10x's in 3 1/2 hours!

I really haven't found time yet to get to the gym. I have gone twice since the twins were born and I keep beating myself up, with that fact that I still can't fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans. As I found myself exhausted, and my arms sore and my quads feeling like they had gotten a workout, I started to wonder if maybe all this "mom" stuff that I am doing is actually contributing to my weight loss. So as I thought about my day, I came to the revalation that in a period of 3 1/2 hours I had put the twins in and out of the car 10 times. The reality is that I had picked up the 20lb carseats with my 14lb boys tucked safetly inside 20 times total and that's not including chasing my 3 year old. That's madness! Now how could that possibly be, well I'll tell you...
8:45am- Put all three kids in the car. (1)
9:10am- Take all three kids out of the car. Walk my daughter to class. (2)
9:20am- Put the boys back in the car. (3)
9:50am- Take the boys out of the car. Visit my husband at work, show off the twins. (4)
10:40am- Put the boys back in the car. Drive to the doctors office. (5)
10:50am-Take the boys out. Visit the doctor for their check up. (6)
11:30 am- Put the boys back in the car. Drive to my daughter's school. (7)
11:45am- Take the boys out. Get my daughter. (8)
12pm- Put all the kids back in the car. Drive home (9)
12:15pm- Home, take all the kids out! (10)

Wow, now wonder I am tired!!!!

My very own economic stimulus plan.

Since the twins have been born, it seems as if I can't stop spending. I would love to say that I am treating myself to mani/pedi's and new clothes or splurging on my daughter or the boys, but that is not where the money is going. It is unbelievable to me how many times I order diapers, formula and wipes. Every time I think I have enough, it turn out it's not. So diapers.com comes to the rescue. I love that website, because it's free shipping and no tax! Even though I am embarrassed that the driver is at my door once a week, it beats me having to lug all that stuff from the store. So I guess eventually I will be able to cut down on spending, but at this point at least I am doing my part to stimulate the economy!

I am embarressed to say...

I think any mom can find fault when someone else watches their babies. I know I feel this way, especially when my husband takes charge. Please don't get me wrong, he does an amazing job, but sometimes I would do things differently. A perfect example is when I looked out the window the other day. My husband and my daughter had been in the pool swimming when suddenly I noticed them off in the corner of the property by a tree. As I watched in disbelief, my daughter with her bathing suit off, squatting and peeing in the bushes. If I had not been feeding one of the twins I would have ran outside and stopped the madness. When they both returned inside, I of course, had some choice words for my husband. He explained that she wouldn't have made it if they had come inside and did I really want them running in, soaking wet and making a mess? I knew I would not win this battle and my husband being a man would not see my side. So now, I am embarrassed to say, that skill set he taught her actually came in handy when we were going for a long walk and my daughter declared that she had to go. Alone with the twins in the stroller, no spare clothes and not a potty insight, I spotted a large shady tree. As I looked around to see if anyone was looking, fortunately the coast was clear, she was able to not have an accident. Did I ever think that I would be in that situation? Absolutely not. But I guess, as the saying goes, when you have to go, you have to go!

I'll bring the drinks?!?!

Sometime I wonder what goes through my daughter's mind. I was at Mommy & Me Spanish class arranging a playdate for her. As I was finalizing the plans, the other little girl looked at me and said "yay, I am going to have a party". Before I could respond my daughter piped up and said "I'll bring the drinks". Yes, I am in trouble!

Just too smart...

As I was playing with my daughter and the twins were in their cribs for the evening, I heard one of the baby's crying. My daughter looked up at me and said "don't you know if you leave them alone, they'll cry for a minute and then they'll stop"! I stopped in my tracks and looked at her, when she continued and said "really mom, you just fed & changed them, they'll be fine". Now when did my 3 year old get so smart?

I can't let go....

Yesterday my daughter's Fall Preschool tuition bill arrived. I think a majority of Mom's out there would be jumping for joy with the prospect of having 3-5hours of free time. I on the other hand, burst into tears of the reality of "missing" my daughter for that long. As I read the list of supplies that my daughter would need, I felt a lump in my throat and the tears started rolling. My husband looked at me with pity and I started to tell him all the reasons my daughter did not need to go to school. We reached a compromise that she would go in the fall and it she didn't like it I could pull her out. I was overcome with relief...but what if she likes it???? What will I do!! I know I have the twins but she's still my baby:(

A little too creative...

The "big girl bed" has arrived! I am a sap, because of course, I cried once it arrived. How fast time goes by. Now that my daughter is not "trapped" in her crib, her imagination has gone wild. The first night, she was so excited that she fell fast asleep in her new bed without even realizing that she could escape. That didn't last long. The next day at nap time she figured out that she could jump all over the bed. Then she proceeded to get in and out of her bed over and over. In and out she went, under the covers, out of the covers, pillows tossed on the floor and then back on the bed. I am of the mindset, that I don't care what she does, as long as she is quiet and stays in her room. Well, that may not be the smartest philosophy. As I watched her in the video monitor, with the lampshade on her head, her clothes on backwards, I noticed a strange object in her bed. At this point I knew I had to go in. Once I entered the room, it was hard not to laugh and I wasn't sure if I should be mad or not. All of her toys and stuffed animals were lined up perfectly on the bed. Some were covered in band aids, a few had books placed on them, some were covered in toilet paper (clean thank goodness) and the strange object was her potty and Raggedy Ann was "using"it! In the sternest voice I could muster, I inquired as to what was going on. With her eyes wide she looked at me as if I was the biggest fool on the earth. Her toys were sick and she was taking care of them and Raggedy Ann had to use the potty, of course she couldn't go in her pants! I was thrown off guard. I truly didn't know what to do and the way she answered me, so matter of factly made it even harder. I think every parent wants their child to be creative, but can there be such a thing as a little too creative? I think so!

Call me bitter?!?

Today was the first day of my husband's "vacation" from work. We decided not to go anywhere because the twins are just 8 weeks and it would be easiest to stay local. So I hired extra help to have some free time. The morning did not start off well. My husband took his car in to get fixed and the shop found a few unexpected things wrong with it. Not a good start. As we drove up to Legoland California with our 3 year old, I could see my husband start to relax. We arrived and everything was going well, nice weather, nice lunch, nice rides, but everything went south real fast, once my husband lost our daughter in a play area tunnel. Yes, not good, and I was not a happy wife. Fortunately, I found her in the midst of a ton of kids having a blast, fully unaware that I had half of the play area park attendants looking for her. So maybe I am bitter, but it's not why you may think. It's not because my husband lost our daughter, not because I am tired, or not because I have spit up constantly stuck on my right shoulder. I am believe it or not, all fine with that. But what I am not fine with, are the wise asses that call my husband and ask him if "he's ready to go back to work, yet?". So I have to wonder what type of "friends" would do that? Is it because they are SO miserable at their jobs that they wish they could take two weeks off? Or is it because they are miserable when they are home with their families and want everyone else to be just as pathetic? Now really, why would anyone ask that question? You know, they only want to hear the bad stuff, and they are not asking to lend support or empathize. They just want a good laugh. Well, knowing that we have 8 week old twins, a 3 year old toddler and no family in the area to help, all I have to stay is yes, things are stressful at times. Sometimes 3 kids cry simultaneously, laundry is piled up, but we are surviving and it's NOT as bad a people would like to hear. The twins are on a 3 hour feed schedule during the day and sleep 5-6hrs each night and my daughter is in bed no later then 8pm. So yes, things are on the upswing and we are getting out of the trenches. So a word to the wise DON'T call and ask if my husband is ready to go back to work, as if that is a place of sanctuary and we are the worst things to be around. If you do, be prepared for the Italian wrath of words. I will start calling you at work and ask if your day sucks, if business is bad and don't you wish you were home? And if you are home I will hunt you down there and annoy you. So really people, come on lets grow up because we've all been in the same boat...

The writing is on the wall.

I have come to the conclusion that my daughter is going to be one of my biggest challenge's. She is head strong, determined and ever the party girl. We are working on transitioning from a crib to a toddler bed and all in all, it's going well. The crib tent was removed a few weeks ago, one rail half way down last week and now both rails are down. Next week we will turn the crib into a toddler bed. In general she hasn't climbed out but one of her favorite things to do is have a crib full of toys and books in bed with her. I don't mind, as long as she stays in bed. The other day though, she was having a full on dance party in the crib and using it as her very own personal jumpy castle. As I watch in the video monitor I was floored when she leaned over the crib rail and proceeded to grab the lampshade and put it on her head. Yes, the writing is on the wall, she loves to party! I hope my boys will be more mellow. If not, I am in big trouble!

It's all about choices...

Overnight, I became a mom of three. Going from a mom of one, to a mom of three has been challenging. I was prepared for the fatigue, the constant diapers, burping and laundry but what I wasn't prepared for was the emotional guilt I feel each time I have to chose which child I am going to attend to first. I was advised to go to the oldest child first because she would remember what you do. I have tried my best to give each one the attention they need and in general everyone gets my attention when they need it most. At times I feel everything is just a little too methodical and not spontaneous enough. I go from feeding, changing, burping one baby to the next and then running after my oldest. There isn't enough cuddle time during the day for the babies. It makes me sad to think back to when my oldest was born and how I spent every minute of the day snuggling and fussing over her. I feel that I don't give the twins enough individual time. And for me I am guilt ridden each time I have to choose who to feed first. Of course I go to the one who is crying the loudest and as I feed one, I try to rub the other's head. But it breaks my heart each time one is crying and the other is looking up at me with his big eyes, in despair. As I snuggle & feed the one, I am always am looking at the clock trying to figure how much time it will take me before I can get to the other. This is not how it should be, but it's my reality. I know I am doing my best, but at times I feel it's just not enough and once I add my daughter in the mix, it just makes me feel even worse. I know that this will be a constant battle for me. One that I will need to continually work on. It's very hard to except, but I do get that it is all about the choices...

My personal best!

So it was off to Mommy & Me Spanish class this morning. Sometimes I get up and am so tired, I wonder how will I ever survive the day. Thanks to a lot of caffeine and the fact that I have no other choice, I just continue moving forward. So this morning, being a little more tired then usual, somehow I managed to get all the kids in the car in less then 15 minutes and made it to my daughter's class only 5 minutes late. Yes, that was my personal best so far. Now being the overachiever that I am, I decided to make a game out of it, because if you can't have fun in life, what's the point! My goal is to see how fast I can get the kids in & out of the car, to and from without any tears. Can I do it in 10 minutes and make it to class on time? We'll see...

She's gonna blow!

Once again, my life has become a world of poop & pee. If I am not changing one of my sons diapers or getting peed on by them, I am running after my daughter to make sure she has used the potty. My daughter & I have come a long way. She has finally gotten over her strip teases, where she totally disrobes, with a diaper full of poo, smeared all over every inch of her bed, walls and herself. Gone is the duct taped diapers secured on her with the footed pajamas placed on backwards and the feet cut off. We have evolved to nighttime pull ups and no tape. The unfortunate side is, that we still have "poopy issues". The main issue is, that she typically poops while she is sleeping within the first hour of being in bed. So as each day passes with out a poop, the bedtime ritual becomes more of a fear. Is this it the night she is going to blow! My husband & I both fear the "big one" and unfortunaltely tonight was the night. After my husband & I both fed, burped & changed the boys we were both anxiously awaiting an early evening of sleep, but as we heard the voice of my daughter yelling from her room, the fanatasy of sleep quickly diminished. So it was back to changing and bathing her and washing the crib sheets. As we worked together we realized that it was almost time to feed the twins again. So yes, my life is all about poop & pee...it should end in a few years, right?!?

It's all about the timing.

Many have told me that I am a "Type A" personality. I never really thought about it, until today. I am still in the hospital from having my twin boys via csection and will be here until Sat afternoon. I think a normal person would be sleeping while their babies are sleeping or doing anything but what I have been doing. But I am not normal, I now realize. What have I been doing? Well, in between visitors, I have moved my bed...it needed to be closer to the electrical outlet, so I can plug my laptop in. I organized my room and sorted the babies clothes. Who does this 2 days after having twins and in a hospital, no less?!? Emailed a few friends, arranged a photographer to come to the house in 2 weeks to photo our happy family, planned the Easter Meal menu...like I'm really going to cook or even grocery shop, but it's a nice thought! Signed my 2 1/2 year old daughter up for a trial ballet class for this upcoming Tues. Now really what am I thinking???? And somehow managed to get the boys on a 3 hour feed schedule, at least for the day. Yes, I am a little wacko and believe I am officially a "Type A", but I would like to rationalize it all as being super organized and having just good timing...should I just call the therapist now?!?

It's hard to trust just anyone...

It is so hard to trust a stranger with watching my daughter. My husband & I don't live near any family, so we have always had to depend on sitters if we wanted a date night, attend a business function, or just some basic down time. I admire the few who are able to call a new sitter right off the bat, and then walk right out the door without a second thought. I, myself can't do that. I am overprotected, miss my daughter desperately, even if I am only in the room down the hall and my husband is certain, that the sitter will sell our beautiful daughter to the highest bidder. Yes, we have issues. I am so fortunate to have a wonderful sitter, who is an LVN, amazing with my daughter and accepts that I text her every 30 minutes to see how "my baby" is doing. But I know we should have a few back ups. Now that the twins will be arriving shortly, plus keeping my daughter busy, I am beginning to interview sitters, again.

The scary thing is, that no matter how well you screen someone, how many references you check, it is still ultimately a leap of faith. I would hope that everyone out there wants the best for a child, and would do anything with the baby/child's best interest at heart. Unfortunately we've all heard stories where that is not quite the case. So what should one do? I don't quite know, but I guess the best we can do is screen as vigilantly as we can. Here are a few tips that I have found helpful when looking for a babysitter or nanny:

-Hire babysitters who are knowledgeable about first aid
and CPR.
-Always ask for and validate references. Check the experience of the babysitter. What age groups did the person work with? How much time?
-Babysitters with professional training in nursing or childcare are most preferable.
-Interview the sitter to check for sense of responsibility, temperament, understanding of children, common sense, ability to understand and follow instructions, etc.
-See how your baby reacts to the sitter. Even though a sitter may sound great on paper...it all comes down to chemistry.

Feel free to download a copy of my " Questions for Babysitters". Some of the questions are tough, but I figure that if it doesn't scare or intimidate the sitter, then she has passed the first step!
http://www.babyproductreviews.net/pdf/Questions_for_Babysitters.pdf

The Dora saga continues...

Today, I noticed that the change of Dora's appearance has made Yahoo headlines. So, as I read the article, it seems as if Mattel & Nickelodeon feel that the parent's outrage is because, they just don't understand. Apparently, they are not replacing "Dora the Explorer", but adding a new Dora, that will be an interactive doll marketed to 5-8 year old.

According to Gina Sirard, vice president of marketing for Mattel, "I think there was just a misconception in terms of where we were going with this. Pretty much the moms who are petitioning aging Dora up certainly don't understand. ... I think they're going to be pleasantly happy once this is available in October, and once they understand this certainly isn't what they are conjuring up."

The new doll does not wear a short dress, but a tunic and leggings. Although she looks older, with long jewelry and longer hair, she doesn't have makeup and seems pretty much like a 10-year-old girl. I guess I may be naive, sheltered or am living in the dark ages, but I hope our 10 year old girls out there, do not look like this new Dora. I also have to ask, if the new Dora is in Middle School, living in the city and living the typical lifestyle of a girl in Middle School, why is she being targeted to 5-8 year olds???? I guess I am still confused!

How does she do it?

I just can’t figure it out, but somehow my daughter has figured out how to unzip the pajamas that I have put on her. I know this may not seem like anything extraordinary, but you have to recognize that, the pajamas have the feet cut off, and are place on her backwards. Why do I do this…well, you can read an earlier blog, but basically she likes to strip off her clothes, take off her poopy diaper and then toss it around the room as well as paint the wall with the filth. She is potty trained now, but she has the tendency to poop in her sleep. So the potty training really doesn’t help. So now I just don’t know what to do. The pajamas on backwards, with her diaper taped on was working, up until today. So now what? As I hover outside her door, smelling it to see if she’s gone and my eyes are glued to the video monitor …the fear is back! At this point I just don’t know what to do. Any suggestions?

Why, why must things change?

I am so disappointed. My daughter loves Dora the Explorer, and it is one of the few shows that I have never thought twice about. So now that I've heard and seen the image of how Nickelodeon and Mattel plan on changing Dora, I CRINGE!! Apparently the new, improved and evolved Dora will be making her debut this fall. She will no longer be swinging in the jungle or having adventures that are targeted towards a toddler or a preschooler. She will be heading to the city, attending middle school and wearing a new wardrobe. Why is it, that someone has decided that she needs to change from the cute, tomboy persona to a tweenage girl with long flowing hair, a miniskirt and fashionable shoes? Is it that the tween age group has more purchasing power then a toddler? Nickelodeon and Mattel have stated that she needs to evolve with the times and that she has not aged in 10 years. I find this a pitiful excuse. Will Diego be growing up as well? Will he have taut abs, buff arms and a sexy physique? I have to wonder, how come The Simpsons have not aged? The Flintstones have reminded the same, and that seems to be okay. Mickey and Minnie should be walking around with canes & walkers if we were to buy into Nickelodeon & Mattel's explanation. Why do we need one more female character, that will send the wrong message to our young girls? I vote to save Dora. Keep her the tomboy that she is! I hope as many of us mom's out there protest, maybe we can save Dora. I know that once she changes, and fall rolls around, we will no longer be tuning into Dora. How sad!

Potty Training made easy?

Is it possible to make potty training easy? I am not sure. I think I just got lucky. Several months ago, I started introducing the "potty” to my daughter. At first she thought it was a great new toy. She’d dance around the house with her pink Baby Bjorn Potty displayed proudly on her head. After that I figured she wasn’t quite ready and to be honest neither was I. Of course, I didn’t want her using the potty and then placing it on her head, so we took a break. Several weeks went by after the “potty hat” experience; I decided to introduce her to the video “Potty Power”. I had heard great things about the video, and had high hopes that after watching the video, she’d show a little more of an interest in sitting on the potty rather then wearing the potty. Well, I can see how the video would be a great learning tool, but for my daughter, it became a great dance video. She loved the songs and wanted to watch the video and dance to the music. So, again we went on to take another break. Unlike many moms, I still was not too concerned. My life is stressful enough that I figured, why get stressed over something I knew she’d get the hang of eventually. So a few more weeks went by when I came across a book called “Toilet Training in Less Than a Day” for sale on amazon.com, used for $1.50. For $1.50 how could I go wrong? Well, straight off, I could tell that the book, originally published in 1974, was a little off from what we do in the year 2009. I did find the premise of teaching a doll a good idea. So the next day, I rummaged through my daughter’s toy box and found her doll that could feed & wet, and what do you know it worked! We sat the doll on the potty, gave the doll her bottle and watched her go. So after 5 or 6 times, my daughter looked at me and said “my turn”. She sat down, took a swig out of her juice cup and looked down but couldn’t quite figure out it why the pee pee didn’t come out immediately. It didn’t stop her though, she sat & sat, and drank & drank and all of a sudden it happened. She was so proud of herself and believe it or not, that was it. I am sure the videos, and having her be my "toilet paper helper" was a big part of it as well, but I have to believe it was just timing. We are about 3 weeks into it now, with only one accident. My husband and I still look at each other with delight each time she goes. So, I am glad that I didn’t stress or fall into the pressure of what the other kids her age were doing. I am glad that I just let her be…so far, so good!

I thought I could, but I can't...

I woke up this morning by horrible screams coming from my daughter’s bedroom. As I waddled down the hall as fast as I could, I discovered that my daughter was in the thick of a very bad nightmare. As I tired to console her, she just kept shaking her head saying “No, no” when suddenly her eyes fluttered open and she looked up widely at me a said “I want pancakes”! So at 6:30am we were off. Once her belly was full and she was snuggled in nicely on the family room couch, I attempted to something I have never done while she has been awake. I was going to take a shower. Some may think this is strange, that at 2 1/2 years into the game I have never taken a shower while she has been up. Yes, it may seem odd. I get up before she does and prepare for the day. You have to understand that my daughter loves to have fun…or as some may say get into trouble when my back is turned. This is the girl, who scales the staircase, dangles from the chandelier & pretends she is surfing off the back of the reclining chair. So yes, I typically don’t take my eyes off of her for very long. As I tuned the TV to Sesame Street, I was in awe that she suddenly went into a trance like state. It was a bittersweet moment. All this time I had limited her TV viewing because I didn’t want her to become a couch potato, but yet at the same time I wanted just 15 minutes of “me time”. Could this be…that she actually would get sucked into the horrible TV and just sit and watch? As I let out a sigh of relief, I asked if she wanted to lie in my bed while I shower. She looked up at me, rolled her eyes and with the flick of her little hand said “mommy, go already”. So I hoped in the shower and within less them 4 minutes, her head pops into the shower and states, that she needed to give Chi Chi, her battery operated toy puppy a bath. I knew this would not be good. Just as fast as the shower began, it was coming to a quick end. Full of soap and bubbles I hoped out, to find the tub getting filled with hot water and Chi Chi half submerged in the water. As I looked around the bathroom, I discovered that every towel was now on the floor, because she was cleaning, and the bag of cotton balls were thrown everywhere. Apparently her & Chi Chi had a “snowball fight” and she was hiding in the laundry basket. So what it comes down to, is that I thought I could but I just can’t…. leave her alone yet!

How to Prepare for Baby 2 & 3?

So many people keep asking me what are my plans once the twins arrive? I think it is really hard to come up with a plan, because I just don’t know. Do I go from having a part time babysitter to a full time nanny? Do I get a housekeeper to come once a week? Do I send my 2-1/2year old to preschool? Or do I just go crazy? I have struggled with all these thoughts, plus what the added expense means to my family and me. I struggle with the thoughts of having a stranger in my house, and ultimately feel uncomfortable with the invasiveness of it all. I realize that I am resistant to help and like things just the way they are. So like everything, I just have to play it day by day.

Even though I am not sure how I will manage day to day life once the boys arrive. I know I must prepare. And prepare is what I’ve done.

Here are a few things I have done to prepare for Baby A & Baby B:

1. Figure out how to order my groceries online & have them delivered. One less errand to run!
2. Make a ton of meals and freeze them, so on those crazy days it will be one less thing to think about.
3. Work the neighborhood and meet the local teenagers who can possibly baby-sit on a whim’s notice.
4. Join an online mom group. So I can log in on those days where I just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.
5. Make my daughter feel special everyday. So when the boys are born her little world is not rocked too much!
6. Have small wrapped gifts (the dollar bin at Target is fantastic) for my daughter, for those days when she just a little something extra to keep her occupied.
7. Play “laundry” with my daughter. A great learning tool and gets a project done. I mean how many 2-1/2 years olds can sort darks from light! Maybe when the boys arrive, she’ll still be able to sort while I am holding a tyke or two. I know that’s nuts…but why not dream?

I know I may not be in reality yet. I know things will change dramatically and at times be incredibly overwhelming, but I figure if I plan for the worst, it can only get better, right?