I forgot

Ugh.  I forgot how hard it is to survive on 4 hours of sleep.

Saturday morning,  we took the kids to our local library for Family Story Time.  It was our first time and we didn't quite know what to expect.  

We were pleasantly surprised.   One of the librarians had 5-6 books picked out and she was awesome.  I think she missed her calling as a pre-school teacher.  She was very animated and even sang 2 group songs with the kids.   It took about 15 minutes for my kids to warm up but once they did, they were dancing fools. 

Right before it started, a couple walked in with a little girl who appeared to be slightly older than my twins.  They also had 3-month old twin boys.

We struck up a conversation with them and compared "twin notes".  I told them there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  We survived the first 4 months and we were still smiling.  

And, then I got payback last night. 

I went to bed a little later than usual (10:00 pm).  Christopher woke up at 2:30 am and wouldn't go back down until 4:00 am.   And, then my alarm went off at 5:20 am. 

All day long, I kept asking myself, "How did we do it"? 

There were days, weeks that went by where I literally survived on 3 hours of sleep a day.  And that wasn't even consecutive hours. 

And, I still had energy to clean the house, do the laundry and take care of the twins.

What the hell happened to me?

I drank 3 cups of coffee and a soda today and could barely keep my eyes open at my desk.   It's 7:20 pm EST and I am counting the minutes until the kids go to bed. 

One little sheep.  Two little sheep.  Three little sheep.

Potty Training Update

We've been potty training for over a month now.

Contrary to every book and piece of advice I received, Christopher has trained the easiest.  He is exclusively in underwear all day at school.  On the weekends, we're trying really hard to be consistent but I will admit that it's challenging sometimes.

Everyone always told me that getting out of diapers will provide more freedom and a cost savings.  I currently find myself between a rock and a toilet. 

We are usually pretty active on the weekends and there are some days when it almost seems easier to put him in a Pull Up instead of worrying about whether he needs to go pee pee and where the closest toilet is.

(and let me tell you, there's nothing cheap about Pull Ups).

I know, I know.  Consistency is key. 

When we're at home, we are doing a better job of keeping him in underwear.  I set the timer on my iPhone so it "barks" like a dog every 45 minutes.  I bought 2 of the Potty Time watches but that didn't go so well.  Both kids wore them for half the day and I never heard them go off.

My sweet Kendall started the potty training experience with such excitement and tenacity.  She was the first to show interest and asked to sit on the potty.  Over the last few weeks, her interest has started to wain.

Their teacher asked me if I noticed it too and we both feel that Kendall is getting discouraged.  She sees Christopher and her other classmates using the potty and she still hasn't.

She will sit, sometimes for a second and sometimes for a few minutes, but we haven't had any "action" yet.   I'm hoping that once she finally does it, she'll be off and running and we'll never look back.

By the same token,  I'm almost happy that both kids aren't training at the same time.  Looking into the near future, the thought of traveling, trying to get out the door, etc. with 2 kids who are using the potty seems awfully frightful.

One will go and the other one will say, "no".
10 minutes later, the other one will have to go.

A 5 hour trip to the beach could turn into a 12-hour nightmare.  Yikes!   I'm totally tempted to buy one of the portable potty's so they can go on the side of the road if we have to.  So much for modesty, huh?

Easter Wrap Up

We had a busy but very fun Easter weekend.  We left Saturday morning to head down to my mom's future retirement home just outside of the Outer Banks, NC.  I had to make the trip alone last year and it didn't go that great on all fronts so I wasn't quite sure what to expect this time.  Daddy was able to go with us this year so I knew it had to be better!

We arrived a little after 2:00 pm and my sister, BIL, niece and nephew were already there.  We got settled and let the kids explore their new surroundings.  We decided to let the kids dye their Easter eggs before dinner and my kids understood the concept but definitely didn't care about how they went about it.  There were broken eggs and dye spilled everywhere.  Thank goodness my BIL suggested that we put the table in the grass outside!

We had burgers and hot dogs for dinner and before I knew it, it was time to get the kids ready for bed.  My niece is 3 1/2 and my nephew is 18 months old so you can imagine the chaos of trying to get 4 kids under the age of 4 ready for bed! 

I was anxious about bedtime because it was the first trip where the twins would be sleeping in twin beds.  They've been in toddler beds at home for almost a year but new surroundings + new beds could = no sleep.  They went down fairly easily and I decided to sleep on a blow up mattress in their room just in case one of them woke up.  The last thing I wanted was to be responsible for one of my kids waking up the entire house!  Chris woke up first and I was extremely happy when I looked at my phone and saw that it was 6:40 am.  Success!

I made a delicious breakfast casserole (recipe on my Meals for Moms blog, link in my blog roll) and the adults enjoyed mimosas while the kids searched for their Easter baskets. 

We got the kids dressed and then it was time for the Easter egg hunt!

After the egg hunt, we had lunch and put the kids down for naps.  My mom, sister and I enjoyed a glass of wine by the pool and caught up with each other.

The kids all took 2-3 hour naps and then it was time to head to the beach!  The day was warming up and close to 70 degrees!  We loaded up the cars and drove down to Nags Head.

Last year, Christopher took to the beach but Kendall would not put her feet in the sand for anything.  This year was completely different.  It took them about 15 minutes but once they got used to the sand, they had a blast!  Christopher was completely mesmerized with the boogie boarders and surfers. 

Doesn't he look like an Abercrombie model?  LOL!

We stayed at the beach for about an hour and then stopped at a local brewery/restaurant for appetizers and drinks.  This place also had a fenced in playground/picnic area in the back so it was great to let the kids run and play while the adults chatted.

We got back home after 6:00 pm and then it was time for Easter dinner!  Yummy roasted chicken, ham, mac 'n cheese, deviled eggs and green bean casserole.  Delicious!

My birthday was the day after Easter so we celebrated that night with cupcakes, ice cream cake and presents! 

The next morning, we had to get packed up to come home.  It was a quick trip but we all had a great time!  It was a fabulous weekend!

Funnies

My twins are constantly cracking me up.  I know every parent thinks their kid(s) are the brightest, funniest, cutest, etc.  Bear with me on this one.  I need to keep track of these so I don't forget them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christopher (playing with his farm animals):   "Mommy, my horse is drinking water".
Kendall:  "I'm drinking like a fish".


Christopher:  I want "purple bunny" pizza.  (translation:  pepperoni)


Kendall: "Mommy, where all the cookies"?
Me: "Daddy ate them all gone"
Kendall:  "Daddy is Cookie Monster".


The twins were pretend shopping one Saturday morning.  I gave them each a dollar from my wallet to play with.  A few minutes later, Kendall came over and said, "More money".


Christopher:  "I want to ride an airplane"
Kendall:  "I want to ride the sunshine"
(Dream big, girlfriend)!


One afternoon, we were talking about farm animals and the kids were saying their favorite animal.
Kendall:  "I like cows".
Christopher:  "I like horsies"
Me:  "What does Mommy like"?
Kendall:  "Mommy likes pigs".
Me: "And what does Daddy like"?
Kendall:  "Daddy likes chicks".


I love, love, love those kids!

Big Changes Ahead

A few weeks ago, everyone in my office was summoned into the main conference room for a quick meeting.  As we all settled in our seats, looks of nervousness could be seen.  Was our office closing?  Were we about to receive bad news?

I sat there trying to crunch numbers in my head.  Could we make it work if I had to be a SAHM?

Thankfully, the announcement was to tell us that our office is relocating.  Phew!
Closer to my house.  Double Phew!

The bad news is that I'll have to switch the kids' daycare. 

I chose their current daycare for several reasons. 

• First, my niece and a co-worker's daughter go there so I knew it was reputable and the teachers were good. 
• Second, they offer a 20% sibling discount.  We knew the cost of daycare would be big so every dollar off is a help!
• And, lastly it's close to my office.  I work about 25 miles from home and I decided it was more important for the kids to be close to me if something happened.

I knew we'd have to move the kids eventually because their current daycare isn't in the same county that we live in.  Even though kindergarten is still several years away, I want them to transition and be comfortable in the daycare close to the elementary school.  My plan was to move them next year.

And, with the beginning of potty training, the 35-40 minute commute home (in traffic) isn't very conducive to success. 

My office will be moving approximately 10 miles closer to my house.  I would have to pass my office to drop off/pick up the kids, which isn't very convenient.

So, we're searching for a new daycare and my plan is to move the kids for the fall semester in September.  I'm surprisingly torn about the whole thing.  The twins love their teachers and they've made friends.  I love their teachers and all of the kids know me too.

And, the thought of making the kids go through the transition of a new school breaks my heart. 

But, the move has some pros too.  It means Daddy can drop off the kids in the mornings.  Which means Mommy can ride to and from work with some much needed peace & quiet.

You don't know insanity until you are sitting in traffic for 40 minutes with 2 toddlers having a temper tantrum. 

Oh. My. God.

It will also save me some significant money in gas. 

And, the best part?  It appears the 20% discount wasn't really that much of a discount after all.  I've spoken with 3 different (and reputable) daycares near our house and all of them are cheaper than what we're paying now.  

We were able to tour one of them during an Open House this past Saturday and I was really impressed.  It is a national chain but known as a more "upscale" school.  I won't drop names because honestly, I'm not interested in hearing "I know someone who" stories.  I'm quite capable of making a decision on my own, thank you.   :)

When we arrived, one of the teachers greeted us at the door and began to chat with the twins.  She knelt down and asked for a hug and both kids went to her without hesitation.  A good sign!

She walked us from room to room and explained each room's curriculum and schedule.  The twins had a blast playing with all of the new toys and looking around.  They were very comfortable.  Another good sign.

While I am happy with their current daycare, seeing this school made me realize some flaws it has.  The new daycare seemed more like a school.  Each room looked and felt like a classroom.  They also provide much more communication to the parents with boards posted inside and outside the classroom as well as weekly folders with typed letters detailing the child's progress for the week and month.  I like that because I truly believe learning needs to continue at home.  I want to be able to emphasize and review the same material with them at home to continue to build on their learning.  When we walked out,  DH and I agreed that we really liked it.

There is another daycare located within walking distance to our house and literally right across the street from the twins' future elementary school.  I want to tour that facility as well before making any decisions.

And, in case anyone is wondering about the current sleep re-training we have going on with Chris -  last night was awesome!  He went right to bed and didn't get out of bed once!  YES!

Better

Friday night, I was determined to get a good night's sleep so we did a little sleep training again.  If you've followed my blog for awhile, you might remember that we had to do it with Christopher before.  http://conceptiondeception.blogspot.com/2010/07/zzzzzzzzzz.html

I had suspicions that he was having separation anxiety again and I think I was right.  We followed our normal routine except I didn't turn on the lullaby music like I normally do.  I have a playlist loaded on an iPod that plays for about an hour.  It's really nice and soothing and the sole reason that I fall asleep in that darn rocking chair when I do stay in their room!

Anyway, I found a website that said if kids are used to falling asleep to music, they might not be able to go back to sleep without it.  As I was tucking Chris in bed, he said, "Mommy chair"?  I told him no, gave him a kiss goodnight and left the room.  He immediately went into hysterics.

It was almost like he knew what we were doing.  Daddy and I sat in our bedroom watching the monitor and sure enough, within 1 minute, he was at the gate crying.

We waited 2 minutes and then Daddy went in, took him back to bed by holding his hand, placed the blanket on him and left the room.  No speaking.  

Christopher layed in bed crying for about 5 minutes and then came back to the door again.  I waited  5 minutes and then I went in the room and did the same thing as Daddy.  More crying.

We had to do that 4 times but, he fell asleep on his own within 30 minutes.

AND, he slept until 7:30 am!

Last night went a little better.  He only got out of bed once.  He did wake up this morning at 5:00 am but I'm pretty sure it's because he was cold.  I had their window cracked and at some point, he felt the need to take off his PJ pants.  Typical guy.

We'll continue the re-training this week and hopefully we can get back on track.  I did speak with his daycare teacher and she said it's not uncommon for kids to have sleep disturbances and separation anxiety when they are going through a development phase (i.e. potty training).

NEED ADVICE - Getting No Sleep

OK, I need some advice.  I just had my 4th night of 5 or less hours of sleep.  Christopher has started waking up and I can't figure out the trigger.  There haven't been any significant changes to our routine.

6:00                             Dinner
6:30-6:45                     Bath
7:00 - 7:30                   They get to watch a video and/or we read
7:30-8:00                     Bedtime

Things started last month with Christopher where he would wake up around midnight.  We have a baby gate in their doorway since they transitioned to toddler beds last fall.  He'll come to the gate and call for me.  I get up because I'm always afraid something is wrong like a fever or he's sick.  Sometimes, I can sit in the rocker with him and he'll go right back to sleep.  Other times, he insists on going downstairs.  At a minimum, I'm usually up for at least an hour with him.   Sometimes Daddy and I will take turns with who gets up but typically, if Chris calls for me and Daddy shows up, he's starts crying for me anyway and then it turns into a full blown tantrum that will wake up Kendall.

When we put the kids to bed, Daddy and I both take them up.  Daddy does hugs/kisses and leaves and then I stay to get them settled.  We still have issues with both of them getting out of bed so I started sitting in the rocking chair until they started settling down and got drowsy.  When Chris started waking up last month, my theory was that he was waking up and not seeing me in the rocking chair and called for me to make sure I was still "there".  I started leaving the room and if either of them got out of bed, I would just walk in, put them back in bed and leave. 

And then he stopped waking up so I thought I had it figured out.  Now, here we are again. 

My only other theory is that he's well on his way to being potty trained.  He stays dry at daycare all day.  Maybe he's waking up because he's peeing in his diaper at night?  Although, when he wakes up, he doesn't mention the diaper or pee pee.

I know that going to him every time he wakes up is only perpetuating the cycle.  He still shares a room with his sister and that's part of my dilemma.  It's a fine line between letting him cry and/or put himself back to sleep and not waking her up.  Thankfully she's a pretty heavy sleeper but having one kid awake is always better than two.

We do have an office that could easily be transitioned into a room for him but I don't know if that's the answer.  If he's waking up because of separation anxiety or something else, being in his own room won't matter.  Plus, he and Kendall have really gotten attached and Christopher is definitely the "clingier" one.  I don't know if he would do well in a dark room by himself right now.

Last night, he woke up at 12:11 am and said he wanted to go downstairs.  I told him "no" and took him back to bed and left the room.  He immediately got back out of bed and came to the gate.  I went back in and sat with him in the rocking chair and he seemed like he was trying to go back to sleep but couldn't get comfortable.  I kept asking if he was ready to get back in bed.  After 30 minutes, I tucked him in and said "Mommy needs to go night night and so does Christopher.  It's time to go to sleep".   He would toss and turn in bed for a few minutes and then come right back to the gate.  At one point, he asked for some juice.  Finally, at 1:30 am, I woke up Daddy.  DH put him back in bed around 2:00 am and then Chris was back up at 3:00.  DH sat in the chair with him and got him back to sleep in about 20 minutes and Chris slept until 7:15 am. 

That's pretty typical for what happens when he wakes up.  It's a lot of back and forth, up and down.

I definitely don't think it's teething.  He is getting over a cold but I haven't heard him coughing at night and he hasn't complained about his ears hurting. 

So, what's your opinion?  What do you think it is?  And, more importantly.... how we stop it?