We are halfway through our first day alone and I am happy to say everyone is still alive. lol. But seriously...daddy helped us this am by heating the bottles while I was still asleep. He knew they would be waking up soon and having those bottles ready to go was FABULOUS! Of course, he did go to bed at 11pm last night (yes, at my urging) and let me do all the overnight feeds by myself, so a good trade off. We have been able to stay on the three hour schedule pretty good today. Of course, all are feeding at the same time so the triple bottle prop is becoming my specialty. The bouncys and swing are being put to great use!
Time to go get my girls on the play mat as they are awake hanging in their chairs. I'll post another update later for their 3 mo birthday. It's time for a personality review. :)
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
News of the day (aka: mommy rants on the news of the day)
Boy oh boy, today has been quite the news day. Amanda Knox = free! Chris Christie no might mean yes, stay tuned for the ultimate flip flop! And the most irritating for me, apparently Sheri Sheppard has a different emotional response to a story reported by Whoopi than the same story reported by Barbara!
Good grief I say! (insert pic of Charlie Brown here) ;)
Amanda Knox. That girl needs to get out of Italy NOW. I didn't know much about this case other than the basics until this past weekend. I was watching a news show, maybe 60 Minutes, maybe just the nightly news...mommy brain means I can't remember (it was on the channel with GMA though, they talked about GMA updating the story Monday am). But... the show went into detail on how she was railroaded by a prosecutor who needed to save face. And the even more abhorrent thing is that this is the SECOND time this person has accused the wrong person and argued it so fiercely! Disgusting. There was absolutely NO evidence this girl did anything wrong, yet she spent the last three years in jail. I'm am very happy she has been set free. Why do I think she needs to get out of dodge? Because I also think she is Italy's Casey Anthony - many people there do believe she killed her roommate and are upset at the verdict. Totally innocent, no - she did accuse somebody else when she should have kept her mouth closed, but who knows the situation she was in when she named him. Props to the judge for sentencing her to time served so she can go home. Wonder how soon she'll be visiting Europe again? Ever??
Chris Christie. Good lordly loo, give me a break. The guy has been pretty adamant he does NOT want to run for President....until maybe now. "Big announcement coming" puh-lease. I hope the big announcement is that he is sticking to his word and not running. First, because he has been so adamant to date. Second, because I don't appreciate his attitude toward public servant workers. Yep, the union issue. Are they (unions) the second coming, no of course not. However, no school district could survive w/o them because it evens the playing field re: advancement, pay, leave, etc. Imagine if all of those things were truly run like a regular business where each employee fends for him/herself. Really? I don't think school districts are set up to run that way and to get set up would mean more employees at the top. Loading the administrative office is not the way to improve education. Removing the ability to negotiate for leave, advancement, etc, is not the way either. Many times those are more the negotiating point rather than salary. On a side note, I was watching The View the other day and the heavily NJ audience booed him as governor...if the people of his own state aren't impressed...
The news did report today that he is NOT a shoe-in for re-election. Maybe that's why he is now changing his mind re: Presidential election. (Notice, I didn't mention the weight issue at all, I actually think that is petty).
Sheri Sheppard. GOOD GRIEF! She is an idiot today!! During their hot topics Whoopi mentions the current Rick Perry incident about the tagged rock on his dad's hunting grounds. She openly talks about it using the word tagged on the rock (yep, the "n" word plus "head"). This is discussion...so Barbara also starts to talk about it, again using the word tagged on the rock. Well, low and behold, Barbara using the EXACT SAME WORD is offensive to Mrs. SS. Really?? You are an IDIOT! I cannot say it loud enough. As Barbara argued to her - it is in the course of reporting/discussing a real life issue. It was not slang, slander, or just stupid talk. Mrs SS made herself look even worse to me when she said it was only Barbara's use of the word that was offensive; not Whoopi's. Look, either the word is offensive or not. I hate the game of "she can say it, but he can't". Yes, I think it is an offensive word in general; however, they were reporting a story and were being accurate. I had no idea what the big deal was with this hunting camp, now I do. Sheri, get over yourself and save those feelings of insult for much more valid times please.
Yep, those are my rants for the day. My littles are sleeping not so soundly as it's almost feeding time. They are awesome and amazing all in one still. :)
Good grief I say! (insert pic of Charlie Brown here) ;)
Amanda Knox. That girl needs to get out of Italy NOW. I didn't know much about this case other than the basics until this past weekend. I was watching a news show, maybe 60 Minutes, maybe just the nightly news...mommy brain means I can't remember (it was on the channel with GMA though, they talked about GMA updating the story Monday am). But... the show went into detail on how she was railroaded by a prosecutor who needed to save face. And the even more abhorrent thing is that this is the SECOND time this person has accused the wrong person and argued it so fiercely! Disgusting. There was absolutely NO evidence this girl did anything wrong, yet she spent the last three years in jail. I'm am very happy she has been set free. Why do I think she needs to get out of dodge? Because I also think she is Italy's Casey Anthony - many people there do believe she killed her roommate and are upset at the verdict. Totally innocent, no - she did accuse somebody else when she should have kept her mouth closed, but who knows the situation she was in when she named him. Props to the judge for sentencing her to time served so she can go home. Wonder how soon she'll be visiting Europe again? Ever??
Chris Christie. Good lordly loo, give me a break. The guy has been pretty adamant he does NOT want to run for President....until maybe now. "Big announcement coming" puh-lease. I hope the big announcement is that he is sticking to his word and not running. First, because he has been so adamant to date. Second, because I don't appreciate his attitude toward public servant workers. Yep, the union issue. Are they (unions) the second coming, no of course not. However, no school district could survive w/o them because it evens the playing field re: advancement, pay, leave, etc. Imagine if all of those things were truly run like a regular business where each employee fends for him/herself. Really? I don't think school districts are set up to run that way and to get set up would mean more employees at the top. Loading the administrative office is not the way to improve education. Removing the ability to negotiate for leave, advancement, etc, is not the way either. Many times those are more the negotiating point rather than salary. On a side note, I was watching The View the other day and the heavily NJ audience booed him as governor...if the people of his own state aren't impressed...
The news did report today that he is NOT a shoe-in for re-election. Maybe that's why he is now changing his mind re: Presidential election. (Notice, I didn't mention the weight issue at all, I actually think that is petty).
Sheri Sheppard. GOOD GRIEF! She is an idiot today!! During their hot topics Whoopi mentions the current Rick Perry incident about the tagged rock on his dad's hunting grounds. She openly talks about it using the word tagged on the rock (yep, the "n" word plus "head"). This is discussion...so Barbara also starts to talk about it, again using the word tagged on the rock. Well, low and behold, Barbara using the EXACT SAME WORD is offensive to Mrs. SS. Really?? You are an IDIOT! I cannot say it loud enough. As Barbara argued to her - it is in the course of reporting/discussing a real life issue. It was not slang, slander, or just stupid talk. Mrs SS made herself look even worse to me when she said it was only Barbara's use of the word that was offensive; not Whoopi's. Look, either the word is offensive or not. I hate the game of "she can say it, but he can't". Yes, I think it is an offensive word in general; however, they were reporting a story and were being accurate. I had no idea what the big deal was with this hunting camp, now I do. Sheri, get over yourself and save those feelings of insult for much more valid times please.
Yep, those are my rants for the day. My littles are sleeping not so soundly as it's almost feeding time. They are awesome and amazing all in one still. :)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Night and day
With a title like that... as I hold a sleeping little on my chest one would think this is going to be about babies, but it's not. Not really.
Earlier today I was filling a soapy sink with bottle parts thinking about my sisters next trip for work. She is traveling to Charleston and taking my mom with her. First, let me say I think it's awesome she is taking mom. But as I was standing there it occurred to me our lives are night and day, yet we are both very happy. How do two sisters, better yet, three siblings grow up to be so very different. My sister is pretty much a world traveler, my brother works his tail off creating the light rail systems in Seattle, and I was a middle school teacher and now mom. Don't get me wrong, I don't think siblings have to do the same thing, but yowza we are so different. It makes me wonder if my girls are going to be night and day too.
This night and day reference is not new to us. Growing up I was an ice skater, my sister a dancer; I fly by the seat of my pants, my sister plans and organizes like no other (for those that remember - South Carolina vacation anyone? lol); I have dad's sarcasm, she has mom's annoyance of it [:)]; it took me 10 years to figure out college and career, she knew at the age if 16; and possibly the biggest difference - she lives in trendy downtown Portland, I live in central, 2 hours from Fairbanks, Alaska. Night and day like no other we are.
Now the part that makes mom happy, even though we are night and day we have each others back. Especially with the trio now a part of our family, we are closer than ever. All of us are. This is what I wish for my girls and my family. No matter how different you are, you are family and family is everything. Now if Zach could just remember that the next time Katie bops him on the head while sharing the play mat....
The life of a mom. :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Earlier today I was filling a soapy sink with bottle parts thinking about my sisters next trip for work. She is traveling to Charleston and taking my mom with her. First, let me say I think it's awesome she is taking mom. But as I was standing there it occurred to me our lives are night and day, yet we are both very happy. How do two sisters, better yet, three siblings grow up to be so very different. My sister is pretty much a world traveler, my brother works his tail off creating the light rail systems in Seattle, and I was a middle school teacher and now mom. Don't get me wrong, I don't think siblings have to do the same thing, but yowza we are so different. It makes me wonder if my girls are going to be night and day too.
This night and day reference is not new to us. Growing up I was an ice skater, my sister a dancer; I fly by the seat of my pants, my sister plans and organizes like no other (for those that remember - South Carolina vacation anyone? lol); I have dad's sarcasm, she has mom's annoyance of it [:)]; it took me 10 years to figure out college and career, she knew at the age if 16; and possibly the biggest difference - she lives in trendy downtown Portland, I live in central, 2 hours from Fairbanks, Alaska. Night and day like no other we are.
Now the part that makes mom happy, even though we are night and day we have each others back. Especially with the trio now a part of our family, we are closer than ever. All of us are. This is what I wish for my girls and my family. No matter how different you are, you are family and family is everything. Now if Zach could just remember that the next time Katie bops him on the head while sharing the play mat....
The life of a mom. :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:The couch
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Awesome Auntie Helayne!
Aunt Helayne arrived the night Kim left and went home when Carol arrived. She is the absolute best bridge I have ever seen! :)
As the mother of two, she was able to jump right in, literally. We went to grab a quick bite and do a smidge of shopping (yep, I said smidge) at Fred's before dropping Kim off at the airport. As we head into Fred's, awesome auntie wisks Katie off to the bathroom to change her diaper. I had Katie with me and dad was at home with Zach, Addie, and a co-worker and his wife helping him. They did a great job since when we arrived home he had two in-crib sleepers. Of course, yet again, after the semi-long trip Katie didn't sleep much that night. I think Helayne was welcomed into our home with an hours worth of sleep.
Auntie Helayne is just as energetic as Auntie Kim. I would wake up from a nap to all the laundry being done, the dishes done, bottles washed, formula made...I think if she knew where the broom/mop were the floors would have shined! Ok, maybe not just because I don't picture Helayne doing floors - but that is the energy she had. I knew the whole time she was here that there was an open pair of arms for whichever little needed them. Multiple times she hung out for hours at night cuddling someone. Now mind you, both benefited from those cuddle sessions for sure. Here's the proof:
Auntie Helayne, you are awesome! We all love and miss you! I still hope we will see you soon, late October is still my goal...but with triples, the best laid plans...
(can I just say - writing about having fam that has never been here before visit me to help brings tears to my eyes. You are the best sister-in-law! You know I can't thank you enough for all of the support you have shown during this whole venture. Public shoutout so all know. :)
We are now enjoying a visit from Carol, our latest sleep deprived victim!
As the mother of two, she was able to jump right in, literally. We went to grab a quick bite and do a smidge of shopping (yep, I said smidge) at Fred's before dropping Kim off at the airport. As we head into Fred's, awesome auntie wisks Katie off to the bathroom to change her diaper. I had Katie with me and dad was at home with Zach, Addie, and a co-worker and his wife helping him. They did a great job since when we arrived home he had two in-crib sleepers. Of course, yet again, after the semi-long trip Katie didn't sleep much that night. I think Helayne was welcomed into our home with an hours worth of sleep.
Auntie Helayne is just as energetic as Auntie Kim. I would wake up from a nap to all the laundry being done, the dishes done, bottles washed, formula made...I think if she knew where the broom/mop were the floors would have shined! Ok, maybe not just because I don't picture Helayne doing floors - but that is the energy she had. I knew the whole time she was here that there was an open pair of arms for whichever little needed them. Multiple times she hung out for hours at night cuddling someone. Now mind you, both benefited from those cuddle sessions for sure. Here's the proof:
Auntie Helayne, you are awesome! We all love and miss you! I still hope we will see you soon, late October is still my goal...but with triples, the best laid plans...
(can I just say - writing about having fam that has never been here before visit me to help brings tears to my eyes. You are the best sister-in-law! You know I can't thank you enough for all of the support you have shown during this whole venture. Public shoutout so all know. :)
We are now enjoying a visit from Carol, our latest sleep deprived victim!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
We love our Auntie Kim!
Auntie Kim leaves today and I wonder how we are going to survive. I truly have never seen so much energy in one person. During her stay she helped with all but one feeding and she was often up in the middle of the night comforting somebody. She has lived on short bursts of 2 hours of sleep (on a good day) the whole time she has been here. She has done endless loads of laundry, washed endless loads of bottles, patted endless backs, changed endless bottoms - and all while singing, playing, dancing, and loving on our littles. It's that added feature of loving every moment of it that we will miss. I know she has fallen head over heels for our littles (sorry Ken), and I'm so thankful for it.
I will admit, although I love caring for our littles, it is also frustrating for me... or maybe just overly tiring. Maybe the difference is that I add the emotion of worry (would I really be me if I wasn't worrying??). I worry they are not eating enough, pooping enough, sleeping enough...take your pick I can always find something to worry about. I can say worrying does not keep me awake like it used to, I'm to flat out exhausted. Insomnia no more!
Having my mom and sister here make me feel even more like we need to move closer to family soon. These littles deserve to be around family that love them so completely. Add to that all of the family "stuff" I've missed over the past few years, and the being too far away when my dad was ill means it's time for me to be closer to my family. As I type this I lament not being able to attend my cousins wedding this weekend. All the Christmas get-togethers, weddings, wedding/baby showers I've missed...makes me sad I'm not there.
Well, this blog post took a turn off the path it started down. Auntie Kim, you know we can never tell you how important your visit was. We will love you forever, please bring your awesome supply of energy (and your camera) back soon! Until then...
I will admit, although I love caring for our littles, it is also frustrating for me... or maybe just overly tiring. Maybe the difference is that I add the emotion of worry (would I really be me if I wasn't worrying??). I worry they are not eating enough, pooping enough, sleeping enough...take your pick I can always find something to worry about. I can say worrying does not keep me awake like it used to, I'm to flat out exhausted. Insomnia no more!
Having my mom and sister here make me feel even more like we need to move closer to family soon. These littles deserve to be around family that love them so completely. Add to that all of the family "stuff" I've missed over the past few years, and the being too far away when my dad was ill means it's time for me to be closer to my family. As I type this I lament not being able to attend my cousins wedding this weekend. All the Christmas get-togethers, weddings, wedding/baby showers I've missed...makes me sad I'm not there.
Well, this blog post took a turn off the path it started down. Auntie Kim, you know we can never tell you how important your visit was. We will love you forever, please bring your awesome supply of energy (and your camera) back soon! Until then...
Friday, September 16, 2011
Some days are just hard
I think even Auntie Kim would agree if she were to guest post. Today was one of those days I think. We bought some sleep sacks earlier this week as our littles are getting a bit big to be swaddled in receiving blankets. Really, the only blankets big enough are by Carter's and they are bigger than normal. I'd have to think of their name, but mom and I spent a bit of time at BRUs looking at the measurements of the different receiving blankets - these are bigger than normal and actually fit the mattress of the co-sleeper we have set up in the room. I discovered this bigger than normal size right out of the hospital as I used them for that purpose, an extra layer on the co-sleeper mattress. Ok, enough of that tangent... the meaning being that we are not swaddeling as much anymore. Katie LOVES her sleep sack. She was one who woke up when she got cold, and the fleece keeps her from getting cold at all. That girl sleeps like a rock at night now. Zach is just starting to use them too since he was moving his blankets around in his sleep. Addie, we haven't used on yet, and with the receiving blankets not working as well anymore Addie was not swaddled and therefore woke up every time I put her down last night. From the 10pm to 2am feeding we went through a vicious cycle of rock until asleep, put in "crib", flail around waking oneself up, begin process over again. EXHAUSTING and frustrating for us both I'm sure. Kim, feeling bad for me, kept her in the pack and play downstairs from the 2am to 6am feeding, which I pleaded John to get up for so I could sleep.
With the help of my loving husband, I was able to "sleep" until 8:30 I believe. Some of that was rock hard, dead to the world sleep and some was vaguely listening to an upset little hoping someone else could calm them soon enough I didn't feel I had to get up. From the moment I got up until about 11pm tonight I would say there was a total of 1 to 1.5 hours I didn't have someone in my arms. For some reasons all the littles were extra needy. For most of the day Zach needed to sleep in someone's arms (reminiscent of Addie last night). Add to that Katie and Addie feeling the same off and on - Kim and I earned our pay today... oh... wait.... drat! Well, good thing we love getting paid in smiles, lulls in crying, funny faces, and fart noises that make us laugh. Yes, fart noises make me laugh. Especially when I'm changing the diaper, bottom hanging out and someone farts then smiles at you.
Proof that today was hard:
- both Kim and John took the dogs for a walk at some point. the most exercise they have had since us getting home
- everyone indulged in a guilty pleasure once the littles went to sleep tonight. for me, cookie dough; for kim, wine; for john, ice cream and scotch (weird combo!)
- Kim brushed her hair today... and was proud she had time to do that
- me, not so much on the hair brushing (lol)
- john gave himself a time out! (it is very hard for him to cry uncle)
*sigh* the first of many more difficult days to come I'm sure. For those that have stuck with this rambling post, thank you. I am headed to bed now since hubby just implied he may get up at 2am. If Kim does the same I may get about 5 hours of sleep straight and that would be a godsend!
To my littles: We love you dearly, but please nap tomorrow!
With the help of my loving husband, I was able to "sleep" until 8:30 I believe. Some of that was rock hard, dead to the world sleep and some was vaguely listening to an upset little hoping someone else could calm them soon enough I didn't feel I had to get up. From the moment I got up until about 11pm tonight I would say there was a total of 1 to 1.5 hours I didn't have someone in my arms. For some reasons all the littles were extra needy. For most of the day Zach needed to sleep in someone's arms (reminiscent of Addie last night). Add to that Katie and Addie feeling the same off and on - Kim and I earned our pay today... oh... wait.... drat! Well, good thing we love getting paid in smiles, lulls in crying, funny faces, and fart noises that make us laugh. Yes, fart noises make me laugh. Especially when I'm changing the diaper, bottom hanging out and someone farts then smiles at you.
Proof that today was hard:
- both Kim and John took the dogs for a walk at some point. the most exercise they have had since us getting home
- everyone indulged in a guilty pleasure once the littles went to sleep tonight. for me, cookie dough; for kim, wine; for john, ice cream and scotch (weird combo!)
- Kim brushed her hair today... and was proud she had time to do that
- me, not so much on the hair brushing (lol)
- john gave himself a time out! (it is very hard for him to cry uncle)
*sigh* the first of many more difficult days to come I'm sure. For those that have stuck with this rambling post, thank you. I am headed to bed now since hubby just implied he may get up at 2am. If Kim does the same I may get about 5 hours of sleep straight and that would be a godsend!
To my littles: We love you dearly, but please nap tomorrow!
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