OK, so I don't have 8 kids but I sure wish I had 8 arms!
The good news? After 4 days alone with mommy, the twins are still alive. The bad news? Mommy is exhausted!
For the most part, being alone with them has gone well. Kendall started running a fever late Monday afternoon and I immediately got that sinking feeling in my stomach. One dose of Tylenol and it came right down and now she's got pinkeye so the doctor thinks it was just a virus. Pinkeye is a piece of cake compared to what she's been through!
I'm still trying to find "my groove". My biggest worry was figuring out how to feed them. I thought it was a good idea to feed them at the same time so I found a hands free bottle system by Podee that I thought was the greatest invention ever. The bottle has a tube that runs from the bottle to the nipple and the baby sucks on the nipple like a pacifier. I tested it a few times before Monday and both babies were able to use it.
Feeling very confident, we plopped down Monday afternoon with our Podee bottles and the twins weren't having it. It takes quite a bit of suck to get the milk flowing and neither was playing that game. They kept spitting out the nipple. I think it's still a great invention but I think the twins need to be a little older to use them. They just got super frustrated and started screaming at the top of their lungs.
And, trust me. They have some lungs!
By Monday evening, I was worn out. My intent was to let DH come home from work and have time to relax before thrusting a baby at him but Monday, I couldn't help it.
Tuesday was a completely different day. I decided to stagger feed them and that's working much better. They have been eating on demand but for my sanity, I'm keeping them on a 3 1/2 - 4 hour schedule. It's easier to anticipate when I need to prepare the bottles and to allow myself time to get stuff done when they are napping. Plus, I think they eat better when they get one-on-one attention.
We've started to get a nighttime routine going and we're reaping the benefits (hopefully I don't jinx myself). They get their last bottle between 8-9 pm and we put them to bed by 10:00. The last 2 nights, they have slept until 4:30 am! 6 consecutive hours of sleep? Can you believe it?!
Today is a very exciting day because my sister is coming for the day. She lives close by so we see her all of the time but it will be nice to have an extra set of hands and oh, some adult interaction. I think we might venture to the mall today. I've been so paranoid about taking them out anywhere and for the most part, they have been living in the protected bubble of our home. The mall should be pretty dead during the day and we should be able to avoid a huge amount of gawkers.
1 comment:
Thanks for the update! Can you believe how tiring and exhausting it is - and completely overwhelming? Don't get me wrong- I love every second of motherhood, but it does wear you out quickly. My husband said the other day, "Having one would be a piece of cake. I could do it with both hands tied behind my back." Doesn't it feel that way some days?
I'm so proud that you are finding your niche! Hang in there.....
We have been feeding both babies at the same time with them lying on their back. At their checkup yesterday, I asked the doctor about it because I had read that babies can easily get ear infections from being on their backs while eating. The doc said that was very true and to try feeding them in their car seats, a vibrating chair, or one at a time. We're still trying to figure out what works for each of us when we feed them at the same time, but that's something for you to think about too.
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