Whine and Wine on a Friday

Oh, what a day.  I'm like a broken record, really, when I talk about how lucky I am to have such wonderful babies.  But it's on a day like today that I realize how lucky.  I mean, they are almost 15 months old and this week was the first week that I REALLY had to deal with a child with a cold. 

Thank friggin' gawd.

Today was particularly trying, as both girls seemed out of sorts and neither were on the same page at the same time (which makes for a particularly crusty mommy).  Alex, still sick, wanted LOTS of sleep and when up was at best unpredictable, alternating between laughter and inconsolable tears.  Hailey, perhaps feeling sickness coming on (?) was irritable, didn't nap well, was a picky eater and just generally wanted a lot of attention.  *As an aside, I chose today to get us all out of the house for a little trip to IKEA.  Ha!  SMRT.

In any event, 5pm hit, and upon return from work, husband was hit at entry with the dulcet tones of whining, whimpering, full-on temper tantrums and other fun.  An early bath, early bottles, and both were put down to bed, also early.  They didn't go to SLEEP early, mind, but Mommy and Daddy had other plans.

BBQ filet mignon, and a WONDERFUL bottle of wine. Seen here:

Yes.  This is what we used to do before our wonderful, blessed additions arrived.  Felt like old times.  Except, of course, for the monitor that showed several decibles of sound were coming from the bedroom. I say showed because the volume was muted.

The wine was velvety, jammy, earthy with dark cherry, a hint of anise. 

Leading a double life

Back at work - Where on earth did a full year go? - and thinking to myself that this whole experience is rather surreal.  You wake, madly change diapers, struggle to get babies into clothes, feed them (no small feat with two), pack up, get them into shoes and jackets and get out the door. You dump them at daycare (no, not literally) and then BOOM.  All of a sudden you are watching the clock, thinking about bus schedules, your lipstick, and the project you are working on at work. 

You arrive at your destination, saunter into a coffee shop perhaps, and then launch brilliantly into adult-speak, discussing the politics of the day, strategies, meetings, clients, projects etc. etc. etc. You continue throughout the day, relaxed while reading, thinking, discussing and in between casually deciding what to eat for lunch (with the luxury of time and a myriad of options), and whether to meet up with a former coworker to laugh and reconnect. 

Then, as the end of the workday approaches, there you are...thoughts of giggly babies seeping into your subconscious; a level of anxiousness to see your girls, laugh with them, wiggle their toes and point at birds in the sky all of a sudden more pressing than anything you are currently typing on the computer.  You are lost to the workforce once again until, tired but looking forward to another work day, you awake, complete your morning routine and send your babies off to daycare.

Don't get me wrong - it feels quite wonderful, and it will be nice to have a balance of experiences to enrich my life again, but boy - what a study in contrasts!

I'm curious how other moms did when they went back to work? I'm not super emotional about it, but I miss my girls so much as the afternoon approaches...

It's Crummy

and mushy

and gooey

and juicy

and sloppy

It's my babies on solid food, and it's quite a scene at times.

Like, for instance, yesterday's dinner.  A little bituh mostly pureed chickpea, mix in a bituh asparagus, then add some chunks of watermelon for dessert.  Seems innocent, right?

It was a gagalicious puking good time! Heads turning away mid-spooning, itchy nose hand smooshing and accompanying face smear, tight lipped distractedness, sideways grabbiness mixed in with take it in and spit it outtedness.  And that was just the chickpea/asparagus mix.  THEN came the watermelon and my continuing attempts at baby-led weaning. I cut a nice long piece of watermelon (seemed safeish) for them to try.  They still don't naturally bring food up to their mouths, and so I helped them, and they gnawed off small chunks.  Well, Hailey did, at least.  Alex?  Big, open, gaping mouth chompdown, baby.  Big girl pieces.

Which led to gagging and then...

it all came up, chickpea and all.

Flash forward to today. The girls both now in their full-body bibs, back to some nice, safe pureed green beans and mushed up banana and blueberry.  MUCH BETTER.

What say y'all? How the heck did you get your babies eating bigger, chunkier foods, or, especially for those who succeeded with baby-led weaning, how the heck did THAT happen?

Precious Cargo

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?

6 Months - Solid fun

First, a quick update on the 'togetherness' project.  MOST nights, it's a success. They go to sleep easily, they sleep through the night, and yeah...they wake each other up at the same time in the morning.  However...it has proven not to be TOO much of an issue, as at least one is more progressed in their hunger than the other, and I can usually satisfy one hungry tummy before the next is begging for nourishment.  That said, the toughest challenge has been the fact that their schedule is so close for the rest of the day!  There have been a few too many instances without Daddy around of 'baby bird nest', where I feel like I only have one worm but two wailing beaks...and that's not fun. But I guess that's the way twins are.  When Daddy or a second adult are around, it's a breeze, and fun, and when I'm alone with them, it's generally great, but admittedly challenging, and sometimes upsetting and frustrating. And there have been a couple of rocky nights, and instances of one setting off the other, which is hectic when it happens - especially in the middle of the night.

However.  My babies are SIX MONTHS OLD, people!  Holy cow, how did THAT happen? Just yesterday we gave them rice cereal, their first solid food, ever.  They gulped it down like pros.  My little Alex is emulating Mommy and 'chewing' when I am eating now, reaching for the food I have in my hands.  Hailey, my picky milk drinker, had no trouble whatsoever with the food.  So cool. So  momentous. So....ah hell...upsetting!  I want my babies to stay babies!  Does anyone ever talk about the push/pull feelings moms go through as their children grow?  Especially when they know it is their last kick at that can?  It's crazy!

Here, a couple shots and a video of Hailey and her meal (Alex's photos are on the big camera, and I haven't had a chance to download and reduce their size):

Lots of fun times, change and adventure on the horizon, my friends - and sometimes, it's gonna be messy!

Togetherness

The big experiment began on Friday night, the start of an extra long weekend for our family.  What was the experiment?  Reuniting our two little babies to sleep in the same room.  Seems crazy, and very much counter to what I had, from the time I found out we were going to have twins, envisioned, but just because of circumstances, we have alway slept Hailey and Alexandra in different rooms.  Whether it was because Hailey was just out of the hospital and on a strict 3 hour schedule, or because Alex could be really loud and we thought there was no way Hailey would sleep through the cacaphony, the biggest reason was that I just didn't want both babies waking each other up all the time, at the same time. This is because I never did succeed at getting them both to breastfeed, and so tandem feeding is not possible, meaning that one of the girls will always have to wait while the other gets her meal, and that just didn't seem like a pleasant way to start our day, ya know?  Screaming babies tend to put a damper on the festivities.

So what has happened in the last three nights?  Exactly what we predicted - they both get each other up at the same time every morning.  And so, today, on the eve of hubby going back to work, I face the reality that starting tomorrow I will be juggling two hungry babies every morning at the same time.  Time will tell how that will go, but I guess the babies will eventually just have to learn that life just isn't cushy and gratification isn't instant in our world.  A good lesson, I suppose, but a little hairy for Mom to teach.

But.  They are together now.  They can chat in the morning (eventually) and take comfort in knowing the other is always nearby. 

So sweet.