Zero Energy.

I feel like lately, all I do, is complain....

I'm not one to break the cycle, so here is my list of complaints for today,

My house is a wreck and I hate it, however there is no point in cleaning until the kids are in bed, but by then I'm too tired to do anything! Thus the cycle continues....

I really need a triple stroller, like, really need one! I'm outnumbered by my kids. I have a pretty sweet double stroller that works great for the twins, but the Big Girl is in NO WAY able to be trusted to walk next to me while I stroll the babies. The Big Girl is not much of a listener, okay, she's not a listener AT ALL, so I really need a triple stroller to be able to get out of the house when it's just me and the kids, which is ALL THE TIME. If I was a lesser person, I would have cracked by now. Goal for the spring = MUST obtain triple stroller.

I'm worn out. I'm pissed because I'm always tired, I guess that comes with the territory, but I'm seriously tired. too tired. all the time. boo.

Mickey Mouse is like my fourth child. If I have to hear the "hot dog" song one more time, I might break something.

I have a love/hate relationship with my kids Pediatrician and right now, I hate them (the whole practice). I'm always the one to recommend my Ped. when some other parent is complaining about theirs. Since having the Big Girl, my Ped. has been awesome, from sickness to well-visits, to tubes, I have no complaints. Since the twins though, she seriously sucks.

I mean, not to sound bitchy, but I have twins, TWINS. I would think that is kind of a big deal, I would think you would want to bend over backwards to be helpful because I have twins, and know LOTS of other people with twins, it would be really good PR to bend over backwards for me. Just Sayin.

I have been going back and forth with my Ped. about Annabelle's feeding issues, and now it turns out the hemangioma on her ear has a staph infection! A Staph Infection!

Serenity Now!

Ugg, I think my post for tomorrow will be all about hemangiomas...get excited, it should be a fun one!

Can we fast-forward to next week, because I'm pretty much already over this one!??

Ef you, stomach flu!

You haven't lived until your child has projectile vomited...

all over YOU.

fun, I know.

For the first time ( I think, ever) all of us got our flu shots...of course the twins are too young to get one.

So, on top of feeding issues, Annabelle now has a slight fever and is eating even less than normal, and Gabrielle isn't keeping anything down.

poor babies.

poor mom.

poor us.

no fun with a sick kid, double no fun with 2 sick kids.

I'm praying the Big Girl doesn't catch this funk, because it is INFINITELY no fun with a sick toddler.

Uggh...Pedialite is my best friend right now, and with the amount that we've stocked up, we really should own stock in the company.

So much for a quite little Sunday...but really, is that ever a possibility with 3 kids under age 2???

Twins, Tuesday!

So..

I figure, Tuesdays will be devoted to twins and twins issues.

I have a lot to talk about...I mean, a lot!

When you have kids, you constantly seem to worry about equal attention and fairness, and having twins, that are 5 months old and already really "in" to each other, and then a big girl who doesn't have a counter-part in the family that is her age, I always worry about attention and fairness.

So, it's not really "fair" to devote this whole blog (which I started in the first place when I became a new mom to my precious big girl) to the twins.

There are SO many things to get off my chest and to write about though, regarding them, that I really need an outlet...so, that's why Tuesdays, are my "Twin Days" my time to write about the hard issues I'm currently up against, and the cool quirky things I'm starting to notice about my identical girls...my small attempt at keeping it "fair." I also love reading blogs and getting advice from other moms who have multiples, so I'd like to offer any advice I come across to the next person going through what I'm going through now.

Out of all the things, I could pull out of my bag today to write about, I've decided to tackle the most current issue plaguing us...

feeding.

Gabby is an eating machine..

We never have a problem with her finishing her bottle. never.

Her sister, Annabelle, completely different story.

It's started from the very beginning...

Annabelle is our small one. She was born 3 lbs. 14 oz. and was our biggest concern during the pregnancy. She was the one, from the very beginning, they said wouldn't make it.

But, she did.

She proved them wrong.

Our little fighter.

She spent 8 days in the NICU, which if you've ever had a child or known someone who has had a child in the NICU, 8 days is awesome, 8 days is what you 'hope' for compared to some kids who are there for months.

Because she was tiny, she was getting high-calorie formula plus whatever I was able to pump. I'll admit, I was sending EVERYTHING I could get to the NICU, I wasn't yielding much in those early days, so whatever I could pump I sent to Annabelle, I figured she needed it more, since her twin was 5lbs. 12 oz. and never was in the NICU.

It didn't take long, to notice Annabelle did better with the breastmilk than the high-calorie formula. Luckily, since she was getting everything I was pumping, she was exclusively getting breastmilk those first weeks.

Once she came home, and my milk really came in, I figured it was only fair to split what I was yielding between the two girls. Each girl got about 9 bottles a day, so each girl got 5 breastmilk bottles and the other 4 bottles were formula. Gabby was on regular formula and Annabelle was still on the high-calorie special formula. Annabelle started having extreme gas pains when she'd have a formula bottle, she would be in LOTS of pain. The only way to calm her down after a feed was to use mylicon gas drops, which seemed to work fine. Finally we were able to knock her down to just having 2 high-calorie formula bottles a day, and then the rest breastmilk or regular formula, they still wanted her to get at least 2 high-calorie ones a day though, because of weight gain.

At 2 months we were able to throw out the high-calorie stuff completely! Yay!

Around 2.5 and 3 months, I stopped pumping (more on this later) it just became too hard, and I wasn't even yielding enough for 1 full bottle a day for each girl.

So, the girls were strictly formula fed.

Annabelle was still having issues with her formula, we tried sensitive formula, but nothing worked, then mylicon stopped working as well.

Bring on the Nutramigen!

Ever had a kid on Nutramigen or Alimentum?

It sucks.

It's basically ultra-sensitive hypo-allergenic formula, that's EXPENSIVE.

They only sell it in a 12 oz. can...a 12 oz. can that cost $25 dollars a pop. We currently are going through a can ever 2.5 days.

All I can say, is at least BOTH girls don't have to be on the formula, then it would REALLY be expensive!

Annabelle was doing great on the Nutramigen, until recently.

The gas pains, the arching back, it's all started back up again.

Silent Reflux.

That's what the Dr.'s say at least. She doesn't spit up, but stuff is still coming up her esophagus.

Bring on the Zantac.

Now we are on baby Zantac, we just started our doses yesterday, so I'm praying that it works.

The girls get five, 6-ounce bottles a day, and Annabelle can only get through 3 ounces of her bottle before she can't eat anymore because of the pain.

If Zantac doesn't work, we try Prevacid, if that doesn't work then we see a GI to make sure everything internally is working okay.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel guilty for not continuing with breastfeeding. Although if I had I would have still felt guilty about giving all of my milk to one baby and not the other, maybe that guilt would have been worth it, to have a baby that could at least eat and thrive without being in so much pain.

I'd be lying, if I didn't say part of me worries. Annabelle was a miracle, and came in to this world against the odds. Maybe something internally is wrong, something that during the pregnancy, when she was fighting so hard to survive, didn't form right, or didn't form at all.

I don't know.

I do know, that it doesn't matter if you have twins or a singleton. Worrying comes with the territory when you're a mom.

Pregnancies with complications, always lead to babies that get a little extra worrying on the part of the parents when they arrive.

A pregnancy with multiples is by definition high-risk. So I think all moms out there with multiples understand the "worry factor" all too well.

All of this being said, just because you have multiples doesn't mean you will have feeding issues.

As I said, Gabby, has no issues at all. A friend of mine with twin girls, has had no issues at all.

I think feeding issues are more prominent in babies, that are born early. My girls were 5 weeks early, which for twins isn't too bad. According to my Pediatrician, you can usually bank on some kind of feeding issue for any baby born more than 5 weeks early.

So, it's just something to think about.

I will say, it takes LOTS of patience. And, sometimes, you just need to take a time-out and breathe or cry.

It's never easy to see your child in pain, and for me, sometimes it helps to just have a good cry at the end of the day and get all those frustrations out, for my daughter.

Finger's crossed though, this new medicine will work out.

Either way, we'll get through it.

We always do.

Feeding Issues, suck...but at least I have 2 REALLY cute and cuddly girls to snuggle up on. (and a cuddly toddler when she "lets" me snuggle her)!

No matter how hard my day is, cuddly babies make everything better.

failure.

Well, as far as New Year's Resolutions...I'm a big fat failure.

In my defense, it's really hard to workout every day when you have 3 kids...I mean, I've been wearing my Reebok Easy Tone flip flops, so I think that counts as some sort of workout :)

My house doesn't look horrible. It's actually pretty clean and organized considering the hectic-ness of my life. I have been taking lots more pictures, so, points for me there.

On a completely different note, the hubster lost his wedding ring this weekend.

umm, yeah.

not cool.

Him and my brother were throwing the football and acting stupid in the backyard this weekend, and he thinks his ring flew off of his finger and is some where in the yard.

He has to rent a metal detector to find it.

No dull moments over here. EVER.

On a happier note, I have a new favorite picture taken by yours truly!

How cute, right?

I've also been flexing my under-worked crafting muscles and actually made some pretty stinking cute head bands for my girls!!!

love the newsboy hat! I was even clever enough to make the flowers removable so that I could add them to all kinds of different headbands or hats, or they can just be worn as clips by themselves!

The twins started cereal..

It's still a hit or miss process for them!

We've been dealing with some feeding issues with Annabelle, but more on that later...I plan on devoting Tuesdays to the twins on this blog! I have plenty of material to just start up a separate blog completely devoted to twins stuff, but I figure if my ranting and trials and errors can help another mom with multiples than it's all worth it!

I can't believe they will be 5 months next week! Almost half a year is through, which means were almost half way to the point where we won't need bottles OR formula any more!!!!!!

Well, thanks for reading....I promise I'll be writing again, tomorrow!

New Year!

It's official, 2011 is here and 2010 is no more.

I used to think New Year's Resolutions were stupid and cheesy, but now I love making them. Most of mine center around healthy-living and losing the baby weight, but I figured I'd share my whole list with you guys...

1) Drink 8 glasses of water a day

I've started doing this...and it's hard, it's a lot of water to consume!

2) Workout 6 days a week

Don't even laugh! I need a strict workout regimen if I am ever going to lose these last few pounds. The "workout" doesn't have to be anything major, even if it's just crunches, but I have to do something 6 days out of the week.

3) Lose 20 lbs.

4) Be more positive.

I'm a worrier...always have been, time to break the cycle!

5) Read a book a month.

I love reading, but never have the time, I got a kindle for Christmas, so bring on the books!

6) I must do one craft a week.

even if it's just coloring a picture with my daughter, I have to start getting my creative juices flowing!

7)I will keep my house clean!

I've been following fly lady. If you've never checked her site out, go there! It can be kind of hard to navigate at first, but just check out the Beginner Steps on the side bar and sign up for her e-mail alerts (it's free) and I have to admit, in the 2 weeks I've been doing it, my house is really starting to come together.

8) Take more pictures!

With 3 kids, it can be hard to have the camera handy at all times, but with 3 kids, one can never get enough pictures!

9) Be more organized.

I've started writing out a "To do" list every morning for myself, and it honestly helps keep me focused.

10) Have Fun!

As a mom, it can be hard to find time just for yourself. This year, hopefully I can be more willing to take a break when I need one, and just relax.

So, here's to sticking to it, in 2011!

New Years Eve!

2010 has been quite the year for our family!

We bought a new house, we found out we were pregnant with baby number 2, then we found out we were actually pregnant with baby number 2 AND 3 :)

Our big girl turned one, we bought a new car, and we met our precious new twin baby girls, born September 7th!

I have loved everything about this year!

I'm excited for all the new possibilities that come with 2011.

This will be my first New Year's Eve at home, since I was probably 12 :)

No parties, crazy drinking, or dancing the night away for us. Not this year.

I'm thinking, a pot of chili on the stove, me in my jammies and comfy slippers snuggled up on the couch with they hubs, watching the coverage of the ball-drop on tv, perfecting my New Year's Resolution, and enjoying a big glass of red wine.

Enjoying New Year's Eve at home with my husband, with a big girl fast asleep upstairs in her bed and the twins fast asleep in their swings....sounds pretty amazing to me!

Hope everyone has a safe and fantastic New Years!

Back to the grind...

I hope everyone else's Holiday Season was as memorable and special as ours!

As a young family, we are still figuring out our own traditions, and as a mom I am trying to come up with fun ways to make the season feel as magical for my children as my mom made it feel for me!

Believe it or not, this was the FIRST Christmas morning I woke up in my own home, not my parent's!

Yes, even last Christmas, when we were just a family of three, me, the hubs, and BG packed up and headed to my parents for Christmas Eve, spent the night and woke up the next morning to Santa's surprises!

This year though, with our now huge family, it was time to stay at our home. I was worried I would be sad, or that it wouldn't feel much like Christmas, but I was so wrong!

We still headed to my parents house Christmas Eve for all the yummy food and to see aunts and uncles and my grandmother. But we headed home around 8, put all the girls to sleep and me and the hubs waited up for Santa!

Christmas takes on a whole new meaning when you are a parent! I still couldn't sleep a wink all night, because I was so excited to see the Big Girl's face when she saw all of her presents!

This year, we kept with some of our old traditions, like Christmas cookie making and decorating, and the Christmas Eve gathering at my parent's house, but this year we also started a few of our own traditions!

Christmas Eve presents!!! Last year, I started out giving BG special Christmas PJ's to wear Christmas Eve. We kept with that tradition this year, but also added ornaments! I LOVE this idea! Every Christmas Eve, the girls will get their Christmas PJ's and an ornament. When they are older and have their own homes and families, all the ornaments they received through the years will go with them.

These are their ornaments this year! Last year, BG got a skiing hippo ornament because her lovey that she sleeps with every night is a hippo. This year she got the mickey mouse because she is OBSESSED with Mickey Mouse! Tinkerbelle belongs to Annabelle because we tend to call her tink from time to time, and the care bear is Gabby Girl's because her lovey is a bear!

Santa Came! Santa doesn't wrap at our house!

Christmas PJ's for the twins...pretty darn cute huh?

3 kids under the age of 2! Quite a hectic, but PERFECT Christmas Day!

It's a Christmas Miracle!! An amazing picture of ALL 3 girls :) I got this gem, Christmas morning! The girls are hanging out in my bed, while dad made sure that Santa had come!

the Big Girl got a guitar, and she loves it, and played it all day. I'm thinking, the next Taylor Swift??

Dad broke his guitar out as well...if we could get the twins some bells, and if I could carry a tune, we'd be the new Partridge Family!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

and Happy New Year!