Talkin'

Parental Observations

This is what is going on in my brain today.

1.  There should be a lock on Amazon when the following criteria are met:  1) it is the middle of the night 2) a baby (or two or three) is crying/refuses to sleep, and 3) you have a sleep deprived desperate mother.  This is the perfect storm for impulse buying of baby gear that you are certain, at that moment, will solve all of your problems.

2. My house looks like babies-r-us gone wrong.  There is more baby gear than you can imagine.  There are a few items that we couldn't live without, and a few that are nice to have but not critical.  Perhaps soon I'll bless you with a little tour of our gear with reviews of what works best.  I could also save you some money and review the 95 swaddling devices I've tried (see #1 on how this happened).

3. There is one sure way of making you feel like taking care of three babies is easy.  Have one of those babies get sick and require basically 24 hour care for a few days.  For example....say one of your babies has reflux/formula issues, then gets an ear infection, then gets diarrhea, then gets a horrendous case of diaper rash as a result - resulting in on and off inconsolable screaming for a few days.  Even with help, that plus taking care of two other babies is exhausting.  So when you go back just taking care of three healthy babies it seems like a piece of cake!  Okay, not a piece of cake....but easier than it was.

4.  This is my favorite recent text from Jack:  "Anna pooped.  Dogs ate my sandwich".  Apparently Jack made himself lunch and when sitting down to eat realized Anna needed to be changed quickly.  While changing her he turns around to find both dogs finishing off his lunch.  Highlight of their year I'm guessing.

5. Formula smells simply awful, but special formula for sensitive stomach babies smells like canned dog food.  As does anything that comes out of the baby after ingesting said formula.  So you've been warned.  I, along with my house and belongings, will smell like canned dog food for the next year.  I'm sure that makes my co-workers ready for my return.

6.  Someone would make a fortune if they could invent an easy way to teach people to sleep in spurts.  I don't easily nap nor do I go back to sleep easily once I wake up.  So my typical day starts at 1:45 AM when I wake up for the 2 am feeding.  Sometimes I'll be able to get an hour or two after that, but usually not.  You would think that the fatigue would add up and force it to happen, right?  Nope.  This sounds like something I'll probably google next and end up buying more useless crap on Amazon.

7. I may be a bad mom...I laughed a little when the girls got shots.  Don't get me wrong, it was sad; but, the sudden noise that came out first before the real cry was...just funny.  I also have a bad habit of laughing in inappropriate situations, so perhaps it just falls in that category.

For the record, I have spent the last 2 hours (from 4-6 am) blogging and studying one "spirited" child closely on the video monitor to try and figure out her sleep problems.  Does the swaddle calm her?  Is the swaddle her worst nightmare?  Why does she go to sleep for 45 minutes and then wake up like there is a loud alarm clock in her head?  If you have made the connection between how I sleep and how she sleeps, you are not alone.  If you have a magic solution for this sweet little spunky one, e-mail me.

Other than shots, we had a great checkup today.  Anna is 6 lbs 13 oz, Brooks is 8 lbs 3 oz, and Irene is 9 lbs 10 oz.  Crazy to think they were just 3 and 4 lbs when born.  I can't even imagine them that small now.

Brooks and Irene

Anna snuggling with Christina

Irene doing her favorite thing

Brooks trying to hide out before the dr appt

A little playtime by the front door

Anna, Irene, Brooks - getting ready to go to the dr

Irene and Anna

2 months

I had all intentions of doing those cute "month" onesie sticker picture series...but not happening.  So here are some pictures of each around when they were born, around one month, and around two months.

ANNA

Anna  right after birth

Anna about one month - right before she came home

Anna a little over two months - I think she is a little over 6 lbs now

 IRENE

Irene a few days old

Irene one month

Irene two months (she is getting big - I think close to 9 lbs) 

 BROOKS

Brooks a few days old

Brooks around one month

Brooks around two months - I think she is around 8 lbs


They are all doing really well.   More and more alert each day and starting to smile.  Poor Brooks is battling some stomach issues that we are working to solve.  We had a follow up ultrasound on Anna's head to check on the brain bleed - hopefully the results will show that it is continuing to resolve.  Irene is our big eater and sleeper.

Remember the post on nature vs nurture?  Here is one more example, with pictures.  Anna and Irene are pretty happy quietly staring at things, like the Christmas tree, and then will dose off to sleep.  Below are pics of them doing just that.  Then you have a few pics of Brooks with the things that keep her happy.....

Irene after staring at the tree

Anna after staring at the tree (they sleep in the exact same position with their heads back)

Brooks occupied by my IPad

Brooks occupied by my mom hypnotizing her with a stocking for a good while

Brooks in one of her favorite positions

Recent pics of all girls after eating before a little play time

Play time.  Their favorite play activity is staring and batting at each other.  Not so interested in toys.  Brooks left, Irene right, Anna top.

Thew view from the video monitor.  They are now in two cribs, about to be three.  We feel like we are security guards in a mental ward watching patients try to bust out of their straight jackets.

Christmas Recap

Anna Ruth did a great job of my side of the family Christmas recap on her blog, so check out some of the family pics over there - mccalleyfamily.blogspot.com   I'll add a few more (some duplicates) and pics from Christmas with Jack's family.  We took the girls for a short roadtrip to Memphis for the day Christmas morning and they did great.

Christmas Eve.  Tired babies, but had to get a tree and PJs shot

With Meme and Grump (my parents) on Christmas Eve

Christmas Morning at Jack's parents-with our nieces, Kathleen and Sarah Beth and Nephew, Jack.

Honey (Jack's Mom) with Kathleen and Sarah Beth

Matthew (Jack's brother) with Anna

Kathleen and Anna

Melanie (Jack's sister) with Anna and Honey with Irene

Me with Anna and Brooks

Very tired after the road trip.  Irene, Anna Brooks

When we got back from Memphis Frances was there with her matching PJs

NYE family Christmas - Kat and Lyndy, Frances, Irene, Anna, Brooks

Nature vs Nurture

First of all, can I just say that I am really glad not to be pregnant anymore?  Now that I am back to normal I really appreciate all the things I took for granted before - like breathing, bending down to pick something up, going more than 15 minutes without going to the bathroom, sleeping, getting out of bed without the "roll and heave".... I could go on, but I won't.  I was cleaning up my room and found a purse that I quit using back in May because I found it to be too heavy.  The contents....

Ginger candy, sea bands, maalox, snacks, ginger tea...clearly I felt great

Today we had our first outing with all three babies.  It was only to the pediatrician and Jack went with us, so it actually was not bad at all.  I really was not prepared for all the stares and questions.  The babies were great and we had no diaper/spit up/screaming incidents, so I consider it a success.  Also, they are gaining weight really well.  Brooks is 7 lbs, Irene is 6 lbs 13 oz, and Anna is 5 lbs 3 oz. 

Getting ready to go - Irene on left (always yawning), Anna in the middle (sleeping soundly), Brooks on the right (wide awake). 

I am completely fascinated by the personalities we are starting to see with each baby.  A true nature vs. nurture study because we do the exact same thing for each baby but they are so different.

Brooks is the wild child.  She does not want to miss anything.  Very alert and active.  You can see it in her pictures - eyes almost always open.  When she is ready to eat she shakes her head back and forth rapidly trying to get the bottle in her mouth (which I find hilarious and I may or may not tease her with the bottle  just to make her do it).  And VERY expressive with her face and hands.  For example...

This is how she looks one second

And the next second.....

Brooks at the doctor today

Irene is the exact opposite.  Very laid back and she falls asleep doing everything.  One minute she is eating and the next she has gone completely limp and her head and arms just fall back.  Occasionally she gets worked up, but not very often and doesn't put too much effort into the cry.

This is pretty much Irene's pose 90% of the time.

Irene at the doctor today.

Anna is a mix between the two.  She is laid back and generally pretty calm, but occasionally she gets worked up fast and lets you know with her high pitched cat cry. 

Right before this picture Anna was asleep, then suddenly crying out

Anna at the doctor today.  She did not have to get a shot like her sisters, so she was hiding out in her car seat (no, the blanket was not suffocating her although it looks that way).

It will be interesting to see how their personalities continue to develop. 

Brooks left (wide awake), Anna middle, Irene right (Anna and Irene making their identical "sleep face")

I'm getting good at holding all three....as long as I am sitting down.

December so far

I'm all about Christmas these days.  Below are some pics of December so far.

I like to make the girls where their matching gingerbread PJs all the time.  Here they are all set out during bath time.

Our tree.  Jack thought he was getting out of the tree thing this year.  I may have said that one day in October when I was in the hospital and was mad at the world, but surely he knew me better than that.

Jack and Anna.  About 2 seconds after this sweet picture there was a major diaper situation.

Anna (left) and Irene (right) napping in their PJs.

Still napping and still in the PJs.  Brooks (left), Anna (middle), Irene (right)

The scene when I woke up this morning.  So pretty and already gone.