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.