5 month 2 Weeks - Scary Sleep Training

Boo!! Happy Halloween from "Nay-Nay Girl" (aka Bettina) and "Kitty Cat" (aka Ava)!

Life this week has been very difficult. At last doctor's appointment, we decided that the girls were finally big enough to sleep through the night. The hard part comes in convincing them of this plan. They have been waking about 2 times/night wanting to be comforted with food. Then there was also the 5-6 times they would whimper and complain because their "binkie" had fallen out and they also felt that that comfort was imperative to get back to sleep. All this, of course, infringes on Paul and my (OK, mostly my) sleep patterns. Although we have gone with only 4-6 hours of sleep for the last 7 months (who can sleep when you're very pregnant?), there is much motivation in returning to the "typical" 8 hours. Since physiologically the twins are ready, it's time to start the lovely process fondly referred to as "sleep training."

I've seen my friends go through this; I've read 2 or 3 books about this and have spent many hours in conversations with other moms about their experiences and thoughts. I also consider myself pretty good at seeing the "greater good" of discipline and less likely to get caught up with the emotional "soft" side of any type of training. I was pretty sure that Tina would be a challenge based on her determination and temper. Ava I also thought would take some time based on her addiction to her binkie. However, I was sure that, even though I knew it would be a long, loud process, I was educated and steadfastly prepared for the task. Anyone who feels the same before their experience, please be warned: you're probably not as prepared as you think!

I chose the Ferber Method of sleep training especially because I felt it would take the shortest amount of time and because I felt I had the persistence of character necessary to follow-though with this noisy, cry-it-out method. Paul and I waited until my mom left the house on vacation so that she wouldn't have to hear the learning curve the girls will have to go through. And, per my ped's advice, I also chose to bridge the feeding calls by watering down a couple of ounces so they felt they were getting a full feeding while still cutting down the real food so they could soon sleep without.

Now, I'm not ordinarily the type that relies heavily on doctors. My pediatrician gave me her cell number (yes, her cell - not her pager or after-hours message center) at our first meeting, but I didn't bother to write it down as I was sure that I wouldn't ever have the need to phone her after hours. Boy, did I ever turn needy those first couple of days of sleep training! Your nerves get so shot and their cries so desperate for so long those first couple of days, you really end up doubting yourself. So, here is my suggestion if you happen to try sleep training for yourself:

1. Plan your training for a time when you have extra support (like a husband to help).
2. Plan your training for a time when you will less-likely impact any neighbors or housemates.
3. Have well-established routines for bedtimes/naptimes so the kids can anticipate sleeptime or their "job.".
4. Bone up on your methods. Make sure you're very familiar with all the "what if's" and theories before you get rattled and get the "deer in the headlamp" brain-freeze.
5. Find a "Ferber-Friend"; someone you can call when your nerves are shot, who's been there, done it, and can give you advise you trust. I used my friend Lisa, and she helped A LOT!
6. Call your pediatrician's office for advice - especially if it makes you feel better.
7. Trust the process - It works!
8. Know that it really will get better the more consistent you are. It only took Ava 2 nights; Tina took 3, but her crying was really much lighter by the second. She understood what to expect; she just still consistently complained about it until the 3rd night.
9. Know that they may have to be "re-trained" a number of times later on. Vacations, new furnishings/rooms, time zones, teething, colds, etc. will interfere in their patterns and may cause some reversions. These "re-trains" are much, much milder and are more like blips than earthshattering experiences of before.
10. Be prepared to give and extra-large breakfast to them as a reward. I found this is when my kids when from drinking 4-5 oz at a time to 6-8 oz at a time. Don't underestimate their hunger.

With that, good luck! Paul and I are now getting upwards of 7-hour blocks of sleep (Tina still tries to get us up once around 4am. We try to ignor her off until 5am). Imagine if we went to bed the same time they did - we'd get nearly 10 hours!! What a luxury!

5 months - The Family Celebrates

4 generations

This marks a super-special celebration week: the kids have their 5 month anniversary, my husband and I have our 3-year wedding anniversary, and both he and I celebrate birthdays! The icing on the cake is when Grandpa Dent and Great-Grandma Dent send word they are coming for a visit!

To celebrate their visit (they drove from Washington state and Oregon), I brought out the Picture People coupon and offer (so kindly) to "pay" for a 4-generational family portrait (hey, we're still on a budget!). A good activity to plan with relatives that travel afar and who otherwise have mobility issues with which to contend. We borrowed a wheelchair from the information kiosk at the mall and wheeled Grandma Dent around while we waited for our pictures. She seemed to enjoy it. The picture with just the girls and she also turned out really nice! We had to buy that one too!


3 gens

And, not to leave Grandma out, a few days later, we planned a 3 generational photo (about as far back as we can go on this side) with my mother. Grandma wasn't sold that this was "the" picture she wanted, but she does live a lot closer, so we promised to do another one in time to make her Christmas cards.

The biggest changes in the last month:

• At the last doctor appointment, Ava weighed in at 12lbs 2oz and Tina was 13lbs. We couldn't believe there was less than a pound difference between them! Paul still demands a re-weigh.
• These girls are giggling machines! I can make Ava giggle with just a look. Tina's a tougher customer, but still she'll break a smile and just light up the room!
• They play with toys all the time now. Reaching for toys that dangle and they put everything in their mouths.
• They eat much more in one sitting - 5-6 oz. at a time. Time to switch to the larger 9oz bottles now!

4 Months 3 Weeks - The Podee Bottle

Comparison of The Catepiller from Alice in Wonderland and Tina with the Podee Bottle


Now, personally, I don't see any resemblance at all. Old soul, bald, dressed in blue with a hookah-looking device hanging out of his mouth... Looks nothing like my Tina. (yeah, right!)

These bottles, a great invention by someone knowing the true hearts and minds of a MOM (mother of multiples). Assuming that your "lovie" can produce enough suction to keep a pacifier in, they can also feed themselves without having the motor skills to hold the bottle themselves. You can prop the bottle against them in the stroller, lay it next to them in the car seat, or anywhere your baby likes to eat. Now, I don't recommend this for regular feedings - it's better to hold your baby, their bottle, and coo and bond over eye contact. However, this is really great for those times you're in a pinch: both babies are crying and hungry; they haven't finished feeding and you'd like to throw them into a car seat to go to an appointment; or their fussy and you just need them to make it back to the car/home/crib. Besides being great for a MOM or a mom on the go, they are also credited for being an excellent tool to combat colic and ear infections. What more do I need to say to spark interest?!? The only downside: they're more effort to clean!

They are very popular in England and other parts of Europe, and especially so with other MOMs, but can be found in some specialty baby stores. If you're so inclined, try one out. I think they're great! And, if you don't think twins get enough attention as we walk down the street, try a set of twins sipping on a set of Podees!

4 Months 2 Weeks - Mommy's Molting

4 mo. photo from Button Nose Photography

I started noticing the slight change about 2 weeks ago. Loosened hair would clot the shower drain... more than usual. I initially chalked it up to the fact that I don't get as many showers as I did before nor do I get to brush my hair as often. Thus, more hair would come out during the shower. Oh, no....it's not that.

I'd always learned to expect this natural phenomenon after breastfeeding has ended or when you start your monthly cycles again. At least 3 months from now, anyhow. However, with the equally unexpected return of "Aunt Flo" this last week, it's clear: Mommy's molting!

It's a little known fact, but during pregnancy, women quit shedding their hair. It goes into a "growth only" sort of phase where you don't lose the hair you would on a daily basis. This is quite a luxury for a pregnant lady who feels glorious with her new thick locks. However, all good things must end and, once the hormones start to balance out again, all the hair that would have shedded naturally during the entire 9-10 month pregnancy, 4 times the amount of normal, all starts to come out in bunches. Great! Showers are lovely: loose skin and stretch marks on the belly, and fist-fulls of hair on the floor. Good thing we don't get as many showers now that Baby's here... perhaps we won't notice as much...

Other than that, the girls are doing great. We went up to the Russian River this weekend and rented in a nice house with all of Paul's family. All Ava and Tina's cousins (there are none yet on my side) and her fraternal grandparents. We took up our sea kayak we bought last year just before we learned we were pregnant and had a ball. Here are the photos from the weekend if you're interested.

Paul and I realized, with this being the Columbus Day weekend, that it was a year ago exactly that we found out we were pregnant. We didn't know at the time that they were twins, but suspected since the hormone count was much higher than what they were expecting. The nurse said they were hoping for a number between 50-70. Our count was 215 or something astronomical. Two weeks from today is when we got to see our sonogram and this picture. It seems like much longer than only one-year ago... What miracles they are now!