Our deck was finished today.
We moved several months ago. Since our move happened in winter, the builder had postponed the deck until "spring." Which, where we live, is a hit or miss season - 70s, then snow.
But it's done, in all its maintenance-free glory (best part ever). At our previous house, we never got around to building the deck (or the fence we planned, either) in the four-ish years we lived there. We vowed that we wouldn't let that happen at the new house, and lucked out with a builder who doesn't believe in leaving things "unfinished."
The hubs is getting the patio furniture out of storage. It's a beautiful day. We're planning on dinner on the deck. Hosting family this weekend. Can't wait to use the deck this summer, at least until the mosquitos come out in full force.
Check one more thing off the "before baby comes" list.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Good friends, good food, good mood
In my last post, I mentioned that some friends were coming to visit for the weekend, and I was a little apprehensive since I still feel like I have a lot of unfinished projects and things to get done before baby arrives. However, this weekend was a fabulous experience. Our friends arrived after we had put the girls to bed, so we were able to enjoy a leisurely dinner with adult conversation and without any screeching competitions, repeated admonitions that we do NOT put our feet on the table when we eat, spilled milk, or banging of silverware. It was so nice to talk and catch up. Our friends were very low key and didn't bat an eye at taking two toddlers to lunch and not having any specific plans. We rounded out Saturday with drinks and card games, and it was wonderful. Sunday my mom came and watched the twins so the hubs and I could take a day and go out to eat and do some shopping for Nugget (with a little for SB and BW thrown in). It was so nice to have another adult meal and focus on some new things for Nugget. I can't believe she will be arriving soon, and our whole routine will change. Here we go....
Saturday, April 25, 2015
The countdown is on, and twin laundry dilemmas
So, my last post whined about how unprepared I am for Nugget to arrive. What do I do? Agree to house guests a few weeks before my due date. Then get sick two days before they are to arrive, when I would ordinarily be frantically cleaning before they arrive. The hubs has (once again) stepped up and done the cleaning that needed to be done, and offered to help with SB and BW's laundry. However, this is a realm where I am really on my own. SB and BW are different sizes - about 5 lbs and 1.5 inches difference between them. They are also built differently - BW has LONG limbs and a poochy tummy because her ab muscles still haven't closed; SB has a petite build with a longer torso. Also, toddler clothing has NO consistency whatsoever. It's worse than vanity sizing for adults, I think. The only area where I can cleanly separate their clothes by size is pjs, and as they start to prefer two-piece pjs over footies, even this is getting blurred. So, I know in my head what fits who and quickly sort through the clothes for each kid. However, I can't say to someone else "BW gets all the 4T shirts (yes,4T - she is very tall) and SB gets all the 3T shirts" because BW still fits well in some of the 3T. Pants are the same - some of the 3T are still too long for SB; some still fit BW but I have passed on to SB as she has outgrown her 2T pants.
I have also complicated this by getting hand-me-downs/buying used clothing for about a year, some from other twin parents, some not. I would estimate about 85% of their clothing is used; I do buy them new stuff occasionally! Which is great for my wallet, but usually results in trial and error for what fits when, since I buy ahead sizes figuring at least one of them will fit into it at some point - I think i have a few things up to size 6 already. I miss when they were close enough in size that they could just have a completely shared closet, though - so much easier for other people to help with laundry.
I have also complicated this by getting hand-me-downs/buying used clothing for about a year, some from other twin parents, some not. I would estimate about 85% of their clothing is used; I do buy them new stuff occasionally! Which is great for my wallet, but usually results in trial and error for what fits when, since I buy ahead sizes figuring at least one of them will fit into it at some point - I think i have a few things up to size 6 already. I miss when they were close enough in size that they could just have a completely shared closet, though - so much easier for other people to help with laundry.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Approaching D-day
I've come to the realization today that I am only a few days away from where I was when I was induced with SB and BW. Days. It's so strange. I had a yucky day yesterday where I had some minor stomach ailment and it sent me into a panic for a bit that it might be early labor.
I need to preface my next comment, because I don't want it to come across as flippant. We were trying to conceive Nugget. We wanted a third child. But we weren't expecting to be successful SO quickly, if at all, so I feel like a part of this pregnancy for both the hubs and I has been a bit of...not denial, but...delay? Like, we wish it wasn't going to happen quite so soon? SB and BW have been going through some tough sleeping times as a result of DST and loss of the pacis, so the thought of adding a newborn on top of that is literally exhausting. We're already exhausted. I am, thanks to my chiro visit, sleeping blissfully well, considering I am quickly approaching single digits until my due date, aside from the multiple times a night when I woken by a crying toddler. The hubs has been a champ, he gets up often to tend to them so I can get more sleep since I'm huge and preggo and all, but there are also times when this mama can't resist getting up to comfort her babies.
So, we're sleep-deprived, and unprepared. The infant carseat is still in storage, so it needs to be retrieved, washed, and installed in the car. I'm still trying to figure out the configuration for three car seats in our less-than-friendly for carseats vehicle. In the process, I've considered a minivan...gasp. I've got size one diapers stocked, but still need to snag some newborns. The nursery is closer to being done, but still needs pictures hung.
So, nugget - stay put for a little while longer. Mama is still comfortable, and we have a lot more to accomplish before you are an outside baby.
I need to preface my next comment, because I don't want it to come across as flippant. We were trying to conceive Nugget. We wanted a third child. But we weren't expecting to be successful SO quickly, if at all, so I feel like a part of this pregnancy for both the hubs and I has been a bit of...not denial, but...delay? Like, we wish it wasn't going to happen quite so soon? SB and BW have been going through some tough sleeping times as a result of DST and loss of the pacis, so the thought of adding a newborn on top of that is literally exhausting. We're already exhausted. I am, thanks to my chiro visit, sleeping blissfully well, considering I am quickly approaching single digits until my due date, aside from the multiple times a night when I woken by a crying toddler. The hubs has been a champ, he gets up often to tend to them so I can get more sleep since I'm huge and preggo and all, but there are also times when this mama can't resist getting up to comfort her babies.
So, we're sleep-deprived, and unprepared. The infant carseat is still in storage, so it needs to be retrieved, washed, and installed in the car. I'm still trying to figure out the configuration for three car seats in our less-than-friendly for carseats vehicle. In the process, I've considered a minivan...gasp. I've got size one diapers stocked, but still need to snag some newborns. The nursery is closer to being done, but still needs pictures hung.
So, nugget - stay put for a little while longer. Mama is still comfortable, and we have a lot more to accomplish before you are an outside baby.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Toddler Twins talking
I love our daycare. They focus so well on infant through preschool intellectual, social and emotional development. The hubs and I dropped the girls off for daycare the morning after tossing their pacis, and notified the lead teacher that they had done really well with dropping them off, and had processed it well. She proceeded to tell us that toddlers can learn up to four new words a day. Four. Now I feel challenged to make sure I am introducing four words to them a day, in a context that they can understand the usage.
I don't want this post to seem braggy or preachy. I know all kids are different. But I also get tired of people who generalize that twins "talk late" or that twin parents shouldn't be worried if their twins aren't using many words by two "because they are twins". A few weeks before SB and BW had their 18-month doctor appointment, I started writing down words that they spoke, because I wanted to have an idea of their word count if the doctor asked. I had to keep pulling the list out frequently because they were adding words every day. By 18 months, they each were saying approximately 85-90 words, not counting animal sounds.
The downside? They also easily pick up on my terrible speech habits and repeat them - most of which I am unaware of until two little minions in my house start using them frequently. For a long time, SB and BW used "Yeah" as a reply instead of "yes". I joked it was the German in them. Now, when they are trying to assert their independence, they emphatically say "I do it, kay?" - apparently from the multitude of times they have heard me say, "Mommy will do it, okay?" And my latest, least favorite, when I say their name, they will reply "What?" Argh.
I don't want this post to seem braggy or preachy. I know all kids are different. But I also get tired of people who generalize that twins "talk late" or that twin parents shouldn't be worried if their twins aren't using many words by two "because they are twins". A few weeks before SB and BW had their 18-month doctor appointment, I started writing down words that they spoke, because I wanted to have an idea of their word count if the doctor asked. I had to keep pulling the list out frequently because they were adding words every day. By 18 months, they each were saying approximately 85-90 words, not counting animal sounds.
The downside? They also easily pick up on my terrible speech habits and repeat them - most of which I am unaware of until two little minions in my house start using them frequently. For a long time, SB and BW used "Yeah" as a reply instead of "yes". I joked it was the German in them. Now, when they are trying to assert their independence, they emphatically say "I do it, kay?" - apparently from the multitude of times they have heard me say, "Mommy will do it, okay?" And my latest, least favorite, when I say their name, they will reply "What?" Argh.
Bye bye paci/wubba/nukie
We bit the bullet and got rid of SB and BW's pacis Sunday night. We planned to do it this coming weekend, when we didn't have big plans with anyone else and could sneak in naps if need be or put the girls to bed early. But circumstances presented themselves, so we jumped off the cliff. This was on my list of things to do before Nugget arrives, so I'm hoping it goes smoothly.
Like most of my parenting choices, this is one that changed pre- and post-baby. I had not wanted to introduce pacifiers, because i was concerned about nipple confusion with breastfeeding. That lasted until our second night home, when we caved and offered the girls pacis. It was a wonderful decision. It did not interfere with our BFing relationship and SB and BW could satisfy their need to suck without being attached to me at all times. By four months, we only gave the girls their pacis in the car and for sleeping time. We also invested in Wubbanubs. Best.paci.ever. We rarely had to go in to give them the wubbanub because if it fell out of their mouth while sleeping, they could find it. It was also nearly impossible for them to fall through the slats of the crib. At five months, we took away wubbas in the car, and they only got them for sleep time. Although I planned to take them away at a year, SB and BW were not ready. They had only recently started consistently sleeping through the night, were getting their first molars...and it just continued from there. There was always a disruption or reason to not take them away. SB chewed through hers about six months ago...and we panicked and gave her a spare we had laying around after she wouldn't settle at all.
About a month ago, SB's paci at daycare broke. She's been napping without one at daycare since.
However, Friday night SB's home paci cracked. The girls didn't take a nap Saturday, and I gave it to her Saturday night, but I didn't want to keep giving her a potential choking hazard. I also didn't want to introduce another new one, when we were so close to giving them up. So, we asked her if we should throw it away since it was broken, and explained this meant that there would be no more paci. She agreed she wanted to throw it away. BW doesn't like to be left out, so we asked if she would like to throw hers away too, and she said she did (she still has her wubbanub, so we cut the paci part off and she kept the animal part). So we had both girls throw theirs in the trash.
We put them to bed...and crying ensued. I think the problem here is SB and BW are pretty smart, and SB knew that her paci was still RIGHT THERE in the garbage and someone could retrieve it for her, as we expected SB to transition much better. It took them about an hour and a half to finally fall asleep. But, once asleep, they did phenomenal. Possibly because they were so worn out, but we didn't have to get up once to comfort/console during the night. Of course, I slept terrible because I was EXPECTING it to be a disastrous night, so I couldn't seem to get into a deep sleep. We heard a "paci broke" over the monitor, and a whimper here or there, but we didn't have to go soothe them once. Go SB and BW! Although they commented this morning about "paci broke" they did not ask for them. Hopefully the trend continues.
Like most of my parenting choices, this is one that changed pre- and post-baby. I had not wanted to introduce pacifiers, because i was concerned about nipple confusion with breastfeeding. That lasted until our second night home, when we caved and offered the girls pacis. It was a wonderful decision. It did not interfere with our BFing relationship and SB and BW could satisfy their need to suck without being attached to me at all times. By four months, we only gave the girls their pacis in the car and for sleeping time. We also invested in Wubbanubs. Best.paci.ever. We rarely had to go in to give them the wubbanub because if it fell out of their mouth while sleeping, they could find it. It was also nearly impossible for them to fall through the slats of the crib. At five months, we took away wubbas in the car, and they only got them for sleep time. Although I planned to take them away at a year, SB and BW were not ready. They had only recently started consistently sleeping through the night, were getting their first molars...and it just continued from there. There was always a disruption or reason to not take them away. SB chewed through hers about six months ago...and we panicked and gave her a spare we had laying around after she wouldn't settle at all.
About a month ago, SB's paci at daycare broke. She's been napping without one at daycare since.
However, Friday night SB's home paci cracked. The girls didn't take a nap Saturday, and I gave it to her Saturday night, but I didn't want to keep giving her a potential choking hazard. I also didn't want to introduce another new one, when we were so close to giving them up. So, we asked her if we should throw it away since it was broken, and explained this meant that there would be no more paci. She agreed she wanted to throw it away. BW doesn't like to be left out, so we asked if she would like to throw hers away too, and she said she did (she still has her wubbanub, so we cut the paci part off and she kept the animal part). So we had both girls throw theirs in the trash.
We put them to bed...and crying ensued. I think the problem here is SB and BW are pretty smart, and SB knew that her paci was still RIGHT THERE in the garbage and someone could retrieve it for her, as we expected SB to transition much better. It took them about an hour and a half to finally fall asleep. But, once asleep, they did phenomenal. Possibly because they were so worn out, but we didn't have to get up once to comfort/console during the night. Of course, I slept terrible because I was EXPECTING it to be a disastrous night, so I couldn't seem to get into a deep sleep. We heard a "paci broke" over the monitor, and a whimper here or there, but we didn't have to go soothe them once. Go SB and BW! Although they commented this morning about "paci broke" they did not ask for them. Hopefully the trend continues.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Another (last?) growth update
We had another follow-up u/s to check on baby's size recently. Good news, baby is growing right on track in the 50th percentile, so the OB is fine with not continuing growth ultrasounds. This ultrasound the tech was also not able to clearly visualize the circumvallate placenta on the scan. I've been able to see it on the previous scans as well, and was having difficulty seeing the curved edges on the last ultrasound, so the OB is interested to see if the placenta is really circumvallate at all and has asked that if he is not there to deliver me, that I have them send the placenta to pathology to verify if it really is circumvallate. Nugget has been very active, and I am almost certain she will have her nights and days mixed up when she arrives, as she loves to dance and kick away in the wee hours.
We're only about a month away from d-day now, which is still so hard for me to believe. I've been trying to soak up time with SB and BW lately. I remember not understanding when people who were having their second baby said they couldn't imagine how they could love another baby as much as they loved their first. I get it now. It's not so much that I can't imagine loving another baby as much as I love SB and BW, my concern is how will I possibly give them all the attention and love that they deserve? Quality over quantity, right?
We're only about a month away from d-day now, which is still so hard for me to believe. I've been trying to soak up time with SB and BW lately. I remember not understanding when people who were having their second baby said they couldn't imagine how they could love another baby as much as they loved their first. I get it now. It's not so much that I can't imagine loving another baby as much as I love SB and BW, my concern is how will I possibly give them all the attention and love that they deserve? Quality over quantity, right?
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