Second week back at work

Well this is week two for me back at work. I'm working 32 hours with two days in the office (Monday, Wednesday) and two days at home (Thursday, Friday). I still have mixed feelings about it.

I really, really like my job. It was kind of weird being back though. Because of bed rest, my last day in the office was April 10. I worked from home until I delivered and then took 16 weeks of maternity leave. So I felt a little out of my element. We have a high turn over agency/industry so there were a ton of new people in the office, and a bunch of people I had worked on accounts with were gone. Plus we went through a reorganization and I got put on a different team. Still learning which accounts I'll be on - last week was more of a ramp up period. Each day seems to get a little easier.

I think for our family going back to work was the best decision. I of course cried (just a little!) dropping the girls off at the sitter's house last Monday. Today I only felt a little weepy but kept it together. In the long run I know this will better for everyone but leaving your kids all day just sucks. I wish I could clone myself and work and be a stay at home at the same time. Sigh. I do get to play stay at home on Tuesdays though, and I'm working from home two days a week so its really not that bad. I can't imagine how hard going back full time after only six weeks of leave would be. Glad my company offers more flexibility than that.

Nine hours in the crib!

Three nights in a row sleeping nine hours straight in their cribs!!!!!! We started putting them to sleep a little earlier (feeding them around 9 or 9:30, in bed by 9:45 to 10:30 pm) and they've been sleeping soundly till 7 am ish (give or take). We still have them napping in the rock n play sleepers during the day but I am working on getting them to nap in the cribs.

The girls have started drooling like crazy over the last couple days. I was super confused by this because I thought drooling meant teething and they are only 17 weeks (11 adjusted) which would be possible but really, freakishly early for teething. Most babies get their first tooth around seven months. Anyway, apparently babies start drooling much earlier than they teeth. So we still have a while.

Chatty babies!

Bailey was chatting it up yesterday (Brooklyn too!). It's so hard to capture on video, but here's one I managed to get:


And yeah, I keep watching this video over and over again at work.

Twin club baby sale

Made out (again) at the wmotc sale. Picked up some stuff for my parents plus a few things we still needed as they get bigger. 

Here's my haul, total cost $475

-two britex convertible car seats (paid $170, retails $400 to $500 new)

-expedition double  jogging stroller (paid $45, retails $200 to $250)

-two bounces seats for sitters ($20.75)

-two bounces seats for grandparents ($30)

-two rock n plays for grandparents (paid $60, $120 new)

-activity mat from grandparents ($8)

-two boppy pillows for grandparents ($30)

-pack and play for sitters ($15)

-baby Bjorn carrier (paid $4, retails for $60 to $70)

-noise machine for grandparents ($3)

-monitor for grandparents ($5)

-crib soother ($8)

-Cinderella DVD ($8)

-10 Mercer Mayer books aka Little Critter ($3.75)

-11 Berenstein Bear books ($4)

-variety of 3 to 9 month clothing 

-various toys including Christmas gifts for nephew Oscar

Babies' first infection

So the girls have been having sore, irritated necks from milk leaking down their chins and getting caught under the fat folds (Previously discussed here). The area has been red and there is white gunk (gross). I've been trying to clean it and keep it dry by putting cornstarch on it (to dry it out) and then slathering it with Aquaphor (the world's greatest baby cure all) but it kept getting worse. I spoke to the nurse today at the girls' pediatrician's office and she said it was a YEAST INFECTION. In their neck fat folds. Apparently this happens to babies all the time. And obese people. Yuck. Anyway, I have to put cream on their necks four times a day and it should clear up quickly.

Also a big thank you to the girls who slept peacefully through the entire episode of Breaking Bad and held off their nine o'clock feeding until ten.

10 lbs of cuteness

The girls turned 14 weeks old this Saturday (eight weeks adjusted) and are now weighing in at 10.11 (Bailey) and 10.15 (Brooklyn) as of yesterday. 

We've had a really awesome last week of sleep. We've been feeding them between 10 and 11, which means they fall asleep by midnight, and then they are waking up around 7 am. I feel so incredible. That's seven straight hours of sleep for me! (For the most part. Sometimes I have to get up and put a pacifier back in. And we still have occasional nights where they wake up at 4 am demanding to be fed. And to be honest I wake up sometimes worried that something is wrong and have to check on them.) They still have yet to sleep in cribs but we have moved them out of our room. They've been sleeping in the rock n play sleepers in the living room. I know I really need to get them to sleep in the nursery in the cribs but they won't sleep in there for some reason. We'll get there.

My maternity leave ends in less than two weeks. It makes me super anxious to think about it. We have an interesting schedule worked out for the next few months - home day care on Mondays (found a place from my brother's friend for $65/day which is awesome), I am not working Tuesday (playing stay at home mom one day a week), Wednesday my sister will take them to my parents' house, Thursday I am working from home and my mother-in-law will be coming over to watch them, Friday I am WFH and taking them to my parents' house for my sister to watch. So at least I am easing into it. I'm not sure if I'll work four or five days a week in January but we'll be sending them to the home day care full time (either four or five days) then. I really liked the woman who operates the home day care (it's her and her husband with up to eight kids) and we know people who send their kids there but I am obviously super nervous about sending them to a stranger. I think it will be good for me to go back to work (I really like my job) but I feel conflicted about leaving my kids. I wish I could somehow work and stay at home simultaneously.

We've gone public

I finally ventured into public with the girls. Other than walks in the metroparks and the Starbucks/bank drive thrus, we haven't taken them into public yet. So just us girls had a day at Target and it was magical. They fell asleep after about ten minutes so I just walked around. For an hour. I got myself a skinny vanilla latte and hung a basket from the stroller and walked down every aisle. I was relieved/surprised/a little disappointed that no one stopped and asked me lots of twin related questions. I was expecting to be bombarded. Actually the only person who spoke to me was the cash register lady. Apparently Target is a wonderful haven for new moms. 

Let it be known that Target doesn't have Halloween costumes out yet. Also you will be proud and impressed that all I bought was formula. (Okay I also bought shampoo. And mascara.) And if you buy three formula containers of enfamil, Target gives you a ten dollar gift card. Score. 

Things that amused me at Target: 

Three months old and a sleeping miracle

Happy three months to my little angels! They are probably around 9 and 1/2 pounds (weighed 9.1 and 9.13 on Aug 27 with Brooklyn slightly more). We had a rough day yesterday at my parents' house (they have trouble sleeping when we aren't at home) so by the time we got back they were exhausted. Fed them at nine and they were knocked out. Brooklyn woke up for a little bit while we watched Breaking Bad (so good) but then they slept until I heard Bailey crying at 5:50 am! A sleep miracle! I feel wonderful with so much rest. Needed that! And I know they won't be doing this everyday right now but it gives me hope that soon they will be able to.