For the past nine months, I've been bombarded with the "Just Waits..."
"Just wait until they turn two!"
"Just wait until they're mobile!"
"Just wait until they're running!"
"Just wait until they're teenagers!"
As if I don't have enough anxieties!! I used to tell myself that the "just waits" were nothing to worry about... now. There would be plenty of time to deal with each one as they arrived. Well, they're arriving... and quickly!
This morning, I put the boys in their swings, as is my usual custom, so that I could tidy up and grab a quick shower. This normally takes about 10-20 minutes and has been a safe and effective way of keeping the babies happy while I get a few essential things taken care of before we officially start the day. This morning, however, five (yes, FIVE) minutes after I place the boys in their swings, I hear Dex just screaming. I ran upstairs to find him under (yes, UNDER) his swing. Yes, my heart stopped. Yes, the panic began. Was he hurt? How did this happen? Did he have any broken bones? Concussion? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
Of course, the second I picked him up, he smiled and giggled at me, as if the whole thing had been an elaborate set-up on his part... and wasn't it funny. At least I could stop holding my breath... he was alright. It became all-too-suddenly clear, however, that the "just waits" are no longer imminent... they are here.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Bootie Scootin' Boogie
It's official. For the time being, we have two bootie scooters. Not so long ago, there was a time when I could place both boys in the middle of our living room floor with a few choice toys, knowing full well that they would be there for as long as I chose to leave them there. Now, I place both boys in the middle of the living room floor and Dex quickly finds his way into the kitchen (he adores the hardness of the kitchen floor vs. the soft living room carpet... strange, but true) and Jax eventually backs himself into a corner, under the piano bench or (as he demonstrated several times this morning) somehow manages to find his way to large objects that can be tipped over on top of him.... small chairs, large baby toys... even his own brother!
In addition to the spectacle that their newfound mobility presents for my viewing pleasure, Dex has incorporated clapping into his repertoire.... and Jax, the ability to bounce continuously (from a sitting position) for an amazingly long-time. Both of these new tricks have given me hours of entertainment over the past week. The harder and longer I laugh, the more they entertain! Who knew that two little pint-sized people could keep me so mesmerized?! Move over, blockbuster.com... I've got Dex and Jax!
In addition to the spectacle that their newfound mobility presents for my viewing pleasure, Dex has incorporated clapping into his repertoire.... and Jax, the ability to bounce continuously (from a sitting position) for an amazingly long-time. Both of these new tricks have given me hours of entertainment over the past week. The harder and longer I laugh, the more they entertain! Who knew that two little pint-sized people could keep me so mesmerized?! Move over, blockbuster.com... I've got Dex and Jax!
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Monday, April 24, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
And the diagnosis is....
Ear infections for both boys. Poor little guys. Of course, the second we're out in public, the babies put on their very best behavior... smiling, babbling and waving at everyone they saw. They put on quite a show! It made me feel almost sheepish for bringing them in (almost... but not quite... I'm convinced a mom KNOWS when her babies are sick).
Anyway, they're both on antibiotics and will hopefully be feeling better by tomorrow when Daddy gets home! Now, it's time for two little boys to take a nice, long nap!
Anyway, they're both on antibiotics and will hopefully be feeling better by tomorrow when Daddy gets home! Now, it's time for two little boys to take a nice, long nap!
The Terrible Twos...
The boys have been sick for three days, now. D.R. is on Q3 this month (every third night he's at the hospital) and in a period of three weeks, gets two days off (poor guy, is working 90-100 hours weeks, these days!) so it's Mama and her sick little babies at home!
Tuesday night, I couldn't get the boys to nurse, they were so incredibly stuffed up. When I say "Terrible Twos," I mean, try listening to your two babies crying in unison for several hours! It's heartbreaking! Luckily, my sister came to my rescue, coming over in the middle of the night to help aspirate the boys' little noses, give them warm baths and help them to fall asleep. Whew! This morning, I called the doctor, as their fevers are no longer going down with tylenol. The nurse told me to bring them on in, so that's the plan. Hopefully, they'll be feeling better soon. It's just so hard for me to see them like this and even harder to try to comfort both of them at the same time.
I have developed such a profound respect for single parents. I have felt so completely overwhelmed this week... yet, I know D.R. will always come home eventually... even if I have to wait 30-some hours (and even if he's only awake for a few hours when is IS home!). I can't imagine managing a household, especially in times like this, and knowing you're on your own, all the time. If you see a single parent today, tell them how amazing they are!
Tuesday night, I couldn't get the boys to nurse, they were so incredibly stuffed up. When I say "Terrible Twos," I mean, try listening to your two babies crying in unison for several hours! It's heartbreaking! Luckily, my sister came to my rescue, coming over in the middle of the night to help aspirate the boys' little noses, give them warm baths and help them to fall asleep. Whew! This morning, I called the doctor, as their fevers are no longer going down with tylenol. The nurse told me to bring them on in, so that's the plan. Hopefully, they'll be feeling better soon. It's just so hard for me to see them like this and even harder to try to comfort both of them at the same time.
I have developed such a profound respect for single parents. I have felt so completely overwhelmed this week... yet, I know D.R. will always come home eventually... even if I have to wait 30-some hours (and even if he's only awake for a few hours when is IS home!). I can't imagine managing a household, especially in times like this, and knowing you're on your own, all the time. If you see a single parent today, tell them how amazing they are!
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Hail to sunshine
The nice weather has been SUCH a life-saver for me and the boys! They love going for walks... seeing the sites... giggling at all the children playing outside... Woo-hoo! (Dex- left, Jax- right) 
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Ah-ha!
The boys have discovered the joy of swinging on the playground! Maybe I'll just have to replace the baby swings with the playground swing! That would be a good punishment for those pesky (yes, we have a love/hate relationship) baby swings. Of course, I'd have to find another way to get my morning shower.... (I also have to point out that these sweaters are my most recent knitted endeavor for the boys!)
Mama vs. The Swings.... the saga continues
I thought the feud was over! I distinctly remember making up with the swings. Everything was good! The got the boys for 20 minutes before their morning nap and I got them the rest of the day. Everyone was happy. The boys loved the swings. The swings loved the boys. I even loved the swings, as they gave me the time I needed to get a good shower each morning!
Then, yesterday, they decided to throw in one last punch... and it was a whopper. I had just put the boys down for their afternoon nap and was turning around to close the bedroom door when, all of a sudden, one of the swings reached out and kicked me in the foot. The nerve. As a result, I have a broken (or chipped) toe and mucho pain every time I step down. Luckily, I have my handsome husband who makes house calls and a few pain pills left over from my C-section. Now, however, I'm faced with the minor inconvenience of this bothersome injury... Let's hope the boys won't be too demanding in the days to come!
The only thing left to do is to plot my revenge on the swings. Hmm.... Maybe I'll remove their batteries for a few days and make them think about what they've done.
Then, yesterday, they decided to throw in one last punch... and it was a whopper. I had just put the boys down for their afternoon nap and was turning around to close the bedroom door when, all of a sudden, one of the swings reached out and kicked me in the foot. The nerve. As a result, I have a broken (or chipped) toe and mucho pain every time I step down. Luckily, I have my handsome husband who makes house calls and a few pain pills left over from my C-section. Now, however, I'm faced with the minor inconvenience of this bothersome injury... Let's hope the boys won't be too demanding in the days to come!
The only thing left to do is to plot my revenge on the swings. Hmm.... Maybe I'll remove their batteries for a few days and make them think about what they've done.
Monday, April 17, 2006
The Wonderful Woobies
The boys have never taken pacifiers. We have tried and tried and TRIED... but to no avail. There have been some days that I've considered this a blessing. Who says babies NEED pacifiers? If they never get hooked on them, we'll never have to worry about weaning them off of them, right? Of course, there have been other days, especially the early days of crying and crying and crying, that a nice nuk in the mouth would have been SO helpful. :) Don't get me wrong, the boys do have a strange fascination with the little gadgets. They won't suck on them, but they love to lick them, bite them and bang them together. Basically, they've become a nice addition to the toy box.
So, you may be wondering, how do the boys soothe themselves when they start to get all worked up? Enter...The Woobies.
The boys received these two incredibly soft little blankets as a gift when they were born. We used to use them to cushion their heads in their carseats and swings when they were too tiny to fit by themselves. Then, a month or so ago, we noticed that Jaxon would cling to one of them whenever he was upset. In his desperation, he would hold it close to his mouth and pretend like he was sucking on it... only it never actually went into his mouth. The whole thing was so adorable to watch and, amazingly, it calmed him down! Now, both of the boys fall asleep with their woobies (D.R. named them the woobies... apparently, it's a reference to a blankie in the 80's film Mr. Mom... hee hee) . When I go in to check on the boys, they have their arms wrapped around them, as if they're keeping the woobies warm. It is the sweetest thing... and I secretly suspect I have the woobies to thank for helping our boys become such good sleepers! They made it five nights in a row this week sleeping for 12 hours straight. Woo-hoo, woobies!
So, you may be wondering, how do the boys soothe themselves when they start to get all worked up? Enter...The Woobies.
The boys received these two incredibly soft little blankets as a gift when they were born. We used to use them to cushion their heads in their carseats and swings when they were too tiny to fit by themselves. Then, a month or so ago, we noticed that Jaxon would cling to one of them whenever he was upset. In his desperation, he would hold it close to his mouth and pretend like he was sucking on it... only it never actually went into his mouth. The whole thing was so adorable to watch and, amazingly, it calmed him down! Now, both of the boys fall asleep with their woobies (D.R. named them the woobies... apparently, it's a reference to a blankie in the 80's film Mr. Mom... hee hee) . When I go in to check on the boys, they have their arms wrapped around them, as if they're keeping the woobies warm. It is the sweetest thing... and I secretly suspect I have the woobies to thank for helping our boys become such good sleepers! They made it five nights in a row this week sleeping for 12 hours straight. Woo-hoo, woobies!
Friday, April 14, 2006
The Adventure Continues...
The boys woke up happy again this morning. I LOVE that waking up is fun for them, now! I used to enjoy more typical morning sounds.... birds singing, wind blowing, rain, etc. Now it's all about the aahs, baahs, da da das..... Speaking of which, we've learned to decipher which baby is which over the monitor by what syllables they're practicing. Dex is all about the da-da-da and the ga-ga-ga, while Jax prefers the ba-ba-ba and the wa-wa-wa. It gets a little fuzzy when they start giggling, squealing or cooing. Anyway...
I went in to say good morning and was greeting by two big smiles, two sets of sparkling eyes, two blond little heads... and it occured to me... how much they've grown and changed over such a short period of time! They each have two teeth, now. Adorable, sharp little teeth that like teething biscuits, cheerios and any other item they can manage to chomp on. (I love watching them pick up cheerios. They pounce on them, as if the cheerios are going to try to escape.) Dex has taken to biting me while they're nursing, which he finds oddly amusing. Me, not so much. We're working on that one.
One day, about a month and a half back, the boys were laying on the ground, wiggling around. The next day, they were sitting like pros. How does that happen?
For weeks we tried desperately to get them to eat anything other than bananas. Now, they open their mouths up wide, banging their little hands in front of them in anticipation of the next bite! How does that happen?
Watching them try to become more and more mobile is such a riot. They flop their little bodies around, trying desperately to propel themselves forward. The whole maneuver very closely resembles "the worm." Hmm... maybe babies were the inspiration for that classic 80's dance move.
I still call them my babies.... but they are SO different than the babies I had several months ago. Should I be calling them something else? When do they stop being babies and start being little boys? As exciting as these developments are, isn't there a "slow motion" button I can push that would allow me savor these days even more? Wasn't there a poem that referred to "sucking the marrow out of life?" The phrase has new meaning for me.... the days, these boys, my life with them, my ever-changing and ever-challenging role as "Mom"... it's all so delectable. I want to relish every last second of it.
I went in to say good morning and was greeting by two big smiles, two sets of sparkling eyes, two blond little heads... and it occured to me... how much they've grown and changed over such a short period of time! They each have two teeth, now. Adorable, sharp little teeth that like teething biscuits, cheerios and any other item they can manage to chomp on. (I love watching them pick up cheerios. They pounce on them, as if the cheerios are going to try to escape.) Dex has taken to biting me while they're nursing, which he finds oddly amusing. Me, not so much. We're working on that one.
One day, about a month and a half back, the boys were laying on the ground, wiggling around. The next day, they were sitting like pros. How does that happen?
For weeks we tried desperately to get them to eat anything other than bananas. Now, they open their mouths up wide, banging their little hands in front of them in anticipation of the next bite! How does that happen?
Watching them try to become more and more mobile is such a riot. They flop their little bodies around, trying desperately to propel themselves forward. The whole maneuver very closely resembles "the worm." Hmm... maybe babies were the inspiration for that classic 80's dance move.
I still call them my babies.... but they are SO different than the babies I had several months ago. Should I be calling them something else? When do they stop being babies and start being little boys? As exciting as these developments are, isn't there a "slow motion" button I can push that would allow me savor these days even more? Wasn't there a poem that referred to "sucking the marrow out of life?" The phrase has new meaning for me.... the days, these boys, my life with them, my ever-changing and ever-challenging role as "Mom"... it's all so delectable. I want to relish every last second of it.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Monday, April 10, 2006
Home Sweet Home
Well, we did it. After eight months of never leaving the boys for more than four hours (and that only happened twice!), I survived the long separation of TEN DAYS. Several months ago, with much encouragement from D.R., I agreed to a "just-the-two-of-us" vacation in Hawaii. I was severely sleep deprived, at the time, and the thought of naps on the beach and sleeping through the night was something I just couldn't pass up! I had no idea, however, that when we would eventually hand the boys over to my parents I would feel a hollowness like I never felt before. Empty. Vacant. My arms ached for them and I wanted to turn the car around and forget the whole thing. I didn't REALLY need a vacation. It wouldn't be the end of the world if we were out the money we had saved and spent on hotel reservations, car rental, etc.... these were my babies and I did NOT want leave them behind!
Before I go any further, let me just say how wonderful the trip was. On the way back home from my parents' place, D.R. and I stopped for a bite to eat. As I was wiping my tears away and looking at the menu, it suddenly hit me... I could order whatever I wanted, I could take as long as I wanted to eat it, I could talk to my husband while I ate... this was VACATION! The first 5-6 days in Hawaii were incredible. We walked by the ocean, ate tropical fruit, snorkeled, swam, slept... I celebrated my two free arms, enjoyed time with my husband, slept when I felt like it, ate when I felt like it.... the list goes on and on! I had almost forgotten what our marriage was like before we had children... that there was ever a time in our lives when every decision we made didn't seem to revolve around the two little boys we left back home.
Then, all of a sudden, a few days before we were to fly home, it happened. Everywhere I turned, there was a mother and her baby. At first it was kind of cute. "Oh, a baby!!" I'd say. "Doesn't it make you think of our two little guys?" D.R. and I would smile at each other and talk about what we missed most about Dex and Jax. Then, it just got to be ridiculous. It seemed like they were EVERYPLACE! I contemplated asking to borrow one for a day, as the ache in my arms returned and I started thinking about our babies constantly.
The vacation was amazing. I savored time with D.R. and got to enjoy some relaxation, as well. The return, however, was phenomenal. The boys feel SO good in my arms, now. A million times better than before (and I never would have thought that possible)! I guess the vacation did more than add a bit of color to our cheeks, it reminded me of how lucky I am to have D.R. and the boys in my life and gave me a new appreciation for the time I have with them. I have to admit, though, the color in my cheeks isn't half bad!
Before I go any further, let me just say how wonderful the trip was. On the way back home from my parents' place, D.R. and I stopped for a bite to eat. As I was wiping my tears away and looking at the menu, it suddenly hit me... I could order whatever I wanted, I could take as long as I wanted to eat it, I could talk to my husband while I ate... this was VACATION! The first 5-6 days in Hawaii were incredible. We walked by the ocean, ate tropical fruit, snorkeled, swam, slept... I celebrated my two free arms, enjoyed time with my husband, slept when I felt like it, ate when I felt like it.... the list goes on and on! I had almost forgotten what our marriage was like before we had children... that there was ever a time in our lives when every decision we made didn't seem to revolve around the two little boys we left back home.
Then, all of a sudden, a few days before we were to fly home, it happened. Everywhere I turned, there was a mother and her baby. At first it was kind of cute. "Oh, a baby!!" I'd say. "Doesn't it make you think of our two little guys?" D.R. and I would smile at each other and talk about what we missed most about Dex and Jax. Then, it just got to be ridiculous. It seemed like they were EVERYPLACE! I contemplated asking to borrow one for a day, as the ache in my arms returned and I started thinking about our babies constantly.
The vacation was amazing. I savored time with D.R. and got to enjoy some relaxation, as well. The return, however, was phenomenal. The boys feel SO good in my arms, now. A million times better than before (and I never would have thought that possible)! I guess the vacation did more than add a bit of color to our cheeks, it reminded me of how lucky I am to have D.R. and the boys in my life and gave me a new appreciation for the time I have with them. I have to admit, though, the color in my cheeks isn't half bad!
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