Mother's Day 2011

We had a great Mother's Day.  It was a full day with church and then visits to both of our moms.  My sweet daughters made me mother's day cards {with a little help from Daddy!}.  My hubby got me an external hard drive.  I have been needing something to back up all of my photos and other important stuff.  I wasn't expecting anything at all {since in efforts to be frugal hubby and I don't do gifts every holiday} so I was so surprised!  Let's just say he has a gift for picking out gifts!  ;-)

Oh, and in case you are wondering where I have been...I'm on day four of an intense potty training boot camp with my twins!  More on that later.  Hopefully I'll be around more soon.


I hope all of you moms had a wonderful Mother's Day!!

We slept

My baby and me

We snuggled

Like we had nothing else to do

Him, in just a diaper

Sprawled across my chest

Like a favorite pillow

Me, breathing in sweet baby smell

Touching his soft baby skin

My hand on his fuzzy head

Full of growing thoughts and dreams

Both of us

Oblivious to the world

I thought of what needed to be done

And remembered that I will never get this moment back

So we lay there

Still

Quiet

Mommy and son.

Bedroom Sharing

Rub a dub dub, 3 girls in a tub room...

Sounds funny, but it makes me think of an orphanage or something the way we have 3 cribs lined up in a row.  Who ever would have thought I'd have three babies in cribs at one time?

I remember just a couple months ago, I was feeling a bit of trepidation at the thought of getting all three of my girls under two to sleep in the same bedroom.  However, I decided it is finally time for mommy and daddy to have their room back.  (At least for a while, you know.)  Now, after about a week of our "all 3 in 1" sleeping arrangement, all my worries are gone.  It's amazing.

I know most of you will probably get a kick out of this stuff, but this post is especially for any of you young mamas who haven't been through this stage yet, I'm thinking about you and remembering what I was thinking not too long back...

I was wondering how on earth I was going to keep them all from waking one another up!  I mean, the twins were already sleeping in our room together, but sometimes they would cry and one would wake the other one up.
This has actually turned out so much better than what I thought.  At first it wasn't so good, but after just a couple of days, they were falling asleep almost as soon as I laid them down.

With different ages and different sleep patterns, could they all really adjust to each other?  Or would I just have to listen to them all scream during naptime and then deal with cranky un-napped babies for the rest of the day?
Most days they sleep really good.  Sometimes my two year old stays awake and talks or sings, but the twins manage to sleep through it just fine most days.

What if one of the girls got sick in the night and then woke the other two up and I had to go in the room and upset all of them and then I would get less sleep than I already do?
We have experienced this actually during this first week of our new set-up.  I have two sick girlies right now, so for a couple of nights I was in and out checking on them a lot.  They usually sleep through it all pretty well, but I also found that when they did wake up, they settled right back down and went to sleep pretty quickly.

Would they all talk and play and not go to sleep? 
Sometimes, this does happen...like today.  I know today my 2 year old didn't sleep at all.  I don't think the twins did much either.  Of course, this happened sometimes before I put them all in the same room.

The things I have been hearing in the baby monitor of late are priceless and make the not-so-perfect days worth it all by far.

Abigail has been taking the opportunity for a bit of fellowship with her sisters.  :-)  I keep hearing "Emma, Sophie, be quiet!", "Emmmmaaa nooo!" or Abigail singing "Hall-ay-lu-yah...hall-ay-lu-yah...hall-ay-lu-yah...Your love makes me sing!" and singing Jesus Loves Me, God You Reign, Jesus loves the little Children, etc.  It is SO PRECIOUS!!

And whenever I go in to get them up, they are usually playing and laughing and exchanging dolls and blankets.  PRICELESS.

Bathtime Routine and the Bath Song

Bath time is always lots of fun at our house.  All three of my girls LOVE their baths...which I am very thankful for.  It would be pretty miserable if they were screaming the whole time.  Splashing is a huge part of our bath time routine for sure!  I don't think babies have to be taught how to splash, it just seems to come naturally.  I always try to make sure I am dressed for the occasion, because it is a given that mama will be soaked by the time it's all over!  That's ok though.  I love seeing the happy faces of my babes having fun.

We keep a few toys in the tub area too, just for bath time fun.  One of our favorites are the foam alphabet letters. Of course washcloths can be lots of fun too!  :-)

And we like to sing too.  When we have bath time I always think of this bath song from my childhood.  I'm trying to teach it to the girls.  :-)

The Bath Song

When I take a bath

I think about the Lord

And how He washed away my sin

Let me tell you more

He washed my hands so I could touch

The world He loves so very much

Jesus fills me up with hope

And washes me with super soap

When I take a bath

I think about the Lord

And how He washed away my sin

Let me tell you more

He washed my feet so I could walk

And give a happy Gospel talk

Jesus fills me up with hope

And washes me with super soap

When I take a bath

I think about the Lord

And how He washed away my sin

Let me tell you more

He washed my face so I could smile

And tell the world I am His child

Jesus fills me up with hope

And washes me with super soap

Here's a youtube video of the song, so you can hear the tune.

Found: 3 babies

All 3 of the missing babies have been restored to their happy, little mama.  :-)  We found them early this morning after a bit more searching.  Can't believe that we actually missed looking here!  I'm sure they were glad to get out and stretch.  They looked a little cramped all stuffed under the seat like this.  :-)

Toddlers & Toilets and to bed without babies

I don't think I'll forget today very soon.  It was one of those days that was unmistakably marked by a few wild happenings.  Since I can't seem to forget them, I figured I should share them with you.  Grin.

1)  My 2 year old and one of my 12 month old twins were playing together happily.  I was checking in on them routinely, while busy about the house with other things.  Well, I figured it was time to check on them again, and came upon them just as my two year old flushed the toilet full of clothing.  Yep, I said clothing!  I'm glad I reacted as fast as I did, because I was able to snatch the wad of clothing from the toilet before it tried to go down.  Whew!  And the 12 month old?  Standing there with her hands in the toilet and her shirt soaked.  Oh.my.goodness.  I wanted to laugh and cry and yell and scold all at the same time.  We are keeping all of the bathroom doors closed 24/7 from here on out.

This is the second time in the past two days that I have found the same 12 month old playing in the toilet.  I'm over my disbelief now, and done shaking my head at how different this is from my experience with my first child.  I never had this kind of issue with my first.  How different they all are!

2)  My two year old went to bed without the 3 baby dolls that she sleeps with every single night.  It broke my heart.  I looked for them for about a half hour I think.  I even tip-toed into the bedroom that my husband and I share with our twins to look around with the light from my cell phone.  I searched high and low under couches and and in the closets.  I checked every room twice.  All the while a sweet voice implored me, "Mommy, (where) babies is?  Mommy find em.  Where are dey?  Mommy babies..."  I offered every other dolly available but she wouldn't sleep with any of them.  She was in tears over not finding her babies.  I finally had to put her to bed without them.  She seemed to understand and I told her that mommy didn't know where they were and we would look for them again tomorrow.  I'm sure baffled though.  I couldn't find them anywhere!

Too Much

Abigail has started a new phrase lately.  She comes up to me randomly throughout the day and says, "Love you TOO much, mommy."  It absolutely melts my heart.  She is trying to say what I say to her so often: "I love you SO much, Abigail."

Keep Smiling

This is what keeps my day alive and full of smiles...

Even when I am down and having a day full of painful reminiscing...

When I am restless...

And fighting a headache...

These precious girls never fail to remind me of how blessed I am...

And of how things are not as bad as I think sometimes...

They remind me of how powerful a smile can be...

Of how easily my heart can melt when I think about them...

And how thankful I am to be a mommy every single day.

Free Nursing Cover

EDIT: I just found out that there is some controversy over this company. Everything that I read said that people received their nursing covers but some have claimed that they had additional charges on their credit cards later as a result of ordering from Udder Covers. I would sugest using Paypal just in case. If you have already purchased one using your credit card, just be sure to check your statements.


Get a free nursing cover from Udder Covers!

Nursing covers are great for breastfeeding moms or as a gift for a friend. I made one when I was pregnant with my first baby and have used it so much since then. In fact, I still use it for breastfeeding my twins. I am not familiar with the Udder Covers brand, but they look really nice.

Just go to the Udder Covers website, put one in your shopping cart, go to checkout, and enter the code "country" or "onefree". Then all you have to do is pay the shipping (I think it's $8.95). Not bad at all!

Being a mother

Lately...

I am feeling restless. So many things that I want to do, but not enough time for them all. My creative juices are flowing, but I might as well be tied to a chair because my arms are full and so are my hours.

I am feeling inspired and ambitious. But I lack the opportunity to achieve. I guess all moms feel like this sometimes.

I know if I had many moments to myself, many moments to achieve and to realize all those little dreams..I would miss being with my babies. I would miss having full arms, and I would miss all those things I love about being a mother. So I'll stay. Right here. Right where I am, holding and nursing and loving these little ones.

Making your own baby food

Did you ever want to know how to make your own baby food? Do you want to feed your baby natural, healthy meals? In this post I will share how I make and store my own homemade baby food.

Making your own baby food may seem a bit daunting at first, but it really is simple, and the rewards are many! It's fun, easy, healthy, and frugal!

I pretty much vowed that I would never feed my baby that stuff from the store, but I definitely caved in with my first child because of the convenience of pre-packaged, pureed, serving sized foods all nice and ready to eat. I am ashamed of myself now for giving up on my resolutions so quickly. But since I am now hitting the second and third rounds of beginning solids with a baby, I am strengthening my resolutions once again.

Now please don't think that I judge you at all if you have chosen to use store bought baby food, because I really don't. That is why I want to point out that I didn't always make my own either. That said, I do want to encourage you that making your own baby food is easy, much more nutritious, and very worth it!


So in 6 simple steps, here's how I do it.

1) Prepare your tools. I use either a food processor, a blender, or a baby food grinder.

2) Wash your fresh foods if needed.

3) Cut up your vegetables, fruits, etc. into chunks and cook if required.

4) Put food into blender or tool of choice.

5) Blend, adding water or breastmilk until food has reached desired consistency.

6) Eat or store for later by freezing in ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove the food cubes from the tray and store in a labeled/dated ziploc bag in the freezer.

*If adding breastmilk it is best to add it right before serving. Do not add the breastmilk before freezing your baby food.

*Pictured food: prunes. Some of the twins' favorite foods right now are avocados, sweet potatoes, and prunes.

3 little girls...oh how they grow

Sophia is starting to get around on her own. She's not crawling quite yet, but she can scoot and roll all the way across the room. And get herself stuck under the coffee table.


Emma has a new found love of sitting. But she still falls over occasionally, so I have to stay nearby. She can sit and play for a long time if I let her.


And Abigail? Well, she likes to read. Almost all day if I let her. But she plays with her shoes and hats too. And she is making potty progress!! I am thrilled to say the least.

Too much of a good thing...

is...well you know, a bad thing.

I'm a multi-tasking mama. Which can be good, but sometimes I think I multi-task too much. You know, to the point where I am not taking the time to just sit still sometimes? Or to the point that I am not relaxing and enjoying the present task, because I am so busy trying to get it all done. Ever been there?

Anyways, I think I usually do pretty well with multi-tasking, but not today. In fact, not this week. I have a hard time nursing a baby and typing now. Maybe because my little twins are not quite so little anymore. And they just want to wiggle and they get distracted so easliy, and then turn their heads and kick their little feet up onto the desk. Then I give up.

So that's why I haven't been blogging as much. Not to mention there seem to be an endless million other things to do. Things like feeding, holding, bathing, reading, laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, playing...and on the list goes. I'm trying to learn to slow down a little and enjoy the current moment.

Do you struggle with this too? How do you balance multi-tasking with still moments? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

All I can say...

...is that I love THIS FACE!


When my little Emma smiles and then turns away to hide her face. Mommy thinks it is so precious.


All of the sweet faces you make bring me so much joy!

My Thoughts on Breastfeeding

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I’ve been breastfeeding for a year and a half now. Times three babies. That’s a lot. I am so blessed to be able to breastfeed my babies. I know that it is the best food for their little bodies and that it is beneficial for our bonding experience. I also know that it is a great way to drop the baby weight. Breastfeeding also reduces the mom’s chance of many types of cancers and reduces the baby’s chance of many illnesses and diseases, while boosting the immune system to help fight off sickness. Breastfeeding is also very frugal. Just compare the cost of breastfeeding (free) to the cost of formula (far from free). Not to mention there is no cleaning and preparing bottles. These few reasons alone are enough to convince me that it is worthwhile. However, there are many more reasons to breastfeed your baby. Check out this list of 101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child.

Here is a bit of my personal story…
My twins were born five weeks early. They each weighed 4 pounds 7 ounces at birth. They spent almost two weeks in the NICU. The doctors wanted to make sure that they were gaining weight sufficiently before they could go home. While the twins were in the NICU, their doctor pushed me to give them formula so that they could gain more weight. I was told by this doctor that babies couldn’t gain enough weight on breastmilk alone and I would HAVE to supplement with formula. We told them we wanted to think about it and I went back to my pregnancy and breastfeeding books to double check my facts. Sure enough, all the books said that breastmilk is the best thing for premature babies. Actually, when babies are born early, the mother’s body produces a higher calorie breastmilk that is specially designed for their unique needs. I think that is so amazing. The next time we met up with the doctor, we asked if he had any copies of the studies that proved that breastmilk alone wasn’t enough for the needed weight gain. He didn’t have anything. He told us that it was just from his experience. I should have made him some copies from my books. Then he would have something more than experience to reference to. Needless to say, we stuck to our guns and refused to supplement with formula. One of the babies gained 4 ounces in 24 hours! The doctors were really surprised. I don’t know how they never saw breastmilk work for weight gain, but I hope that they will remember my babies the next time they tell a breastfeeding mom that her milk isn’t good enough.

And if you think that one can’t breastfeed twins successfully…think again. My twins are 6 months old now, and are still exclusively breastfed. I don’t say this at all in a boastful way, just simply in the hope that it may encourage someone out there who may have been told that they can’t breastfeed or that it is not good enough for their baby.

As you can tell by now, I’m a HUGE advocate of breastfeeding. Grin. Don't forget to check out the 101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child!