It's all worth it!

It was a rough day. I was tired and the girls (Reese and Regan) were fussy all day. It's not like them to fuss, they cry right before they eat and then they are good. Today was a different story. They just wanted held and cried off and on all day. I'm not sure what the problem is, but as soon as I would pick them up they'd stop crying, so I don't think they are sick. So, it's been a LONG day to say the least, but at the last feed, when I was almost at my wits end, Ryann looks at me and laughs. It was a quiet laugh, but she laughed! It just made my day!!! There will be days like this, that are difficult, stressful, or even overwhelming, but at the end of the day, it's all worth it! It's worth every bit of it! There's not a moment I would wish away, only time I wish I could get back! It just goes so quickly! Even though I'm trying to savor every moment, they just fly by before I've had time to really soak it in!

I am not "Sleeping thru the night"

We haven't been doing middle of the night feedings for 3 weeks today, so technically, the girls have been "sleeping thru the night"...but why am I so tired? Here's my observation: I think it's a misconception that when your baby is sleeping thru the night, that you are as well! Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I don't seem to get much more sleep than when I was getting up for the middle of the night feedings. Here is what last night was like: I feed at 10:00, which lasts til 10:30. By the time the feed is over, the girls are put to bed and I can finally sit and pump it is nearly 11:00. So, then I pump til about 11:30. Finally, I fall asleep around 11:45-midnight. At 2:30, I start waking up, knowing it's time to pump but am too tired to actually wake up and do so. By 3:00, I'm awake and pumping. I'm back in bed around 3:45. At 4:05, Reese starts crying, so I get out of bed and comfort her, giving her a paci and rubbing her head. After she settles, I go back to bed. 15 minutes later, she's crying again. I get out of bed and console her again, only this time, picking her up and holding her. Because she's really just asleep but fussy, she doesn't want held, so I lay her down, give her a paci (which she doesn't really want), rub her head and she goes back to sleep. 15 min later, same thing, but I just go in and put a paci in and console her, she is almost asleep. Now, it's after 5:00. Finally back to bed. 6:15, Reese is crying and hungry. Time to wake up and feed them. I could put it off and wait for their scheduled 7:00 feeding, but she'll just cry for an hour, and Ryann and Regan start stirring this close to feeding time, so why put it off! Now it's 6:15 and I'm up working with the only solid sleep I got from 11:45-2:30. This is a typical night. It varies between the baby that needs consoling but typically, whenever they get fussy in the middle of the night, it usually takes me about two-three trips to console them and the routine is about the same. They wake up, cry or fuss a little, need some minor consoling and a possile paci and they are ok. So, yes, my babies are "sleeping thru the night," but I am not! Sure, I can go back to sleep after this feeding, but it's always sleeping with one eye open. I know my sweet husband says that I should just sleep all day long if I want, but in all reality, "all day" is only about 45 min here or 30 min there. I could close my eyes during that time, but then the bottles need washed and laundry folded. (note: I could have people come over and help fold laundry and wash bottles, but it's just easier to take the time and do it myself. I usually tell myself, I'll give myself 15 min to do those chores and I'm going back to bed, but typically, the quick task turns into something else or commonly, a baby begins to fuss and I get distracted. I do have people chomping at the bit to help, but we all know how our mind works. We think, "It's just easier to get it done quickly and I can go to bed," only the "go to bed" part just doesn't seem to happen!) So, if my babies are "sleeping thru the night" and I could "sleep all day long if I wanted" why am I so tired!?!

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Picture Time!

Erica came to visit last week! We decided to have a photo session with the girls! I think we enjoyed way more than they did! They were over it before we even started! And yes, there were some fights in there, as you'll see below! Haha! Here are some pictures from Erica's camera: (I need to download all my pictures! They add up quickly on my camera!)

My goodness, I love these girls!

Pumping isn't so bad

I used to dread my middle of the night pumpings. Its no fun waking up out of a dead sleep only to hook yourself up like a cow on a processing line that needs milked. But, I'm starting to use this time to update my blog. There's not much else I can do but sit here and wait. I used to try to stay as asleep as possible, but it doesn't really matter, I'm awake! So, maybe I'll begin utilizing this time a little better and get some things off my 'bucket list' completed! 'm not quite sure why it's taken me this long to think of using this time to my advantage. I suppose that sleep deprivation delays all common sense! I got around to this idea, it only took me 3 months to get there! I'm sure there's a downfall to posting my random thoughts in the middle of the night ...I ramble and may not make much sense, but hey, I don't really go back and read them anyway so I guess you will be left to unscramble my thoughts! Sorry!

My Bucket List

I sit here thinking about all the things I'd like to do and I've realized I have created my own bucket list, well atleast for the next few months. It's amazing how my mind starts running about all the things I need or want to get completed. I wonder how I'll accomplish all of this with 3 little ones that need so much of my time! But with much organization, and with the Grandma's coming over to babysit, I'm confindent I'll be able to complete these items...well, atleast before I kick the bucket! (Ha...is that the term? Who knows!)

Clear out house for garage sale August 21
Create, print, address and mail out birth announcements
Organize scrapbooks for girls
Finish decorating girls room
Update, recreate and post to my blog
Write/Update baby books
Learn how to work my camera
Read more books - Laura Bush's memoir, Karen Kingsbury, Bringing Up Girls, etc.
Research food - would like to eat clean, not meat and food injected with hormones, etc.
Set up new budget
Prepare a newsletter for WM
Cook...learn how to cook!
Landscape backyard
Exercise
Plant a garden
Learn how to use my sewing machine
Relax - maybe next year!

Think I'll start with...oh wait, a baby is crying! I'll have to get back to this later! Ha!

My Life...in a nutshell!

I've been asked several times what my day is like, well here it is! It's busy but so wonderful! Here's just today. Of course, I didn't include all the little things I do, like stopping to fold laundry to soothe a cry, or clean up a little spit up, etc. I also was lucky and didn't have any huge spit ups or big blow out diapers today that required extra cleanup time or a bath, but if this happened, I would have to surrender the laundry or dishes to another time or day! There's not a whole lot of time for leeway! :) There's not really a good time to start my schedule since it's essentially on a 3 hour perpetual rotation, but I decided to start with the 7:00 feeding, since that would be a typical start to a day!

6:45 - put bottles in warmer and pump

7:05 - mix cereal and gas drops to warm bottles

7:10 - change Reese and Regan

7:20 - feed Reese and Regan

7:40 - change Ryann

7:45 - feed Ryann

8:00 - put everyone back in bed

8:00 - eat breakfast

8:10 - back to sleep

9:45 - put bottles in warmer and pump

10:05 - mix cereal and gas drops to warm bottles

10:10 - change Reese and Regan (wash down and change clothes)

10:25 - feed Reese and Regan

10:40 - change Ryann (wash down and change clothes)

10:45 - feed Ryann

11:00 - put load in laundry

11:10 - make family business phone calls (make dr appts, call insurance co, etc.)

11:40 - tummy time and play time with babies (Adam is home for lunch)

12:15 - put everyone back in bed

12:20 - switch load of laundry, fold laundry

12:30 - eat lunch

12:40 - get bottles ready (fortify all milk - enough for 5 feedings)

12:45 - warm bottles and pump

1:05 - mix cereal and gas drops into warm bottles

1:10 - change Reese and Regan

1:15 - feed Reese and Regan

1:25 - change Ryann

1:30 - feed Ryann

1:40 - unload dishwasher and hand wash all bottles from last 4 feedings

2:00 - tummy time and play time with babies (pretty much slept whole time!)

2:10 - fold laundry

2:20 - put everyone in bed

2:25 - put laundry away

2:30 - prepare bottles for next 4 feedings

2:45 - ME TIME! (ahhhh....lay on the couch, relax, sleep, blog, facebook, txt, email, whatever!)

3:45 - warm bottles and pump

4:00 - dinner is delivered ...Thank You Lord!

4:05 - mix cereal and gas drops into warm bottles

4:10 - change Reese and Regan

4:15 - feed Reese and Regan

4:20 - Adam comes home!!

4:30 - change Ryann

4:35 - Adam feeds Ryann

4:45 - eat dinner

5:15 - change girls into different outfits

5:45 - go on a stroll to Mamaw and Papaw's house

6:55 - warm bottles

7:00 - Adam changes Reese and Regan while I pump

7:30 - I feed Ryann while Adam goes to pharmacy

8:00 - put everyone to bed

8:05 - get ready for night (putting bibs and diaper clothes out, make sure all bottles are ready)

8:10 - fortify bottles

8:15 - wash bottles

8:20 - prepare bottles for 7 & 10AM feeding

8:30 - time to relax with hubby and watch some TV!!

9:00 - pump

9:30 - go to bed! :)

2:45 - put bottles in warmer and pump

3:05 - mix cereal and gas drops to warm bottles
3:10 - change Reese and Regan
3:20 - feed Reese and Regan
3:40 - change Ryann
3:45 - feed Ryann
4:00 - put everyone back in bed

6:45 - wake up and do it all over again! :)

So, there it is! There's my day!! It's glorious! It's busy! It's my hearts desires fulfilled. :)

(Oh...and you were right, you didn't see a shower scheduled into my day today. Yes, shamefully, I have to admit that I didn't fit this necessity into my day. I guess worse things have happened! Atleast I brushed my teeth and washed my face! Haha!)

Slow your growin' Reese Cup!!!

My baby is rolling over! Ok...ONE of my babies, that is! Reese decides to roll over out of the blue today! I'm very excited, but very sad too! They are growing way too quickly! I'm trying to savor every moment, but the moments themselves are too fast! My Dad and Kathy were here visiting, so I'm sure she was just showing off for Papaw and Mamaw! :)