Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Say good-bye to the swaddle

I thought it would be awhile before we had to do this, but the past two weeks have proven that it is probably time. 

Since the time the boys were born in the hospital, they have been swaddled.  Whether it was in a regular blanket, “swaddle me,” and especially the last 2 months, the miracle blanket, we discovered the boys sleep the best swaddled up.  When the boys slept together, it helped to swaddle them so their hands wouldn’t hit and wake up the other baby (or themselves).  Sometimes, if they were so tired and they were fighting sleep, as soon as we swaddled them tight, they went right to sleep.  I think more than anything, the miracle blanket was a security for Jared and I, knowing that they would sleep better when swaddled, and the more they sleep, we sleep. :)  Two weeks ago, after we separated them, they slept through the night and have been since!  Props to the miracle blanket!

Look how peaceful they are when swaddled up…

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At the boys’ two month appt, I asked our pediatrician if we could swaddle the boys until they were at least 5 years old because they sleep so good.  Well, he said no, we could only swaddle them until 4 months (when they can roll over) or when they start breaking out of it consistently.  So when the boys turned 3 months old, I started thinking, “Okay, we only one more month left of swaddling…”  Well, much to my surprise, they had something different in mind.  One night, we heard fussing about 3 in the morning.  Jared and I wondered why they were fussing when they had been sleeping through the night.  When we checked our video monitor, we were surprised at what we saw.  We had to go into their nursery to make sure we weren’t “seeing things.”  Here is what we found…

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I don’t know how they do it, but this is a consistent thing now, happening every night and they won’t go back to sleep until we swaddle them again.  They aren’t 4 months old yet, so part of me wants to keep swaddling them for a couple more weeks, even if it means we have to get up and re-swaddle them.  But the other part of me knows that I need to bite the bullet and start the sleep sacks, which means at least a week of no sleep for all of us until they get used to it.  What to do??? 

Another stage come and gone

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Monday, July 11, 2011

First family vacation

Every year, we go on a family vacation with the Peel’s and Lewis’ (Jared’s sister and her family).  We usually go to the beach or mountains, but this year, because we had two 3 month infants, we decided to go to Lake LBJ.  It was fun and a little lot chaotic! Maybe because I make it that way.  But it was worth it. 

There was a little lot of anxiety for this trip.  We left on a Wednesday, so all day Monday and Tuesday, were spent preparing and packing for the trip.  I have always been called an “over packer” for myself so you can imagine the amount we had times 4.  Whether it is one night away or 1 week away, one suitcase is never enough.  (I wish I took a picture of the tahoe packed down but I had other things on my mind.)  1 large suitcase, two over night bags, one large bag for each baby, a snack bag, an entertainment bag (books, magazines…) a cooler, baby bag, the pump and a bag with all those parts, my nursing pillow, pack n play, 2 bouncy chairs, stroller, Jared’s golf clubs, monitors and cameras, and our two pillows.  Zoey had to sit out on this vacation and good thing, because there was no room for her.

  The usual 4 hour trip to Austin took us 6 hours for various reasons; traffic, 2 babies, then 2 hungry babies, then 2 sleepy babies, and so on.  And because the boys REFUSE to take a bottle, when it is feeding time on the road, we have to pull over and let me nurse. :)  I have to crawl in the back and rearrange the tahoe in order for us to have enough room.  So glad Jared is patient.   

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Graham ready to swim

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Graham, Easy, Gage, and Braden

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Gage ready to swim

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“I love this!”

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Cousins picture

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Braden holding Gage

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The boys tracking down the “runaway” raft

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Easy and Gage

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Graham and Granna

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Gage, Easy, Aunt B, Graham, Granna

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Fred with Graham, Dolores with Gage (Fred was Jared’s old music minister at Pioneer Drive and they live on this lake now)

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Aunt B loves to cuddle with us!

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Family game of baseball (You don’t see me out there, I was probably feeding the boys)

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Snuggle time with Granna

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We thought these chairs would be cute to take the boys’ picture, Granna was there to catch them in case they slid

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Going on a boat ride

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Camden driving us back in

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Braden’s turn

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Playing on the porch swing

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Daddy and Gage

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Jared, Gage, Ryan, Braden

Graham, Brittany, Camden

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Granna, Easy, and the grandkids boys

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My sweet husband teaching his nephews some things

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It was a fun vacation and always good to get away!

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Had to stop by Baylor on the way home to get a quick pic

First Swim (in our back yard of course)

 

I was excited to buy a little inflatable pool for this summer because I knew I wasn’t ready to take the boys to a big pool yet.  So Jared aired it up one morning, filled it with water to warm up, and we decided to take the boys for their first swim!  Let the pictures do the talking…

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Graham trying to get a feel

(Yes the boys have cute swim suits but they weren’t washed and ready to wear yet, so a diaper did the trick)

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Gage immediately put his foot in and started kicking

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Zoey on a mission to find something to eat

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“We’re in this together, brother!”

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(Please ignore the crazy hair and no make up and focus on how cute the boys are :)

Maybe the next swim will be more eventful!

The Fourth with the FOUR of us

July 4th was a great weekend, mainly because we had daddy home with us for a 3 day weekend!  On Monday afternoon, our friends, the Taylor’s, invited us over to cook out.  So, like any other time we go anywhere, we started after the 7 AM feeding, getting ready to be there by 4:30.  I offered to bring banana pudding and pasta salad, both which require preparation and a trip to the store.  I got ready after the 7AM feeding, which lasts an hour plus tummy time and diaper changes, so I got ready in 30 minutes (that’s a must these days) and headed to the store while they are napping.  I got my items and got back in time for the next feeding (10:00).  Fed the boys, again it is taking an hour these days, tummy time and diaper changes and singing songs, and an hour and a half later (11:30), put the boys down for another nap so I can get making and baking.  I made the banana pudding and started the boiling the pasta and then it was time for the 1:00 feeding.  Same routine, then put the boys down for a nap at 2:30 and I finish the pasta salad at 3:00.  From 3-4:00, I start packing our bags of everything I think we will possibly need for the boys.  The pump, bottles (maybe they will take one at the cookout?) but probably not so I need to bring my… nursing pillow (because these days they don’t take the bottle), swaddle blankets, diapers and wipes, pacis, water jug for me, cooler for the milk, camera, and make a note to remember to bring the food I made for the cookout.  Same routine for the 4:00 feeding, minus tummy time because we want to be some what on time.  Get to the Taylor’s at 5:00 (only 30 minutes late) and we had fun!  Here are some pictures of our time at the Taylor’s. 

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Dropped the banana pudding on the way in their house and broke the lid and it didn’t look pretty anymore :)

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Barry making Graham giggle!

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Daddy and Gage talking

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All the kids at the cookout

Gage, Graham, Piper, Cody, and Claire

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Gage not loving picture time

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wait for it…

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wait for it…

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and Gage is done!

We went home to feed the boys and watch the fireworks in New York on TV.  Next year, we will introduce fireworks to the boys.

Thank you Taylor’s for having us over for a cookout.  We had fun!  :)