Update For Twin Cousins - Repost of a FB Message

I thought it would be cool to repost this message I sent to our cousins in Cali.  They had twins in April 2011 and so it's been pretty amazing to share experiences with family.  I wanted to repost this mainly for my own posterity -- it's a good recap of things that have been going on for the last little while. 

Oh man, T, it's been utter chaos over here!!

First of all, however, I would like to commend you on your endurance! Congratulations on the pumping - you are an amazing woman! I have officially weaned babes from boobs during the day and plan to nurse morning and night for as long as possible (selfish, huh!). The eating is still hit and miss, although S seems to be ravenous all the time. I am becoming a little braver at offering our "human" food - I'm always so concerned about the sodium and sugar content... am I being stupid? I don't want to give them too many refined sugars yet and we all know about sodium...

I love how you said that you have a time out playpen for C! Where did you hear of that? I have yet to try anything like that for the boyz - I agree though, it is very difficult to teach them the concept of sharing or taking turns. I'm trying and it is quite hilarious - as soon as I take something away, one cries and then vice versa as soon as his turn is over... But, they'll learn someday! So far, it's just been fights galore and lots of grabbing and pushing away, turning of bodies, stuff like that. Very interesting.

What's Little Gym? A play gym for kiddies? You guys are awesome! I totally would love to do something like that. It gets so boring doing the same thing hour after hour after hour here! hahaha. Don't worry about I though, she'll catch up when she's good and ready! S started crawling in August/September and E didn't start until the middle of November! And E started walking a few weeks after he started crawling! S was a couple of days faster but it was like E was just watching and learning. It's amazing.
 
The boys have been off/on sick since the beginning of November. On new year's day, S got really sick - like fever and massive congestion - which lasted about 4 days. I took him to the doctor and really, there was nothing we could do except wait it out... he was SO out of it. We were really worried. I had to hold him, no joke, for three days. Like, he was NEVER out of my arms and he slept with us. I had to break the no nursing ban during the day because he was not eating. At all. And yet he was parched. I was beside myself! Anyway, eventually we figured out that his upper molars had popped out and only because he threw his head back while thrashing and had his mouth open. My face just happened to be in the right spot to see his mouth and the four little pillars ripping thru the skin. Poor fella. I felt like the worst mother. Ever.

anyway, the next day was Sunday (just past) and it was an awesome day - everyone was smiling and laughing and playing. We had our kids back!

Then Monday came.

And I then proceeded to hold E for three days because he was so weak and sick. He literally did not have ONE bite of food for three days. Again, 40C temps. At the same time this is happening, S's eyes are crusted over every morning and red and swollen. Wtf?

We took them to the doctor yesterday and they both have eye infections and E also has an ear infection. They're both under 20lbs now -- although S is starting to gain again, his appetite is coming back thankfully. E is starting to smile again too, antibiotics rock!!!
 
All this, while trying to wean them. Seriously. And they won't drink homo milk. At all. They barf. Or gag. It's so gross. So, they don't drink anything during the day, T. I don't know what to do. To be honest, I'm a little worried about that.

I've given up for now - I figure if I offer other sources of calcium, they'll be fine. It's just the hydration part I worry about. They definitely don't drink enough water during the day and Elijah just hates drinking water, unless it's to blow bubbles in or play with in his mouth until it's all dribbled out all over his clothes. Yeah, that's fun.

So, that's the saga of this household since January 1st, 2012 hit. Massive sicknesses and crying, whiny babies. Oh! And did I fail to mention that E has been my bed-mate since, oh, November?!?!?!? omg we are so dead... We tried to put them both in the crib tonight and he proceeded to cry for 55 minutes! I took him out, only to figure out that he poohed and that's why he was crying so hard. I changed him and then he rolled over onto his spot on my bed and fell asleep. Like, instantly.  Husband is going to try to transfer him later, but I don't think it'll work. Yes, it might initially, but I think he'll still wake up in the middle of the night and he'll end up with us again. Ahhhh the joys!!!

So that's it.  That's been our lives in a nutshell.

This is all while my husband is working on the house, fixing things, renovating, moving, tidying, doing doing doing.  What a great guy.  He's so amazing and I'm so lucky.

Hard Week

Poor LM.  He's been running a fever these past few days and it's not getting better.  He's shared our bed for each of those nights plus a few and every night there's nothing we can do but listen to him cry and watch him thrash until he's so exhausted he passes out.  At 1 am.  That lasts for an hour. Or more.  But when your fever is 40C and you're hot and your mouth is throbbing, what can your parents expect?

LBM has gluey eyes, and lots of discharge coming out of them.  I am taking both to the doc tomorrow if she has space.  It's just never-ending.  And then I've been holding LM non-stop for 2 days so LBM is feeling tres left out and bummed out.  I feel bad for him - it's like he doesn't know what to do with himself if his partner isn't doing something with him.... even though they don't necessarily play together yet.

I'm tired only because I've been up at all hours of the night and then basically attached to the hip with one dude, while trying to care for the other.  Thank the Lord husband has been around to help... most of the time.  He's been really busy, trying to get shit done both personally and around the house.  Still, it's a true blessing that he's been home to help.  I truly appreciate it.  It's so hard to care for a sick baby.  Both emotionally and physically.  Sometimes I can't take the crying.

Naps have basically been thrown out the window.  LBM should be able to go down but it's just been an absolute mess since molars started on New Year's day.  Because LM started a week later, it's been difficult to be consistent with LBM and so I've pretty much screwed myself for the next little while.  Thank goodness, again, for husband, who's been able to be around to help... although I will admit, sometimes it is easier for me when I'm alone -- it's quiet in the house and there's no doubting or discussing whether we're doing the right thing... when I'm alone, I just do it and if it works, it works, if it doesn't, I learn for the next time.

I'm really hoping that the fever goes away tomorrow.  It's just been too much disruption in the routine.  Even for me.

I'm losing it!

Kooky

Christmas Happy

Christmas Happy Too

Happy Boy

Curious?

Cousins!

New Year, New Teeth... Poor, Sad, Little Boyz

It's been one week in 2012 and LBM has been inconsolable.  He started off the new year very sick, feverish, congested and lethargic.  Not his normal, kooky self.  He needed to be held constantly and cried.  A lot.  And I didn't really know why or how he got so sick. 

And today I found out.  His poor, poor teeth... he cut two molars (top).  OUCH!  And I had NO idea.  How does that even happen?  Explains the massive amounts of drooling for months on end now... And the total crabbiness.  We had a conversation (husband and I) about the amount of pain we, as adults would feel if we were cutting new teeth at our age.  Then at a party today (our nephew's first!), someone mentioned that there was actually a study about that and it concluded that as adults we would have to be hospitalized for the pain.  HAHAHAHA... don't know if it's true but no matter, the point is, teething is incredibly painful and totally affects every part of our daily life these days.

My poor, sweet boy.

And then, there's LM.  And he's been waking at all hours with his finger stuck inside his mouth.  He's a lucky little guy, because we figure out what it is before it happens to him because LBM seems to go through it first....

He is sleeping in our bed now, as I type.