Help is on the way!

EllenSophie

Ellen, Sophie and I are waiting on Aunt Marcey to arrive from NY this afternoon! Thank goodness that Aunt M has a (new) flexible job and schedule so that she can fly in on a whim and rescue me from 5 double feedings 5 days in a row--yes, folks, that's 10 bottles per day for a total of 50 bottles. I'm utterly and totally solo this week/weekend with no one in town but my dad (thank goodness for him)! Little C got the chance to go with Brett to Tennessee to visit her cousins and see them in a production of "Snow White". (I know, could it get any better than that?! They even have a pool to swim in!) Brett's parents went along and my mom is out of town as well. So what to do? Call on my sisters to help. Laura seriously considered coming back for another visit, but it just wasn't to be with all that she's got going on right now. Plus, she's gearing up for a huge trip to Botswana. So Aunt Marcey saves the day! I am looking forward to the next few days to shower the twins with attention--something I feel like I never give them enough of when Little C is around. And selfishly I'm looking forward to some big chunks of time for myself while they nap. Honestly, I'm so overwhelmed at the thought of it all that I don't even know what I'll do with myself. It's crazy! When was the last time I had this much down time?! And Marcey and I will enjoy hanging out, eating out, shopping and playing with Elle and Soph. I am excited for Corinne to have a great weekend, too. I think she'll love her time with her cousins...and probably be totally exhausted when she returns! I can't wait to hear all about her time. She's been waiting for Wednesday ("trip day") and when she woke up this morning the first words out of her mouth were, "I'm ready for my trip to Tennessee!" I'll miss her for sure, and Brett too. But I also feel a huge sense of relief as I think ahead to the next few days. I guess I'm realizing how intense our daily schedule is now that some of it has been lightened.

Backwards

Despite what Corinne's shirt says ("Big Sister"), she tells me on a daily basis lately, "I'm your baby, mom". Corinne used to be proud of her "big girl" status but she seems to be reverting to all things baby as of late. She wants to sit on my lap during lunch, read the same books that her baby sisters read, play with their toys, and even sit in their bouncy seats and car seats. Corinne also pretends to need a bottle and a burp and asks me to hold her...then again, who can blame her?! As one onlooker observed tonight when we were out as a family: she's outnumbered now by little sisters! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em right? I don't mind that she is craving some extra attention recently. I never get tired of singing, running, playing with, and holding Little C. And I know that one day I'll look back and remember those moments with fond memories, probably wishing that she would still ask for all those things. But one tactic we've found that cures the "baby" syndrome if needed: "Babies don't get to eat dessert, Corinne." That does it in a heartbeat! Just tonight she didn't miss a beat when I told her that--she immediately came back with, "I'm a big girl, mom!"

E & S

Ellen L, Sophie R

Ellen Sophie

And here's an update on the twins (Sophie L, Ellen R):

Sophers and Elle are doing great! They are almost 11 weeks old and we visited the doc for their 2 month appointment last week. Ellen is up to 11 lbs 15 oz and 23 inches. Sophie is holding her own at 10 lbs 10 oz and 22 inches long. Both of them are full of smiles! When I go in to get them up in the morning they just beam up at me-- such a wonderful way to start the day with them! They are finding their voices and making more and more cute baby noises lately, too. All 3 of our girls must have the sleep gene (from Brett's side of the family?) because these two have been sleeping through the night for a few weeks. Currently they are in bed for the night around 9:45pm and they don't get up until around 7:15am. Awesome!! (But why am I still so tired?!?) The girls take walks with me a few nights per week and they are getting the hang of ignoring the uneven sidewalks around here. (This wasn't the case in the beginning...) We're finding more time to read books together lately and they're taking more interest in their toys instead of just faces. I'm convinced that they will be rolling over pretty soon, though it took Little C nearly six months. But these two love their tummies and Sophie is so close to rolling over that it makes me laugh. She's such a squirmy little thing! Ellen continues to have a very even temperment, letting Sophie do the talking for the two of them. Ellen is also a slow, lazy eater. Sophie will suck her bottle down, and take more than her bigger twin counterpart most times. They hardly ever cry during the day, though they fuss in the evenings if they don't get a short nap before bed. Both girls have beautiful blue eyes and long, long eyelashes. E & S are the sweetest things! I'm so thankful for them and for how laid back they are. It makes the rest of life not as stressful with Miss Corinne and her daily dramatics.

Snug

This is how I found Ellen & Sophie this morning at 7:25am, snuggling right up to one another as they always do, though this is the first time I've found them in this particular arrangement. Their positioning tends to vary but there's never been a time that they haven't cuddled up to one another at bedtime or naptime, despite the fact that we lay them down with a foot or so of room between them. A twin thing, I'm sure. Love it! (Oh, and that's Soph on top, Ellen below)

So that sweet moment was what started my Friday. Two peacefully sleeping girls. And the icing on the cake: Corinne still asleep as well! That's right, all 3 slept until about 7:30am. Heavenly. Except that I woke up around 6:15am. Rats. Nonetheless, I'll take it! There were some other great things about our day today as well. I'll try and list some of them here for you.

Great things about Friday:
1. All three girls slept until 7:30am
2. E & S took an awesome nap from 8:45am until 10:30am which allowed Corinne and I to play together completely uninterrupted! That is a rarity. We danced, sang, painted, played with her baby dolls, princesses, little people, and more. It was quality!
3. Corinne and I enjoyed lunch together and then chasing one another outside afterwards--thankfully the rain held off and we had a ball:)
4. My dad stopped by for a visit to see the girls and helped me feed the twins while he was here. Hooray that I didn't have to do three double feedings in a row by myself. And hooray for the company, too!
5. I vacuumed and swept. (okay, not exciting but productive and necessary!)
6. Brett came home early from work.
7. All 5 of us went for pizza and then for ice cream at Graeter's.
8. Graeter's was giving away free cake for their 140th Anniversary. So we got ice cream and cake!
9. I got to upload some pictures and...well...I'm getting a chance to do some blogging!


So the night isn't over yet--and the weekend hasn't hardly kicked off yet--and it's been a terrific day. So much to be thankful for : )

Juggling

Some days I feel like a juggler who is constantly dropping a ball (or two). While I love our life right now, there is a recuring stress in the back of my mind about how I feel like I am short-changing the girls because I can't give all 3 of them what I think they need. Each of them is different and needs something different from me, and yet I feel like I'm constantly "choosing" which one to give my attention to...and it stinks! Corinne is probably the most "needy" right now because she can do, say, understand and communicate so much. She is two and with that has come tears and meltdowns when life is frustrating for her, such as when she can't get the dress off her princess doll or she has trouble getting her shoe on. In her young life she has spent countless hours in my lap reading books and being cuddled and so now she knows the difference when my lap is unavailable or already taken. It makes me sad and frustrated sometimes. And then there's the twins, who are pretty low maintenance compared to Little C. Except that they have to eat every few hours...which can lead back to Corinne's frustrations at times. But even with the twins, I feel that tension, too. For instance Ellen is so content to sit and watch that she gets left to do just that at times. Sophie seems to be the "squeaky wheel". Not enough of me to go around. So I do the best I can and in the meantime I'm hoping that I become a better juggler as time goes on.

Break in the Day

I flew solo a few days this week--no help at all. Just me and my 3 girls. It felt great to do it all on my own, but I must say it is completely exhausting! And I feel like I am spoiled with the best possible babies, so I can't imagine what it would be like if the twins had health issues, sleeping issues, and/or feeding issues, as is many times the case. We remind ourselves daily how blessed we have been. But it also makes me feel like I "should" be able to do all of this with ease because there are people who have way harder situations. And I guess the reality is that I can do it, and I am doing it, but no matter what the circumstance it doesn't change the basics: there is only one of me all day long to do double feedings, change diapers, read and play with Corinne...and the list goes on. So after a morning of feeding the twins, putting them down for naps and getting them back up to repeat the cycle--with a little time in there for just C and I to play on the 3rd floor and around the house--we needed a little "pick me up". So we decided to have a special lunch outside on the patio. Our choice: breakfast for lunch, a favorite around here. Scrambled eggs, waffles and blueberries. We used party plates and napkins and just enjoyed a break in the day from all the madness inside. Thankfully E & S nap really well at that time in the day so it was time for just the two of us. We marveled at the butterfly that flew by us as we ate and then (of course) did some running around in the front yard...because it's Corinne's absolute favorite outdoor activity. (Are there track teams for 2 year olds? I mean, seriously!) And then later we played in the sprinkler a bit to cool off, too. Red cups always make water more fun! I am so so thankful for times that just the two of us can be together. It makes me feel better about the rest of the day when my time is taken up elsewhere.

Our 4th of July

We had a fun, busy and HOT 4th of July! It was our goal to make it to church this week as a family of 5 since we haven't all gone together until now. And we made it! Our morning was packed with getting showers, breakfast, 3 girls fed and dressed, the car loaded and Brett and I armed with all our "supplies" for this seemingly short but monumental (?) excursion:) Oh, and did I mention that I decided to also give E & S baths that morning, too?! Yeah. But surprisingly, we were all buckled in the car at 9:28 am--right on time! Sucess. It can be done! After we got home and on a whim I decided to make an Independence Day cake for the July 4th occasion...actually, I'm pretty sure it was my sweet tooth that made me do it. But nonetheless, we enjoyed it thoroughly. And then it was off to the fireworks at Ault Park. Actually, off to the fireworks celebration since we were long gone from the park by the time the fireworks began at 10pm! But we did enjoy a picnic dinner at the park together and a very hot walk there. So glad we dropped off the van earlier in the day so we could make a quick getaway, too! What a great day!

Family Time

We never get tired of going to the square for some family time. There are several restaurants to choose from and there's a terrific place to go for ice cream, plus the fountain is a huge bonus for Corinne. Saturday night was another such night that the 5 of us went out for dinner, dessert and playtime. E & S slept through most of the evening, despite the heat, and we enjoyed being out and about as a family. The last time we did this we sat next to a family with twin 16 month old girls during dinner and then met a family with twin 4 month olds while we ate ice cream by the fountain. We didn't see any families with multiples this time, but it's amazing how often we run into families with twins these days. Even more strange that now we're one of them!

Sister Time

Corinne loves to be with her sisters. In fact, most of the time the only way she's okay with having her picture taken is when she's hanging out with her sisters. So here she is with Ellen. Before this picture was taken Little C was loving on her, giving her toys, and playing with her feet. Precious moments.

Dinner Time

This is what Ellen and Sophie do during dinner time these days. They start out awake, listening to Little C pray for our meal and watching us eat dinner as a family. But a few minutes later we look over to find them snoozing. It's great! No interruptions and we are free to use both hands to eat our meal. After we finish dinner they are usually still sleeping, but they perk up to go outside with us for some play time with neighbors or Corinne's customary laps around the house. (Don't worry, it's not punishment. Corinne loves to run around outside!)