Bairs Double: 05/01/2008

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Tag Team

How in the world do two newborns manage to stay awake ALL NIGHT LONG? They tag team! We went to bed at 10, I woke at 12 to feed them. Went back to bed at 1, they were awake THE WHOLE TIME until 3. Got up to feed them at 3, went back to bed at 4. They were awake THE WHOLE TIME until 6 when Nick got up to feed them. He put them back down and they were kicking and fussing. I finally gave up trying to sleep and got up at 8:30 to take them downstairs and feed them at 9. HOW can they not sleep? After the 9 feeding I tried to keep them up a bit and then put them down at 10:30. I took a nap until 12 when they started waking up hungry. I actually slept! They were sleeping sound....of course DURING THE DAY! I'm gonna try that napping thing again. I'll take what I can get right now. I emailed Amy, the nurse we had that has twins and she suggested cluster feedings at night after dinner and a FULL feeding before bed. She said she got 6 hours of sleep that way. 6 HOURS! I would LOVE 6 HOURS! Tomorrow a "parenting coach" from the hospital is coming and I'm sure she'll have some ideas too. She is also a mother of twins! The hospital set us up with her and it's a free service. :)

Monday, May 26, 2008

The trials with twins

What an amazing time it is. Nick stayed home with the babies and let me go to church yesterday. It felt so good to be able to worship. It was so emotional for me. I've never been so thankful to God for his creation. I felt that way through out my pregnancy but it's so much stronger now. To see these little babies that God has made and trusted us to take care of...amazing.

Last night I felt really tested for the first time. I've been tired from the lack of sleep and now Nick's been able to sleep through the fussing and screaming. Luke had been very fussy falling asleep because the poor guy had gas and constipation. I held him and walked with him until he fell asleep. He finally felt better by the midnight change. Taylor couldn't settle down after we tried to keep her awake after the 9 oclock feeding. She just would not unwind. She was kicking and screaming and WIDE AWAKE. I held her, talked to her and walked her around the room until she settled down. She woke up screaming an hour earlier than feeding time. It's so hard to know what to do. If we had one baby, we'd just feed her and be done. But with two, we try and keep them on the same schedule, otherwise I'd be up all night feeding whoever was hungry. It's a challenge. Feed one, burp one, sit one in a bobby so they don't spit up, feed the other, burp the other, feed the first one again if they didn't finish, and hope the one in the bobby doesn't start choking or spitting up. All this drama happens at night. They are sooooo awake at night. I held Taylor off with a pacifier, putting it back in every time she knocked it out from swinging her fists, then went to feed her and she wouldn't eat because she wore herself out. She was sweaty and red and exhausted. I woke Nick up because I was all but in tears. I was thinking, she's gonna wake up again in an hour, about the time I start to dose off again, starving. I switched sides of the bed with Nick in hopes of getting some rest....I did fall asleep. Taylor woke up at 4 screaming and I fed them both. At 7, Nick took them downstairs so I could get some more rest. I woke up at 8:30. Why I can't sleep in more than that, drives me nuts! I really think Luke would easily sleep 5 hours at night but Taylor's schedule at night is all out of whack. I'm soooo looking forward to her getting to a schedule. The doctor said we can keep them up more during the day and keep them from napping after dinner. It's soo hard to keep her awake. It takes effort! He stays awake now for a long time after he eats. He'll lay there and look around. She falls right asleep after she eats. We have to fight her to keep her awake. The doctor said it can take 1-2 months to get them to a schedule. It's gonna be an interesting ride. lol

I'm working on trying to sleep during the day when they sleep. I'm not a very successful napper.My mind races when they are asleep, thinking of all the things I should do, laundry, dishes, cleaning. I'm really going to try napping this week. I'm trying to figure out when is the best time to nap when they are calm. If I can get some sleep during the day, I'll have more energy for the night time adventures.