Anyone else due in June "06

[LucasMom]

Hi guys,
Well, we just returned from our first overnight trip away from the boys. It is our 5th anniversary this week, and we went to the Borgata in Atlantic City for the night, which is sort of a tradition for us. We had a beautiful suite with a big soaking tub, and had side by side massages and ate a ton of food. We were even offered free Santana tickets and we said no!! I must have pulled the boys pics out 20 times!:) You never really leave them. They are always on your mind, no matter where you are. The whole thing was a bit of a stretch on the wallet, but we really needed it, with all the recent events around here.

Jill- I am so sorry to hear about your mom. There is nothing to say that can make you feel better, but know that if you need us, we are here.Your children have blossomed so beautifully. I think you and Monica, I always look forward to seeing new pics because the change is so vast from birth.

Mommies having difficulties with the older siblings--as most of you know, I was so concerned with this topic that I did a TV show on it!!! I can't expalin the theory behind it or what we do, and I think it's very natural for an older sibling, even one who has already had a brother or sister (sherry) to feel left out of the equation with twins. They just get so much damn attention! When we are out and people start fawning over the twins while Lucas just sits in the cart and stares into space, I make sure to say something like " and who is the best big brother in the world?" He always smiles and starts to talk about how he helps out. Also, every night, regardless of how beat I am, I get into bed with him and we read a story together and I turn out the lights and cuddle with him for 15 minutes or so. The other thing to remember is that a child who is actingout is seeking attention. Kids don't care about good attention or bad attention, they just see it as attention. Not responding to this type of behavior is the best way to make it stop.

Danielle and Steph-Where did you run off to?

Miss you all-

Hugs,
Mindy

[AndreaR]

Don't have time to post, but I jsut wanted to tell you, Jill, how sorry I am for your loss. I have been thinking about you and your mom, wondering how things are going. You and your family are in my prayers. I can't believe how big TJ and Noah are. They are so beautiful!

[naturalmom]

Jill-I am so sorry for your loss. I also wanted to tell you that the pic of your two in the pride and joy shirts is the cutest thing ever. Your little one has the cutest smile in that pic!

Jennifer-thanks for the mylanta tip. I had initially thought of trying it, but thought they all had aluminum in them, so I resisted. I will get the supreme one. We did start Zantac but it is the NASTIEST tasting stuff EVER (tastes like a bad version of peppermint schapps) and Jude nearly pukes just taking it. Also, I sometimes tandem and sometimes single feed. I was using my EZ2nurse pillow early on, but now I usually just have 2 pillows on each side and position them in a V with their feet towards my knees. I got tired of the feet pushing too.

Andrea-His symptoms are fussiness, arching back, bringing knees up when screaming, audible swallowing, doesn't like to be flat.....no spitting up at all which makes it silent reflux. This can be worse for babes than regular reflux b/c it comes up and then goes back down, so burning their esophagus twice. Yeah, the no coffee is a killer. I was only drinking one fairly weak cup in the am, but I really needed that one cup!!

Sherry-yeah, I have raised their mattress and all of that. It does help.

Staci-my babies are rolling over (just front to back), but don't worry, my first child didn't roll over until close to 4 mo. Every baby is different. I have a medella pump in style and it is really good. I don't pump much, but it is supposed to be the best.

Mindy-glad you had a good time! Good sibling tips! Fortunately b/c I have 2 older kids (age 2 and 3), they keep each other entertained alot, but they still definitely need mommy one on one time. They are still babies too! I have to remind myself of that sometimes.

All 4 kids are in bed right now! YIPEE! DH keeps eyeing me like he wants some action.....we will see. I am enjoying the 'no one is touching me at this moment' time if you know what I mean.

I am gonna start pumping at night before bed to build up a tiny stash so it is there if I need it. It will probably boost supply alittle too, I suppose. I just HATE pumping and my body doesn't respond well to a pump.

Gotta go....I am so tired. Today was rougher than normal.

:) Melinda

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Hi again.

Jill, sorry for the loss of your mom. I can't imagine what you're going through. I hope that you have lots of support from friends and family during this time.

Sherry- I appreciate all the advice. I haven't tackled that acrobatic BF position yet, but I'll give it a try one of these nights! The Birthden website was great. I just sent it to a friend of mine with a one week old baby who is struggling with breastfeeding. I think Mason's latch has gotten really sloppy, and I'm always to tired or distracted to deal with it! Everyone- I started Fenugreek + Blessed Thistle (recommended together by the Birthden website), and holy cow, after one day, I am slightly engorged. I'm not joking. That is amazing stuff.

Melinda- my two actually LOVE the cherry Mylanta Supreme and they are like baby birds smiling when we squirt it into there mouths : ) They may just associate it with relief from the pain, but they do seem to enjoy it. Sherry is right- magnesium does have a slight laxative effect, so it has helped when they seem a bit "backed up" , too! Now, I guess I have been using the word "tandem" incorrectly-- I thought that meant nursing one right after another. Anyway, I'll try out the "V" position as well. Also- I have one cup of coffee every morning and that is all my caffeine for the day. Is that really going to affect their reflux? I didn't think that this was significant enough : (

Staci- my twins were born 6/26 @ 36 weeks. Isa is trying to roll over, but hasn't quite gotten the hang of it. Mason doesn't even try and he is so floppy that I am starting to worry. My 4 yr old was very advanced with motor skills (he did the army crawl at 4 1/2 months!) so I don't think that I have a good sense of when these milestones should really happen.

I've got to go-- I promised my son that we would take a walk b/c it is beautiful warm day!

take care!

[sgarrett]

Jennifer,

I just noticed our daughters have almost the same name! My little girl is Isabelle Grace. Great minds......

I will have to try the Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle - where do you buy it at? I live in the middle of nowhere!

[AndreaR]

I'm working on really important stuff - like trying to get pictures AND a ticker on my signature. I could be doing laundry, taking a shower, washing the floor, writing thank you notes, pumping........

I still can't get it to work. A lot of other moms have pics on their signature (not slides, just a pic or two). Any ideas?? I know, important stuff......... I just love the ticker and I've missed it. Plus, without it, I can never remember just how old my girls are! LOL

[AndreaR]

okay, i kind of got it. they're really big though. too obnoxious??

[sgarrett]

AndreaR: Love the new pics they are such cuties! OK now I have to try and get my ticker back!

[christel]

Hi girls

I've been reading posts but can never find the time to stay and post. It's been crazy busy. DH was gone all weekend for Nat'l Guard drill. This was the first time I've had the girls all by myself overnight. It went ok, but there was absolutely no down time. I was also trying to meet a deadline on a freelance project and at one point had the play gym on my bed, both girls in it, laptop in front of me, work spread on every other available space and a pb&j sandwich on the bedside table for supper. Cuckoo! I am completely in awe of you, Felisha!!!

Staci - the buy/sell is a fundraiser for the moms of multiples club. You can google MOM club and will get a hit for the national chapter. That site has info. on local chapters. It's really hard for me to make it to the meetings b/c my chapter meets about 40 min. away at 7pm. But, the membership's worth it for the advanced shopping privleges at the the sale twice a year.

BF - I BF the girls tandem (on my new EZ-2-nurse foam pillow :D). I used to use a boppy, but it was starting to require too much juggling as they grew. I always sit on the bed in the middle. I put a couple of pillows against the headboard vertically so there's space for little feet and they're not kicking anything. I rarely BF one at a time b/c it takes too much time. Then, I put one girl in the boppy on my left and the other on my lap and give supplement bottles if needed (almost always needed in the afternoon & evening).

BF mommy supplements - I have something called "more milk" (ewww) that tastes like feet but works pretty well. I'm engorged the day after taking it every time. Ow! So, I haven't taken it in a while. You can get it at Whole Foods. Staci- I bet you can buy it online.

New Mommies - Welcome!!

really hungry babies... I've been typing while they talk, but now they're cussing at me in baby speak. Must run. Bye!

[AndreaR]

Okay, here we go with letting Isabelle cry herself to sleep (sort of). Ever since the last posts, I've been putting her to sleep in her crib (for naps and the evening) as she was just falling asleep. Each time I had to go in once or twice to pick her up or rub her back. But basically she went right out. Tonight is a different story. She's really pissed off. She starts of calling me - not really a cry, she tries it louder, then louder, then louder, then she starts bawling her head off. The "calling" me is pretty funny, because it really does sound like she's doing it, if my name was "aaaahhhhaahhahhh." But it's her tone - you can totally tell. Anyway, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to do this without whipping out a boob. I don't think I can make it to 30..... Wish me luck.

AndreaR

[TMoT]

Andrea, right in there with ya, babe! I just gave Darius a bottle (usually they're on reserve for his sister)!!! The babies have been sick and crabby for 24+ hours straight and i've had it. Think the formula was enough to fill him up though, so now they're both in the crib (if they stay in it all night, this will be a first!), and I'm counting my lucky stars.... :-)

Going to try the herbal booby-milk blast right away. That should cut the nursing time -- which is really getting to be a drag, esp at night. What a relief that would be since I seriously think the babies are on a growth spurt (they're gaining 300 grams = .66lbs PER WEEK!) -- but isn't the entire first three years a growth-spurt for little ones?!?!! If I can't get my milk supply UP, I'm going to start giving them more and more bottles, I'm sure, which is just something I -don't- want to do, so..... :-(

Melinda, I just HATE pumping too, I tell ya! We start with that, then the soreness kicks in, then the yeast (from using bottles), etc., etc.... :-( Just fyi, though, I use the Advent hand-pump. What do you use?? With ds2 I often managed expressing by hand (=no pump) as well -- which was SO much more "organic" and caused less pain. Might even be as quick as a hand-pump too. Hmmm.

A, I love your description of Izzy "yelling" for you. Darius has started doing the same thing -- and he's so adamant. He's such a push-over though, it's actually more funny than anything. If he ever has to cry for anything for more than five minutes, it's a miracle. He sounds so verrry sad and wounded when he actually cries that no one can tolerate it for too long. "Sissy" (as I call Artemis) has a really ANGRY and mean cry, so we tend to let her cry longer -- it's like we think she's just po'ed and not really in need of something, I guess. Poor thing. I often have to remind myself of just what a LITTLE baby she is. And everyone around me keeps saying "she's a GIRL" (like that explains _everything_ ??!)... I wonder if anyone else has this experience...???

Big news: My tubal ligation is scheduled for 11 october!!!!! I don't know whether to party or break down in tears! *sigh* Wonder if post-partum, turning 40 AND getting my tubes tied within three months' time isn't just TOO MUCH -- even for a da-da-da-dahhhh <<<SUPER>>> MOM (like we are all here!)?!?!!?? ...Thoughts anyone?????

I also have the "dh-on-the-prowl" thing going on, Melinda, and I feel just like you: 4 kids asleep and AMEN! no one's touching me right now...! *sigh* Otoh, I really need the emotional boost every now and then -- even if I'm a beeotch-on-wheels, shouldn't he just KNOW that I want It, anyway???!!? LOL ;-)

Nice to hear from you too, Lisa, Staci, Val, Mindy, et al... Btw, where's Ters, Daniele, Steph, etc.??? (Like I even DESERVE to know!! ;-))

Well, off to catch some zzz's. It's 2am, so go figure.

Hang in there lovely mommies!
xox

[TMoT]

:partygirls: :staytuned: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MIN!! :party: :clink:

[swineland]

Hey gals....

I just wanted to check in and do my roll call.....'member when we all used to do that?? It was so cute how we were on pins and needles if we hadn't heard from somebody in over a day....wondering if everything was okay or not. It's so cool how close we all have become. If you think about it, we've almost known each other for a whole year! I know I started on this thread back on Nov. 30th and it was Georgina, Monica, Jill and myself. Over the many months it grew to include all of you wondeful women and I think we all have an incredible bond. Whether we post 5 times a day or one time a month, we just pick up where we left off and I think that is really cool. :)

Mindy, I'm here girl...check your email :)

Jill, my thoughts are with you as you deal with the loss of your mom. I can only imagine how difficult it is for you and especially as the babies get older and, as you said, achieve each milestone. Rest assured she is looking down and enjoying those precious moments with you. My hugs and well wishes to you.......

Staci, my boys are going to be 4 months old in a few days and they are not rolling over either. They have each rolled over from front to back like twice, but nothing recently. So, don't worry.....I'm right there with ya!

I had to take Bailey to the ped this morning b/c last night he scratched his left eye, like the actual eyeball. Everything is fine, we got some antibiotic drops just to be safe.

DH took Evan and put him on our scale and is pretty sure he weighs 15.5 pounds! Yikes!! Thing is, they are not fat AT ALL. They are very proportioned and slim, but TALL. These boys have got to be 26-27 inches long at this point. I have them in 3-6 months onesies and 6-9 month sleepers. The sizing is pretty erratic for baby clothes, as I'm sure you've all noticed. Heck, I've got one onesie that says it's for "0-12 months". I'm like, huh?? Which is it??

Mother in law is still here...will be leaving next Monday. She's a big help and if I just ignore the annoying parts, things are okay. Also, we got our new van and this momma is happy as a pig in mud. :)

Sherry, good to hear from you.....and several posts, to boot! Your photos are adorable.

Lisa, I hope this isn't too forward and perhaps it's none of my business, but how are things going with DH lately?? You were in a bit of a rough patch several weeks ago and I've just been thinking about you....hope things are better.

How often do all the babies on here eat during the day?? Excluding breastfeeding, I'm curious as to the amounts you guys are giving and how often. E and B are getting 5 oz on average about every 3-4 hours. I have also started rice cereal with bananas in the mornings and they still get liquified cereal in their nighttime bottles.

Well, I better hit the sack.....
Miss you all!
Steph

[swineland]

P.S. I know many of you have been talking about how hard it is for your babies to nap during the day. I just wanted to tell you what works for us. When I sense that the babies are tired but having a hard time falling asleep, I wrap them up in these blankets that have the silk on one side and an incredibly soft material on the other (like those little teether blankets I'm sure we all have). Anyway, I bundle them up like little newborns and actually drape part of the blanket over their eyes....the only thing showing is their nose and mouth, obviously, for breathing purposes :) The key component then is the soothie. I give them that and it literally only takes 1 or 2 minutes before they are on their way to la-la land. After only a couple mins the soothie falls out and I then put them tummy first in their crib. My mom and I just sorta stumbled upon this little trick one day. Same thing for in their carseats or in the store.....it can be 90 degrees outside but they love having the entire blanket smooshed up next to their cheeks (the silky side) and a soothie. Knocks em right out.

Of course, this works for my babies....it may not work for yours. My disclaimer :)
Steph

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Good morning-

Andrea- Did you need to soothe 30 times last night? I hope not. That sounds like progress with nap time, though! I wanted to tell the Baby Whisperer's name - Tracy Hogg- in case you want to read her sleep method yourself. She probably explains it better than I do! I wanted to make sure that I described this right so that you don't go through some tortuous routine that I described incorrectly! I just got her book out again and she suggests a few ideas to use together: 1. start the bedding down process when baby starts yawning so that she doesn't get overstimulated 2. establish a ritual where you sing the same song, play 5 minutes of music, say the same thing, etc., 3. swaddle, but leave and arm or two out for older babies 4. park in the crib while the eyes are droopy. For soothing. She says most sleep problems arise b/c baby is nursed before bedtime, baby is walked aroun, baby is allowed to sleep on an adult's chest. I must admit that I still do these thing frequently, but not all the time!

If baby fusses, reassure the baby with pats or shushes. If baby doesn't calm, then pick up, but it is important to place the baby down again as soon as she is comforted. She stresses putiing the baby down as soon as her comfort need is met so that she learns to fall to sleep on her own.

Stephanie- thanks for the sleeping tip- my two LOVE to have a blanket touching their cheeks for sleep, but I haven't tried the silky ones that are buried in a drawer!

Note to BF moms-- the fenugreek + blessed thistle should be taken 3 capsules of each herb three times per day. If it doesn't help in 3-4 days, it isn't going to affect you so no need to keep going with it. Also, I think it changes the taste of your milk! Both babies seemed to have a little nursing strike last night (they would only feed for 5 minutes at time and seemed to be complaining), but they have since gotten over it. I got these herbs at a local health food store, but I've heard that Whole Foods and GNC have them as well. You could also try online.

Staci-- that is funny about the names. I have to tell you that we almost went with Aiden for our son as well! However, our last name is Spanish with french orgins so Aiden didn't seem to fit well with it even though we loved the name. Mason is a french name so we liked it (Rene is a family name as well as Isabella and Grace).

I have to run!

take care-

[AndreaR]

Jennifer - thanks for the info. I guess I'm doing it wrong, because I'm definitely letting her nurse before she sleeps. Not until she's completely out (which is what I used to do), but just until she gets drowsy and then I put her down. She's on to me now though. She starts to get upset as I'm walking toward the crib now. Can you believe it!? She's crying in her crib now. I'll try your tips and see how it goes. Last night I gave in after 4 tries, but because she was crying so hard. I guess I should buy the book, so I'm not winging it....

[vthompson]

I have so much to do right now...laundry, vacuuming, work for my 18 jobs...however, it seems like every time I have tried to post lately, I can't!! Things have not been so good! The babies were sick last week...they still have some runny noses, but it is getting better. As everyone knows, he have a huge problem with Corey sleeping flat so he sleeps a lot in his carrier. Well, Monday morning, I found that he had pushed himself out of his chair so that his head was still in the chair but the rest of his body was on the crib (we just place the whole carrier in the crib at night). So, I freaked out and said no more of this at night. Monday, we put him in is crib, he woke up at 10:30pm ate a few ounces and then cried once we put him back in his crib. I took a very small pillow and put it under his head (I know, there is supposed to be nothing in the crib, but I was desperate!) and he fell fast asleep. Tuesday, we decided that they need to start napping in their cribs...well, whoever thought that was a good idea, obviously did not meet my children! Corey screamed, and I mean screamed his head off. I would let him go for a few minutes, go in there and calm him back down. As soon as I laid him back down, he screamed again. Kayley just laid there playing with her hands and talking. Needless to say, this went on for 2 hours and I gave up. By yesterday evening, they were so incredibly crabby I couldn't even believe it and I was exhausted. We finally got them to sleep and Corey got up every 3 hours last night. What in the heck am I going to do. I am so tired of this. What is wrong with this child that he will not sleep in that darn crib! Today, I was just too tired for the nap struggle so Kayley is in the swing and still won't fall asleep even though she is exhausted and Corey is sleeping in his carrier, supervised, of course! I am just so frustrated! DH and I are going to the PSU game on Saturday and will be gone overnight. I am so nervous, but I SO need to get away at this point! I feel like I am going to fall apart soon. Why can't I get a nap routine going and why won't my son sleep in his crib? UGGGHHH, well, now that I have written a book, I better go see what Kayley's problem is since she does not seem to be doing the whole self soothing thing right now!

Sorry, I did not respond to everyone...I guess I am being selfish today and just wanted to come on and vent!!!

Love ya ladies!

Valerie

[mmzill]

Hey Ladies~

It's so hard to believe we have been on this message board almost a year! I found out Oct 8th that we were having twins...... I cherish all of your friendships. It seems lately that I've been reading all the posts, but just don't have the time to respond.

Valerie, sorry you are having such a hard time! Big hug coming your way.:grouphugg When were they at the drs last? Are you sure Corey doesn't have an ear infection? They can really complain about those when laying flat also. Plus with them having a recent cold and all that extra fluid. (it's more likely reflux I would think, but you never know)

It's great to hear from you Steph and Sherry.

I'm still BF - some days I'm not sure how much longer I can go, but for now we are still doing it. I'm just so over it!!! I still have a few packages of frozen milk, but within a couple weeks I"m guessing that will be gone. Thank goodness for that stash! After that I'm going to have to start supplementing. I have yet to start them on any solids. I probably will in the next couple weeks. I do have some feneugreek and ordered some blessed thistle today. I'm hoping it will work. I didn't find the teas to do anything for me, but they taste pretty good with lots of honey or sugar. :)

Well, Love you all! I better get off here and go check on the gang!
~Monica

[TMoT]

Val, my heart goes out to you. I'm reading your post and thinking "that poor woman is gonna have to take those babies through Basic Training or something to get them to sleep in the crib...!" :-( It seems like you're doing all you can, poor thing! Maybe you and Andrea need to be reading the same (=Jennifer's) book?? If I regurgitate what my midwife suggests, in the meantime, though, it would go something like this: Put the baby down. Leave the room. Close the door. Watch the clock. If they're still crying after 10 minutes, go back in the room. Soothe, coo, rub a butt, etc., and then start all over again. With The Big Change in our family (=birth of the twins), I find I'm having to do this even with the big boys now (?!!). If you come and go (wait 10 minutes), come and go (wait 10 minutes), come and go (etc.).. they start to get the picture (=that you're not disappearing!), and it gives them enough confidence to fall asleep -- eventually. It might take a while (days? nights? weeks?), but they WILL ultimately sleep in the crib, no doubt about that. Until then, it's just a kind of "War of Attrition" (last guy/mommy/baby standing wins), and it will definitely take a lot out of you. Anyways. I'm thinking LOTS about you, and GOOD LUCK!!! XO

Monica, so nice to hear from you! And I'm stressed about your stash now! :-(( I've been supplementing, as I wrote, but I'm going to invest in some herbal remedies for my milk too, 'cause it's just too early for us to stop bf yet. I'll keep you posted... Funny about how long this thread has been around. I guess I joined in December sometime. In fact, I probably got pregnant on the day you found out you already were! Funny. (??!)

In the meantime, my babes and I are also under the weather. :-( I'm so @#$% exhausted, I can't see. And when I told dh today "I think I'm getting sick," do you know what he said??? NOTHING. (!!) No "oh gee. That's too bad." Or "gosh, honey, where 's it hurt?" Or "well, why don't you take a well-deserved rest and _I'LL_ put all the little ones to bed tonight then?"....!!!!! ]-( He and I have really be in a p155ing contest lately about who's more tired, and guess what HE's doing right now??! SLEEPING. And, well, you KNOW what I'm doing...!!! ;-)

*sigh* I'm sorry for venting, but I'm just very, very, VERY tired, and taking care of FOUR very needy children for the moment -- while I'm not feeling great myself -- is really running me down. To top it off, the babies start crying in the middle of the night _while they're laying right next to dh_ and he doesn't flinch. One starts, then the other, and then I'm seriously swamped, and he is snoring away in La La Land. Then he has the nerve to complain the following day to me about how tired he is -- while _I_ have been up and down - in and out of bed - twenty times between midnight and 7:30am!!! Isn't this just TYPICAL?!?!?!!?!!!! *sigh* YES, it IS. And, for that very reason, I'm going to STOP whining right now and apologize, once again, to all you lovely ladies (who have been in the very same position, I'm sure!) for whinging so much here. So sorry. :-(((

All right. Everyone is more or less asleep (Artemis is sucking on her fist but should "find" sleep soon, I hope), so I had better join them.

Nice to be back -- more or less -- 'in the groove' on our thread again. :-)

Take care sweet mommies. Love and strength to you all!!!
xox

[LucasMom]

:o Guilty mommy right here...coming on to post with no time to respond to all of my beautiful friends...forgive.

L and D had their 4 months check up with new Ped today and they are 16.7 and 16.1. Logan is still in the lead by 6 oz. and we are a full go on all stage 1 foods three times a day. Yeah!!:yippee: She thinks they look great and except for poor Lo, who has a hemangioma (she thinks) on his neck that they thought was a swollen lymph node (why I changed docs, he wasn't thorough enough for my taste), and we need to see a surgeon at Childrens Hospital
( made appt already!), they look beautiful and right on schedule for 4 months. Of course, I started crying about the neck thing, but I am sure it will be fine.

Steph-Gotcha on the email, and will write back. Miss you and we are on for week 3 October.

I will read later tonight after kiddies are asleep and respond by tomorrow.

Love Mamas!

Mindy

[christel]

Hi girls,

Just a quick post for now to say OMG! my babies are 5 months old today! :birthday:

I can not believe that much time has passed! This time last year we were going in for the egg retrieval. Wow!

Here we are on Mother's Day - they were already 2 weeks old
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e318/snelsonc6896/NICU/MomsDay1.jpg

And here's a pic I took of them today
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e318/snelsonc6896/DSC00041.jpg

Is time always going to go this quickly?

[sgarrett]

Val: I am so sorry for your stress, it can be so frustrating dealing with two demanding babies! It seems like and comes and gos and waves here. They will sleep great a few nights, (which is still waking up twice each!) and than other nights they are up every couple of hours. Everytime we think we have it figured out, they change the process! It will get better!

Mindy: I an not wait till we can give them foods! They will be 4 month Oct 13th and we are going to ask the doc his opinion.

Christel: You and your babies are both beautiful! It is amazing how time flies! We were watching our video the other day and I bawled like a baby!

I am going to go online and find some of the breastmilk supplements.

Steph: We just upped the bottles to 5 oz, after we add formula and cereal it is really 6 oz, and they eat about every 3 to 4 hours. I BF as well, but I have no idea how much they get than!

Sherry: Sorry your hubby is being a pain, it is hard enough to have 4 kids, to have to deal with 5 must be overwhelming!

Take care Mommies!

Staci

[vthompson]

I love you ladies so much!! I really do not know what I would do without all of you. You just have a way of lifting my spirits when I feel the worst!

I cannot believe it has been almost a year! We found out we were having twins on October 31st...I still cannot believe I am a mother to twins! More importantly, I cannot believe what great friends we all are!

Lisa - We are DEFINITELY still meeting next week...I need some adult interaction more then ever!!! I just emailed you back. I am sorry you are feeling so down...it must be the week for the baby blues...always know, that we all think you are a great mother, so no need for nanny 911 :) Hopefully, we will both feel refreshed after our shopping fest next week! Not that I have any money, but I have a credit card! :sunshine: You mentioned the crying, Corey has the same type of cry...it is not cute or baby like...it sounds like someone is abusing him. He is so stubborn that there has been times that he has cried like that for 5 or more minutes and never lets up, even a little!

AndreaR - I just wanted to tell you how cute those pics of the girls are!

Christel - Beautiful babies!! Too cute! I can't believe how much they have grown from one pic to the next! It is amazing.

Steph - So great to hear from you...I missed you!

Mindy - I am so glad that you changed peds...motherly instinct is amazing! Keep us posted on what the surgeon saids. I am sure everything will be fine! It sounds like you are in good hands.

Sherry - As always, thanks for the wonderful advice. I am so sorry that DH is being such an idiot. I think you should have a talk with him and let him know how much you need his help. There is no reason why you should be doing all of that alone!

Monica - I never even thought about an ear infection. We go back to the ped next Friday. I think I will call them and ask tomorrow what they think. Tonight we put a pillow and blanket under the sheet to elevate his body like it is when he sleeps in the carrier...crossing my fingers and saying a few prayers that it helps!!

Ok ladies, I have barely seen DH tonight so I better get to bed. I told him I would be up in a few minutes and that was over a half hour ago! Plus, I am exhausted!

Valerie

[AndreaR]

Valerie - I'm so sorry you're having a tough day. You are not doing anything wrong. You are doing everything right. You are a great mom. It just stinks some days, doesn't it? And I'm sorry I don't really have any advice for you on sleeping and schedules (as you can see from my previous posts). I wish I had the answers for us all. It's so frustrating. But we are always here for you to vent when you're having a bad day. I like what Sherry has shared (the ten minute plan), and I'm going to try it.

I say we all agree once and for all that there is no need to apologize for coming on the board to vent. And there's no rule that says you have to respond to everyone. We shouldn't be making ourselves feel bad about that - we've got enough to feel bad about when we can't get our kids to eat/sleep/poop/etc... Where's Steph and her guilt patrol??

Christel - I can't get over how big and different your (not so) little girls are from when you first came on the board. They are really gorgeous - I love the chubby cheeks. It's truly a miracle - everything you've been through.

Oh no, Monica - don't give up on b/fing!! You're my cheerleader and inspiration (along with Sherry). I am only nursing one and I'm having a hard time handling it. I can only imagine what it's been like nursing two. Whenever I feel like I can't do it any longer (like today when I discovered that the thrush is back, grrrrrr), I remember the advice that you gave me a long time ago: take it one day at a time. Set short milestones for yourself. So I tell myself, I'll do it at least until the end of this month. And then another month comes along. Anyway, I realize that maybe I'm making you feel worse instead of better.... Do whatever is right for you and your boys. Whatever it is, it will be the right thing. I just thought I'd try to be supportive like you were to me when I really wanted to quit.

Mindy - congrats on the great weights! Remember when we used to say that to eachother when the babies were on the inside?! Your boys sure are getting big. Good luck with the solids. What is hemangioma? I'll have to google it. I hope everything is okay.

Sherry - Yikes, you've got it bad. I'm so sorry. Sick babies is a sad thing. That stinks about DH, too. It sounds like you need a little break. btw, My DH can sleep through babies screaming in his ear, too. It's sooooo annoying. My DH actually told me that another dad told him to fake sleeping when the babies cry. AYSM???? I know that DH isn't faking, but it still makes my blood boil that he can't hear them crying. Thanks for the advice on the sleeping thing. I am with Valerie - I'm just too tired to stick it out for too long. I give up and whip out the boob and say, "Tommorow. We'll start tomorrow."

Lisa - glad to hear that things are better with your hubby. I'm so happy that you talked.

Where's Ters???

Okay, I need to go to bed. Thanks for everything, ladies. You really are the best.

xoxo
AndreaR

[AndreaR]

ps. I found out I was pregnant on 10/10, and I found out I was having twins on 10/27. God, it seems like a lifetime ago.

[TMoT]

Lisa, "Nanny 911" = GREAT IDEA!!! They MUST have drill sargeants for babies. WHERE ARE THEY? And HOW DO I GET ONE?!?!??! :crazy:

Actually, I had a MAJOR break-down last night!! EACH of my children took turns crying, needing Mommy and requiring intensive soothing; and when the littlest two were still fighting for sleep (HOURS after I posted yesterday), I got them -calm- and went to the bathroom and balled my head off!!!!! :'-(( Even dh woke up! (But he must have been listening already, 'cause NOTHING wakes him up, as I said...!) Every cell in my body was crying out of exhaustion (I think I have the flu), and my brain/mind just joined in! I was seriously saying to myself "I'm cracking under the pressure".... :-( ...I have to confess, I think dh does his best, but men are such bone-heads (as I've written here a dozen times), I get REALLY TIRED of having to say "she probably needs to burp," "that diaper is REALLY mushy -- would you mind changing him maybe?", "it would be a good time to put their jammies on, don't you think?" etc., etc., ETC....!!!! And, of course, he gets mad _at me_ for hen-pecking him, whereas he appears almost incapable of taking a little initiative (=TO HELP ME) on his own...!!!! :'-((

He suggests calling the "family help" people (there is such a group in Belgium, and insurance reimburses part of it)... But, you know, I HATE the idea of having a stranger in my household during the day... Does anyone else understand what I mean by this??? It might be helpful, but unless she IS Nanny, how much do I really have to gain by an additional Presence to contend with?? Thoughts, women????? *sigh*

It's most difficult because I just start to feel really alone. The two babies are my and dh's. But the two big boys are kinda "mine" alone. And the responsibility for ALL of them, ultimately, weighs heavy on my shoulders sometimes. (Thinking of you, Felisha. *sniff sniff*) I just remember feeling last night like "they all just keep _crying_"... and feeling so powerless in the face of that. The last thing we want is our beautiful little babies (whatever age!) to _cry_. But, otoh, it's so depleting to have to be thoughtful, gentle, strong for them (for all of us) 24/7 -- LITERALLY....

Well, if the family help can send me Nanny -- I tell ya -- at this point, I'll take her!!!!! :-)

Today, I get to go to a physiotherapist (she promised me a massage!) and to my "anti-exercise" class. My MIL will stay with the babies then pick up the big boys at school. I'm not worried about anything (she'll give the babies a bottle) except my breasts being over-inflated. Really feel like I'm playing Russian-roulette with the bf these days though. Probably doesn't help my hormonal level either... :-( I WILL, however, ENJOY going out on my own. Maybe, in fact, that's just what the doctor ordered...?? I will see. Let you all know later...

Btw, I AM still taking my Omega-3 (and eating fish when I can ;-)), so you KNOW this is bad!!! (?!!) ;-)

Perspective: Mindy, I'm sorry about Lo's hemagioma. Please keep us posted!!!

Christel, Happy Birthday to you all!!! Those pictures are AMAZING! :'-)

In fact, looking at everybody's pics sure lifts my spirits. I DO wish I could actually see you gals (& Co.) In Real Life someday. Till then, sorry for everyone I missed (Andrea, Val, Staci -- still thinking of you all too :throb:) and <<LOVE>> to everyone!! xox

PS You know you really vented when you have to close the browser (for fear that -- ahem -- someone else might read what you posted) after you post. LOL xox

[mmzill]

Sherry - so sorry you had such a breakdown! I think a day out for YOU is just what you need......actually you need more like a month, but I guess we have to take it when we can! I was just telling my bestfriend that I feel like I could have a month of no kids, and still not be just jumping up and down ready to take care of them. Men are so dense! My dh is the same way- If I don't suggest something, he has no clue of what to do. It's not like kids come with manuals or something, we don't have instructions either, but somehow we figure it out.....why can't they??????? It probably did you good to cry. I know I have to have a good cry every now and then. I hope you are not getting sick!

Lisa - my boys are not sleeping through the night either. Last night they didn't go to sleep until after 10:30 ugh! and were up by 4 wanting to eat. Then again at 6 and again at 7:30! With my dd, she did not sleep through the night until she was 11 mos old or so. I hope you and Valerie have fun! I've got to post a few pics of when Val and I got together, but they are still on the camera.......so much to do, not enough time to do it in.

Andrea - thanks for the kind words of support about bfing. So sweet! I'm not giving it up yet. I just dream about it sometimes.....oh to have my body back!!! :)

Well dd had a dr's appt yesterday, she weighs 28 lbs and is 33 inches long! What a big girl she is getting to be. And such a joy.....she does sleep through the night! :clap: And is so much fun to be around! All this does get easier!

Last night I was playing with Anthony, acting like I was going to eat his cheeks. He just loved it and was giggling and laughing. It was so cute! Then Nathan got in on it and he was laughing also. I need to do that more often!

Does anyone feel like they have really fallen in love with their twins yet? With dd, at about 2 1/2 mos, I looked at her and just realized how much I really loved her. (not that I didn't love her from the start, but this was different) I have yet to do that with the boys. I think it's because with twins there is just twice as much work and I'm normally too tired to really enjoy them for the little people that they are. Anyways - just curious.

Well it's 10 min to Nine and dd is still sleeping!!! WOW, she's normally up by 7:30!

I hope that you all have a blessed day! I"m going to try to enjoy it more than I have been. Love you all!
~Monica

[cbparker]

Monica - thank you so much for your question about "being in love" with the twins. I thought maybe it was just me, and I felt so guilty for not feeling this way. Don't get me wrong, I love them, and would give my life for them, but when does the fun stuff start? Man, I'm glad you said something I was going to ask, but didn't know how to word it. Thanks again!

[sgarrett]

Lisa: You are not doing aything wrong, mine are the same way. We put them down between 7:00 and 8:00 and they will wake up anywhere between 2 and4 times at night. It is so exhausting. We add 1 tablespoon of cereal per 2 oz of formula for all bottles now. It really helps with the spit up. They still spit up the breast milk though, have not figured out a way to add cereal to that!

Monica: For me I think it is more starting to realize that they love me back, you know what I mean? You love them so much but it is a "always giving never receiving" relationship until that magic momement when you can tell they actually love you back. Does that make sense?

Take care Mommies,

Staci

[4redheadedboys]

Hey everyone I know I haven't posted on this thread, haven't posted since we were all still pregoos. Just wanted to say hi and things are going okay here, not a lot of sleep still, but getting better. Can't wait for that full nights rest like some others have said. I will try to be better about getting on here now that I'm at work and have some quiet time, haha. Take care

[LucasMom]

Just a quick thing--

Lisa- I had to look at your shutterfly stuff and your boys are so freakin' cute!!!!!! Their head shapes are different just like Lo and Dylan, one a bit rounder and one a bit narrower. They are just so cute. You look great, also. Do you want to meet up at the mall soon?

I promise I'll write back to everyone tonight after the peanuts are asleep...

back to work...

Hugs, mamas

Mindy

[LucasMom]

PS- In regards to the "love" thing, I know what you mean, and having an older child, I think Staci was right on in that when they start to really love you back and talk to you, you really get that "oh my god I love you so much I can't stand it" feeling. I want to eat their faces :) , if that makes sense, like I just look at them and I can't stand how cute they are. I lve so much when they smile and talk to me. But, honestly, we are all exhausted and it is hard to feel those true love feelings towards anyone when you are so tired and overwhelmed. It will happen at the strangest of moments. Sometimes a sense of overwhelming pride will trigger it or a certain look they give you. I remember when Luke was 14 months old or so, I was laying on the floor playing with him and he threw something at me and I made a sad face. he crawled over to me and patted my head and tried for the first time to comfort me. He looked so sad like he was going to cry and my heart just broke. At that moment, as with many others, I just loved him so very much. Don't be discouraged. You'll get there. The other thing to remember, and please don't take this the wrong way...your first child is always your first child and you feel things differently with them. Doesn't mean you love them any less if they are #2or 3 or 4. Just love each differently. And for those of you who have twins as your "1st", it's the same, you don't have the opportunity to focus on only one, so it's normal to take longer to truly LOVE each one for specific reason.

Love you all.

-M

[christel]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the sweet compliments on the pictures of the girls :throb:

Sherry - I am right there w/ you on the DH thing. Mine really is a sweetie, but he can really be clueless about what to do and I just get so tired of telling him. And he gets tired of hearing it. And then it's actually less energy to just do it myself instead of telling him how to do it and helping him do it. And the sleeping through crying thing... ditto. I saw this on the www.familysleep.com website:
Dads React to Nighttime Crying By Pretending to Sleep:

"More than one-half of British fathers react to their infants' nighttime crying by either continuing or pretending to sleep, according to a recent survey conducted by Mother and Baby magazine in the United Kingdom. While 52 percent of fathers do not get up in the middle of the night to care for their children, an additional 22 percent get up only after their partner has gotten out of bed to tend to the baby. As a result, six out of 10 mothers reported feeling resentful toward their partners."

How True!!!

Ok, I need y'alls help. Ruby has been impossible to feed in the evenings for the past 2 weeks and last night I got so frustrated I wanted to shake her (that was really hard to admit). I gave her to DH and just walked out of the room.

Here's what she does... She BFs but keeps coming off, crying and then going back on or coming off, playing and relatching. We relatch over and over and she eventually empties her side. Then, she gets a bottle. Same thing w/ the bottle. She's shaking her head, dodging the nipple. We burp and burp her and while she's being burped she'll start air-raid screaming. And I know she's tired and ready to sleep, but she needs to eat, right?

This happened last night between 7 and 8. We finally got 3 oz of formula down her and put her in bed and she cried for a few minutes and then went to sleep for the night. They're eating at 8, 11, 2, 5 and 8ish. I'm not giving any solids, just BM & formula. Could it be a reflux thing? What should I do? Should I put her down earlier? What about that last feeding?

[mmzill]

Mindy is on TLC right now. :)

[LucasMom]

I am such a dork...isn't it weird to see me on tv and talk to me every day? I cry when I see that show, the part when they are doing the ultrasound and Luke and I are giving eskimo kisses...

[sgarrett]

Christel:

I am sorry, that is so frustrating. Have you tried a little cereal in her formula? Maybe move her bedtime up earlier. We have had to start putting Isabelle to bed at about 7:00 and Aiden at 8:00. She is just sleepier earlier, and if we wait to long she is sooo grouchy.

Staci

[AndreaR]

In the process of putting Izzy down for bed..........I gotta wonder. All this letting her cry for ten minutes and then going in to soother her, it reminds me of training our dog. I feel like I'm just teaching her that if she cries long enough I'll come in and soothe her. Just like dogs learn that if they bark/whine/behave poorly long enough we will give them the attention or whatever they want. She stops crying when I pick her up, but as soon as I put her back down, or even change my hand positions so I can put her down, she starts wailing. I am buying the Baby Whisperer book tomorrow. Thanks for putting up with all of my posts about this.

Love you all - will post more later. I need to go back in and get her to calm down.

AndreaR

[mmzill]

Andrea - This is my personal opinion, I think my kids are too young to let them cry it out. I don't think they know enough or are old enough to realize that I'm not leaving them. I would just rather hold them or lay down with them and let them fall asleep with me. Our boys end up in our bed all the time. (Maybe that is not how you mom's like to do it, but it works for us.) When Alaina turned 1 I decided that it was time for her to start putting herself to sleep. I would give her a bottle and put her in the crib and not take her out. I would not leave the room and she could see me, but I would not take her out. I would hug her over the side of the crib and all. After about 2 nights of her crying for 45 min or so she got the hang of it. But by that time in her life, she could see me, she knew I was not deserting her. I just can't let my kids scream for more than a couple min.....unless I'm at my witts end and can't handle it any longer. Another book that I found helpful with my dd was the "No Cry Sleep Solution"

I think that my boys know how to self soothe some because of all the nights they were in NICU with no mom to hold them. It really breaks my heart to think that they didn't have the attention that they would have had if they were at home. So that's another reason why I don't like to let them cry, because I'm sure they did their fair share of that when I couldn't be there.

Ok, that's my two cents worth,
~Monica

[AndreaR]

Oh Monica - I totally agree with you! But I feel like everywhere I read, I've been doing the wrong thing, starting bad habits, etc... Now I feel terrible that I let her cry so much tonight. She finally did fall asleep. But now I wonder if she thinks I was abandoning her....

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Andrea- my heart goes out to you. Monica is right--everyone has a different opinion about the touchy sleep subject. I use the Baby Whisperer's strategies because she is in-between the "cry it out" and "rock them to sleep" and co-sleeping camps, and it has just worked for my babies. I think you should buy the book b/c she gives actual examples of how she used these strategies with different babies. She talks about gradually moving out of the room like Monica did with her DD. I think that is a great idea for little ones like ours. I do that sometimes when Mason is fussy- I sit in the rocking chair and pat his back, and then move the chair back after just a minute or two and he falls right to sleep because he can see me. She has good advice about feeding and sleeping through the night, too (she isn't the best BFing advocate, though). I wish she would come to my house!!:yippee:

From a behavior modification standpoint, I agree most definitley that going in every ten minutes teaches the baby that if they cry long enough you WILL come in, therefore encouraging crying. FYI- the Ferber Method for CIO, tells you to gradually extend the time. First, you wait 5 minutes, then 10 then 15, etc. I believe that he doesn't recommend this until your baby is 7 or 8 months, though. I did this with my DS when he was 18 months and I only had to do this for two nights and he got the message. I only got up to 10 minutes each night. He was much older, though. Anyway, that is just my two cents as well!

Sherry-I'm having trouble juggling three kids...I have no idea how you manage four, but you sound like you're a great mom. I have to have faith that this will get easier for all of us. I'm trying not to wish time away (although I find myself doing this ) because I'm sure someday I'll miss the early baby days and want them back...well, maybe not. Anyway, I hope that you feel better soon.

I have had a terrible time with DH since the twins have made their appearance. When they were still in the cosleeper in our bedroom, they would both be screaming their heads off, and he would pretend to sleep! I would kick him (gently, of course : ) ) He would act like "What??" .He would hear him tell other people that he couldn't do anything to help at night since I was BFing...what about the dirty diapers? what about when they just needed hugs?? Now I go into the nursery when they wake around 3 am and I just sleep in the single bed that is in there until morning. It got to the point where I preferred to do that rather than listen to him complain about how tired he was! It has to be a man thing. I try to keep it in perspective, though, because he does ALL of the cooking in our house and almost all of the laundry. BUT just like Sherry, I am always having to tell him "I think his diaper is dirty"...or "maybe she needs a nap" or "maybe you should cuddle him instead of propping him up next to you on the couch" . Ugh. Sorry- now I'm just rambling. He had the nerve to ask me last week when I was going to start running, too! (He has recently lost 40 pounds and has become an obsessive runner). Give me a break.

On a slightly related topic-- maybe this is too personal-- but I am having a terrible time with my belly. I just feel incredibly self conscious and even feel reluctant let my DH near my body. I have lost my baby weight (55 pounds!), and generally feel okay about the rest of my body, but my belly is SOOOO soft, still protrudes, and the skin is wrinkled beyond belief. My doctor said that I would need a tummy tuck to fix my skin and sew my muscles back up because I have a "diastasis". Has anyone else had their muscles separate? You can't do regular crunches (supposedly that makes the muscles separate more) and the isometrics aren't working. Does anyone know any good tricks to help out this belly skin? I REALLY don't want to have another surgery- two C sections have been enough. I know that this is really shallow when others are having serious problems, but if someone has time to comment on this I would appreciate it.

Christel- Maybe you should talk to your pediatrician about that feeding behavior. Isabella is the SLOWEST eater and does the same thing that you're describing. She has reflux so I think that she has discomfort sometimes when she is eating. Mylanta has helped some, but not always I can't wait until they are old enough for solids! Our doctor said that we just had to hang in there until they start sitting up, because the reflux usually improves at that point.

Wishing you all peaceful nights-

[AndreaR]

Okay, enough about me....

Sherry - I'm so sorry about your day/night yesterday. It's totally understandable given all that you are doing right now. Taking care of four children, two of which are newborn twins!!! You hang in there, sweetie. I hope your day today was great. It sounds like you had lots of things planned that were just for you. You totally deserve it. About having the "family people" come in and help... It sounds like you think you'd be admitting defeat if you called them. Don't think of it like that at all. You are doing SO MUCH and you are doing SUCH a GREAT job with everyone, but just think what a dream it would be to have a little help. Think of how you might be able to enjoy what you're doing just a little bit more because you have an extra few minutes here and there.

Lisa - my girls don't sleep through the night. Sometimes one of them will sleep for seven hours, which is great, but never both at the same time. We are up at least once but usually twice per night. Please don't feel like you are doing something wrong. You are not. I'm not sure about eating in the middle of the night. My girls are a lot smaller (10 & 11 1/2 pounds), but if they wake up during the night, we usually feed them. What does your doctor say? I remember Daniele telling me that her doctor told her that her boys should be sleeping through the night with no feedings by four months (I think it was four months).

Falling in love with the twins - I have fallen right off the deep end. I can't remember when it happened, but it was earlier than I expected. When I was pregnant, a friend warned me that it doesn't happen right away. I think it might have been when Maddie had to go back into the NICU. I just missed her so much, and it made me appreciate having Isabelle home. That being said, there are many a night or crying jag where I feel like if I didn't have my wits about me, I just might lose my cool. For the first time, I can totally understand how someone could harm their own kid. The sleep deprivation is unreal.

Christel - sorry about your issues with Ruby. That was happening with me and Isabelle for a little while, and I moved her bedtime to 5pm. I know that's really early, but it really worked. She would sleep from 6 (by the time I gave her a bath, nursed her to sleep....) until 1 or 2 in the morning. She was so tired that she wouldn't nurse - shake her head, just like you described. We haven't had that happen too many times since we changed her bedtime. Just once or twice when she's been overtired. I read somewhere (i've really got to stop prefacing every sentence with that) that allowing your baby to sleep is just as important as feeding her. Can you give her a "top off" nursing session right before she goes to sleep? I know, I know, it's against someone's rules.......

That's a very interesting statistic about dads who don't get up in the middle of the night. I always feel like I should do it more, because he's at work all day and I'm home. I know that it's work here, but there are times when I am able to sneak a nap once in a while. DH never gets that opportunity at work. Does anyone else feel that way?

Jennifer - I don't think anything is "too personal" to share on this board. You should have been here when we were pregnant! The stuff we shared....YIKES. Sorry about the way you feel about your belly, but I don't have any suggestions. Perhaps Sherry has some anti-exercise tips??? Congrats on losing all of your baby weight. You should feel very proud.

Good night. Thank you all for listening to my ranting about getting Isabelle to sleep.

xoxo
AndreaR

[megzmom]

Okay ladies. I am in the middle of class (students are taking a test) and I am about to cry.

Andrea-pleassssse dont ever compare yourself or your babies. I know its easier said than done. You always asked what I did and how long I let them cry. I hated to ever tell you because it is NOT anything that I have done that makes them fall asleep. God's honest truth is that my dd and both boys are naturally self soothers. There are definate rough spots right after dinner but I think its more me being exhausted from work than them. My mil watches them during the day and does not let them self soothe and I do. They some how have adjusted themselves to both our personalities.

Dog training-too funny. I was a dog trainer in the Air Force right before I had dd and while she was real little I used to think I sounded the same talking to her as I did the dogs :)

Sick-boys got their first colds and ear infection. I was out on Wed. Zack was up 2x Tues night so congested and oculdnt breathe while Ben slept through it. LIke I said they are good sleepers and havent woken up a night since eventhough they are very congested.

Diapers-anyone gone to size 3 yet? The size 2 looks too small on Zack now.

-what does everyones kids weigh and birthdate. I want to jot down all the bdays so I dont forget.

June 2nd
Zack weighs 13.10
Ben wieghs 12.8

Okay. Talk to you all later.

[TMoT]

Gals, WOW what a lot of loaded subjects we've got bouncing around here now...!!!

Lisa (All), I was thinking: sometimes when you OVER-feed babies at/near bed-time, they stay awake and active because they need to POO...!! Have you noticed this??? They might want to take the bottle later because they're _thirsty_ from eating too. Just thinking out loud. Anyway, double-check the poo-poo thing and see if you're not changing diapers in the middle of the night 'cause that's what's keeping them awake. If so, you might consider giving them less heavy stuff to eat so close to bed-time. Although, conventional wisdom says that heavier food helps them sleep more, since it also gets their bowels (and therefore _them_) active, you find actually that there is a very delicate balance we need to achieve... Argh.

Falling in Love: Gotta agree with Staci on this one. I'm madly in love with my babies (all four of them!), but I'm waiting for these little ones to reciprocate! ;-) ...They ARE starting to smile at me more and more, though, and my (ungrateful) daughter is very much a Mama's girl (she'll stop crying just because _I_ pick her up)... So, I think they're trying in their own way to show they love _me_ -- which, of course, puts me on Cloud Nine. :-)

For the mommas who aren't getting the warm-n-fuzzies yet, though, I DO think it has something to do with the fact that 1) we're sleep deprived and 2) there's TWO of them: Seems like we're just getting one calm when the second one starts, and "play/bonding time" is minimized. Don't know really what to say about this, but I DO think the feeling will come -- just a bit slower because we're busy being "all business" and don't have the chance to really stop and smell... our babies' rosey little bums.... :-)

Monica, imho, you're right about the sleeping stuff. My midwife recommends that let-em-cry-10-minutes approach, but I've really only ever put it into practice with my bigger kids, when they were older and on a "graduated scale" = longer and longer between "checks". I'm guilty as charged: I nurse babies till they sleep and/or only stuff 'em in their crib (_swaddled_) when they're almost comatose -- which can mean at 2:30am if it takes that long... :o Dh and I are suffering from it though. Our "private life" only begins after the babies are asleep, so guess where that's heading....??!

Btw, who was the mommy sleeping in the other room with the babies now (or maybe I imagined that?!)????? I did that with the boys' father, and look where we ended up? Word to the wise: Even if it seems more "convenient" now, you really have to be careful about giving the babies priority over your private life with dh. If you're going to sleep separately, you will really have to work extra hard to make sure you create other "quantity" time for the couple. Just my thoughts (and other mommies here can corroborate, I know!)...

Christel, I'll be darned if it doesn't sound like Ruby needs to burp. This sounds really patronizing, I realize, but Artemis is THE SAME WAY very often, and it's NOT that she's refusing the breast or the bottle, it's just that she's trying to work out a burp, but she's STARVING at the same time, so it gets very frustrating for her and for us. I find that when either of them starts to get "squirmy" on the breast/bottle, or when they _should_ be hungry but appear to be refusing the bottle/breast, I need to take them off (even if they protest), get them to let out a good burp (it's inevitably that!), and then start all over with feeding (even if they seem to have lost interest in the meantime)... Sometimes they even feed _because_ they have a painful burp "brewing" and eating gives them relief. Poor things. If only they could _talk_ -- which is why we really have to pay attention to their body language, so we can try to give them what they want when they want it. I find that the more I get in tune with thier idiosyncracies, the more I can understand about these little monsters, and of course, the more I adore them... :'-)

Jennifer: Flabby, stretched-out, wrinkled, embarassing tummy: BIG, FAT CHECK! ...I DO, however, have some exercises (Andrea- LOL)!! I don't know how much it'll help with diastasis (is that what you called it?), but I'm going to find out. In the meantime, you can do this without doing any damage (and YES -- sit-ups are NOT allowed! I told you all this months ago, didn't I?!?! ;-))

The exercises all start with the same basic movement -- sitting, standing or however you want (I find sitting "tailor style" is good) -- and that is this:

Breathe in
Breathe out, out, OUT (ALL the air out of your lungs); then -- while _holding your breath_:
Stick out your ribs
Suck in your tummy -- waayyy in (till it's grotesque)
Tighten your perineum (all those muscles "down there" -- vagina, rectum, etc.)
Count to FIVE
Breathe in!/Release!

Repeat 3-5 times (or more!) throughout the day/when you think of it...

Just this alone will help to firm up the tummy muscles and perineum. But you can then: Increase the count... to TEN, to FIFTEEN, and do more repetitions... In my physio class (yesterday I had a one-on-one; it was good but my massage got called off (!!) because the teacher's dog got out and was running around the neighborhood!!!), we start to add other resistance moves to the Basic Movement that make the exercise harder/even more effective: eg. laying down, knees bent and pushing off the bed/head-board with your palms over your head during the count; or, (same position) putting a half-inflated children's ball between your bent knees and squeezing it with your knees during the count.... Well, there's more, but it's hard to describe here, so just start with these and see how it goes. For me, even one session has already made a difference -- esp in my perineum, which I'm rather concerned about...! ;-)

In the meantime, Jennifer, I REALLY feel for you -- I'm going through the SAME, exact thing with my tummy. DH doesn't run (whew!), but even when we make love, I find that he avoids touching my tummy, and isn't that painful??? :'-( Our tummies are SO MUCH of who we are, it's horrible to feel ashamed about this beautiful place that held, carried and MADE our babies.... :'-( Well, chin up: My anti-gymnastics teacher (btw, +that+ was a GREAT class!!! You should all at least do the little hand/foot "trick" on the website:
http://www.antigymnastique.com/anglais/pied.html) said we have EIGHTEEN MONTHS to get our body back in shape after pg... We are now (have you noticed?!) more flexible, soft and "maleable" than ever! This also means we can sculpt our bodies into The Perfect Shape, IF we have the time, energy, etc.... Yes, all, we need to MAKE this time. (Jen, I think dh asking you to start running is an INVITATION for you to sign up at the local gym and make him babysit once or twice a week so you can go do swim relaxation therapy or something!!!) Btw, I DID profit from the time I got to do be out and about yesterday, but even once per week doesn't seem like enough...!!!!! Well, it's a start anyway.....

Other than that... Hmm. The "outing" yesterday was nice. Felt like I was in a "zone" -- rushed, running from place to place and not really able to relax at all (worried about the babies/MIL, etc.), but it was still GOOD, all in all. I really needed that. I especially enjoyed my anti-gymnastic class. It was so relaxing, and afterwards I had a really nice chat with the instructor. She is very cool. Makes a big difference....

Andrea, I AM going to call the "family help" people after all. DH is strongly encouraging it. I guess he doesn't want to see me go over the edge ;-), and he's right... I'll let you know how it goes.

Otherwise, more news in our parts: DH got an "additive" for the baby bottles (it's called "st. john's bread pit meal"--??!)), which the pharmacist said is safe for babies as of birth. We gave them both some last night, and THEY SLEPT FOR 8.5 HOURS!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to investigate it a bit more (and make sure the babies don't end up constipated now), and let you ladies know the scoop... Unfortunately, they still only went to sleep at **4am** (so that means we "slept" till 12:30!!), but I feel like a new woman, so that's enough for me! If everything looks kosher, I'm going to give them a bottle with the same stuff in it tonight *at 8:30pm* and see how it goes. Like you've all noticed, though, just because it seems to have worked _once_, doesn't mean it's a cure-all, of course. So I'm going to try not to get too excited. I might just attempt a shopping trip this afternoon however. I've got so much energy right now (have you noticed from the length of this post??!), I'm feeling pretty ambitious! So, we'll see....

...LOVE your pictures, Lisa!!!

...Sure wish I had TLC so I could see Mindy on tv too! :-(

...More later, gals, and so nice to see Jackie and Belinda here too!!! xox

PS Hasn't anyone checked out MY pics??! :-( Here's the info again:
www.flickr.com
yahoo login: my5i5ters
pass: mommy247
Then, go to your contacts and check out "photos" under my account ="Xerry"... :-)

PPS Christel, I checked out the "more milk" stuff. I'm going to try to order some from Hungary (?!)! The site is awesome: www.motherlove.com ...LOTS of natural products for Mommy and Baby that I think you all would like (including stretch-mark balm ;-))! xo

[EBTwinz]

Okay, real quick, didn't have time to read any posts but Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to Steph and Valerie for the tips. I combined both tips. I folded a soft blanket w/ silk edges and placed it under their heads last night. Both slept 8 hrs before waking up to eat then slept in until 8am! Don't know if it was just a fluke but I put Ethan down for his nap already b/c he was cranky and he cried a tiny bit then went to sleep. I hope this is the start of something good.

I have to pack. I am going home to my parent's today and staying a week. If I don't check in soon it's b/c I am really busy but I promise to try and check in later this weekend. Boys are being Baptised tomorrow.

Love all,
Lisa

[EBTwinz]

false alarm, Ethan did not nap.... UGH!

[christel]

:sunshine: Hi girls,

Staci, Sherry, AndreaR & Jennifer - I think you're all right. I think Ruby's problem is a combination of gas and needing to go to sleep earlier and I am going to talk to our pedi about it. Last night she did the same thing, but w/out the crying. She was pretty happy, so not that tired. I think it was more gas. But this is the hard to get out kind. Ruby used to get AR formula b/c of the bad spit ups. But we found that once we took her off of the Enfacare 22 calorie stuff we didn't need the AR any more. It was the 22 cal that was the problem. So, now she just gets regular old Enfamil Lipil like Emme. I'm going to start giving her a dose of Mylicon before the evening feedings and burp her every ounce and see if that makes a difference tonight. If that doesn't do the trick, then I'll email the pedi.

I'm not sure how bedtime is going to work tonight b/c we're the happy hour house tonight. I miss my friends from work and volunteered to host happy hour at least once a month so I can see them all, but not have to stress about getting out w/ the girls. We could have just a few or a house full. I don't know. Guess we'll just roll w/ it.

Sherry - I sat here at the computer and tried the basic exercise that you detailed... that's HARD! You wouldn't think it would be from reading the description. I can work that into my schedule, at least :workout:

Lisa and Sherry - :yippee: :yippee: about the sleep!

Jennifer - big fat belly full of icky twin skin... Check Check. How do you know if you have muscle separation? Does it hurt? Is it outwardly apparent?

Monica - I've got the same issues w/ the CIO thing for the exact same reasons. I feel like they had to go a whole month w/out their mommy to cuddle them when they were sad and I never want them to feel alone again. They wouldn't even let our girls co-bed in the NICU and that made me so sad b/c I was hoping that even though I couldn't be there all the time, that they'd have each other. I would leave blankets that I'd snuggled for them and prayed daily that they'd never feel lonely. One thing that really helped was a dream I had the day before they were born (it was a scheduled c/s at 32 wks b/c of Ruby's IUGR). In my dream, I saw both girls in the NICU in separate beds and this huge imposing angel man was standing between their beds guarding them. On my first visit to the NICU after the c/s, the beds were set up exactly like I'd dreamed them. It gave me comfort to think that their guardian angel was on duty when I left :)


Diapers - Emme's in size 2, but they are starting to look snug. Ruby's in Pamper's swaddlers 1-2.

Dog Training - :funny: I always used dog training techniques on my middle school students. They were really effective! Simple short commands, consistency and lots of positive feedback. Don't underestimate the power of a sternly uttered "NO" or "STAY" to a teenager! :lol:

Oh - and birthdays... April 27 .

Ok, gotta go clean house and hide crap before company comes. I think I'll just pick up all of DH's junk and hide it in the washer and dryer. He can sort through it this weekend :funny:

[megzmom]

Steph-where are you??? Call me! I want to see if you are still going on the 7th to garage sale. Ive been befoe and its pretty cool.

[mmzill]

Christel - it's wonderful that you had that dream. I didn't dream that, but that thought is what kept me sane. I knew that God's hands could cradle them all the time. And He had to make up for when I couldn't be there. I took great comfort in knowing that they were protected. I think our guardian angels look over babies and children extra close.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
~Monica

[swineland]

Hey everyone! Just wanted to take a sec to say hi.

Lisa, I am glad that my napping advice helped a little bit. I swear, if these two babies don't have their blankets, they for sure do not fall asleep as easily (if at all)....but as soon as I whip them out and tuck the silky side around their face and around their legs, soothie in mouth, they are out. I owe this to my mom...she is the one who said, oh, they need blankets! I was like, no they don't, it's 95 degrees outside and it would be too hot. We were in Target and both boys were fussing in the stroller. Mom grabbed one of these blankets, ripped the tags off and tucked it around Bailey....he instantly calmed down and we followed suit with Evan. We don't go anywhere without those blankets. Of course, I"m sure that I'm creating some kind of terrible attachment that won't end until they're like 12 or something, but at this point I really don't care. :)

Where is Danielle??

I hate to say this, but it seems like a lot of the breastfed babies I know (both on here and in person) get sick a lot. Between colds, ear infections and the like, I keep hearing about all these under the weather breastfed babies. Why is that?? Seriously, does the breastmilk take awhile to instill it's immunity properties? I'm curious.

Also, I know that we all come on here to vent and let our frustrations fly and it's so great that we have this common thread to do so. That being said, though, I think it's important and necessary that we remember from time to time to post the wonderful, funny, milestone moments that each baby has. Maybe for every vent/frustration we post about the babies, we should counter that with something delightful and positive about them.....whether it's something that happened that day or a look you got or a general happy feeling. Just an idea. I hate to see that we focus so much on the "bad stuff". I certainly certainly do NOT wish to offend anyone by suggesting this. God knows I have done my share of complaining/venting/bitching on here and you all have responded, as always, in the most supportive and loving manner. And for that I thank you. And I am not saying that I think we should be afraid to vent or complain going forward, I'm just suggesting that we balance things out with a "good news" section as well. After all, our babies are a reason for constant celebration, whether they sleep through the night or not.

I think I forgot to mention this, but I took the Bumbo seats back to Target. I just realized that the boys really didn't like them so much and it was yet another piece of gear designed to basically just "contain" them. E & B are so strong, they are constantly wanting to kick and stand on our laps, pumping their legs, etc. So, instead I got the Jumperoo and they LOVE it!! It really works out their muscles and they get all that energy out. I can't say that the music doesn't drive me nuts "Boing!", but it's worth it.

The boys have been laughing so much lately. Not just a grin and a noise, but real laughing. It's ADORABLE. When you smile at them and they smile back it's a shy kind of smile. They start to look away, almost like they are embarrassed. So cute.

Well my friends, I hope you all have a FAB weekend.......the weather is turning cooler (although not here in Orlando!) and Fall is on it's way. Can't wait to take the boys around the neighboorhood on Halloween!

Talk to you all soon!
hugs, Steph
P. S. Heather, YES I definitely want to go the GOMOTT clothing exchange with you. I am still planning on it, Oct. 7th. We have to go EARLY. Maybe we could meet at the Starbucks in Hunters Creek or something. I have my minivan now so we can drive together and all the crap we buy can go in the back! I'll give you a call soon to set things up. Oh, what do I need to do as far as paying the dues? I assume that has to be done before the sale??

[AndreaR]

Steph - I totally agree about the venting vs. positive sharing. Thanks for the idea. Also, I bet your boys are adorable in the Jumperoo. Isabelle uses it, but she doesn't really jump yet, she kind of hangs out, but she's happy to be more independent. I didn't put the musical contraption on in the front. I just left that front tray empty so I didn't have to hear all the noises it makes.

Sherry - I looked at your pictures - they are adorable. A & D are getting very big! I love "Artemis-a Jolie" too funny!

Do any of you have the Boynton book/CD "Philadelphia Chickens"? It's hilarious - I love singing all the songs. I highly recommend it.

'night

AndreaR

ps. I have received emails from Daniele, so I know she is okay. I think maybe her mom has gone back to work, so she's adjusting to being alone with the boys. I plan to give her a call in the next day or two. I'll keep you "posted."

pps. We took the girls to story time at our library today. It's for babies 0-3, and they LOVED it. It's only 20 minutes, so it's perfect for them. Ronit and I held the girls on our laps, and they stared and stared at the other kids, who were sitting on the floor. I'm so happy to have found something that gets us out of the house, that isn't shopping!!

[qbanmom5]

Hi girls!! I miss you all. Glad to hear from you Sher! Your babies are gorgeous! Jill- missed you and sorry about your mom. Your babies are also very very beautiful.

HAvent read all the posts, but just wanted to tell you all I miss you and love you. Val, Steph Mindy, Staci, Lisa, Andrea.. (Danielle, Felisha)...I can't mention you all, the list goes on I just love you girls. Welcome to the new mommies. We love you already~!


Now baby talk. Luke is just barely drinking anymore all day and wants to wake me up all night for a bottle. The sitter writes down when and how much they drink, and they are drinking like every hour and a half to two hours and he drinks like an ounce or 1 1/2 and she drinks like 2 1/2 to 3 oz. What gives? I am still filling the bottles to 5 oz but they are like splitting a bottle between them! Do you think they are ready for food? I have tried with a spoon and their tongues still push it back out. Do you guys have those baby food bottles with the big hole? I think I want to try feeidng them some baby foods in that. Do you think its lazy? Could it lead to eating problems later?

Steph: Luke likes to have something over his face too when he is tired and can't fall asleep. Sometimes I hold him and throw the blanket over his whole head and face (making sure he can breathe of course) until he falls asleep.

Leia is a doll but is learning that she has to be as loud as Luke to get attention around here!

I gotta run cause I am tired and need a shower!
I will be taking more pics and updating my signature this weekend. Have a great weekend! XOXOXX TErs

[swineland]

New photos on slide! and here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wineland

Enjoy!

[christel]

Steph - just looked at your pics :throb: Sooooo stinkin' cute! We have the same crib mirror, too.

[TMoT]

Hi, all! ...I checked out this "St. John's bread pit meal" stuff and it's (dan-dan-dan-daaaan) CAROB!!!!! I did some reading about it online too, and it is an incredible product/plant -- even used (in formula) to reduce reflux in babies! Or, as in Europe, you can buy the powder separately and mix it in yourself. Makes formula heavier, controls reflux, AND does a lot of other beneficial things as well. Here is what I read (from www.herbsarespecial.com.au):

Medicinal Uses

One of Carob’s principal medicinal value lies in its high pectin content. Pectin is a gelatinous water soluble substance, valuable for assisting digestion, and protecting the body naturally against diarrhea, and bacterial infections. Carob is also used for heartburn, and as an easily digested food. Another valuable component of carob are lignans. Lignans have been found to be antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. They also show anticholesterol, anticancer, antidiabetes, antioxidant and antilupus benefits. Lignans are phytoestrogens and have been observed to have a protective role against oestrogen-related cancers, and to serve as oestrogen replacement after menopause.

Carob’s tannin content also inhibits bacteria, and can stop certain toxins and free-radicals in their tracks, inactivate them, and get the body to discard them. A research study, using carob powder with babies for bacterial or viral diarrhea, showed recovery within 2 days. Babies treated with conventional medicine took almost twice as long to recover. The babies given carob also regained normal temperature and body weight quicker. The high fibre content of carob, together with the pectin, makes the stomach contents more glutinous, thus deterring the back-flow of acid in the throat.
**********************

...So, you can safely use carob to thicken babies' food (Christel!), and in the process, they have less reflux, diahrrea, constipation, gas, etc. to boot! (?!) And, of course, they SLEEP BETTER!!! ....Well, after the SECOND night of EIGHT HOURS of sleep, I thought this little tidbit worth sharing!!! :clap:

Hi TERS!! So nice to hear from you!!! ...Same silly thought, but is your babysitter burping the babies enough???? As I wrote to Christel, my little ones both "refuse" the bottle/breast when they have a burp, and they get really mad/frustrated if I don't figure that out for them -- especially when they're starving...! Yours might be getting "ready" for food, but it seems strange they'd actually be "informing" you of that fact... Wow. ;-)

Christel, that's just the beginning of the exercises. Pretty good isn't it? ;-) Be sure to try the anti-gymnastics thing too. It's very cool. ...The dream you had about the babies was just beautiful. *sniff*

Steph, very interesting remark about bf-ed babies -- just wondering how you came to such a conclusion...??? With my (now) four bf-ed children and the experience of other mommies I know, I've never noticed that bf-ed babies get any sicker OR sick any more frequently than formula-fed babies... I have noticed that, unfortunately, ALL babies get sick, and that it usually begins when they start daycare/school... (In our case, the big boys just bring the germs _home_ (hurray!), and we also take the babies out and about a lot -- just part of having lots of kids I think...) Babies getting bugs and colds is not a major cause for alarm per se, though, as it is inevitable and only contributes to their immune-system development, after all. It's just how they -manage- illness and how quickly they get over it that is important, imho.

...The health advantages of breast-feeding babies are known to all of us, but I would just add that bf-ing makes babies more resilient in the face of illness and helps them to recoup from illness faster -- since they get the protection of Mommy's immune system when their own is not sufficiently developed to respond. (In fact, when my little ones are sick, I try to make sure they nurse _ even more_ so they get a kind of "immune-boost" to help them get over whatever it is they have. And I use the breast-milk to clear their eyes, noses, etc., of mucous too (cheap, easy and effective!). ;-) ) ...Of course, there are numerous long-term health benefits of bf (lowered risk of developing allergies, asthma, obesity; strong maxillo-facial development which helps fight ENT illnesses for a +lifetime+, etc.), but I won't go into any more of that here. ...Just found your observation intriguing and thought I would add my own experience too for the record... ;-)

AndreaR, THANKS for checking out my pics!! :-) Did you happen to see the ones of our house after the move -- and especially the stairs I had to "do" while pg??? Pretty proud of that one...! ;-) ...I don't have that Boynton book/cd, but we have some other books by her and they are just AWESOME. She's wonderful!!! Cool about your story-telling time discovery too. :-D

Heather, so nice to hear from you too -- our Multi-tasking Super Mom!!! Hope your are doing well at keeping all your plates in the air and spinning! :-D Btw, D&A were born on 3 July (they're almost 3 months old) and at 11 weeks they weighed 11.9 and 12.6lbs respectively...

...DH and I had a great night out last night! We went out to a romantic dinner (!) and saw a concert by one of my fave British electro musicians (Luke Vibert/Warp Records if any of you are interested). :-D The Russian "nanny" who basically raised my big boys with me till dh and I moved in together came to take care of the babies, and things went swimmingly. :-) What a nice belated bday outing. :-D

Well, enjoying our Sunday evening -- all four kiddies sleeping! Whew! ...Take care all you sweet mommies. xo

[vthompson]

Wow, there sure are a lot of posts!! I added a few new pics to my ticker, including the one I had from when Monica and I met. Lisa, there a few pics just for you!! :funny:

Well, we successfully went away Saturday night to the PSU game. It was a lot of fun. However, I am now glad to be home!!

I love everyone's new pictures. All the babies are so adorable!!

Well, since we propped Corey's head up on the mattress, it seems to be working a little better. However, still some bad moments so the problem is definitely not solved yet. We are going to work very hard this week on our napping routine. Wish me luck!

Steph - Those boys are so stinking cute!

Lisa - I am so excited about Thursday! Email me or call me so we can discuss the details. Your pics are also adorable. The boys are just so cute!

Ters - It was so great to hear from you!!

Sherry - My heart broke for you when I read your post. It sounds, though, that things may be a little better, especially with the new miracle you have found for more sleep. I am going to have to check into that. As for getting help, if you can do it then go for it! Even if the person just does laundry or cooks a meal.

Jennifer - Gross, stretched out stomach - DOUBLE CHECK! I am so grossed out by it!

Monica and Lisa - Are we still on for the end of the month? I can't remember the day...I do not have my calendar in front of me. Monica, when you do get a chance to get the pics onto your computer, can you send them to me? You got some good ones!!

AndreaR - Corey does what you were describing with his bottle. I have found that I have to sit him up and keep patting his back. Sometimes he burps, and sometimes he doesn't. However, it seems to push the gas through, even he does not burp. Then, he will usually take his bottle. I also use gas drops and they seem to work.

Heather - So glad you posted! BTW, you mentioned you were about to cry. Is everything ok?

Here is a nice note about my babies....BTW, Steph, I think it is a good idea to also share the good stuff!! Anyways, the babies are sitting on DH's lap right now as I type and I just looked over and they were both staring at me and smiling. I just LOVE them so much!!

Well, I realize that there are a BUNCH of posts to respond, too. However, believe it our not, I am having baby withdrawal from not seeing them this weekend so I am going to go for now. Love ya ladies!!

Valerie

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Hi Everyone!

Sherry- thanks for the exercise. Your tummy move is difficult if I suck my gut in hard enough! Will that help the skin, too, or is that a lost cause? I also started doing some pilates exercises today. Is anyone into this? I have a Windsor pilates DVD...kind of boring. My DH doesn't touch my belly, either, but I'm sure it is partly do to the fact that I squirm away anytime a hand gets close to it!! What you said is so true, and I'll try to remember it- our bellies are a beautiful place that performed a very special job for us!

I'm interested in this Carob business...where do you buy it, when do you use it, and what doseage do you use? Have you spoken to a doctor about it? Thanks! Ditto everything that you said about BFing!! I am a bit of fanatic about this so I will keep my mouth shut since I haven't been on this board very long : )

Christel- "Diastasis" is when the two vertical abdominal muscles, which are connected by some type of ligament, pull apart more than two inches. You can check for it by laying on your back, lifting your head, and if you can then insert two or more fingers in this space between your abs, you have "diastasis". A small diastasis can be improved with isometric exercises (like the one Sherry suggests). However, when it is HUGE like mine, only surgery can correct it completely. I can't really blame the twins for this! I got it with my first pregnancy as my son was 9 lbs and 22 inches. The twins just made it stretch beyond repair so that my organs push out. Nice, huh? Sorry to hear that you're not crazy about your belly either.

Steph- I loved your suggestion of writing positive experiences along with the negative or challenging ones. I am going to try to think one to myself everyday, too. So for today, I am going to say (knock on wood) that Mason has outgrown his colic. We've had three days without screaming at dinner time, and he even has smiled during the witchy hours! Yay!:yippee:

Everyone has adorable babies. It has been great to see their faces and see whom I'm speaking with! I would love to put up some pics, too (if I can ever find the charger for my camera)- I tried once at slide.com, but it said my signature was too big when I attempted to attach it. Does anyone know why it is telling me this?? Thanks!

[Daniele'sTwins]

Hi Everyone...Sorry it has been so long since i have posted it has just been so crazy here. I KNOW you understand.

First of all...Jill I am so terribly sorry to hear about your mother. My heart breaks for you. I cannot imagine what you are going through but I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

The boys turned 4 months on the 26th and we had a doctors appointment on Thursday. They weigh 15lbs 9 ozs and 15lbs 15ozs. They are both 24 inches. I told the doctor that they are still not rolling over and he said that he does not worry about the rolling over or crawling at all. As for them not sleeping through the night this is what my doc says...Put them in their room and let them cry. When I told him I let Luca cry for 15 mins the other night he said Babies can cry for HOURS! He said it will hurt the first few nights but after that they will get the hang of it and then I will be the happiest mom on the block. I don't know if I will be able to do it. Tonight is the first night they are in their nursery, I statred crying when the crib left my room which is funny because I cried when I first put the crib in my room too.

Diapers...Size 3 starting today.

Feedings...Doc said that because of the reflux I am allowed to put cereal in every bottle. I have also been feeding the boys Banana ceral with some gerber bananas for breakfast. It is so cute!

Playgroups...we have now joined Gymboree and Kindermusic. The boys LOVE it. They love to watch the other kids and they just smile and laugh the whole time (and spit-up...haha). They love entertainment. They get bored if you are not interacting with them all the time. Which has its good and bad points. Ilove that they are happy but it is so much work to keep them entertained all day!

Jumperoo...LOVE it. My boys have them and my mother just bought two for her house also.

FLORIDA...ok, so my DH has ad business trip that he is taking to Orlando, Oct 17th -20th and I am going with him. :cry: He is not making me go but I really think our marriage needs it right now. I am so scared to leave my boys, although I know they will be in very good hands with my parents BUT this is going to be so damn hard! Anyway, Steph and Heather would you be able to meet up while I am there? DH will be in meetings all day so I can go shopping or something. I would love to meet up but unfortunately I will be without Nico and Luca. Let me know what you think.

Ok, I am sooo tired, Ia m going to head to bed now. I love you all so much!

I will try to write more tomorrow.

[Daniele'sTwins]

OH WAIT...Belly...Jennifer. I have nOt done this yet but my DH does it. It is a procedure called thermage. It is a radiofrequency machine that tightens up the skin. Honestly look into it, he says it really works. I would like to do it on my belly BUT i do not have the time lately. I know that movie stars do it on their face even.

[swineland]

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a great weekend :)

I kind of just wanted to quickly respond to you Sherry (and Jennifer, too) about the breastfeeding comment. When I read your reply on the topic, I really literally had to go back to MY post to see what it was, exactly, that I had written that sparked such a defensive response. As I have said in countless other posts of mine, kudos to those of you who can and are still breastfeeding, I think it's terrific. My question was purely out of curiosity and I wondered if there was any relation to breastfed babies and their propensity to get sick, vs. formula-fed babies. You mentioned "when my babies get sick, I nurse them even more". I guess I find that statement kind of ironic. Rest assured I know that all babies get sick and I do not find it a cause for alarm, on the contrary, I really don't get worked up about too much (unless they are bleeding or on fire, I am pretty laid back).

I know you mean well, but I just found your reply, quite honestly, to be a bit "preachy". Trust me, I've heard about all the benefits of breastmilk before.....over and over and over again. And my remarks weren't so much a "conclusion" as they were an observation. I know several people who are having a tough time with sick babies and they are strictly breastfed. That's what made me ask the question to begin with!

Anywho....just MY two cents worth....

I will try to post more tomorrow to the rest of you. Thanks so much for all your compliments and kind words about the boys!! I think we all have the most adorable babies ever and I just wish they were all able to play together :)

Oh, and last night, Evan slept from 8pm to 5:30am! That was a first, and hopefully NOT an only.

Hugs to all....
Steph

[swineland]

Daniele! I would LOVE to meet up with you!! As it just so happens, my mom is going to be here that week and she could watch Evan and Bailey while we did a girls day :) Do you know yet where you will be staying?? My aunt from NY is also going to be in town for business and she is coming for dinner the evening of the 17th as she has yet to meet the boys. I am pretty much free any and every day after that. I'm sorry that I wouldn't get to see Nico and Luca, but I think it's very important for you to take this opportunity to get away and spend some time with DH. I'm sure being in Florida at a hotel with a pool will do wonders for you!! PM me or just email me at my normal email address and we'll set it up. I'm so excited!!

Steph

[vthompson]

So my children seem to think that their bedtime is now 10pm, instead of 7:30pm...when did this nonsense start???

I was wondering when everyone's babies get up for the day? Mine seem to like the 5am hour...it used to be 7am, which I could tolerate, but 5 seems so darn early. Should I try and put them back down if they get up that early?

Diapers - We are still in size 1...is that wrong? Everyone else seems to be in much bigger sizes.

Crying it out - When I tell the ped on Friday (we have our 4 month old shots) that Corey is not consistently sleeping through the night, I have a feeling she is going to tell us to let him cry it out. I have done this many nights with him, however, I the longest I have ever let him go is 5 minutes. I also listen carefully to what type of cry he is giving...if it is just tired, then I let him go. However, sometimes he gets so worked up that he begins to choke and cough. I will not leave him in there to cry like that, I do not care what anyone says. DH did some research on this on the Internet and he said that everything was half and half...half of the experts say to let them cry it out and half say to not let them cry. Basically, I think you need to do what feels comfortable to you.

Baby and Me Classes - Our library offers a class and it is free. We went for the first time on Thursday and the twins loved it. The librarian did finger plays, sang songs, and read a book. I wasn't sure how much they would get out of it, but they just stared at her as she sang and read. They also liked to watch the other kids run around.

Ters - They say that babies will eat as much as they need. Maybe that is all they need to eat. Have you asked your ped about it? I am sure if they were hungry, they would be asking for more.

Daniele - It sounds like you have fantastic parents so have faith!! They babies are in good hands. Make sure you enjoy yourself and spend some real quality time with DH.

Steph - You boys look like they have the best toys to play with. Can we come over your house? :)

Lisa - I hope the Baptism went well! Can't wait to see pics!

Sherry - Those tummy exercises are much harder then they sound!

Well, I better try and sleep before my little man gets up! :sunshine:

[mmzill]

Hey ladies -

Well, I'm home by myself all week. DH has a business trip in Michigan, and I decided that it would just be too much work to go with him...with all the kids. Oh well, it's just after 10 and as of right now everyone is asleep!!! (last nigth Anthony was up till 12:30!! I thought i was going to die!

Valerie - I saw the new pics you posted! They look pretty good (even better if it were minus me...:)) Sorry I have not sent you the pics yet. They are still on our camera and DH has that with him this week. I've been meaning to get them to you. I'm still open for meeting again. Just let me know when and where!

Steph - so glad you found something to help sooth your guys! That's great. I'm not trying to scare anyone with this but just really felt compelled to share my experience.....When my dd was 4 mos old she really liked having things around her face. One night a small cloth that I had been using to help soothe her fell into her crib. (at 4 am) I don't know exactly what happened but when dh got up at 6:45am the cloth was over her mouth and nose and it was all wet, like she spit up or something and she was gasping for air. We rushed to the hospital. She was diagnosed with Aspirated Pneumonia and she spent three days in ICU. My point for all you wonderful moms is, don't leave things that can cover their faces, not that you do, just had to share.

I love all the new pics!

I can't belive my guys are SIX months old!!! Wow, how time flies. They are getting quite the personallities, laughing a lot.

Well. hope you all have a good night!
~Monica

[sgarrett]

Jersey Gemni: You can email the help at slide.com and they will fix your signature so it is not to big. I posted the directions on how to do it on here once before but I do not remember how! I also have the Windsor pilates DVD but have not done it since the babies were born, I did go to one class. I was such the class dork, the instructor basically sat next to me during class to help me with the exercises. I was to embarrassed to tell her I used to do a Pilates DVD all the time. I need to blow the dust off of those DVD's they really are good.

I want to find more out about this Carob stuff too, my guys are no where near sleeping through the night. They wake up any where from 2 to 4 times each! I just bought a supplement to help increase my milk supply. Aiden takes like 45 min to BF at night multiply that times getting up 4 times a night! I am hoping if I increase my supply he will get more faster. We have changed the bottles to size 2 nipples but I do not know how to change my nipples to size 2!

Monica: How fricken scary! I just started giving my Aiden and Isabelle a blanket after reading others success with it and you just scared the blankets right back out of their cribs! How commen is that?

Diapers: We are in size 2, the 1-2 are good two. Finally used all of our Pampers Baby Dry, they suck major! On to the swaddlers, can you believe we have still not had to buy diapers b/c of baby showers! We god so many diapers! God bless good friends and family!

I ordered the babies little harness boots from Macys.com. They are soooo cute! Aiden has brown ones and Isabelle pink, I am a shoe freak and ecspecially boots! Isabelle is so stylin' in her pink boots and jean mini skirt!

They have been smiling so much lately, they literally squeal with delight when they first see me in the morning it is so cute. I can not wait for that first giggle.

Sex drive: I know we have talked about this before, but it is really starting to bother me. I used to LOVE sex, is it ever going to be like before? I wonder if it is a hormone thing or just b/c I am so grossed out by my bod right now. Just wondering what my other mommies thought of the issue!

Good night all!

Staci

[christel]

:sunshine: 'morning girls,

I'll share my happy moment first and maybe it will squelch my gripe...

The girls were so good Fri. night with all the people at our house for happy hour. They napped, ate, smiled, played and charmed the socks off everyone. Then, Sat. night we went to church and stayed around afterwards visiting w/ some friends and they were all cute and wonderful. They've also been favoring DH w/ laughs and smiles more often and I'm so glad. He's had his feelings hurt b/c they obviously prefer me. It's a proximity thing, I know. I'm here with them all day and he gets home during witchy time and they feel tired and hungry and out of sorts and he's trying SO hard and just making it worse. But he got to really hang with them this weekend and they are so ON in the morning and he got the full benefit.

Now for the flip side... we tried to put the girls down early last night and it backfired BIG time. I knew they'd want another feeding and it wasn't "for good", but Emme screamed and screamed until we finally picked her up and fed her again - about an hour earlier than I'd planned. She didn't sleep a wink until she got another bottle and I BF'd her to sleep (not our normal pattern). No sooner had I put Emme in bed did Ruby wake up screaming. She had a burp, but was also hungry. So, same thing part 2. Screw that... I'm going back to the swings for that in-between time, then feed and then to bed for the night.

I've about decided that it's gas and sleepiness that have caused Ruby's night time problems. For some reason, night time gas gets more trapped and is harder to get out for her. I also think she's swallowing more air w/ the witchy hour crying.

Formula thickeners - not sure we need to try this, b/c we're not having major spit up problems. We've btdt but came out on the other side when we took Ruby off of the Enfacare.

Sex drive - here's an article I found about BF and low/no drive: http://www.babycenter.com/expert/baby/babybreastfeed/11809.html Basically, it is hormonal... low estrogen levels. BF supresses ovulation, estregen levels are below normal, no period, but no sex drive.

Monica - very scary story about DD! I'm going to be more vigilant about the stuff in their reach in the bed.

Staci - I want to see pics of Isabelle in her pink boots! Cute! I've been super tempted to buy these cute pink cowboy boots for the girls, but they are way more $$ than we need to spend for something they'll only wear a few times. Maybe when they get older. Until then, I'll live vicariously :D

babies talking, gotta go feed...

[Daniele'sTwins]

OK so last night the boys slept in THEIR room in SEPARATE cribs for the FIRST time!!! Needless to say I cried my eyes out but they didn't. I put them down at 8pm. They woke up at 9 so we fed them because their last bottle was at 6. Then back to bed. Luca woke up at 3:09 screaming! I tried to just listen at the door but come 4am I thought that was way too long and he wasn't calming down so I went in to try to rock him but he must have been hungry because he wouldn't stop crying. So I fed hima nd back to the crib he went. They did not wake up until....GET THIS ONE....8:45!! That means Nico slept about 12 hours!!!! WAHOO. Well, actually I checked in at 7am and Nico was wide awake just sucking his thumb so I left him in there and he fell back asleep. I had coffee and everythign before they got up. It was a beautiful thing!

Val...diapers...dont worry about changing sizes unless they are leaking. I find that is how I know when they need the next size up.

Sex...my sex life is dead. I feel like I should have a funeral service for it or something...BUT, it is not me. DH works so damn mucha nd is so stressed with his job right now. The only conversation we have right now is about his business. He is expanding YET AGAIN and he has some accredidation committee coming to evaluate his office. Everything has to be perfect...I can't wait until oct 28th when this is all over!

Mindy...how is your brother doing? Is your DH still working alot too?

Steph...WAHOOOOOO! I can't wait! This totally gives me something to look forward to now. I mean I am excited to be spending some time with Paul BUT I need a little more to get me to leave my babies. I am sure you know what I mean. I am going to get all the hotel info and stuff from PAul and email you. MAke sure I don't go to junk mail:clap:

Sherry...glad your back! I missed you.

Ok, the boys are napping now and I have to take a shower so that we can go to our music class....haha.

Love You all!

[Daniele'sTwins]

Lisa...>SO Cute! You look great too! Ok, I really have to get ready now!

[4redheadedboys]

Hey everyone,

Wyatt rolled over for the first time this weekend, he really seemed pleased with his self.

My older boys put on a puppet show for the babies this weekend, they all seemed to enjoy themselves. The boys get so excited when they can make thier brothers smile and laugh. It is so sweet watching them all together.

My boys are still in Huggies size 2. Wyatt I think is either teething or having gas problems. He's been so cranky lately and that is very unlike him, I bought gas drops and gum numbing stuff today so we will see what works.

As far as schedules go my two have their own. Keegan will crash out at night by 8 and Wyatt is a night owl up until 11 or so and by that time Keegan is up wanting to eat, I'm still breast feeding but am thinking about supplementing with formula at night, have not done any cereal or food yet either. Wyatt will usually sleep all night until 6ish but Keegan is up at least 2 times. Oh well, I know eventually it will get better.

How many of you are working outside the home? I've been back at work for almost a month, MIL watches the boys.

Take care.

[LucasMom]

:) OK,Ladies, let's see if you remember how to answer a question that does not have ANYTHING to do with your babies!!!!!

Focus, focus...

Money is no object...you can have any meal you'd like, start to finish, drinks through dessert...what would it be?
I'll answer last!

Mindy

[TMoT]

Hi, girlies! Great to hear all the news -- and esp from Daniele! Hey girl!!!! Your boys are gorgeous -- and you look so lovely in your slide too! :-) Hope you and DH get to spend some "quantity time" in Orlando (funny remark about the sex-life funeral!). I KNOW what post-partum (esp w/bf) can do to sex-drive, but YES (Staci!!) it DOES come back, I _promise_!! :crazy: (Btw, Christel, thanks for the link about that...!) And..."thermage" eh? Think your dh might be willing to swing a "june (july) mommies" discount for all of us?! LOL I can just see us banging down the door to get our flabby tummies ironed out! lol ;-)

Btw, the other day I was thinking about how dangerously close the terms "post-(nat)al" and "postal" are...! LOL ;-)

About the slide being too big for your signature (Jennifer?): There's plenty of html you can cut out of that thing to make it smaller, but off-hand I can only remember this: You can take out the "make your own" link and some other stuff, which, I think starts from a <div> marker and ends with </div>. There are also some link markers you can remove (from <a href=blahblah> to </a>, if I'm not mistaken. Anyway, just have a go (maybe a bit of trial and error), and good luck!

Different schedules: My twins have different bio-rhythms too. :-( A is a total Party Girl while her brother is just, well, "normal"!!! But lemme tell ya this: ALL THESE KIDDOS are gonna get on the SAME darn sleeping schedule eventually (the _sooner_ the _better!) so Mommy and Daddy can have some peace! :crazy: I'm all over Mindy's approach to a "single bed-time for all babies," although it's harder than 7734! Min, how do you do it?!?! Monica, you too?!! (And congrats on your success last night! Hope your whole week works out like this -- Wow!!! Thinking about you...) ...At the moment, mine are all snoring away, but 1) they're in OUR room -- which the big boys get to do too once every two weeks; and 2) it took us two hours to get them all this way!!! Bottom Line: It is really good to distinguish your twins as independent personalities (which they ARE), but when it comes to sleeping patterns, (*sigh in exasperation*) it's US who makes the call. Ahem, well... that's the theory anyway, isn't it?! ;-)

Diapers: Mine wear size 2... Imho, size doesn't matter tho' (har har) as long as it works for you/your babies. (And, unfortunately, it's so OBVIOUS when it _doesn't_ work, isn't it? -- Ick!) Also it's good to bear in mind that the _cost per diaper_ goes up as your baby advances in size :eek:, so the longer they can wear a given size, the better/cheaper! ;-) I "play" with different sizes at night/day to maximize cost-saving, but I'm REALLY, REALLY, REALLY eager to start infant potty training with them... WHEN are they going to get on a more reliable schedule??!?!! Prob'ly when they're 65...(?)

Outings: Cool that so many babies (=mommies!) are getting out to play-groups and library-time! :yippee: I'm going to have to check that out here too. D&A only turn three months tomorrow, though (can't believe your babies, Monica, are _twice_ that! :birthday:), so we might have to wait just a wee bit longer for it to be manageable/worthwhile, but we'll see...

Lisa, LOVED your boys' baptism pictures! They are such heart-breakers and just soooo cool in their rock-star outfits! :cool: Congratulations on their baptism, and hope Ethan's teething keeps going smoothly (from the looks of his recent sleeping pattern it IS)!! :-)

Jackie, sweeeet about the puppet show! :-D ...You are doing an AMAZING job to be bf-ing, _working_ (outside the home for money) and raising four kids! :clap: KUDOS to you, awesome woman! How are you doing it with the bf? And how did you get that sweet picture on your profile?!? (Gonna have to try that.) AND can we see MORE pics (maybe all four of your gorgeous men)??!! ...I'm going to look into starting my own company when things calm down (?) and doing short projects here and there (I do IT consulting/training), so I can stay at home as much as possible. It's a bureaucratic nightmare to do this kind of thing in Belgium though, so one step at a time....

Staci, et al. -- about the carob: Here, it's sold in powder form by Nutricia (baby-formula maker) at the drug store. The "doses" are on the box -- like for formula. There's a small scoop included (about 1/2tsp) and you add 2-4 scoops per 100ml (=just under 3.5oz) of bottle. ...Don't know how easy it'll be to find this stuff (baby-ready) in the US, but maybe in health-food stores or online?????

Felisha, nice to hear from you and especially about M&T sleeping so much!! Good thing 'cause I'm sure you can really use it! ;-) xo Btw, thanks for being my myspace friend! I keep trying to add pics there, but there are definitely more on my flickr page -- details again: www.flickr.com/xerry, yahoo login: my5i5ters, pass: mommy247

Steph, sorry my post came across as "preachy." I guess that was to probably forestall flaming (!), because personally, I found your "observation" to be quite pointed, and even snide -- facts I tried to overlook in my previous post... ]-( By seeing my remark as "ironic" I think you still missed the point, though. So, I'll say it again (on risk of sounding b!tchy, but at least not "preachy"): All babies get sick. Bf-ing does not necessarily -prevent- babies from getting sick (although it definitely doesn't hurt). However, bf-ed babies can fight illness better, once they are sick, by virtue of the protection they receive from their mothers' immune systems. Therefore, it would stand to reason (?), that giving babies MORE breastmilk when they're ill would help them to get over the illness faster and, hopefully, minimize their suffering... If that's "ironic," I guess I'm Alanis Morisette... :crazy: :cool:

Well... *that off my chest, and sorry Steph, but how can you make such a remark without expecting to stir up some emotional responses??* ...Starting the process for my tubal ligation this week... Gotta go for a blood test (how nostalgic!) and visit the anesthesiologist on Friday... Still have mixed feelings, but am starting to believe I can actually go forward with this. Keep you all posted.

Take care sweet mommies, and much love! xox

[AndreaR]

Money is no object...you can have any meal you'd like, start to finish, drinks through dessert...what would it be?



Mindy, I'm going to have to think about this...... why do you ask? I'll post my answer tomorrow.

[LucasMom]

OK, on this board, because it is my first time ever participating in an internet friend-type thing, I have always chosen to err on the side of neutral or caution so to speak. But, I feel I need to comment on the recent "issues" arising from Steph's comment about breast-fed babies. This should be a place where we are free to speak our mind without fear of retribution, and after reading some of the frankly ridculous postings on other boards on this site that shall remain nameless, I was always kind of glad that we didn't have that kind of thing going here. Now, different peoples research will warrant different answers, as always does, but NO ONE should be made to feel as though their choice on what to feed their child is wrong or hurtful to their child, unless they are filling their bottles full of Diet Coke or Stoli and Cranberry. The running commentary on breast feeding and it's ability to make the children seemingly more prepared for life in general than those on formula can be tedious at times to mothers who have chosen other methods of feeding, either by choice or necessity. I am sure, on the same level, the commentary on which type of formula least bothers whose baby day to day is just as boring to the bf'ing mothers. Either way, we are all doing what we believe is best for our children. That said, I reread Steph's post, and I found it more of a general "does anyone know about this" question than a verbal assault on breast feeding, and Sherry, your response did seem a bit "preachy", although I believe that is just your style. You are all a wonderful bunch of moms who love your children, so love them the way YOU love them and let others do the same. Deal?

That's my limb and I'm out on it, babes...

hugs,
mindy


PS Andrea...can you say tension-lifter?? Plus, I love food!!!!!!!!!!!

[Daniele'sTwins]

White Clam Chowder
Fried Calamari with banana peppers
Philadelphia Roll (sushi...salmon, cucumber & cream cheese)

Spaghetti with clams and Lobster Claws in a light red sauce.

Dessert...Hot Fudge Sundae with Heavenly Hash ice cream

Drink...Jolly Rancher Martini OR Brazillian Panty Dropper

I love seafood...but I love alot of different food so I think I could do this over and over again with different menus!

[sgarrett]

Fav meal: hmm appetizer -crab cakes, entree- sea bass, asparagus and desert - gramania soufle, ok I have no idea how to spell that dessert, but it is really yummy. Hmm the drink, a very yummy red wine, maybe Franciscan Cabernet. I know white wine is suppose to go with seafood, but I LOVE red wine what can I say!

Mindy: I agree with you that it is no fun for people to be in a little tif on our board, BUT being one of the mommies who BF and formulas I have to say that I took Steph's comments kinda of like NANNY NANNY BOO BF babies do get sick. I just chose not to comment. Steph I am sure it was not meant that way, but sometimes when you are reading what people have written without the benefit of their voice inflections it can be taken wrong.

Eating Cereal: The babies ate cereal for the first time tonight, it was soooo cute. Isabelle ate like 4 or 5 bites and Aiden woofed down the whole bowl! There experssion when they ate that first bite was priceless! I hope it helps with sleeping tonight, we will see.

Sherry: I am going to look into that carob stuff, I am desperate to get more sleep!

Love to you all mommies!

Staci

[swineland]

Okay....
Before this starts getting all out of control and we have words flying on the board, let's be respectful to everyone else who comes on here and nip this in the bud. I get the feeling that those of you who have a problem with what I said are viewing me as "anti-breastfeeding", which is utterly ridiculous. Please do not forget that I, too, had every intention of breastfeeding my sons. I got the pump, the breast pillow, the nursing tanks/bras and all the other stuff that comes along with b'feeding. Ultimately, however, when I saw that it wasn't working for me OR my babies, I made the very personal decision to formula-feed. So please stop attacking me as if I'm trying to denounce the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding. I find it funny how some of the breastfeeding moms are so quick to put up a defense and act offended. I can't tell you how many times I've felt offended by YOUR comments on the topic. (and when I say your, I mean Sherry) Like those of us who are formula feeding are bad moms and we aren't giving our babies the best start in life, blah blah. That is why I always told the girls on here NOT to feel guilty when they made the decision to go with formula. It's bad enough to hear it from every one on the outside, but to come on here and get it too, well, it's a slap in the face. We all do what we can for our children. I would never, and NEVER HAVE, attacked anyone for breastfeeding. I'm always commending you guys, way to go, good for you, etc etc. I make ONE post that isn't worded exactly the right way as to not offend 2 or 3 of you and bam, suddenly I am the antithesis of breastfeeding.

I am sorry that this open banter has transpired and I know it's got to be making everyone uncomfortable. But to you, Sherry, and anyone else who "talks your talk", I say give it a rest.

Steph

[sgarrett]

Ok Aiden ate an entire bowl of cereal last night and slept worse than ever! I really do not think I got more than 1 hour in a row sleep all night. All the books say thay can start waking up to BF for comfort and may not be hungry, but how the heck do I tell the difference? If the only way to get him back to sleep is to feed him what am I suppose to do? I have tried letting him boo hoo for a few minutes, but with Aiden his cries just continue to escalate. I am so brain dead today and have soo much to do at work that requires more than one brain cell! I see that some of you have starting putting them in their room with great success, but our nursery is upstairs with the master down, I do not feel like trecking it up the stairs a million times a night! (sigh) I am just so ready to sleep through the night, even if it was with just one interruption! BTW Isabelle, who only ate about 5 bites of cereal, only woke up once last night. Does that count as my positive comment?

Staci

[sgarrett]

Lisa: I just looked at your pics, they are soo sweet! I love how the ceremony was so intimate, it and their outfits were great! Where did you get them? You look fab as well!

Take care,

Staci

[EBTwinz]

Can we all just agree to disagree? I think Steph's comment was taken way out of context. I took it as a general observation. I don't think Steph meant to say the ALL bf babies get sick ALL the time. I know that I had every intention to bf my babies but they would not latch on and I gave up. I feel very guilty for not being able to provide breast milk for them longer than one month (I pumped). I think a lot of us on here who formula feed do feel some guilt and are a little jealous of the mom's who were able to continue breast feeding. And I think some of us are tired of hearing how we should bf b/c it's better than formula. But the bottom line is all of our babies are happy and healthy, regardless if they get breast milk or enfamil. And ALL of our babies get sick.

I think Steph should not be made to feel guilty for her comment and I agree w/ Staci that it's hard to read emotions w/out hearing the tone in your voice. I know that I have posted things in the past that sparked a debate that was not my intention. And Steph (and a lot of others on here) came to my defense. This is a place for us to share our feelings, vent our frustrations, and ask our questions. I would really hate for this board to become like other boards I have read where people are criticized and made to feel stupid for comments they have made.

That being said, I hope we all can respect each other's feelings and try to be more understanding to comments that may have been made that weren't meant to offend.

Lisa

[EBTwinz]

Staci: Just saw your post. I got their outfits at Babies R us. That was the only place I could find them. Thanks for the comments! :)

Lisa

[AndreaR]

I just sent a PM to Steph, because I wanted to avoid adding any fuel to the fire, but I decided to post as well.

As a B/F'ing mother, I did not take offense to Steph's comment. I took it as an observation that she made of the people in her life, not B/F'ing in general. In fact I was going to respond, but I never got the time.

I wanted to respond by saying that probably Steph (like me) had certain expectations of breastfeeding and now she's realizing that maybe those expectations were a little off. That's the way I feel anyway. As much as I love being able to breastfeed Isabelle, it's not as wonderful as I'd imagined. It took a lot, A LOT, LOT, LOT to get us going. We still battle thrush off and on. I did not see any delay in my period returning (it came back after 3 months). I have not seen any of the extra calorie burning/weight loss effects, and I don't think that I'm eating like a cow. Isabelle was the one in my family who caught the cold, then passed it on to others. On top of all that, there are many, many days were I am frustrated because my boobs are the only "pacifier" that Izzy will take. No one else can soothe her when she's crying. No one else can put her to sleep at night. It's very demanding and makes me wish that she would take a bottle so that I could live my life a little differently sometimes.

All that being said, I find that breastfeeding has given me a bond with Isabelle that I'll never have with Madeline, and that is a little sad for me. I am happy that I am breastfeeding Izzy, and I still wish I were with Maddie, too, but it wasn't in the cards. What you ladies have helped me realize is that we are all doing the best that we can, and our individual best is what's best for our babies. What happened to that sentiment?

We have always been so loving and supportive to one another, even when we disagree. I am so disappointed that there have been somewhat hurtful things said here recently. I do agree with the others that it is very difficult to properly interpret tone on some posts, but Sherry, there was no mistaking the way you were feeling. Especially in your second post. I felt not only bad for Steph, but a little for all of us because it just seemed to take us all to a place we didn't need to go.

I love ALL of you and would not have survived the past eight months without you. And I do not plan on getting through the foreseeable future without all of you either.

I'm sorry if I made things worse. My intention was to make things a little better.

I LOVE YOU ALL BECAUSE YOU ARE KIND, CARING WOMEN AND WONDERFUL MOTHERS. I AM PROUD TO BE IN THIS GROUP.

XOXO
AndreaR

[Daniele'sTwins]

OK...I want to say that what Lisa just wrote is exactly how I feel too. I have talked to Steph about this and her post was taken way out of context.

Like Lisa I feel such guilt still to this day. I wish so much that I could breastfeed and sometimes I think I should have tried even harder. I think all of us wanted to bf. Please don't amke Steph feel guilty for making an observation...we all make observations...just because it is about BF shouldn't offend anyone! I mean there was a time on here that everyone was talking about how much they love pampers swaddlers! Some people loved them but couldn't use them because they had so many of another kind. If you think about it it is the same thing with the BF. We all want to "do it" but we "all" can't. Nobody was insulted that used huggies were they?

LOVE YOU ALL!
Daniele

[AndreaR]

As you all know, DH and I tried to get pregnant for about five years. When we finally got pg through IVF, I was so happy, but when I found out we were having twins I was petrified. There was a part of me which, during the infertility, wondered if God was trying to send me a message that I wasn't going to like being a mother or I wasn't going to be a good mother. And getting pregnant at 39 was also scary. Even when thinking about just having a singleton, I was so nervous that it was all going to be so hard and I wasn't going to like it.

During the pregnancy, so many people would say, "Oh, two for the price of one," or "double the love," and "I always wanted to have twins." And I thought they were just trying to make me feel better. Seriously. I was so scared of not being able to take care of two babies at once, I could never look at the positive aspects of it.

Well, now that they're here, and four months later, I just cannot get over the feeling of pure joy that I have not one, but two gorgeous children who have already given me so much love that I feel over-filled. I am so happy that we have twins. I can't imagine not having two kids. God truly has blessed me twice.

I guess never having kids before I never really knew what it felt like to be a mother and love someone like a mother loves her child (and be loved by her child). If I had really known, then I would have been happier a lot sooner about having twins. It's taken me a few months, but boy is it a wonderful feeling.

This just crystalized in my head this morning, and I wanted to share .

hugs,
AndreaR

ps. Mindy, I'm still thinking up my dream meal. I can't get passed the appetizer! I am thinking about it like it's my last meal or something. LOL.

[Daniele'sTwins]

Andrea...what you just wrote made me cry! God knew you would be a wonderful mom that is why he gave you two.

It is funny that you mention that because last night Paul and I kept saying how much we just love the boys. As much work as it is I am already thinking of more.

I too had my times of crying because I didn't know if I was going to be a good mom and I was so afraid that my kids were not going to get the individual attention that they deserve. But we make it work. Love just doubles doesn't it. i couldn't imagine loving them any more and then the next day I do. We are all such lucky women, why God chose us I don't know but I DO think we were chosen for a reason.

XOXOXOXO

[LucasMom]

Lisa- I wanted to tell you also, I looked at all of your pictures and your boys look so cute and sooo serious, like they are already very knowledgable and think you guys are silly! Do you know what I mean? L and d give me that look all the time, like "Mom, stop talking to me like that, you sound crayz, just ask me to smile and cut the baby talk!!". I love the clothes, too. I just went to Old navy last night and got the boys some onesies for halloween and other fall stuff.

Steph- E and B are so so cute also. I am beginning to be able to tell them apart in your pics. You house looks like the place to be for babies. They are such smiley cuties and seem to love their mama in those pics. I love your baby clothes, also.

Dan- Love your new pics, too! The boys are beautiful.

Christel- The girls are looking great, such cuties and so different from each other.

Everyone has such cute kiddies on this board. Great to see them growing so fast. I also love the pic of Val and Monica and the kids together. Was it weird meeting? I personally can't wait to meet some of you and wish we could organize a meeting altogether. I know it's near impossible, but, again, this is a great place for us all to have.

I just wanted to say, I am sorry some of you have that guilty feeling about breastfeeding. When Lucas was born, I fully intended to be a breast feeding mom, and tried really hard. It didn't work and I cried and felt really guilty about quitting after 3 weeks or so. This time, I didn't beat myself up, because I know that Lucas is a smart, beautiful child and he is no better or worse for what I fed him as a baby. This is MY thought. Alot of you with guilt are first time moms, and I understand how you feel, but know that your kids will love you just the same regardless. I had that same guilt, a socially fueled guilt, and I just ache when I read that you all felt that way. You are wonderful mothers, breast feeding and formula, and formula moms you should not feel at all inferior, AT ALL.

Now, on to my meal, since you are all so slow on responding to this, as if you have other things to do:crazy:

Soup: Wild Mushroom soup with goat cheese or Chestnut soup with goat cheese and pumpkin oil drizzle...

Appetizer:pan seared foie gras with a mixed field green salad and toast with truffle butter

Oops...have to take this call. More later.

I think you are all caring and wonderful.

Mindy

[christel]

:sunshine: 'Morning Ladies,

I wasn't going to chime in on the BF discussion, but... I really think all the misinterpretation, defensiveness, etc. stems from guilt. I don't know what it is about motherhood, but those babies seem to arrive giftwrapped in extra sticky guilt. It doesn't matter what choice we make, we second guess ourselves and despair over the choice we didn't make. I'm smack in the middle, BF & formula feeding both girls and everyday I beat down the guilt about not making enough milk to BF exclusively. Or not wanting to commit the time to building my supply to BF exclusively. I KNOW I'm doing the right thing for our family. But, I still go around and around on my decision and I'm really NOT going to change my mind! Why?! It's bizarre.

From the short time that I've been on this board I've realized that everyone of you is amazing - the resilience, strength, committment... you name it, y'all have it. We have it. There are a thousand approaches to child rearing and every person has to find the fit for their family. I love the support that you offer to each other, unconditionally, and the respect for the inherent differences in each other and each other's children.

That all being said, I probably shouldn't have said anything, positive or not, because it's all just "pot stirring" and it's time for a new day on the board.

So, Mindy, I've been thinking about that meal. What a difficult question! I :throb: food soooo much! There's a French restaurant back in the town I went to college in that DH and I adored. I think I'd go with their menu start to finish. A Vichyssoise to start with and crusty bread with lots of butter. Then, a smoked salmon w/ capers. A beef tenderloin main dish that they make and then this amazing dessert they call "strawberry princess". It's fresh strawberries in cream, but spiked with Grand Marnier. I'd have a bottle of pink champaign with dessert but a bottle of a yummy Merlot with dinner.

I could totally play this game with Mexican food, Italian, Chinese... God, I'm STARVING now and I just ate breakfast :funny:

[EBTwinz]

Okay, my meal would be....

Appetizer: Cheese fries from Outback (LOL!)

Dinner: Salmon glazed w/ honey teriyaki sauce

Side dish: baked potato

Salad: House salad w/ oil and vinegar

Lots of bread!!

And cheesecake for dessert

I am soooo picky w/ food so I am happy w/ a slice of pizza... LOL!

~Lisa~:sunshine:

[vthompson]

Wow ladies, you have such fancy meal choices!! Mine seems so simple:

Drink - Some kind of sweet wine...I LOVE wine! I also love flavored vodkas with 7-up or sprite. My favorite is 3 olive cherry vodka and 7up...YUM!!
Appetizer: Bruschetta
Garden salad with chopped tomatoes and cheese and ranch dressing
Steak - Boneless of some sort...my DH makes the BEST steak!! I also like the Flo's Fillet from Longhorn LOL!!!
Baked potato, butter and sour cream
Asparagus
And I am with Lisa...LOTS of bread!
Dessert - This is a hard one for me...I think I would go with some sort of cheesecake...Lisa, we or a lot of like!! I couldn't think of a dessert until I read your post and then I started dreaming of sweet, smooth, cheesecake!!

I just want to say that we are all just like a large family. We love and care about each other as if we have known each other for years. I think we should try to put all of this behind us and forgive all of the words that have hurt feelings. We are a strong group of ladies...I would hate for anything to ruin what we all have! I love all of you too much to see anyone hurting.

Ok, enough about that...

Lisa - I emailed you back! I can't wait for Thursday! Your pics are adorable!! I can't get over what good looking boys you have. The looks on their faces are priceless. I agree with Mindy about what they must be "saying" with those looks. Make sure you bring your camera on Thursday so we can get some pics of the babies together!

Lisa and Monica - I have you on my calendar for October 19th so if you are still interested and able, let me know.

Mindy - You asked about meeting...surprisingly, it was not awkward at all. I felt like Monica and I had so much in common that I just felt comfortable to talk to her, just like we do on the board. I felt re-energized after our day together...less stressed, I guess, about all the mom stuff.

Andrea R - Your post was beautiful! I truly think you should print it out so that you can show your twins some day what you were thinking during all of this craziness of them being infants. They would appreciate it!

Sherry - I looked at your pics and I couldn't get over some of those sexy photos you took when you were pg! You go girl!

Staci - I am sorry your night did not go so well. Hopefully, it was just a fluke!

Steph - I am not sure if I told you before, but I checked out your pics and your boys are also adorable! Your house looks like so much fun!

Daniele - I am going to pm you back when I am finished posting.

Well, we attempted AGAIN to sleep in our cribs for naps yesterday. What a disaster. Corey would fall asleep and then wake up crying...and I don't mean a "I am tired cry". It sounded, literally, as if I was beating him against a wall. He cried so hard he was shaking, his little ears actually had puddles of tears in them. It was terrible. I would pick him up and calm him down and lay him back down and it would start again. Each time it was more fierce. This went on for 2 hours and finally I said forget it. I put his carrier in the bassinet in the basement and he fell fast asleep.

Ok ladies, realistically, am I really supposed to let him cry like that for 15+ minutes. The boy even started to choke and cough! I just can't and I will not do that to him. I can let him cry when he has his usual "Corey" I am tired and cranky cry...but that type of cry???? I am sure he is pulling one over on me, but I just can't do it. But, now what do I do? Do I try this everyday, do I wait a few weeks and try again? I am SO LOST!!

As for Kayley, she laid there and laid there. Finally, she fell asleep for about 30 minutes or so. Not my idea of a good nap! She got up, ate, and fell back asleep in the boppy. I just left her there. I swear, I am such a cop out when it comes to sleeping!

The good news, since i also feel it is important to share good news, is that Corey no longer sleeps in his carrier at night! He does not sleep very well, but he does fall asleep. Last night, he went to bed around 8pm, got up at 2am ate and went back to sleep, and then got up at 6am for the day. Not too bad!

See how much I can post when they nap in the afternoon!! Ok, I shouldn't pat myself on the back because Kayley is sleeping in the swing and Corey is sleeping in his carrier in the bassinet...however, he fell asleep in there on the way home from running errands....I guess I like to make excuses to make myself feel better!

I think it may have been Steph that mentioned meeting in Twinsburg Ohio next year for the twins fest. If anyone is interested, I would definitely be there! It is always the 2nd week in August.

We bought the babies those Fisher Price crib toys...Kayley has the ocean aquarium one that you see on TV and Corey has a rain forest one. They absolutely LOVE them. Kayley "talks" to it and tries to crab at it. She actually turned it on a few times by herself by pressing the button. It is too funny!! I highly suggest them.

Wow, I am really rambling! I better go! I love all of you!

Valerie

[sgarrett]

Valerie: That is exactly how Aiden cries. Like he is in horrible pain, the second I pick him up it is all well. I cannot let him scream like that, I am so with you on that one! Must be a guy thing, Isabelle very rarely gets that upset!

All of these fav meals are making me hungry and I just ate my crappy frozen Southbeach lunch! Yuck, I hate frozen meals!

Christel: I dropped only one more pound BUT guess what? Drumroll please, I fit into a pair of prepreg jeans!!! Granted they were to big on me before, and now they are snug, BUT they did not fit a mere week ago! :dude: I danced all around the house shakin' my money maker!

The weather is absolutely beautiful here in Nashville, I am going to take the babes out on a stroll after work.

BTW I have a work thing Nov 1, 2, and 3 in Orlando. We are staying at the Gaylord resort. I am not sure how much free time I will have but I know there are some mommies close to there. Let me know if anyone is available to meet. I will be without kiddos, but it would be neat to meet some of my internet buds! I should get the itinerary soon.

XOXO
Staci

[sgarrett]

Felisha: I sent you a pm.

Staci

[Tadpoles' Mum]

Hello Everyone,

I don't know if any of you remember me, but I was posting on here quite often when my daughter was in hospital for months when she was pregnant.

I can't believe where the time has gone, Tallulah and Isabella are 5 months old now, as are a lot of yours!

I am posting for a reason - I am actually looking for feedback, I have recently launched a business and today launched my own website.

indypindy.com

I need as many Moms as possible to tell me what you think, the site is new and needs more work so please bear with it for the moment.

I would be grateful for any response.

Thanks

Rae

[megzmom]

wow-off for a few days and things sure have gone wild. I say thank with LOVE. We are a family.

Favorite meal- CHOCOLATE!!! Chocolate appetizer, chocolate appetizer, strawberry milkshake (had to change a little) just kidding!!!

Favorite meal-couldnt afford any fancy restaurants. Not sure I ever went to one.

Love anything seafood especially crab legs with butter. MY aunt used to make us a seafood dinner for our birthday presents. I was the best. Desert is cheescake. But I also love Puerto Rican food.

So sorry but who was going to come to Florida????? I work at school during the week but I could come after work. The 17th is my dd birthday. She is going to be 8!!!! PM me and I will give you my number.

Going through rough time at home. I am so financially strapped. Too much going out and doesnt match what is coming in. My dh makes only 1/2 of what teachers do and thats not alot. I dont know what to do. Its started to affect him and all the stress of work and us being so sick the past 2 weeks is really affected us. We dont really argue but both are just so sad and tired. Not really enjoying the best parts of our life right now.

Positive-I have started walking now that the lovebugs are gone. At school they have a walking club for the students and I joined. Then at night I walk with the boys in the stollers (NO carriers!) for a while. That way dd and I get to spend some time and talk. DH is usually too tired and just lays on the couch.

I LOVE YOU ALLALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!:yippee:

[LucasMom]

Ok, back to food...

I love me some cheese fries, but have to get the cheese on the side because otherwise they get soggy!

You all need to get your tushies to Philly so you can have a cheesesteak at Jims on South Street. They actually have cheesesteak smell blowing out of the vents there.

Dessert- I am a peanut butter lover. I actually run about 30 different operations including a Starbucks and 10 other coffee shops, and one of my supervisors makes a killer peanut butter latte which is good enough for a dessert, but I would have anything with peanut butter, bananas, whipped cream...ok, I am so hungry.

I also love baked potatoes, Lis---I am unfortunately a huge starch fan, and I love to eat, so I have to be careful, or I'll end up 500 lbs!

Also, my meal would have to include a cheese plate, because I love cheese. We ate three different cheese plates at the Borgata.

Drinking-I'd have a Pinot Noir, and lots of coffee so I could stay awake after the meal:)

I think we should continue talking about food...talk more/eat less.:funny:

I love you guys, I really do.

Lisa- can you do a Saturday? Dh works on Saturday, and I can hook up with you then if it's good for you?

Hugs,
Mindy

[megzmom]

Steph-I am so sorry about not seeing your post to me. My house has been sick the past 2 weeks :( Yes you had to pay dues ahead of time $30 for the year. We can still go in but members have 1hr priority so instead of getting in at 7am we have to wait in line until 8am. Usually at that time only the big items like swings, cribs, etc are gone. I am only looking for some toys and a few outfits. I cant spend much at all.DO you have my PHONE # ???? PM me yours and I'll call you! I called Staci and she is staying right near both of us. I cant wait to all get together. If your boys stay home I'll have my kids stay with dh. Just let me know about getting together soon.

[swineland]

Hi everyone!

Gosh, only have a minute as B is waking up and will no doubt want his afternoon bottle ready :)

Just wanted to say thanks so much to all of you who expressed your opinions on my behalf and especially for the PM's. You guys are awesome. I truly appreciate your friendships and your kind hearts. What a special group of people you are.

I do have to run quickly, but have lots to catch up on when I post again (hopefully after babies are asleep!)

hugs and many thanks again,
Steph
p.s. Min, I'm going to post my favorite meal tonight :)

[TMoT]

Dear Ladies,
I so hoped to be able to write this morning to avoid all the drama, but we had internet problems. :-( ...I would like to say "I'm sorry" to the whole list, and to Steph, in particular, for my response to her post -- which has now led to all this back-and-forth, when we all have so much nicer/more important ways to be spending our time, especially on the board...!

Unfortunately, reading what Steph wrote for the third (fourth?) time, I realized only too late how much more innocent it was than I originally perceived. In fact, I had mis-read her question "why is that?" as "what's with that?" TWO WHOLE TIMES -- so I am TOTALLY at fault for having taken what she wrote (still a little bit insensitive imho, but not nearly as sarcastic and "venomous" as I had thought) out of context. Steph, I am so sorry -- for what I replied to you (esp the second time), and for all the one-sided soap-box diatribes I so often subject _you_ and the whole list to -- you poor things! I know how I can be, and I hope you will +please+ forgive me...????? :throb: Everyone else, I am sorry too. I guess it was a combination of fatigue, this being a sensitive topic (obviously) and the fact that Steph "asked," if you will. None of that's an excuse for being mean though, so I apologize and truly hope you will overlook my bone-headedness. You all really are a bunch of fine women and fine mothers, and we've shared way too many good/special moments on this thread to have any kind of bad blood here. ...So, on to bigger and better things, I hope????? :sunshine:

....Like thinking about FOOD!! :crazy:

Still fantasizing about my "ideal meal," Mindy. Get back to you later on that... I WON'T forgive you for agreeing that I'm "preachy" though...! :-p ...Just kidding! ;-)

Take care sweet mommies.
xox

[4redheadedboys]

Wow, glad I missed the breast feeding debacle. Any way glad that's over.

Sherry-I see you found how to put an avatar by your user name, yeah. For anyone else go to user cp and click on the avatar button. As far as working and BFing (that sounds kinda dirty) goes I just pump, pump, pump. Luckily I have a private office and everyone here is really understanding. I use a hospital grade pump at work and when I have to go to meetings or training sessions I have a manual pump. It's a lot of work and like I said I'm thinking about supplementing some soon. This wears me out.

I promise to put more pics on of all my boys as soon as I have time, but I so love looking at all the beautiful babies you guys have posted.

I had my tubal done at the time of my c/s, glad to have it out of the way and no other surgeries. This was the worst recovery for me though. Not sure if because of twins and I was stretched so far or because of tubal or becasue it was mythird cs.???

Take care everyone.

[AndreaR]

Heather - sorry things are tough on the home front. Hang in there - you can do it. I'm impressed that you and DH are not fighting with all the stress that you are under. That says a LOT about your marriage. Congratulations and again, have faith that all will be well (maybe not as soon as you'd like, tho).

Rae - I will definitely check out your website. Good for you!!

I am so happy that y'all are meeting in Florida. I think it's so cool. Wish I could come too!

Staci - we stayed at the Gaylord Texan outside of Dallas last December. It was very, very nice. I hope the one in FL is as nice - definitely check out the spa.

Mindy - I thought maybe DH had promised to make you a special meal - whatever you wanted - and that you were soliciting ideas. Here's my meal:

Cocktail: Either a Tahitian vanilla martini or a glass of Prosecco
Appetizer: Beef carpaccio with shaved parmagiana and truffle oil
Pasta (instead of soup): Lobster ravioli
Main course: Veal chop with some kind of mushroom/wine sauce with risotto as a side.
Dessert: Creme brulee and a capuccino
Lots of bread and great red wine all the way through.

Before I delivered my girlies, I definitely would have opted for the cheese course instead of dessert, but for some reason now I have an insatiable sweet tooth!

Now, you did say that money was no object, so that's why I went the fancy route. If I were to choose a less fancy meal, it would have to be my daddy's HOMEMADE ravioli. I would eat that for appetizer, main course and dessert. mmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmm goooood

Back to reality, I can't be eating anything as described above. I need to lose these last twenty pounds!! Does anyone want to be my diet buddy (like Staci & Christel)??

I'm so hungry.........
AndreaR

ps. I went to Target today to buy diapers, but they didn't have Swaddlers size 1-2. That's the whole reason I went to Target! :-( Does anyone have an idea where else I can buy them? Isabelle is just about out of the size 1's. Maddie wears Huggies size 1's and she'll be there for a LOOOOONNNNNNGGG time. The little flaps overlap completely over eachother.

pps. I put the girls in our jogging stroller to see if they would fit. They are still a little small, but if I prop them up with blankets, they are okay. We are doing a walk for Diabetes and I'd much rather push the jogger. I took a pic of them in the stroller - I'll post it later. It's TOO cute!

[vthompson]

AndreaR - I always get my Swaddlers and Babies R Us. I always assumed that they would be more expensive, but have turned out to be the cheapest for formula and pretty resonable for diapers.

Sherry - When is your surgery again? How long will the recovery be? I hope you have some help during that time!

Mindy - I am now adding a cheese tray to my meal. I LOVE CHEESE!!! Yummy! Maybe that is why I need to loose weight!!

Heather - I am so sorry about all the stress you are under right now. I agree, your marriage must be very strong during this time. I think that is wonderful!! Well, hang in there and I hope things get easier soon!

Imhavingtwins - I would think that all of those things combined would have definitely made your recovery worse then in the past. Can't wait to see pics!

Staci - Thanks for agreeing with me...it made me feel much better that at least one other mom thinks the same as I do!

Well, DH started hockey practice today...he coaches a high school hockey team. For this month, practice is Tuesdays and Thursday evenings. In November, it is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and games on Saturdays and Sundays. We really need the money so I am trying to hang in there the best I can. The good thing is that the mom's of the players LOVE the twins so games will be a nice break for me because everyone will want to hold them! Tonight did not go so bad...I just never realized how much easier it is to get the twins to bed at night with another set of hands! Plus, I feel like I miss his company!! Ok, well, I better go.

Love ya ladies!

Valerie

[twinsmakethree]

hi everyone just thought i stop by for a minute

I miss you all alot i have been busy with the girls my oldest one is now in highschool so you know how fun that is!!!!( im still homeschooling)
the twins are doing well they are so big Nusaybah is in a size three 3 pamper which we will make size 4 our next trip to walmart and ruwaydah is size 3!! I am still losing weight now i am 144 ( remember from 193 i was originally 173) I think that im finish though. Im still strictly bf but nusaybah has learned how to gum my breast hard and it hurts like H@$&!!! I brought earth best foods but i think we will start at the six month period.

I tried to look at everyones pictures everyone is do darn cute you all are doing really good with this mother thing

Ok i have to go i will try to post more

does anyone know how i can transfer the pics of my phone onto here theyre not pics but the movie part i thought maybe it would still work

oh my favorite meal african curry oohhh its good with pita bread and a yogurt drink and brownies topped with icecream and whipcream,yumm


Andrea

[mmzill]

Hey ladies~

My favorite meal -
There is a small no name place where I went to High School, near Asheville NC. They have Provolone Cheese Sandwiches, and Greek Salad. Their dressing is so so good.....makes my mouth water just thinking of it! We are going down to NC for Alumni Weekend this weekend. I'm hoping we'll be able to eat there at least once. I know it's not very extravagent, but right now anything that I don't have to fix sounds really good to me. Oh dessert: Definetly cheesecake! I love Blackberries on top!

Swaddlers 1-2 - I get those at Sams. But I thought if they out grew the 1's then they would fit the 2's. Nathan is in 1-2's but Anthony is in 2's and filling those out big time. I feel like my guys are just little compared to some of your little ones. Size 4 diapers already??? wow!

I've been sick the past two days, running a fever. Ugh no fun! It is so hard to be sick with kids. I just hope they don't get it.

Tomorrow the boys have a dr's appointment with the Neonatologist that had them when they were in NICU. They are going to be evaluated for developmental stuff, see how they are progressing. I'm looking forward to having some professional imput on their progress. (hopefully I won't be sick still)

Valerie, Lisa - the 19th would be fine for me. That would be fun!
Mindy I guess I missed your question about meeting being akward. I didn't find meeting Valerie to be akward at all. It seems like I know eveyone on this board so well that it was great to finally meet someone from here! I had a great time. Also about the place you work for - I'd love to try the pnut butter one! I love sweet iced coffee drinks! YUM! I'm so addicted!

Lisa - I saw your baptism pics. I loved the outfits, so so cute. Looks like they are getting such a personality.

AndreaR - what you said about being so scared to be a parent, much less of twins, is exaclty how I felt. I'm so glad that you are loving being a parent. It takes adjusting to, but is so wonderful!

Well, off to bed for me. Have a good night everyone!
~Monica

[naturalmom]

ahhh, it took me so long to read the 4 pages of posts, that the kids will probably wake up before I get to post much myself.

First-the good stuff.....the babies are sleeping MUCH longer these last few days. Jude's reflux med is working wonders, but I would love to check into that carob stuff. I generally prefer the homeopathic route when possible. I don't give the babies bottles, though, so I don't know how I would get it in them??? Am I being dense?

My fav meal....hmmmm anything mexcan, really. Dessert would be key lime pie or cheesecake probably. My drink of choice is usually a boulevard wheat with a lemon (locally brewed beer).

Diapers-I cloth diaper, but I think they would still be in 1 disposables. Jude may be in 2??? Does anyone else cloth diaper?

Oh, a funny for ya. My DH got a vasectomy a couple of months ago and when he did his little sperm check last friday, there were still swimmers--AHHHHHH. We are to recheck again in 2 mo. I have gotten pregnant twice while BF (didn't even have a period between my first two kids), so I may just have to swear off sex for a while-lol. DH has always said that he has super sperm.

I will just say this about the BF thing....I think several people ended up being pretty harsh on Sherry. This is something that she obviously feels strongly about (as I do), but I don't think she was trying to hurt anyone's feelings or intentionally judge. We all have certain parenting topics that we feel particularly passionate about and this is one of hers. It also happens to be one of mine, but that certainly doesn't mean that I look down on others for making different choices than the ones I make. We all do what we feel is best for our families.

I do want to comment on the cry it out thing. It really does surprise me that several docs are advocating crying it out at this early of an age and for such long periods of time. These babies are still so young and have such tiny stomachs. My older two didn't drop their last feeding until they were 10 mo old and now sleep really well without ever having to go through crying it out. For those mommies who do feel this method is for them, cry it out experts such as Ferber don't advocate doing this before 6 mo of age. I just wanted to share my thoughts. I hope that is ok:) .

I gotta try those stomach exercises. I am getting pretty close to pre-preg weight, but my belly is jelly!

I will check in later:)
Melinda

[TMoT]

Hi, gals. Hope everyone is managing okay...

Val, thanks for asking about my surgery. It's happening next wednesday and down-time is about two days (but CAN they do a tummy tuck while they're at it?? Hmmm.). ;-) Went and had vials and vials of blood drawn today in preparation (even more than when we were pg, if you can believe?!). I think/hope my MIL will be able to help out, but the big boys will be at thier dad's, so it should be a bit easier (less _physical_ running-around to do anyway). We will see, and thanks again for thinking of me...

...About Kayley and the night-time cry-outs: What I would say to you, Val, is to follow your heart. :throb: It seems that the consensus on this board (like what Melinda wrote) is to wait a bit with letting her "cry it out," and I have to agree. But if you want to give that approach a go, just play it by ear; and by all means, if your motherly instinct tells you to do something else (eg. go in and "rescue" the baby), just do it. (More preaching here, I know, but...) Don't forget that "mother knows best." Trust your feelings and you will know what is right to do for your babes when you need to do it... :-) ...Btw, I finally saw the pic of you and Monica and the babies. You guys look AWESOME! It's totally _surreal_ to see pictures of TWO of our June mommies _together_, isn't it??! MORE!! MORE!! I want more!!!! :crazy:

Melinda, funny about your contraception woes (?!). DH and I joke now about him wearing a "rain-coat" -- ahem -- but it's not really a joke!!! ;-) My doc warned that it wouldn't be the first time she had to give a PREGNANT WOMAN a tubal ligation, so that was a good enough wake up call for me!!! :crazy: ...Btw, I tried cloth diapers but used Pampers at night (just realized they're actually in a _3_!). Since my babies can't manage to understand the difference between night and day, though, I've fallen into using disposables pretty regularly, unfortunately. I'm still working on that EC stuff, though, so SOME DAY I would like to try cloth as an interim approach. Maybe you can be my role-model?? ;-) xx

Heather, I'm sorry things are so rough for you right now... :-( We have all been there, I can assure you, so please don't lose hope. You are still such a hero of mine for how incredibly you worked all the way through pg and now again already, while managing your dd, a household, etc. You are a marvel and an inspiration. :sunshine: I know it's not much, but I sure hope you and dh at least have a few moments to "stop and smell the roses" -- and appreciate the blessings we all have in our lives (the little ones, each other, every day we draw breath ;-)) -- even though the road can be a bit rocky at times... Please KEEP SMILING. I am thinking about you, and holding you in my heart and prayers. :-))

AndreaR, your story is so sweet. :-) You have grown into such a beautiful and loving mom. With the first, it's kinda like "who would have ever thought," right??! ;-) *sigh* What you wrote has probably been lived and felt by everyone on this thread, but you are so brave to have written it and come to terms with the truth it holds. You are such a marvel. :-) And, btw, I would dine with you ANY day! I don't eat meat, but I love the truffles/'shrooms (lots of mommies on here seem to! w00t!), carpaccio (I do tuna) and LOTS of fine bread/wine idea. *salivating* If you ever come to Brussels, make sure to bring plenty of food money and we'll definitely have a good time!!! :-)

***Btw, that invitation is still OPEN to _everyone_!!!***

Andrea, so nice to hear from you too!!! Hope you're managing getting dd through high school (my mom did it with my sister -- whew!), and that the twins are being good for you! ...Don't know about the phone pics/movie thing, but you should have some kind of manual with the phone itself that might (?) tell you what to do...??

Monica, hope you are doing okay with your fever (aren't you still on your own for the moment??! I'm thinking of you...) and that the visit with the neonatologist today goes well! Anthony and Nathan are so adorable. You have done SUCH an incredible job all these (SIX) months! :'-)

Rae, I checked out your site. Lovely. Good luck with your business venture!!!:5pound:

Staci - CONGRATS on getting into your jeans!! :clap: :woo: :dude: I haven't even TRIED any of my pre-pg jeans, since I have nothing that was loose. :cool: I'm saving up to get in those "just-right" Levi's. I'll keep you posted. :funny:

Well, today is our "usual" half-day-of-school routine. MIL will be here in the afternoon and we'll go to the resto in the neighborhood with ALL the kiddies (used to be just BIG preggy-me and the boys)... So funny how old habits die hard. Or, as they say, "plus ca change"/"the more things change".....

Have a nice day, Ladies! xox

PS I used so many smilies in this post, it made me think of the days when all I used was this guy: :spitwater (And, btw, WHERE has Rachel been??! Has anyone heard from her??!??) ...Now, this one is more appropriate, isn't it?! :heck: ;-) xo

[cbparker]

Sorry I haven't posted, but I read vigilantly. I'm sure you all get it!

Monica - we will be heading the NC this weekend as well. That is where my husband is from and we will be visiting family. I'm not necessarily looking forward to the drive with the babes, but hopefully all will go well. Any suggestions to make it easier? Which restaurant were you talking about? Acropoli, maybe? Anyways, hope you feel better soon!

Diapers - we still haven't had to but any, but Sam's sells the Swaddlers 1-2. I really think our girls are close to the size 3 though. Since they don't make Swaddlers, what does/will everyone else use?

Steph - my girls are eating about 4-5 oz. every 3-4 hours as well. I put cereal in every bottle though to help with reflux/spit-up.

Sleeping - luckily our girls have finally figured out the through the night thing for the most part. We put them to bed between 8-9 pm and the usually don't wake up until around 6 am. Sometimes one of them will get up once , but that's it. Strange, but I was so used to waking up in the middle of the night it took a few days for my body to adjust to getting a full night's sleep.

Gotta run, DH is off to work! More later!

Belinda

[mmzill]

Belinda - It is Acropoli that I'm talking about. I love their food.
Our kids travel really well. It takes us about six hrs for us to get there. Hope you have a safe trip. No real tips though. Good luck.

Well, still have a fever today, so not going to the dr. We ill have to reschedule.

Have a good day ladies.

~Monica

[cbparker]

I forgot about the food. I love Carabba's Italian Restaurant. My favorite is the warm bread w/ olive oil and spices, and mezza luna (chicken, cheese, and spinach ravioli in tomato cream sauce)! YUMMM!!!

[sgarrett]

Glimpse into our future, Andera I think you might be the only other mommy with a teenager. I have 6' 4" Basketball playing 17 yr old. Last night when I went to bed there was 3/4 a gallon of milk. I wake up this morning, pour myself a bowel of Southbeach cereal, pick out the best raspberries out of the containter and place them in my cereal "just so" only to find we are out of milk. Further evidence in the sink is a huge serving bowel with cereal bits. That little $hit ate 3/4 a gallon a milk for breakfast! I bought 2 gallons Sunday! What is it going to be like with twin teenagers!

Gotta go but real quick,

Swaddlers 1/2 I have seen them at Sams

AndreaR Yes join us in the diet buddy thing, I will PM you my email address. Christel and I just email back and forth how we are doing (good/bad) with our diets and working out. We try to weigh every Monday.

Take care all

Staci

[sgarrett]

CBparker I LOVE YOUR PICS! TOO FRICKIN CUTE!

[christel]

Hi Girls :sunshine:

I just got off the phone w/ an early childhood intervention caseworker. I called them yesterday to request a free evaluation. Since the girls were preemies they might qualify for some free stuff. I don't think anything's wrong, but I'd hate to find out I could have done something to help them w/ their development and didn't find out until too late. They will come to the house and do some screenings and then determine what, or if, they qualify for.

Formula gripe - I called Enafamil and told them my coupons were drying up and we were faithful users. She said definitely, they would get some stuff out to me and to call back whenever it seemed like they were slacking (my words, not hers). So, you know what I got in the mail??? 6 coupons for $1 each! OMG! I'm thinking of switching to Similac just b/c of that! I'm pis$ed.

Diapers - we switched Emme to Huggies size 2. She's too fluffy for Pampers Baby Dry and I know Swaddlers are gone when we move to 3's. Ruby's still in Swaddler 1-2s.

Milestone - Emme rolled over back to tummy and then to back yesterday:yippee: Ruby seems so close, but just doesn't follow through. It is all I can do to not reach out and "help" her over! How weird is that?

Pictures - Lisa, :throb: those baptism pics! Belinda, oh my! those are gorgeous pics in your slide! Monica - your boys' pics sooo remind me of my girls w/ the size difference and expressions! (and fast healing prayers going out to you, too).

Sherry - lots of fast healing prayers headed your way w/ the surgery.

Staci - you made me LOL :lol: w/ the milk story. Sorry ;)

AndreaR - definitely join us as diet buddies! I'll pm you my email address, too.

Valerie - I so know what you mean about that extra set of hands at bedtime. DH has had to work late lately and MAN I miss that little bit of help in the evenings.

Heather - really sorry for the tough time you're having right now. Hang in there, you are truely amazing. I can not imagine being back in the classroom this year w/ the girls, too. You're my hero.

Mindy - I'm with ya on the p-butter thing. When we don't have anything else sweet in the house, I dump choc. chips in the peanut butter jar and eat right out of it :crazy: And I'll eat p-b on almost any raw vegie, too. Yum!

later 'gators,
Christel

[vthompson]

Staci - I was laughing at your post!! I have thought that many times...it may be hard now, but what the heck will it be like when they are teenagers! Can you imagine how different our posts will sound then!

Monica - I am so sorry you are sick. How many days has it been now? Do you have any other symptoms? I hope you feel better soon. I cannot imagine being sick and taking care of 3 children! I hope DH is there to help at least.

Belinda - Your pictures are gorgeous!! Did you have them done professionally? I love the one with the rings and the feet.

Sherry - I will be thinking about you during your surgery and recovery. I really hope MIL is a help to you. Will you be in a lot of pain after? I am assuming you get put under, right? Thanks for the words of encouragement. I just think we are so inadated (sp?) with what all the "experts" say about how they should and shouldn't be sleeping/napping that it is so easy to feel guilty if you are not doing it "by the book". I am still going to ask the ped about Corey and his FEAR of the crib for napping...but realistically, I just have to wonder...is it that big of a deal if he doesn't nap in his crib right now. I know it will be a struggle later, but maybe not as big of a one because he will be able to understand that mommy is not abandoning him in his time of need...I don't know, I am probably wrong! See, just as I think I have it figured it out, I go and feel like I am wrong. AGHHH!!

Melinda - I was laughing at your post!! Super sperm is right!! What happens if they are still swimming? Do they have to do it again?

Andrea - I cannot believe you are homeschooling on top of raising twins! My hat goes off to you.

Well, I came on here to complain today....I think I have spoken about this before, but I just got a lovely letter in the mail. The way DH's insurance works is that they pay 90%, we pay 10%, not to exceed $2,000 a year. Well, between myself and the babies, we already owe $2,000 in hospital bills. Luckily, any other appts we have for the rest of the year we just have to pay the copay and then the insurance covers the rest. However, we do not have 2,000 laying around to pay all these darn bills. The hospital is only willing to let me pay $50 a month per person...which totals $150, plus we owe $25 a month for the doctor who did the c-section. I told them we absolutely could not pay that much per month so now they have sent us to collections. I have NEVER been sent to collections. So, I call them today and explain again that I cannot afford the bills. They tell me I can apply for financial assistance, but I think we are very close to the income cut off. I am still going to do it, but if it does not get approved, we are going to have to pay them off with a credit card. $2,000 on credit! On top of what we already owe on our card...since I started staying home with the babies, we have used our credit card for baby purchases and such. I am just so tired of this and freaking out. The babies still need some winter clothes and coats so that will probably go on the credit card. I realize I could go back to work full time, but we can't afford day care and we knew how important it was to the both of us for me to stay home. I know I am working from home, but I am just making enough...not enough to add almost $200 a month in hospital bills! Well, I know there is nothing anyone can say, but I am just stressing out. I will get over it once I put everything in perspective....I knew making the decision to stay home would mean we would be broke for a few years. It is just hard when you start to work your financial situation out and get used to the new budget and something else is thrown in.

Well, thanks for letting me vent...not that you had a choice!! :funny:

Valerie

p.s. Lisa and I are meeting tomorrow! We will take pics so we can post them! Of course, we are meeting at an outlet mall as I sit here and complain about money! Well, at least I am trying to save money by buying the things we need for the twins at a discount!! :crazy:

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Wow! This has been a busy board for the past few days. DH was out of town for a business convention, so I was by myself with the three kids and never even turned on my computer! The past few days were really difficult, but we survived. I am completly in awe of single moms-especially with twins and another child (Felisha?!).

First of all, I wanted to apologize if I offended anybody-- I most definitely support BFing, but I understand all the reasons why women don't do it (I'm doing both now!). I misinterpreted Steph's comment as well. Staci was correct in saying how it is very hard to read tone in type. I think this forum is GREAT, and one of the best parts is how everyone is free to express their own opinion/ideas! As long as this is done respectfully, you can just take or leave someone's advice.

I also agree with the mommy (Christel?) who was talking about all the GUILT heaped on us. Did anyone see 20/20 last week- there was a commentary on the anti-formula commericials the government wanted to air...they showed one of a pregnant woman riding a bull and the narrator said something like "you wouldn't risk your child's life when you were pregnant, why do it now by giving your baby formula..." HORRIBLE. The commentator (sorry-i can't remember anyone's name since I gave birth), was irate. She made a brillant suggestion- why doesn't the US government start mandating longer PAID maternity leaves for women before they tell us all to BF! BFing is HARD and it takes lots of TIME to get to the point where it is "easy" (I don't know if it ever does with twins!). Anyway, I guess there is guilt every step of the way whether we talk about feeding, sleeping, educating, etc., but we just have do what we each believe is the best for the health of our family.

Thanks to Staci and Sherry for the slide.com suggestions. Hopefully, I'll have time to figure this out tonight.

We've had our kiddos in their cribs in the nursery for a few weeks now, but I do end up sleeping in there for half the night! Don't worry Sherry-- DH and I make sure we have "alone time" beforehand. Actually, that is why we moved them because now they go to bed around 8 pm, we do a "dreamfeed" (he helps with a bottle) and then I don't have to feed them again until 3 am. We get three or four solid hours of adult time. It seems to be working out for us. HOWEVER, my question is this- we set up a second crib, but the babies still wake each other up from 3 am on with their cries...it is so frustrating. I think that Isa would sleep until 6 a.m. if her brother didn't wake up so much in the early morning. We don't have space for them to have separate rooms. Does anyone else have this problem?

Mason is in Pampers Size 2 (13.5 lbs), and Isabella is still in Size 1 (11.5 lbs) but Size 2 for night.

Belinda- you have beautiful portraits!

Ugh. I have to run- both are awake now and crying ! I'll have to comment on sex-drive later : )

Jennifer

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Wow! This has been a busy board for the past few days. DH was out of town for a business convention, so I was by myself with the three kids and never even turned on my computer! The past few days were really difficult, but we survived. I am completly in awe of single moms-especially with twins and another child (Felisha?!).

First of all, I wanted to apologize if I offended anybody-- I most definitely support BFing, but I understand all the reasons why women don't do it (I'm doing both now!). I misinterpreted Steph's comment as well. Staci was correct in saying how it is very hard to read tone in type. I think this forum is GREAT, and one of the best parts is how everyone is free to express their own opinion/ideas! As long as this is done respectfully, you can just take or leave someone's advice.

I also agree with the mommy (Christel?) who was talking about all the GUILT heaped on us. Did anyone see 20/20 last week- there was a commentary on the anti-formula commericials the government wanted to air...they showed one of a pregnant woman riding a bull and the narrator said something like "you wouldn't risk your child's life when you were pregnant, why do it now by giving your baby formula..." HORRIBLE. The commentator (sorry-i can't remember anyone's name since I gave birth), was irate. She made a brillant suggestion- why doesn't the US government start mandating longer PAID maternity leaves for women before they tell us all to BF! BFing is HARD and it takes lots of TIME to get to the point where it is "easy" (I don't know if it ever does with twins!). Anyway, I guess there is guilt every step of the way whether we talk about feeding, sleeping, educating, etc., but we just have do what we each believe is the best for the health of our family.

Thanks to Staci and Sherry for the slide.com suggestions. Hopefully, I'll have time to figure this out tonight.

We've had our kiddos in their cribs in the nursery for a few weeks now, but I do end up sleeping in there for half the night! Don't worry Sherry-- DH and I make sure we have "alone time" beforehand. Actually, that is why we moved them because now they go to bed around 8 pm, we do a "dreamfeed" (he helps with a bottle) and then I don't have to feed them again until 3 am. We get three or four solid hours of adult time. It seems to be working out for us. HOWEVER, my question is this- we set up a second crib, but the babies still wake each other up from 3 am on with their cries...it is so frustrating. I think that Isa would sleep until 6 a.m. if her brother didn't wake up so much in the early morning. We don't have space for them to have separate rooms. Does anyone else have this problem?

Mason is in Pampers Size 2 (13.5 lbs), and Isabella is still in Size 1 (11.5 lbs) but Size 2 for nights.

Belinda- you have beautiful portraits!

Ugh. I have to run- both are awake now and crying ! I'll have to comment on sex-drive later : )

Jennifer

[swineland]

Well, hello hello......

I have been busy with these two lil' munchkins! I am not sure if you saw my new photo of them, but I took E & B's "faux-professional" picture yesterday and I think it turned out so cute! I basically put them in their birthday suits and then on a white sheet in the nursery.....they did all the rest of the posing/smiling on their own!

Let me get to this dream meal!

Fancy-
Appetizer: seared ahi tuna with sesame crackers and capers
Salad: mixed field greens with goat cheese, pine nuts and a balsamic vinaigrette type dressing
Entree: Medium-rare marinated skirt steak with melted blue cheese crumbles on top and mushrooms on top of that, asparagus and new potatoes.
Dessert: warm creme brulee with raspberries and blueberries on top and a nice big cup of black coffee!

Everyday:
Appetizer: spinach and artichoke dip with pita chips....yummy!!! ( I usually end up eating most of it myself. I try to keep track of how many "swipes" everyone has had, so that I don't hog it, but in the end I just go for it)
Salad: a classic caesar, with fresh sheets of mozzarella and a creamy dressing
Entree: any type of pasta, especially a stuffed pasta :) with half alfredo and half marinara. OR grilled swordfish and veggies.
Dessert: a hot fudge brownie concoction with ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry :) (same thing with the counting of the bites when sharing)

Whew...I'm STARVING!!
Oh, and definitely wine with all of it. I love any and all Australian reds, favoring Shiraz and Cabs the most. Whites with the pasta, probably a sauv. blanc or pinot grigio. I hate chardonnay.

Great, now I'm thirsty..... :)

Heather, I called your cell phone and left a message.....just in case you haven't checked!

Anyone else watching Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip? The new show w/Matt Perry? It is EXCELLENT. Fast paced, funny (in just my kind of way) and brilliant writing. I highly recommend it ..... Monday nights.

Bailey is rolling over some, but not Evan. B loves to pump his legs and feet, going really crazy sometimes. He even has them up over his head and reaching for them with his hands.....so stinkin' cute!

QUESTION: For those of you doing cereal from a spoon: how much do you prepare and what ounce bottle do you make to go with it? Do you alternate a few sips of the bottle, a few bites of cereal OR do you give all the bottle first and then all the cereal?? I'm assuming everyone is mixing the cereal with formula. I am just giving it to them once a day, usually in the morning, cereal with bananas. They both love it and totally eat right off the spoon with not TOO much of a mess. (Although I have endured a cereal spraying sneeze before!) The bottle is usually 4-5 ounces and I don't expect them to finish it all, but usually they do. I want to know what the rest of you are doing.

We just bought Baby Mozart so we have something new to watch. They love this one as well. The cooing and shrieking is their way of saying "good job, mom!" At least I think so :crazy:

Lisa, the baptism pics are precious. And everyone who said you look terrific is right! Go girl!

So I'm trying to be all good with what I eat and then the dealer who sold us our new Sienna decided to send a thank you gift: a big tin of freshly baked chocolate cookies! The really good soft mushy kind that seems like they were taken out just a FEW minutes too early....my fave!! So, of course, I've eaten ALL of them over the last few days. Thanks a lot Mr. Dealer.

Have to run......more later :)

hugs!
Steph

[vthompson]

Steph - The new pic is adorable! Those boys look SO much alike....I am not sure what your DH looks like, but I think those babies look A LOT like you!!! The dealer probably sent you the cookies so you would gain all kinds of weight and need an even bigger car (lol)!! He is my kind of dealer, though! We have not started cereal with a spoon yet, but we are getting ready to. I feel kind of lost on when and how to do it so I am anxious to hear what the other moms are doing.

Jennifer - I also have the babies in the same room, separate cribs. Kayley does not seemed phased by Corey's crying, however, if Kayley cries, she usually wakes Corey up. He has always been the bigger crier of the two so I actually think that Kayley just got used to it. Luckily, she does not cry very often and usually only gets up once in awhile to eat during the night so I have not had too many problems with it.

Talk to you ladies later!

Valerie

[AndreaR]

I love everyone's new pictures!!

Steph - your boys are too cute. Is it hard for you to tell them apart? I want to watch Studio 60, but it's on too late for me. I was a big West Wing fan, and I was really looking forward to Studio 60.

I actually watch very little tv these days. I sometimes long for those days when I was pregnant and would crawl into bed at 7pm and watch tv all night. Now, I go to bed at 8:00, and Maddie sleeps in our room so I don't want the tv to wake her. Each of my girls gets up at least once (but usually only once) per night, but that means twice for me. And Isabelle is a VERY early riser. This morning she woke up for the day at 4:30. 4:30!!! She was ready for a nap by 6:00, but by then I'd already had coffee.

I thought I'd give you an update on where we're at with Isabelle's bedtime routine, since you all have been so helpful and supportive. I've decided on my own method, which is somewhere between letting her cry and nursing her all night long. After her bath and pj's are on, I nurse her one last time for the day. She gets very sleepy or sometimes falls asleep. I rock her for a few minutes, then I put her on my shoulder for a few minutes and pat her bum. Then I put her in her crib, on her side, and pat her bum until she starts closing her eyes. And then I walk out of the room. A lot of the time she will fall asleep for the night (or until the middle of the night) after this one time. But sometimes she doesn't fall asleep and she'll start to cry after I leave the room. If it's just a little whimper, I wait and see if she'll fall asleep on her own. I can usually tell by the cry whether or not she's going to fall asleep. If I have to go back in, I trace all my steps backwards until she's not crying and calm. First I will go in and pat her bum while she's laying down. If that doesn't work, I pick her up and put her over my shoulder and pat her bum/rock her back and forth. If that doesn't work, I sit in the chair and rock her. If THAT doesn't work, I whip out a boob. I've been doing it pretty consistently for over a week, and it seems to be working okay. There are still some nights when I'm stuck in that room for over an hour (and longer) getting her down for the night, but most nights it's fairly painless.

We haven't started solid foods yet. My girls seem to be very satisfied with what they're getting now, so I think I'll just wait a little while longer. We go for their 4 month check up next week, and I'll check in with the pedi then on what he thinks about solid food.

They are both still so little. They are both wearing size 1 diapers (Izzy wears Swaddlers and Maddie wears Huggies), although Izzy is almost growing out of them. They are both in 0-3 months clothes. We have a bunch of 3-6, but they're nowhere close to fitting.

No rolling over, although they're working on it. Both do a lot of rolling to the side.

Christel - we use EI for Madeline. In fact, today she had PT. It's going well. It's not that invasive or anything. They just come to the house and basically play with her and tell us how to play with her so that she continues to develop where she's behind (motor skills). She's really coming along.

I think I'm getting my period. I've got that nagging crampy feeling in my tummy. I just took some advil. This will be my third one since the girls came, and this is the first time I felt symptoms ahead of time. Yuck.

Sex drive - In my head and in my heart, I am still alive, but my body is soooo tired that it's not even funny. DH doesn't seem to care either. He's just as tired. It's kind of sad. But we didn't have that crazy of a sex life before I got pregnant, so it's not all that different. Also, I feel like we're NEVER alone. Between the girls and Ronit, it gets to me after a while. Just the other day, I told him that I missed him (even though I see him a lot, it's never about just us). He said it bums him out too, but the few times we've tried to go out on our own haven't worked that well, so neither of us is revving to go. What I would REALLY like is for someone to take my girls away for the weekend so DH and I could spend hours in bed (mostly sleeping, but maybe fooling around, too. hee hee).

Sorry - I feel like this post is all about me.......sorry girls, but I gotta go to bed.

xoxo
AndreaR

[swineland]

AndreaR, real quick....I just was noticing your ticker, it's the exact same as mine! 4 months and 3 days old :) Did we know this already? That we had our babies on the same day?? Did I forget?? If not, wow, how cool!

Steph

[AndreaR]

steph - my girls were born on june 1. i know ters had her babies that day, but i can't remember anyone else. now my ticker is actually one day off from yours. what day did e&b arrive?

isabelle just woke up and i fed her, but she fell asleep quickly. now my boobs are killing me. i should pump but i am soooo done w/ pumping. ugh.

[EBTwinz]

I have got to make this quick and get ready for the day. Valerie is coming to my parent's house and we are going shopping today! I can't wait!!!!

Steph: I give the boys about a tbsp of cereal in the morning followed by a 4 oz bottle. Ethan likes Oatmeal and Brady eats rice w/ bananas. Depending on how hungry they are, I usually give the food first, bottle last. If they are really whiny and want to eat more, I give the bottle in between. At night we started sweet potatoes and they LOVE them! I think they taste horrible and smell worse, but those little guys can't get enough. After we eat, I either give them a bath (every other night) or just get ready for bed. Then they drink a 6oz bottle, but usually don't finish the whole thing and off to bed by 8pm. I have been doing this routine every night and the boys are sleeping until 6am or longer. It's 8:40am right now and they are still sleeping. Brady took a bottle at 5am, Ethan at 6:30am and right back to sleep.

Separate rooms: right now I am staying at my parent's house. There is a crib set up in each spare room. My mom stays in one room and I am in the other room (my old bedroom...). We alternate babies each night. SInce doing this, they have been sleeping an avg of 8 hrs a night. EThan is about 11 hrs a night. I am sure it will backfire next week when I am home. I think I would rather them be in different rooms. Mine wake each other up w/ their cries. Not usually right away, but if one gets up to eat, I can bank on the other one getting up w/in the hour.

Well, I think I hear Brady. I better get their breakfast ready. I will post tonight and let you all know about our shopping day! I am taking lots of pics!

Love,
Lisa

[EBTwinz]

Steph: BTW, I love your new pics. Your boys are sooo long! They look like little men. I can tell they already have the cutest personalities. :sunshine:

[christel]

My babies are growing up :cry: We moved them out of our room and to the nursery last night. They did great (once Ruby got to sleep), but I woke up every hour all night long to stare at the video monitor:crazy: It was so strange to not have them in the cosleeper next to me this morning. They're always laying there smiling up at me when I wake up. They were just as smiley in the nursery, but... Sigh.

AndreaR - I've got a feeling that just Ruby will qualify for EI. Do you find that the caseworker, or whoever, works with both babies, even though it's just Maddie that qualified?

Lisa - so do you just do solids twice a day?

I tried something new yesterday that I think is going to work really well. I've been BF and then bottle feeding at every feeding except the first one (that's just BF). And it takes forever! So, I decided to try to reallocate the BF. So I nursed exclusively every other feeding, 8,2,8 and bottle fed at 11 and 5. It worked out really well and I didn't have to make bottles every time. The amount of formula vs. BM still works out the same, but it was sooo much easier on me. AND, it means I can start to get out a little more, since I'm not going to BF at every feed. We have Podee bottles that the girls can use in their stroller and I could actually go and do something during a feeding time:yippee: I hope I'm not jumping the gun on this, since it's only been one day... but I'm really optimistic.

RSV season - anyone else's babies getting the RSV vaccination? My girls go on Friday for shots. I wasn't thinking it was that big a deal, but I saw a segment on PBS yesterday for moms and they were addressing it. They interviewed a twin mom who lost one of her boys to RSV at 2 months! The other baby was close to death and was resucitated (sp?) twice and survived. He's fine now, but OMG! It made me want to call the dr. and ask if we could come in that afternoon.

I think the June mommies should plan a wine and cheese party for everyone here! I think we've found our niche after reading about everyone's dream dinner :funny:

[LucasMom]

Hey Guys,

I know I'll say quick post but it will end up being a long one.

Lisa and Val- So excited for you to meet!!!
Steph- Love the new pics, did I say that already?
Christel-So hard that they start to grow up so fast. Almost like you can't wait for them to be able to do something on their own, but then they do it and you feel so sad that they are doing it without you...

The boys are on three meals a day. In the am, at wake up time, they have about 4-5 oz. bottles. About an hour later they share a bowl of cereal mixed with a container of food, either applesauce, banana, pears...they fall asleep for a morning nap. Wake up around 10:30 and have another bottle 6 oz or so. Hang until 12:30ish and have lunch, another bowl of cereal with food, sometimes fruit, sometimes veg, again one container mixed in. Sleep at 1:00ish until 4:30ish and have a bottle 5-6 oz. Hang and play until 6:30ish, when they have dinner, two containers mixed with cereal, we make mixes, sometimes banana apple, sometimes carrot and sweet potatoes. Sleep from 6:45 to about 7:30 and we play some more. At 8:30 or after bath (every other night) we get into our pajamas and time for final bottle. They usually take 7-8 oz. at this time, and sleep by 9-9:15. Sleep until 6:30 or so. We still have off nights, where someone will wake up at 4 and want a bottle, but for the most part this is a consistent schedule. So they eat 3 times a day (solids) and share 4 jars a day.

Sex life- We try! I have been pretty annoyed at Dh lately because of the schedule he has been keeping with his new job. His new position is very high profile and he has been all over the news and papers as the new chef at the Art Museum, but he is working from 8 am until 1 am many days, including Saturday, so I miss him alot. I can't complain other than that too much because he is a good helper most of the time, and will do the same amount of work as me with the kids when he is around. He never balks at changing diapers, giving baths any of that stuff. But when he is not around, he is really not around, so I get annoyed about that and I think I let in show in my sex drive.

Steph-the salad you chose was the salad I had at my wedding! We had goat cheese done in the shape of a heart and seared, placed atop mixed greens with toasted pine nuts and balsamic! I love goat cheese and pine nuts!

I am so excited that you all are meeting. I hope my meeting some of you works out! I do wish we could all meet.

Tomorrow is Logan's appt. at Childrens Hospital. I didn't mention it but he grew another lump on his chest last Friday, same thing, about the size of a small marble, bluish in color, he has one on his neck that has grown to about the same size. I am sure he will be fine, but would feel alot better to hear it from the doctor.

My brother is home, and so far, things are going ok. He is at my parents house. i can't believe it's been a month since it happened!

Well, I best get back to work. Lisa- I am still up for meeting if you can do it on a Saturday, let me know!! Have a great time with Val today!! Steph- Any way we can do a Sunday of that same week? You let me know!

Hugs Mamas,
Mindy

PS: would it be wrong to ask for a tummy tuck this holiday?:yippee:

[MississippiMama]

Hi! I had b/g twins on June 23, 2006 (although my due date was July 29th). I am looking for other mothers who have twins around Dylan and Marley's age to correspond with. I have a 3 year old boy so all this is not totally new to me, but twins are a totally different ball game from that of raising just one. I am also new to this site, so I haven't really learned all the ins & outs yet. I know I haven't been here since the beginning, but I was hoping I could just join in now. I work outside of the home so I don't have too much time, but I think I'll enjoy this.

[megzmom]

KCJ- WELCOME! You are definately welcome here. My boys were born on June 2nd but due the 29th. There are a few of us that work outside the home and have other ones. Twins is definately a different ball game.

Steph-Hey crazy night last night. I am drowning in school paperwork (my downfall) so I graded for almost 5hrs last night. Didnt get to bed until midnight. I got your call but when I finally had time it was just after 9pm and I didnt want to disturb you. I was definatley thinking about going but I am with you about not waking up too early. Its my only day to "sleep in". Do you like Lake Eola? DD and I go sometimes to walk and we usually have a snack at Panera's across the street. I also went way out to Altamonte springs a few weekends ago for my radio station Z88.3 and they have a cute lake area too. I also have never been to Leu Gardens. I just started to walk alot since the weather got cooler.

Weight-I lost more weight than when I got prego ( I actually lost weight in the 1st trimester...so sick) but I GAINED weight and I am back to prebaby but the clothes still dont fit. MY HIDEOUS stomach and hips!!!! I could cry because I cant afford to go get clothes that fit. Today I actually wore one of my prego blouses to work :(

Okay on a good note...

Ben had a REAL laugh last night. My dd was doing cartwheels in the house and fell making a big bang right in front of Ben. He loved it and laughed like a real kid. Not the cooing kind of laugh. I tried to tape it but he stopped.

love ya all

[MississippiMama]

Thanks (megzmom). I've been reading some of the recent posts and find it so interesting to know that so many moms are going through what I am (both good and bad!!!) Dylan and Marley were delivered by c-section and each weighed 4lbs 6oz. Dylan had several problems all related to being a preemie white boy (nurses called it whimpy white-boy syndrome!) They both got to come home after about a week and a half stay in the hospital and have been doing great since. At their 2 month check up at the end of August they both weighed close to 10 lbs each!!!

Right now they are both sleeping in one crib with a pillow seperating them. Dylan sleeps on his stomach (a major no-no, I know - but they only way he will sleep for an extended period of time!) and Marley sleeps on her side with her head thrown back and buried in a pillow (if possible!) I usually put them to bed around 8ish, or whenever I feel they are good and asleep. Most nights Dylan (the bigger eater of the two) will wake up between 1am and 2am for a bottle. Marley wakes up while I am feeding him. It is funny that one's crying doesn't wake the other up, but when one is quietly slurping on a bottle the other one wakes up then. It is as if they know the other got to get out of bed!!! I usually don't have trouble getting Marley back to sleep, but Dylan tries to stay awake...usually keeps me up for an hour or two before I can get him back down. They both sleep until around 5am. My mother-in-law keeps them and my 3 year old, Ethan during the day while I work. She arrives at my house by 6:30am which is what time I need to be getting up and ready for work. My husband has to leave the house by 3:30am to run a paper route and then heads to his other job driving a truck - so he is not able to help me with feedings from 8:30pm on, but that is ok.

As for weight, I gained about 50 lbs with the twins. I have pretty much lost my pregnancy weight, but I still have that squishy stomach and streched out hips and butt! After my first pregnancy in 2003 it took my body a full year to get back to normal. I am really hoping that it true again this time because I really don't want to have to buy a new wardrobe!!

[4redheadedboys]

KCJ-Welcome I to work outside the home so I don't get to post here as often as I'd like. My boys were born June 20 and the nurses referred to some of Keegan's initial problems as "Wimpy white boy syndrome" to funny. I have two older boys one 6 and one 4 and my DH works nights (he's a cop) so I too do not get any help at night but it is getting better with them sleeping more. Take care and feel free to post any time.

[sgarrett]

OK I have been so busy at work but I wanted to post real quick


Heather and Steph, I got my itinerary for the meeting on Orlando, I do not have ANY freetime. Really blows, usually they give us 1/2 a day off to go to the spa, play golf whatever but not this time! I was so hoping we could meet up. If anything changes I will let ya'll know.

I am working on a HUGE deal at work, it is in excess of a million dollars. My quota for the year is 1.2 mill so I am pretty hyped about this one. Wish me luck!

Feeding: How many times a day does everyone feed babies solids? How long did you wait before introducing something other than rice cereal? We are on day 3 of rice cereal and I was just curious.

XOXO
Staci

[Daniele'sTwins]

Hello ladies!

Nights are getting better over here! I am going to tell you how good I have been having it while praying that I am not going to put a jinx on it! I have been putting the boys down to bed at 8 and Nico will sleep until 8am no problem. Luca will whine at about 4 and I just have to give him a hug and his pacifier and he is in bed until 8 too! This morning it was 8:15!! But do you want to hear something I was up at 4am until 6am because I couldn't sleep!!! Then i was getting mad at myself because I couldn't sleep when i could sleep!!! LOL. So typical!

My day...

7:30-8... 7oz bottle with a couple teaspoons of oatmeal cereal (rice was too binding)

8:00-8:30...cereal and fruit (apples right now)

then we play until about 9:30 and they want to nap for about an hour

10:30 either we go to gymboree or walking outside ( I joined that stroller group)

11:30 ...7 oz bottle

12-2 Play...they LOVE the jumparoo. Read a story etc.

2:00 Bottle then nap again

By 5:00 they eat again. Then we play some more and take a bath (every night, not really to be clean as much as them to know their routine)

7:30 a 7 oz bottle and cereal and the rest of the morning jar of fruit.

8:00 rock to sleep (I know it is not good to do this BUT I can't stand when they cry)

Rolling over...still no

TV...I am with AndreaR I NEVER have time anymore! I do have the cox thing that you can tape the shows so I am going to start doing that again now that they are in bed by 8.

Lisa and val...so cool that you guys can meet. I can't wait to hear about your shopping trip.

Mindy...I am glad your brother is home. As for Logan, I hope everythingi s okay.

KCJ..>Welcome!

[EBTwinz]

Hi everyone!!!

Well, Valerie and I had a GREAT day together!! She and I are a lot alike and have so much in common. It was great to spend the day w/ another twin mommy who is going through the same things as me. Her babies are adorable!!! Kayley is such a sweetie. I think her and Ethan may have something going on.... LOL! Corey is such a flirt. And he was so cute, just lounging away. We took pics that I will have to post later. It was so cute seeing 4 babies, the same age, laying together on the floor. They all checked out each other, tried to hold hands, and I think Ethan even tried to talk to them. It's so funny to see them all act the same way. They all lay on their backs and "run" (when they are kicking their legs like they are running). We bought a ton of clothes for the babies and probably spent way too much money. Oh well, at least it was all on sale. In two weeks, I am meeting Valerie and Monica. I can't wait!!!!

Mindy: I definitely want to get together. The next couple Saturdays are busy for me but maybe towards the end of the month or even into November. I will let you know for sure. We will have so much fun!

Solids: I only feed mine twice a day. I wait three days before introducing a new food, in case of allergies. I think I may start mixing their cereal w/ fruit instead of using the already mixed dry stuff. Now that they had sweet potatoes, rice and oatmeal isn't as tasty. Mindy, how long before you moved them to 3 times a day? Mine have only had solids for two weeks.

Sleeping: Mine are pretty much on the same pattern as most of you. Mine are starting to sleep at least 12 hours, with the occasional wake up around 4am. Then a mid morning nap, afternoon nap, and early evening nap. When I do the same thing everyday, they become more consistent w/ their sleep. BTW: Valerie, Ethan conked out as soon as we got home. I knew he would!! (he only slept about a half hr at the outlets)

Welcome to the new mommy on the board. My babies were born May 18. I think mine are some of the older ones on the board. They share a birthday w/ Mindy's babies. I was due June 10th.

sex drive: it's slowly working it's way back... depends on if I am mad at dh or not... LOL.

work: Stay at home mom (used to work until May)

Okay, ladies, I am signing off for the night. Talk to you all soon.
Love,
Lisa

[AndreaR]

Mindy - that is good news about your brother. We'll keep him in our prayers as he continues his recovery. I don't know how you (and others) do it with your DH working so much. God love you. Good luck at the doctor w/ Logan. Keep us posted.

Christel - I know it's sad when they move out of the room (more on this in a minute), but I think after the first night or two, you are going to be so happy to have your space back. Yes, the EI people always ask about Isabelle and they offer to look at her when they come. Coincidentally, she's been napping every time they've come, so we haven't taken advantage. I definitely think that Izzy is a little behind, too, so I would like for her to be looked at eventually. I am really not that worried about either of them, because they both seem to do more and more every day, so even if they are at the bottom of the curve, I know they are developing. I'm very proud of myself for not being worried, because I'm a very competitive person, and I always thought I'd want my kids to be the best at everything. But I'm just happy that they are here and healthy.

Sleeping arrangements - Isabelle has been sleeping in her crib in the nursery for a long time now, but Madeline has been sleeping in her papasan chair in our room. Over the past few days, Ronit and I have been putting her in her crib for naps and she did great! So tonight, our little peanut is in her big girl crib. Isabelle went in first, and then we put Maddie in after a little while, so Izzy wouldn't wake up. We've had to go in and "shush" Maddie a couple of times, but she seems down for the count now. Thank God for video monitors!! I just wish we had two (would they work??).

Heather - I was smiling when I read your post about Ben laughing at Meg's cartwheel crash. It's so cute. I can't wait til my girls start laughing. I think they're close. I don't know how you stay up until midnight and then teach little kids all day. You go girl...

Staci - good luck with your deal! That's so exciting. I can't remember what you do, though. Sorry! When do you find out?

Lisa & Valerie - sounds like you had a GREAT day. It's wonderful that some of us live close enough that we can get together. These are some pretty special relationships we've got here. Daniele and I are trying to work out another date too.

KJC - welcome! My girlies were born on June 1. I love your babies' names.

Sorry if I forgot anyone - gotta hop into the shower and get ready for Grey's Anatomy. Does anyone else watch it? I know I said last night that I dont' watch TV, but I do try to watch GA if I can. Now that Maddie's in the nursery, I can turn up the volume and actually know what they're saying. LOL

goodnight!
xoxo
AndreaR

[MississippiMama]

Thanks everyone for the welcome!!

I should have known what kind of afternoon/night it was going to be when my 3 year old, Ethan and my mother-in-law (she keeps the kids while I work) were waiting for me at the door when I got home from work. They couldn't get out of here fast enough (he decided to spend the night with her tonight)! She told me that she'd tried to give Dylan and Marley bottles but they hadn't done anything but chew on them...and that they had "been kinda fussy." Wow - that was an understatement!!!! I got home around 4pm and they both pretty much fussed & cried until 8pm. I tried everything...giving them a bottle, rocking them, walking with them, putting them in boucy seat, burping them. Nothing worked. I finally put Marley in the crib and closed the door. She cried for awhile...we went to go check on her and she had buried her head in a pillow. My husband moved the pillow because he was afraid she couldn't breath...wrong move. She woke up and started crying again. After she finally drifted back to sleep we put Dylan in the crib...they both seem to be sleeping now (keeping my fingers crossed!!) Maybe they will sleep the night through tonight.

When did you guys start giving solids? I've put cereal in their bottles occasionally, but the nipple always gets clogged and it seems more trouble than it is worth. They will be 4 months on the 23rd of this month.

Well - going to get in bed while I can...still sleeping in nursery with them. Promise my husband I will move back upstairs with him once they start sleeping through the night. I kind of enjoy having my own bed (and not listening to snoring all night!! LOL)

Oh - AndreaR, I LOVE Grey's Anatomy. If I can't watch anything else, my husband knows he is responsible for the babies on Grey's nights!!! I SO much want Derek and Meredith to be together.

Good night!

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Yay! I am checking to see if my slide is working. I don't know what I did to it, but it finally popped up. Now I'm too tired to write:crazy:

Of course, I did watch Gray's Anatomy and Six degrees (I like it, but I can't seem to sit down for the entire show in order to follow the connections!)

Christel- I JUST started doing a couple whole bottles per day on Tuesday! I was so tired of fixing bottles after BFing sessions in the afternoon. This is working out much better. I give a 1 pm bottle and then another around 6 pm. I'm sure your little ones will adjust to the cribs soon...seems like many are going in that direction now. I moved ours out of the room early because we're both light sleepers and the twins make such crazy noises all night. They slept much better once they were out-maybe DH and I are noisey, too : )

Welcome MississipiMamma! I am pretty new to the board as well. My twins were born 6/26 and were due 7/26-almost the same timing as you. I also have a four year old. I don't know what I would do if I hadn't already been through this with a singleton! How is your three y.o. adjusting??

Well, I'm out of time for today...I can't keep my eyes open.

Take care,
Jennifer

[Jillmami]

It's so interesting to see the advice that each of us gets from our peds. It varies so much from their philosphies. Our kids aren't eating anything besides breastmilk. Yes, I've been pumping for 6 months now. That's LOTS and LOTS of water for me to keep things going. Thank goodness for our 2 freezers full of milk from the babies' NICU time to get me through my 'slow flow' days. :clap:

I guess since our babies are growing just fine that they don't need anything else re: solids. Our ped. doesn't want to add anything until at least 6 months. Since they were 3 months premature, we have a ways to go. He told us to start with barley first since rice can cause constipation. My babies missed out on so much developmentally from being born before the last trimester. Oh well, we are working on it.

It's neat to hear the stories of everyone's babies on solids. Good info to keep for when we get to that point.

Oh, people mentioned diaper sizes... Noah is getting ready to start size 2 and TJ is still in 1's. They are 13 pounds and 10 pounds now. Big leap from 2.3 and 1.12!!

As for xmas presents, I think it was fwalker who mentioned kodakgallery's baby book. I know that Costco also has neat photo books where you decide the layout for each page as well as the captions. You download the software which literally takes seconds, choose your photos and captions, and then submit the order. For a softcover baby book, you get 20 pages which has up to 80 pics for 9.95. (I think delivery is 5 bucks.) They have hardcover for $30 and $60 which hold 120 and 240 pictures. You pick the cover design/color too. Seems like a great deal. I had a friend who did it and said it looks fantastic. Think I might try it for my husband's parents and for my aunts.

Well, I'm almost done pumping. WELCOME to the new members! Sorry I can't help you with a birth date close to yours, mine were born in March. :woa: Glad to have you here to this great site. LOTS of wonderful advice too.

Love to hear the stories of everyone meeting also. How exciting!!

OK, I'm done. Take care and have a wonderful upcoming weekend everyone!

[swineland]

Hello!

Heather... I LOVE Lake Eola! I have not been there in awhile, but my friends and I used to go walking there all the time AND, the funny part?, we always used to go eat at Panera afterwards! I know what you mean about the weather being nicer and walking. Yesterday I put the boys in the jogging stroller with their little bucket hats and off we went :workout: ! The breeze was so nice and they loved it. Anyway, if you want to meet sometime this weekend for a walk or lunch or whatever, just let me know. We'll do the GOMOTT sale another time....let's sleep in! (haha...yeah right)

So here's my new attempt to get this flabby body back in shape: http://brandscycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=5588
It's this inflatable wedge thingy with 21 different exercises printed on the top. It comes with a dvd which guides you through all of them. It only took 35 minutes and it works out EVERYTHING (pretty sore today). I got it at Ross for $7.99 :clap:

Yes, Lisa, the boys are LONG! They are growing like weeds and it doesn't appear to be stopping. I have all these cute clothes that they will never get to wear b/c they are blowing out of each size. A lot of 3-6 month stuff still fits, but they are wearing many 6-9 month pants and even some 6-12 month sleepers. Since the sleepers have footies in them, they have to be the biggest, cuz when these guys stretch out (which they are ALWAYS doing) they need LOTS of room!

Pet Peeve: changing the crib sheets. What a pain in the a$$ that is, with a bumper to deal with I mean.

Things I love: when the boys start giggling as a onesie is pulled over their head and face...they laugh and laugh. Also, after one of their dramatic fake-choking spats, they laugh.....think it's so funny.

I'm so glad Val and Lisa had fun yesterday! It's just so great that actual friendships are being made here. And I know a lot of us were saying how a lot of our friends didn't quite understand our new lives and we were sorta losing touch with them. Well, here you have all NEW friends who are RIGHT where you are in life!

Dan, when you said "binding" about the cereal, did you mean that it caused constipation in N&L ? E & B aren't constipated, yet, but I have noticed the poop being a lot harder and not the usual half messy/half solid dirty diaper. Maybe I'll switch them to oatmeal too. Lord knows they LOVE the cereal with bananas!

Well, I better grab a shower while the boys are calmly watching Baby Mozart :)

Love to all...
Steph

[sgarrett]

Wow I am behind on posts!
ISABELLE ONLY WOKE UP ONCE LAST NIGHT AT 4:45AM:yippee:

DH was watching Aiden last night and even he only woke up twice. That is the most sleep I have gotten since I was 6 month preggo!

AndreaR: I pm'd you my email address if you would like to join Christel and I with the diet buddy thing. Thanks for asking about my work, I am a National Account Manager for a security company. Basically any company headquarted in TN I try to sell them all their security stuff for their locations nationwide. (Security systems, Cameras etc...) I will probaly find something out by next week on this deal. I have been calling on this company for almost 2 years! Cool thing is October is the 1st month of our fiscal year, so I could start the year out almost with my full years quota done!

I love Grey's Antomony but have not been able to see it once this season! Aiden and Isabelle have not allowed it. It is killing me. Funny GA story, when I was in the operating room delivering them, all the nurses and docs were all talking about it, while they were working on me! My DH was asking them if there was really that much sex going on in the hospital! They all LOVE the show.

OK I cannot remember who had the Thing 1 and Thing 2 shirts on their babies in the ticker. HOW ADORABLE! Where did you get them?

Cereral: We do rice cereal at about 5:30pm. I do not really measure just kinda eyeball the consistency. Isabelle will take like 4 bites and Aiden will woof down the rest. Of course night b4 last he puked the entire bowl back onto me! Actually 1st I was right in his face telling him how cute he is and he sneezed and blew cereal all over my face an in my mouth! EEWWWW Than he puked all over me, all over the table, and all over the "straw" rug we have under the kitchen table that is really hard to wipe anything off of! I think I might switch to Barley, I did not realize rice could cause constipation and Isabelle has problems with this already.

Heather and Steph: Heather I still have your phone # and if by some miracle they cut one of our million frickin meetings short I will call you. I know that will not give ya'll any notice but maybe we can work something out. I would love to meet for a quick drink or something, ecspecially if ya'll are real close to the Gaylord.

Mindy: Great news about your bro! Is he still open to receiving treatment as well?

Felisha: It was great to talk to you too! I cannot wait for our girls night out. I have already prepped DH!

Welcome new mommies!

XOXO
Staci

[MississippiMama]

My night was not as bad as I thought it would be...Dylan woke at 11pm and both he and Marley woke at 4:30am for feedings. I managed to get Marley to sleep in the crib all night, but Dylan slept in the bed with me for most of the night. If it's not one it is the other!!! (I think that saying will apply for the REST of my life!)

Do any of your twins have much interaction with each other yet? So far mine don't. I have occasionally seen Marley staring at Dylan, but that is about it. You know, I just figured that they would have this super-special bond from the time they were born since they were in such close quarters for so long....I thought they'd like to be all snuggled up to each other all the time and would fuss if seperated. I couldn't have been more wrong...if I even put them close together they end up hitting and kicking each other or sucking on each other!

I was also wondering if anyone could tell a big difference in b/g twin bonds as opposed to same sex twin bonds. I don't know any b/g twin children or adults, but do know several same sex twins and they all seem to be so close. Just wondering how b/g are - especially different rates of growth/maturity (I've always heard that baby girls develop and hit milestones a lot faster than boys do.) I guess I am kind of worried... I want Dylan and Marley to share that special bond that only twins seem to have, but when I was pregant I was at a video rental store and the lady working there told me she had a twin brother. Then she went on to tell me that my children would hate being twins - that her and her brother hated being twins.

Got to get back to work...will check in later.

PS Hope to post some pictures this weekend.

[AndreaR]

i was just wondering about the twin bond myself. i was wondering if you guys thought that identical twins have more of a bond than fraternal. my girls definitely notice eachother and they definitely like to be with eachother, but i think they're still too young to exhibit any signs of that special bond you hear about. but my girls spend a lot of time apart, because they're on compltely different schedules..... i'm interested in what everyone else has to say. i wonder if there's another thread on this board somewhere about it.

[sgarrett]

Twin Bond: My DH is an identical twin and they are very close. They work at the same company, are interested in the same things, (guns, boats and motorcycles) and talk at least twice a day. He said they fought like crazy growing up, like all brothers do. I have very good girlfriend has a twin brother, she said she loved it and her and her brother have always been very close. Growing up she would date his friends and he would date hers. MS Mama: What a crappy thing for the lady to say at the video store knowing you were a twin mom. Maybe it is her charming personality that causes the issues with her and her brother!

[sgarrett]

BTW, Aiden and Isabelle do not seem to interact to much yet either, my MIL tells me it will happen when they are a little older. They stare at eachother every once in a while, have held hands, but I think it was more by accident. When I lay them next to eachother they also kick, hit and try to suck on eachother!

[sgarrett]

Oh yeah one more thing, my MIL also said that my DH and his twin had their own language. She said it was so weird they could talk to eachother and no one else knew would know what they were saying, but you could reallly tell they were having a conversation! I have read about that as well, how cool would that be to be able to dog your parents right in front of them without them knowing!

[megzmom]

Steph-I will try to call you tonight. I have to drop dd off at my moms. Every Friday she has a sleep over. DH works tomorrow. Is that okay to bring the kids? I was thinking Lake Eola is great too. What time?

Bond-boys are noticing each other but not really "interacting". Dont really count the involuntary punches to the face :) I am trying to recall "teacher" training I went to were they say that most "play" doesnt really occur until they are around 2. I think that is why they dont really share that little. I am sure it will be a little different with twins. As for fraternal/identical. I know 5 sets of fraternal at my work ALONE. Crazy. They all said they were exact opposites as their twin. Two were b/b and 3 were b/g. I am nervous about my boys already because there are already sooo opposite in demenor (sp) and even how they look. They are identical but really different. Mommy guilt wonders if its because I had them in seperate cribs since about 1mth when they started laying almost on top of each other.

Changeing sheets-too funny! My husband has ripped the two mattress covers and I ripped one crib sheet. He absolutely REFUSES and will not change a sheet anymore. The boys have been so stuffy nosed that I change it everyday (they dont stay on the pads) so I get an aerobic workout just changing sheets. :) Any tips would be great. Oh yeah also ripped all the tags to keep the bumber pad connected to the crib :( None left!

Okay got to go. I really am soo thankful to all you ladies for the encouragement you gave me. Like everyone here, I have gone through so many emotionally changes that I didnt even think about with MIL moving up here, jealousy setting in and pure guilt about going back to work, etc...I am an A type anyways but I try not to get to the breaking point and lately it has felt that way. I think being sick and BROKE has really made a good thing become bad.

Again thank you so much for everything it really did make me feel better. I liked being called a mulitasker. Honestly we ALL are.

[swineland]

Hey Heather...I'll wait for your call tonight. Whatever time works for you tomorrow works for me. If I had a choice I'd say earlier rather than later just so a) it's not too warm and b) I can take a shower early and not get sweaty in the middle of the afternoon. BUT, you are the one with 3 children, so you let me know! Yes, totally bring the boys!! I will bring E & B....they love walks. How fun! So, walk around the lake for however long and then something to eat at Panera? If we went walking around 10:30 or so it would work out well for lunchtime after that.

Anyway, let me know what you want to do!

Steph

[sgarrett]

changing sheets, we lay a receiving blanket in the cribs on top of the sheet, tuck it in real good on the sides. We change it every couple of days, that way we do not have to change to sheets so often.

[TMoT]

Hi, Gals.

Staci, Jackie, et al.: The carob has turned out to be a mixed blessing. (?!) Babies sleep longer, but it is also making their poops heavier/thicker, so I'm dealing with more constipation (_at night_), etc. Seems like something good to have, but only in the right quantity... ;-) Jackie, if you are ebf, it'll be hard to give them carob (doh!), unless you want to pump and mix it in a bottle with the breast-milk (as long as you are careful with the amount!). ;-) I did find "carob powder" online, so I'm sure you can get it that way or in health-food stores (turns out that carob is a conventional substitute for chocolate. Go figure!)...

AndreaR, CONGRATS on how things are going with Izzy and Maddie now!! Looks like you got a good strategy worked out. :-) ...Sorry that you and dh "miss" each other. We suffer the same thing here, now and then, and it feels nice just to know that the sentiment is "there," even if you can't manage to find the time/space to act upon it -- right???! :-)

Bf Milk-boost: I've been taking the Blessed Thistle/Fenugreek (as advocated on thebirthden.com site) for the last three days, and it is definitely increasing my milk supply. Actually, it's making the let-down occur more easily. Apparently, it affects your estrogen levels (I have been really grouchy the last two days too! Fore-warned is fore-armed...;-)), so I suppose that's how it works... Pharmacist/Herbologist recommended a mix of two tbsp-to-one (fen/bt), which I just steep in boiling water (indefinitely) in a kind of tea/infusion (=about two cups) once a day...

Staci, WAY TO GO on that big business deal! I've got my fingers crossed for you. Keep us posted... :xfingers: Congrats on Isabelle sleeping so well too. Hope it sticks! :-)

Mindy, praying about your brother, and for your own strength too -- with working, health matters :-(, taking care of your boys and dh working SO much of the time... You are a true marvel, and, YES, ask for that tummy-tuck for Rosh Hashana (I think/hope that's what you meant?!) -- you deserve it!! I hope Logan's appointment goes well too. I'm thinking about you and wishing you the courage to keep it all going! ...Do you get to enjoy some of that "profile" dh is getting these days too?? :-D

MSMama -- WELCOME to the thread! I've got b/g twins too (born July 3 at 39wks), and am a (g/g frat) twin myself. Darius and Artemis are only starting to even notice each other now, but it seems to me to be something similar to having an additional appendage (?!). ;-) I figure when they start that "self-exploration" thing (usually beginning with hands, remember?), they'll start to "explore" each other more too. They're doing it more and more now it seems....

Heather, I REALLY hope MIL being there turns out to be a blessing for you! I guess it depends a lot on your relationship. At this point, it seems that you can definitely use all the help you can get, so I'm sure you'll be able to manage it -- just like everything! ;-)

Val and Lisa, I can't wait to see your pictures! Isn't it funny that you two have so much in common -- but maybe not too surprising after all?!! :-) So cool that more June-mommy meetings are coming up too! I'm excited and envious... ;-) But, hopefully, I'll get to join in someday too...?!!

Jill, you (and Monica) AMAZE me with all that bf-ing/pumping for all this time! You are simply INCREDIBLE!!!!! (I also covet your frozen supply, but I know how much you went through to have it!) You're just awesome, and your babies show it! ...Btw, a bf-ing mommy-of-a-singleton friend of mine's baby is nine months old and still exclusively breast-feeding...(?!) You're right: As long as they're flourishing, no need to add/change anything! Way to go!!!!! :clap:

Felisha, I guess it _has_ been a while since you had sex since you called your "ticker" a "tickLer"! :funny: (But should I confess to noticing that?!?! :-p) ...You are such a crack-up!!!!!

Cool to hear about everyone (Mindy, Daniele, Lisa, Felisha, Staci, et al.)'s successful daily routines. Something I have to look forward to when D&A are a bit older -- I HOPE. At the moment, despite the bf ;-) , big boys are bringing home new bugs faster than babies get over the previous one! :-( I am exasperated!! It's been IMPOSSIBLE to get them on a schedule because they're just so miserable all the time. :-( Seems the babies sleep from 8pm till midnight or so, then are UP for FOUR hours (!), and then do their "real" sleep from 4am till 10:30am... So they're sleeping 7-8 hours a night, but at a really ridiculous time -- when I also have to get up at 7:30am to get the big boys to school and dh has to go to work...!!!

...Then, they nurse every couple of hours from 10:30am till about 2:30pm, when they wake up for the day (i.e. till we put them to bed around 8pm)... I'm "losing" my daytime trying to make up for lost sleep during the night. So if we can't figure something out soon to get the babies to sleep at night, I think I'm going to go NUTS!!!!! (?!) :crazy:

Today, we tried to keep them up later to avoid the midnight-4am awake period, but now they're just STILL awake without having slept AT ALL (it's almost 3am)! Them being sick doesn't help, but Sissy (Artemis) is sitting there on dh's lap staring at me as I write this...! (?!!)

Luckily (to avoid insanity) yesterday, I had my "Mommy's day out" and MIL took care of the kiddies for me. The anti-gymnastics class was AWESOME, but I got some pretty nasty news from the physiotherapist. Apparently, my rectum has started to descend, as a result of the twins' birth :eek:, and although the physiotherapy (exercises) can help, I still might need surgery. :-((( We don't yet know if that can be done vaginally or not, though, so I have post-poned the tubal ligation to see if the two procedures might be doable at the same time... Ahh. The joys of twin-pg never cease... :crazy:

"Hyper-pressure" exercises: When I saw my physiotherapist, she also INSISTED that I use those exercises I posted about ALL THE TIME -- to avoid the diastasis Christel (?) mentioned AND to stave off incontinence down the road...! So, when you lift things (babies ;-)), LAUGH (!), raise your head to get up (off the bed, etc.), be very careful about using your tummy/"perineum" muscles!!!!! Remember to first: exhale, suck in tummy/stick out chest, tighten your "nether" muscles, THEN lift/laugh/roll over then get up or whatever... Just more "words to the wise" -- which I guess I am infamous for, and which apparently you are all pretty sick of... (??!)

The Board's Pariah: Speaking of which, I've waited a couple of days to see if I might get some acknowledgement of my apology to the board and Steph about this recent "sick bf-ing babies" scandal -- but ...NOTHING. :-( Steph, I want to ask you sincerely (and I honestly don't mean any malice) if you truly feel so much in the right about your behavior that it doesn't require an apology, or at least, that I don't deserve an acceptance of _my_ apology from you???? I am more than willing to let bygones be bygones, but I think that should work both ways... I admit to having gotten defensive about something I am very passionate about (as Melinda said), and for having "misinterpreted" your post, as I admitted. Otoh, I feel like you posted something (intentional or not) that was very personal and set off a controversy; in your subsequent post, you "hit below the belt" by bringing up unrelated/past events/information (regarding how much my posts offend you/others _in general_); and, worst of all in my eyes, you made this topic an "us-vs.-them" thing -- first, by telling me and my ilk to "give it a rest," and, then, with the "thanks-for-all-your-support-PMs-ladies" post. Although you may not have realized it, to me the latter (and btw, I received NO PMs on this topic, if anyone is interested) only seemed to reflect just how personal this issue had become (like "Steph vs. Sherry" or "bf vs. non-bf") -- a way of thinking which I have never and never would allow to influence my posts here. ...But since I apologized, Steph (everyone???), you may now feel like everything is "in it's proper place." If it matters to anyone, however, _I_ still feel very alienated and saddened by what has happened. And to me, that means our thread's "self-policing policy" has somehow failed (but maybe I am alone in this sentiment too). :-( ...Even if you don't agree with what I write here, Steph, maybe you could still find it in your heart to apologize, or barring that, accept my apology...? It's probably just the mother-hen in me "talking"/squawking once again, but this is what we do when there are disagreements (which, after all, are inevitable) in our family too. ...And so, at risk of even further alienating myself (but that is my choice then), this is my "high ground"... and I guess I am taking it.

...Much love, as always, to all you wonderful mommies!!! xox

[MississippiMama]

Ok everyone...I need advice. For the past 2 days my 3 month b/g twins have been terrible!!!! I work outside the home...leave around 7:30am and home around 4pm. My MIL keeps them while I work. The past 2 days they have cried almost non-stop from the time I got home until I put them down. I have hated to do it, but the past two nights I have had to put Marley down and let her cry herself to sleep. We've been able to rock Dylan to sleep before putting him down. We've tried everything....feeding, rocking, walking, bouncing....we can get them to sleep, but once we put them down they wake up and start screaming!!!! I think my MIL spends most of the day sitting in front of them talking...I'd love to be able to do that, but there are just other things I have to get done when I get home from work (i.e. tend to my 3 year old, get dinner cooked, get a shower!!!). Have any of you encountered this problem & if so, how did you handle it?

Swineland...bumper pads....I had the same dread about changing the sheets because of the bumper pads. I have now removed the pads...both babies sleep in the same crib, seperated by a pillow. They don't move around too much so I figure the bumper pads are pretty useless right now. Might change my mind later...

AndreaR & JerseyGemini - any time either of you want to discuss Grey's Anatomy just let me know. I LOVE that show. Best friend got me hooked on the show after SuperBowl last year??? Picked up in the middle of 2nd season, borrowed her 1st season DVD to catch up. Totally addicted now! Asking for season 1 & 2 dvds for Xmas!!!

fwalker - don't know how you do it!!! I have 3 myself and don't think I could do it without DH. I pray that you have plenty of help. Hats off to you!

Thanks ladies for this...I need it!

Kari

[sgarrett]

Hi Kari:

We went through this for a while with my b/g twins. One thing that seemed to work is after feeding them we took them for a drive. The bumbier the road the better. Usually after about 15 min they were both out!

Good luck!

[swineland]

Sherry.....
I really don't know what to say. I was trying to just move past all of this and not let it affect our board or the "innocent bystanders" who log on everyday. As I've said before, my comments had nothing to do with pro-breastfeeding, anti-breastfeeding or anything of the sort. I asked a question, as we so often do, and put out there a topic of discussion. In my view, you are the one who chose to come out swinging. I'm sorry you found it to be so "venomous" (as you last described) but I truly have no control over how you chose to react. I guess I really expected some kind of typical "Sherry" response, which would have gone something like this:

"Steph, first off, I'm sorry to hear about the sick babies!! That's no fun.... In reality, the breastmilk doesn't really affect the frequency of babies getting sick, but rather the duration. In answer to your question, the immunity properties in breastmilk are there from the start. I really think your friends babies are just, unfortunately, succumbing to those stubborn colds babies get, breastfed or not. :) "

Instead what I got was just a really defensive response. That post was not aimed at you, Sherry. It wasn't aimed at anyone in particular. It wasn't aimed at the bf'ing moms, it wasn't aimed at the formula feeding moms. It was just there.

Of course I accept your apology. I did as soon as I read it. My not bringing it up again was my way of laying it to rest, moving on and getting back to where we were. I'm sorry you feel alienated. I'm sorry you felt personally attacked by my original post. I'm sorry you think that I'm trying to draw lines in the sand on this board. Those are the things I am sorry for.

From this moment forward, let's just bury the hatchet and MOVE ON. No worries, just knowing that in the future, we agree to disagree. I think that would have saved a lot of headache here.

Hang in there.....everyone on here loves you and you have nothing to worry about as far as "further alienating" yourself. You're always welcome with open arms.

Steph

[christel]

Hi ladies,

Kari - welcome! My girls were due June 21 but made an early appearance by c/s on April 27.

Twin Bond - the girls smile at each other and hold hands and occasionally "talk" to one another. I :throb: it! :lovemytwins: They've been doing this for about a month.

GA - I love love love this show! I time the girls' last BF session so I can watch while they eat :D

Yesterday we managed to go out to eat w/ the girls and just us :victory: After they got their RSV vaccinations (which we have to go back for once a month until the end of RSV season... March or April) we went to a nearby restaurant. We gave the girls bottles while we ordered and by the time the food arrived, they were finished and content to look around at the cool new place while we ate. I asked the host to set us whereever we'd bug the fewest people in case the girls started crying. But, they were great! :yippee:

Staci - :xfingers: Hoping that you close the deal on that big account! :clap:

Mindy - good idea on the holiday gift :D Can I put a tummy tuck on my amazon.com wish list?

Sherry - wishing you a non-surgical recovery! And if that's not possible, then definitely a 2 for 1 deal on the surgery.

Crib sheets - :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: Enough said.

Babies awake and hungry... bye.

[TMoT]

Thanks, Steph. That means a lot to me... :throb: ...Btw, I guess I'm too late to catch you beforehand, but I hope you and Val had a really nice time today. Can't wait to hear how your visit went.

Speaking of which, Val, I've been thinking about you... I hope the work-from-home and money stuff is all going okay. Anyone who thinks working from home with little ones is "easy," doesn't know a thing about it!! ;-) So I'm sure you've really got your hands full. Hang in there, sweet mommy.

Kari, i didn't catch if you're bf or not, but here's a pretty good url about evenings/fussy babies no matter what (first posted by one of the July mommies, and an excellent bf source, btw). It mentions, among other things, that your babies may be going through a growth spurt and/or that they are wanting to _eat_ a lot in the evening to stockpile food for the long (?) night... (Btw, my babes are about the same age as yours, and as a matter of fact, I suspect we're going through the same thing right now...) :-(

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html

I forgot to mention in my last post that I had a rather unpleasant surprise the other day when my ds2 came home from school with a BLACK EYE (!), and I've been wondering how exactly I'm supposed to deal with this... :-( He's in FIRST GRADE, for goodness' sake, and going to a school (he just started there) which is arguably one of the best in the country (the Belgian royalty all send their kids there!!! --?!)... The boy who boxed him in the eye is also in first grade! But, so far, I've heard nothing from the school -- about whether the kid's parents have been informed, whether the little boy has been punished somehow (eg. no recess for a week or something?), or anything... I've never had to deal with this kind of thing though, so I would really appreciate any insight you experienced moms/teachers might be able to share...???

Btw, where's Ters???????

And, just curious, but Artemis is my first girl, and I love her to PIECES, but I find I'm more "tough" with her than I am with Darius... I wonder if it's a Mommy/Daughter thing, or chemistry or what. Thoughts anyone?????

Well, dh and the boys are on the way to the video shop and Artemis is crying in the crib. Keep doing your kegels/"hyper-pressure" exercises, Mommies!!! :workout: :-) xox

[christel]

Forgot to add that the girls were weighed and measured before they got the RSV vaccinations yesterday. Ruby is now 12 1/2 lbs and 22 1/2 inches long and Emme is 16! lbs and 23 1/2 inches long. :woa:

[christel]

Sherry - If that happened at the school I taught at, the kids' parents would have been notified ASAP to prevent a lawsuit! My area is quite litigious. I would contact the teacher and ask questions. You need to be assured that your son and his classmates are being appropriately supervised (b/c when exactly did this happen? during the school day?) and need to hear the story from an adult's perspective, too. Good luck!

[TMoT]

Thanks for the tip, Christel. I haven't heard ANYTHING from the school, as I said, so I am going to write a letter this weekend... We'll see what happens, and +thanks+ for the insight. :-)

Btw, wanted to share this drawing with you. Xander (ds2) made a chalk-drawing of me breastfeeding. I added it to my slide and hope you can actually see it. Check out the pendulous boobs! :eek: :funny: (And, btw, the other "amazing miracle blanket" pic is the first night the babies slept in the crib ALL NIGHT! "Amazing" -- I'll say!!! I made dh take a picture just to mark the occasion...!! :crazy:)

Hope you're enjoying your weekend, all!

[vthompson]

Hi Ladies!! I have missed so much in the few days I have been "away". As everyone knows, Lisa and I met on Thursday. It was so much fun! I cannot believe how much we have in common...even if you take having twins out of the equation. I just wish we lived closer so we could get together more. We had so much to talk about. Her boys are both ladies' men! They are so cute and have such adorable personalities. They are both HUGE flirts!! You will all be invited to the future wedding of Ethan and Kayley (lol). It was so cute...he was holding her hand and "flirting with her". I think Corey has a crush on Lisa...he just kept watching her...it was too cute. I wanted to transfer my pics of all 4 babies so I could post them, but I have not had a chance to do it. We got home late on Thursday and then the babies had their shots yesterday. They both cried so hard...especially Kayley. It broke my heart. Right now, Corey is sleeping on my chest...everytime I try to put him down, he cries. Kayley is just kind of out of it...I feel so bad for them!

Well, what my ped told me should spark some good conversations on here...at least I am hoping it does because I need some advice.

The ped told me that the babies should be sleeping through the night by 4 months old. I explained that Corey will not and gets up to eat still every 3 hours. She told us that he is not really hungry and it is just habit and we need to let him cry it out when he gets up and eventually, he will stop. I explained how terrible his cry is and how much he works himself up...she said a baby can safely cry for like 2 hours!!!!!!!!!! I am so torn, I actually cried yesterday...on one hand, I feel like if we do not start getting some solid sleep in this house, we are going to die! Now, Corey's cry has been waking Kayley up who has been sleeping through the night for some time. On the other hand, I just cannot let him cry like that...either way, I feel like a bad mom! I am so torn. Any thoughts would be appreciated...

There were so many posts that I do not think I can respond to everyone, but I will try...

Felisha - I got the coupon in the mail today. Thank you so much!

Sherry - I really hope you get all the answers you need on this surgery stuff. I am sure the waiting has to be annoying. Thank you for asking about all the work at home stuff. It is VERY hard to find time to do work while taking care of the babies. Luckily, DH can do some of it from work during his down time and I just try to do the rest during naps and in the evenings. I think the hardest part is I rarely feel like I get time to do what I want to do. I am either working, taking care of babies, or taking care of the house. That is why I love this board, because this is the one thing I do for me. On another note, I do not want to drag anything else up, but I feel compelled to say that I really hope you do not feel alienated...you are welcome on this board anytime and we appreciate what you have to bring to us. I would hate for anyone to feel that way.

Jill - It was so great to hear from you. I cannot believe those weights, compared to where they started. What little miracles you have!!

Pumping/Breastfeeding - My hat goes off to you ladies who are still breastfeeding and to those of you who are pumping, too. I remember how time consuming that was...good job ladies! :clap:

RSV - I am very concerned about this now...we had our shots yesterday and that was not one of them...any other people getting it? Do you have to ask the ped?

Twin Bond - I have b/g twins and they definitely notice each other now. They will smile at each other and try to "talk" sometimes when they are sitting in front of each other. Once in awhile if one of them is really crying, the other will look distressed. I really hope they are close to each other as they are growing up. However, when they were laying with Lisa's babies, they noticed them in similar ways. So, I am not sure if they just notice that there is another baby around or if they realize that other baby is their brother/sister.

Solids - We are going to start solids...I am so excited! I was wondering about the baby food and where everyone buys it. Is it cheaper to buy it in bulk from some place like Sam's Club? I was hoping some of you that have been using it have priced it at different stores.

Crib Sheets - It is so funny that this was brought up because I was going to post about HOW MUCH I HATE CHANGING crib sheets!! Kayley urinates a ton, just like me, and she sometimes goes so much her diaper cannot hold it all so I find myself changing her sheets a lot. I took off their bumper bads, so at least those are not in the way...but it is still a pain!

Ok, I think poor Corey's leg is smashed under him so I better move the computer and let him get comfy.

Talk to everyone later!!

Valerie

[christel]

Valerie - I was told that the RSV injections, called Synagis, is "ridiculously expensive" (the nurse's words) and that you definitely want insurance to cover it. Our girls qualified b/c they are preemies. Insurance companies qualify preemies, babies w/ heart &/or lung problems easily b/c their most at risk for severe complications.

It's not a typical vaccination... it offers passive immunity (the kind that mom's give their babies in-utero & via BF), so it doesn't last very long. That's why we have to go back every month during the season for more shots. Anyway, preemies (my nurse said anything before 36 weeks) are at risk b/c they didn't have as long in-utero getting immunities from mom.

I know that was WAY more than you asked about, sorry. :crazy: :lol:

[MississippiMama]

Thanks TMoT for the link you posted...although I am no longer BF, it still offered me some comfort in knowing that it is nothing that I am doing wrong. I BF 6 weeks. I was BF each baby for 5-10 mins., then giving them a bottle of expressed breastmilk, and then pumping (per dr orders). It was SO time consuming, but so worth it. I was undecided about whether to continue when I returned to work. I decided on the Fri. before I was due to return to work that I would start formula feeding. Tried to quit "cold-turkey!" Got engorged and developed a baterial infection in my breasts. Worse pain and sick as I've ever been!!! Was in bed sick all weekend at my mothers house...my father was really sick and passed away that weekend also. I miss BF so much - but it was the right decision for me at the time. Anyway...

My mom kept the twins this morning for me to have a much needed break. Said that they were good as gold - although they are on the same schedule as far as feedings, they aren't on same napping schedule. One naps while the other is awake ALL day!!! Like clockwork when 3:00 rolled around they started the constant feedings and fussiness! Both will scream their heads off until someone picks them up. They stop, fall asleep only to wake screaming about 5 minutes after putting them down. I hope this phase passes quickly. I really feel like an inadequate and sometimes bad mother when they are like this. I feel bad for letting them "cry it out." I don't remember my 3 yr old ever being like this. The thought crossed my mind several times this afternoon that I just can't handle this.

On a lighter note - I started solids yesterday. Have been spoon-feeding rice ceral once in morning and once at night. Dylan seems to be taking to it better than Marley.

Going to get to bed. Last night Marley slept from 8:30pm - 7:30am!!!!

[naturalmom]

mississippimama-I am so sorry to hear about your father and that it coincided with the weekend you were so sick. <<hugs>>

crib sheets-hate them too! My twins don't sleep in a crib yet, but when my other two did, I hated changing the sheets sooo much, that I made DH do it every time.

Bumbo-Ava is still too little, but Jude doesn't seem to like it yet. I don't get a ton of gadgets, but I thought the bumbo looked so fun. I don't remember seeing them when my older two were little. Are they new?

Lint-Oh yeah. Tons!

RSV vax-I agree with christel. It isn't a required vax and not on the schedule and crazy expensive. Your dr usually has to talk insurance into paying for it, but if you have preemies or a certain health condition, it is usually covered. I am opting out. My twins are not preemies and won't be in daycare or anything.....I have discussed it with my ped. She agrees.

Valerie-what can I say......I hate your ped:) . Well, I don't know her-lol-but what she said bothers me on so many levels. As I have said before, even the CIO experts say to wait on the crying it out until at least 6 mo of age. Keep in mind that even though peds went to medical school, they didn't get parenting classes in med school AND may not have the same parenting philosophy as you do. That is ok. That doesn't mean that they can't be your ped. My ped is a personal friend of mine (we have worked together in the past) and we parent soooo differently. I don't take her parenting advice, but she is soooo smart and is a great ped. She would never miss something on her examination of my kids-she is so thorough. I have NO expectation that my kids will be sleeping through the night at 4 mo. If they did, then GREAT, but I don't expect it at all. They still have tiny stomachs at 4 mo, 6 mo or whatever AND every kid is so different. I just feel that we put so many unrealistic expectations on our infants these days. Anyway, this is all just my opinion, but I do feel strongly about it:).

Sherry-:grouphugg

Jill-you are not alone. I don't start solids for at least 6 mo as well:)

Twin bond-they are just starting to smile alot at one another. I can't wait to see how they interact as they get older. My older two are the same size (although a yr apart in age) and are so close that they remind me of twins and people think that they are twins. People actually think I have 2 sets of twins.

Well, I should go to bed, since all 4 kids are sleeping....

talk to you all later,
Melinda

[Jillmami]

Bumbo - Our home health nurse said "no no no" to the Bumbo chairs. For developmental issues, preemies shouldn't use them.

crib sheets - I have put 3 sets of mattress pad/sheet on each crib so that when they wet through, I simply take off one sheet/pad and then have another set on ready to go. I am hoping that it will take away some of the struggle. THere are crib sheets that stay on all the time and just the top part zips off for ease. Haven't tried those yet.

We will be getting the shots for RSV once our ped receives them. Our insurance has ok'd them since the babies were born so early. That RSV is bad stuff from what I've heard.

[JacobsMom]

Hi Everyone,

I'm wondering how any of you have time to read and reply to posts anymore!!! I can't even remember the last time I was able to get on here. I just spent over an hour reading the last three pages. Seems that everyone is doing great. I think about y'all a lot and have been wondering how all the kiddoes are doing. I loved looking at all the new photos in the slides. A couple of weeks ago I spent about 3 hours sorting through photos and creating a slide, and then when I tried to save it I got an error and had to close down Explorer. None of my pics were there when I logged back on. I was soooooo frustrated and ticked off. I will try to at least put a new photo on my signature before I post again. They were only 1 week old in the photo I have now. Anyhow, here is a update on my boys.

David and Tate are getting HUGE!! At their 4 month appt. on the 25th they were both 25" long and weighed 16lb 3.5oz (David) and 16lb 2.5 oz (Tate). They are already wearing some 6-9 month clothes. Jacob was 9 months old before he was a big as the twins are at 4 months! Holy cow! They are wearing some of the same outfits he wore at 10-12 months!! I have the pictures to prove it!

My hubby is out of town for the whole weekend on a men's retreat, so my MIL came out to help with the boys. It's been fun. We went to a Mothers of Multiples garage sale this morning. Got some great deals on matching outfits! Did some other shopping, and came back to the house to visit BIL, SIL, and FIL. Then we went shopping again and to dinner. We hung out at Chuck E. Cheese for 3 hours tonight. All three boys were exhausted. My hubby would kill me for keeping them out so late! But what he don't know won't hurt me! LOL!

The boys have been sleeping through the night for almost 2 months now. THANK GOD!! They go to bed between 10pm-midnight, and sleep until 8 or 9am. Starting Monday, we are going to start moving bedtime up with the eventual goal of getting them asleep by 8:30-9pm and waking up around 6:30am. I think it would be great to have them on the same sleep schedule as Jacob. He is 8 1/2, and in third grade. He has been having a good year so far. We had worried a lot about that since he is in public school for the first time. He has made some new friends and his grades have been awesome. And I am loving the school bus. All I have to do in the morning is to make sure Jacob is dressed and out in my driveway by 7:50am. I don't even have to change out of my pj's! LOL! And he can buy breakfast and lunch at school for $13 a week, so I don't even have to fix him food anymore!!

He made the "near fatal" mistake of missing the bus ONCE and I had to take David off the breast, and throw him in the car seat. Then WAKE UP Tate, and throw him in the car seat (Don't you know THAT was a wonderful experience). Mix up two bottles and load us all up in the car. All the while both babies are screaming bloody murder, I'm raging around cussing like a drunken sailor at the top of my lungs and threatening Jacob within an inch of his life if he ever misses the bus again. I made Jacob feed them both in the car on the way to school. We actually made it there on time! Needless to say, it was NOT one of our best mornings, but he has NOT missed the bus again! He did have to run down to the neighbor's house once to catch up to it though. The bus drove by just as he was opening the door, and he said, "Oh well, I guess you'll just have to drive me!" I said, "I don't think so...get your hiney out the door NOW and RUN!!!" He did! LOL!

Anyhow, back to the twins. They started eating foods last week. David is a much better eater than Tate. Neither of them like the rice cereal made with formula very much. They eat more when I mix it with applesauce. Tonight I gave them oatmeal mixed with apple juice and they both liked it a lot better. They both like applesauce, don't care much for bananas, and tried pears tonight for the first time and they really seemed to like them a lot. Tate actually opened his mouth for more and I didn't have to force the spoon into his mouth! LOL! We will try peaches next in a couple of days.

I am still willing and able to breastfeed somewhat, although my milk supply seems to be diminishing for some reason. My hubby said, "Wouldn't it be funny if your milk was drying up because you were pregnant again?" I said I didn't think that would be funny AT ALL. I usually BF three times a day: when they first wake up, once during the afternoon, and again at bedtime. The first two times are followed by food and a bottle. Bedtime is followed by bottle only. It is getting really hard to tandem nurse them. They are almost too big for my EZ-2-Nurse pillow. Whoever is on the right breast in the football hold gets really scrunched up behind me! It's much better for all if I can nurse them seperately. It's just a lot more time consuming. My hubby thinks it's time for me to give it up, but I'm not ready yet.

They boys are so much fun. They laugh and "talk" all the time. They are starting to respond to each other and interact. They love to be on the floor together. Tate is the only one who has rolled over so far, and that was only one time 2 weeks ago. I think they are too fat and lazy! They are both addicted to the TV already. I finally put in their Baby Mozart DVD the other day and positioned them in their bouncers in front of the TV. They were hysterical! They kicked and waved their little arms which made the bouncers really start going. They got so excited they were snorting! The little guys wore themselves out! It was too funny.

I am taking all three boys to JCPenney tomorrow to do portraits. I had to skip the 3 month pics due to lack of fundage, so I have been squirreling money away to get them done this month. I figure if I get them done while DH is away, he can't tell me we can't afford it. I also figure that if my MIL is with me, she will offer to chip in on the cost and I can order more sheets. I have coupons for $3.99 per sheet, and have over $50 I can spend. I should be able to get quite a selection with that. These will be the first professional portraits of Jacob and the boys so I hope the photographer has some creative ideas of how to pose them together.

Oh good grief!! It is after 4:30am. I am going to be cursing myself in a couple of hours when I force myself out of bed. I may have to sneak in a nap with the twinkies tomorrow or I will be a major grump!

Hope eveyone is doing well. I'll try to find time to post more ofter.

Stacey in Houston

[christel]

:cuppa:Hi ladies,

Sherry - :throb: the chalk drawing! It could be me, too:funny:

Stacey - Hi neighbor! I'm in Austin. I was cracking up :lol: at your school bus saga, sorry! I'd be cussing, too, and probably would have given up and called the school and told them my kid just wouldn't be there that day. Also, I want to hear how the portraits go. I'm ready to get the girls' made and am considering taking them to JCP, too.

Felisha - we use the Bumbo seats for double bathing. They float, but won't tip if you keep the water level low. The girls really like sitting up in the tub and looking around. I will also use them for spoon feedings, since they're not ready for high chairs. Sometimes I let them watch Baby E. in them and they like that for a little while, too. Basically, I wanted to get my $$ worth out of them :D

Toe Lint - yep, us too. Gross!

Planning a road trip - we've got to go to DH's hometown (about a 6 hr. drive) on Wed./Thurs. His granddad is not doing well and hasn't seen the girls yet. I think we're going to leave Wed. night after the last feeding and drive while the girls sleep. It'll suck for us, but hopefully, we won't need to stop for them.

The issue is, what do I pack for the babies?:confused: We'll come home on Sunday. I've got a play gym that packs down small, but all the rest of the baby stuff is HUGE and we have an X-Terra. My MIL has a pack n play for them to sleep in, so we don't have to worry about that. I'm nervous about days on end w/out a swing or a jumperoo or the crib mobile (they LOVE it:yippee: :yippee: )... Any advice? TIA

[vthompson]

Christel - Could you take the mobile off the crib and somehow attach it to the pack n play? Not that you want to spend the money, but I did see at Babies R Us that they have a portable swing that folds up for on the go...it looked pretty neat. Thanks for the info on the RSV shot...and you did not give me more info then I wanted...my twins were born at 36 weeks so I am assuming my insurance will not cover it. Are there signs to look for if they do get RSV? Just curious...

Stacey - It was so great to hear from you! It sounds like everyone is doing really well. That is great! I was cracking up your school bus story...just imagining your son running down the street was too funny! I hope you can post more often, we miss you!

Melinda - Thank you for your advice and opinion...I really think 4 months is just too early. I just know I cannot let him cry like that...don't get me wrong, he is the type of child that needs to cry for a few minutes before he falls asleep, and I am ok with that...but anything more then that just does not settle well with me, especially when he gets really worked up.

Mississippimamma - I am so sorry to hear about your father...and for all that to have happened the weekend you were so sick. When I was b/f I also got an infection, 2 actually...it was SO painful. I feel for you!

Felisha - Toe lint - Big Check!! My babies also seem to get lint in between their fingers...anyone else notice this?

So, my sleeping saga continues in our house...Corey would not stay asleep last night, every time we laid him down in the crib, he screamed. We got his carrier, put it sideways in the crib so that he could scoot down in it like he has in the past and put him in it. He looked up at us and started smiling so big and got all comfy in it with the biggest grin on his face and fell fast asleep. It was the cutest thing, however, now I feel like I am battling the stupid chair thing AGAIN!! He slept from 8pm last night until 7am today! I could not believe it. What is wrong with this child? He sleeps in the crib and gets up every 3 hours, he sleeps in the carrier and he sleeps 11 hours! Now, what am I supposed to do? I swear, I have decided that I HATE infant sleeping because we are no good at it in our house!!

We did start solids yesterday...rice cereal. Then I added some bananas today. They do not seem to want a lot, but they do take some bites. It is too funny! I was wondering how much other babies are eating at a sitting.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Valerie

[Daniele'sTwins]

Hi everyone! I am so tired today! The boys are sleeping preety well, like 10 hrs but Luca still wakes up a lot at night. He doesn't want to eat just wants me to pop the pacifier in his mouth. He is not very good at self soothing but I am not very good at making him. I hate to hear them cry!

Val...My boys used to leak through their diapers too. I just move up a size everytime that happens. As for your ped...My doctor said the EXACT same thing! He was right about them not needing to eat, they just want to see us. Luca always just wants to get a hug, rub on the back and his pacifier....and I don't mind doing it. If my boys were hungry they would NEVER stop crying until they got food TRUST me...lol

Crib Sheet...I hate changing it too so I just took the bumper off and now it is much easier.

Toe Jam...check

Twin Bond...I can't wait to see these two grow up together! They are sooo identical it is not even funny! They do EVERYTHING the same!

Yesterday we went to an art festival and today we went apple picking with the boys. I love family days. DH is only working a half day tomorrow so he is going to come to our Music class..im so excited.

OK, Nico is screaming...I will check in later.

[qbanmom5]

Hi girls, I haven't had time to post or update my signature. They are bigger and fatter and cuter now. We started solids this week. THey love it and were soooo ready. Still not sleeping through the night. I would love to let them cry, but they will wake the other and I can't sleep through all that.

When you all say "sleeping throught the night" are we talking midnight till like 6 -7 am? Or are you saying like 9:00 till 6-7 am? Mine aren't doing either, but I would like ot know how realistic my expectations should be. Now they go to bed at like 7:30 then get up at 11-12. Then again at 3 then at 6.

I am beat. I will write more later. I thought that once they started eating they would be good for the night but apparently not. Love you all, Ters

[megzmom]

Black eye-As a teacher I would definately want the parent to talk to me. I am very protective of my students and I would absolutely figure out what happened. I would also tell the teacher that I am going to let the counselor or principal (whoever controls discipline issues) what was going on. This may be an ongoing issue. I'd also like to know what is the next step so this doesnt happen again.

Toe/finger jam-CHECK. Hate it. DD used to get it in fingers. I didnt put socks on too often but MIL puts socks on everyday with boys. Lint is floating in tub :)

Cry it out- I know hot topic. I think "cry it out" might be defined differently. Yes I let my boys "cry" it out. But that does NOT mean 2 hrs! I sure wouldnt want to cry that long. I think the longest I went was 15-20 min but I would go in a pat their bottoms. Then they'd settle down a little and I go back every minute or two. Zack has only woken up in the middle 2x since August. both times I patted his bottom and cleaned his nose out (formula) and he went right back. I would try not giving them food during one of the night feedings and just rocking or patting to see if you can stretch it out a little.

I agree about dr child rearing being different than ours. GO WITH YOUR GUT!!! My gut was 15 min is about the limit. They cry that in the car sometimes. But that is very rare. Mostly its about 2-5 min and its NOT screaming at the top of their lungs.

Steph-Meg thinks you are soo cool. We both do! I had a lot of fun. Hopefully next time we meet it will be a little cooler.

Sleepover-dd is having her first overnight sleepover. her girlscout troup is having a sleepover at Seaworld next weekend. One of the den mother's is a coworker/teacher at our school and I trust her completely but I am soooo nervous. I have major flashbacks with the boys to back when Meg was that small. It doesnt seem like 8 yrs ago!! :( very sad....

[AndreaR]

sorry i can't respond to everyone, but i am in my own little hell here....not child related, but i needed to tell someone......

dh & i bought a brand new car yesterday. it was delivered at 5pm yesterday. today, when i went to drive it for the first time, i backed it up right into my SIL's car!! i am so used to not having any cars behind me that i didn't even look and CRUNCH. dh just came home from the patriots' game and he is so mad at me he can't even talk to me. :sigh: i feel like such an idiot.

gotta go, izzy's crying.

[vthompson]

AndreaR - Do not beat yourself up over the car accident, and do not let your DH do it either...it was just that, an accident. It is not like you purposely decided to hit another car.

Heather - Good luck with the sleepover. I cannot imagine what the twins will be like in 8 years...I am sure it seems as though time flies.

Ters - When I think of sleeping through the night, I look at it as once they go to sleep, usually between 8 and 9pm, they do not get back up until the morning...anytime between 5-7am for us. Don't feel bad, as you have seen in my posts, we are not there yet either...unless of course Corey sleeps in that darn chair!

Daniele - We have tried to go in and soothe him and 9 times out of 10, he still screams until he gets food. So do I assume he is hungry? I just don't know...

Well, I hope everyone has a good night. I am going to try and add pics of my meeting with Lisa.

Valerie

[vthompson]

Felisha - The pictures are adorable...both the ones in your ticker and the ones from Sears! They have the cutest smiles!!

Valerie

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Hi all! It is so funny reading about the crib sheets...I just changed them this morning and was tempted to do away with the beautiful bumper that I paid so much $$ for! I usually only change sheets once a week b/c I use crib saver pads. I have tons of them and change them out every day or two as needed, but it is a pain even once a week to get around that bumper.

Danielle- I've been meaning to ask you about Thermage-- is your DH a dermatologist who performs this procedure or has he had it done to his own body?? Does it make GIANT wrinkles/stretch marks go away? Congratulations on the good sleeping going in your house.

Kari and Sherry- I just had one baby get over colic and now the other seems to have taken it up at the ripe old age of 14 weeks! Isa cries every night now, and she has always been the "easy" one. I think it may be a growth spurt, though. Mason is eating like a pig around the clock, and Isa is SOOOO fussy and slept from 6 pm until 9 am this morning! Isn't that too long to sleep?? (I never thought that I'd say that) She doesn't have a fever or look ill.

Sherry-just wanted you to know that I love reading your posts and find your ideas insightful. Please don't go anywhere!! : ) I checked out the carob at our local health store, but I haven't given it because I read that it stops diarrhea so I was reluctant to try it for fear that it would constipate in a healthy child. I'm glad the fennugreek is working for you. Do find that you, ah, smell like fennugreek? I'm having this problem...a mild side-effect, but not very appealing!:crazy:

Melinda, Jill and others waiting on solids- I was planning on waiting until 6 months (at least 5 months) to give solids as well. That's what our ped recommends and that is what I did with DS, and know it is a good idea to increase the benefits of breastmilk. However, our big, almost 15 pounder, is already starting to fuss for more milk AFTER BFing for 20 minutes (and trust me he IS getting milk) and then drinking 3 oz of formula. Wondering what you all think or if you have any suggestions to forstall the solids for a bit longer!

Jill- I am in awe of your babies- they were so teeny and have just flourished so! Congratulations.

Staci- the Thing 1 and Thing 2 tees were a gift from my preschooler's friend's mom. I will see her next week and will ask where she found them.

AndreaR- glad to hear that Izzy is sleeping better and it isn't taking the whole evening to get her down. SORRY to hear about your car : ( What bad luck.

Valerie-thanks for your answer about room-sharing. Isa is finally starting to sleep through Mason's cries at night. I guess she just had to get used to it. Also- I think 4 months is too young to CIO. Crying for 10 minutes or so to blow off steam is one thing, but I believe the whole CIO method is for older babies who are more aware of their environment.

Christel- we're getting ready to go on a road trip, too, b/c we're getting the twins baptized in my mom's church this weekend. I am bringing two pack-n-plays, two bouncy seats (I can't live w/o them), and a floormat/gym. I figure that all the new faces will be entertainment enough! Also, we are going to drive from NJ to Miami for Christmas. I'm already dreading that. I would much rather fly, but I also want to stay with my in-laws for a whole month to get some SUN. I will need my mini-van for sure.

Take care!

Jennifer

[swineland]

Hi to all!

Whew...what a weekend! We were so busy and got so much fresh air that I"m hoping the boys will sleep clear until 9am! (yeah, right). The highlight of my weekend was finally getting to meet Heather.....my first real-life twins board meeting!! We met Saturday morning at Lake Eola, a picturesque lake in the heart of downtown Orlando with a big walking path and lots of activity. After the walk we went over to Panera for lunch. I had the pleasure of meeting Heather's daughter, Meg, who is absolutely ADORABLE! She is such fun to be around and is personality PLUS! Heather is very lucky to have her as a helper...I'm jealous! :) Ben and Zack are too cute for words and we had a lot of fun trying to get the babies to notice one another and trying to keep all of them from crying!! (You know, that feeling when you're in public and all he!! starts breaking loose with the babies.....you're trying to make it look cool, like yeah, I know what I'm doing, but really you are sweating and begging the babies under your breath to "be good"!) We had a few "hairy" moments, didn't we Heather? :) hahaha..... ANyway, it was much fun and I am lucky to have found a new friend!

Part two of our busy weekend was going to Epcot's Food and Wine Festival today. Each country has several different native dishes to try (for a nominal fee) and a paired up wine selection (for another nominal fee). I had some really good samples.....an Australian Riesling, a Norweigan Sauv. blanc and a nice draft Stella Artois to finish up. Also had some salmon tartare and a macadamia nut tart from Australia. So yummy! The boys were SO good and we just had a wonderful family day. LIke Daniele said, the family days are the best.

I think I pulled a major muscle in my neck/back doing my Body Wedge 21 workout!! So, I took a leftover Darvocet from my egg retrieval (a YEAR ago!) and hopefully that will help.

Felisha.....your photos are SO SO cute!! Hats off to you......as always :)

Andrea.....so sorry about the car situation!! What a nightmare. DH is just initially mad, but it will wear off. Men don't react real well in a scenario like this. Especially when it has to do with shiny new cars! We ALL make mistakes.....one day you'll look back at this and laugh (but not any day soon :crazy:)

Mindy....where are you?? I called you and left a message and then I tried again Sat. morning but got v-mail again. Did you have fun at the zoo??!!

The boys 4 month appt. is on Wednesday and I'm dreading those shots again. Poor little guys. I hope the ped says we can start on real solids......these boys are SO ready. They eat off the spoon so good and even open their mouths real wide when they see the spoon coming! We've only done regular cereal and cereal with bananas. Haven't really noticed too much of a difference in their BM habits.....no constipation or anything. I'm so tired of feeding formula all day.....bring on the sweet potatoes and applesauce!

I have GOT to go to bed......my eyes are getting SO heavy. Will write more tomorrow!
Hugs to you all.......hope you had a great weekend!
Steph

[JacobsMom]

Checking to see if new pictures show up.

The portraits at JC Penney turned out really cute. I will be able to put a link to them in a few days. David absolutely refused to sit up on the posing seat. He pitched a fit. I am taking him back in the morning to see if we can get that one pose. They cut the film at noon, and said if I got him there before they cut it, I could get it in with my original order.

I noticed that several of you have photos of your babies in Exersaucers. Are your babies sitting up already, or do they not have to be able to sit up to use the exersaucers? I have been waiting to use ours. I'd like to go ahead and set them up and let the boys hang out in them awhile. They are getting a little bored with the bouncers and swings.

Hubby got home from his retreat about 10pm. He had a great time. I'm so glad to see him relaxed and in such a great mood for a change. He has been under so much stress lately. My MIL is leaving in the morning. I had hoped they would stay until Tuesday, but FIL is ready to get home. He is not in very good health and just feels better at home. It is a 6 hour drive for them to get here, and it is a really hard trip for him now.

Well, I'm gonna turn in. I have a lot to do in the morning and this is the second night in a row I have stayed up really late.

C-ya.
Stacey

[Daniele'sTwins]

ANDREA!!! I am sooo sorry to hear about what happened! If it makes you feel any better I have done that SO many times! I hope your car gets fixed fast and then you forget about it already.

Val...Yup, lol, I would say he is hungry if he still cries. I would feed him in that case. Eventually he will stop being hungry in the night.

Jennifer...I don't think the thermage gets rid of stretch marks, I will ask DH. He does have a cream for that, I have been using it and it does work but I really did not get too many stretch marks. Thermage tightens the skin though...like a sagging face, underarms, belly, etc. I know he would give you all a good deal but you all live so far away and I think you have to do it a bunch of times. By the way your pics are great! You have such beautiful children! As for traveling for the holidays...good for you! My DH's family wanted us to drive to NJ for the holidays and I said nope, come here! I am going to try to avoid that roadtrip as long as I can.

Eating solids...OK, so I have been feeding the boys cereal with a little formula and stage 1 food (like apples, bananas etc) for about 2 weeks, since they turned 4 months. They seemed to like the bananas and apples but now do NOT like the peaches or pears, unless I am feeding them at the wrong time when they aren't hungry.

Jill...Your little ones are soooo cute and such little angels. I am so glad they are doing so well.

CIO...I can't do the cry it out thing either. They fuss a little and I am right in there...However you have to remember I am not working right now so this is my JOB but if I was working I don't know if things would be different. I give you working moms a lot of credit with getting up through the night and having to get up looking "chipper" the next morning!

Steph...I LOVE the Australian Riesling! My fave!

Stacey...My boys were born the day after you little ones! We are using the excersaucers. They LOVE them! My boys do sit up with assistance and Luca will sit up on his own for about 5-10 seconds.

Minday...where have you been? Miss you!

OK, so I know that I have told you that I am going to Florida next Tuesday with DH on a business trip. He is now training in this medical weight loss program. It sounds awesome but I don't want to go! Honestly, the only reason I kinda want to go is to meet Steph (heather too if possible) but I am probably going to cry every day missing my boys!!! I am leaving Tuesday night and won't be home until Saturday morning!! Do you know what I mean? :sigh:

Okay, it is already time for Luca's nap...he is sleeping already...lol

[TMoT]

Stacey, so great to hear from you! It's been such a long time!! I personally don't know about those exer-saucers (?)... D&A only turned three months last week so...! Glad to know all is going well with ds, the twins and Mommy! :-)

Andrea, so SORRY about your car! Daniele is right that men don't handle these things well (like they always forget to ask "are you okay???" ]-( ). I'm sure it'll blow over. Hang in there!

Jennifer, YES the fenugreek has some "side-effects"! Fennel did too -- even worse, I think! Are you taking the Blessed Thistle with??? ...And another "yes": Carob makes their poops much more consistent, but a -little bit- (=1/4-1/2tsp in one/two bottles per night) is still okay... Good luck! ;-)

Felisha, beautiful pics! :-)

Steph/Heather - so COOL you got to meet up!!! And, Steph, thanks for that nod to Belgian beers! ;-) ...I'll introduce you to some even better ones when you come for our reunion!

Jennifer, D&A are eating and sleeping around the clock too now it seems!!! I think it's true that they're on a growth-spurt. *whew* God give us strength! ;-)

Daniele, I TOTALLY understand how sad you are going to feel about leaving your boys... These are your -first- babies, and somehow that always makes it even harder. Otoh, you probably don't even realize how much you need a break and are going to ENJOY YOURSELF!!! So, just take it as it comes, sweet mommy. :-) Btw, I'd like to find out about that cream... ;-)

Screaming baby... xox all, and thanks for the sentiments of :throb:!!!

[swineland]

some new photos on slide :)

[megzmom]

Daniele-I definately want to meet you too! What day/time were you thinking????

Exersaucer-want one boys are soo strong in the legs and have pretty good neck/stomach muscles. Cant afford one right now.

Working at home-a couple ofyou have tipped your "hats" off to working outside the house moms.....I defiantely tip mine to you that work full time at raising your children. YOu are all the most underpaid and underrecognized gorup. I am blessed b/c mine sleep through the night but I think it would be just as hard to keep them entertained and safe, educated, etc everyday. Again I am jealous that you know the ins and outs of every little thing but I still think you all have it very hard too!

forgot what else I was going to write -brain dead today!

[sgarrett]

Wow, I never have time to check in on weekends and boy do you get behind! Tee hee I can take time during "work" but not on weekends with no Nanny!

AndreaR: I have wrecked quite a few times, any my DH is supper anal about cars, hates for them to have a speck of dust, god forbid a dent. Yes he will get over it!

Stacey an AndreaR: Here is my missing bus car wreck combo story: My DS missed the school bus several times in middle school, I would get soo pissed b/c taking him made me late for work. I wrecked our Tahoe 3X (yes 3 times) taking him to school! Once I pulled out of the garage so fast I hit the side mirror on the side on the garage, a second time I was in the middle of yelling at him when I hit the garage door opener twice and did not realize it, I saw the garage door coming down on my hood and panicked, so I floored it backwards and the garage door just scraped the crap out of the hood, third time (this is the best) I got into the car, while yelling at my son only to discover he left his stinky gym bag from basketball in it from the night b4, it stinks so bad I was gagging, so I am now yelling at him to get the damn thing out of the car, I pop the trunk (remember this is Tahoe so it is a giant rear door that opens up) and then decide to back up a little so he can get to the house door easier (we used to have a small garage) of course when I back up I hit the tahoe door onto the garage door and it bends the handle of the Tahoe door backwards and breaks it off. And yes AndreaR this was a brand new Tahoe! Tell you DH he is lucky to have you as a wife and not me. Oh and BTW I also backed my car into my nieces that was behind me once, b/c I forgot it was there!

Felisha: I love your pics! My Aunt left yesterday, so let me know when you would like to get together. I think I am taking Wed - Fri off to hang out with my older son, he is on Fall break. (just what every 17 yr old wants to do on Fall break)

We visited a college this weekend with my son for the first time. I cannot believe his going to college next year, it was just yesterday he was 4 months old. It really does fly by. He is such a little stud, I kept noticing all the girls checking him out! (skanks!)

Solids: We have tried rice cereal and oatmeal. I bought organic sweet potatoes and carrots, I will try the sweet potatoes probaly tomorrow. Anyone price shopped the organic stuff? It is pricey, would love to find it cheaper! I wonder if I am just throwing away money buying it too, I mean does it really make a dif?

We went to an arts festival too this weekend, it was in our small town and we knew just about everyone there. It took forever to see everything b/c we had to stop every 5 min b/c someone wanted to see the twins.

I am sure I missed someone but it hard to catch up when you are not on here for a couple of days.

XOXO
Staci

[MississippiMama]

We FINALLY had a good afternoon yesterday. DH took Marley upstairs for an afternoon nap and I put Dylan in his swing (puts him to sleep everytime) I climbed in the bed with Ethan and the whole family took a nap. The babies napped pretty much the whole afternoon. Took a "Sunday joy-ride" with the whole family that evening that they all seemed to like. Got Dylan to bed with no problems...Marley still fussed when we put her down. I do let her CIO, but definitely not for 2 hours!!! She usually screams for about 10-15 minutes and then falls asleep. I am beginning to think it is just her personality right now...she just has to get it out in order to fall asleep. I've tried everything to avoid the crying, but she ALWAYS wakes up when I lay her down in the crib. I've tried standing over the crib and talking to her, singing to her, patting her - but that seems to make her even more mad (that I am not picking her up.) So what works (for now anyway), is putting her down, turing a humidifier on, leaving a small lamp on & closing the door. I usually have to go outside to not hear her cries, but always check back in on her every few minutes by listening at the door. When she stops crying I always go in and check on her. For the past 2 nights she has slept from 8pm to 6am. She always wakes will a smile on her face and that makes me feel better about how she has to fall asleep!

JerseyGemini
Crib Sharing: We usually try to put Marley down first to let her get her crying out before we put Dylan down (they share a crib). Last night it didn't work out that way. Dylan slept through Marley's whole crying fit...which is VERY loud at times. Also, Dylan usually wakes up around 2-3am for a feeding and Marley doesn't. She sleeps right through his crying as well. So right now I guess they are use to each others cries - so the whole crib/room sharing thing works for us!
Solids: Marley and Dylan were sometimes drinking 6+ oz of formula every 1-2 hours. I decided to start introducing solids just so they could get filled up. They will be 4 months on the 23rd. I have only given rice-ceral mixed with formula (spoon fed). Marley isn't taking to it too well - I have to almost force it into her mouth and she spits most of it right back out. Dylan loves the whole idea and smiles really big when he sees the spoon headed his way. They probably only eat a few spoonfuls each - but I figure it will take them a little while to learn and get good at eating from a spoon. I am going to wait until after their 4 month check up start introducing other solids. With my older son I waiting until the Ped. told me to start solids...I think around 6 mo. But you know, I have to go with my gut instincts with the twins. Something told me they just weren't getting satisified.

Swineland: I know EXACTLY what you mean about the crying in public thing. My DH and I got brave enough one day to take the twins grocery shopping. Now, I don't know if it is the same where you live, but around here it seems that people just flock to twins...almost like they are freaks of nature! So, there we are with two carts and car seats on each cart and all these people are staring and we hear "oh, it's twins!" and complete strangers start coming up to look at them and talk to us...Most annoying senario/question - "Oh, it is a boy and a girl...are they identical?" Sorry-pet peave of mine!! Anyway - before long they both start wailing, which makes everyone really start to stare. So we end up giving them bottles with one hand and pushing the cart/shopping with the other. Not a good exerience...needless to say we haven't taken them grocery shopping again!!!

Jacobs Mom: I was wondering about excersaucer thing too. We used a walker instead of exersaucer with my older son and he LOVED it. I was wondering if they needed to be able to sit on their own before I started using it.

One last thing. I want to post some pictures/slides. How and where do I post them?
Must get to work now. Kari

[megzmom]

oh yeah

Adrea-Right after I got out of the military I did homehealth care and was soo stressed out and overworked (sound familiar???) I crashed my little car into the back of my clients car one week and a couple of weeks later I did it again but to their telephone pole, then the next I locked the keys in and had to "hang" out for 2 hrs until my ex had time to get me. He used to give me the cold sholder real bad. Looking back I think he was more frustrated witht he situation rather than at me. I really hope everything settles down. I know it really stinks especially since it was new and a family member but luckily no one was hurt and it was a true accident. I am send you a little sunshine to brighten your day:sunshine:

[LucasMom]

Hey Guys,

Just a quick note ( I know, I always say that...)

We took the family to the Philadelphia Zoo yesterday. Lucas had not been and the elephants are leaving soon, so I wanted him to see them. The boys were good and besides the over a mile walk from the parking lot to the entrance, we had a great time.

Steph- I am going to call you later today, tomorrow at the latest. Sorry, I left my cell in the car and didn't get your message until this morning. I love the new pics of the boys. You look so happy when you hold them.
I am so faux-jealous :) of all you guys meeting!! I want a twinboard friend!!!! Free food to anyone who wants to visit!! And wine, too!!!

We take the boys everywhere and they are a complete spectacle. I just ignore people now, and I think I have gotten quite good at it.

I want to respond to you all, and I will, I promise!!!

Back to work...

Mindy

[megzmom]

Twin phenominum-Okay I soo want a come back when people ask if they are twins. I dont want to be rude but I want to have a cute comeback. I used to get really paranoid (germs) when people would come near. I might be one of the few but I like the attention. I still am in awe that I have TWINS!!! It is a little bothersome when you are on a mission. But for the most part my husband and I are like cool...we get all the attention

here is a jumpy guy..dd is looking over my sholder and wants to see it:yippee:

Steph-I am trying to upload the pictures onto my schools laptop (shhhh...) Do you want me to email them to you? Can I post one of them on the slide? I like the one with one of mine with one of yours. You have my ok to do the same my email is verreauh@osceola.k12.fl.us

[sgarrett]

My cute comeback when people ask if my boy/girl twins are identical "yes, my little girl has a penis!"

OK I have never actually said out loud, but the voices in my head are SCREAMING it!

Staci

[AndreaR]

wow! so many posts - i have to admit that when i logged on yesterday to tell you about my car crash, i didn't read any. lots going on around here!! let me see if i can catch up.

first of all, dh is speaking to me, barely. he'll come around soon, i'm sure. thanks to all of you for your kind words and sharing your stories. it does make me feel a little better, because i was really feeling like a complete nincompoop (never actually typed that before.....) for not looking behind me. staci - i REALLY enjoyed your stories. :funny: dh actually had a similar accident in a parking lot - he backed into a car that he didn't see behind him. i am choosing not to bring it up - what good would it do? but seriously, did it have to happen less than 24 hours of getting the car???

ters! so good to hear from you. i've really missed you. my girls don't really sleep through the night. isabelle will every so often, but most nights she gets up once to nurse. madeline always wakes up once to eat. they go to bed between 6 and 7pm. isabelle wakes up for the day by 5:30 at the latest (the past three days have been 4:30 - yikes!). madeline sleeps later in the morning, until about 7am.

felisha - your new pics are great. the sears pictures came out beautifully. those smiles are to die for!! i love maya's white dress, too. just gorgeous. is it expensive to have their pics done at sears? i've yet to have the girls' pictures done professionally. i'm surprised that you chose to put their dad's picture on your slide. if i were you, i wouldn't want to look at him every time i came on the board. i'm sorry if that was too harsh - was it? i just feel that he's caused you so much stress lately and maybe heartache too? i looked at his picture with a scowl on my face. it's funny how we ladies stick together.

steph/heather - so glad you guys got together! sounds like you had a great time. steph, sorry about your pulled muscle. hope you're feeling better soon.

daniele - i know how you must feel about leaving nico & luca for so long, but like sherry (i think) said, you really deserve it. you've been taking such good care of those boys for over four months (really longer....) and you need a little break to take care of you. i'm completely jealous, truth be told! when are we getting together again?

sherry - sounds like things are improving in your household (sleeping, eating arrangements). that's great to hear! dh and i felt that 3 months really was a turning point for us, and maybe it is for you guys, too. i'm not sure i ever responded to your earlier post, so just in case, i would like to say you were very nice (and a little brave i think) to apologize on the board. i could sense some very raw emotions. i'm sorry i didn't respond in a more timely fashion. suffice is to say that we all love eachother very much and we don't want to lose anyone, especially not someone as colorful as you! besides, then i'd be the only 40 year old here.... ;-)

people coming near my babies - this is starting to bother me more and more. i am always afraid that they're going to start poking at my girls. my family thinks i'm over the top ridiculous about it. they think the girls are the best thing since sliced bread and they love to show them off to anyone who is passing by (even if the passers-by aren't interested - LOL). i guess i've just heard so many times from you and others all of the rude and ignorant questions and comments that i'm immediately defensive. i'm trying to work on it, though. staci -- i LOVE your penis response. i dare you to try it out once!

today we went for a hike with my older sister. we "climbed" up a large hill (like 600 feet). we had to take the paved service road because of the stroller, but it was a hike all the same, pushing twins a mile uphill all the way!! about 3/4 of the way up madeline decided that she had had just about enough of the stroller and started crying really hard. so i took her out and carried her the rest of the way. that was no fun on my back. it was a gorgeous day here today, and from the top you could see for miles and miles - lots of pretty foliage. i'll try to post a picture later. i think my buns will be in pain tomorrow.

by the way, has anyone been using a jogging stroller? we jsut started this weekend (we did a fund-raising walk for juvenile diabetes). the girls are a little small, but i've been propping them up with receiving blankets. they seem to enjoy the view. and it's a dream to push! so much better than the snap-n-go. my only complaint is that the stroller takes up so much room in the car that we're not going to be able to use it as much as i'd like. even in the new car, we can't fit the stroller and the dog. which is so sad, because he would have loved to go on today's hike. poor morgan, getting the shaft again.

well, i'd best be going. my best friend is coming in from nyc tomrrow and my house looks like a bomb went off. the girlies are going for their 4 month pedi appointment. i hope the shots don't bother them too much. last time they screamed all night.

stacey, WELCOME BACK!! so nice to hear from you!! sounds like things are going really well for you guys. we have an exersaucer, but we're not using it yet. my girls turned 4 months on june 1. i'm going to wait a few more weeks i think. i'll see what the pedi says tomorrow.

xoxoxo
andreaR

[christel]

Hi girls,

AndreaR - I am sooo sorry about the car. That really su-ucks.

Staci - I :throb: your comeback. Def say it out loud :funny:

Excersaucer/ Jumparoo - I think babies can use them as soon as they have some head and torso control. My girls are still to short for them, but we put a pillow on the floor underneath the Jumparoo and Emme really digs it. I also put a folded blanket behind their back to take up some of the empty space in the seat. Here's Emme having a grand ole time: http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e318/snelsonc6896/Our%204th%20month/th_MOV00015.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e318/snelsonc6896/Our%204th%20month/?action=view&current=MOV00015.flv)

Jogging Stroller - I adore mine :throb: :throb: But it is so stinking big and takes up all the room in the back of the car. I just got back from a neighborhood walk. The girls, the dog and I hit the streets and it went really well. Em & Ruby went to sleep :yippee:

Felisha - amazing pictures! Those kids are sooo photogenic! How will you ever choose?

Crib Sharing - we do at night all the time when the girls are swaddled - keeps 'em from scooting into each other. At naps, it depends on them. If they're fiesty or fussy, usually not. One sleeps in my room, then.

Twin Phenom - yes, we're a rolling freak show wherever we go, even church, and they're used to seeing us. I don't make eye contact and ignore the comments unless we have the time to chat. I pull the stroller hood down (or the carrier hood), too, so they can't get in the babies' faces.

Doorway Jumpers - Has anyone used this yet? We have a Johnny JumpUp (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3542152) that a friend loaned us but we haven't tried it out yet.

Kari - I'll pm you about the pictures/slides

Gonna go grab some food before it's time to BF the girls & put 'em down for the night. Bye.

[christel]

I'm annoyed by this board's auto-linking words like s-t-r-o-l-l-e-r. It distracts me. Just had to gripe. Sorry.

[sgarrett]

Hello Mommies:

OK I have been dared to say the penis comment, now I have too! I will let you all know what happens!

Isabelle laughed for the first time today!:yippee: It was so so so cute! I was kissing her neck with her lion stuffed animal and she laughed so hard she snorted! Sarah (nanny) and I both looked at eachother and died laughing! I got her to do it twice! I was so glad she did it first for me. I have this insecure fear of the doing sweet things 1st for the nanny and not me. I was the same way with Chase. His Aunt watched him and I told her if he ever had a 1st there I did not want to know. Yes very pititful and insecure but I cannot help it. Anyway it was the cutest giggle ever, I wish I had it on tape.

I am bored to death right now, my DH is watching football. I know we have a lot of football fans on this board, I wish I could get into but I can not. I like going to the games live, but not watching it on TV.

Oh well siging off, just wanted to tell ya'll about the 1st laugh!

XOXO
Staci

[AndreaR]

Staci - I am a total football widow. DH tries and tries to get me to watch with him, but I can't do it. BORING!!

[christel]

I agree... football is a total snooze for me :snoar:

[megzmom]

Steph-Just emailed you. I don't think I read very well (great for a teacher). I missed a bunch of posts from yesterday. I was going to ask you about Epcot. Sounds like you had a good time. I hope your muscles feel better. Good luck with Evan and Bailey at the drs tomorrow. We go on Tuesday :( I only want to go to see weight/length updates. Hate the shots. I think your boys are absolutely GORGEOUS! I love their eyes. They are the brightest blue surrounded by a dark blue ring. mmmm... could just have eaten them. Meg is soo in love! I can get us into Disney anytime. Let me know if you every want to go especially went it is cooler.

W/E plans- I am going to Seaworld with girlscouts on Sat. One perk of being a teacher is I get into "educational" places free. Plus I get to check up on Meg :)

Felisha-just pm'd you.

can't get my ticker updated. Says file is too long. Cant remember how I did it last time. :cool:

[megzmom]

okay duh...it must have worked????? Here are some pics of Steph, I and the kids. couldnt get one of all of us together..

[vthompson]

Hello Ladies...busy around here lately! I don't have much time to post...I need to go to the grocery store and the babies are starting to get restless so I better get in the shower soon.

Excersaucers - Both babies wobble around in it, but Kayley really likes it...she loves to pull on the toys. Corey only tolerates it for a few moments then he wants out...so impatient that child is! :sunshine:

Football - I really only like football when I have a team to root for...such as OSU. Otherwise, I HATE Sundays because DH watches it all day long. I am not really into pro football, I like college better. I used to really like football before the babies when DH and I would go out and have some cocktails together and eat greasy bar food while he watched the games!!

Sesame Street - I put on Sesame Street yesterday while I cleaned the house and the babies loved it....not that I should be putting them in front of the TV, but at least it was educational.

Ok, I really have to go shower!

Valerie

[JacobsMom]

KARI - I was wondering where in Mississippi you live. My husband and I are originally from Natchez, and most of our family is still there. He moved to Houston after college in 1989, and I moved out here when we got married the next year.

GROCERY SHOPPING - I don't go to the grocery store alone unless I am literally just picking up one or two things. I did that once and had one carrier mounted above the seat and one sitting in the basket area. Didn't leave hardly any space at all to put the groceries! LOL! Most of the time I go after picking Jacob up from school (one of the perks of having a much older sibling), or we will all go after hubby gets off work. We just use one cart and one of us pushes the stroller. I have been seen at Babies R Us, pushing the stoller in front of me, while pulling a cart full of diapers, formula, and nursery water behind me. LOL! Most times, an employee will see me and push the buggy up front for me. They have some really great people working at ours.

SHOPPING CART SEATS - Does anyone know if they make those seat inserts for twins? I actually saw a couple of carts at one of our Kroger stores that the seat appeared to be made for two children to sit side by side. There were 4 leg holes. I may try to make my own. I found a website that sells patterns to make your own shopping cart inserts, Robeez style shoes (including adult sizes!), nursing pillows (big enough for twins and toddlers), swaddle blankets, and car seat covers. I don't remember if it's ok to post links to websites here. If anybody is interested I can email it, or let me know if it's ok to post it and I will.

BUMBO SEAT - speaking of making it yourself, I showed my hubby the bumbo seats and said I would really like to get them for the boys but they are way too expensive. He says he could make one himself with a garbage bag and a couple of cans of expanding foam, custom fitted to my baby's hiney! LOL! I've been really tempted to let him try it. He cracks me up sometimes.

TWINS SPECTACLE - Most of the time I don't mind people looking at them I'll answer the same questions [again] with a smile. But if I'm in a hurry and don't have time to stop and hear the familiar "Awe, are they twins?" I just say "Yep" and smile as I keep on walking. Yesterday at the mall, after getting David's portrait retaken, Jacob and I were starving so we headed for the food court and it happened again. They I heard the lady exclaim "Oh, it's you!" and she chased me down. LOL! It was a woman from church that I met last spring in a parenting class. She has 6 year old twin girls and I got a lot of information and encouragement from her while pregnant. This was the first time she had seen the babies. I appologized for being rude and not stopping, and she laughed and said she remembers exactly how it was when her girls were little.

STRANGERS - the most aggravated I got was a couple of weeks ago at Walmart. Both boys were crying for their bottles (Jacob was going to feed them in the car) and I had just checked out and was headed to the door. I stopped to hook the straps and an employee walked over to chat about the babies. She picked up David's bottle and was getting ready to feed him while I was bent over Tate's carrier strapping him in. I said rather firmly, "I'm not ready for him to have that yet." She said "Oh sorry" and set the bottle down. I had just finished strapping Tate in when David stopped crying so I looked up and she was holding David. Just picked him right up out of his carrier without asking!! I was livid, but didn't want to be ugly, so I just smiled and took him from her. I couldn't believe she did that. I know she thought she was being helpful, but you don't just pick up somebody's baby like that!! You just DON'T!! He had been grasping her fingers as well, so I had to take him into the bathroom and wash his hands before putting him back in his seat cause he is always sticking his hands in his mouth and I didn't know what kind of germs she may have on her hands. I was soooo aggravated. I guess I should have said something, but I was really so stunned she did it, I was at a loss for words. What should I have said? What what you have done?

Good grief, it's 10am and the boys aren't up yet. They've been asleep over 12 hours!!! They must have been exhausted. They reallly didn't get much of a nap yesterday, just a few catnaps. We ate dinner around 4:30 yesterday, with the intent of everybody going to bed early. It was a fun but tiring weekend for all of us. I fed the boys cereal and pears at 7pm then we sat down to nurse. Hubby turned on Monday Night football and Jacob came and sat on the couch after his bath at 7:45 and his dad said he could watch until 8:00 and then had to go to bed. I must have dozed off, cause at 8:30 I woke up and looked around. James (DH) was asleep on the floor, Jacob was asleep next to me on the couch, and David & Tate were both asleep on the nursing pillow snuggled under my boobs! LOL! I went on back to sleep too. About 9, James got up and made Jacob get in bed. Then at 9:30 we changed the babies diapers and gave them their bottles. We put them in their beds at 10. They never did wake up completely when we changed and fed them. I gotta go wake them up now, I'm having serious leakage of the left boob. It needs a baby on it! LOL!

STACEY

[megzmom]

Stacey-your shopping trips sound like mine! Thank God for my dd who loves to push the strlr or the cart. Nice now she can finally see over them. She is still a bit of a drunk driver (ask Steph :funny: )

washing-too funny. Anytime even people I know touch their hands I immediately wash their hands. I am not a germaphobic but that is really gross. I would have flipped out about the employee picking up my child. Too many strange people. I actually told one person when they were only a month old "DONT TOUCH!" She had put her head into the crrier to get a peak and wanted to touch...yuck.

okay boring day at school...testing, testing,testing! I want to move to Georgia -better pay and lest testing!

[sgarrett]

Stacey: Wow I would have freaked too if someone touched the babes. Hmm what I would say or do? Who knows hind sight is always 20/20 I would like to think I would snatch the baby away and explain to her how she should never touch anyones baby without permission, BUT you never know what you would actually do until you are in the situation. I have had to get on to people's kids who always want to touch them, I have even gotten dirty looks from their parents when I am having to tell their child, do not touch, or not so close. I swear people should know I do not want their kids breathing all over the babies! Oh well it is tough being famous isn't it!

[TMoT]

Staci, thanks for the great come-back! I think I'll be using that one - or at least entertaining myself the next time I get the "oh -- two BOYS" comment!! ;-) ...Btw, I just tell people to stay away from the babies, and not to approach their faces especially, because "they're SICK." MOST of the time it's true anyway... :-( ;-) ...Oh! The neck/chin is a MAGIC spot!!! :-D I was taking turns "chewing" on A&D's chins (and blowing "fart-kisses" on their neck -- when I could find it) earlier this week and they BOTH giggled!! :sunshine: At first I was so shocked, I thought it was hiccups!! :crazy:

Christel, I'm so sorry your dad passed away. :-((( What a terrible weekend you had there. You have been through so much in such a short time. What a trooper! ...Now we all know why you fit in so well on this thread...! xo ;-) :throb: :sunshine:

Football: I LOVE it, and I miss it terribly!!! :crazy: My uncle is actually the long-time "voice" of the Buffalo Bills -- even through all those (failed) Super Bowl appearances (one of which I actually witnessed and got a pic with OJ -- go figure!)! :crazy:

Two more hellish nights under the belt... Dh and I are trying to baby-sit in shifts but it's really not working. Turns out that he's "on duty" but I'm actually taking care of the babies. Hmmm. I'm such a push-over! Should have known better than to try something like this... IF ONLY WE HAD A SPARE BED-ROOM!!! It really doesn't help that the babies are in _our_ room... *grrr*

AndreaR, thanks for the solidarity, but I think Staci is, erm, VERY thirty-something too... :cool: ;-) xxx

Mindy, how did Logan's appt go (or did I miss something)?? I've been thinking about you and hope you're managing. xo

Felisha - "are you sure?" LOL What a clod!!!!!

Val - I SO MISS Sesame Street too!!! I think the big boys would love it too, actually! Maybe I could get someone to tape a few episodes and send them to me...??! ...AND if it keeps 'em quiet, NO GUILT -- you hear me?!?!!! ;-) xo

Heather, my (twin) sister is a 2nd grade teacher in Stone Mountain, GA... If you ever need a lead, just let me know! ;-)

...Take care all!

PS I got TWO compliments in the past two days about being back "in shape" again...! :woo: Still don't dare try on those Levi's, but even the acquisitions I've made recently are starting get loose...! (?!) :dude: ...Would definitely say I have my "hour-glass" figure back -- but in a very exaggerated form, like, 46-34-42... :eek: :-) Be puttin' on my own hot-pink, stilletto boots again soon, Staci! :lol:

[mrsthesun]

Stacey,
Here is the shopping cart cover that I bought for my twin grandsons from Walmart. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4631196
Hope that helps.
Nancy
P.S. I would love to have the link to the patterns for the items you mentioned. I don't see any reason why you can't post the website. We are always posting websites here.

[4redheadedboys]

Hey all had a pretty good weekend, Keegan rolled over this weekend (yeah) and we started them on rice cereal also. Wyatt really likes it but Keegan is still not sure.

I went to the health food store today and bought some Fenugreek, hope it works. My supply seems to be diminishing some what, same thing happened at about 4 months with my older boys so I hope this helps.

Stupid comments-This weekend was my nieces birthday party and some of my BIL's family was there who have not seen the boys. My BIL's sisters husband (what) was looking at the boys (who do not look alike) and says "So other than being born at the same time they aren't twins then." :shrug: Umm what??? Isn't that the definition of twin? I just laughed, thought he was kidding at first, he was not. He's an intelligent person usually, not sure what about twins makes people around them turn stupid.

Still not sleeping through the night, Keegan gets up 1-2 times and eats, so I let him. No CIO here, I just can't handle it and if he wakes up any of his brothers it's just worse on me.

Take care.

[swineland]

Hi everyone!

Heather, the photos are so cute! Thanks for sending :) And I'm all about going to do more stuff with the boys (all 4!), especially when the weather gets cooler. The Epcot day was fun and the boys did so good....hardly fussed at all. That's cool that you get into all those places for free! I can get into Universal and Islands of Adventure and also Seaworld due to DH's job. We're definitely going to get Disney annual passes so we can take the boys often.

I drove all the way to BRU, which is about 30-40 mins from my house, to get a sling-type carrier, you know, those wrap thingys. I've decided I"m not using the baby bjorn anymore. I've used it 3 times and each time it has left their ankles with little bruise-like spots that I now know are broken capillaries from the bjorn cutting off leg circulation. Ridiculous. Of course, I get all the way there and they were out of stock! Grrrr

Public attention: I guess I am one of those people that it really doesn't bother too much. In fact, when I am out by myself and I don't have the boys with me it feels kind of strange....like, how come no one is looking? Oh yeah, the twins are at home! Yes, people ask stupid questions and feel like they have to share their "twin" story ("a friend of mine has twins" yadda yadda) however, the way I see it is, every time someone comes to look at them, it's just one more smiling face that my boys get to see and they always smile back. It annoys me, yes, but the babies don't think like we do....like, oh great, ANOTHER stranger to come gawk at me. They are thinking, oh goodie! Another smiling face to look at!! Someone who thinks I'm cute!!! :) So, I try to be patient when strangers show us some love. (Unless of course they attempt to touch or hold them.....Stacey, I would have decked that Wal-Mart lady!!)

Daniele, i agree with what everyone else has told you about coming to Florida. I know you will miss the boys A LOT and it will be hard for you to leave. However, you need a break.....and when it's time to come home you'll be SO SO excited to see them!! Also, the place you are staying is very nice it seems and has plenty o' opportunity for massages and girly drinks with little umbrellas :) Enjoy it! When do you want to meet up?? What's your schedule going to be like next week??

Well, the 4 month appt. is tomorrow and poor E&B have no idea what's coming. I am guessing they'll sleep most of tomorrow afternoon and probably have that fever again too. Did everyone's babies have the same reaction to the 4 mo. shots as they did the 2 mo. shots??

Can't WAIT to find out the height (length) percentile of these boys...they are SO tall!

I gotta run.......
Love to you all!
Steph

[Daniele'sTwins]

Well hello everyone. I am so beat tonight! I have been taking this Strollin Baby exercise class and it is kicking my butt!!!

Twin Attention...OK, so I don't mind it so much either. I have ALWAYS been that type of person that talks to EVERYONE. My friends joke that I can make friends in an elevator...so how can I be upset that people talk to me...BUT touching my babies is SUCH A DIFFERENT STORY! When I was at the art festival this weekend a women and her 8 year old twins came up to us and the women went right for Luca's hands! I kept backing up but she kept getting closer and closer (they were in the bjorns). Then GET THIS ONE...her daughter was going to give Luca a KISS!! LOL I am not kidding! This has never happened to me before and I wanted to flip out! I just walked away. But HONESTLY shouldn't that women know!

As for Florida I am going to get there Tuesday night and I really don't have ANY plans while my DH will be in meetings all day long. I do want to have a massage while I am there but I haven't booked it yet. I will probably do that tomorrow. So I am free Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as of now. I will be staying in Daytona...is that too far for you Heather? I know you work during the day. Steph, what day is good for you?

Felisha...I love your new pics, you have such cute kids!

Heather & Steph...Love your new pics too! Steph, I think your boys are the MOST identical boys I have ever seen! Do you think so too or do they look totally different to you? I think my boys look so much alike now...DH has trouble telling them apart (it is not that he works too much or anything!!)

I added new pics too...the one of the boys wrestling was when they were fighting over who loves Mommy more ;)

[megzmom]

Daniele/Steph-Steph's boys are SOOO identical. I honestly hate to admit I cheated. Bailey was in Blue. Like I do Ben Blue. Meg was so proud she could tell them apart. I think she said "Evan had a big head like Zack and Bailey has a small head like Ben" :funny: Also she cant pronounce Evan correctly. His name is Even:crazy: Okay decide what day Wed or Thurs and I will get a sub!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been needing a hookey day

Sherry-PM me your address and I will send you a present. I LOVE Stone Mt. Went there as a kid on 4th of July. Awesome laser show on the the mountain. My mom is going there this weekend. I may have to get in touch and ask about pay, cost of living, etc.

I love all the twin stalker stories. I think it sounds like most of like the attention but no touching.

Need advice...dh is having a difficult time calming the boys down. I hold them and boom out like a light. Problem is he just sits down on the couch and doesnt rock. He "burps" their back instead of patting. Then he gives up and puts them int he swing screeming. I hate to pick them up bc I know it gets him feeling insecure though he hasnt said it but what am I to do?? It is when they are really tired, not hungry, dirty. Otherwise he is AWESOME. Makes bottles, cleans...I need some advice.

[naturalmom]

Hello! Well, this week is flying by and I can't believe the kids will be 4 mo on friday.

We have an exersaucer and the babies do ok in it. Still abit wobbly but getting better.

Sleep-had been better and then got worse again. Jude was up until 11:30p last night and this week the babies have been harder to get back to sleep when they eat in the middle of the night for some reason. Tonight, all 4 were in bed by 7:30p-woo hoo! I hope we start a new trend.

Football-LOVE it, but don't have time to watch it much this year. I am a Chiefs fan...we hope to get season tickets someday.

I went to a moms night out last wed and it was so fun and kinda weird to eat without a kid on my lap. Jeremy did pretty well with all 4 kids for a couple of hrs.

I love all of your new pics. Mine are old, but will work on getting some new up since they look so different now.

Steph-did you find a carrier? I have 5 and the baby bjorn is my least favorite too b/c of the way they hang from the crotch. My favorite is a mai tei type carrier, ergo and hotsling. I used slings/carriers alot with my singles, but I would die without them now. It is the only way I get stuff done.

I dont take the twins grocery shopping much, but when I do, I sling one and put the other one in cart in carseat. Peopel seriously act like they have never seen twins before-geesh.

Alright, I am gonna go pump since the babies are asleep. I have decided to try to get a small stash going incase I get the chance to go out by myself occasionally for more than a run to the store. Jude will rarely take the bottle, but Ava does pretty well. I have had cabin fever lately.

ttyl, Melinda

[megzmom]

Ear piercing-Had my dd at 4mths. I acted like it was a real shot. I gave her tylenol an hr before and then again that night. Just like shots I also brought a bottle. As soon as one ear was done...plop the bottle in the mouth. After the 2nd ear plop the bottle in the mouth. It was sooo easy. I totally questioned myself too. It worked out great because she never even noticed it. I actually had to take them out at 18mths because a boy in her daycare kept pulling on them. Now she wont let me get near her with earrings and she is 8. Good luck!

Prayer-say a prayer for me. Going on a LONG field trip to St. Augustine. About 2 hrs away. All 4th graders are going and not coming back until 6pm ugh. Last year had a blast but there were less kids and more adults.

[Daniele'sTwins]

OK, first of all Heather, I almost cried whenI read that you would take a day off work! This is awesome! My DH could not believe that I am going to be meeting up with the two of you. Maybe we could all meet the same day! How far are you from Daytona? What should we do? Lets let Steph pick the day (wed/Thurs).:yippee:

Shots...I forgot to comment in my last post. My boys got fevers BOTH times. This past shot they really burned up through the night so I pumped tylenol every 4 hours.

Felisha...I am a BIG fan of pierced ears on baby girls. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! My mother had my own ears pierced when I was 9 months old. I think the younger the better. But also know that you are taking advice from a mom of boys...lol

Heather...Field Trips...YUCK YUCK YUCK:banghead: I would rather have the flu! I will pray for you! As for the boys crying when DH holds them...I think AndreaR said she was going through the same thing too and it also happens here. I have read that around this time babies start to prefer certain people. My DH will ask me why they are crying I will say... "they like when you do this..." or "try this". I know, it is so tough! You don't want to make him feel bad but you don't want your babies crying either.

Christmas Cards...Are all of you planning to do the picture ones or send pics in them? I have always loved getting Christmas card/photos and I have always disliked giving a plain card. I am sooo excited to actually have these stinkin cute kids to send pics of this year! Maybe when it gets closer we could get an address list going (on PM/email of course) of people who want to send/receive cards from our "board" family!

Steph...good luck at the docs today...are you going by yourself or will someone be helping you?

[swineland]

Good Morning!!

Daniele, I am so excited about next week!! I will coordinate with Heather about us coming. You want to say Thursday maybe? That way, it will sort of break up your stay a little bit? I checked out the spa offerings at your hotel....girl, you DEFINITELY need to get one of those massages. Heck, get a whole days worth.....a package :) Sounds heavenly. And thank you for asking, DH is going with me today to the ped's office. I can take the boys myself on a regular visit, but with the shots I need some help.

Changing toy preferences: E & B are ALL into the jumperoo now and the exersaucer (I actually am using a friends old exersaucer that I HATE.....can't wait to go get a brand new one). They aren't really into the Einstein mat anymore....it's too boring and not enough physical activity. I remember when they used to LOVE that thing....I'd lay them down on it and they'd smile really big and stare at the "star" for up to 1/2 an hour. Now, they just start crying and looking over at the Jumperoo :)

I took the bumpers off the cribs the other day. I just could not handle one more sheet change with those bumpers. There are like a gazillion ties on it and it's just totally unrealistic to re-do them after every sheet change.

I tried Oatmeal cereal this morning with the boys instead of rice cereal. They didn't seem to mind the difference. It also has bananas. Looking forward to hearing what Dr. G has to say today about starting other solids. These boys seem to really need more than just formula. I mean, they don't seem very satisfied with just a bottle.

Gonna take a quick nap while they are watching Einstein :)

Check in later...
Steph
Heather, can you get a sub for Thursday?? You could drive to my house and then I can drive us up to Daytona for the day to meet Daniele......let me know what you think. :)

[sgarrett]

Sherry Hot Pink Stillettos! Wow I am having flash backs to my "day" with my hot pink ostrich skin mini skirt! I probaly could not fit that thing on one thigh now!

Heather/Steph/Danielle/ I am so jealous reading about the big meet. I wish I had more time while I was in Orlando. I will definately give you a call. I hope you all have a blast and take lots of pics!

Danielle: Not only are we doing pic Xmas cards, we are making Halloween ones as soon as Isabelle's costume gets here! Like I have ever sent out Halloween cards before. Wow, you know you are domesticated when....

Ear Piercing: I guess I am old school on this one, I do not want to do it until Isabelle is old enough to ask for it. I mean what if she gets older and says I do not want my ears pierced and she is stuck with two holes in her ears? Of course most little girls are probaly asking for it as soon as they can speak!

4 month appt: How many shots do they get at this appt? Theirs is the 18th I am dreading it!

Last night DH had a board meeting they have once a month. I had to put the babies to sleep alone, I gave them baths and had them both asleep by 7:00. As I was pouring myself my congratulatory glass of wine (7 deadly zins yummy) they both started SCREAMING. I could not calm them down, poor Aiden screamed himself hoarse. It was awful, if I held them at the same time it made it worse so I had to put one in the swing and rock the other and then switch. They cried the whole time! All I could think about was How does Felisha do this, how does Felisha do this? I so wanted to call you and ask for advice! So what do you do when you you have only two arms and they both have a meltdown? You are my personal hero, those babies and your daughther have one strong Mama!

Have a wonderful day!:sunshine:

Staci

[swineland]

Hey...
Which exersaucer does everyone have??? And what do you think of them? I'm torn between them all. The Baby Einstein one is cute and I think they might recognize some of the stuff from the other Einstein things they have, but the Evenflo one's seem to have more "bling".

Of course, these contraptions are the ugliest things I've ever seen and just couldn't add a more hideous element to our decor. BUT, they sure look like fun for the bambinos..... :)

Steph

[MississippiMama]

Hi all!!

Shots: After Dylan and Marley's 2 month shots they ran fevers, but slept better than they usual. (DS also did this with ALL his shots!) 4 mo check-up/shots scheduled for Nov. 1. Hope 4 mo shots go just as well as 2 mo., we have an appointment scheduled to have their 1st professional photos taken the following day!!!

Speaking of photos I have to get some posted on here soon. Just can't seem to find the time (imagine that!)

I think I am developing a complex with my MIL. She keeps the babies while I work. I am worried that they think she is their mother and I am the babysitter...and with my 3 year old I know hands down he'd rather be with her than me. I know this probably sounds stupid...my husband says that I am being silly, but the twins seem so much happier with her. She always has them in the floor and happy when I get home. About 5-10 minutes after she leaves they start fussing and continue until they go to sleep. I hate that I can't stay at home with them...but I carry our health ins through my job and we have to have the extra income. I kind of feel like I am not even raising my own children. Have any of you ever felt this way?

Well, hope everyone has a great day! Kari

[christel]

:sunshine: Hi everyone,

Add us to the meltdown list. Last night was horrible. I was in tears. DH kept telling me to go "relax" and he would handle it. Great in theory, but he wasn't "handling it". They kept screaming louder and louder, they were hysterical and there was no where in the house where I couldn't hear them. How am I supposed to "relax"? All I wanted was to go fix it for them. But, like you mentioned, Heather, he's like all the rest of the dh's and gets his feelings hurt if I insinuate that he can't deal with it by stepping in and taking over. What was worse was that they were down for the night at 7pm and then dh broke up a bag of ice in the kitchen that made a lot of noise and it startled Ruby awake and that's how it all started. :banghead: I think he was trying to fix it b/c he knew he screwed it up, but it took 2 hours of almost non stop screaming before they went back to sleep.

Sherry - ya got me mixed up w/ someone else. My darlin' daddy is alive and well. It gave me a bad shiver to read that shout out just thinking about something happening to him :crazy: And woooo hoooo, hot pink stillettos, huh?!

Ear piercing - I'm w/ Staci on that. My girls will have to ask and be old enough to take care of their own ears before they get pierced. Like I don't have enough to do right now :lol:

Christmas cards - we'll probably do the photocard thing. We did that for birth announcements, too. Easy! I'm anxious to have their pic taken professionally, too.

Steph, Danielle & Heather - Have a wonderful wonderful time!

Road Trip - we're off tonight on a 6 hr. drive to the TX panhandle. I am DREADING it. Especially after last night. I'll probably read, but won't get a chance to post while we're gone. We come home on Sunday.

I gotta go start packing. We're going to be quite the clown car: 2 adults, 2 babies, 2 dogs, luggage & baby gear for 5 days...phone ringing

OMG - I just got off the phone w/ a friend from the NICU. She told me that another friend, w/ b/g twins born at 24 wks, just lost the little girl. They were home finally and are 5 months old. I don't know any details, but please say a prayer for them. My heart is breaking for them.

[MississippiMama]

Oh, I forgot - about the DH thing. Mine is the same way...he is great when it comes to fixing bottles, bathing & changing diapers, but when he is really tired or the babies are really tired he just can't comfort them the way I do. Usually, I offer to take the fussy one or switch off with him if I have mine settled. It doesn't seem to bother him too much. I guess he is just relieved that I am willing to do that.

Ear piercing - My DH has given me the strictest orders that I CAN NOT get Marley's ears pierced until she is old enough to ask for it. I agree with his opinion about it. I remember getting my ears pierced...I was 3 and asked to have it done (even then MY dad was still mad at my mother.)

Sherry - It was my father who passed away. I read where you'd gotten the names mixed up, but I knew who you were talking to and appreciated what you said. I did have a pretty rough time. June 23rd, twins born by C-section @ 34 weeks, August 3 developed bacterial infection in my breasts, August 6 my father passed away & August 11 I returned to work!!! I figure if I could handle all that in such a short period of time then I can handle pretty much anything!

Kari

[christel]

Here's the website for the family who lost their twin girl. I had to grab Ruby and give her a big snuggle after I read the poem they posted. Bless their hearts. I can't quit thinking about it.
http://www.babysites.com/sites/sdpetershagen/default.asp?page=home&seq=1

[mmzill]

Christel, my heart is breaking for this family! I pray they can get through this awful time! What a precious girl! I am so thankful for my boys!!!!! Oh, so so thankful!!!

Sorry I've been missing for so long. After being sick last week, then gone for the weekend, I have had a lot to catch up on.

Hope everyone's 4 mo dr's visits go well. I have not started immunizing the boys yet. Probably will in the next month or so....we will see.

Lisa, had to laugh at your dream. I can't wait to get together next week!!

Kari - a number of my friends that work have told me their babies seem to be angels for the sitter, but H#!! for them. I'm not sure why that is, but it's nothing you are doing......and would you rather someone besides family watch them?

Steph, so glad you and Daniel and Heather are going to get together! I think that is great. I don't have an exersaucer. I don't really have room for them, so we haven't gotten them. I did get the jonny jump seats for the doorway though. They seem to like those alot.

Daniel - you definetly need to treat yourself while you are away from the babies!!!!! Take advantage of the opportunity!!!!

Well, we are doing well. The boys are laughing and giggling so much and holding things pretty well and taking them to their mouths. It's so cute. Right now everyone is sleeping!!!! Yeah!!! I better go join them! I've got to get new pics posted though.
~Monica

[TMoT]

Christel/Kari - another bone-headed slip-up! I am SO sorry! Well, geez, KARI, I am so sorry for what you went through those couple weeks. You ARE truly _amazing_ :sunshine: ! (Christel, you're amazing too, of course!!! :) )

Christel, so SAD about the little girl! :'-((( After all they've been through. I can't even bring myself to check the url.... :-( If you're in touch with the family, please let them know we are all praying for their strength and sending endless amounts of love.... :throb:

Kari, hang in there about the mil. Monica is right: It'll blow over. I also have noticed that sometimes babies are on their best behavior all day and only save the grumpiness/crabiness for at night, when they're tired (like all of us, actually, right??). Don't sweat it, but just make as much of the weekend as you can -- even though you really deserve a rest after working all week!! ...I've definitely 'been there' with feeling like someone else is raising my children (while I was also falling down on the job too -- like you just can't win either way *wah!*) -- having been a single, working mom for a long time... All I can say is (like Monica) those periods pass, and HATS OFF to all our working moms, and (with Staci) special big cheers to Felisha!! :-D :clap:

Lisa, your dream was SO funny! ;-)

Heather, you got it! I'll pm you my address, and keep me posted if you want to hear from my sis. :throb:

Monica, glad you're feeling better! Can't have Super Mom under the weather! Take good care of yourself, now... :throb:

Envious about the meeting up in Florida (do I keep repeating myself?!)!! Too bad Staci won't get to join you all too!!! ENJOY and take pictures, if you dare! ;-) :crazy:

...My SIL had a baby girl today!!! "Helena" -- 6lbs, 19inches. All is well with Mommy and Baby -- and so cool that D&A will have another little cousin (this is the fourth in seven months!) so close in age...!!!

I have my check up for "down there" tomorrow. :-( Hope the news isn't too grim. Maybe I'll wear the stillettos to take my mind off things --lol! Staci, pink ostrich WHAT?!?!! LOL Whenever we have a formal reunion, you'd better be there, girl, so I won't feel out of place!!! :crazy:

Good luck with all the shots everyone!! xox

[swineland]

Christel, I brought myself to look at the website of the family who lost their daughter....what a sweet angel. I can't imagine going through that kind of pain, especially since it looked like 10 days ago things were looking up. Prayers are definitely in order.....my heart goes out to them. :cry:

[megzmom]

Mississippi Mama-I feel like you wrote my post! My MIL also watches them. She stayed with us for 2mths which was a struggle because I am so independent. Now that I go to work she is so close to them. I started waking them up right b4 I go to work just so I can see them more. I totally feel like the babysitter. She talks alot to them which is great but I feel like they are going to know her better. It also makes me sad when I mention something "new" they are doing and she says oh yeah, they've been doing that all the time. :( She has also seen both boys roll over "all" the time and I have only seen Ben once and Zack never! I feel more guilty now that even with my dd. I was just thinking that last night. When I looked at some old videos I realized how much I forgot and hope I dont forget anything with the boys.

okay Pat is getting the stuff ready for nighttime feeding. Hopefully it goes better. I am glad that they need their mommas but sometimes I wish dh also had the touch and patience.

Steph/Daniele-Would Wed be okay? Wed are short days which means I have less plans to make. let me know

[swineland]

Heather and Daniele, Wednesday is fine with me. My mom will be here all week anyway, so it doesn't matter which day we do it. Sounds like it's all coming together nicely! :yippee:

Ped appt: Evan weighs 14lbs14ozs and Bailey weighs 14lbs11ozs, lengths are 25 1/2" and 26 1/2", respectively. An inch difference according to the nurse, but I take those length measurements with a grain of salt. Everything else looks good. We got the green light on stage 1 solids and so tonight for dinner they had peas! They both gobbled it up and enjoyed a 5 oz. bottle with it. Ped said to introduce veggies first, then fruits. He also said, with regard to frequency, to introduce one new food a week. So, next week we'll move on to sweet potatoes. :)

They have had low-grade fevers since a few hours after we got home and did sleep for most of the afternoon. They really must've had some aches though b/c they would wake up very suddenly and just start crying....real tears and everything! I would pick them up, wrap them in their respective blankets and start to rock them, not 2 minutes later they would fall right back to sleep. This happened several times. My sweet little guys. It was like having them as newborns again. Bailey slept on my chest for a good part of the afternoon and he hasn't done that in awhile. All curled up...so cute.

I just love these babies SO much. They are the light and loves of my life. I have to be careful not to squeeze TOO tight! I just want to hug the hell out of them all the time. My favorite time of day is first thing in the morning when they are waking up. They roll over (well, usually I roll them over) in their cribs and their faces are all red and smooshed....that recently woken up look. I creep up and get into view and say really softly "gooood mooooorning" and they just beam up at me. They are so full of smiles and giggles and energy and talking when they first get up. Bailey will just lay in his crib and "run"....like crazy! I swear the whole crib moves. I'm just so proud of them. I'm proud to be their mom, that's for sure.

Well, I'm going to go finish reading my People. Just wanted to give you a report from the doc's office :)

Nighty night!
Steph

[sgarrett]

Oh Christel that site just broke my heart. I will pray for them, I am so sorry. It is a reminder of how very blessed we all are, I could not imagine losing a child. It is the worst thing that could possibly happen to a parent. I am so sorry for your friend, words can not even express the emotions I felt reading that poem. When I do pray for your friend it will also remind to always thank god for the health of my little ones.

[michtown]

Hi, I just wanted to comment on this subject. I am babysitting my daughter's boy/girl twins that were born on 6/26/06 and know what you mean. I am acutely aware of this issue. I also watch her 2 yo and have since birth. I also usually stay late to help her out since daddy does not get off work until 8pm and she has 2 older boys, ages 6 and 10 that are ADHD. But to get back to the subject, do your MILs know how you feel? Maybe not the part about the babies knowing your MILs more but let them know how you feel about missing so much. I am careful to talk about mommy and daddy as much as possible and specifically am careful about not saying "oh, he/she does that all the time", no need to mention that! Perhaps if they know how you feel you are missing your MILs will be more sensitive to it.

And as for they being happy when you get home and melt down shortly after, that is normal. We call it the "bewitching" hour. Late afternoon/early evening is when infants become overstimulated and it causes them to be very cranky, even colic-like!! Also, your MIL is single-minded, she is there to watch the babies, whereas you are home, and must keep in mind dinner, laundry, cleaning, etc. so you will be trying to multi-task. Now I try to do as much as I can to help out, but if it does not get done, I know that my daughter will get to it later.

In my particular situation, I even come in at 2am so that she can get some sleep, these babies are not as full term as all her other and my babies were so they take more care. They are both reflux babies on Prevacid and ElaCare and do not sleep as much as their brothers did.

Sorry to write so much, but I also want meant to say that your MIL probably has been at it much longer too. I am the 2nd oldest of 7 children, so took care of younger silblings, have two children of my own, and my daughter started her family at age 13 so has lived with me most of her life as a parent so I have also had a lot of time with my grandchildren so I feel as if this is my 7th & 8th babies to take care of. It makes a big difference, I do alot of things without even thinking.

I hope that you are all able to come to terms with working and having your MILs babysitting, do make a concious effort to spend quality time with them, I was a single working mother to my daughter and my goal now is to help her be a good working (if not single) mom to her children!

Hugs, Nana (Alexis and Ryan born 6/26/06) (in PA)
Grandsons: Tony, 5/9/96, Gavin, 4/18/99 to 6/14/99, Ethan 3/3/00 and Zachary 2/23/04 (all in PA) and Joshua 6/12/03 (in FL)

P.S. I have been reading since December of 2005 when we found out that my daughter was having twins but have not posted much since I am a grandmother not a mom and moreso because of available time. I have learned soo much from all of you about my daughter going thru the pregnancy and now as the babies are here and growing.

[EBTwinz]

just wanted to post so I can see if my slide works. Check out the pic of Ethan and Corey (Valerie's baby) holding hands. Too cute!! We are still battling pretty bad colds over here. They are so sweet when they are sick. They just have this little moan and want to be held all day. I feel so bad for them. I put a humidifier in their room and they slept better last night. Brady is going back to the doc tomorrow to maybe have a stronger med for his acid reflux. Poor little thing. I feel so bad for him.

crib sheets: Hate changing them and took the bumper off a long time ago. That dang mattress is heavy! Plus I have a crib aquarium that blocks the mattress and is a pain when changing sheets. I do the same thing that Staci mentioned, lay a receiving blanket down when they spit up so I am not changing as often.

Sesame street: My kids LOVE Elmo!! I always seem to time it right so they can watch Elmo's world in the morning. They get so excited. My MIL is trying to find the new tickle me Elmo for Christmas.

Football: What can I say, I love football. More so college football. I was never into it until I went to Penn State. It's the atmosphere, the school spirit, the tailgaiting, etc.... Plus when your team starts to win, it's so exciting.

So exciting that everyone is getting to meet on the board!!

Christel: I read that website. I was on it for a while. I feel so bad for that family. I will say a prayer for them.

Well, the natives are getting restless so I better get them to take a nap.

Love,
Lisa

[vthompson]

Lisa - It is so funny to look at someone else's slide and see Kayley and Corey on it!! I can't wait to meet you and Monica next week.

Christel - I took a look at that website and it made me cry...I cannot even imagine what that family is going through. What miracles those babies are to have been born so early.

Steph - My very favorite moments with the twins is also first thing in the morning. I love the way they smile up at me as soon as they hear my voice. It makes my day...

With that being said, Kayley is crying so I have to go....before I sign off, though, I just want to tell everyone that these babies are driving me crazy this week! I love them so much, but they have been very cranky and not napping well...also, we started solids, but they do not seem that into it. Corey does better then Kayley....Kayley takes a few bites and then wants a bottle. Does it usually take a little while for them to get the hang of it? For those of you feeding solids, do you mix the baby food with the cereal?

Ok, really gotta go!

Valerie

[vthompson]

BTW, I LOVE everyone's new pics!! They are all so darn cute!

Steph - I loved the one titled "I am talking to you". That cracked me up!

Daniele - The one with the boys wrestling is hysterical!

Ok, really gotta go...I know, I keep saying that!

Valerie

[vthompson]

Steph - I think it was you that asked about the excersaucers...anyways, we have the evenflo and the baby einstein. We only opened the evenflo so far because it folds down for easier storage and it seemed to have more toys to play with. I am debating whether I want to return baby einstein and get the jumperoo instead.

Lisa - BTW, your dream had me laughing!

Valerie

[LucasMom]

Love all the new pics, Mamas!!!

Lisa- Let's say tentatively yes right now, for the 17th. Lucas' birthday party is that weekend, I think on the 18th, but I can swing the 17th. I really want to meet up! I think our boys are about the same size, and they are birthday buddies, too!

Steph- I am web surfing, trying to plan our rendevous!!

Dylan started Daycare on Tuesday. He is doing great, smiling alot and napping a little. Once he gets used to the hustle and bustle in there, he'll sleep normally again. Logan is still with my mom, until a second spot opens up. I want to write more, but as usual, I have to run off to a meeting. I will respond to all my ladies here later tonigh after "the routine" is complete!

Christel- I am so very sorry for your friends from Nicu. I can't imagine how painful is must be. I count the stars with how lucky we all are to have our beautiful, healthy children and each one of you was in my thought and wishes last night. I send a hug to each of your babies and you all.

The boys are the light of my life. I find that I cannot talk about my three sons without getting choked up. I am proud of nothing in my life more than my sons. I can't wait to watch them grow up and see the boys and then men they will all become, and yet with each passing day, I grow a bit sadder in knowing that they are slipping away from babyhood. Anyhow, I just love them, through good and bad, and I am so lucky to have them, and you guys because I had them!!

Hugs,
Mindy

[MississippiMama]

Megzmom - SO glad I am not the only one with the MIL situation. I don't think she has made the comment yet about "they've been doing that for awhile." But several mornings I have told her how fussy they were the previous afternoon and she tells me that "they weren't fussy at all for me!"
I think the hardest part for me is that she is completely opposite of me. She is loud, obnoxious (at times), lets my 3 year old do WHATEVER he wants to (no disicipline), is messy...She is just everything that I am not. In a way it upsets me because our "parenting skills" are so different and they spend the majority of their time with her...but in another way it is good that they "the best of both worlds" as far as having disicipline, structure and schedule from me, and fun chaos with her. Needless to say, there is a good bit of tension between us...and at the worst parts of the day - first thing in the morning and last thing in the afternoon. I cuss her the whole way to work some mornings!! But I will admit that I am very lucky to have her...I trust her and she does come to my house at 6:30am so that I can get dressed for work!

Michtown - It was good to hear your comments as well..good to hear it from a MIL/Mother point of view.

I had to go to the gyno today. I got an IUD a month ago and he did a follow-up to be sure they are still in place. Says that it is more likely to come "out-of-place" in the first month. It was still in place and I am having no problems from it. Just still kind of worried. Technically, it could become dislodged and I wouldn't even know it and then I could get pregnant. How scary! I think I'd feel more comfortable using back-up for awhile!!! I don't know if I want to have more kids...but if I decide that I do it will be at least 4-5 years from now.

I am finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel with the twins. For several weeks I have been SO stressed out with their crying in the afternoons. I am a huge neat-freak and can't relax unless everything in my home is picked up and in its place. I think I have OCD! Really!! Yesterday I just tried to let it all go. If one of the babies wanted to be picked up I picked them up. I sat in front of them for hours and enjoyed their smiles & kicking & cooing. I finally realized that in the long run a dirty, unorganized house won't matter & that I needed to enjoy Dylan and Marley every spare minute I have.

Kari

[Daniele'sTwins]

Hi Ladies...I am beat and in the middle of a BIG bowl of cookie dough ice cream with hot fudge, nuts and chocolate chips. I can't take it! I am eating way to late at night and then I CRAVE something sweet after every meal! I just have NO control!

Heather/Steph...ok, I just changes my spa appointment to Thursday...YAY! i am getting a stone massage, manicure, pedicure, etc. I guess it is going to be 4 hours long! :yippee:

OK, so I am meeting Steph and Heather, going to spend time sitting by a pool with 3 new books ( I LOVE to read), getting pampered in a spa, dinner with my DH that I do not have to cook myself, etc BUT I CRY everytime I think about not being with Nico and Luca! I can SO relate to where Steph wrote that she has to be careful not to squeeze them too tight! I LOVE them SOOOOOOOOOOOO Much, I even hate when they go to bed at night now...i miss them even then! They have their own little personalities now. They talk and laugh outloud CONSTANTLY.

Kari... First of all I am so sorry to hear about your father.
I understand what you mean about your MIL...I have an awesome mom that helps me so much with the boys but I would feel so jealous if they spent more time with her. I already told my mother that when I am away if the boys do anything new NOT to tell me because it would kill me to miss it. I have heard from many people that no matter what kids know their moms and NOBODY can come between that.

OK, so my cousin had her baby yesterday...a little boy named Thomas. He was 8lbs 6 ozs. He is beautiful and healthy...it so makes me want another one:throb:

Exersaucers...I have the baby einstien and my boys LOVE it.

[swineland]

Daniele, with regard to your 4 hour stone massage, manicure and pedicure, see below:
Envious (adj.)
Pronunciation: 'en-vE-&s
1 : feeling painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.
as in: Stephanie was very envious of Daniele and her time ALONE at the spa!

haha...in reality, I'm very happy for you. You totally deserve this time to relax and I hope you truly, truly enjoy it. I know I speak for Heather when I say that I am so excited to finally meet and I can't wait for our "girls" day!

I gotta hit the sack....
Mindy, I'll try to call you tomorrow afternoon.....we can talk about our plans!

Hugs to all...I'll write more tomorrow. SO tired.

xo,
Steph

[Daniele'sTwins]

Steph...I forgot that the package I bought has a facial too...lol :funny: BUT you know where I am staying and you are free to join me!! :correct:

I keep forgetting to ask you all how your Kiddos (the ones eating solids) like food so far. My boys started eating cereal with a little bit of fruit when they turned 4 months. They would eat it at first but now want nothing to do with it! I even tried straight peaches instead of with the cereal...Luca had some but no way for Nico. Last night I tried again and neither one would have any...WEIRD! :

[swineland]

BUT you know where I am staying and you are free to join me!! :

That's the thing....if it really WERE free to join you, I would! :)

[megzmom]

Steph/Daniele-SOOO excited. Since the day before is Meg's bday..can I bring her too? Steph will tell you that she is a good helper :)

Steph-I love love love your pictures. I laughed real loud when I saw the "Im talkin to you" one. I was embarrassed. Too funny you saying you want to squeeze them. I saw that every time I hold them. mmmmmm

MIL- Nana from Michtown. I really did appreciate your insite. I know I come with some baggage and hormones stil. I really dont know how to discuss it. Do I say Please dont tell me when the do something new or dont say oh yeah they do that all the time??? I kind of hinted at that today and she still did it. We finally saw Zack roll over for the 1st time. meanwhile he does it ALL the time for her. SHe is the sweetes woman. Comes over all the time. Problem is we are EVERYTHING to her. She doesnt have one friend she relocated up here and is a home body. I love her dearly but I feel so much tension and jealousy. I want her to live it up with boys and enjoy them. SHe was a single mom too as was I so I understand them growing up too fast.

okay back to grades and report cards yuck!!! Kids off: yeah!!!

[AndreaR]

Hello everyone - I've been away for a few days. Well, away from the board, not away from my house. My best friend was here from NYC. We had a very nice visit.

The girls had their 4 month checkup on Tuesday. Madeline now weighs 10 lbs 14 oz, and Isabelle weighs 11 lbs 14.4 oz. They are both 24 inches long. Maddie is definitely catching up. They were born a pound and a half and and inch and a half apart. They are both in 50% for height, Izzy is 10% for weight, Maddie is barely 5%. The dr. recommended starting cereal for both to help with Maddie's reflux. I was in no rush to start, but we've given it to them three days in a row now, and they seem to like it. We're using Gerber Organic Oatmeal. The shots went well. Our appt was at 10:30 am. We gave them tylenol all day and into the night. They weren't really fussy or crying, but they did wake up a lot. I don't know if it was related to the shots. We're trying to get approval for insurance to pay for Synagis for Maddie. That's the RSV vaccine. If we don't get it, I'm afraid to do too much in public this year.

Anyway, sorry I don't have time to read all of your posts - I feel like I've been gone forever. I just wanted to stop in quick and say hello. I will try to write more later. The girls have been sleeping pretty well at night, so I'm losing that time I ususally have at the computer. I guess that is a good thing, but I miss you ladies!!

xoxo
AndreaR

[sgarrett]

Hello Mommies!

My DH and I took the yesterday and today off work so we could hang out with Chase (my eldest son) while he was on fall break so I have been away from the computer. We went to see Departed today, it was a GREAT movie. I love Jack Nicholson, he rocks!

It is so hard to come home and the babies are asleep, I want to rush in there and wake them up so I can spend time with them. I am dreading this work trip, it is going to be so hard to be away from them overnight! We love the mornings too, in fact this morning we had the camcorder all ready so as soon as we woke up we could record the babies. They are so sweet and talkative in the mornings! Of course as soon as they see the camcorder the stare at it and freeze every time! We did manage to get some talking this morning. Their personalities are so different, Isabelle is so sweet and "girly". She already flirts with Dad, talks constantly in this sweet high pitched voice and loves to stare at herself in the mirror. Aiden is the comedian of the family, he loves to stick his tounge out, tries so hard to blow raspberries, (he can not figure out how to stick his tounge out and blow at the same time) makes goofy faces and smiles all the time. He makes the silliest noises too he cracks me up. And is such a "mama's boy"!

Well just wanted to say hello to everyone and have a wonderful weekend!

BTW: Danielle Spa Day sounds totally Fab! I love hot stone massages they are way cool!

Good night!

Staci

[JacobsMom]

Stacey,
Here is the shopping cart cover that I bought for my twin grandsons from Walmart. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4631196
Hope that helps.
Nancy
P.S. I would love to have the link to the patterns for the items you mentioned. I don't see any reason why you can't post the website. We are always posting websites here.

Thanks for the link Nancy. Now I know what I can spend some of my Walmart gift cards on.

Here is the website I mentioned:

http://www.makethemyourself.com./

She has some neat things and the patterns are pretty reasonable. But realistically, I don't think I would ever find the time to sew anything.

[JacobsMom]

James and Jacob are gone all day to a Cub Scout Fishing Derby. I have the boys all to myself. My biggest challenge of the day will be getting out of the house. LOL! I want to go to a Craft Show at the church where Jacob used to go to school. Then I want to drive out to the outlet mall and check out the Carter's, Oshkosh, Children's Place, and Old Navy stores. I never get to do any shopping alone on the weekends. Yesterday was payday, so I'm wanting to get a few things for the kiddoes.

Here is what our morning routine looks like on a regular day.

7:00 - get up and help Jacob get ready for school

7:50 - put Jacob on the school bus and eat some breakfast

8:00 - wake up the twins. I lie them both on my bed and talk to them. They are always so happy, and smile and coo. I go ahead and change them while they are lying there. Then we head to the couch and nurse for about 20-30 minutes. (I watch a tape of Chicago Hope during this time.) They will usually dose off for a little while after nursing so I finish watching the show.

9:00 - They eat. I have two highchairs side-by-side in the kitchen. I strip them down to diapers, and strap them in and talk to them while I prepare the food. This is their typical breakfast: 3/8 cup. Gerber Oatmeal flakes, mixed with 2.5 oz. diluted apple juice (50% AJ + 50% Nursery water) I heat it for about 13 sec. I put it into one side of a divided bowl and fill the other half with the fruit of the day. Pears, Applesauce, Peaches, or Bananas. I give them half the 2nd Foods plastic container. (my Ped. said there isn't that much difference in 1st Foods and 2nd foods so I can give them either. I found that 2nd foods is much cheaper per oz. so I buy that. BTW - Target has 2nd foods on sale through today for 89 cents per 2pack)

When I feed them, I have a seperate spoon for the cereal and fruit, but not for each baby. I give David a bite of cereal, then Tate. Back and forth a few times. Then I give them each a couple of bites of fruit. Then back to cereal. I switch back and forth and try to finish with fruit. It's so funny that they have different eating techniques. David will open his mouth and let me put the spoon in and scrape the food off on his upper gum, then he swallows it. Tate opens his mouth a little bit and sucks the food off the spoon. It cracks me up. I was laughing at him doing this yesterday, and he laughed back and sprayed me with squash!

After eating, I clean them up, dress them and we sit on the couch and they drink a 6oz bottle. So now it's about 10:30am and if I'm lucky they will both take a nap. But they usually only nap if they are still lying on me. If I try to put them down so I can get something done, at least one of them will wake up. If we have errands to do, now is the time I go get dressed and make sure the diaper bag is packed, and make bottles for the trip. It is almost impossible for me to get out of my house before 11am!!! (Which should make tomorrow pretty interesting since we need to be at church before 9am! Wish me luck!)

At dinner they get them same amount of cereal and fruit but I also add 1/2 a container of vegetables. I feed the vegetable first, and after it is gone, I feed the cereal and fruit. So far they have had Sweet Potatoes - loved them! - and Squash - liked them. My Dr. said it was ok to try new foods every 2-3 days. Tomorrow we try carrots. I also have peas and green beans standing by. So far they boys have been very willing to eat anything I have given them.

BTW - the Gerber website has feeding charts you can print out to keep track of what and how much they eat.
http://www.gerber.com/sthealthitem?id=5261
I figure I will do this for a few weeks or so. At least untill I have tried all the foods I plan to try with them.

Well it is WAY past time for the babies to get up. It's going to be almost impossible to get them to sleep tonight. And we really need them to go to sleep earlier than usual. Maybe I can keep them awake most of the day.

[vthompson]

Hello Ladies...just wanted to check in real quick...

Daniele - The day of beauty sounds fantastic!! It should be so fun to meet Heather and Steph, too. Make sure you guys take pics so we can see some more June mommies together!

Kari - I am the exact same way...my DH makes fun of me and says I am just like Monica from Friends. I find that when I have things I want to get done around the house, I am much more stressed out with the crying, too. I am trying to let things go, but it is difficult for me. If I don't get it done during the day, I find myself doing it at night after the babies go to bed when I should be sleeping!

Stage 2 - My ped told me that stage 2 was the same as stage 1, just more in the container. I also buy these because they are only 10 cents more and you get twice as much. I just put what we don't use back in the fridge for next time.

I was glad to hear someone else uses the same spoon for both babies...I do the same!

Well, my niece had a sleepover here last night for her birthday...we have done it the past 3 years as our gift to her...I am EXHAUSTED! And, I little scared of teenage girls!! :funny: Anyways, the basement is a wreck so I better go clean.

Talk to everyone later!

Valerie

[swineland]

Hey everyone!

Similac coupons: I have 4 coupons for $5.00 off any Similac product. Let me know who wants em! PM me your address and I'll send them right off.

Well, I went to Babies R Us this weekend and picked up the Einstein activity center/exersaucer thing. The boys LOVE it! They have already figured out how to swivel around and get to all the different toys. I put it out on the patio and with the cooler, dryer weather we've had here they get a lot of nice fresh air. So now I think we're all set with toys for awhile. Between the jumperoo, the saucer, the bouncy seats and the swings.....I feel like the walls are closing in on us!! Our nice spacious family room is now a cramped, colorful daycare center :)(but I wouldn't have it any other way, of course!)

I will write more tomorrow. Time for me to go spend a few alone mins with DH before bedtime and another week of work for him and being a mommy for me.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Oh, btw, I got the boys' costumes yesterday.....a cow and a pumpkin :) The selection was somewhat limited as I wanted to make sure it was a lightweight sleeper-type ensemble with a hat, as opposed to a full blown fleece costume that would be hot and only worn once. At least I can let them sleep in these for a few weeks until they grow out of it. I'll be sure to take pics!

Love to all ....
Steph

[AndreaR]

Steph - your boys are so cute. I love, love, love looking at your slide.

We have an exersaucer, but we haven't broken it out yet. The girls are just starting to get into the jumperoo. We put Maddie in it this weekend for the first time. She LOVES it! Maybe more than Isabelle does. Izzy likes it because she can hang out by herself (I think), but Maddie really seems to be into the whole jumping aspect of it. And she gets the cutest little surprised look on her face when she actually does it.

Daniele - your trip to the spa sounds so great. I know you'll miss the boys, but you'll have a fab time, too. And it's so cool that you get to meet Steph and Heather.

We had a very nice weekend here. I love it when DH is here, because it's so much more fun sharing the baby experience with him. We took the girls out to breakfast yesterday. We have taken them out to lunch a few times, but it was always where we could be seated outside. They did great yesterday - and they were definitely the center of attention. It was pretty cute. Yesterday afternoon we went to a First Birthday party for my SIL's cat. Yes, you read that right. She had a birthday party for the cat. It was so funny. She had everything - cat plates & napkins, hats, goodie bags. The cake had a picture of the cat on it. The girls were very well behaved. They wore little pink party dresses and they wore tights for the first time. The kind w/ ruffles on the bum. SO CUTE!

well, i'm trying to get isabelle to take a nap, so i gotta go.

xoxo
andrea

[christel]

Hi Ladies,

We are back from our trip to see all the grandparents. I'm exhausted, the house is a wreck and there's so much laundry to do. Ick! The girls were pretty good in the car. We had a total of 14 hours of driving and they slept most of the time, which made it tolerable. The first day at my IL's was ugly for the girls. While the did sleep in the car, it wasn't the good uninterrupted restorative sleep they need and oh how we paid. Things were better on Friday, but we found out that dh's nephew (who'd been around the girls on Thurs. night) had a staph infection on his face! OMG! We banned him, his brother and his mom from the house and I spent the rest of the day sterilizing and praying. The girls are ok, thank God.

Dh's grandfather is not good. He was the real reason we travelled. He's given up and it's so heartbreaking to see. He could have another 10 years left, but I bet he's gone within a year at the rate things are going. Dh's only other surviving grandparent was just diagnosed w/ breast cancer. I feel so sorry for him.

I'll be getting in touch w/ little Skylar's family. I think I'm going to make a donation to March of Dimes in her memory. I was also thinking that instead of sending flowers I might send something that they could plant that would keep growing. What do you think?

Lovin' my babies - Morning is the BEST here, too. I am not an AM person, but I actually look forward to popping out of bed and going into the nursery to see their sparkly little eyes and huge smiles. I just hold them and squeeze them and sing to them until they tell me they want to eat. I sing the "good morning" song to them from "Singin' in the Rain", except instead of "we talked the whole night through" I say we "slept":lol: They are just the most amazing things I've ever done and I'm desperately proud of them.

:lovemytwins:

[swineland]

:bouncing: Evan has THREE teeth now!!

[mmzill]

I'm so excited about the pics I took today. I think tomorrow I'm going to carve out the pumpkins and put the boys in them!! I can't wait.

We had a nice weekend. Did family stuff and that is fun. Went to a park on Saturday, Alaina had a ball. She loves slides and they had a really tall one there.

Steph I can't believe Evan's teeth! Wow!

Christel - I hope that no one gets sick! and glad you are home safe.

Valerie - that's a good idea about the food. We have fed the boys once.....it didn't go so well. I've just been dragging my feet on feeding them solids. I better get busy!

Got to run.
~Monica

[vthompson]

Monica - Those pics are gorgeous! I swear you could be a photographer! If you would not have said anything, I would have thought they were done professionally.

Steph - 3 teeth!!! Holy cow!! Where are they? I pm'd you my address...if the coupons are still available I would really appreciate them.

Christel - I really like the idea of sending something they could plant...that way, it is a lasting memory. I am very sorry to hear about DH's grandparents...that is a lot to deal with.

AndreaR - A cat party! That is too funny! I also love when DH is home...it is so much better to share all the baby stuff together, then to tell him about it over the phone. Plus, it seems like a vacation when there is another set of hands to help!

Not too much going on here...a few of my girlfriends are coming over tonight to make shower favors for my friend's baby shower. I bought pink and blue chocolates and baby safety pin molds. We are going to wrap each safety pin in cellophane and tie with ribbon. It will be nice to have some friends over!

Oh, BTW, the twins took their first successful nap in their cribs this morning. They went down around 10am...cried a bit, but finally fell asleep. They slept until 1:30pm! I could not believe it. Now of course, Corey was in his carrier, but oh well. We will deal with that problem down the line. They are both laying up there now fighting their sleep. I hate when they nap so late, but if they do not take one now, they will be screaming in an hour or two because they are so over tired.

Talk to everyone later!

Valerie

[sgarrett]

Monica: I love your pics, too cute! Did you take photography classes at some point? All of your pics are great!

Steph: Congrats on the teeth! What is teething like? I remember with my eldest he would be fussy all night and presto would have a tooth the next morning. How fussy has Evan been?

Napping: Ok Isabelle has totally boycotted napping. She went all weekend with 0 naps! She is so terrified she will miss something! Her eyes will be at half mast, but she will not give in.

We have our 4 month doc appt on the 18th and I am going to ask the docs advice about sleeping, they still are no where ready to sleep through the night. According to the "books" their bellies should be big enough to keep them full through the night, but when they wake up they are hungry! They are sucking a whole bottle down! Isabelle wakes up once to twice a night and Aiden usually 4 times! Any suggestions??? I am so ready to sleep a whole night!

Staci

[swineland]

Valerie....I got you covered, girl. The envelope with the coupons already went out in today's mail :)

Evan's teeth: doesn't seem to have a real teething issue at all. He drools a lot but that's about it. The boys are very happy little babies. It takes an empty tummy or a full diaper or a lack of sleep to make them cranky. Otherwise, they are all smiles and laughter. So, if they HAVE had any issues with teething, I haven't noticed. The third tooth popped up right next to the first two, lower front. I read that the next ones to come in after the first two were supposed to be up top, but not this one!

Monica...your photos are delightful! I think you and I are thinking along the same lines. I have been planning this week to go to Michaels and get some fake fall leaves and then put the boys in these fall outfits we got at Old Navy and take their photos surrounded by leaves, propped up with the leaves, etc. etc. Your photos have inspired me! I'll go tomorrow :)

Daniele....have a safe trip down tomorrow! I'll give you a call and we'll figure out our plans for Wednesday. Heather actually is bringing her daughter as well as the boys. I'm guessing we'll probably drive separately, but not 100% sure yet. Can't wait!!

Solids: been giving the boys peas and sweet potatoes. They INHALE the sweet potatoes and are slowly accepting the peas. Morning time is still cereal w/bananas and I have not introduced fruits yet. I did buy some bananas and peaches today in the hopes of starting those in the next week. And you are all correct, Stage 2 foods are just the same as Stage 1 only cheaper per oz. Obviously the mixed foods aren't the same but the single ingredient ones are.

I gotta go!!
hugs to all...
Steph

[mmzill]

Well, I didn't wait until tomorrow to put them inside the pumpkins.....didn't succeed in getting alot of great pics, they didn't take real well to them.....can't say as I blame them much . . . .tee hee hee:)

Steph - I had so much fun with these pics! I hope you do too!

The boys had a wonderfully long nap today. It was great, like three hours. Now I need to go spend time with them instead of messing with pics. Have a wonderful evening.

~Monica

[sgarrett]

I LOVE the pumpkin pics! Too funny!:lol: I called my DH up here to see them! We have a pumpkin carving contest every year, my DH me and my son. We have a neighbor be the judge. Any ideas ladies, my DH has beat me the past two years.

I snuck a peek at the board of twin mommies whose babies are turning one. They all talk about how fast it went by, I cannot beleive our babies are 4 months! I swear it seems like yesterday we were on here with all of our pregnancy woes, wishing we could just hurry up and go into labor. They are so fricken cute at this age. They laugh now, and smile every time I look at them. I can really tell they love their mommy now, and it is so heart warming. You can really "play" with them, without being worried about breaking them, you know what I mean? We love to play "super baby" where I hold them up in there and do the superman theme song while I fly them around. They love it! I had them laughing tonight b/c I was blowing raspberries on their tummies. So far I am the only one that can get them laughing, I want them to laugh for their daddy but I cannot help but kinda like it!

[sgarrett]

Ok DH walked up behind me and I had to sign off real quick, did not want him to get his feelings hurt! Anyway take care ladies, and send me your pumpkin carving ideas I hate losing!

Staci

[MississippiMama]

Ok everyone I need your help. I have FINALLY found time to put a slide show together on slide.com, but everytime I try to paste it into my signature it gives me an error saying that it can't be more than 500 characters. What do I need to do...delete some pictures maybe - or is there some other trick. I am ready for you all to get to see my babies and this has made me SO frustrated tonight!

Kari

[swineland]

Kari....get rid of the ticker, I'm afraid. Just delete the html for it and then paste in the slide code and it should work. I had the same problem back when I first created my slide too. Good luck!

Steph

[sgarrett]

Kari, if the removing the ticker does not work you may have to email slide from their website and tell them the problem, they will fix it for you. I had to do that even after removing my ticker. I posted the directions on this site once how to do it, but I do not remember.

Good Luck!

Staci

[sgarrett]

Found the slide directions

1. Login into www.slide.com
2. Click on "myslide" at the top of the page
3. Click on "add to webpage" next to your slide show
4. Click on "can't find what your looking for? Try here" on the right
5. Copy the code from this section, it should be only 470 characters long

Good Luck!

[vthompson]

Steph - Thanks so much for dropping them in the mail! I appreciate it.

Monica - The boys inside the pumpkins are adorable! How did you do it? Did you just take the top off and clean out the seeds? Did they get really messy?

Valerie

[vthompson]

For those of you with the jumperoo...how long can the baby use it? I am trying to decide if I want to take my other exersaucer back and get the jumperoo instead...we currently have 2 exersaucers, one is still in the box.

Valerie

[megzmom]

Steph/Daniele-SORRY!!!!!!!!!! They rescheduled my week. I can't go tomorrow. I have a sub on Friday! Too much to do to prepare. I am drowning in paperwork and deadlines. I am sooo bumbed.

Steph-if you get more coupons, let me know. We also use Similac. When are you thinking of going to the corn maze??? I think that would be so cool.

I love all the new pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tongue-my dh has taught Zack to stick out his tongue. It sooo darn cute. ALl day here is my Zack:crazy: I say I am going to get it and he laughs so loud.

I will talk more later. still having dh issues with the boys. Don't know what to do.

[sgarrett]

VThompson: Hmm we have two jumparoos one in the box and are thinking of taking one back for an exesaucer! Let me know if you have any trouble with a return maybe we can work out a swap!

Tried to take Halloween pics today, I had bought two bails of hay and arranged Mums and pumpkins around them. Got the kiddos all dressed up in their halloween costumes, go outside and there a bees all around the hay! Does hay attract bees? What a pain. I tried moving all the pumpkins and the flowers to take the pics without the hay, but by that time the babies were cranky from being outside in their hot costumes and I could not get a pic without one of them crying in it! Monica I need your help!

Staci

[mmzill]

Staci, I don't think hay normally attracts bees unless something was spilled on it. Sorry you didn't have good luck.

Valerie, you asked about how I did the pumpkins. I just took out the seeds and gooppy stuff, then I put a couple towels down in them. The boys got a little dirty, but not too bad.

Hope everyone has a great day. Yesterday I fed the boys again. Oatmeal with a little pear. They did better at it. Anthony did the best, Nathan gagged a couple times. I don't think he's ready for food yet.

Well off to feed kids.
~Monica

[Dad of twins]

Hello ladies it is Jason. I have not been on the site scince the boys were born. I just wanted to check up on you ladies. I am glad that everyonr is ok. I might start writting on the board again. The slide shows are very cool. Well I have to go and play with the boys. HUGS and KISSES to you ladies.

Jason

[megzmom]

Jason- I am soo glad that you are back! We all really missed you. Give us details about your babies!

I will write later about how horrible a mom I am!!!!!!!!!!! I forgot the 4th mth check up yesterday :( I cried and cried.....:cry:

Good note: yesterday was also Meg's bday! she turned 8. Time flies by.... :birthdaybabies:

[JacobsMom]

Monica: The pictures are adorable. You are so creative!!

Steph: Congrats on Evan's teeth!

I had planned to post here yesterday to ask everyone about teething. Both my boys are starting to drool a LOT. Tate won't keep his hands out of his mouth. They also are constantly chewing on their burprags or loveys. I figure they are about ready. Jacob had two teeth already when he was 4 months old.

Well last night Tate was really fussy after his bedtime bottle, which is very unlike him. I felt around on his lower gum and yep he has a tiny little tip of tooth poking through. It's the bottom left one. I put Baby Orajel on it - and he cried and cried. I don't think he liked the taste at all!

The boys are eating great. It's so funny to watch them. David is so laid back and just patiently waits his turn. Sometimes Tate gets mad and fusses at me when I give David his bite. He needs to learn to take turns now. He will have to do it the rest of his life! LOL! So far they have eaten: Fruits: Applesauce, Pears, Bananas, and Peaches. Veggies: Sweet Pototoes, Squash, Carrots, and Peas. They have happily eaten anything I put in their mouth so far, although they made "I'm not really sure I like this" faces with the peas. I can't say that I blame them! LOL! I won't eat peas of any kind. I got so mad at my Kroger. Just this past week they raised the price of the 2nd foods 2 pack from 95 cents to $1.07! Good grief. I know it's only 12 cents but it's gonna add up quick! That was like getting one pack free for every 8 bought. I'm glad I stocked up at Target last week. They had them on sale for 89 cents!! I bought one pack of each fruit and veggie, and doubled up on some of their favorites.

James put together our Exersaucer last night. Both boys love it. We have an Evenflo Exersaucer Mega Learning Center. My friend Debbie found it on clearance at Target back in Feb. for $12.50!! It is awesome. We have an older model that another friend gave me. It is so boring by comparison! LOL! I think I may take it to my MIL's house and buy a Jump-a-Roo. We have one of those door hanging jumpers, but the only doors we can use them on are the bedroom doors, and none of them are in a convenient place. I also think the doorways are too small. Jacob really loved it though.

BARGAIN!! I was at the mall on Saturday and went into the Disney Store. They had additional 50% off on their clearance items. I bought "Robeez" style shoes with Disney characters on them for $3.99!! I bought two pair of 6-12 mo. Red ones with Mickey Mouse on them. I got two pair of green 12-18 mo. one with Pooh, and the other with Tigger. They are so cute. And I just couldn't resist at that price.

I also found something neat at Old Navy. They are little plush lap blankets. They are about 12" square and are plush on both sides, with a 2" knit band around the edges. They are the perfect size to cover their legs in the carriers/swings. I got a blue one for David and a beige on for Tate. They also had pink. They were only $3.99 on clearance. I thought they were so cute. I may go back and get a pink one for my Great-Neice! (See below)

My neice Trisha had her baby on Oct. 3. She was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long. Her name is Kaylee Ann. She has a 2 year old brother named Bradly James. Trisha was born my senior year of high school in Nov. 1984!!! That felt pretty weird being pregnant at the same time as someone whose diapers I changed! LOL! Kaylee was the first girl born in our family since 1987. Of course it's just been Jacob, Bradly, David and Tate. Trisha's oldest sister Jaime is finally getting married on Dec. 2. She has been engaged for almost 3 years, and they have been dating almost 11!! James and I dated for 5, and I thought THAT was a long time!

NAME MEANINGS: I was looking in a baby name book at Babies R Us the other day. I looked up Tate to see what it said. I have seen "Happy" and "Cheerful" in different books. This one said cheerful but also had a Native American meaning - "Long-winded talker." I just about fell out laughing!!! Tate is my maiden name, and my daddy was about as long-winded as you can get! He could strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and talk for an hour. Reading these long posts of mine, I'm sure you think I have inherited the trait too! LOL!

Well, I'm still trying to get rid of a migraine and can't find my Vicodin. I'm gonna take some Advil and go lie down for a few minutes until my babies wake up. It was a lonnng day yesterday. Hubby had called in sick and slept until 1:30. Then I woke him up so he could help with the boys and I actually was able to get a nap. I love being able to lie in bed and nurse one baby. One of the benefits of them not napping at the same time.