I decided to write down everything I did for a 24-hour period because I thought it might make for interesting reading. This was a pretty typical day, so I'd say it accurately reflects my current reality. The babies get baths every other day. If it had been bath day, I would've tried to squeeze those in before Feeding #2, depending on how long they'd slept. They are 4.5 months adjusted age.
Now I'm thinking of making this log a tradition - wouldn't it be an interesting glimpse into history if I recorded everything I did on the first Friday of the new year (that wasn't New Year's Day)? Too bad I didn't start this tradition at my birth, because then it would be even cooler. I could write a book. Oh wait, I can write a book about it for my kids' lives!
January 8, 2016
note: some times are approximate. It's hard to keep a super detailed log with 2 little ones screeching at you.
12:00a (asleep)
3:00a Alarm goes off telling me to get up and pump. (Tandem nursing (two at once) hasn't worked out for us, so I pump breastmilk and feed it to the babies in bottles. And, I supplement with formula.)
3:40a Go back to bed. Can't fall asleep because I have the "Hot Dog" song running through my head from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, although I've only seen the show twice.
4:10a Baby A wakes up, singing what we call the "4:00 song." He rolls around in his crib singing, "oooh, aaaah, laaaa!" until someone comes in to tell him to go back to sleep.
4:15a Try to convince A that he should be asleep. After multiple pacifier re-insertions, I give up and try nursing him. He dozes off, only to reawaken as I lay him down. I try to have peaceful thoughts and enjoy the moment because I'm not sure how much longer I will be breastfeeding them. Not super successful, though, as I'm verrrry tired.
4:55a Baby A finally goes to sleep
5:10a Baby B starts fussing. Give him a pacifier, he quiets down.
5:30a Baby B, same thing
6:00a B, ditto
6:30a DF's alarm goes off. A is singing again. I let him be.
7:00a Get up, make the bottles, get medicine ready (they take Zantac for reflux). Get babies up. Change them out of pajamas.
7:15a Say bye to Daddy
7:20a Feeding #1. I spend a good half of the feeding trying to convince B to keep his thumb out of his mouth. He doesn't seem to understand the concept of suction.
8:00a Time to pump again. The boys have to sit up in their swing and bouncer after eating for 30 minutes (because of reflux). While I pump, I sing them songs, shake rattles, and make funny faces/noises to entertain them. I also eat a bowl of oatmeal. Then, pumping is over. Both boys have pooped, so I change them. They move to the next station, playing in the pack-n-play. I read them some books. They are particularly cheerful this morning. I snap a photo and text it to their grandparents/aunt/uncle in Oregon. Literally two minutes later, B starts wailing. Nap time!
8:45a Attempted nap. I think they are both asleep, so I hop in the shower. While showering, I use a shampoo bottle to ferociously kill a big black bug crawling around by the drain. Upon closer inspection, I find out it was a fuzz ball...probably off my toes as I was wearing new socks. Better safe than sorry! I get out of the shower and turn off the fan to hear squawking. Turns out B wasn't really asleep. Pacifier in, and he's out. I toss in a load of laundry and unload the dishwasher. Eat some lactation cookies. Then A wakes up. We play pat-a-cake for a few minutes before B wakes up, too.
9:35a Change diapers, make bottles
9:50a Feeding #2
10:30a Pumping time. Turn on the Sprout channel. It entertains them for about 10 minutes. I decide it's never too young to begin religious education, so I sing them the "Lord's Prayer" song. Then it's time to go to the playpen again.
11:00a Getting fussy already! A goes down for a nap. B isn't tired, so I put him in the bouncer and carry him out to the kitchen were he can watch me wash my pump parts. Make a cup of tea.
11:20a B looks sleepy. Nap time. He goes to sleep. I eat a burrito and make more bottles.
11:40a A is awake. He comes and hangs out in the living room while I research options for a new cell phone. My phone is getting old and keeps crashing.
12:00p B wakes up. Time to do our physical therapy exercises! They have a few exercises to keep them on track, developmentally.
12:20p Feeding #3. Still having thumb issues with B...
1:00p Pumping, then playtime. They go in the Jumperoo and Bumbo chair this time. A spits up all over himself. Wardrobe change!
1:30p Attempt to put them down for a nap. This takes 15 minutes of hopping back and forth between the 2 cribs, sticking pacifiers in mouths. They finally give up.
1:45p They are asleep! I eat more cookies. Reply to a Facebook msg from a friend, call pest control to schedule our next treatment, look up chicken tortilla soup recipes on Pinterest to make dinner for a friend tomorrow. Also try a homemade "hack" for the Swiffer wet mop, and it seems to work. Mop the bathroom floor, since I killed a cockroach in there yesterday. (Full disclosure: I was motivated to do the mop thing b/c I knew I was recording my activities for the day! I'd been procrastinating on that one.)
2:10p Both babies wake up screaming. Oh joy. Change diapers, play on the play mat, do tummy time, stall until it's time to eat.
2:40p Can't stall any longer. Feeding #4. I notice they both are crossing their eyes sometimes still. My baby development book says they shouldn't do that anymore after reaching 6 months. Make a mental note to observe their eyes in 1.5 months.
3:20p pump, clip someone's fingernails (can't recall who), watch "Sarah & Duck" on Sprout, a charming little British cartoon that I hope the boys will like! It seems calmer than the American shows.
4:00p Drag the pack-n-play out to the kitchen so the boys can watch me make bottles, wash my pump parts, and load the dishwasher.
4:15p Walk time! The weather is nice so we don't have to bundle up too much. I realize that if I put their blankets underneath the clippy belt thing that holds their car seats on the stroller, the blankets stay in place much better. Don't know why it took me so long to figure this out. They fall asleep about 5 minutes into the walk. I enjoy a peaceful stroll around the neighborhood.
5:00p Come home, change diapers, tummy time
5:15p Feeding #5. Daddy comes home and takes over with one baby. Both babies are fussy and I give them gas drops. I wonder, as usual, if I should try a different formula because maybe this Gerber stuff doesn't agree with them.
6:00p Pump time. DF goes to pick up takeout for dinner from Tokyo Grill. Then begins the longest stretch of the day, keeping them entertained until the final feeding and bedtime. We don't try to get them to nap so that they'll fall asleep easier at night. So, we use all the tricks we have - jumperoo, Bumbo seat, playpen, being held, dancing around, reading books, throwing blocks, singing, and making funny sound effects.
7:00p Get into pajamas, change diapers, make bottles (Dad does wardrobe; I do food)
7:15p Feeding #6 + medicine. They both get pretty sleepy and nod off while eating, but then wake up to finish their bottles.
7:45p Sit up time. Daddy entertains them wile I unload dishwasher and start a load of laundry. Then we sing quiet songs and read a couple books to get ready for bed.
8:15p Bed time. I rock them to sleep. While I rub their little heads, I think of when they were in the NICU and we were only supposed to place a hand on top of their head in a "comfort hold" but not rub, as it overstimulated their brains. I ponder how far we've come since then. It almost feels like that whole ordeal happened to someone else and those were different babies, not me and my kids. Weird.
8:35p Both are asleep! Victory! I notice the toilet bowl is looking dingy so give it a quick scrub. Transfer laundry to the dryer. Brush my teeth.
9:00p Final pumping session of the day. Check Facebook while pumping. Wash pump parts.
9:40p Bed time for Mommy. DF is still up playing games on his phone. I don't understand. If I could've, I would've collapsed into bed an hour ago when the babies went to sleep. Set alarm for 3AM and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.
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