It Sure is Monday

Monday-ugh. The day started off bumpy and then sort of became comical towards the end. When we went to the NICU reunion on Sunday, Tony used his keys to start my car and cool it off for the babies, but I drove the car to the reunion, so when we got there, I took the keys out of the ignition and put them in my purse. Needless to say, I got a call from Tony while I was at work asking where his keys were. So, our Monday started off with me walking out of one class, asking a colleague to sit with my kids, and then making a mad dash to deliever keys so Tony could go to work.

When I got home, Durinda said that the kids had been good, but Jack had been a little fussy. I fed them both, including battling little Miss Harper to get her bottle down her. Yes, she was doing better with her feeding, but that was a week ago and we are back to fighting and screaming when she is presented with a bottle. We have an infant who starts screaming the moment you position her to eat and can sometimes get herself so worked up that she will gag and vomit before you can get the bottle into her mouth. Tony and I are going to discuss this with the doctor on Thursday, and hopefully get Harper into a feeding clinic- we shall see.

So, I got everyone fed (Harper finished her bottle, despite being upset) and took them to the gym where Tony met me, grabbed the kids and took them home. I called him on my way home from the gym an hour or so later and he said "come home."  Apparently, the kids had been screaming since he got them home, sometimes one at a time, sometimes together.  When I got home, everyone was crying, dad was muttering, and Abby was hiding. We spent the remainder of the night shuffling kids back and forth from swings to bouncey chairs and laps so we could eat dinner and get the kitchen cleaned.

As you can see, I was lucky enough to get a shower. Everyone was quiet when I walked into the bathroom,  but Tony said from the moment the shower the came on until I came out to pick the kids up, both of them were fussy. So, this is how I spent about an hour tonight. I am very thankful they both fit in my arms so Tony could cook all our food for the rest of the week and I could keep both of them quiet.  What am I going to do when I can't hold two at once?

Whirlwind Weekend

We have been going non-stop this weekend and have the tired, sleeping babies to prove it. On Friday night, we met up with some friends for Tony's belated birthday dinner. We got home a little later than we do on school nights and I got up at 3am to feed Harper, but Tony didn't wake up Jack (truth be told, Tony fell back asleep before he could wake up Jack) and this resulted in Jack sleeping through the night for the very first time! He also slept through the night Saturday night; we will see how he does tonight and if this is a trend.

Saturday was a very busy day for me and the kiddos. We got up early, had breakfast, and then headed to Arlington to see my family and get my haircut. My brother, Tanner, was home from Colorado for the weekend and the kids were happy to hang out with their Uncle T. We also got to see Aunt Becky and Great Granny in addition to Nana and Pop. The kids also went on an adventure to see Miss Deb and watch me get my hair cut. Deb says she thinks Harper is going to have curly hair like her dad- I guess I'll have to learn how to do something with hair besides wash and blow dry.  While we were in Arlington, Tony had the exterminator come out, went to the gym, had lunch, went shopping, and met up with some friends. With both all four of us going non-stop all day, we decided to have a low key evening Saturday night.

Today rounded out our weekend with breakfast at a local restaurant, just the four of us, a trip to the grocery store (that was a first) and the NICU reunion. The grocery store went well, but it is something I know I couldn't do on my own. Tony pushed the stroller and I was responsible for the cart. We were in and out in 30 minutes and managed to make it through the whole store without any screaming from our little shoppers. We decided not to press our luck and shop around, but kept up the quick pace and it worked out for us.

The NICU party was our big Sunday outing. We got to see many of the nurses and doctors who cared for the kiddos and who helped us cope with the "NICU Rollercoaster." It was so nice to be in a group of people who all knew what it was like to have kids that were/are a little bit different. No one said things like "wow, they're small for their age" or "oh, I can't believe they're not _____ yet. When my kids were four months old..." It was refreshing to know that nothing had to be explained to these people.

The theme for the party was the circus and we had fun in the dress up photo booth and we got popcorn from the vendor booth. They had quite a few games and carinval type activites for the bigger kids; I know our twins will have a blast next year when they're a little more mobile.


So, now that the weekend is over, I'm off to feed a couple of kiddos and put them to bed and start the new work week!

Smile

This past week the babies have started really smiling with a purpose. There is nothing more rewarding right now than saying something or making a face and have Harper or Jack smile back; Tony and I could sit all day just trying to make them smile and be content with the grins in return. I've said before that I'm going to try my best not wish any phase and while waking up at 3am to feed the twins is tedious, this is our reward and it makes everything worth it.  I told Tony I can't wait to hear their little belly laughs, but then that would be wishing something away too quickly also- wishing them bigger than they need to be right now.  So, for now I'm content to watch the smiles and relish the moments when I get one; when one of these precious babies smiles, the day is brighter, the air is lighter, the world, for the moment, seems at peace. No, I'm not overselling it. Here's the evolution of Jack's smiling; try to look at it without breaking into a grin- nearly impossible.






On an unrelated note, we had to big firsts tonight. Tonight was the first time Jack sat in his bathtub without the newborn sling. This is a big first because when we intitally got the tub as a shower gift and took it to the NICU, Jack hardly filled up the newborn sling. He seemed to get swallowed in the fabric and one hand had to be kept behind his head so he didn't slide down into the water. Tonight when I went to put him in the tub, he didn't fit in the sling anymore. He did great in the tub sitting in the infant seat and leaning on the backrest; he even splashed his arms and kicked his feet a little. My little man is growing up.

The other important first of the night was the first time one of our kids went to the grocery store. Tony loaded Harper up and took her for a rice cereal and formula run while Jack was taking a bath. I know going to Kroger doesn't seem like a milestone; it's just a grocery store, but it symbolized so much more. This was a sign that we are doing okay; we're making things work. We are no longer debating over schedules at dinner (we have a set schedule now), we are no longer taking 30 minutes to gather things up and put kids in car seats to try and leave the house, we are no longer worried that we can't take them places.

After almost 4 months and two months at home with Jack and a month home with Harper, we are starting to figure this out and starting to be able to breathe again, and it feels great.

Happy Birthday, Tony!

Today Tony turns 32; happy, happy birthday to my wonderful husband. He has been great this year with all of new adventures and I sincerely hope that this will be an amazing year for him.

Tony and I have been spliting gym time because having both kids at the gym proved to be a little more difficult than we thought it would. So, tonight was Tony's night at the gym and I got to spend some quality time with the kiddos. We had some quick bottles, signed birthday cards for dad, and then we went on a walk with Abby.

The pictures of the day come from our walk and also from our feeding time. When we feed the kids, we sit in a big high back chair in our living room. I realized today that the chair is big enough for all three of us: me, Harper, and Jack. Jack is pretty good at holding his head up now, so I can sit him in the corner of the chair facing me and talk to him while I hold Harper or while I help Harper sit up.  We spent about an hour sitting in the chair talking and smiling at each other- the three of us. I never thought I could have so much fun with two little ones just sitting in a chair and then I realized that it won't be very long before the three of us can't fit in the chair together and this day, and these moments will just be a memory. It's times like these that make me realize how thankful I should be to have such a happy little family and times like these that make me so happy to have this blog so I can look back and remember all the little things that passed by so quickly.

Eating Turn Around

I need to start off by saying I hope that by writing this post, I am not jinxing us. I want to report our news of the day and I hope that this become so common place that we no longer take great notice of it...

This past weekend Harper was not a very good eater; she doesn't like to eat and normally does not finish her bottles. This weekend she seemed like she might be on the verge of a hunger strike and Tony and I decided we would chart her volume intake for a few days this week so we could talk about her eating with more accuracy at the doctor's office next week.

Yesterday morning she ate like normal- nothing great, but she did eat. When I got home yesterday, Durinda said that she was not eating very well for her; this upset me to hear, but was not a surprise at all. I sat down with Harper at 4:30- her normal eating time- and I was happily surprised to see that she took her whole bottle- way to go, Harper! I praised her and then we packed up and headed to the gym.

Well, when we got home last night, Tony fed Harper her 7pm bottle and she decided that she was hungry and she finished that bottle for Tony- good job, Harper!  At 10pm it was my job to feed her. I knew that since Harper finished two bottles in a row, she would probably only take half of her bottle, so I mentally prepared myself for a fight. Boy was I wrong; she downed her 10 pm bottle and settled in to sleep. Harper woke up at 2:55 crying- something very rare for her, but 3am was feeding time, so we assumed she was hungry. I hoped Harper would continue her whole bottle run, but Tony and I were both sad to see that she only took 1/2 of her bottle- much less than her minimum requirement.

When Harper woke up at 5:50am hollering and hungry, we were not surprised and, thankfully, we got her to go back to sleep this morning until her 7am bottle and she downed that thing (of course she did, she was hungry). When I got home today, Durinda said that she didn't do well with her 10 am bottle, but she finished her 1:30 bottle for Durinda and Harper finished her 4:30 bottle for me. She went on to take most of her 7pm bottle for Tony and as I type this we are getting ready for her 10pm bottle- I hope she takes all of that one too.  I don't know if this a new eating trend, but I hope it's here to stay.

On a another note, I had to share this picture of my little man this morning all snuggled up and zonked out after his morning bottle.

Back to Blogging

After a three day hiatus, the Colletts are back in the blogging world. As I type this, we are being serenaded by the cries of two growing babies and we are being entertained by a spotted dog who is prancing around the house after her walk. We have had a full day today that included a trip to the gym for all four of us and now we are finally settling in and getting things calmed down for bed time.

Our weekend was a busy weekend as well and filled with lots of fun.  Tony had the day off work on Friday and he spent the morning with the kids then he got to spend the afternoon and evening with his guy friends. When I got home from work, the kids and I had some company from my girlfriends and we enjoyed dinner and the kids enjoyed getting some attention and playing with their friends.

Saturday we got up and got moving and went to the gym and the kids did great. They don't mind the noise as long as they sitting close a fan, they are good to go. After the gym, we had to run all over the place to get Harper's medication filled. She is on Prilosec for her reflux and when I went to refill the perscription, I didn't realize it was a medication that we had to get compounded. The local Walgreens sent us to the Walgreens speciality; we went to the specialty place and watied 20 minutes only to be told they coudn't compoud the medicine because they didn't carry Prilosec-ugh. So, we called around and found a Tom Thumb about 15 minutes away that told us on the phone they would compound the meidcation; we drove down only to find out they didn't carry the Prilosec either-grrr. We finally got Harper's medicine (with grape flavor), but that errand took up most of the day.

Saturday night we went out for a birthday dinner with friends and they kids were great. We went to a hibachi and fed the kiddos outside in the car before we walked in to make sure that we were on time for dinner. We didn't know how the kids would do eating bottles in the parking lot, but they did well. It's so nice to be able to get out of the house with them.

Sunday we had family over; Great Granny, Aunt Becky, Uncle Rex, Nana, and Pop all came out to visit. Not only did we get to visit with everyone, but our family also let us put them to work. We got laundry done, kids clothes sorted, hung, and arranged, and we got all our bottles cleaned. We also celebrated a very special occasion: Tony's birthday! He turns 32 on Wednesday, but we started celebrating early.


We also had waffles on Sunday, so here's a pic of our family breakfast- yes, Tony and I had a few extra waffles- ha ha.

Sick...

Thursday night at the Collett house was not a fun one. I came home from school feeling awful and got sick about 4:30 that afternoon. I spent the remainder of the evening laying on the couch feeling bad and trying to avoid contact with the babies so they wouldn't get sick. Poor Tony, thankfully he didn't have to work on Friday, so he was in charge of the kids all night long and Friday morning. I woke up feeling much better Friday morning and went to work, but didn't have time to blog.  So, here's a picture from "Camp Dad"and I'll post the weekend wrap-up tomorrow.  So glad to be feeling better.

Harper's Update

Tony took Harper to the pediatrican on Wednesday to discuss her eating and to find out how we're doing putting weight on her. Our biggest fear bringing Harper home was that she wouldn't eat or would eat so little that she'd fall into the "failure to thrive" category. Thank goodness, that is not the case.

Here's her update:

-current weight: 7lbs 14oz (a far cry from my 2lb 14oz bundle who made her way into this world)
-on the growth curve for preemies
-can now go for a 5 hour stretch at night between feedings
-is doing okay with eating; not a great eater, but nothing to be worried about
-was a super sweet girl for the doctor and even got a sticker :)

Tony heaved a sigh of relief when the doctor said we were doing okay with her feedings. Ideally, she should be eating an ounce or two more than she is, but our girl has never been one to do things by the book and the doctor said we shouldn't force feed her (that's how we end up with baby puke all over the place).

So, next doctor's appointment is the beginning of May. I hope Harper will be on into 8lbs then and sleeping 5 hour stretches at night (yee haw!)

Picture of the day is of our beautiful girl; so glad my girl is doing well.

Feels Like Home

Today was another big adventure day for the Collett Circus. Tony and I decided this morning that if I could get everything to jive at the right time, we would go to the gym at 5:30pm- just like old times. This seems like something that would be easy- come home, get the kids ready, get myself ready, meet Tony at the gym...ha ha ha- not so easy.

I got home at 4 and talked to Durinda and grabbed a quick snack and changed clothes (just like normal). I fed Jack at 4:15 and held him for 15 minutes before moving on to sister. At this juncture, we were all on schedule and the gym was looking like it would happen- cue sister. I woke Harper up and talked to her and changed her and got her bottle ready. I sat down to feed Harper at 4:41- plenty of time since we didn't need to leave for the gym until 5:15.  This is where things came to a screeching halt.  Sister was not having any of her 4:30 bottle; she wanted to watch tv, look at the fan, smile at me (she was being adorable), but she did not want to eat. It also didn't help that Jack was having reflux during this time and was screaming like a fire engine. I toggled between feeding Harper and putting Jack's pacifier back in his mouth (at one point, I was using my toe to hold the dumb thing in his mouth). Harper finally decided that she was hungry at 5 pm. Great, I thought, the gym is out of the question. I was irritated, exhausted, and done for the day.

Harper, however, decided that we were all going to the gym. That girl downed her bottle, had two big burps, and was ready for a clothing change and an adventure in the car seat by 5:08. When I finally decided the gym was a go, everything else became a blur. I got Jack changed, both kids in car seats, Tony's gym bag packed, my bag put together, water for the gym, the diaper bag ready and out the door by 5:23.

Yes, we were late to the gym and to sneak in the backdoor and just jump into the class. Yes, the kids fussed a little bit while we were there. Yes, Tony and I both had to scale the workout because we are so out of shape from our time off.  But, it felt so great to be back and the kids got to sit in a prime spot with a little fan action and lots of people who passed by and cooed at them. Tony and I were both so thankful to be back at the gym with all the familiar faces and the people that we've been missing- it felt like coming home.

Pictures of the day go to the two kiddos worn out after their big adventure.

Thankful

A big "thank you" for everyone who has been praying for my dad. As you know, he had surgery last week to remover tumors from his bladder and he got his pathology report today. Things were far better than we had hoped and, as of right now, my dad will not require any further treatment. We are very thankful his cancer seems to be slow growing and his surgery seems to be successful.

The picture of the day today serves as a reminder to me of the important things in life. It is tragedy that causes us to cling together and, today- a day marked by tragedy- it is what makes me thankful for our little family and the things that matter most.

Venturing Out

Friday afternoon Tony and I looked at each other and the beautiful weather outside and cabin fever kicked in. We had both worked all day and were tired, but our desire to get out of the house far outweighed the fatigue and we strapped the kids into their adventure chairs and away we went…and we didn’t stop moving all weekend.

Friday night we went out to dinner to a Mexican food restaurant we frequented pre-twins. This time, however, we came in with two babies in tow and were led to the back of the restaurant (past the kitchen) and put in a back room that we’ve never seen before. I looked around and realized that of the 8 tables in this back room, 7 were occupied by families with children 5 years of age or less (including our infants)…this was not our normal Friday night. The kids did great at dinner; Harper woke up as soon as our food arrived, but sat quietly in our arms while we ate. They were so good that we decided to take a walk after dinner and they were great on the walk.

Saturday Tony and I decided it was time to jump back into the gym, so we packed up the traveling circus and went for our beating. The kids were wonderful at the gym and slept the whole time we were working out, then they took their bottles at the gym, were sociable, and even met some new friends. After the gym we went out for lunch with two very sleepy babies who didn’t open their eyes the whole time we were in the restaurant. Then, we had some fun visitors: Nana, Pop, and Great Granny came out to watch the kiddos while Tony and I went to check out some new car possibilities- don’t worry, we came home in our own car and didn’t get tricked by the hard press sell on the way out the door.

 

Sunday rounded out the adventures for the Collett family circus and we went to Costco. This was an adventure that we had to plan carefully because we knew we didn’t want awake, unhappy babies while we were stuck in the checkout line. We went after the late morning bottles and made sure to pack the stroller in the car (thankful we did that). Tony took the kiddos and I pushed the cart and we were in and out of Costco in under an hour.  The remainder of the day was filled with cooking, laundry, bottle washing, baths, books, and very soon, bedtime.

 

We forgot to take pictures of the outings themselves; it was hard enough getting all four of us and our gear from place to place. We did, however, get a few pictures of the kids geting ready, and the last two are of the weekend aftermath- naps all round.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

Just a quick note from our  clean little man who enjoyed his bath today. It's amazing to me that this is the same little guy I first learn to bathe in the NICU. I remember the first bath I gave was under the supervision of a nurse and an occupational therapist who walked me through every motion. I was so scared that I would forget something, or not support Jack's head the whole time, or have him in the tub too long (the first few baths were supposed to be right around 5-6 minutes total).

Tonight when I looked at this little guy staring back at me, it made me realize just how far we've all come as a family. So, I thought I'd share this picture along with a reminder of what he looked like during those first few baths... Happy Friday everyone!

9 pm- the witching hour

Today was a pretty quiet day at the Collett household- no big problems, no remarkable issues; everything was at peace...until 9pm.

For some reason, Harper decides around 9 each night that she is going to protest sleep and we will be the witnesses to her protest. Most nights go something like this:

-Eat bottle at 7:30 pm

-Wake time from 7:30-8:30

-Both kids are peacefully asleep at 8:30 

-9 pm or a little after cue Harper waking from a dead sleep to cry

9-10:45- Various position changes for Harper, none of which make her happy. Offer bottle- no, not hungry. Try changing diaper- nope, not that either. Move to swing, bouncy chair, hammock, rock in rocker, walk the floor, pull out hair...nope, none of those will work

10:45- fall back to sleep for 10 min.

11 - eat

11:30-1am- Squak every 15-20 minutes to keep from falling into a good, deep sleep. Scream head off if left to "cry it out"

1 am- magically fall asleep as if there's some sort of on/off switch

Now, Harper doesn't scream all night- she can scream for quite awhile if she gets worked up, but most nights she just fusses. We can go for a stretch of 10- 15 min without any crying and then just when she strats to drift off to sleep, she starts squaking. I don't know why she doesn't want to sleep, but when this girl gets something in her head, she is stubborn about it (I wonder where she gets that). So, Tony and I are trying all sorts of things to get her to sleep when she needs to sleep. I'm not a big fan of this part of our parenting adventure and I will go out on a limb and say that my sleep deprived husband is not a fan of this either (but who is, right?)

Picture of the day today goes to both kiddos. After their 4pm feeding, I was trying to keep them awake so I put on some music and started dancing around. I was dancing up a storm and singing and trying my best to entertain.  These are the responses I got- too funny not to share. I guess I should keep my day job...

Catching Up

I feel like the last few days our house has been on a treadmill. This treadmill started off slowly at a reasonable pace, but this weekend someone kicked it into high gear and turned the incline up- way up.

Let me start by letting everyone know that my dad's surgery went well. They scraped out the tumors- one much bigger than they thought it would be- and he went home yesterday. We get pathology reports next week and then we will go from there. We would appreciate the continued prayers; I know the kids are very greatful for everyone who is praying for their Pop.

Our house has been busy with new sleep schedules, babies who are awake more often, and, last night, a minor meltdown over rice cereal. I think I might have temporarily lost my mind, but I looked at Jack's bottle and thought "this isn't thick enough". I called Tony and we had a very sleepy, hasty discussion about the brand of cereal we use to thicken the formula and that the box we are now using looks different. Poor Tony made four stops after work looking for the cereal box we bought previously- no luck. I sat at home with hungry, crying babies hoping Tony would find exactly what we needed. The night ended in tears, frustration, and no rice cereal; Tony even broke down and emailed the company in desperation. This morning we got word, via a response email, that the company has discontinued the old box- the new box was rolled out a month ago. The rice inside the box is the same as the rice we bought in the old box. So, in short, yesterday I sent my entire household into a frenzy over rice cereal- a false alarm. What a needless mess.

Today was a much better day. We were all a little more rested, a little more forgiving, and a little less on edge. The kids had a good day and were happy when I got home. I got to spend some "spa time" with Harper and give her a bath. She loves her baths and looks all over and smiles- it was a highlight of the day. We also had a visitor, Tony's college roommate, Rob, who stopped by to meet the kiddos. He was here during naptime and he held each kiddo and left just as they were waking up. It was great to see Rob and nice for me to get to walk Abby without feeling like I was leaving Tony shorthanded.

So, tonight, we spent the majority of our time snuggling with kiddos and counting our blessings. Despite the chaos of our lives currently, we are very blessed and sometimes it takes turning that treadmill up high to appreciate it.

Picture of the day goes to our visitor Rob and his meet and greet with the kids.

Weekend Wrap-up and Prayers for Pop

We have been going through quite a few “firsts” around the Collett household. This was my first full week back to work, our first nights alone just the five of us, Tony had his first solo doctor visit with both kids, and tonight we embark on the first week Tony and I will have just us and the kids. This will be our new “normal”, so we spent some time this weekend working out a schedule and trying to frame up what we’re hoping we can each get done in a day.

We didn’t just sit around and work on schedules all weekend, though, we did get out and have some fun. We went to the gym, spent some time with friends, and even got a visit from Nana and Pop. The kids are enjoying their play mat (as seen here) and Tony and I are getting a kick out of the funny faces they make when they play with each other. We are also in awe of little Jack- he has rolled over twice during tummy time- he is so determined to flip himself over that he just kicks that leg and rocks his little body until he gets where he wants to go.

We also spent some time working in the yard this weekend, running with Abby, doing taxes, folding laundry, and washing a mountain of bottles. In the midst of all the chores we tackled, there were some sweet moments. Here’s what I came in to find Saturday morning; there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing my little family all snuggled up together. Even Abby was nestled down in her bed- a precious, quiet moment for all in our house.  Yes, it was a nice weekend and we look forward to many more weekends filled with family, friends, and fun.

On a different note, the kids and Tony and I would like to implore our prayerful friends to send up a prayer for my dad. He is having surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30 to remove 4 tumors from his bladder. I think everyone is still in shock that he has been diagnosed with another type of cancer. Cancer is cruel and while I want to yell “this isn’t fair”, my dad has reassured us all that he’s going to do what he has to do, and surgery is what he has to do followed by some chemotherapy. So, if you are a prayerful person, and you would pray for my father- Jack and Harper’s Pop- we would all greatly appreciate it. Prayer is a powerful thing and we will take all the prayers we can get. Thank you in advance.

Friday Weigh In

Well, we surivied our first full work week as a house with two working parents, and we surivived our first few nights just the four of us. We have some improvements to make with schedules and there are certain things we know we won't be trying again, but all-in-all, we did okay.

Tony had Friday off, so he decided that he would take the kiddos to the doctor for a weight check. This sounded like a great idea to me, but I had to work, so I left Tony to figure out the doctor visit. He did a great job getting them both to the doctor, weighed, and home again. Durinda came to help out in the morning and then Tony had the kiddos by himself from 11:30-4. He did awesome. When I got home, all three of them were watching the Ranger game and the dog was sleeping- it was a great way to come home on a Friday.

Here are the results of the doctor's weigh in: Harper is now 7 lbs, 6 oz. Remember she started off at 2 lbs. 14 oz, so even though she's on the small side, she has come a long way.  Jack gets the prize for the heavy weight this time coming in at a whopping 8lbs. and 10 oz.  He started off at 3 lbs. 8 oz, so we are very proud of his success. That thicked formula has done wonders for his weight gain.  We hope both kiddos continue to pack on the ounces and get big and strong.

The picture of the day is of Tony and Harper- too sweet not to share.

Stay Awake

The kiddos had a good day today with Miss Durinda. We are trying to get them on some sort of schedule where they will eat, be awake for an hour or so, and then sleep again before the next feeding. Durinda said that they did a pretty good job staying awake for a while after eating and did a good job of sleeping without too much fussing. I never knew how it is to keep an infant awake until we started moving toward this schedule. After work, I have the kids for an hour and a half or so by myself until Tony gets home. Both kids eat within 45 minutes of me coming home, so then after that, I put on a show to keep everyone up.  Picture of the day goes to Harper and Jack and I talking about what went on at school- anything to keep those eyes open.

On another note, the twins go in to get weighed on Friday. While they're there, we're also going to see what can be done for Jack and his reflux. I thought the rice cereal with the forumla was goign to be a huge help, and for a week or so, he didn't have much spitting up and no crying when we burped him. Now, however, things are back to the way they were pre swallow study. We have Jack on Zantac, but he is still refluxing, even 30 mintues to an hour after he eats. He's also back to choking and crying when burps. I feel awful for the poor little guy. Here's hoping the doctor has some tricks to help him.

Nap Needed

I have officially hit a wall this week. I have been at work three full days this week and now I’m learning just how exhausting it is to be a working parent. At school, I feel like I’m going strong until about 11am and then I have an overwhelming urge to recharge my batteries. I’ve never napped at school before, but this week I’ve thought about just crawling under my desk and using a textbook as a pillow to grab even 10 minutes of sleep, if that shows you my desperation.

When I get home, I have energy for about an hour and then the headache sets in and I feel like I’m trudging through quicksand. Please don’t get me wrong, I love being home with my family, and I am in no way upset to be taking care of my kids, this is just more tiring than I could’ve ever imagined.

The weather has also contributed to my fatigue. A storm blew through the last couple of days, and I am not happy with the allergens that traveled with said storm. The stuffy nose, sniffling, headache, and itchy eyes cut my night short as I popped a Benadryl and staggered to bed at 9pm.

I admire all parents and caregivers. As I type this at 2:25 am, all I can do is calculate the potential remaining sleep I might get tonight and wonder if that’s enough sleep to help me coast on through the day. This parenting stuff is no joke. I don’t know how a single parent would do this- kudos to them. I am holding the eyelids of my right eye open with my left hand just so I can finish the blog.

Pictures of the day go to my snuggly kids: Harper catching a cat nap on Jack while she waits for her bottle to warm, and Jack and I playing on his play mat (this was taken when I was still in a lucid state, but I was fading fast). Here’s hoping Thursday will bring everyone rest and relaxation!