As most of you know, my SIL has been watching the kids all year. We agreed it would be for one year and she has done a great job.
The kids were supposed to start "real" daycare on February 1st but we've decided to push it up and they are now starting January 3rd.
I'm so excited (and nervous) for the twins. I know they are ready. They need more activity and stimulation than running errands with my SIL during the day. They need to be with kids their age. They need to learn.
And, if you currently have a child in daycare, you also know the cost. We've been bracing for this. $2,200 per month. OUCH!
We can do it but we are going to need to stay disciplined and on a tight budget. I'm talking $20 leftover out of each paycheck after all of the bills and essentials are paid. Double OUCH!
The twins have made some great strides over the last week with eating. They have successfully (and willingly) eaten chicken nuggets (whole grain breaded), diced chicken breast, meatloaf, Kraft mac 'n cheese and a 1/4 cheeseburger.
They are also learning how to drink out of a cup (without the sippy part). We have some work to do on that one.
Uh oh - naptime is over.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Updates
I have a few minutes while the twins are napping so I thought I'd make an appearance!
Thanksgiving went well. As I mentioned in my last post, we ordered dinner from Wegmans. It was good but didn't really save much time as far as getting the food to the table. It still took about 2 1/2 hours to heat everything but it accomplished what I wanted - spending more time with my family.
We've all been fighting "the funk" for the last month. I started with a cold that turned into a sinus infection and tonsilitis in early November. Yeah, I know. Who gets tonsiliits besides 10 year olds, right? One round of antibiotics didn't do anything and I ended up with bronchitis. So, basically, I was on antibiotics the whole month of November. I am feeling better now except I still have little bit of a cough.
The kids have been trading colds. I try to protect them from each other but let's face it. They swap spit on all of their toys so it's a lost cause.
We had an adult night out last night for DH's company Christmas party. It was a very fancy event and I even got to buy a new dress for it. It was nice to get out by ourselves but we're not the party animals we used to be. By 10:00, we were falling asleep and called it a night. That's how we roll these days.
The kids are doing great and hitting milestones left and right.
Kendall is so, so close to walking but she's not quite confident enough yet. She's a mad woman with her walker and she loves to walk holding our fingers but she's still very hesitant if you try to let go. She has taken 2-3 steps if DH and I sit on the floor and have her walk between us.
Christopher has been walking for about 2 months and he's all over the place. He is now starting to climb, which presents its own set of challenges. He pulls himself up on the ottoman and jumps off the other side. He can climb on the couch if he gets the right leverage.
They both have 8 teeth now - 4 up top and 4 on the bottom.
We are in full-on finger foods now although it's still hit or miss on what they will eat. So far, pancakes, waffles bananas, wheat bread and grilled cheese are a hit every time. They did have some mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and turkey on Thanksgiving. We have also tried eggs, most veggies and some fruit (they don't like the texture of some fruit like peaches). They are still eating the jarred 3rd foods but I always introduce "real" food first and then supplement with the jarred. They have been on cow's milk for about 3 weeks. Christopher transitioned well but Kendall has been battling constipation off and on. I just bought some pear juice so I'll try to give her that once/day along with some other fiber-rich foods and fruits.
They are both becoming much more interactive. They will both pretend like they are talking on the phone if I say "hello"? I even caught Christopher "talking" into a phone. He just kept saying "Da" and "Yeah". Christopher is saying "no" and I swear he's saying "Mmmm, good" when he eats. Kendall isn't saying any words that I can recognize yet but she definitely understands. She loves this sock monkey doll she got for her birthday and she will go and find it if I ask where it is. We also play the "give me something so I say thank you and give it back to you" game.
Well, nap time is over. Gotta run.
Thanksgiving went well. As I mentioned in my last post, we ordered dinner from Wegmans. It was good but didn't really save much time as far as getting the food to the table. It still took about 2 1/2 hours to heat everything but it accomplished what I wanted - spending more time with my family.
We've all been fighting "the funk" for the last month. I started with a cold that turned into a sinus infection and tonsilitis in early November. Yeah, I know. Who gets tonsiliits besides 10 year olds, right? One round of antibiotics didn't do anything and I ended up with bronchitis. So, basically, I was on antibiotics the whole month of November. I am feeling better now except I still have little bit of a cough.
The kids have been trading colds. I try to protect them from each other but let's face it. They swap spit on all of their toys so it's a lost cause.
We had an adult night out last night for DH's company Christmas party. It was a very fancy event and I even got to buy a new dress for it. It was nice to get out by ourselves but we're not the party animals we used to be. By 10:00, we were falling asleep and called it a night. That's how we roll these days.
The kids are doing great and hitting milestones left and right.
Kendall is so, so close to walking but she's not quite confident enough yet. She's a mad woman with her walker and she loves to walk holding our fingers but she's still very hesitant if you try to let go. She has taken 2-3 steps if DH and I sit on the floor and have her walk between us.
Christopher has been walking for about 2 months and he's all over the place. He is now starting to climb, which presents its own set of challenges. He pulls himself up on the ottoman and jumps off the other side. He can climb on the couch if he gets the right leverage.
They both have 8 teeth now - 4 up top and 4 on the bottom.
We are in full-on finger foods now although it's still hit or miss on what they will eat. So far, pancakes, waffles bananas, wheat bread and grilled cheese are a hit every time. They did have some mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and turkey on Thanksgiving. We have also tried eggs, most veggies and some fruit (they don't like the texture of some fruit like peaches). They are still eating the jarred 3rd foods but I always introduce "real" food first and then supplement with the jarred. They have been on cow's milk for about 3 weeks. Christopher transitioned well but Kendall has been battling constipation off and on. I just bought some pear juice so I'll try to give her that once/day along with some other fiber-rich foods and fruits.
They are both becoming much more interactive. They will both pretend like they are talking on the phone if I say "hello"? I even caught Christopher "talking" into a phone. He just kept saying "Da" and "Yeah". Christopher is saying "no" and I swear he's saying "Mmmm, good" when he eats. Kendall isn't saying any words that I can recognize yet but she definitely understands. She loves this sock monkey doll she got for her birthday and she will go and find it if I ask where it is. We also play the "give me something so I say thank you and give it back to you" game.
Well, nap time is over. Gotta run.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Gearing Up for the Holidays
Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. THIS is my time of year!
I will admit I had to do some soul-searching this year. I love to cook and Thanksgiving is like the SuperBowl of holidays for me. I have done Thanksgiving dinner for my family every year for the last 12 years.
And, I love it!
But, this year? I had to be realistic. I am now Mommy to 13 month old twins. And, while I try to present myself as Super Woman on a daily basis, I had to come to terms with the fact that I just don't have the time to do it this year.
Sure, I could stay up until 11:00 pm every night to get everything prepared and I could spend all of Thanksgiving Day in the kitchen but, when it comes down to it?
Spending the day with my family and my kids is more important than cooking.
Sorry, Rachel Ray. But, it is.
So, we're having dinner catered by Wegman's this year. And, I'll eat it knowing that my dinner would have been better but seeing my kids eat mashed potatoes and green beans at their first "real" Thanksgiving will be worth it.
I'm thankful for so many things this year. This time last year? Kendall was coming home from the hospital after the meningitis nightmare. I beam with pride and tears in my eyes when I look at her. She is a thriving, happy little girl and thank God, that whole ordeal is just a memory now.
We're gearing up for the holiday season in the "B" house. And, loving every minute of it!
I will admit I had to do some soul-searching this year. I love to cook and Thanksgiving is like the SuperBowl of holidays for me. I have done Thanksgiving dinner for my family every year for the last 12 years.
And, I love it!
But, this year? I had to be realistic. I am now Mommy to 13 month old twins. And, while I try to present myself as Super Woman on a daily basis, I had to come to terms with the fact that I just don't have the time to do it this year.
Sure, I could stay up until 11:00 pm every night to get everything prepared and I could spend all of Thanksgiving Day in the kitchen but, when it comes down to it?
Spending the day with my family and my kids is more important than cooking.
Sorry, Rachel Ray. But, it is.
So, we're having dinner catered by Wegman's this year. And, I'll eat it knowing that my dinner would have been better but seeing my kids eat mashed potatoes and green beans at their first "real" Thanksgiving will be worth it.
I'm thankful for so many things this year. This time last year? Kendall was coming home from the hospital after the meningitis nightmare. I beam with pride and tears in my eyes when I look at her. She is a thriving, happy little girl and thank God, that whole ordeal is just a memory now.
We're gearing up for the holiday season in the "B" house. And, loving every minute of it!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Fall 2010
I only have a few minutes but wanted to check in real quick. Everyone is doing great.
A few highlights:
For Halloween, the kids were a puppy and kitty. Christopher wouldn't keep his hat on.
Playing in the leaves:
A few highlights:
- Christopher is walking - everywhere.
- Kendall took her first steps the other day
- Neither is really talking yet - still saying nonsense words like "da do" and "mm ba". I'm sure they mean something but I haven't figured it out
- They both love containers and putting things in them. They got an activity cube for their birthday and Christopher thinks it is his personal safe. One day, I couldn't find his sippy cup and it was in the cube.
For Halloween, the kids were a puppy and kitty. Christopher wouldn't keep his hat on.
Playing in the leaves:
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
I'm sorry, I'm sorry
Yes, I'm a crappy blogger. Heck, I don't even know if anyone is still reading this or if you all gave up on me?
Or, if my stories are even entertaining at this point?
Well, just in case anyone is still reading... here's what has been going on over the last 3 weeks.
1) Both kids have had back-to-back-to-back colds. I can't believe how quickly the season started. It seems like things are getting better and then literally, one day later, we're all runny, snotty noses again.
2) The twins turned ONE on October 4th. Everything went fine. I decided to only invite family because I live in a townhouse and let's face it... no one likes to sit on anyone's lap. It was still quite a crowd with 13 adults and 5 kids. Here's a few pics from the day:
Handmade banner made by me
What can I say? I have learned to become very, very productive during a 2-hour nap:
I did a Sock Monkey theme:
And... of course we had cake:
Other than that, things have been as hectic as usual. They had their 12-month check-up this morning and both are doing great. They are both charting in the 50-75 percentile on the 12-month growth chart, which is amazing for being 2 month preemies.
Developmentally, I think they are right on track. Christopher is walking. Not for long stretches but he can take 6-8 steps before falling down. He has also become quite a ham. No matter what he's doing, if he sees a camera, he stops, turns to the camera and smiles. Seriously... look:
Kendall is also doing quite well. She is cruising and started crawling about 2 months ago. She knows how to give a kiss and is constantly talking. She's still saying "Da Da" alot with a few "Mmm ba" and "Da Doooo's" mixed in.
The kids are definitely interacting more. Their favorite game is to chase plastic balls around on the hardwood floor. Kendall also likes to be chased so she'll try to egg Christopher on and then crawl away quickly to see if he follows.
They also play Hide 'n Seek in the living room curtains.
Life with twins is exciting, exhausting, rewarding, exhausting, and oh yeah, exhausting.
And, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Or, if my stories are even entertaining at this point?
Well, just in case anyone is still reading... here's what has been going on over the last 3 weeks.
1) Both kids have had back-to-back-to-back colds. I can't believe how quickly the season started. It seems like things are getting better and then literally, one day later, we're all runny, snotty noses again.
2) The twins turned ONE on October 4th. Everything went fine. I decided to only invite family because I live in a townhouse and let's face it... no one likes to sit on anyone's lap. It was still quite a crowd with 13 adults and 5 kids. Here's a few pics from the day:
Handmade banner made by me
What can I say? I have learned to become very, very productive during a 2-hour nap:
I did a Sock Monkey theme:
Other than that, things have been as hectic as usual. They had their 12-month check-up this morning and both are doing great. They are both charting in the 50-75 percentile on the 12-month growth chart, which is amazing for being 2 month preemies.
Developmentally, I think they are right on track. Christopher is walking. Not for long stretches but he can take 6-8 steps before falling down. He has also become quite a ham. No matter what he's doing, if he sees a camera, he stops, turns to the camera and smiles. Seriously... look:
Kendall is also doing quite well. She is cruising and started crawling about 2 months ago. She knows how to give a kiss and is constantly talking. She's still saying "Da Da" alot with a few "Mmm ba" and "Da Doooo's" mixed in.
The kids are definitely interacting more. Their favorite game is to chase plastic balls around on the hardwood floor. Kendall also likes to be chased so she'll try to egg Christopher on and then crawl away quickly to see if he follows.
They also play Hide 'n Seek in the living room curtains.
Life with twins is exciting, exhausting, rewarding, exhausting, and oh yeah, exhausting.
And, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
11 Days
Good Lord - has it really been 2 weeks since I last posted? I really don't know where the days go.
Things here have been going well. Let's see... what's been going on?
My sister had their 2nd child on September 12th - Lucas Michael. I was so happy that I was able (and allowed) to be there for his birth. I am absolutely ecstatic that we have another little boy in the family and especially that Christopher will have a buddy as they grow up.
The twins have both been fighting colds over the last week. Christopher started with a runny nose last Monday and then Kendall started Wednesday. She actually ran a fever with hers so I was home with her Wednesday-Thursday last week.
I thought they were on the mend until yesterday. Christopher woke up at 3:45 am, which isn't completely unusual since we usually wake them up by 5:00 during the week anyway. Sometimes he does wake up a little early - especially if he didn't take a full bottle at bedtime. DH got up with him and gave Christopher a bottle and then tried to put him back to bed. Christopher started having a fit - again, nothing unusual.
He was clearly tired and seemed like he wanted to fall asleep but just couldn't. And, he was just really, really fussy. And, at times, full out crying.
He wasn't running a fever and his cold seemed to be clearing up so I just could not figure it out. We left for daycare as usual and I thought he would fall asleep in the car.
Nope. He cried for the entire 30 minute car ride. I started getting suspicious that something was going on.
I stayed at my SIL (daycare) house from 6:30 am until almost 8:00 am. I just didn't feel right leaving him until I either felt comfortable that he was OK or made the decision to take him back home.
He ate breakfast and drank a little more bottle so I was really conflicted. He did continue to be fussy though. Finally, I got him down for a nap around 8:00 so I decided to leave for work and told my SIL that I would check in around 10:00.
She said he woke up shortly after I left and was still super fussy. He also started running a slight fever.
OK - that's the sign I needed. I took him to the pediatrician and he had/has a double ear infection.
My poor little guy.
I am so glad I took him but damn! Those ear infections are hard to diagnose! I expected him to be pulling on his ear or to show some sort of other symptoms before the fever hit.
Kendall is still sniffly and coughing so I'll be keeping a closer eye on her. So far, mommy & daddy have escaped the dreaded bug.
So, why the post title of 11 days?
That's when my babies turn ONE! I can not believe it has been one year. That day is still so clear in my mind. Thank goodness I'm a super organized person because who knew they would come at 32 1/2 weeks?
We got an invitation from the NICU for the 2010 reunion. I am so excited! I want them to see what a good job we've done (Look! They aren't broken!) and how well the kids are doing. I can not say enough about the doctors and nurses where they were born. They are truly special people.
Well, if you don't hear from me between now and the kids' birthday - don't worry! I promise I will post pics of their b-day party on October 2nd.
Things here have been going well. Let's see... what's been going on?
My sister had their 2nd child on September 12th - Lucas Michael. I was so happy that I was able (and allowed) to be there for his birth. I am absolutely ecstatic that we have another little boy in the family and especially that Christopher will have a buddy as they grow up.
The twins have both been fighting colds over the last week. Christopher started with a runny nose last Monday and then Kendall started Wednesday. She actually ran a fever with hers so I was home with her Wednesday-Thursday last week.
I thought they were on the mend until yesterday. Christopher woke up at 3:45 am, which isn't completely unusual since we usually wake them up by 5:00 during the week anyway. Sometimes he does wake up a little early - especially if he didn't take a full bottle at bedtime. DH got up with him and gave Christopher a bottle and then tried to put him back to bed. Christopher started having a fit - again, nothing unusual.
He was clearly tired and seemed like he wanted to fall asleep but just couldn't. And, he was just really, really fussy. And, at times, full out crying.
He wasn't running a fever and his cold seemed to be clearing up so I just could not figure it out. We left for daycare as usual and I thought he would fall asleep in the car.
Nope. He cried for the entire 30 minute car ride. I started getting suspicious that something was going on.
I stayed at my SIL (daycare) house from 6:30 am until almost 8:00 am. I just didn't feel right leaving him until I either felt comfortable that he was OK or made the decision to take him back home.
He ate breakfast and drank a little more bottle so I was really conflicted. He did continue to be fussy though. Finally, I got him down for a nap around 8:00 so I decided to leave for work and told my SIL that I would check in around 10:00.
She said he woke up shortly after I left and was still super fussy. He also started running a slight fever.
OK - that's the sign I needed. I took him to the pediatrician and he had/has a double ear infection.
My poor little guy.
I am so glad I took him but damn! Those ear infections are hard to diagnose! I expected him to be pulling on his ear or to show some sort of other symptoms before the fever hit.
Kendall is still sniffly and coughing so I'll be keeping a closer eye on her. So far, mommy & daddy have escaped the dreaded bug.
So, why the post title of 11 days?
That's when my babies turn ONE! I can not believe it has been one year. That day is still so clear in my mind. Thank goodness I'm a super organized person because who knew they would come at 32 1/2 weeks?
We got an invitation from the NICU for the 2010 reunion. I am so excited! I want them to see what a good job we've done (Look! They aren't broken!) and how well the kids are doing. I can not say enough about the doctors and nurses where they were born. They are truly special people.
Well, if you don't hear from me between now and the kids' birthday - don't worry! I promise I will post pics of their b-day party on October 2nd.
Monday, September 6, 2010
POLL - Brand name or Generic?
My twins have been on Enfamil Premium Lipil since we switched to formula at 12 weeks.
I had 3 friends tell me the Target brand was the same exact thing and half the price. Not wanting to "skimp" on my kids' health, I continued to pay $37 per can (for the large 34 oz can). We go through one of these cans per week. Do the math, and it gets damn expensive.
Now, it appears Enfamil has discontinued the large can and is now selling refill bags for their 24.6 oz can. The box contains 2 refill bags at $34 per box. Still expensive.
DH and I are budgeting for when they start daycare in February. Our monthly cost will increase $1,200 from what we are paying my SIL now.
It's time to get frugal.
I went to Target yesterday and was absolutely amazed. Their generic formula matched the Enfamil Premium Lipil ingredients almost identically!
And? Their 24.6 ounce can cost $12 compared to Enfamil's $24 for the same size!
I bought 4 cans and introduced it this weekend. So far, no difference. The kids are drinking it fine and no ill effects.
What about you? Do you buy the brand name or generic and why?
(P.S - take my poll to the left)
I had 3 friends tell me the Target brand was the same exact thing and half the price. Not wanting to "skimp" on my kids' health, I continued to pay $37 per can (for the large 34 oz can). We go through one of these cans per week. Do the math, and it gets damn expensive.
Now, it appears Enfamil has discontinued the large can and is now selling refill bags for their 24.6 oz can. The box contains 2 refill bags at $34 per box. Still expensive.
DH and I are budgeting for when they start daycare in February. Our monthly cost will increase $1,200 from what we are paying my SIL now.
It's time to get frugal.
I went to Target yesterday and was absolutely amazed. Their generic formula matched the Enfamil Premium Lipil ingredients almost identically!
And? Their 24.6 ounce can cost $12 compared to Enfamil's $24 for the same size!
I bought 4 cans and introduced it this weekend. So far, no difference. The kids are drinking it fine and no ill effects.
What about you? Do you buy the brand name or generic and why?
(P.S - take my poll to the left)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Thanks, Earl.
We left last Sunday for our last vacation of the year. I was really looking forward to this one because DH was going to be with us all week.
We had absolutely gorgeous weather Monday-Wednesday. And, then we got evacuated Thursday because of stupid Hurricane Earl. The weather reports were so conflicting and at first, it looked like it wasn't going to be that bad. We were in Corolla, NC and there's only one road (Rt 12) that is situated between the ocean and sound. It floods during a regular old thunderstorm so I was most worried about the road flooding and not being able to get out. Our house was about 2 blocks from the ocean and the beach had a pretty substantial dune barrier. But, still. Better to be safe than sorry.
If we didn't have the kids, DH & I probably would have stayed. One of my co-workers was staying in a house a few streets up from us and he did stay. He told me yesterday that it was the most boring hurricane - just rain and wind. No damage, no flooding.
So, now I'm mad because we cut our vacation short by 3 days for nothing. AND, I haven't even mentioned the traffic to get home. The drive normally takes 5 hours from my house. Factor in the kids and we can do it in 6.
They announced the mandatory evacuation for our area at 8:30 am and we left Corolla at 10:45 am. It took us 3 hours to go 6 miles... and that was just to get down Rt 12 to the main road out of the Outer Banks. We would creep forward a few inches and then stop for 20-30 minutes. Dead stopped.
I have to tell you, though. I was a machine in the car! DH has an F150 pick-up truck and I can sit fairly comfortably in the back seat between the car seats. We did bottles, lunch (baby food) and diaper changes in the car! (Disclaimer - I normally would not take the kids out of their seats for a diaper change while driving but we were stopped and going nowhere). I had stations set up in the back seat - bag of toys, diaper bag, bowls, spoons, bibs, wipes, blankets.
Once we finally got going, we hit an 8 mile back-up outside of VA Beach so that added another 2 hours.
So, the 6 hour drive turned into 11 hours. The poor kids. We stopped twice to get out and stretch our legs. Poor Christopher hated his car seat - he would cry every time we tried to put him back in the car.
I should have known that vacation was going to be out of the ordinary from the events of the first night. We got checked into the house and chose a downstairs bedroom that had a Jack 'n Jill bath. We set up the kids cribs in the connected bedroom.
We started our normal evening routine. Feed the kids dinner at 6, pjs at 7 and then start bedtime bottles between 7 & 7:30. Both kids were so obviously tired - crying and rubbing their eyes.
We took them down to their cribs and I fully expected them to fuss for a few minutes (as normal) and then conk out.
Um, no. They cried uncontrollably every time we left them alone in the room. They just could not get settled. We tried everything. Finally, at midnight, DH suggested we take them for a drive to see if we could get them to fall to sleep. So, we jumped in the truck and drove up and down Rt 12.
We came upon several police cars with their lights flashing. It was clearly a checkpoint of some sort.
Of course, DH had 3 beers that night between 6 pm and 10:00 pm. My first thought?
Shit.
The officer told us to stop and said they were conducting a drivers license check. (psst... that's code for DUI checkpoint).
He asked where we were coming from and DH said we were just driving around trying to get our kids to sleep. The officer shined his flashlight in the back seat (thanks for blinding my kids) and then asked for DH's license. He walked to the back of the truck - I guess to check the license against our license plates? Then, he came back and asked "How much have you had to drink tonight"?
DH immediately told him 3 beers and that the last one was 2 hours ago. He looked at me and asked if I had anything and I said, "No, not a drop". He asked me to get in the drivers seat.
Since it was midnight, I was in my pajamas when we left the house. Yes, my pink and white striped pajamas with "PINK" written across the butt.
I'm sure the officer and all of the cars stopped behind us really appreciated seeing that.
I got in the drivers seat and he asked us to turn down a side street where they were conducting a field sobriety test on another driver.
Now, I knew DH wouldn't have driven if he didn't think he could but the fact that he had something to drink still scared me.
They asked DH to get out of the car and they performed the breathalizer test on him. The whole time, I'm watching in the side mirror to see if I could tell what the outsome was.
I saw him blow in the machine and then the officer gave him back his license and he was free to leave. He blew 0.00. Phew!
And, after all of that? The kids were still awake when we got back home. They didn't go down until 4 am. I can honestly say that was THE longest night ever.
At least it will be a family vacation that I'll never forget!
We had absolutely gorgeous weather Monday-Wednesday. And, then we got evacuated Thursday because of stupid Hurricane Earl. The weather reports were so conflicting and at first, it looked like it wasn't going to be that bad. We were in Corolla, NC and there's only one road (Rt 12) that is situated between the ocean and sound. It floods during a regular old thunderstorm so I was most worried about the road flooding and not being able to get out. Our house was about 2 blocks from the ocean and the beach had a pretty substantial dune barrier. But, still. Better to be safe than sorry.
If we didn't have the kids, DH & I probably would have stayed. One of my co-workers was staying in a house a few streets up from us and he did stay. He told me yesterday that it was the most boring hurricane - just rain and wind. No damage, no flooding.
So, now I'm mad because we cut our vacation short by 3 days for nothing. AND, I haven't even mentioned the traffic to get home. The drive normally takes 5 hours from my house. Factor in the kids and we can do it in 6.
They announced the mandatory evacuation for our area at 8:30 am and we left Corolla at 10:45 am. It took us 3 hours to go 6 miles... and that was just to get down Rt 12 to the main road out of the Outer Banks. We would creep forward a few inches and then stop for 20-30 minutes. Dead stopped.
I have to tell you, though. I was a machine in the car! DH has an F150 pick-up truck and I can sit fairly comfortably in the back seat between the car seats. We did bottles, lunch (baby food) and diaper changes in the car! (Disclaimer - I normally would not take the kids out of their seats for a diaper change while driving but we were stopped and going nowhere). I had stations set up in the back seat - bag of toys, diaper bag, bowls, spoons, bibs, wipes, blankets.
Once we finally got going, we hit an 8 mile back-up outside of VA Beach so that added another 2 hours.
So, the 6 hour drive turned into 11 hours. The poor kids. We stopped twice to get out and stretch our legs. Poor Christopher hated his car seat - he would cry every time we tried to put him back in the car.
I should have known that vacation was going to be out of the ordinary from the events of the first night. We got checked into the house and chose a downstairs bedroom that had a Jack 'n Jill bath. We set up the kids cribs in the connected bedroom.
We started our normal evening routine. Feed the kids dinner at 6, pjs at 7 and then start bedtime bottles between 7 & 7:30. Both kids were so obviously tired - crying and rubbing their eyes.
We took them down to their cribs and I fully expected them to fuss for a few minutes (as normal) and then conk out.
Um, no. They cried uncontrollably every time we left them alone in the room. They just could not get settled. We tried everything. Finally, at midnight, DH suggested we take them for a drive to see if we could get them to fall to sleep. So, we jumped in the truck and drove up and down Rt 12.
We came upon several police cars with their lights flashing. It was clearly a checkpoint of some sort.
Of course, DH had 3 beers that night between 6 pm and 10:00 pm. My first thought?
Shit.
The officer told us to stop and said they were conducting a drivers license check. (psst... that's code for DUI checkpoint).
He asked where we were coming from and DH said we were just driving around trying to get our kids to sleep. The officer shined his flashlight in the back seat (thanks for blinding my kids) and then asked for DH's license. He walked to the back of the truck - I guess to check the license against our license plates? Then, he came back and asked "How much have you had to drink tonight"?
DH immediately told him 3 beers and that the last one was 2 hours ago. He looked at me and asked if I had anything and I said, "No, not a drop". He asked me to get in the drivers seat.
Since it was midnight, I was in my pajamas when we left the house. Yes, my pink and white striped pajamas with "PINK" written across the butt.
I'm sure the officer and all of the cars stopped behind us really appreciated seeing that.
I got in the drivers seat and he asked us to turn down a side street where they were conducting a field sobriety test on another driver.
Now, I knew DH wouldn't have driven if he didn't think he could but the fact that he had something to drink still scared me.
They asked DH to get out of the car and they performed the breathalizer test on him. The whole time, I'm watching in the side mirror to see if I could tell what the outsome was.
I saw him blow in the machine and then the officer gave him back his license and he was free to leave. He blew 0.00. Phew!
And, after all of that? The kids were still awake when we got back home. They didn't go down until 4 am. I can honestly say that was THE longest night ever.
At least it will be a family vacation that I'll never forget!
Monday, August 23, 2010
More Milestones and The Battle of the Chunks
I'm a proud Mama today.
My SIL called me around noon and said "Oh my God"! She never really calls me at work so my first thought was "Crap. What's wrong"?
Christopher took his first steps! He was standing at her back door playing with the shutters and she called him to come back to her. Her turned around and took 4 steps without falling down!
Wait! There's more!
About 5 minutes later, Kendall crawled for the first time! She said, "Back off big brother! I can show off too"!
I'm excited at their accomplishments and so, so proud of them!
I also started introducing 3rd and finger foods a few weeks ago. Christopher took to it right away and can easily eat the Gerber Puffs, banana and basically anything I give him.
Kendall, on the other hand, has quite the gag reflex. She'll take one bite and start gagging. Sometimes throwing up. Once she gags, she refuses to eat any more and either pushes the spoon away or clamps her mouth shut. I've tried all different flavors of food of varying "chunkiness". She gags every time.
She did fine with all of the pureed 2nd foods. I always give them a few Puffs while I'm getting their food together for dinner. She will pick them up and even puts them to her mouth. But, as soon as it hits her tongue, she pushes it back out again.
Has anyone experienced this and did you find anything that helped? I know she'll eventually outgrow it but I feel horrible for her every time. I don't want meal time to turn into a dramatic ordeal where she doesn't want to eat.
My SIL called me around noon and said "Oh my God"! She never really calls me at work so my first thought was "Crap. What's wrong"?
Christopher took his first steps! He was standing at her back door playing with the shutters and she called him to come back to her. Her turned around and took 4 steps without falling down!
Wait! There's more!
About 5 minutes later, Kendall crawled for the first time! She said, "Back off big brother! I can show off too"!
I'm excited at their accomplishments and so, so proud of them!
I also started introducing 3rd and finger foods a few weeks ago. Christopher took to it right away and can easily eat the Gerber Puffs, banana and basically anything I give him.
Kendall, on the other hand, has quite the gag reflex. She'll take one bite and start gagging. Sometimes throwing up. Once she gags, she refuses to eat any more and either pushes the spoon away or clamps her mouth shut. I've tried all different flavors of food of varying "chunkiness". She gags every time.
She did fine with all of the pureed 2nd foods. I always give them a few Puffs while I'm getting their food together for dinner. She will pick them up and even puts them to her mouth. But, as soon as it hits her tongue, she pushes it back out again.
Has anyone experienced this and did you find anything that helped? I know she'll eventually outgrow it but I feel horrible for her every time. I don't want meal time to turn into a dramatic ordeal where she doesn't want to eat.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Any Possibility You Are Pregnant?
I went to an orthopedic doctor this morning. My right shoulder has been killing me for the last 3 weeks.
I've been taking 400 mg ibuprofen twice/day since I hurt it and at the risk of developing a stomach ulcer, I decided it was time to have it looked at.
The nurse asked how I think I hurt it and embarassingly, I told her it was from lifting my kids in their car seats. I'm not embarassed because of my kids - I'm embarassed because I'm so damn out of shape (or old?) that I hurt it lifting car seats.
In my defense, those little rascals are heavy! Each kid is 20 lbs and the car seat is 20 lbs. I'm no mathematician but that's 40 lbs x two! That's a heavy load!
She said they wanted to take some x-rays and asked if there's any possibility that I'm pregnant. I immediately said "no" without much thought and then I felt the sting.
I'll never be pregnant again. Ever.
I count my 2 little blessings every day and I'm so thankful for what I have. But, I'll admit it does hurt a little.
The emergency hysterectomy during their delivery saved my life but it also took away any future ability to have more children.
DH & I knew that the IVF cycle where we conceived the twins was probably our last effort so either way, our journey was over. I guess what hurts is that I don't have the choice anymore.
Anyway, I was diagnosed with rotator cuff tendonitis and got a cortisone shot to alleviate some of the pain and inflammation. The doctor didn't think any further treatment would be needed but said the next step would be an MRI if I didn't see any improvement in 2-3 weeks. I also have to do some at-home physical therapy. Like I really have time to do that?!
I've been taking 400 mg ibuprofen twice/day since I hurt it and at the risk of developing a stomach ulcer, I decided it was time to have it looked at.
The nurse asked how I think I hurt it and embarassingly, I told her it was from lifting my kids in their car seats. I'm not embarassed because of my kids - I'm embarassed because I'm so damn out of shape (or old?) that I hurt it lifting car seats.
In my defense, those little rascals are heavy! Each kid is 20 lbs and the car seat is 20 lbs. I'm no mathematician but that's 40 lbs x two! That's a heavy load!
She said they wanted to take some x-rays and asked if there's any possibility that I'm pregnant. I immediately said "no" without much thought and then I felt the sting.
I'll never be pregnant again. Ever.
I count my 2 little blessings every day and I'm so thankful for what I have. But, I'll admit it does hurt a little.
The emergency hysterectomy during their delivery saved my life but it also took away any future ability to have more children.
DH & I knew that the IVF cycle where we conceived the twins was probably our last effort so either way, our journey was over. I guess what hurts is that I don't have the choice anymore.
Anyway, I was diagnosed with rotator cuff tendonitis and got a cortisone shot to alleviate some of the pain and inflammation. The doctor didn't think any further treatment would be needed but said the next step would be an MRI if I didn't see any improvement in 2-3 weeks. I also have to do some at-home physical therapy. Like I really have time to do that?!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Heart Breaking
About a month ago, one of my friends told me about the son of one of her childhood friends. Beginning last March, the little boy started complaining of belly aches. The parents took him to the doctor, who said he thought it was just constipation, and sent the family home.
Over the course of the next month, the boy still complained of random tummy pain. Finally, one night the parents thought something was really wrong and took him to the ER.
That's when they discovered the tumor. Luke Hawley was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma in his abdomen at the age of 2. It had already progressed to a Stage IV tumor and invaded his lymph nodes and bone marrow.
To date, Luke has had 6 chemo treatments and will receive a stem cell transplant next week. The tumor was reduced to the point that it was successfully removed a few weeks ago.
I've never met this family but their story literally brought tears to my eyes. This little boy is so young and so little to have to go through something like this. I've been following their progress via Facebook.
This morning, one of my childhood friends posted a similar story. She knows a family whose daughter was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma (adrenal tumor) in 2006. This little girl has undergone 7 chemo treatments and will receive a bone marrow transplant next week. Her name is Taylor Love and she is 5 years old.
In both cases, the children didn't exhibit any symptoms until the tumor had progressed to the point to cause symptoms. By then, it had already invaded the surrounding tissue and bone marrow.
As a human being, these 2 stories absolutely break my heart. As a mother, I cry. I can't imagine what these families are going through.
Even more worrisome, both families live in the same community. I looked it up on-line and only 650 cases are reported in the United States each year. To have 2 within 10 miles of my house is extremely disturbing. I don't think there's any environmental reason for it. I think it is just pure coincidence but still.
It's scary. And, I'm going to give my kids extra hugs and kisses today.
If you'd like to help via donation or just offer support, here's the links to both families:
Luke Hawley: http://www.facebook.com/TeamLuke
Taylor Love: http://taylorlove.org/index2.php
Over the course of the next month, the boy still complained of random tummy pain. Finally, one night the parents thought something was really wrong and took him to the ER.
That's when they discovered the tumor. Luke Hawley was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma in his abdomen at the age of 2. It had already progressed to a Stage IV tumor and invaded his lymph nodes and bone marrow.
To date, Luke has had 6 chemo treatments and will receive a stem cell transplant next week. The tumor was reduced to the point that it was successfully removed a few weeks ago.
I've never met this family but their story literally brought tears to my eyes. This little boy is so young and so little to have to go through something like this. I've been following their progress via Facebook.
This morning, one of my childhood friends posted a similar story. She knows a family whose daughter was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma (adrenal tumor) in 2006. This little girl has undergone 7 chemo treatments and will receive a bone marrow transplant next week. Her name is Taylor Love and she is 5 years old.
In both cases, the children didn't exhibit any symptoms until the tumor had progressed to the point to cause symptoms. By then, it had already invaded the surrounding tissue and bone marrow.
As a human being, these 2 stories absolutely break my heart. As a mother, I cry. I can't imagine what these families are going through.
Even more worrisome, both families live in the same community. I looked it up on-line and only 650 cases are reported in the United States each year. To have 2 within 10 miles of my house is extremely disturbing. I don't think there's any environmental reason for it. I think it is just pure coincidence but still.
It's scary. And, I'm going to give my kids extra hugs and kisses today.
If you'd like to help via donation or just offer support, here's the links to both families:
Luke Hawley: http://www.facebook.com/TeamLuke
Taylor Love: http://taylorlove.org/index2.php
Friday, July 23, 2010
9 Month Stats
The kids' pediatrician appointment went great. The doctor was very impressed with their progress. He even said, "We can throw the preemie thing out the window, they've caught up physically".
He was completely shocked when I told him what Christopher was doing. He said he's very advanced.
Kendall is also on track and consistent with what a 7 or 8 month old should be doing. He expected her to be crawling within the next month or so.
In total, they have 12 teeth (6 each). He said Kendall has FOUR coming in up top and Christopher has the 2 on each side of his front teeth coming in. He gave me the green light to introduce 3rd foods and finger foods whenever I feel they are ready.
I'll post their physical stats because, if any of you are like me, you like to compare your child(ren) against others the same age.
Christopher weighed 19 lbs 2.5 oz and was 29 1/2 inches long. He's in the 25% for weight and 25-50% for height. His head circumference was 17 1/2 inches.
Kendall weighed 20 lbs 3 oz and was 30 inches long. She's in the 50% for weight and 90% for height. Her head circumference was 17 inches.
And! They are charting on the 9-month scale! Absolutely wonderful!
He was completely shocked when I told him what Christopher was doing. He said he's very advanced.
Kendall is also on track and consistent with what a 7 or 8 month old should be doing. He expected her to be crawling within the next month or so.
In total, they have 12 teeth (6 each). He said Kendall has FOUR coming in up top and Christopher has the 2 on each side of his front teeth coming in. He gave me the green light to introduce 3rd foods and finger foods whenever I feel they are ready.
I'll post their physical stats because, if any of you are like me, you like to compare your child(ren) against others the same age.
Christopher weighed 19 lbs 2.5 oz and was 29 1/2 inches long. He's in the 25% for weight and 25-50% for height. His head circumference was 17 1/2 inches.
Kendall weighed 20 lbs 3 oz and was 30 inches long. She's in the 50% for weight and 90% for height. Her head circumference was 17 inches.
And! They are charting on the 9-month scale! Absolutely wonderful!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Ta Ta Toofies
We have teeth galore in my house.
Christopher has his 2 top front teeth and 2 bottom front teeth. When I picked him yesterday from daycare, my sister in law said she thought she saw another tooth coming in to the left of his front tooth.
Sure enough, it looks like somethin' is a brewin' in those parts!
Kendall's 2 front bottom teeth popped through the gum over the last week and I think her 2 front teeth are coming in as well.
Could explain her fussiness over the weekend. Hmmmm, ya think?
The kids have their 9-month check-up this afternoon. I always look forward to these.
What can I say? I love to hear the doctor tell me how absolutely wonderful my children are.
They are, after all, SUPAH STAHRZ!
What can they do, you ask?
Christopher
* Can crawl like nobody's business
* Is able to get up one stair
* Can stand unsupported for about 2-3 seconds
* Can walk/cruise along an object like the sofa or ottoman
* Eats 3 meals per day + 25 ounces of formula
* Says Ma Ma and Da Da but it's still more babbling than anything
Kendall
* Talks all....of....the....time
* Says Ma Ma, Da Da, Ba Ba, Na Na
* Is close to crawling. She sits unsupported really well and has started to lean forward and transferring weight to her knee
* Loves to pat her belly with both hands
* Has just started a waving motion (as in "bye bye")
* Absolutely loves, loves, loves books
I just adore these kids more and more every day. They are the center of my world. I love to see their faces first thing in the morning and I can't wait to pick them up in the afternoons. They are changing so fast and I don't want to miss a thing.
Christopher has his 2 top front teeth and 2 bottom front teeth. When I picked him yesterday from daycare, my sister in law said she thought she saw another tooth coming in to the left of his front tooth.
Sure enough, it looks like somethin' is a brewin' in those parts!
Kendall's 2 front bottom teeth popped through the gum over the last week and I think her 2 front teeth are coming in as well.
Could explain her fussiness over the weekend. Hmmmm, ya think?
The kids have their 9-month check-up this afternoon. I always look forward to these.
What can I say? I love to hear the doctor tell me how absolutely wonderful my children are.
They are, after all, SUPAH STAHRZ!
What can they do, you ask?
Christopher
* Can crawl like nobody's business
* Is able to get up one stair
* Can stand unsupported for about 2-3 seconds
* Can walk/cruise along an object like the sofa or ottoman
* Eats 3 meals per day + 25 ounces of formula
* Says Ma Ma and Da Da but it's still more babbling than anything
Kendall
* Talks all....of....the....time
* Says Ma Ma, Da Da, Ba Ba, Na Na
* Is close to crawling. She sits unsupported really well and has started to lean forward and transferring weight to her knee
* Loves to pat her belly with both hands
* Has just started a waving motion (as in "bye bye")
* Absolutely loves, loves, loves books
I just adore these kids more and more every day. They are the center of my world. I love to see their faces first thing in the morning and I can't wait to pick them up in the afternoons. They are changing so fast and I don't want to miss a thing.
Hey! Come out and play with me!
 |
| I didn't do it. |
 |
| Was that ice cream?! |
 |
| Christopher did it. |
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Ugh!
Yesterday sucked. Pure and simple.
I had my entire office looking for my diamond. I checked my purse 5 times, my lunch bag 3 times, my laptop bag 3 times, my car twice. I re-traced my steps from the parking garage to my office twice. I got down on my hands and knees and looked in, under and around my car.
No diamond.
I looked in my SIL driveway, scoured her living room carpet, tore apart the kids' car seats and even asked if she looked in their diapers that morning.
No diamond.
I came home and looked in the bathroom, in the freezer, in the refridgerator and on the floor from the front door to the living room.
No diamond.
I finally just gave in to the realization that I would probably never find it.
I was playing with Christopher in the living room and sitting on the floor. He moved one of their toys and OMG!
There it was! I found my diamond!!
We took it to the jewelers last night and it is being sent off to be re-set.
I had my entire office looking for my diamond. I checked my purse 5 times, my lunch bag 3 times, my laptop bag 3 times, my car twice. I re-traced my steps from the parking garage to my office twice. I got down on my hands and knees and looked in, under and around my car.
No diamond.
I looked in my SIL driveway, scoured her living room carpet, tore apart the kids' car seats and even asked if she looked in their diapers that morning.
No diamond.
I came home and looked in the bathroom, in the freezer, in the refridgerator and on the floor from the front door to the living room.
No diamond.
I finally just gave in to the realization that I would probably never find it.
I was playing with Christopher in the living room and sitting on the floor. He moved one of their toys and OMG!
There it was! I found my diamond!!
We took it to the jewelers last night and it is being sent off to be re-set.
Friday, July 16, 2010
5 minutes, an earthquake and a lost diamond
Oh my goodness. It's only noon and it's already been quite a day.
My morning started with a minor earthquake. Yep, that's right. At 5:04 am, a 3.6 earthquake hit the DC Metro area! I was downstairs changing Christopher's diaper and DH was upstairs with Kendall. All of the sudden, it sounded like DH was moving heavy furniture across the floor. The house shook and rumbled. The glasses in my china cabinet tinkled together. He came downstairs and I asked, "What the hell were you doing upstairs"? He said, "What do you mean? I was changing Kendall's diaper". I had no idea what it was until I got in my car and turned on the radio!
I got to work at 7:00 am and went to our office kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I just happened to look down and the diamond in my engagement ring is missing. The main stone that is about 1 ct in size. I have no idea of when it fell out. I scoured the office, re-traced my steps from the parking garage to my office and I can't find it anywhere. My SIL checked the car seats, the kids and her house and couldn't find it either. I'll check the house when I get home but I know the chances of finding it are so slim. I am absolutely sick to my stomach.
The ring came with a lifetime warranty as long as you have it inspected every 6 months. Thank God I have. So, I think they will replace the diamond at no cost. I have all of the paperwork at home so I'm going to the jewelers tonight. Worst case, it is on our homeowners policy. But, the sentimental value is what is really getting me. It was my engagement ring!
On the bright side, bedtime went well last night. Christopher fell asleep on Daddy immediately after bedtime bottle, Daddy took him to bed and he actually stayed asleep!
For an hour. And, then he woke up crying.
DH went upstairs, rubbed his back, laid him back down and left the room. And, he fell back to sleep within 5 minutes. I think we're on our way!
Alright, back to work. Say a little prayer for me that I find the diamond at home.
My morning started with a minor earthquake. Yep, that's right. At 5:04 am, a 3.6 earthquake hit the DC Metro area! I was downstairs changing Christopher's diaper and DH was upstairs with Kendall. All of the sudden, it sounded like DH was moving heavy furniture across the floor. The house shook and rumbled. The glasses in my china cabinet tinkled together. He came downstairs and I asked, "What the hell were you doing upstairs"? He said, "What do you mean? I was changing Kendall's diaper". I had no idea what it was until I got in my car and turned on the radio!
I got to work at 7:00 am and went to our office kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I just happened to look down and the diamond in my engagement ring is missing. The main stone that is about 1 ct in size. I have no idea of when it fell out. I scoured the office, re-traced my steps from the parking garage to my office and I can't find it anywhere. My SIL checked the car seats, the kids and her house and couldn't find it either. I'll check the house when I get home but I know the chances of finding it are so slim. I am absolutely sick to my stomach.
The ring came with a lifetime warranty as long as you have it inspected every 6 months. Thank God I have. So, I think they will replace the diamond at no cost. I have all of the paperwork at home so I'm going to the jewelers tonight. Worst case, it is on our homeowners policy. But, the sentimental value is what is really getting me. It was my engagement ring!
On the bright side, bedtime went well last night. Christopher fell asleep on Daddy immediately after bedtime bottle, Daddy took him to bed and he actually stayed asleep!
For an hour. And, then he woke up crying.
DH went upstairs, rubbed his back, laid him back down and left the room. And, he fell back to sleep within 5 minutes. I think we're on our way!
Alright, back to work. Say a little prayer for me that I find the diamond at home.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
20 Minutes
Yes, that's right! We made progress!
Last night started as usual. Dinner, bath, bedtime bottle, fall asleep on Daddy immediately after finishing bottle. Wait 10 minutes, take Christopher to bed and Bam!
Wide awake.
We let him cry for 10 minutes before going in. Daddy went up this time and stayed for a minute without picking him up and then left.
About 10 minutes later, he was fast asleep. 20 minutes of crying was still tough to listen to but it wasn't nearly as dramatic as the night before. Both kids were asleep by 8:15 pm and were still sleeping at 5:00 am when we had to wake them up.
I'm not jumping up and down quite yet because it is still early. And, I know it's not a perfect process.
Wish us luck tonight. I'm hoping tomorrow's post will be titled "5 Minutes or Less".
Last night started as usual. Dinner, bath, bedtime bottle, fall asleep on Daddy immediately after finishing bottle. Wait 10 minutes, take Christopher to bed and Bam!
Wide awake.
We let him cry for 10 minutes before going in. Daddy went up this time and stayed for a minute without picking him up and then left.
About 10 minutes later, he was fast asleep. 20 minutes of crying was still tough to listen to but it wasn't nearly as dramatic as the night before. Both kids were asleep by 8:15 pm and were still sleeping at 5:00 am when we had to wake them up.
I'm not jumping up and down quite yet because it is still early. And, I know it's not a perfect process.
Wish us luck tonight. I'm hoping tomorrow's post will be titled "5 Minutes or Less".
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
40 Minutes
Thanks to everyone for your advice and comments on my last post. It was taken to heart for sure.
Last night started out to be another repeat with Christopher. Fell asleep after bedtime bottle, took him up to bed and he woke up as soon as he hit the mattress.
So, we started the Ferber method. I know there are tons of techniques out there and everyone has an opinion on what works. For now, we'll try this and see where it goes.
After 40 minutes of crying and spaced intervals of soothing, he finally fell asleep. Hearing him cry like that was absolutely torturous for DH and I. I know it needs to be done so I think I probably handled it better than Daddy. But, it was still hard.
He did sleep through the night but that wasn't really our problem to begin with. Our has been strictly limited to getting him to bed in the first place. Based on Christopher's behavior last night, I'm convinced that he does have some seperation anxiety going on. Every time I went into the room, he stood up in his crib and was literally clamoring to be picked up - grabbing my shirt, reaching through the crib, holding his arms out. It was so heart wrenching. I was fighting with myself to follow the technique because my "mom instinct" wanted to comfort him so badly.
Tonight is another night.... we'll see how it goes.
Last night started out to be another repeat with Christopher. Fell asleep after bedtime bottle, took him up to bed and he woke up as soon as he hit the mattress.
So, we started the Ferber method. I know there are tons of techniques out there and everyone has an opinion on what works. For now, we'll try this and see where it goes.
After 40 minutes of crying and spaced intervals of soothing, he finally fell asleep. Hearing him cry like that was absolutely torturous for DH and I. I know it needs to be done so I think I probably handled it better than Daddy. But, it was still hard.
He did sleep through the night but that wasn't really our problem to begin with. Our has been strictly limited to getting him to bed in the first place. Based on Christopher's behavior last night, I'm convinced that he does have some seperation anxiety going on. Every time I went into the room, he stood up in his crib and was literally clamoring to be picked up - grabbing my shirt, reaching through the crib, holding his arms out. It was so heart wrenching. I was fighting with myself to follow the technique because my "mom instinct" wanted to comfort him so badly.
Tonight is another night.... we'll see how it goes.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Zzzzzzzzzz
Oh boy. We're having sleep issues. I'm hoping it's just a bump in the road.
Any suggestions? Here's our typical night time routine. We haven't changed anything over the last few weeks.
5:00 pm Bottle (averages around 4 oz each)
5:30 - 6:30 pm Playtime
6:30 pm 2 T cereal mixed with 1/2 jar fruit or vegetable (each child)
7:00 pm Pajamas
7:15 pm Bed time bottle (we always offer 5 ounces but it averages any where between 3-5 ounces)
7:30 pm In Bed
The kids usually fall asleep in our arms as soon as they finish their bed time bottle. We hold them for about 15-20 minutes to make sure they are asleep and then take them up to bed. We've done that ever since they were about 3 months old.
Beginning Friday night, they both started waking up about an hour after putting them to bed. It's almost like they think they were just taking a nap. We try to let them cry for about 10 minutes before going in to get them but it's hard if the other is still sleeping.
Last night was absolutely horrible. They did take naps yesterday but nothing extraordinary. An hour & 1/2 in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. They were both in bed by 7:30 and then here's how it went:
8:30 pm Christopher woke up. DH got him and brought him back downstairs so Kendall wouldn't wake up. Christopher fell asleep in DH's arms about 15 minutes later.
10:00 pm Kendall woke up. I let her cry for about 5 minutes until she woke Christopher up. When I went in to get Kendall, Christopher saw me leave the room and had an absolute temper tantrum. DH finally got him after about 15 minutes.
10:15 pm Kendall drank 4 ounces and fell back to sleep in my arms. As soon as I put her back in her crib, she woke up and started crying again. After that, she was wide awake and wanted to play.
12:00 am Finally got both kids back down.
3:00 am Christopher woke up crying again. DH got up with him and he drank 4 ounces and then fell asleep in his arms. When he put Christopher back in his crib at 4:00 am, he woke right up and started crying.
4:00 am I got up so DH could get some sleep. Christopher fell asleep from 4:30 - 5:30 am.
I have a theory for each of them but who knows? Christopher has started to show some signs of seperation anxiety (if I leave the room). I read that sometimes it manifests at night when the child wakes up and can't find the parents.
And, I think Kendall is cutting her 2 bottom teeth. I thought I saw something yesterday but she clamps down when I try to look so I can't say for sure. I did get my finger in her mouth and I thought I felt something at the gum.
I know that some bumps in the road are normal and expected but I think it's even harder when you get used to sleeping through the night and getting 7 consecutive hours of sleep. Not to mention the poor kids. They have to feel like crap too with waking up every 3 hours.
They are sharing a room right now so seperating them is an option but I really have a hard time with that. They lost so much time together when Kendall was in the hospital. I really want to keep them together for the first 2 years. If this really does become a problem where one is always waking the other, I'll make the move.
So, have any of you experienced similar sleeping issues and if so, what worked?
Any suggestions? Here's our typical night time routine. We haven't changed anything over the last few weeks.
5:00 pm Bottle (averages around 4 oz each)
5:30 - 6:30 pm Playtime
6:30 pm 2 T cereal mixed with 1/2 jar fruit or vegetable (each child)
7:00 pm Pajamas
7:15 pm Bed time bottle (we always offer 5 ounces but it averages any where between 3-5 ounces)
7:30 pm In Bed
The kids usually fall asleep in our arms as soon as they finish their bed time bottle. We hold them for about 15-20 minutes to make sure they are asleep and then take them up to bed. We've done that ever since they were about 3 months old.
Beginning Friday night, they both started waking up about an hour after putting them to bed. It's almost like they think they were just taking a nap. We try to let them cry for about 10 minutes before going in to get them but it's hard if the other is still sleeping.
Last night was absolutely horrible. They did take naps yesterday but nothing extraordinary. An hour & 1/2 in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. They were both in bed by 7:30 and then here's how it went:
8:30 pm Christopher woke up. DH got him and brought him back downstairs so Kendall wouldn't wake up. Christopher fell asleep in DH's arms about 15 minutes later.
10:00 pm Kendall woke up. I let her cry for about 5 minutes until she woke Christopher up. When I went in to get Kendall, Christopher saw me leave the room and had an absolute temper tantrum. DH finally got him after about 15 minutes.
10:15 pm Kendall drank 4 ounces and fell back to sleep in my arms. As soon as I put her back in her crib, she woke up and started crying again. After that, she was wide awake and wanted to play.
12:00 am Finally got both kids back down.
3:00 am Christopher woke up crying again. DH got up with him and he drank 4 ounces and then fell asleep in his arms. When he put Christopher back in his crib at 4:00 am, he woke right up and started crying.
4:00 am I got up so DH could get some sleep. Christopher fell asleep from 4:30 - 5:30 am.
I have a theory for each of them but who knows? Christopher has started to show some signs of seperation anxiety (if I leave the room). I read that sometimes it manifests at night when the child wakes up and can't find the parents.
And, I think Kendall is cutting her 2 bottom teeth. I thought I saw something yesterday but she clamps down when I try to look so I can't say for sure. I did get my finger in her mouth and I thought I felt something at the gum.
I know that some bumps in the road are normal and expected but I think it's even harder when you get used to sleeping through the night and getting 7 consecutive hours of sleep. Not to mention the poor kids. They have to feel like crap too with waking up every 3 hours.
They are sharing a room right now so seperating them is an option but I really have a hard time with that. They lost so much time together when Kendall was in the hospital. I really want to keep them together for the first 2 years. If this really does become a problem where one is always waking the other, I'll make the move.
So, have any of you experienced similar sleeping issues and if so, what worked?
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Bath Seats
A few of you asked about the bath seats that were in my last post. I got them from Bed, Bath & Beyond - I think they are only sold on-line. Here's the link: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=15003227
They work well, for the most part. The kids slide forward/down in them so we do have to constantly prop them back up again. But, who wouldn't slide around on wet plastic, right? They are good up to 28 lbs so we will probably use them until that point, unless the kids get too big to fit. We have a really old tub that is made of fiberglass and it's impossible to get clean - no matter how hard I scrub. I'd rather have my kids' tushes in the seat than on our nasty ass tub.
Christopher has been crawling for about a week now and he just amazes me every day. He is now pulling himself to a standing position on virtually every object (sofa, ottman, exersaucer). He is also starting to cruise. He can stand, hold on to the ottoman, reach over to the sofa, and take 2 steps to the sofa. And, then he goes back to the ottoman. It's a fun little game.
Everyone has been asking me about baby proofing and my answer has been that we can keep the kids confined to our living room area because there is a step down from the dining room. Surely they won't be able to negotiate the step for at least another month, right?
Uh, wrong. Christopher climbed it twice today and made it into the dining room. Crap. Now, I need to figure out what to do with all of our bar ware (glasses) that I have stored under this little buffet.
Oh, who am I kidding? I could just throw it all out because I haven't finished an entire glass of wine since the kids were born.
Kendall is cutting her 2 bottom teeth so she's been pretty fussy all weekend. Still no new progress on crawling but I'm confident she'll get it figured out soon enough.
That's about it from here.
They work well, for the most part. The kids slide forward/down in them so we do have to constantly prop them back up again. But, who wouldn't slide around on wet plastic, right? They are good up to 28 lbs so we will probably use them until that point, unless the kids get too big to fit. We have a really old tub that is made of fiberglass and it's impossible to get clean - no matter how hard I scrub. I'd rather have my kids' tushes in the seat than on our nasty ass tub.
Christopher has been crawling for about a week now and he just amazes me every day. He is now pulling himself to a standing position on virtually every object (sofa, ottman, exersaucer). He is also starting to cruise. He can stand, hold on to the ottoman, reach over to the sofa, and take 2 steps to the sofa. And, then he goes back to the ottoman. It's a fun little game.
Everyone has been asking me about baby proofing and my answer has been that we can keep the kids confined to our living room area because there is a step down from the dining room. Surely they won't be able to negotiate the step for at least another month, right?
Uh, wrong. Christopher climbed it twice today and made it into the dining room. Crap. Now, I need to figure out what to do with all of our bar ware (glasses) that I have stored under this little buffet.
Oh, who am I kidding? I could just throw it all out because I haven't finished an entire glass of wine since the kids were born.
Kendall is cutting her 2 bottom teeth so she's been pretty fussy all weekend. Still no new progress on crawling but I'm confident she'll get it figured out soon enough.
That's about it from here.
Monday, July 5, 2010
On the move
You guessed it...
Christopher started crawling this weekend. I'm so proud of him! And, let me tell you.... we're learning very quickly where we need to babyproof. He took a few "steps" forward yesterday morning and by last night, he could make it across the living room.
Not only is he crawling but, he can also pull himself up on to his knees and feet! I wasn't prepared for that to happen so fast. I thought it would happen in stages. He would master crawling and then pull up to his knees and then start standing. It all happened at the same time!
Here's how I found him yesterday morning.
(Thank God we lowered his crib last weekend. I also had to put the bumpers in because he kept getting his feet caught between the bars. He woke up twice screaming because he was caught and trying to roll away, which was twisting his leg. I really debated on whether to put them in because of the safety risks but in the end, I decided it was better to have them):
Kendall is also making progress. She's still doing push-ups and scoots on her belly. She can't quite get her knees underneath her but, I bet she'll be crawling by next month.
They both started demonstrating the pincer grasp so, I introduced finger foods this weekend. Christopher got it in his mouth and actually started chewing. Kendall also got it in her mouth but gagged. That's ma girl!
I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!
Christopher started crawling this weekend. I'm so proud of him! And, let me tell you.... we're learning very quickly where we need to babyproof. He took a few "steps" forward yesterday morning and by last night, he could make it across the living room.
Not only is he crawling but, he can also pull himself up on to his knees and feet! I wasn't prepared for that to happen so fast. I thought it would happen in stages. He would master crawling and then pull up to his knees and then start standing. It all happened at the same time!
Here's how I found him yesterday morning.
(Thank God we lowered his crib last weekend. I also had to put the bumpers in because he kept getting his feet caught between the bars. He woke up twice screaming because he was caught and trying to roll away, which was twisting his leg. I really debated on whether to put them in because of the safety risks but in the end, I decided it was better to have them):
Hi Mom!
Look at me go!
Kendall is also making progress. She's still doing push-ups and scoots on her belly. She can't quite get her knees underneath her but, I bet she'll be crawling by next month.
They both started demonstrating the pincer grasp so, I introduced finger foods this weekend. Christopher got it in his mouth and actually started chewing. Kendall also got it in her mouth but gagged. That's ma girl!
We love bath time!
Chillaxin'
I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
What's New?
The kids are great. I'm great. Hubby is great. Things are good.
The twins will be 9 months old on July 4th. I can't believe it. Their birth seems so far away and yet, so recent. I still look at them in amazement. They have come so far. Look at how small they were!
Christopher now has his 2 top teeth for a total of 4. Kendall still hasn't cut any but she's still drooling like crazy so I don't think it will be long.
Christopher still isn't crawling but he sure does love to get up on his hands and knees and rock. His newest thing is also to stand while we hold his arms and he jumps up and down.
He is no longer amused by the exersaucer or Jump Jump. Ohhhhhh no. He's much too much of a big boy for those toys now. Big boys stand on the outside and play. I'm not quite sure what the difference is but that's all he wants to do. If you put him in the seat, he starts to cry. But, if you hold him and let him stand on the outside, he'll play for hours. Unfortunately, we can't sit and hold him like that for hours.
Kendall just makes me laugh. She is such a character. She loves to play peek-a-boo. It only took 2 times before she had it figured out and started grabbing my hands away from my face. She, on the other hand, still loves Jump Jump. Her newest thing is sticking her arm in the air while she's jumping so she looks like she's riding one of those rodeo horses. She laughs and squeals. She has also discovered that if she slaps my bare skin, it makes a really cool sound. So, she climbs up on my chest and slaps away. And, then she looks at me with this huge grin.
They have started interacting with each other. We had them both sitting on the floor with a toy and Christopher put his arm around her.
Wait. Don't get all "Awwwww" quite yet. Because 10 seconds later, he pushed her over.
They do stare at each other and I'll catch Christopher smiling at her. Kendall is still the serious one and she stares at him like she's thinking, "Oh geez. You again?!".
Here's a few pics from this weekend.
The twins will be 9 months old on July 4th. I can't believe it. Their birth seems so far away and yet, so recent. I still look at them in amazement. They have come so far. Look at how small they were!
Christopher now has his 2 top teeth for a total of 4. Kendall still hasn't cut any but she's still drooling like crazy so I don't think it will be long.
Christopher still isn't crawling but he sure does love to get up on his hands and knees and rock. His newest thing is also to stand while we hold his arms and he jumps up and down.
He is no longer amused by the exersaucer or Jump Jump. Ohhhhhh no. He's much too much of a big boy for those toys now. Big boys stand on the outside and play. I'm not quite sure what the difference is but that's all he wants to do. If you put him in the seat, he starts to cry. But, if you hold him and let him stand on the outside, he'll play for hours. Unfortunately, we can't sit and hold him like that for hours.
Kendall just makes me laugh. She is such a character. She loves to play peek-a-boo. It only took 2 times before she had it figured out and started grabbing my hands away from my face. She, on the other hand, still loves Jump Jump. Her newest thing is sticking her arm in the air while she's jumping so she looks like she's riding one of those rodeo horses. She laughs and squeals. She has also discovered that if she slaps my bare skin, it makes a really cool sound. So, she climbs up on my chest and slaps away. And, then she looks at me with this huge grin.
They have started interacting with each other. We had them both sitting on the floor with a toy and Christopher put his arm around her.
Wait. Don't get all "Awwwww" quite yet. Because 10 seconds later, he pushed her over.
They do stare at each other and I'll catch Christopher smiling at her. Kendall is still the serious one and she stares at him like she's thinking, "Oh geez. You again?!".
Here's a few pics from this weekend.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
So Big
The twins are getting so big. I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. This sounds so cliche but it really does seem like it was just yesterday when they came home from hospital.
Christopher is soooooo close to crawling. He is getting up on his knees and rocking back and forth. I know it will only be a matter of days or weeks before he gets it figured out. I'm so proud of him. Physically, the twins are 8 months old but because they were born 2 months early, they are supposed to "follow" the adjusted age of 6 months for development. So far, he has done everything early. He got his 2 bottom teeth 2 months ago, started sitting unassisted about 6 weeks ago and now he's almost crawling.
Kendall is also doing really well. She started sitting unassisted first and her extensive vocabulary now consists of Da Da, Ma Ma and a few Ba Ba's are sprinkled in. She still hasn't rolled over but the doc told me not to worry - some kids just don't. She thought Kendall would skip that whole step and go straight into crawling from the sitting position. Since Kendall just went to the doctor, I have her weight and height but not Christopher's. She weighed 19 lbs and is 28 inches tall. She is charting in the 50-75% of the 8-month scale so she has officially caught up to kids her own age! I know Christopher is a little smaller but not by much.
They started solids about 2 months ago and they are both pretty good eaters. We were doing cereal mixed with fruit/veggies in the morning and then again in the evening but they both seemed like they were starving all of the time, so we've added in a third meal of plain fruit or veggies in the afternoon. They both average about 25-30 ounces of formula per day on top of that.
Kendall continues to be a good sleeper and averages about 10 hours/night. We had a rough 6 weeks with Christopher - he started waking up in the middle of the night again. He would take a bottle and go right back to sleep so it was obvious he was hungry. That was one of the reasons we added in that third meal during the day. Since we did that, he's been better. He has woken up twice in the last 2 weeks but for the most part, he is sleeping through the night again. We have a pretty strict night time routine and I think that helps. Bottle at 5:00 pm. Dinner (cereal w/ fruit or veggie) at 6:30 pm. Bedtime bottle at 7:30 and in bed by 8:00 pm.
I did have an obsessive first-time mom moment last week. You might remember that Kendall developed a blood clot in her leg back in November during the meningitis scare. I was keeping an eye on her right leg for awhile afterwards and then as time went by and she got healthy again, I just sort of stopped looking.
Last Saturday, she was in her exersaucer and I looked over and her right leg caught my eye. To me, it was clearly bigger than her left. Her right thigh was always a little bigger after the blood clot but this time, her whole leg looked fatter to me. Not swollen. Just chubbier.
It didn't seem to bother her at all and it wasn't discolored and the circulation seemed to be fine. It was just chubbier. I watched it for 2 days and it just wasn't sitting right with me so I made an appointment. Of course, in the meantime, I consulted Dr. Google and managed to scare the ba-jeebus out of myself.
I came across something called hemihypertrophy which is a condition where one side of the body grows faster than the other side. It can be the entire side of the body or isolated to one limb, like a leg. It can also result in the affected limb being shorter or longer than the other, resulting in the need for orthopedic shoes or braces. But, that wasn't even the worst part of it. It also said that affected kids are at a higher risk of kidney cancer and it recommended ultrasounds every 3 months until the child's 5th birthday. OMG, cancer?!
I had myself worked up into such a frenzy that I was sure she had it. To make a long story short, the pediatrician dismissed my theory fairly quickly and thinks that she just has one leg chubbier than the other. It's not obviously noticeable and if you were to look at her, you probably wouldn't even see it. But, once you see it, it's all you see. If that makes sense. I did have them measure her thighs and there was a 2 cm difference. We agreed to watch it. The kids have their 9-month check up in a few weeks and I'll ask them to measure again to see if there's any change.
Obviously, I'm glad I took her. Even though it turned out to be (what appears to be) nothing, I will always err on the side of caution with these kids. As any mother would. Because of Kendall's history, I'm probably a little more protective of her.
Well, I think I've gotten you guys caught up now. I am still reading all of you even if I haven't been that good at posting comments.
Christopher is soooooo close to crawling. He is getting up on his knees and rocking back and forth. I know it will only be a matter of days or weeks before he gets it figured out. I'm so proud of him. Physically, the twins are 8 months old but because they were born 2 months early, they are supposed to "follow" the adjusted age of 6 months for development. So far, he has done everything early. He got his 2 bottom teeth 2 months ago, started sitting unassisted about 6 weeks ago and now he's almost crawling.
Kendall is also doing really well. She started sitting unassisted first and her extensive vocabulary now consists of Da Da, Ma Ma and a few Ba Ba's are sprinkled in. She still hasn't rolled over but the doc told me not to worry - some kids just don't. She thought Kendall would skip that whole step and go straight into crawling from the sitting position. Since Kendall just went to the doctor, I have her weight and height but not Christopher's. She weighed 19 lbs and is 28 inches tall. She is charting in the 50-75% of the 8-month scale so she has officially caught up to kids her own age! I know Christopher is a little smaller but not by much.
They started solids about 2 months ago and they are both pretty good eaters. We were doing cereal mixed with fruit/veggies in the morning and then again in the evening but they both seemed like they were starving all of the time, so we've added in a third meal of plain fruit or veggies in the afternoon. They both average about 25-30 ounces of formula per day on top of that.
Kendall continues to be a good sleeper and averages about 10 hours/night. We had a rough 6 weeks with Christopher - he started waking up in the middle of the night again. He would take a bottle and go right back to sleep so it was obvious he was hungry. That was one of the reasons we added in that third meal during the day. Since we did that, he's been better. He has woken up twice in the last 2 weeks but for the most part, he is sleeping through the night again. We have a pretty strict night time routine and I think that helps. Bottle at 5:00 pm. Dinner (cereal w/ fruit or veggie) at 6:30 pm. Bedtime bottle at 7:30 and in bed by 8:00 pm.
I did have an obsessive first-time mom moment last week. You might remember that Kendall developed a blood clot in her leg back in November during the meningitis scare. I was keeping an eye on her right leg for awhile afterwards and then as time went by and she got healthy again, I just sort of stopped looking.
Last Saturday, she was in her exersaucer and I looked over and her right leg caught my eye. To me, it was clearly bigger than her left. Her right thigh was always a little bigger after the blood clot but this time, her whole leg looked fatter to me. Not swollen. Just chubbier.
It didn't seem to bother her at all and it wasn't discolored and the circulation seemed to be fine. It was just chubbier. I watched it for 2 days and it just wasn't sitting right with me so I made an appointment. Of course, in the meantime, I consulted Dr. Google and managed to scare the ba-jeebus out of myself.
I came across something called hemihypertrophy which is a condition where one side of the body grows faster than the other side. It can be the entire side of the body or isolated to one limb, like a leg. It can also result in the affected limb being shorter or longer than the other, resulting in the need for orthopedic shoes or braces. But, that wasn't even the worst part of it. It also said that affected kids are at a higher risk of kidney cancer and it recommended ultrasounds every 3 months until the child's 5th birthday. OMG, cancer?!
I had myself worked up into such a frenzy that I was sure she had it. To make a long story short, the pediatrician dismissed my theory fairly quickly and thinks that she just has one leg chubbier than the other. It's not obviously noticeable and if you were to look at her, you probably wouldn't even see it. But, once you see it, it's all you see. If that makes sense. I did have them measure her thighs and there was a 2 cm difference. We agreed to watch it. The kids have their 9-month check up in a few weeks and I'll ask them to measure again to see if there's any change.
Obviously, I'm glad I took her. Even though it turned out to be (what appears to be) nothing, I will always err on the side of caution with these kids. As any mother would. Because of Kendall's history, I'm probably a little more protective of her.
Well, I think I've gotten you guys caught up now. I am still reading all of you even if I haven't been that good at posting comments.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
I'm still here
Yes, I'm still alive. It's been a busy, busy 2 weeks.
We got home from vacation on Saturday. I had every intention of working on my new private blog during vacation but it just never happened. So, for the time being, I'll keep this one up and running.
Vacation was good. And different. I went to the Outer Banks (NC) with my family which consists of my mom, stepfather, sister, BIL and my 2 year-old niece. Believe it or not, it was our first time vacationing together in several years.
And, our first vacation with the twins. DH couldn't stay the entire week because he just hasn't accrued the vacation time yet (started a new job in January) so unfortunately, it wasn't the first family vacation that I had always envisioned. It made me sad that he couldn't be there to see the twins' faces the first time they saw the ocean or touched the sand. I know we will have many, many more vacations but you can't get back the first one.
My family was a huge help with the kids but it was still exhausting. If I wasn't handling one of the kids, I was giving instructions or answering questions about what they needed to do.
"I think he needs a diaper change"
"She sounds like she's still hungry"
I didn't expect a lot of "me" time but I thought that maybe I'd get an hour or two during the day while the kids napped. I could not get them to nap at the same time to save my life. If they did both fall asleep, it would only be for 15-30 minutes and then someone would wake up.
Mid-week, my BIL said to me, "I don't know how you do it. You never get a break." Tell me about it. By Thursday, I was exhausted and burned out.
And ready to come home. I love my kids dearly but 2 of them 24/7 is just exhausting.
I haven't even mentioned my family. It has been confirmed. The same things that annoyed me about my mother when I was a teenager still annoy me.
She asks the same question over and over again. I don't know if she's early Alzheimers or trying to make conversation or doesn't listen or what. I'll answer twice and by the third time, I get snippy. For the love of God woman! I don't know what the weather forecast is for today!!
And my stepfather is just weird. He treats my mother like gold and that's what matters most. But, he's still weird. I honestly think there's a chance he has a social disorder. He tries to crack jokes but they are in such poor taste or downright stupid that he never gets laughs. And, he thinks he's a know-it-all but half of the time, he's an idiot.
He also thinks he's a tour guide. It was raining one of the days so we all went to the aquarium. The kids and I rode with them and the entire ride, to and from, he was pointing out landmarks and random facts.
That restaurant used to be owned by Gerken Flerkenherken and now Bob Smith owns it.
And, that store used to have a red roof and now it's blue.
Every time we drive along this marsh, we always see rabbits along the road.
Anyway, it's good to be home.
The kids are growing up so fast. Kendall started saying "Da Da" last week. She doesn't know what it means yet but it's still cute. Christopher is a rolling fool and that is his main mode of transportation these days. He's trying to figure out the crawling thing. He pushes up on his hands and tries to scoot his knees under him but he can't quite get it yet. He's also a stomach sleeper. We put him on his back and within 30 seconds, he's flipped over.
I'm going to break my rule and post some recent pics from the beach. Enjoy!
We got home from vacation on Saturday. I had every intention of working on my new private blog during vacation but it just never happened. So, for the time being, I'll keep this one up and running.
Vacation was good. And different. I went to the Outer Banks (NC) with my family which consists of my mom, stepfather, sister, BIL and my 2 year-old niece. Believe it or not, it was our first time vacationing together in several years.
And, our first vacation with the twins. DH couldn't stay the entire week because he just hasn't accrued the vacation time yet (started a new job in January) so unfortunately, it wasn't the first family vacation that I had always envisioned. It made me sad that he couldn't be there to see the twins' faces the first time they saw the ocean or touched the sand. I know we will have many, many more vacations but you can't get back the first one.
My family was a huge help with the kids but it was still exhausting. If I wasn't handling one of the kids, I was giving instructions or answering questions about what they needed to do.
"I think he needs a diaper change"
"She sounds like she's still hungry"
I didn't expect a lot of "me" time but I thought that maybe I'd get an hour or two during the day while the kids napped. I could not get them to nap at the same time to save my life. If they did both fall asleep, it would only be for 15-30 minutes and then someone would wake up.
Mid-week, my BIL said to me, "I don't know how you do it. You never get a break." Tell me about it. By Thursday, I was exhausted and burned out.
And ready to come home. I love my kids dearly but 2 of them 24/7 is just exhausting.
I haven't even mentioned my family. It has been confirmed. The same things that annoyed me about my mother when I was a teenager still annoy me.
She asks the same question over and over again. I don't know if she's early Alzheimers or trying to make conversation or doesn't listen or what. I'll answer twice and by the third time, I get snippy. For the love of God woman! I don't know what the weather forecast is for today!!
And my stepfather is just weird. He treats my mother like gold and that's what matters most. But, he's still weird. I honestly think there's a chance he has a social disorder. He tries to crack jokes but they are in such poor taste or downright stupid that he never gets laughs. And, he thinks he's a know-it-all but half of the time, he's an idiot.
He also thinks he's a tour guide. It was raining one of the days so we all went to the aquarium. The kids and I rode with them and the entire ride, to and from, he was pointing out landmarks and random facts.
That restaurant used to be owned by Gerken Flerkenherken and now Bob Smith owns it.
And, that store used to have a red roof and now it's blue.
Every time we drive along this marsh, we always see rabbits along the road.
Anyway, it's good to be home.
The kids are growing up so fast. Kendall started saying "Da Da" last week. She doesn't know what it means yet but it's still cute. Christopher is a rolling fool and that is his main mode of transportation these days. He's trying to figure out the crawling thing. He pushes up on his hands and tries to scoot his knees under him but he can't quite get it yet. He's also a stomach sleeper. We put him on his back and within 30 seconds, he's flipped over.
I'm going to break my rule and post some recent pics from the beach. Enjoy!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
I feel so warm and fuzzy...
I am completely blown away. I have received so many requests to keep reading my blog and I had no idea that so many people were following.
Thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for following my story. Thank you for thinking that what I say even matters.
And, well. For putting up with my corny humor. I know, I know. It's asking alot.
I'm still in the process of gathering email addresses and figuring out how I want to set up the private blog so I'm going to keep this one up and running for a little while longer. If you sent me an email or left a message on this blog, I plan to respond to each of you personally. I still have spots available so please let me know if you want to have access to the new site.
(I did want to clarify one thing. Nothing specific happened that made me decide to go private. I didn't receive a crazy or threatening comment. I guess the best way to describe it is that I just started to get the "Creep Factor". They are getting older and I don't know who sees this or reads this. I've tried to maintain some anonymity by not posting my last name or city but still. You just don't know).
Quick Update:
Christopher is getting close to crawling. He's doing push-ups and scooting with his feet. He has also mastered The Great Escape. They've been in sleep positioners to keep them on their backs and Christopher can now kick his way out. He insists on sleeping on his stomach. It just started this week and it's still freaking me out. I wake up at least 5 times every night to look at the monitor. The doctor said if he can get there on his own, he can make it back and not to worry but how can I not? The kid sleeps with his face buried in the mattress!
Kendall is still as sweet as ever. I think she's going to be a little ham. She loves attention and loves to giggle. They've been eating solids for about 4 weeks now and she hasn't met a food she doesn't like. When you stick the spoon in her mouth, she says, "Mmmmmm" and squeezes her lips together. We've taken the kids to the indoor pool twice and she's quite the little swimmer. She can float on her back and stomach (head supported, of course). She loves it. No teeth yet but I think she's working on them.
We're taking our first vacation in about 10 days and I can't wait. Unfortunately, DH can't come for the whole week since he just started his new job in January and doesn't have any vacation time yet. He's driving us down on Saturday and driving back home Sunday and then doing the same thing the following weekend. I'm bummed that we won't be together as a family but keeping his job is more important. I'll have my mom and sister to help me with the twins.
Oh, and can I just say.... holy crap! I started making a list of stuff that I need to pack and OH MY GAWD. It is insane! I don't know how we're going to get it down there. DH has a super duper manly pick-up truck but I'm seriously doubting whether that thing can hold it all. It's just crazy, I tell ya!
I'm still checking in and reading everyone's blogs (even if I suck at commenting).
Thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for following my story. Thank you for thinking that what I say even matters.
And, well. For putting up with my corny humor. I know, I know. It's asking alot.
I'm still in the process of gathering email addresses and figuring out how I want to set up the private blog so I'm going to keep this one up and running for a little while longer. If you sent me an email or left a message on this blog, I plan to respond to each of you personally. I still have spots available so please let me know if you want to have access to the new site.
(I did want to clarify one thing. Nothing specific happened that made me decide to go private. I didn't receive a crazy or threatening comment. I guess the best way to describe it is that I just started to get the "Creep Factor". They are getting older and I don't know who sees this or reads this. I've tried to maintain some anonymity by not posting my last name or city but still. You just don't know).
Quick Update:
Christopher is getting close to crawling. He's doing push-ups and scooting with his feet. He has also mastered The Great Escape. They've been in sleep positioners to keep them on their backs and Christopher can now kick his way out. He insists on sleeping on his stomach. It just started this week and it's still freaking me out. I wake up at least 5 times every night to look at the monitor. The doctor said if he can get there on his own, he can make it back and not to worry but how can I not? The kid sleeps with his face buried in the mattress!
Kendall is still as sweet as ever. I think she's going to be a little ham. She loves attention and loves to giggle. They've been eating solids for about 4 weeks now and she hasn't met a food she doesn't like. When you stick the spoon in her mouth, she says, "Mmmmmm" and squeezes her lips together. We've taken the kids to the indoor pool twice and she's quite the little swimmer. She can float on her back and stomach (head supported, of course). She loves it. No teeth yet but I think she's working on them.
We're taking our first vacation in about 10 days and I can't wait. Unfortunately, DH can't come for the whole week since he just started his new job in January and doesn't have any vacation time yet. He's driving us down on Saturday and driving back home Sunday and then doing the same thing the following weekend. I'm bummed that we won't be together as a family but keeping his job is more important. I'll have my mom and sister to help me with the twins.
Oh, and can I just say.... holy crap! I started making a list of stuff that I need to pack and OH MY GAWD. It is insane! I don't know how we're going to get it down there. DH has a super duper manly pick-up truck but I'm seriously doubting whether that thing can hold it all. It's just crazy, I tell ya!
I'm still checking in and reading everyone's blogs (even if I suck at commenting).
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
I'm Going Private
Well, I think the time has come. As the twins get older, I'm feeling the need to protect them more and more. I no longer feel comfortable sharing the details of my daily life or posting pictures of them for all the world to see.
I have made some great friends over the last 2 years and I'd like to continue to share my story with you. If you'd like to have access, please send me an email with your name, email address and the name of your blog and I'll add you to the list. There are only 100 spots (and I can't imagine I have that many followers) so there should be plenty of room for everyone. I'll switch the settings to Private Only on May 9th.
If you choose not to come along, I wish you the best of luck with whatever the future holds for you. I'm not sure if any IF'ers are still reading but if so, you have to believe it will happen for you. The IF experience will change you and will stay with you forever but it will make you stronger. You will be OK. Just believe.
I hope to see you on the "other side"!
I have made some great friends over the last 2 years and I'd like to continue to share my story with you. If you'd like to have access, please send me an email with your name, email address and the name of your blog and I'll add you to the list. There are only 100 spots (and I can't imagine I have that many followers) so there should be plenty of room for everyone. I'll switch the settings to Private Only on May 9th.
If you choose not to come along, I wish you the best of luck with whatever the future holds for you. I'm not sure if any IF'ers are still reading but if so, you have to believe it will happen for you. The IF experience will change you and will stay with you forever but it will make you stronger. You will be OK. Just believe.
I hope to see you on the "other side"!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Forgive Me?
Ok, I'm a sucky blogger. I have been reading though, I promise.
The twins had their 6-month check-up last week and all is well. The doctor was again very pleased with their progress. Kendall has now surpassed her brother in the weight and height department. She weighed 17.4 lbs and was 27 1/2 inches. Christopher wasn't far behind at 16.7 lbs and 27 1/4 inches.
They both came down with their first colds 2 weeks ago and got over them fairly quickly. Now, we're battling something else. Kendall started with a stuffy nose early last week and that's about as far as it went. Poor Christopher didn't fair quite as well. When I picked him up from daycare on Tuesday, he felt warm. He spiked a 101 degree fever that came right down after a dose of Tylenol. Now, he's got a horrible cold. I'm hoping it only lasts a week and he'll be on the mend this week.
Other than that, it's been the same old, same old. We're going on vacation in about 4 weeks and I can't wait. We haven't had a real vacation in 2 years since last year's was cancelled due to my pregnancy.
Ut oh. Nap time is over. Gotta go. Here's a few pics.
The twins had their 6-month check-up last week and all is well. The doctor was again very pleased with their progress. Kendall has now surpassed her brother in the weight and height department. She weighed 17.4 lbs and was 27 1/2 inches. Christopher wasn't far behind at 16.7 lbs and 27 1/4 inches.
They both came down with their first colds 2 weeks ago and got over them fairly quickly. Now, we're battling something else. Kendall started with a stuffy nose early last week and that's about as far as it went. Poor Christopher didn't fair quite as well. When I picked him up from daycare on Tuesday, he felt warm. He spiked a 101 degree fever that came right down after a dose of Tylenol. Now, he's got a horrible cold. I'm hoping it only lasts a week and he'll be on the mend this week.
Other than that, it's been the same old, same old. We're going on vacation in about 4 weeks and I can't wait. We haven't had a real vacation in 2 years since last year's was cancelled due to my pregnancy.
Ut oh. Nap time is over. Gotta go. Here's a few pics.
Monday, April 12, 2010
My, What Big Teeth You Have
So much has happened over the last week.
DH had to travel for work last Monday - Thursday and wouldn't you know? One of the kids stopped sleeping through the night.
It started Sunday evening after spending Easter with DH's family. There was lots and lots of excitement all day and the kids' schedule got a little out of whack. When Christopher woke up at 1:00 am, I just figured it was because he missed his dinner bottle. He drank a bottle and went right back to sleep.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights were the same thing. He'd wake up once during the night, drink a bottle and go right back to sleep. Good because I was back in bed within a half hour. Bad because I had to get up and that's no fun when I had to get up to start the day at 4:00 am.
Thursday evening couldn't come quick enough. At least Daddy could get up with him if he did it again. And, wouldn't you know? Thursday night, he started sleeping through the night again.
I figured he was going through a growth spurt, which I think probably was part of the reason. I also think he missed his Daddy. And, he also cut his 2 bottom teeth last week.
My little boy has TWO ta ta toofies!
Kendall was a perfect angel the entire time he was gone. She goes right to sleep and stays asleep until I wake her up the next morning. During the week, that's around 5:00 am. On the weekends, it can be as late as 7:30. She is a drool machine so I think her toofies are probably close behind.
We're still practicing with solid foods. So far, they have tried sweet potatoes and pears. Christopher seems to be a veggie lover and tonight, for the first time, Kendall actually seemed interested and ate the pears.
I mentioned before that last Friday was my birthday. We got tickets to the Washington Capitals game and stayed downtown overnight. My first night away from the babies.
We wanted to get downtown early so we both left work at lunchtime. I dropped off the kids at the usual time that morning and arranged for my SIL to take them to our other SIL house for the night. So, I didn't see them from 6:30 am until the next morning.
It was harder than my first day back to work. I did OK that morning when I dropped them off. It hit me when I was driving home to leave. I drive down the same road every day but I keep going down that road to pick up the kids. To go home, I exit early. When I exited, I started bawling.
I felt like I was leaving them behind. In my head, I knew it was silly but my heart hurt so bad. Of course, they were in good hands with our family members and I knew they'd be taken care of. It was a horrible feeling nonetheless. I'm sure everyone driving on the road was probably wondering what in the world was wrong with me.
I did manage to relax some once we got downtown but they were always in the back of my mind. I'd look at my watch and think about what they were doing.
Overall, we did have a nice time and I know it's important for us to have some "adult time". We stayed close to the Verizon Center at Hotel Monaco. I highly recommend it - it was beautiful and we felt so pampered. We grabbed dinner at a Spanish tapas restaurant, got to the game at 7:00 and then grabbed a few drinks afterwards.
I wish I could say we stayed out like the party arnimals of yesteryear but we were so excited to go back to the hotel so we could.......
sleep. Geez, get your mind outta the gutter!
It was good to catch up. Try not to stay away so long next time! :)
DH had to travel for work last Monday - Thursday and wouldn't you know? One of the kids stopped sleeping through the night.
It started Sunday evening after spending Easter with DH's family. There was lots and lots of excitement all day and the kids' schedule got a little out of whack. When Christopher woke up at 1:00 am, I just figured it was because he missed his dinner bottle. He drank a bottle and went right back to sleep.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights were the same thing. He'd wake up once during the night, drink a bottle and go right back to sleep. Good because I was back in bed within a half hour. Bad because I had to get up and that's no fun when I had to get up to start the day at 4:00 am.
Thursday evening couldn't come quick enough. At least Daddy could get up with him if he did it again. And, wouldn't you know? Thursday night, he started sleeping through the night again.
I figured he was going through a growth spurt, which I think probably was part of the reason. I also think he missed his Daddy. And, he also cut his 2 bottom teeth last week.
My little boy has TWO ta ta toofies!
Kendall was a perfect angel the entire time he was gone. She goes right to sleep and stays asleep until I wake her up the next morning. During the week, that's around 5:00 am. On the weekends, it can be as late as 7:30. She is a drool machine so I think her toofies are probably close behind.
We're still practicing with solid foods. So far, they have tried sweet potatoes and pears. Christopher seems to be a veggie lover and tonight, for the first time, Kendall actually seemed interested and ate the pears.
I mentioned before that last Friday was my birthday. We got tickets to the Washington Capitals game and stayed downtown overnight. My first night away from the babies.
We wanted to get downtown early so we both left work at lunchtime. I dropped off the kids at the usual time that morning and arranged for my SIL to take them to our other SIL house for the night. So, I didn't see them from 6:30 am until the next morning.
It was harder than my first day back to work. I did OK that morning when I dropped them off. It hit me when I was driving home to leave. I drive down the same road every day but I keep going down that road to pick up the kids. To go home, I exit early. When I exited, I started bawling.
I felt like I was leaving them behind. In my head, I knew it was silly but my heart hurt so bad. Of course, they were in good hands with our family members and I knew they'd be taken care of. It was a horrible feeling nonetheless. I'm sure everyone driving on the road was probably wondering what in the world was wrong with me.
I did manage to relax some once we got downtown but they were always in the back of my mind. I'd look at my watch and think about what they were doing.
Overall, we did have a nice time and I know it's important for us to have some "adult time". We stayed close to the Verizon Center at Hotel Monaco. I highly recommend it - it was beautiful and we felt so pampered. We grabbed dinner at a Spanish tapas restaurant, got to the game at 7:00 and then grabbed a few drinks afterwards.
I wish I could say we stayed out like the party arnimals of yesteryear but we were so excited to go back to the hotel so we could.......
sleep. Geez, get your mind outta the gutter!
It was good to catch up. Try not to stay away so long next time! :)
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Where does the time go?
Has it really been 2 weeks since I posted last? I honestly don't know where the time has gone. I guess I owe you an update, huh?
The twins will be 6 months old on Easter Day. They have their 6-month check up on the 14th and I'm assuming the pediatrician will give us the green light to start solids. I've decided to start trying them anyway and introduced rice cereal and pears this weekend. Not a lot. Just a taste. Both kids are definitely interested when we're eating food. Christopher has started reaching for cups and glasses when we're drinking. Anyway, both of them gagged and got this look on their faces like I was trying to poison them. We'll try a little each day and hopefully we'll make some progress.
Christopher
April 9th is my big 4-0 birthday. It wasn't bothering me until about 2 weeks ago. Make a note to yourself that it's not wise to schedule multiple doctor's appointments before a significant birthday.
Christopher
Kendall
The twins will be 6 months old on Easter Day. They have their 6-month check up on the 14th and I'm assuming the pediatrician will give us the green light to start solids. I've decided to start trying them anyway and introduced rice cereal and pears this weekend. Not a lot. Just a taste. Both kids are definitely interested when we're eating food. Christopher has started reaching for cups and glasses when we're drinking. Anyway, both of them gagged and got this look on their faces like I was trying to poison them. We'll try a little each day and hopefully we'll make some progress.
Christopher
- Smiles and laughs at everything
- Is close to cutting his first tooth
- Can roll from his tummy to his belly
- Can grasp toys
- Loves, loves, loves his Daddy. They are best buddies
- She's still a little more serious but she is smiling and laughing now too
- Loves to play in her "Jump Jump"
- Loves the McDonald's "Filet o' Fish" song
- Is also teething but I think she's probably about 2 weeks behind her brother
- Can also grasp toys
April 9th is my big 4-0 birthday. It wasn't bothering me until about 2 weeks ago. Make a note to yourself that it's not wise to schedule multiple doctor's appointments before a significant birthday.
- Routine eye exam. I have horrible eyesight and my prescription changed slightly. My doctor told me that if I have to go up any more, I'd probably be looking at the possibility of bi-focals. Nice.
- I've had this red, scaly, patchy "rash" on my arms for several years. It doesn't itch or hurt so I've just ignored it. I figured it was eczema and psoriosis? Any way, I decided to have it looked at last week. Um yeah. That's NOT what it is. It's something called Disseminated Superficial Actinic Porokeratosis (DSAP). It's an uncommon, hereditary "super sensitivity" to the sun. It occurs most often on sun damaged skin, which explains why it's on my arms. In 10-15% of cases, it can turn to squamous cell carcinoma so the doctor took a chunk out of my arm for a biopsy. I won't get the results until April 12th. The doctor said it's not considered a serious condition but I will have to wear 30+ SPF any time I'm in the sun.
Christopher
Kendall
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