I Salute You Working Mommies!

I had the pleasure of being a stay at home mommy from the end of May until August. I started school August 8th. Being home with my babies this summer was AWESOME! I loved spending every moment of the day with Tripp and Ella Harper. I had very mixed feelings on starting back to school. I always get an excited feeling when I get that new list of sweet first graders. I love the smell of new crayons and getting my room ready for a new year. Starting the year as a new mommy was a bit different. I was excited for the new year yet sad to be leaving my babies. I thought being a stay at home mom had its challenges but oh my!
I salute you working mommies! Not to discount the importance of stay at home mommies because I have done it and it is a job (a really important job at that). Being on the other side of the fence has given me a rare insight into the differences.
Not only do I get up during the night when ONE of my children (*cough cough* Tripp Halen) wakes up two or three times for HIS PACI (for goodness sake!) but then I am busy in the morning too. I am getting myself ready and trying to get in some good lovin' time too. Not to mention a.m. feedings (which my Rob does help with too). Then it is off to educate 19 precious first graders. I am usually home by 4:30 and then my 2nd job begins. I am feeding babies and hubby (ok...so confession, he does eat more cereal for supper now than he has probably eaten his whole life but I do try most weeks)....making baby food...playing....holding....loving....and putting babies to sleep. When I lay down my head, I can truly say that I have put in a full days work. I miss my occasional nap that I could catch while they were napping if I was tired (not anymore)...Then my Saturdays and Sundays I am left to catch up on laundry, grocery shopping, and cleaning.
I am not complaining...it is what it is. I love both of my jobs. Sometimes when Monday rolls around way to fast, I do wish I could be at home with my angels. I worry that I am going to miss all their "first" and I am missing precious time with them. I then remind myself that in the long run I am helping my family. I am securing my children's college fund, putting diapers on their cute little butts, food in their belly, and helping our financial well being. It is a sacrifice and one that I must balance.
I am fortunate to have my babies grandmother taking care of them during the day. That is time that she will only get in this time of their life.
God has truly blessed my life tremendously. I think whatever your situation whether it be working or stay home...you should be thankful that you can stay home or that you can work! I get to be a working mom for nine months and a stay at home mom three. Although I am more tired some nights than I ever imagined now...I am blessed! Go and be blessed too!

Baby Nite Nite Boot Camp Night #4: So Long, Fairwell, and Goodnight!

Well, Baby Night Night Boot Camp is coming to an end. I feel as though we are on the road to sleeping all night.

My little trooper woke up at 12:30 for just a minute and then at 4:15 for a minute. The times are stretching longer and I feel that with the night feedings gone, it won't be long! Thanks for the prayers, encouragement, and advice! I knew I could count on you SUPER MOMS!

So, until the next update...I hope you all are having a great summer! Thanks for coming along on our journey to good sleep!

Carlyn

Baby Nite Nite Boot Camp Night #3: The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music!

Ahhhh! Sleep, dear sleep....where have you been my friend?!?!? Don't get too excited....Tripp didn't sleep ALL night but after the night before.....it was definitely a step in the right direction! Also, Mommy got more than 3 hours of consecutive sleep! I see a light at the end of the tunnel and it is beautiful!
We went to the doctor yesterday and she gave us some great tips. One thing she said was to not rock him all the way to sleep at night. I should rock him until he is almost a sleep and then put him in his bed. This way he knows he is in his bed and doesn't wake up thinking "Hey! Where did everybody go? We were just all together and Mommy was rocking me!"
Also she suggested that we lose the paci because he is using it as a sleeping aid and I am having to get up to put it in his mouth. She also told me that when I do get up with him to not pick him up, not to make eye contact, or talk to him. She said that if I give him attention then he will learn that crying equals Mommies attention. So laughing at him is probably a bad idea! He has got to learn not to be so darn cute in the middle of the night! ;o)
Last night at 8:00, he had his "milkshake" and he was so sleepy that he was falling a sleep while eating. I put him right in his bed because I knew if I rocked him that he would be out like a light. He went right to sleep after only a couple of minutes (with no paci...just his blanket and Lovie).
He slept until 3:00. I tried to just pat his back to get him back to sleep but it was obvious he was looking for that paci. After not much consideration or thought, I quickly retrieved the paci from his diaper bag and popped it right in his little mouth. I will not apologize for this act of desperation....I had slept....actually slept! At that moment, all I wanted was to get back to that glorious feeling and for Tripp to also. A mistake maybe but we were both back a sleep in less than 5 minutes....um, worth it!
He then woke up at 5:00 for another paci replacement (ummm, yes I know what you are thinking but we are taking baby steps). We were back a sleep in less that 2 minutes.
That was it until 6:15 when we got up for the morning.
I consider the night a small success. I am not sure what I am going to do about the paci. He went to sleep fine with out it but seemed to want it to get back to sleep in the middle of the night. I guess we will take it one night at a time.
I feel like a new person today with some decent sleep! I guess we will see how Night #4 goes! Wish me luck!

Baby Nite Nite Boot Camp Night #2: Tripp-2 Mommy-0

Night #2: Well, what can I say but it was a LONG one again. The successes were that he did not have a bottle although I almost caved! At 4:45 in the morning, with little sleep, you start to try to rationalize why it would be o.k. "just this once" to TANK HIM UP for some sleep. I actually went into the kitchen and began making his bottle. I was telling myself how technically it was morning and how lovely it would be if it would make him sleep to at least 7:00. I started thinking about my comfy comforter and how it would be worth it to me for just 1 hour of straight sleep.
You see what preceded these thoughts explain why I would be compromising my "no bottle" new rule.
At 8:00 I fed Tripp his last bottle. One of my friends, Amy who has grown twin boys, said that she fed her boys cereal before they went to sleep and they slept through the night. I decided to try this, however Tripp will not eat cereal straight from a spoon, I have to mixed it with his veggies or fruits during dinner. But I thought he may eat it in his bottle. I did do this night one but I only put about a teaspoon of cereal. After talking to my best friend Caprice yesterday, she said that if he can eat it though a regular nipple, that I am not putting enough. So, I made that sweet child a milk/cereal milkshake. He ate about 2 ounces and was out. I was fairly confident that this was going to keep him asleep for awhile. Well, he made it until 2:00 a.m. Which is good and 30 minutes longer than the night before. I just had high hopes of dreaming about skipping in a meadow with Julie Andrews like in the Sound of Music. O.k, so I have never actually had this dream but doesn't it sound just lovely?!?!? I would have even settled for running in a desert with anyone to just be asleep! But my sweet child had other plans.
He ended up waking up every 30 minutes from 2:00 to 4:45 for his PACI! Yes, I said it. He was fine after I put that paci in his mouth every time. Well, I say "fine". He seemed like he just could not get comfortable and go to sleep good. But he did, at least for 30 minutes. I would get back to sleep for just a minute when I would hear "WAAAAAAAA!" I was even wishing he would do something, like spit at me, to make me laugh by 3:30 but no such luck.
Will this ever get better? I was happier or at least more willing to be up at 2:00 when I "had" to feed him. But to be up all night to replace a paci is for the birds.
I know some will say to let him just cry himself back to sleep and but I am still worried about Ella Harper and Daddy in the next room. That boy can scream...I mean, wake the dead, scream. So, we will forge on and hope for the best. We are going to the dr today for their 6 month check-up so I will pick her brain for suggestions as well. As ALWAYS....if you know the secret to fixing this little predicament, please share. The Baby Whisperer obviously never met Tripp Halen because she has no suggestions for fixing this problem with a twin sister in the next room. Prayers appreciated and Julie Andrews....I AM coming sister! lol

Carlyn

Baby Nite Nite Boot Camp Night #1

We have officially started baby nite nite boot camp at our house. It is called "Operation: Get Tripp Sleeping Through the Night".
I thought I would document this for other people who might be going through the same thing, or for you to give me advice on what I am doing AND so Tripp can see, when he gets older, what a sweet little stinker he was when he was little (lol).
The first night (last night) went much better than I thought it would. Thanks to the advice that you sent to my Facebook and on here. I also re-read the sleep chapter of "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" and got a plan.
It started at 8:00 when Tripp had his last bottle for the night. I made him 6 oz and added cereal to it. Then it was off to bed. I put Ella Harper in the Pack N Play in the spare bedroom with Daddy.
Tripp woke up the first time about 1:30. (As suggested in the book) I picked him up and put the paci in his mouth. I rocked him back and forth for about 10 minutes until he fell back asleep. This shocked me. I was sure that he would cry until I gave him a bottle.
#2 wake up came about 2:30. I did not pick him up but put the paci back in his mouth and patted his back until he stopped crying. He fell back asleep fairly quickly. (Surprise #2)
#3 wake up came at 3:30 (do you see a pattern? lol) This time, he was MAD! I went in and talk to him and patted his back and replaced the paci. Once he was ok, the "fun" began. He obviously thought it was time to play because the next think I know, he was kicking his feet and laughing. I softly told him it was time to go to sleep in my best nurturing mommy voice. That child looked right at me and spit (you know the kind where they stick their tongue out and blow slobber everywhere) and laughed. I got bad tickled and had to walk out.
He played and talked for about 10 minutes until, I guess, he realized that I was gone. Then the crying began again. I went in, patted his back and he went to sleep. All this in about 30 minutes.
He woke up this morning about 5:45 for breakfast.
I consider this a success. Hopefully night 2 will go just as well and we will dwindle down on the number of times that we are getting up. At least the feedings are gone (hopefully) and he will stop waking up out of habit. I also hope I do not get spit at tonight (crazy boy)! They never miss a chance to make me laugh! Wish me luck and prayers are appreciated!
P.S. Ella Harper and Daddy got a good nights rest in the spare bedroom! YAY!

Carlyn

Photographers, Babies, and Heat....Oh My!!!

My beautiful new photographs are courtesy of www.chrystalbrookphotography.com. She did a phenomenal job of capturing the sweet spirit of my precious babies.
We went last Saturday to my hometown of Montgomery to meet my friend Chrystal, who is a photographer, to take my babies 6 month pictures.
Before deciding to go with Chrystal, I looked at some local photographers for convenience purposes. I have to say, the quality of work that all the photographers did were gorgeous. The problem was the method of pricing. After looking at the websites of what I would need to pay to get quality memories of my babies, my head was spinning. There were sitting fees (one for weekends and one for weekdays)....there were session fees....fees for extra people....fees for CD's....fees for prints....fees, fees, fees. I tried to figure out what exactly I would end up paying and honestly I narrowed it down to anywhere between $150.00 to $300.00 but I didn't know for sure.
I made this mistake with our 3 month pictures. I chose a local commercial photography studio. They reeled me in with a $9.99 sitting fee. I though well, we will only want a few pictures so the prints should not cost that much....WRONG! We ended up paying almost $300.00 for mediocre photographs that weren't retouched or edited at all. $9.99 my fanny! I promised myself that I would not go that route again.
So for the six month pictures, I wanted to know exactly what I was paying for and quality without forgoing the twins college fund. I absolutely got that with Chrystal. Yes, I had to drive to Montgomery which is less convenient but SO WORTH IT! Her pricing is straight forward and reasonable. She was great with my children. It was so hot but she was patient and professional and waited to get the perfect shot! As you can see....she was well worth the trip to Montgomery. I highly recommend her to you for capturing all of you priceless memories! Here website is www.chrystalbrookphotography.com Check her out and tell her I sent you! You won't be sorry! We will be using her for all our milestones!
Thanks again Chrystal! You are FABULOUS!

Calling All SUPER Mommies!!! Help!!!!!!

My babies are 6 months old this week. Hard to believe that at this time last year, I was just getting use to idea that our family would be going from two to four. It is amazing what happens in a year.
I have to say that I am totally appreciating my job as a teacher. Having these couple of months to spend at home with my babies have been priceless. We spend our days laughing, playing, but mostly Mommy chasing my highly skilled "rollers". I can walk into the kitchen, leaving both babies on their mat, and I come back in to one on one side of the room and the other baby on the other side (both laughing). I am pretty sure that they know what they are doing. ;o) I can't imagine how much fun they will have with me when they figure out that they can crawl in opposite directions. I am thinking that one of those baby corals will be in our future.
The 6 months stage is proving to be a fun and exciting age. They are developing their cute little personalities. Ella Harper is independent and so funny. She is every expressive with her face and fairly easy going. She is happy anywhere you put her and she loves playing with her brother but is just as happy playing by herself. When she cries, you know she needs something. My little Tripp, on the other hand, is a total cuddle bug and turning into quite the "Mommy's Boy". He is very expressive as well. He is constantly "talking", laughing and squealing (which is his new thing lately). It is amazing to me how high his octave is. It will definitely get your attention. It is so cool watching them come into their own.
Another thing that is happening in the new stage.They are recognizing when people who are unfamiliar to them. I like to call this phase"stranger danger". They curl that bottom lip up and scream at unsuspecting elderly people in the grocery store who only want to squeeze their cute, chubby cheeks. Strangely enough it has been my easy going child, Ella Harper. I am hoping that the couple of times it has happened are isolated incidents. Usually they are both very sweet and good when we go on outings.
Right now I am trying to get my little Tripp to sleep through the night before I start back to school. He was before I started back to work and then he started getting up at least twice a night to eat but I also get up to put his paci in his mouth and the reposition him (even though he knows how to roll over himself). I read to ween them off of the night feedings that you reduce the amount of milk you give them and then you start diluting them with water. The theory is that they will stop waking up for water. I have started reducing the amount and so far I have found out that Tripp only wakes up for a night feeding out of habit (which I figured as much but nice to be confirmed). He eats the 2 oz vs the 6 he was getting and goes back to sleep. But how do I break the habit of feeding during the night at all? I am going to try diluting his bottles but any advice you might have to get him to sleep through the night would be wonderful. What have you tried and what has worked for you? Also, what do you do about the paci getting misplaced during the night? Remember he has a sister who is asleep in the same room so letting him cry himself back to sleep is not really an option. What is worse than having one baby awake at 2:00 a.m? Having two babies awake at 2:00 am!!! Help!!! I have about 3 weeks until school starts!
I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Just Another Day in Paradise!

O.k. I admit it! I have been a terrible blogger the past two months. To my defense, I have been just a little busy with two precious angels.

For starters, I had to go back to work at the beginning of May to teach my little first graders for the 18 days left of school.. This was a huge hurdle for me. I was very spoiled getting to spend the days being a stay at home mommy. I was very conflicted about how I would feel leaving my babies every morning. The first week was the worst. Both of my babies are the happiest little things first thing in the morning. It is my favorite time with them. So leaving them , sometimes before they woke up, was hard. Then there was the day that Tripp cried every time I started to walk out the door. Talk about ripping this mommy's heart out! Ugh! I cried all the way to school and then some. Luckily, I am so blessed to have my Mother in Law to keep them. At least when I am working, I know they are in excellent care and being loved on as much as I do! I thank God they have such an awesome grandmother who loves spending precious time with my babies. I have been out of school for two weeks now so my heart is complete for the summer!

The babies will be 5 months old on the 14th of June....I KNOW...I can't believe it either. Where did the time go?!?!? They are getting so big and we are hitting some fun milestones. Their weight at the 4 month appointment was Ella Harper 13 lbs and Tripp was 16 lbs (daddy's little linebacker). Ella was in the 50 percentile and Tripp was in the 95th percentile! My friend said that she was going to start the "Feed Ella Harper Campaign". HA I promise we feed that sweet baby. Her brother just puts it on a little more. Not to mention, he gets one to two more feedings than her. She sleeps through the night but I can usually count on him waking up to eat! What can I say...my boys like his milk!

Ella Harper is my little rolly poly... She can successfully roll from her back to her tummy with little effort. I lay her down on her back, blink, and then she is on her tummy! I spend most of my days rolling over to her back because she cannot. This aggravates her a lot. She will scream her pretty little head off to be rolled back over. But of course after I do, she rolls right back to her tummy. It is a game that has become apart of our daily routine. Trust me, we have been working on mastering rolling from her tummy to her back. Now my little chunky monkey Tripp is just as content as can be laying on his back and letting mommy roll him to his tummy. He just laughs. When I say "you do it"....he just laughs some more. To his defense, he does have 3 pounds on Ella Harper. It is hard to maneuver all that "love" around.

My little love bugs are also eating baby food now. It is the cutest thing. Ella Harper will open her mouth as wide as we can when the spoon comes near. We have been through all the veggies and they seem to like them all. We will try fruits soon. This was a tip from our ped. and I thought it was the smartest thing EVER. She said to start with the green veggies, then yellow, and then orange. Then you can go to the fruits. She said that if you start with the good stuff, chances are, it will be harder to get them to eat their veggies....GENIUS I say!

I have also invested in the "Baby Bullet"....you know the info commercial that comes on 20 times on Nick Jr that tells you how easy it would be to make your own baby food! Oh yes! I am going to be a baby food making machine!! How organic of me! Before you know it I will be stitching together homemade diapers made from paper mache ! OK, maybe not but I will let you know how it goes and if my "3 easy payments of $19.95" was worth it.

Well, I guess I have caught you up for now... I am going to try my best to keep my blog up to date...but when they start crawling, I am going to have to invent a belt to strap the laptop on so I can type while I am chasing!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Carlyn

Ella Harper LOVES her carrots!

Tripp Does too!

My Wise Babies Whisper Because They are the Happiest Babies on the Block

Oh my goodness! I have been quite busy with my two 3 month old twins! I loved reading all of your comments on what worked for you. It also reminded me that all babies are different. What works for your baby might not work for others. I have two very different babies so I have to do what works with them. I can say that we are all happy and living in peace. The good news is, they are both successfully sleeping through the night! YAY! How? You might ask? Did my research of some of the popular baby books work? Am I using on the popular baby books? Well the answer is ...DRUM ROLL PLEASE.... YES, my research paid off! I read "Baby Wise", "Baby Whisperer", and "The Happiest Baby on the Block." I implemented all three for a short stint of time. I decided that I like certain things about all three book. Hence the title of my blog, (which I am considering writing my own book for mom of twins and calling it this...lol) "My Wise Babies Whisper Because They are the Happiest Babies on the Block." Not one of these books really worked 100% for both babies. I was stressing myself out trying to be a stickler when implementing them. I even had a somewhat meltdown and had to call a friend for reinforcement one day. I decided shortly after that that I needed to do what is best for Tripp and Ella Harper. So what are we doing? Well, I got from "Baby Wise" and the "Baby Whisperer" that schedules and consistency is key. That is great for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I am very much ruled by these things. So doing this with the twins was an easy task for me to implement. We already were to an extent. The "Baby Whisperer" helped me tremendously to find out what kind of babies I have and what their temperaments are (according to the book). You and your spouse answer a little questionnaire for each child and then it tells you. It was really close to being right on. Also from this book, I learned what the different cries mean. This has been so useful and I really can tell most times. We also use the E.A.S.Y schedule. It stands for Eat, Activity, Sleep, and You time. What I do not do from this book is how I get the babies to sleep. This is where "The Happiest Baby on the Block" comes in. I have chosen to rock them to sleep. This book does the 5 S's (Swaddle, Side/Stomach, Shushing sound, Swinging, and Sucking). I have staggered their eating time by 15 minute to allow for rocking time. My logic (because the other 2 books frown upon rocking or any other "aides") is they are only little for a short time and I am going to cherish every moment with them. I LOVE to rock and I am going to do it. That time is special for me and for them. It has become a sort of prayer and meditation time over them. I look into their beautiful blue eyes in amazement on how good God is and thank him for my angels. I LOVE IT! Guess what....it works and they are not ruined so far AND sleeping through the night at 3 months. So we are chugging along right now and we are H-A-P-P-Y! Again...thank you everyone for your input. Sometimes it is just nice to know that others have been where you are and they survived! On another note...we went for our 2 month check-up. Tripp was 13 lbs and 6 oz and my little peanut, Ella Harper, was 10 lbs and 9 oz. My chunky monkey was THREE lbs more than his sissy! I cannot believe how much they have grown and that it has already been 3 months! They are "talking" and making some great expressions. Being a mommy is the best. Everyday I wonder what amazing new thing they are going to do. I love that most days I smile so much that my mouth hurts. I love that I can calm them when they cry. I love that I miss them when I am away from them (even if it is only for a few minutes). Most of all, I just love being their mommy! Tell me what are your favorite parts of being a mommy? What do I have to look forward to? Until next time...God Bless!

Diary of a Desperate Mommy

The babies were 2 weeks old when my friend Janna came over to bring us dinner and to see them. She is a mother of 6 year old twin girls. When she asked me how it was going, I was confident in telling her that it had been surprisingly easy so far. I went on to tell her how they just slept, ate, pooped, and rarely made a peep.
She smiled at me and said, "you do know that these sweet little babies are going to wake up. God only makes them like this so you will take them home from the hospital."
At the time, I naively thought that my babies had to be different from other babies I had heard about. I had always heard moms complaining about how hard it is with a newborn and how all they did was cry and want to be held.
I saw none of this for the first 3 weeks. I thought "wow, I am so lucky." THEN, the babies "woke up".
When I say they woke up, I mean they WOKE UP! Imagine these two precious babies mouths wide open, screaming at the tops of their lungs! Rob and I would each have one. At first I was pretty good at getting them calm so I would hold the louder baby. I would rock, sway, bounce, and sing until he or she would quiet down. Then I would pass that one to Rob and he would pass me the other screaming baby. This would go on until they both tired out and fell asleep.
Just to let you know how desperate things can get, one evening I decided to go to the gym leaving Robbie with the twins. I had had a pretty rough day myself so it was nice to escape!
When I returned about 45 minutes later, I walked into my home to see both babies in their car seats, attached to the double stroller in my den. They were both asleep and so was Robbie on the couch.
Apparently when I left, they both started screaming. All daddy knew was that they love strolling in their stroller, so he strolled them around the house until they fell asleep. He was so tired after 30 minutes that he fell asleep too. He was so funny. He just kept saying, "they would not stop screaming. You are NEVER leaving again."
All I could do was laugh, pat him on the back for thinking so quickly and creatively, and sympathize because I had been there a few times myself.
The stroller became a common "go to" for panic mode the next few days until I realized that there had to be a better way!
Last Monday was my breaking point. I should have known what kind of day it was going to be when I woke up and found out that Robbie already had the stroller out and was walking the twins up and down the street at 7:00 a.m. By 10:00 a.m. I had tried rocking, bouncing, singing, swinging, and strolling. Then I loaded them into the car seats and into the car.
Mind you...I was still in my pajamas with no make-up, and the hair was a straight up mess. I didn't care. Both babies were crying and tired but would not go to sleep. After half an hour of riding around in the car and one baby asleep (Ella Harper), I pulled up to the house with a very mad Tripp still screaming. I quickly retrieved my "Baby Wise" book and started reading while I feverishly rocked a crying Tripp. I decided then and there that we were going to get on a good schedule and get the sleeping thing under control. We are still working on this and next time I will let you know what we have done and if it is working . I also research other techniques such as the "no crying" method. I would love to hear what you did in your household to get your child or children on a good sleeping schedule. Are you a "Baby Wise" fan or more of a "Baby Whisperer" fan. Vote on my new poll! Remember to make a comment you must create a google ID.
Until next time...pray for sleep and peace in the Duncan home!

Everyday Life!

Today, the babies are six weeks old. In a way, I can't believe that it has been six weeks already. In another way, it feels as though I have known these sweet angels forever. They have taught me so much. For one thing, they are completely individuals. Their pediatrician reminded of this at our first appointment. I, of course, had to learn it the hard way. I have changed both their formulas to try to help the reflux to only quickly put Ella Harper back on what she was on before. I learned that just because Ella Harper likes to be swaddled tight to go to sleep, Tripp likes his arms free. He will fuss and struggle until he gets them free. My nap and his was compromised one day to learn that one! Tripp likes to lie on the floor on his baby gym and look at the hanging mobiles and Ella Harper likes to be in the bouncy or the swing. As different as they are, they also are alike too. They both love for mommy and daddy to rock them. They both find holding on to mommy's hair comforting. They love taking rides in the stroller and the car. I know this isn't earth shattering, go tell it on the mountain news but it has been so cool to see their little differences and similarities.
In mommy news, I am learning to let people help me and I am learning to try to be "ok" when things aren't done exactly as I would do them. Both are really hard for me. I am very independent and I tend to do things myself to ensure that they are done to my specifications. In one way, I feel as though it has helped me tremendously to be schedule and detail oriented when raising two newborn twins. We have them eating every three to four hours. They go to sleep at the same time and wake up the same time. We feed them at the same time too even if I am by myself. This has been key to my survival as a new mommy. Not to mention, it has ensured that I get sleep at night (when the reflux isn't causing problems). Can you imagine what it would be like if I did not do this? I would be feeding babies for two hours, then with diaper change and getting them back to sleep, that would leave no sleep for me. It would be a continuous circle. So I don't feel as bad being insistent on these details. It's the little things that I need to let go. For example, like what they wear or how they are held when being fed....those things are unimportant.
I have also been brave enough to get out on my own with the babies. The key to making a quick run to store or anywhere else (by yourself) with two newborn babies is to make sure you do it between feedings. I get them and me ready to go, then feed them, and leave immediately. I only have about 2 hours and 45 minutes (to be safe) to get in and out before the starving shrills begin. So far I have been successful. However, I have learned to avoid Walgreens on Mondays. I went a couple of weeks ago and saw that senior citizen ladies like to go then to redeem those coupons. They love to stop, look at the babies, and reminisce about when they had little babies. Some have told me all the people they know who have twins or just had babies in general. Don't get me wrong, I love showing off my babies and talking to anyone that wants to stop us. It's just that talking too long could potentially lead to a disaster if it gets into feeding time. So Tuesdays it is, Walgreens!
I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy your family and friends!

The Votes are in!

The votes are in! I wish I agreed with you! Majority voted that Tripp and Ella Harper both look like me. I happen to feel strongly that both my children look like their daddy in their own way. You are at a disadvantage. You only get to see their picture. I get to see their facial expressions. Their eyes are even turning blue like his. I tell them all the time that "mommy was just the incubator for little mini-daddies"! Thank goodness he is very good looking! I am hoping that as they grow up, maybe just a little of mommy will be visible! At this point, I will happy if they have my toes! It did make me feel good to see all those votes for "mommy"!

Witching Hour?!?

I have heard moms talking about a newborn syndrome called the "witching hour". This is when a newborn baby cries or is fussy at a certain time at night. It can start anywhere from 4:00 in the afternoon and last until 10:00 at night. The baby is almost inconsolable. (To find out more, google "baby witching hour"). I always wondered what caused it and how you "fix" it. I also wondered if all babies do this or if it was just a mild exaggeration from sleep deprived mommies. My sweet angels will be one month old this Friday. For the past two weeks my little Tripp starts getting really cranky around 7:00 pm and usually calms down around the 9:00 feeding. We discovered that he has some reflux problems and I thought initially that his fussiness was his reflux acting up. Our pediatrician prescribed medicine to help that and he is still super fussy. It dawned on me today that maybe what is going on with Tripp may be what some moms call the witching hour. Some nights are better than others. Sometimes he just whines and squirms and wants to be held. Other nights, he screams as if he is in pain and starving (even after he has just eaten). So now I am left wondering...is Tripp experiencing the newborn witching hour or could it be his reflux making him uncomfortable? It is weird to me that while he is pitching fits his sister, Ella Harper, is usually fast asleep nearby. If it is the witching hour fussiness, what can this mommy do to help? What has worked for you or do you even believe in the whole "witching hour" tale? Also, answer my new polls...inquiring minds want to know!

WAKE UP!

The babies are two weeks old today. I have to say that I have learned a lot about my babies as a new mommy already. One thing I am mastering is the night time feedings. Robbie started back to work this week, so night time duty became mine. The babies sleep in a cradle together right beside me so I can get to them quickly. Some nights have been better than others but I know immediately which way it is going to go by how my babies choose to wake me up. A feeding that is going to go smoothly starts with one of the babies (usually Ella Harper) waking up and making noises. I lovingly call them little bird noises. Then you will hear them sucking on their hands and stirring around in their cradle. I have time to get up, get my robe, get their bottle ready, and then take them to the den for their feeding. Now, a night that is what I consider "rough" looks much different. It starts with one of the babies (usually Ella Harper...lol but Tripp has done it to me too) waking up for a feeding. Now imagine this. You are in a semi-deep sleep enjoying the last few minutes before the next feeding. Then all of a sudden you hear a screeching, ear piercing cry. Talk about a way to wake up. I am pretty sure that I go straight from laying down asleep to feet on the floor in full motion. It feels like a fire alarm has sounded and you wake up in a complete frazzle. I manage to knock anything in reach on the floor while searching for my robe in the dark (baby still screaming). I then finally get to the screaming baby and run out of the room before Robbie's peaceful sleep is totally ruined. (After all, I get to take a nap the next day and am home with just myself and babies. He has to actually go to work and be nice to people). I am then in the kitchen with the screaming baby trying to one handily prepare two bottles and console the apparently starving baby. After retrieving the other baby who has started to stir, I am ready to began feeding only to realize that the baby who started this whirlwind of a moment is sound asleep again. I can only say that it makes me totally appreciate the feedings where my babies lovingly coo to wake mommy up.

Welcome to the World!

My name is Carlyn Duncan. A year ago, I started writing blogs for a popular Florida website called http://www.sunshinemamas.com/. I wrote about my husband Robbie and my journey to have a baby. On January 14, 2011, we were blessed with the most adorable twins. Their names are Tripp Halen and Ella Harper. They were born at 37 weeks by way of c-section. Tripp weighed 5 lbs 8 oz and 18 inches long. Ella Harper weighed 5 lbs 13 oz and was 17 inches. These two little miracles were prayed for by many and we are so happy they are finally here. I am starting this blog so that friends and family can keep up with what the twins and our family are doing. Thanks for checking it out and please vote in the poll of who the babies look like!