This is a message to all my family and friends who are wondering how we are really doing?? And never hear from me:-)
The boys are now nearly 3.5 months old and I am still so out of contact. From what I have read, it is going to be a long time before I have time again:-) So I thought I would give you an idea of what 24 hours is like for me at the moment.
My day is filled with taking care of the boys (feeding, pumping, cleaning bottles, changing bums and clothes, especially bibs... holding and cuddling, talking and playing and reading and settling and putting dummies (pacifiers) back in and rocking and smiling and bathing), taking care of Sarah (trying to be better at doing something with her every day), feeding and taking care of myself, and getting some sleep... sometimes cooking, doing laundry, trips to the store or library, cleaning the house... and there is my day. I feel exhausted. so that's why I haven't written or posted about what we are doing.
I am loving these boys! They remind me how precious Sarah is, and I am trying to love this time, as it will pass quickly. Now that my parents are no longer around to help us, I am trying to eat good stuff, and rest, but it is hard, and I dawdle. I miss them:-) It feels like it was the honeymoon or holiday, and now real life has begun... and some days are dredgery.
I am so tired. I have just spent some good time posting this instead of sleeping. so take this as your email from me:-) If you have any questions I will probably get to them. I am seriously still in survival mode. It is sometimes hard to know who to ask for help, and to know what help to ask for. So many of my friends and the people around here have families and responsibilities of their own, and little babies:-) and I feel that I shouldn't need special treatment. but I do have 2 babies. and it is different from just one. I think it's good that I keep busy, or I may realise how hard this really is! I appreciate all the help we have received. I sometimes wish people would just come over:-) I wish I had more friends... but feel that I don't have much time to nurture friendships. funny what you realise when you are too busy to enjoy it.
I miss all my good friends in Utah (or, who were in Utah when we were there)! I miss my family and friends back home in SA:-) Hopefully I will have the time and opportunities to make good friends here... have some already.. some really amazing people here too... Just think, how many wonderful people there are all over the world...
bed calls. More pics to follow soon... and when I get enough time to do it, the blog will be private:-)
The boys are now nearly 3.5 months old and I am still so out of contact. From what I have read, it is going to be a long time before I have time again:-) So I thought I would give you an idea of what 24 hours is like for me at the moment.
- I go to bed anywhere between 10 and 12:30 on any given night. When it is my turn (Ryan and I alternate, hooray for bottles!!!)
- I get up any time between 2am and 4:30am to feed a boy, or 2 boys if they both wake up together. [Andrew can almost make it through the night, and often does, so we have stopped waking him up when Jonathan does, and let him sleep, and then the other parent does that shift:-)]
- After the boy/s are settled and back in their crib, I get to pump and clean the pump parts and have a snack.
- I go back to bed any time between 3:30am and 6am... or sometimes I don't get to go back to bed:-(
- There's usually a feed between 7 and 8am, and then the boys like to have a morning sleep. Sarah needs help getting ready for preschool etc... If I'm lucky I get showered and eat breakfast. and clean some dishes or do some laundry. If I'm wise I actually nap... this doesn't happen very often... then I need to pump for the next feed.
- The boys will play or need to be burped or just want attention (time to smile and cuddle and frown and fret and cry and read books and watch mom while she does something... and then get tired and grumpy and go to sleep)
- Then it's time to make something for lunch, in between trying to give Sarah some time and attention (there it is again...) finish laundry... start thinking of dinner (on the rare day:-) play with the boys... go for a walk? or go outside when the weather is not too cold or rainy. go shopping...
- Then somehow it's time to feed the boys again.... and then time outside in the late afternoon often happens on a nice day (some days we are so busy feeding, burping, changing, settling... that we just don't get out at all). If I'm lucky I'll fit in time to pump again. Then it's bathtime! The boys love their bath, and smile almost as soon as I put them on a towel on the bathroom floor while I get everything ready!
- Somewhere in there we fit dinner. Usually Ryan cooking... sometimes me, depending on the day... and then there's story time for Sarah, and she invariably wants to play a game or do an activity... so demanding you know:-)... and scriptures and prayers... and more feeding and lots of holding and settling in the evening... some evenings it extends up til 11pm with one or two wide awake boys... and others not so late... so if you have or remember having a new baby... just think of the time it takes to settle your baby and put them to bed, and then you do it all over again... the wonderful thing is that I don't have to do it all by myself. It is so much easier when there are 2 adults... although still tiring:-) I am so grateful I don't have to do this on my own. and so grateful that we had 4 adults the first 3 months (thank you mom and dad!!!!!!!!!!!)
- Then it's a case of washing lots of bottles and pumping stuff, and sometimes dishes... and getting to bed.
- I have time to check email during the day, and watch shows while feeding and settling Andrew and Jonathan. sometimes I read a book a few pages at a time. Then I have to fit in all the other stuff you have to sort out... calling people and doing stuff.
- I usually only have one hand available (if that) and I find it so frustrating typing emails one handed.. it takes forever. hence the short posts on the blog and few emails sent out. so please don't take it personally if I haven't gotten back to you in a while....
- On Wednesdays I fetch Sarah from preschool and we go up to the library. Ryan has been coming with us and pushing the pram (yay)
- On Fridays we take the boys with us and clean in the morning:-)
- During the summer Sarah will be doing swimming lessons and soccer, so we will be taking the boys all over... I will have to get out of the house regularly... which is good. being outside reminds me that my world is bigger than my apartment (someone wise told me that recently:-)
- blah blah blah....sorry this was pretty boring...
My day is filled with taking care of the boys (feeding, pumping, cleaning bottles, changing bums and clothes, especially bibs... holding and cuddling, talking and playing and reading and settling and putting dummies (pacifiers) back in and rocking and smiling and bathing), taking care of Sarah (trying to be better at doing something with her every day), feeding and taking care of myself, and getting some sleep... sometimes cooking, doing laundry, trips to the store or library, cleaning the house... and there is my day. I feel exhausted. so that's why I haven't written or posted about what we are doing.
I am loving these boys! They remind me how precious Sarah is, and I am trying to love this time, as it will pass quickly. Now that my parents are no longer around to help us, I am trying to eat good stuff, and rest, but it is hard, and I dawdle. I miss them:-) It feels like it was the honeymoon or holiday, and now real life has begun... and some days are dredgery.
I am so tired. I have just spent some good time posting this instead of sleeping. so take this as your email from me:-) If you have any questions I will probably get to them. I am seriously still in survival mode. It is sometimes hard to know who to ask for help, and to know what help to ask for. So many of my friends and the people around here have families and responsibilities of their own, and little babies:-) and I feel that I shouldn't need special treatment. but I do have 2 babies. and it is different from just one. I think it's good that I keep busy, or I may realise how hard this really is! I appreciate all the help we have received. I sometimes wish people would just come over:-) I wish I had more friends... but feel that I don't have much time to nurture friendships. funny what you realise when you are too busy to enjoy it.
I miss all my good friends in Utah (or, who were in Utah when we were there)! I miss my family and friends back home in SA:-) Hopefully I will have the time and opportunities to make good friends here... have some already.. some really amazing people here too... Just think, how many wonderful people there are all over the world...
bed calls. More pics to follow soon... and when I get enough time to do it, the blog will be private:-)
June 9, 2009 at 1:44 AM
Wow Tish! I admire you so much.
June 9, 2009 at 10:31 PM
I can only imagine. You're a supermom, and I am so impressed that you and Ryan manage so well with pre-schooler Sarah and your twin boys. Way to go! Hang in there. Hopefully sleeping and feeding will get easier sooner rather than later. Good luck. You're in our prayers.
-- Melissa
June 13, 2009 at 6:55 PM
You are doing awesome! I am so happy for you and your family. The boys and Sarah are adorable. It would be fun to be neighbors again. Keep up the great work.
Angela
June 19, 2009 at 6:48 PM
Tish... you are doing great! As I type this one-handed I am just now getting confident having them all by myself all day. Most weeks the housework waits until the weekends. They do grow up fast, eh? What darling little boys and one not so little girl. Call anytime to vent or brag!!!