Date Night/Instilling Bad Habits

Last night Tom and I had our first date since the girls were born. His parents came up to watch them so we could go to dinner and shopping at Keystone. It was really nice to spend some time together alone...we hadn't been out together since about August, since I was put on bedrest in September, so it was nice to get out. We did miss the girls though and were happy to come home to them. They were great for their grandparents so it looks like we will get to do it again sometime :-) On another note, I feel like we are instilling a bad habit with the little ones. We have discovered that they will sleep for 5-6 hours at a stretch at night if they are in their swings, so we have started letting them sleep there at night. We don't even try to put them in their beds anymore because if they sleep we get to sleep. I fear that this is going to develop into a bad habit, and I really hope that they will go back to sleeping in their bed soon. But I have read and heard of other kids who sleep in their carseats, so I guess whatever works right? So today the crib is leaving the bedroom so the swings can move in, because Tom and I are sick of taking turns sleeping on the couch. Yes, we have slept everywhere with these little ones. On the nursery floor, on the couch and in the guest bedroom in order to be closer to them. I know, one would think that the monitor would work just fine, but they still have this little bad habit of choking in the middle of the night, so I like to be close to them in case this happens. So that is the update from here and I am glad we will get to continue date night, because it was fun!

We have finally joined the ranks

Well, it has taken us long enough, but we have finally joined the ranks of DVR owners. For over a year now I have been wanting a DVR, but we never got one...I guess we thought it was silly or something. Now mind you we never used the VCR, we just missed shows or actually still had people tape them for us, but last night I did it, I made the jump went to Best Buy and bought the DVR. I have felt like a slacking mom, because I know I should be in the nursery doing the last feeding with the lights dim and lullaby's on, but the girls always go to bed right when "my shows" are on and I don't want to miss them. Well, now I don't have to and I am so excited, now I can have the best of both worlds :-) It was really cute last night, Tom got really excited when we started messing around with it since you can pause and rewind live TV, it is really really cool. So it is official, the VCR that has sat in the closet for 2 years now is going bye bye and we can finally say we are officially in the 21st century, ha ha!

6 things you have been told before, but really must do!

As a new mother people are always trying to give you advice. Some of it is beneficial some of it is not. I have discovered, however, that there really are 6 things you must do or remember as a mother.
1. Sleep when the baby or babies are sleeping! You hear it over and over again sleep when they are sleeping, and even though it is hard sometimes to make yourself sleep in the middle of the day, it is essential to do so in order to function. At first I was resistant to sleeping when the girls were sleeping, but now I understand how important it is to get as much sleep as possible, even if you only get an extra 20 minutes it will help you survive.
2. Shower as early in the day as possible. It really is amazing how great a shower can make you feel, even if you know that you are going to get spit up on you the minute you walk out of the bathroom, it is nice to be clean even for 5 minutes.
3. If you can't shower early at least wash your face and brush your teeth. Yes, this is a cover up, but in the long run it makes you feel so much better!
4. Always remember that it took 9 months for your body to stretch and for you to put on that extra weight so it isn't going to come off over night. I have lost a lot of my pregnancy weight, but the skin doesn't hang the same and I still need to lose more, but it has been really hard to remember that it has only been 2.5 months and it takes the average woman 8 months to return completely to her pre-pregnancy body...but it would help if I would get on the treadmill too!
5. Remember to eat. I know this seems simple, but sometimes you get so wrapped up in baby you find it is 2:00 pm and you haven't even had breakfast. You have to take care of yourself in order to take care of the little one.
6. Always follow your intuition. If you think something isn't right then do something about it...if your pediatrician tells you something that doesn't seem right for your child get a second opinion, your babies life might hang in the balance if you don't!
I know these seem like common sense, but sometimes you get so wrapped up in the day to day you forget to take care of yourself and to look forward. Just some things I have learned are really true.

Collars and Princess'

So lately I have been pondering baby clothes and what the makers are thinking when they assemble little outfits for newborns and infants. First off why put collars on newborn clothing. They have no necks so the collars swallow them up and make it look like they are suffocating, then when you try to put a bib on the child looks even more like it is being suffocated. Then, I am all for cute little girl clothes, but why does almost everything say precious or princess or I love mommy on it? They are adorable clothes, but it is almost like we are ingraining from the start that girls are princess and should be treated that way. It is all very odd to me and I love all the clothes but I just find it a little ironic that is all. Yes, I know a random post, but I just noticed all this as I was cleaning out the girls drawers, they are growing out of some of their outfits and we have had to upgrade and retire!

Ironies of Life

Lately I have realized that there are many ironies in life. Many of these have been brought about by my kids. It really is funny what is acceptable as a child, but is frowned upon as an adult. For instance babies are told they are good for burping or passing gas, but in adulthood this is seen as uncouth and disgusting. When a baby snores it is the cutest thing in the world, but when your husband or wife snores, it is just simply annoying. Even the babies passing of gas is cute, because you can't believe something so small can produce something so loud. Eating every hour or too is encouraged as a child, but not as an adult. Changing your outfit more than twice a day is okay as well, even though it will create monsterous amounts of laundry for your parents. It really is funny what starts out being acceptable and encouraged but later is totally frowned on by society. When do these things turn from good behavior to bad behavior? Anyway, this is just an observation I had lately!

Bumpers be gone

Today I had to take the bumpers off the girl's cribs. I cannot believe that they are big enough to be moving around a lot already, but they are. Yesterday I put Maddie in her bed horizontal and when I went back in to check on her she was laying vertical! It is crazy that they will be 2 months old next week and how quickly they are growing. So for safety sake the cute little bumpers had to be removed, although this will make it sooooo much easier to change the sheets I must admit.
In other news Natalie has developed a wonderful habit of crying from 6pm to about 10pm each night. She has to be held and wants to eat constantly, it is crazy the amout of food she is consuming...I believe they call this cluster feeding, but it is amazing to say the least. We are hoping she grows out of this little phase quickly, because the screaming is not her cutest aspect, but we love her all the same!

Back in the Saddle

This week I vowed that I would start walking again and trying to get back into shape...I cannot believe how long it has been since I last exercised and man I am in the worst shape of my life and working out is painful. So on Monday I broke out the old treadmill and started walking, Maddie was sleeping and so was Natalie or so I thought. She then started to fuss so I decided I would try out the snugli and see if she liked that. Much to my surprise she did like it so I walked for a little while with her and then decided I was bouncing around a lot since I hadn't worked out for so long and she would be better off in the crib watching me. Then today I was going a little stir crazy so I thought I would take advantage of the last few nice days out and take the girls for a walk outside. Maddie really likes the stroller rides and sat/slept like a champ as we walked around the neighborhood, Natalie I think was a little hungry but for the most part she enjoyed it too. I enjoyed all the curious looks we got from the neighbors, wondering what exactly was under that blanket! So for now my goal is to walk every other day and to try to get back into shape!

Mini Van Momma

Well, much to my dismay I am officially a Mini Van driving Momma. I know, I know, I swore I would never drive a mini van, but the true need for one could be seen the day we brought the girls home from the hospital and I was squished in the back between the two carseats, it was crazy. So much to my dismay we have purchased a Honda Odyssey. As far as mini vans go it is pretty nice, but the fact remains it is a mini van and I was devasted to trade in my CR-V. I know this is only one of the first scarifices I will have to make for the girls, but I know it is for the best! The safety features are great and there is so much more room that everyone will be happier. and we will actually be able to pack everything we need into the vehicle. The stroller was taking up all the rom in the back that you couldn't even put a bag of groceries in there. So that is the news from here other than I...the person who never leaves the house was sick this week with a fever and some weird cough, but luckily it is starting to clear up, now we just have our fingers crossed that the girls don't get it...that would be a rough one!

Lack of Sleep Leads To Mistaken Identity

Well, it has happened for the first and I am sure not last time! This morning I was feeding Natalie and Tom came in with Maddie who was wailing cause she kept choking on spit up and it was coming out her nose. Tom was tending to her when he said I think her tongue is swollen and her face and I said well we have to take her to the emergency room then NOW. He took her into the bathroom to examine her and came back and said this is Natalie right? I said no I have Natalie you have Madelyn. He was like oh that explains it then, I thought she was swollen, but Maddie just has larger checks everything is okay. So for about over 10 minutes Tom thought he had the opposite kid...I guess this is what it is going to be like the more they look alike. I think we will be bringing out the nail polish soon! Haha, oh well, at least he figured it out!

No one sleeps anymore

Well the girls have been home for 2 weeks now and my has it been an adjustment. Their days and nights are all mixed up so they will sleep for a good 3-4 hours in the afternoon and then only sleep for 1.5-2 hours at a time at night. It has been quit an adjustment to say the least. Neither Tom nor myself are getting much sleep either. I never knew how little sleep one would get with 2 little ones in the house I honestly don't know how anyone does it with higher multiples...it is crazy. At least the girls are gaining weight and healthy and I love them to pieces!

Hormones, Hospitals and Poopy Diapers

Well the girls have arrived and it has been a world wind on emotion, pain and exhaustion. They are not home yet, but we are enjoying the education at the hospital from the nurses. I have discovered that the key to a pleasant hospital stay is the hospital itself. The staff and hospital...Clarian North have been wonderful. My nurses at the delivery were great and really made me feel more relaxed and comfortable. Then the postpartum nurses were fabulous as well. On top of all that we have discovered that this hospital really works with families to ensure they have everything they need. They have family rooms that families can stay in for free if for instance their kids are in the NICU or pediatrics like ours, this is what we did Friday to be near the girls. Then they also provide meals free of charge for all breastfeeding mothers if their kids are in the hospital so I can eat for free while I am here staying here with the girls. It really has been a pleasurable experience as far as hospital stays go.
Oh did I mention, however, the way your hormones get messed up once you have the baby? Yeah, i cannot even look at pictures of our girls without crying. Tom put together this really cute little slide show of the girls and I watched 2 seconds of it and started crying...I didn't know why but we both started laughing about it...it is crazy.
And then there are the poopy diapers. Natalie has fallen out of 2 diapers today and the last one was full of poop...yes it was everywhere, in the clothes, the bed all over...it was pretty gross, but even with all this craziness I love my babies and they are fabulous!

Heating Pads and Dads

I have discovered this week that small comforts really are a blessing in getting through bed rest and the end of pregnancy! This week my dad came to stay with us and help around the house and cook for me, which has been fabulous since Tom has had to work late a lot and I haven't eaten this well in ages. When you can only stand for like 5 minutes at a time your meal options are limited so it has been great to have hot home made meals and desserts all week and having company all day just someone to talk to has made this last week of bed rest fly by. I cannot believe that it is Thursday already and I only have one more day of confinement. My other small luxury I have discovered are the ThermaCare heating pads. My mother in law bought me some when my wrist was acting up with carpal tunnel a long time ago, but I have discovered this week they are great to put on your back and sleep with them. My hips and back have been hurting so bad it is a really nice sleeping companion which I highly recommend! So I guess the morale of this post is...if someone offers you help TAKE IT and don't take your parents for granted :-)

Story of the Puking Cat

So lately and I cannot put my finger on why my cat has taken up the habit of puking in the weirdest and grossest places. About a week ago I was awoken in the middle of the night around 3:30 to the sound of her gagging and then a yak...yes she was in the bed with me. I turn on the light and on my blanket is ribbon and cat food...GROSS!!!!!! Then a couple days later she is running around chasing our other cat and she jumps on the top of the couch....YAK...on the top of the COUCH. Then just this morning she is sitting on the dresser and starts gagging and YAK again...which would have been totally easy to clean up but oh yes one of my drawers was open and in runs the puke...I was so grossed out...I don't' know if she is training for what is about to come with the babies or what...but this random puking has got to stop because it is nasty. Oh well my lover for her surpasses all the nastiness, but it certainly is a gross habit to say the least!

Stretched to the Max

Well we are getting down to the wire before these girlies enter the world and I tell you it is a good thing, because my body is stretched to the max. I have developed UGLY stretch marks and not just on my stomach...did you know you can get them on your hips as well...oh yeah you can and never mind the fact that my skin is so stretched that it itches all of the time and I have little rashes on my legs and my arms too. And don't forget the belly button...it is stretched but hasn't poked out yet. I am hoping it will hold out just a little longer...we have about less than 2 weeks and I just hope it doesn't pop, stretch all you want I say but don't pop, please don't pop.
As I sit here confined to my bed I truly wonder how anyone could think that being pregnant is a fun or actually enjoy because I have not had many positives from the morning sickness, to the blemishes all over my face and chest to the recent stretching, but I know in the end it will be worth it and for that I cannot wait!

Decreased movement say what?

So from everything I have read about babies all the books say that after 32 weeks there is a decrease in fetal movement...well the movements aren't as strong because the baby runs out of room. Well let me tell you...I don't know if the writers of these books have ever been pregnant or not, but I feel like my babies are beating me up. One of them makes such big movements I get the wind knocked out of me sometimes and it can be quit painful...even their little hiccups seem to be stronger, it is amazing really. I really feel like all the books out there don't know what they are talking about. Some are okay, but I have yet to find a book that truly tells you about the truth to carrying multiples and what you should really expect. I mean none of the books tell you what happens when you actually DO go into preterm labor and have to go to the hospital and be put on magnesium...possibly the worst drug in the world or how humbling pregnancy is because when you are in the hospital you have to rely on people to help you do the simplest things like go to the bathroom...not fun let me tell you. I wish I had the ambition to write a book titled the truth to carrying multiples because there is a lot I have learned that I wish I did not have to experience first hand, but could have read about instead...but there was nothing out there that could prepare me for what I have experienced the past couple of weeks from the hospital visits and drugs to the boredom of bed rest...who knows maybe when this is all said and done I will write a book....I guess you never know!

In Need of a Hobby :-)

Well, yesterday I had a doctors appointment and she asked me how I was holding up. I told her emotionally I was pretty much about done and didn't know how much longer I would be able to handle being pregnant. Just the physical aspects are wearing enough but it has become an emotional balance now as well. She informed me I needed to get a hobby. I wanted to be rude and say how do you get a hobby when you won't let me out of bed...but I just said okay like what? She suggested cross stiching or something I just wanted to laugh...I am not a cross sticher. I guess for now I will go back to knitting, but if anyone has any ideas or has read any good books lately I would love some help on this one...help keep me sane the next couple of weeks!

When a Shower Feels LIke Christmas

This past weekend I was in the hospital for pre-term labor...possibly the scariest and most uncomfortable weekend of my life...but it will be worth it in the end when the girls arrive safely! I am now home on bed rest being lazy per doctors orders which is really weird to see all of the things around the house that need to be done and I can't touch anything. I have shower privileges and I can get food but that is all, other than that I am to be a couch potato! But one thing I truly learned this weekend is how you take the smallest things for granted such as a shower or the ability to go to the bathroom by yourself when you want to without asking someone to come help you. Yesterday I got to get unhooked from my IV for a little while and take a shower and I tell you it felt like Christmas...never in my life had a shower felt so good. I have gone camping for long weekends and been outside gross and dirty and I swear the shower yesterday was a 1000 times better than any other shower I have ever had in my life. It really makes you think about the small things you do on a daily basis that you don't realize how good they make you feel until you can no longer do them freely. So the next time you take a shower...take some time to enjoy it and all the other small things in life that are easily overlooked!

Feet Washing

So this is totally random, but the other day I was listening to the radio and they were talking about a survey on how often people wash their feet in the shower and it made me think...how often DO people wash their feet in the shower? I must admit that I am guilty of not giving my feet the attention they need and I guess I don't find it necessary to bend over each and every day and give those suckers a good wash. Don't get me wrong if I know that they are filthy I will wash them, and at least once a week they get a good scrub...but do you wash your feet daily?
Like I said this is a random thought but I was just wondering what others out there thought about their feet! I personally think feet are gross...clean or dirty but hey they get you from point A to point B so I am grateful I have them...but for now I think I will continue to clean them when I feel it is a must and not on a daily basis...anyone have any thoughts on this?

Measuring 36 weeks...Dr. wants me to hold out 6 More!

Well, once again I have not posted in ages and I have no excuses. I am no longer working it just got to hard and painful and I am so tired all the time I just want to sleep. Our girls are growing like crazy. Last week I was measuring 34 weeks... I will offically be 30 weeks tomorrow and yesterday I was measuring 36 weeks. It is really very crazy, they must be getting big in there. At our last ultrasound both babies weighed over 3 pounds which is great, so we are hoping by the next one at the end of the month they will be at least 4 pounds each if not more. It is crazy to think I have that much baby inside of me already and the doctor wants me to keep them in there for 6 more weeks. I told her I would do my best and laughed...like I really have a say in the matter.
Other than that I finally got to take my car in to be fixed yesterday...yes it has been almost 3 months since the accident, but they couldn't get me in any sooner..it will be nice to have the door right and not hear air all of the time when driving. So for the next couple of weeks I am sporting a nice mini van....a possible glimpse into our future? Oh well that is all for now....but I will try to do more updates and write more until the big day and then we will try to keep everyone updated after the arrival!

Karma?

So last night Tom and I were rear ended in his car this time...yes that is correct the second time in 6 weeks that I have been in a car that was rear ended. Luckily Tom saw the woman flying at us...yes we were stopped at a red light, the roads were dry and the speed limit was probably 35 miles per hour, but he just said hold on and started moving the car...luckily he was able to manuever enough so that the impact was deflected and there was minimal damage to the vehicle. I on the other hand now have developed this fear of driving, because all I want right now is to carry my two little girls as long as possible so that they are healthy and here we are in two accidents in under two months. When Tom and I got home last night we were just sitting there asking each other what we have done to deserve this and why we can't catch a break. Mind you, my car was only a little over a year old and Tom's is less than two months old...are we destined to not have nice vehicles...okay that is fine...but please give us a break over the next couple of months so these little girls can arrive safely. Tom and I are both firm believers of Karma and we both try to be good, honest people, but somewhere we must have messed up...hopefully we have paid for whatever we did...if not I know that both of us are going to be extra cautious, and polite!