Not just anyone can look after my precious babies, right?
I don't know about you, but this daycare stuff, before we have even begun, is emotionally exhausting. I know every single Mom has stories - good and bad - and will identify with me right now when I say it is hard to choose someone to look after your babies as you traipse off to work. I mean, in a way, they are like surrogate parents, but you don't know them, and you have to go on their word (and the word of parents who came before you) that they feed them healthy food, they teach them well, and they keep their cute little heinies clean. And, of course, you pay these people HANDSOMELY to do this.
That said, we think we have finally made our choice. It was hard. We had a second option that we thought was ideal, however when we zoomed in, she was an independent caregiver going against the 'recommended' laws regarding numbers of children and ages of children, and even though the parents seemed to think her care was great, the fact was that she had too many kids, at too young an age, and that didn't sit well with us. Tough choice, though, considering that there would be a $16/day difference between her and the more expensive option we are going with! Think about the money that adds up to over time...whooooo. You can see our dilemma, right?
But you go with your gut and you try not to put a price tag on something so utterly valuable and irreplacable. Whatever it takes.
For the Moms out there starting their search for care, here are some of the resources I found:
CCPRN
DaycareBear
Wee Watch Agency
Kanata-based:
Tiny Hoppers (Kanata North location opening this Fall)
Glen Cairn Cooperative Preschool
Kanata Nursery School (website in development)
Katimavic Cooperative Nursery School
Community Child Care
What others are out there? What have your experiences been? Have you blogged about that first drop-off day and want to share?
Showing posts with label New Mom advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Mom advice. Show all posts
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
3 months, 6 months, 12 months...
Here's one of those New Mom Advice posts for you...
As a new Mom, you will have too many clothes for your baby/babies! New, gently used, splurges and consignment or hand-me-down, I have learned the hard way that you NEED to 'manage' your babies' wardrobes!!! Month after month, day after day I unearth outfits that the girls never wore, but that are now too small for them, or are too wintery, or whatever! And it's upsetting that I didn't have a chance to put these cute and lovely little pieces on the girls!
So. Here's what I have to offer, that I did wrong on the first go-around.
1. I decided to fold and place a LOT of clothes into the dresser drawers I had, sometimes placing up to 5 outfits, tops, bottoms or whatever on top of each other inside each drawer, eventually stuffing each drawer with clothes. For obvious reasons, the clothes at the bottom were usually forgotten.
2. I decided to fold and place clothes of varying ages into the drawers, with (what seemed a good idea at the time) the littlest clothes in the top drawers, the 3 month clothes in the middle ones and 9-12 month clothes in the bottom. Again...too stuffed, and why have clothes in drawers that don't fit the girls? Pack those away, and spread out only the clothes that fit them NOW. If you see them, they will end up wearing them!
3. Here's a GREAT tip. In my quest to organize this little house for the arrival of the twins, I did a LOT of packing up of anything that we didn't immediately or often need. Bin after bin got packed. Bin after bin got loaded into a newly-created mezzanine in the garage (fancy word for overhead storage area). Ultimately? I have no bins left to pack up clothes that don't fit the girls anymore! So what's the tip, that I got from a girlfriend of mine who has way too many baby clothes to deal with herself? Take your diaper boxes (or other small boxes, but these make the most sense) and pack up the overflow clothes into them, labeling them by the age of the clothes inside them. That way it's easy to ID the baby clothes boxes, and when you have friends looking for clothes, you can pull them out and take them over, and when you are ready to consign, they are also ready to go.
Oh, and just as an aside, have you seen the closet we created in the nursery for the girls? If not, take a look:
We took off our closet doors (those crappy cheap slidy things) and made some custom curtains. Bought the rods at Home Depot, and the shelving solution at IKEA. We connected the shelves to each other and then the wall, and used three small rods for clothes hanging, with the idea that when the girls grow, you can remove the middle rod to hang the bigger clothes. I will be sad to leave all this behind, but the new house already has custom inserts and so this stays with the house. But. It's been a great and practical organizational solution!
What do you do to stay organized? What are you doing with the superfluous little pieces of clothing? And where do you consign with the best payout and purchasing history?
As a new Mom, you will have too many clothes for your baby/babies! New, gently used, splurges and consignment or hand-me-down, I have learned the hard way that you NEED to 'manage' your babies' wardrobes!!! Month after month, day after day I unearth outfits that the girls never wore, but that are now too small for them, or are too wintery, or whatever! And it's upsetting that I didn't have a chance to put these cute and lovely little pieces on the girls!
So. Here's what I have to offer, that I did wrong on the first go-around.
1. I decided to fold and place a LOT of clothes into the dresser drawers I had, sometimes placing up to 5 outfits, tops, bottoms or whatever on top of each other inside each drawer, eventually stuffing each drawer with clothes. For obvious reasons, the clothes at the bottom were usually forgotten.
2. I decided to fold and place clothes of varying ages into the drawers, with (what seemed a good idea at the time) the littlest clothes in the top drawers, the 3 month clothes in the middle ones and 9-12 month clothes in the bottom. Again...too stuffed, and why have clothes in drawers that don't fit the girls? Pack those away, and spread out only the clothes that fit them NOW. If you see them, they will end up wearing them!
3. Here's a GREAT tip. In my quest to organize this little house for the arrival of the twins, I did a LOT of packing up of anything that we didn't immediately or often need. Bin after bin got packed. Bin after bin got loaded into a newly-created mezzanine in the garage (fancy word for overhead storage area). Ultimately? I have no bins left to pack up clothes that don't fit the girls anymore! So what's the tip, that I got from a girlfriend of mine who has way too many baby clothes to deal with herself? Take your diaper boxes (or other small boxes, but these make the most sense) and pack up the overflow clothes into them, labeling them by the age of the clothes inside them. That way it's easy to ID the baby clothes boxes, and when you have friends looking for clothes, you can pull them out and take them over, and when you are ready to consign, they are also ready to go.
Oh, and just as an aside, have you seen the closet we created in the nursery for the girls? If not, take a look:
We took off our closet doors (those crappy cheap slidy things) and made some custom curtains. Bought the rods at Home Depot, and the shelving solution at IKEA. We connected the shelves to each other and then the wall, and used three small rods for clothes hanging, with the idea that when the girls grow, you can remove the middle rod to hang the bigger clothes. I will be sad to leave all this behind, but the new house already has custom inserts and so this stays with the house. But. It's been a great and practical organizational solution!
What do you do to stay organized? What are you doing with the superfluous little pieces of clothing? And where do you consign with the best payout and purchasing history?
Monday, May 16, 2011
Supreme sustenance - super solid foods!
You may recall that I introduced solids to the girls about two weeks ago - just a little rice and oatmeal cereal - and that we captured it on camera and video. It's such a BIG DEAL when you really think about it - these milestones are so emotional for Moms, aren't they? Hailey, as with most things, was so serious!
And today, I made their first real foods. I'm excited to be able to make their food from scratch and there is so much to choose from! What to start with? Well, I thought we'd go standard and cook up some carrot and some broccoli. We even have this cool little storage tray with inserts for baby-size portions. Fun!
So colourful. That's how you know it's healthy!
And so I tweeted out my first forays into this new stage and posed the question - what else should I look at introducing? - and got great suggestions. Banana, sugar-free apple sauce, avocado (yum), sweet potato, squash, peas, etc. I also got a very funny link from my friend Dani who wrote a blog post about HER first attempts at making her baby's own food. Thought I would share. Nothing quite that exciting happened here, I'm afraid...
So. What else did you introduce? What are your suggestions? Oh, and how did you all handle the new and fabulous olfactory-stimulating presents awaiting you at the other end? Holy crapola (pun entirely intended)...!
And today, I made their first real foods. I'm excited to be able to make their food from scratch and there is so much to choose from! What to start with? Well, I thought we'd go standard and cook up some carrot and some broccoli. We even have this cool little storage tray with inserts for baby-size portions. Fun!
And so I tweeted out my first forays into this new stage and posed the question - what else should I look at introducing? - and got great suggestions. Banana, sugar-free apple sauce, avocado (yum), sweet potato, squash, peas, etc. I also got a very funny link from my friend Dani who wrote a blog post about HER first attempts at making her baby's own food. Thought I would share. Nothing quite that exciting happened here, I'm afraid...
So. What else did you introduce? What are your suggestions? Oh, and how did you all handle the new and fabulous olfactory-stimulating presents awaiting you at the other end? Holy crapola (pun entirely intended)...!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The booby experiment
So this Saturday I decided to head out all day to a friend's bachelorette party. It was bliss. Limo to the Nordik Spa, R&R there, then limo to Fresco's for dinner. Thought I would be out until 8 or so, given a nice leisurely dinner. 9:30 hit and we had barely placed our food orders yet.
What this meant was that from the time I left the house (12:30) until I got home (10:30) I didn't breastfeed or pump. Well, that last part isn't entirely true - more to come on that later. Call it an experiment to see how 'normal' my poorly producing boobies were, since I hadn't gone any big length of time without at least pumping since the babies arrived.
Here's what happened.
First, the spa was great. Soooo great. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the girlfriends were hilarious - it was great to be out acting like an adult again (well, maybe I was. I'll let my other girlfriends speak for themselves. I'll just say this about that. There were penis cupcakes.) Hot baths and saunas, cold waterfalls, green tea by the fireside....ahhhhh! All was well.
Then, a funny thing happened. All of a sudden *whoosh*. I could feel the tingling and throbbing reminding me quite aggressively that I was supposed to be tied to my child or a pump by now. It came, then went, then came again. And it started to get very uncomfortable.
All very much what I expected.
We went from the spa to Fresco's on Elgin street, but didn't get there until after 9pm. By then, I was participating in the conversation with half a mind, distracted as I was by my big, bloated boobies. And midway through a conversation over bread (and a little wine - I'm not dead, ya know!), I felt it. Wet stickiness under my right upper arm as I reached to dip a piece into our fancy vinegar/oil plate. Uh...okay.
The padded bra and shirt were no match, it seemed, for the river of liquid that was starting to escape from my left boob. This, by the way, is the 'good' boob. We like this boob because it produces the most milk, you see. So it would stand to reason that the confines of my size F boob would not be enough to contain what was now a deluge of milk.
So, what does one do? Time to head off to the bathroom to figure something out.
Women's washroom in use. No one in the single washroom designated for men (so just a normal toilet loo, ya know? Not like I was over a urinal or something), and so I went in. Because it was a single toilet room, I thought to myself, "NOW is the chance to try manual expression of breastmilk. I can do it in the sink. Wonder how this goes?"
And so I stripped of my shirt and lowered my non-nursing bra (another mistake - just because you aren't opening your bra for a baby doesn't mean you won't have to do so for other reasons) and squeezed, rubbed and worked the milk down to the nipple, as I have been told you do. It started as a drop or two. Then...it happened.
Holy hose with leaks out the side batman! Milk on the faucet, milk on the mirror, milk on the floor! I had some cleaning to do. Ah....that felt better, but wait! I nearly jumped out of my skin: someone was pounding on the door. Shit. Now what? Well, they would just have to wait. I had just started to relieve some pressure, and had far to go. Ok. Back to it. More squeezing. More random milkiness. Fun times. Another loud knock. Damn. Ok. What can I do? Well, I got rid of a bit of it. Why don't I just fold a bunch of toilet paper and stick it into my bra and then sop up as much as I can from the wet bra and top? (Note: The only smart move of the day was wearing a VERY busy patterned top). Done.
And I'm out. Walk past a small crowd of men wondering what the hell? and keep moving.
Eat dinner. Try make conversation while focusing on engorged boobs. Leave. Walk through the door and make beeline for pump, shedding top and bra in the process.
The toilet paper was sodden, sticking randomly all over my boob and nipple. Take time to peel and rub this off. Put on nursing bra and top. Aaand...
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Relief!
What comes next? I pump more than I've ever pumped before. And thank gawd, because you know what? The experiment proved my fears...sure enough my milk supply went down IMMEDIATELY that night and the next two days until such time as I was able to eat more oatmeal, get back on the pump, and drink my prolactation tea (as well as take my domperidone). Good times.
Such was my experiment. Won't be trying THAT again anytime soon.
What this meant was that from the time I left the house (12:30) until I got home (10:30) I didn't breastfeed or pump. Well, that last part isn't entirely true - more to come on that later. Call it an experiment to see how 'normal' my poorly producing boobies were, since I hadn't gone any big length of time without at least pumping since the babies arrived.
Here's what happened.
First, the spa was great. Soooo great. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the girlfriends were hilarious - it was great to be out acting like an adult again (well, maybe I was. I'll let my other girlfriends speak for themselves. I'll just say this about that. There were penis cupcakes.) Hot baths and saunas, cold waterfalls, green tea by the fireside....ahhhhh! All was well.
Then, a funny thing happened. All of a sudden *whoosh*. I could feel the tingling and throbbing reminding me quite aggressively that I was supposed to be tied to my child or a pump by now. It came, then went, then came again. And it started to get very uncomfortable.
All very much what I expected.
We went from the spa to Fresco's on Elgin street, but didn't get there until after 9pm. By then, I was participating in the conversation with half a mind, distracted as I was by my big, bloated boobies. And midway through a conversation over bread (and a little wine - I'm not dead, ya know!), I felt it. Wet stickiness under my right upper arm as I reached to dip a piece into our fancy vinegar/oil plate. Uh...okay.
The padded bra and shirt were no match, it seemed, for the river of liquid that was starting to escape from my left boob. This, by the way, is the 'good' boob. We like this boob because it produces the most milk, you see. So it would stand to reason that the confines of my size F boob would not be enough to contain what was now a deluge of milk.
So, what does one do? Time to head off to the bathroom to figure something out.
Women's washroom in use. No one in the single washroom designated for men (so just a normal toilet loo, ya know? Not like I was over a urinal or something), and so I went in. Because it was a single toilet room, I thought to myself, "NOW is the chance to try manual expression of breastmilk. I can do it in the sink. Wonder how this goes?"
And so I stripped of my shirt and lowered my non-nursing bra (another mistake - just because you aren't opening your bra for a baby doesn't mean you won't have to do so for other reasons) and squeezed, rubbed and worked the milk down to the nipple, as I have been told you do. It started as a drop or two. Then...it happened.
Holy hose with leaks out the side batman! Milk on the faucet, milk on the mirror, milk on the floor! I had some cleaning to do. Ah....that felt better, but wait! I nearly jumped out of my skin: someone was pounding on the door. Shit. Now what? Well, they would just have to wait. I had just started to relieve some pressure, and had far to go. Ok. Back to it. More squeezing. More random milkiness. Fun times. Another loud knock. Damn. Ok. What can I do? Well, I got rid of a bit of it. Why don't I just fold a bunch of toilet paper and stick it into my bra and then sop up as much as I can from the wet bra and top? (Note: The only smart move of the day was wearing a VERY busy patterned top). Done.
And I'm out. Walk past a small crowd of men wondering what the hell? and keep moving.
Eat dinner. Try make conversation while focusing on engorged boobs. Leave. Walk through the door and make beeline for pump, shedding top and bra in the process.
The toilet paper was sodden, sticking randomly all over my boob and nipple. Take time to peel and rub this off. Put on nursing bra and top. Aaand...
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Relief!
What comes next? I pump more than I've ever pumped before. And thank gawd, because you know what? The experiment proved my fears...sure enough my milk supply went down IMMEDIATELY that night and the next two days until such time as I was able to eat more oatmeal, get back on the pump, and drink my prolactation tea (as well as take my domperidone). Good times.
Such was my experiment. Won't be trying THAT again anytime soon.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Insights for the New Mom Series - Primping
I was quickly brushing my teeth the other day and realized I hadn't done a good job of it lately. Cleaning my teeth, that is. And that got me to thinking; had I done a good job of my personal upkeep in general? No. I was always in such a rush, being alone with two babies, that it seemed like the last priority.
But you know what? It shouldn't be. Taking a shower should not be about washing away the bare minimum in order not to smell bad! 'Wiping' down my teeth in a half-hearted attempt to get the obligation out of the way in order to crawl into bed 30 seconds sooner should not be standard practice. Skipping your daily shower and not washing your face should not be in the cards. And landscaping shouldn't be a term now exclusive to the backyard!
Ladies. The baby/babies can wait an extra 5 minutes. If they are in their crib, or their bouncy chair, or their swing, then you can take a little time for YOU. You can allow yourself to take some nice, deep breaths in the shower. Better yet, you can draw a bubble bath and let your husband care for the baby for 20 minutes in the evening. (But in my household we have a horrid bathtub. It's something I really, really miss. I love baths. I want a bath. REALLY want a nice hot soak. Is there a bathtub fairy I can appeal to?) But I digress. Really, you can! And...you can certainly take the proper time it takes to avoid cavities by brushing those molars in rhythmic circular motion well - it's important!
Oh...and while you're at it? Find some time to 'hug' your husband. (I leave it to you to interpret that how you wish to.) Intimacy, even just looking into each other's eyes and having a nice smooch brings you back from baby abyss and reminds you how your love created these amazing creatures. They need it. You need it. The marriage needs it. And the baby/babies will benefit.
That is all. Take care of yourselves ladies!
Please note: The publishers of this blog post don't necessary endorse nor practice the recommendations included herein, but aspire to achieve this state of zen. In actual fact, most days removal of bad odours in indeed the function a quick shower provides, and hair, makeup, 'landscaping' etc. is the stuff of legendary and mythical supermoms.
But you know what? It shouldn't be. Taking a shower should not be about washing away the bare minimum in order not to smell bad! 'Wiping' down my teeth in a half-hearted attempt to get the obligation out of the way in order to crawl into bed 30 seconds sooner should not be standard practice. Skipping your daily shower and not washing your face should not be in the cards. And landscaping shouldn't be a term now exclusive to the backyard!
Ladies. The baby/babies can wait an extra 5 minutes. If they are in their crib, or their bouncy chair, or their swing, then you can take a little time for YOU. You can allow yourself to take some nice, deep breaths in the shower. Better yet, you can draw a bubble bath and let your husband care for the baby for 20 minutes in the evening. (But in my household we have a horrid bathtub. It's something I really, really miss. I love baths. I want a bath. REALLY want a nice hot soak. Is there a bathtub fairy I can appeal to?) But I digress. Really, you can! And...you can certainly take the proper time it takes to avoid cavities by brushing those molars in rhythmic circular motion well - it's important!
Oh...and while you're at it? Find some time to 'hug' your husband. (I leave it to you to interpret that how you wish to.) Intimacy, even just looking into each other's eyes and having a nice smooch brings you back from baby abyss and reminds you how your love created these amazing creatures. They need it. You need it. The marriage needs it. And the baby/babies will benefit.
That is all. Take care of yourselves ladies!
Please note: The publishers of this blog post don't necessary endorse nor practice the recommendations included herein, but aspire to achieve this state of zen. In actual fact, most days removal of bad odours in indeed the function a quick shower provides, and hair, makeup, 'landscaping' etc. is the stuff of legendary and mythical supermoms.
Hitting my stride
As a new Mom you get totally sick of hearing the following phrase: "It gets so much easier when they hit 3 months old!".
Well, I'm here to tell you it is totally true! My girls are so friggin' fun now - they are observant, grasping onto things, crying less, eating well, laughing and giggling aaaaaand......SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT. Rare is the night when either of them wakes up to eat, and if they do, you can tell they are going through a growth spurt, and you may benefit from lots of extra sleep through the daytime as a result.
So...all you new Mamas out there? Just hold on! It gets better....
Unless, of course, you are some of the lesser group of poor Moms who have a colicky baby or one that just simply doesn't sleep well. I know some of them, and I don't know how they do it.
But then, I hear women say those words directed at me, and I feel like I am really lucky and have great babies. It's not even all that hard right now. And really? I cannot WAIT until they can sit up and play with each other.
Some new things they do:
Well, I'm here to tell you it is totally true! My girls are so friggin' fun now - they are observant, grasping onto things, crying less, eating well, laughing and giggling aaaaaand......SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT. Rare is the night when either of them wakes up to eat, and if they do, you can tell they are going through a growth spurt, and you may benefit from lots of extra sleep through the daytime as a result.
So...all you new Mamas out there? Just hold on! It gets better....
Unless, of course, you are some of the lesser group of poor Moms who have a colicky baby or one that just simply doesn't sleep well. I know some of them, and I don't know how they do it.
But then, I hear women say those words directed at me, and I feel like I am really lucky and have great babies. It's not even all that hard right now. And really? I cannot WAIT until they can sit up and play with each other.
Some new things they do:
- They smile IMMEDIATELY when you smile at them.
- They grasp onto things easily and don't always let go.
- They look at each other and smile or giggle; and
- They laugh - especially, it seems, when they see each other or themselves in the mirror. (We got video of this yesterday with Hailey and love it. Such an amazing memory to capture, even if we only caught the tail end of it on video - it took me so much by surprise, since it was her first full on laugh, and it lasted a good minute! Too cute.)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Have babies, will travel
It's on, baby. We will be heading down to Arizona to visit grandma and grandpa this spring. Multiple planes with multiple babies. Hubby flying down with the three of us, then flying back home, then flying down again for a few days, then flying back again with the three of us. Are we nuts? Am I crazy? I think I may be, but I also think the trade-off (sunshine, swimming, hiking, seeing my parents) will ultimately be worth it.
Worth what? Well, time will tell, but for starters, getting these two little goobers passports! Not easy when your babies don't even sit up yet! It was so funny dragging them to the mall after a recent outing to a friend's baby baptism. They were tired and getting hungry. Not a great combo for plunking them into a bumbo, holding them in place and expecting them to look with rapt attention at the camera! I only hope the shots won't be rejected, which, by some accounts, happens fairly often with infant photos??? Egad, I don't want to do that again, and frankly, we won't have time, so cross your fingers for us. How did the shots turn out, you may wonder? Hilarious! So funny! And yes, almost identical. But ya know...Mommy can spot the difference!
Other issues we need to work out:
What to bring, and what Grandma and Grandpa can scrounge up for us. Things like: cribs/playpens, pump rentals (still on the fence about how much longer I want to get up throughout the night to pump and supply extra breastmilk...just how long do I want to do this, I keep asking myself?), strollers, bouncy chairs, etc. I think they have scrounged a few items already, but more to work out. Trying to avoid taking any large items save for the car seats.
What we can/can't take with us without another charge - i.e. how many bags will they allow, what extras will they charge for, should/can we check out car seats safely or bring them to the gate with us (and then, correspondingly, what the heck do we do with all the carry on luggage plus car seats when we have to change planes and get to another terminal etc. as well as carry both babes)
What I can/cannot take onto the plane in terms of bottles, formula, breastmilk, water and food for Mommy etc. We currently use concentrated liquid formula and I always mix it with breastmilk...what is going to be allowed without delaying us or causing all sorts of issues? Can I take some icewater to stay properly hydrated (I hate warm water)? Can I bring proper snacks instead of being forced to buy fast food (although frankly? I'm all over fast foods and sugery goodness at any time these days, but it's not the best choice, even if I AM burning more calories each day with breastfeeding).
Am I going to get grief from the flight attendants for breastfeeding or bottle feeding the babies on takeoff and landing to ease the pressure transition issues? I heard there is a real contradiction in terms of the position you have to hold them in vs. how hard it is on their ears if they aren't swallowing something...
What to pack for the time of year down there (but then, that's the ongoing issue for Arizona) because it can be really warm during the day and cold at night, but also because we have to pack for the four of us now, and Mommy's body is insane right now, so clothes don't fit her...(yeah, I'm refering to myself in the third person. Doing that far too often these days, I've noticed.)
What did you other Mommies do? What tips do you have for me? Any recent experience out there?
Luckily there are fantastic people on Twitter like @hvbabywilltrvl and their amazing site with great advice on traveling with babies and toddlers. So many great articles and travel lists to help us get organized. It's a start, anyways!
Ah.....on a day that started with strong biting wind and ended with heavy snowfall, I think we're crazy not to go. Sunshine and tumbleweeds (and pools, tennis, golf and mountain hiking) here we come!!!
Worth what? Well, time will tell, but for starters, getting these two little goobers passports! Not easy when your babies don't even sit up yet! It was so funny dragging them to the mall after a recent outing to a friend's baby baptism. They were tired and getting hungry. Not a great combo for plunking them into a bumbo, holding them in place and expecting them to look with rapt attention at the camera! I only hope the shots won't be rejected, which, by some accounts, happens fairly often with infant photos??? Egad, I don't want to do that again, and frankly, we won't have time, so cross your fingers for us. How did the shots turn out, you may wonder? Hilarious! So funny! And yes, almost identical. But ya know...Mommy can spot the difference!
Other issues we need to work out:
What to bring, and what Grandma and Grandpa can scrounge up for us. Things like: cribs/playpens, pump rentals (still on the fence about how much longer I want to get up throughout the night to pump and supply extra breastmilk...just how long do I want to do this, I keep asking myself?), strollers, bouncy chairs, etc. I think they have scrounged a few items already, but more to work out. Trying to avoid taking any large items save for the car seats.
What we can/can't take with us without another charge - i.e. how many bags will they allow, what extras will they charge for, should/can we check out car seats safely or bring them to the gate with us (and then, correspondingly, what the heck do we do with all the carry on luggage plus car seats when we have to change planes and get to another terminal etc. as well as carry both babes)
What I can/cannot take onto the plane in terms of bottles, formula, breastmilk, water and food for Mommy etc. We currently use concentrated liquid formula and I always mix it with breastmilk...what is going to be allowed without delaying us or causing all sorts of issues? Can I take some icewater to stay properly hydrated (I hate warm water)? Can I bring proper snacks instead of being forced to buy fast food (although frankly? I'm all over fast foods and sugery goodness at any time these days, but it's not the best choice, even if I AM burning more calories each day with breastfeeding).
Am I going to get grief from the flight attendants for breastfeeding or bottle feeding the babies on takeoff and landing to ease the pressure transition issues? I heard there is a real contradiction in terms of the position you have to hold them in vs. how hard it is on their ears if they aren't swallowing something...
What to pack for the time of year down there (but then, that's the ongoing issue for Arizona) because it can be really warm during the day and cold at night, but also because we have to pack for the four of us now, and Mommy's body is insane right now, so clothes don't fit her...(yeah, I'm refering to myself in the third person. Doing that far too often these days, I've noticed.)
What did you other Mommies do? What tips do you have for me? Any recent experience out there?
Luckily there are fantastic people on Twitter like @hvbabywilltrvl and their amazing site with great advice on traveling with babies and toddlers. So many great articles and travel lists to help us get organized. It's a start, anyways!
Ah.....on a day that started with strong biting wind and ended with heavy snowfall, I think we're crazy not to go. Sunshine and tumbleweeds (and pools, tennis, golf and mountain hiking) here we come!!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Insights for the New Mom Series - Anxiety
So, although not overtly intended to be advice, a lot of my recent posts could easily serve to help new expectant mothers (and especially mothers of multiples) prepare for what is to come. I thought that here and there I would expressly write posts that detail experiences that I imagine can be universal, or unexpected, or issues that can crop up that would have been good to know beforehand.
Such as...anxiety.
I just never really gave much thought to how I would feel after the babies arrived in terms of stress or facing the challenges. I DID worry about post-partum depression, but other than that, you just think "It'll be hard but so wonderful to finally be a Mom!". But here's the thing. I bet even the most experienced former babysitters who thought they would be 'naturals' at child-rearing have experienced anxiety in the early days.
What do I mean by anxiety? I mean a full-on panicky feeling onset by a lack of sleep, fear of what lies ahead (like a long sleepless night when you are already exhausted, for instance), or feeling overwhelmed and knowing that there will be NO MORE relaxing, long sleeps or freedom from having a baby to worry about. Yes, you are ecstatic to have successfully given birth to a (hopefully) healthy baby, but you have to face the emotions that you will feel when deprived of sleep, overwhelmed at the tasks ahead, and feeling like it won't end anytime soon.
And, I have to say, that these feelings come in full partnership with guilt for even thinking this way, and cause a LOT of stress that both you and your baby feel...and...it will affect your breast milk production. A vicious circle.
But it gets better. Don't think about the distant future. Just think about the hour to come and how the babies are happy and healthy and doing fine, and so are you. Try to relax and know you are doing a good job. Try to get help so that you can take a bath, or catch a nap, or go for a walk to get some fresh air.
Relaaaaaaaaax.
And if you can't relax that night, then know that it gets easier, you get more accustomed to being a Mom, and yes, you will actually start to enjoy the demands placed on you and feel more than competent to handle them.
Eventually.
Such as...anxiety.
I just never really gave much thought to how I would feel after the babies arrived in terms of stress or facing the challenges. I DID worry about post-partum depression, but other than that, you just think "It'll be hard but so wonderful to finally be a Mom!". But here's the thing. I bet even the most experienced former babysitters who thought they would be 'naturals' at child-rearing have experienced anxiety in the early days.
What do I mean by anxiety? I mean a full-on panicky feeling onset by a lack of sleep, fear of what lies ahead (like a long sleepless night when you are already exhausted, for instance), or feeling overwhelmed and knowing that there will be NO MORE relaxing, long sleeps or freedom from having a baby to worry about. Yes, you are ecstatic to have successfully given birth to a (hopefully) healthy baby, but you have to face the emotions that you will feel when deprived of sleep, overwhelmed at the tasks ahead, and feeling like it won't end anytime soon.
And, I have to say, that these feelings come in full partnership with guilt for even thinking this way, and cause a LOT of stress that both you and your baby feel...and...it will affect your breast milk production. A vicious circle.
But it gets better. Don't think about the distant future. Just think about the hour to come and how the babies are happy and healthy and doing fine, and so are you. Try to relax and know you are doing a good job. Try to get help so that you can take a bath, or catch a nap, or go for a walk to get some fresh air.
Relaaaaaaaaax.
And if you can't relax that night, then know that it gets easier, you get more accustomed to being a Mom, and yes, you will actually start to enjoy the demands placed on you and feel more than competent to handle them.
Eventually.
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