The food experimenting is a fun time to me as well. I love the faces they make and I love watching them explore and try to figure things out. The babies have eaten apples, bananas, pears, carrots, peppers, zuccini, avocado, and either broccoli or asparagus is on the menu tonight. I look forward to the kiwi trial (Jayna's was video taped and quite funny!).
On another note, we got rid of the swing today. It's nice to see some more space in the living room. On tap for the weekend is getting new car seats for the babies and getting rid of the bucket seats (which are stored in the front entrance....yeah more space, less clutter) and also taking the bumbos to my parents' house since the babies can eat out of the space saver high chairs at our place. It's really sad that the twins are growing out of things, but at the same time, it's nice to get stuff out of the house. I look forward to visiting my friends and their little babies to get my fix and not having to go through it again myself!
Monday, 14 May 2012
Feeling normal, or at least not crazy
My neighbour told me the other day that she heard about a book that made her think of me. It's a book about motherhood and it's called The Conflict: How Modern Motherhood Undermines the Status of Women by Elisabeth Badinter. So of course, I walked to the mall with the babies the other day and bought the book. I'm not that far into it, but I totally agree with what she says (I will be discussing some of this stuff in a later blog entry).
I have felt a little crazy (and of course guilty, because that's what mothers do for some ridiculous reason) for my views on things, but reading this book makes me feel normal. After I bought the book, there was a Time article that has come out and is now quite controversial, which I will also be buying. I also just read an article in the Free Press on the same topic http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/the-tyranny-of-the-good-mother-151285025.html
While these articles and book may support how I feel about parenting, it doesn't mean I'm right. I'm sure there are benefits to other parenting styles and they obviously work for other parents, but just not me. Maybe we should all just agree to disagree and continue on our own parenting paths.
I have felt a little crazy (and of course guilty, because that's what mothers do for some ridiculous reason) for my views on things, but reading this book makes me feel normal. After I bought the book, there was a Time article that has come out and is now quite controversial, which I will also be buying. I also just read an article in the Free Press on the same topic http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/the-tyranny-of-the-good-mother-151285025.html
While these articles and book may support how I feel about parenting, it doesn't mean I'm right. I'm sure there are benefits to other parenting styles and they obviously work for other parents, but just not me. Maybe we should all just agree to disagree and continue on our own parenting paths.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Mother's Day
Just like valentine's day, Mother's day is another day created by the card companies and other retailers to make people buy stuff. It's great that there's a day designated to make us feel special and appreciated (if we're lucky), but unfortunately life doesn't stop for Mother's day (or Father's day even). There are still ball hockey tournaments, which Derrick is playing in again today, and once the kids are older, they'll have activities on this day as well. I also laugh at all the emails I received this morning saying happy mother's day, here's a sale on children's clothing. Great, it's a day about me and I'm still going to go shopping for my child. How about you offer free babysitting for an hour so I can grab lunch sans kids and then I'd maybe happily return to your store and buy a couple outfits. Win win!!!
So Moms, what do you want for Mother's day? I think most Moms wouldn't list material items. It really is those little things that the kids and maybe the husband put some thought into. I think most Moms would agree that they really just want to feel appreciated. We do more than most people will ever realize (I'm not even going to get into the lengthy list here) and for one day out of the year, we really want to feel special. Unfortunately for the husbands or boyfriends, the kids are too young at the beginning to understand any of this, so the job falls on them. I know my husband has pulled the "but you're not my mother" or proceeded to tell the kids (just Jayna last year) that they should do something for me. I find this extremely funny because when it comes to Mother's day, birthdays and Christmas for his own mother, myself and my sister in law (Derrick's brother's wife) are the ones who sort out what we are doing for his mother, not her three boys.
Motherhood is the most contradicting thing in the world. It is the most thankless job yet the most rewarding. It is the best yet the worst job. One minute you love it, the next you hate it. I know things will get easier and the craziness will slow down (or just become another kind of craziness) and one day things will be really fun. I really do love being a mother. A day like yesterday makes it really easy as well as right now; the babies are making happy noises and Jayna is cuddled up next to me watching videos of herself and the babies. Funny, it's Mother's day and Derrick is still sound asleep at this time, while I've been up for an hour already.
I heard an interesting commercial yesterday and now here is my version. To all the mothers who let your child barf on you so there's less mess to clean up and to the mothers who barf when their child barfs. To all the mothers who stay at home with their children and to the mothers who work outside the home as well. To all the mothers who let their babies cry it out and to those who can't bring themselves to do it. To all the mothers who breastfeed and to those who breastfeeding didn't quite work out. I could go on and on. You are all fantastic mothers and I hope you feel appreciated for more than just the one day a year. Happy Mother's Day.
So Moms, what do you want for Mother's day? I think most Moms wouldn't list material items. It really is those little things that the kids and maybe the husband put some thought into. I think most Moms would agree that they really just want to feel appreciated. We do more than most people will ever realize (I'm not even going to get into the lengthy list here) and for one day out of the year, we really want to feel special. Unfortunately for the husbands or boyfriends, the kids are too young at the beginning to understand any of this, so the job falls on them. I know my husband has pulled the "but you're not my mother" or proceeded to tell the kids (just Jayna last year) that they should do something for me. I find this extremely funny because when it comes to Mother's day, birthdays and Christmas for his own mother, myself and my sister in law (Derrick's brother's wife) are the ones who sort out what we are doing for his mother, not her three boys.
Motherhood is the most contradicting thing in the world. It is the most thankless job yet the most rewarding. It is the best yet the worst job. One minute you love it, the next you hate it. I know things will get easier and the craziness will slow down (or just become another kind of craziness) and one day things will be really fun. I really do love being a mother. A day like yesterday makes it really easy as well as right now; the babies are making happy noises and Jayna is cuddled up next to me watching videos of herself and the babies. Funny, it's Mother's day and Derrick is still sound asleep at this time, while I've been up for an hour already.
I heard an interesting commercial yesterday and now here is my version. To all the mothers who let your child barf on you so there's less mess to clean up and to the mothers who barf when their child barfs. To all the mothers who stay at home with their children and to the mothers who work outside the home as well. To all the mothers who let their babies cry it out and to those who can't bring themselves to do it. To all the mothers who breastfeed and to those who breastfeeding didn't quite work out. I could go on and on. You are all fantastic mothers and I hope you feel appreciated for more than just the one day a year. Happy Mother's Day.
Sunday, 6 May 2012
A Great Weekend
Of course, another weekend is coming to an end. This was a great weekend and that's why I felt as though I had to document it. Derrick and I started the weekend by having our neighbours and Derrick's parents over for dinner and then heading out to the wine festival with our neighbours. The wine festival was definitely a lot more enjoyable this year, as I wasn't pregnant. After we were done with the wine, we went to Original Joe's for their yummy nachos and strawberry mojitos.....mmmmmm.
Despite being tired yesterday, it was a good day. We came home late and the babies didn't cooperate in the sleep department so we made the babies happy in the living room and Jayna occupied herself for about an hour and a half so that we could catch a few extra minutes of sleep. Give Jayna a bit of food and she'll be quiet for a bit! During this time, Davin managed to slide out of the swing...oops. I guess we'll really have to make sure that he's always buckled in from now on.
Once we finally woke up, Derrick took Jayna to her last Kindermusic class. She really enjoys this 45 minute class every week. It's too bad she won't be back, but oh well. Then we took the whole family to Chapter's to fulfill Derrick's nerdiness and see some Star Wars characters. He hoped to get a picture of Jayna with them, but she treated them like Santa Claus and loved them from far away, but wouldn't get close to them. She would wave and yell hello and smile, but once Derrick would walk towards them, she would freak out.
During the afternoon, Derrick and I took turns napping. At one point, I was upstairs with the babies and Jayna had gone downstairs to play. She came upstairs walking towards me holding her arm out and saying something I thought was beer. Sure enough, upon feeling her damp, sticky arm, I smelled it and it smelled like beer. I guess she got into the empties in the basement, another oops.
We had an impromptu BBQ with Derrick's family, which was really nice. The older kids were running around the year and playing. The kids are at such a good age for this. At one point, Jayna walked away from the fire pit to go pee.....in the yard. She lifted up her dress and pulled down her underwear and peed in the yard. It's moments like that as a parent that you try so hard not to laugh as you tell your child that they have to go inside to go to the bathroom. Jayna seemed so disappointed by this news.
My favourite part of the day Saturday was that I got to cuddle my babies a lot. There are some days that I don't get to sit and cuddle them much so I really enjoy days like this.
On Sunday, I took the kids to meet a friend for breakfast. I'm so thankful that the kids are usually pretty cooperative when I take them out. Derrick got to spend the afternoon with all three turkeys while I went to a wedding shower. I came home and Derrick had done some art with Jayna. It was so cute to see. Jayna was so happy about it as well. Of course, it was a Star Wars inspired snow flake, but I laughed. Derrick is really good for playing with Jayna and giving her some quality time and creating memories. They also did a new puzzle and they were rocking out to Derrick playing the guitar when I walked in the door.
After a family dinner for my uncle's birthday, the kids were all ready for bed and I got to enjoy a bit of time to myself while Derrick was out playing ball hockey. I get out of the house, but I rarely get quiet time in the house. Back to the grind tomorrow.
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
You have to laugh at the craziness
I remember one day, not long after the twins were born, when all three of my children were going crazy and there was really nothing I could do at that moment to make all of them happy. I remember standing there and just laughing. I'm pretty sure I actually wanted to cry, but for some reason, it was so ridiculous at that moment that I laughed without even thinking about it.
Well, yesterday reminded me of that day. I am fortunate to have met my friend Lyndsie through the Manitoba Families of Multiples. She now has a three year old daughter and 7 month old twin boys. Lyndsie reached out looking for play dates for her children and me being the person who can't just sit at home and do nothing, well I bit. From the first time we met, I was thankful to have someone who understood exactly what I was going through at that moment. It also helps that the girls play well together and they adore all the babies, although they gravitate towards the twins that aren't theirs.
So yesterday Lyndsie and her crew came over for a visit. Our house isn't all that big. We had all six children as well as Lyndsie and I in the living room/dining room and all four babies were losing their minds. The older girls were trying to "help", but we all know that that doesn't really make things better, even though they mean well. It was such a zoo in here that we were laughing. Lyndsie thought that we should video tape it, but I figured that no one really needed to see those moments.
Derrick came home for lunch as usual, but he didn't know that Lyndsie and the kids would be here. He missed the really nutty part, but still laughed at the craziness. When he went back to work he told the ladies about what he came home to and they didn't even know what to say. A lady stopped us on our walk to the park and you could tell she thought we were crazy to be out with six little ones. Another two ladies were out for a run and they turned around just before they got to us. We found that funny (smart women).
I would like to thank Lyndsie for the weekly visits that help the day to go by faster and make me feel normal. Also, thanks for the numerous (and many more to come I'm sure) venting texts! I'm really glad we met. Here's to many more days of craziness.
Well, yesterday reminded me of that day. I am fortunate to have met my friend Lyndsie through the Manitoba Families of Multiples. She now has a three year old daughter and 7 month old twin boys. Lyndsie reached out looking for play dates for her children and me being the person who can't just sit at home and do nothing, well I bit. From the first time we met, I was thankful to have someone who understood exactly what I was going through at that moment. It also helps that the girls play well together and they adore all the babies, although they gravitate towards the twins that aren't theirs.
So yesterday Lyndsie and her crew came over for a visit. Our house isn't all that big. We had all six children as well as Lyndsie and I in the living room/dining room and all four babies were losing their minds. The older girls were trying to "help", but we all know that that doesn't really make things better, even though they mean well. It was such a zoo in here that we were laughing. Lyndsie thought that we should video tape it, but I figured that no one really needed to see those moments.
Derrick came home for lunch as usual, but he didn't know that Lyndsie and the kids would be here. He missed the really nutty part, but still laughed at the craziness. When he went back to work he told the ladies about what he came home to and they didn't even know what to say. A lady stopped us on our walk to the park and you could tell she thought we were crazy to be out with six little ones. Another two ladies were out for a run and they turned around just before they got to us. We found that funny (smart women).
I would like to thank Lyndsie for the weekly visits that help the day to go by faster and make me feel normal. Also, thanks for the numerous (and many more to come I'm sure) venting texts! I'm really glad we met. Here's to many more days of craziness.
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