4 month schedule

I know I've only done this baby thing twice, but each time four months has been a bit of a challenge.  The frenzy of the newborn time has passed.  The baby starts to spend more time awake and no longer just sleeps anywhere and everywhere.  Wake times get longer and suddenly we have more time to fill.  This is where I think the schedule gets serious.  And just when I am really wanting to get our routine even more solid, we are hit with sleep regressions, growth spurts, mental leaps, teething...  You get the gist.  It's a busy time!  I remember this being the time with Ben when I was frantically googling sample schedules to figure out what to do with all of this.  I am so happy I have more experience this go around as the girls were already on a decent routine.  It isn't completely perfect.  Babies change and grow so fast at this age it can be hard to keep up!  But it is working for us.  So I thought I would toss my current four month old schedule out there into the interwebs and I hope it helps at least one other mom out!

Sammy and Ali- 4 months old!

(I want to note this is just for the girls.  Ben's schedule weaves around in there too, but that isn't my focus today.)

7:30 am: The girls wake up.  Either I let them finally get up, or I wake them up.  They have their first nursing of the day.  After they eat I get them dressed.  Sometimes we head out shortly after they get up, for playgroup, to go to the park, or some other errand.  Otherwise they get to play with their mobile.

8:50-9am: They head up to their first nap of the day.  It varies in exact time based on what I am doing and how tired the girls seem.  They nap for about two hours.

11am: I wake the girls up.  If they are already awake they can get up as early as 10:45, but I try to keep them in bed til 11.  The girls nurse, and we get ready to head out for our activity of the day.

11:30-1:30pm:  This middle of the day time is where we have the biggest variance.  It is the one time of day we consistently get out and about.  So while the girls could do another set nap during this time, we don't.  If we are home, they get a catnap in their cribs or bouncers.  (And by catnap I mean about half an hour or so.)  If we are out they doze in the car and on the go.  This middle of the day nap is one of the early ones to not be needed anymore, so I have chosen not to stress on it.  It happens if and where it will.  I do try to pay attention to their sleepy cues and give them the chance to rest as they need it.  Beyond that this is when we play, practice sitting up, have tummy time, that sort of thing.

1:30-2pm: More playtime.  If we are out I aim to get home between these times.  This is usually when the girls chill in their bouncers while I get Ben into nap time.

2pm: Another nursing session. The time between feedings gets shorter and shorter as the day goes on.  This is in part because babies tend to just do that.  It also happens so that it works into the rest of the family's activities better.  I have found it easier to feed the girls a little earlier than try to stretch it out and have them fussy from hunger.

2:30-4:30pm: Afternoon nap.  This is my time.  All three kids are in naps.  We don't have a proper eat, play, sleep cycle before this nap, but my goal is to have a time in which all three kiddos are napping.  The timing just didn't work out any other way for this to happen than to feed the girls both before and after this nap.

4:30pm: The girls get up.  They eat again. It is only two and a half hours after they ate, but it works better to feed them early, rather than have them hungry during dinner time.

5-6:45pm: More playing.  The rest of us have dinner.  In the nicer weather we try to get outside a little if we have time.  Otherwise it just family time.  The girls may practice sitting up more and have more tummy time.  This is also a more laid back time where we get to just cuddle them more.

6:45-7pm: Get ready for bed.  The whole family heads upstairs and I nurse the girls while Pat gets Ben through his bedtime routine.  Then we all do prayers together on the big bed and say goodnight.  The exact bedtime varies depending on how long the girls eat.  Usually they are in bed by 7:30, but if they are still eating I'm not going to stop them at a certain time.

9:30pm: Deamfeed and back to bed.  We dropped this feed at 19 weeks.

After the girls go to bed they are pretty good about sleeping through til morning.  We are still dealing with the early wake a little bit, between 5 and 6.  They babble to themselves and each other.  They eventually fall back asleep until the desired wake time, but for a while it was getting to be too much.  Dropping the dreamfeed seems to have really helped them sleep better during this early morning period.  They still wake up once or twice, but they are much better now.  They are quieter and fall back asleep faster.  I think they just need a little time to get all the way past that early wake.

There you go, an average day in the life of a four month old.  Pretty exciting, huh?  ;)  Of course not every day goes perfectly.  Some days we have things like playgroup or appointments that mean we are out during designated nap times.  I love being a second time mom because those things don't throw me as much.  I still try to protect nap times as much as possible.  (Protecting feedings is easy- the girls don't let me miss their meals. :P) I really think consistent eating and sleeping times are so important.  And even at this young age I can see a difference in behavior when the girls are well rested compared to when they haven't had good naps.  They are such happy girls when they have had a chance to sleep!!  It is worth the sacrifices to put their sleep first.  Being a second time mom I also have the benefit of seeing Ben thrive with a consistent routine.  All the work to get naps sorted out it worth it!

I hope this helps some other mom out there, frantically googling like I was a couple of years ago. :)

-Kim

This kid...

... is just a hoot!  This past week he has just been a ton of fun to hang out with.  

He's modeled his hat for me.  He has gotten in to picking out his own shirts, and it is always interesting to see what he goes for.  

He loves to talk to me about everything in the world while in the back seat.  This is at the end of a very interesting drive where we discussed the different Bubble Guppies and Team Umizoomi characters.  Okay, we mainly recited who they were over and over.  But still, he is a blast to talk to.

Ben pulled out his backpack this week.  He insisted Pat and I put some on too.  We really just hung out wearing them, but he thought it was awesome.

He isn't always into holding still for pictures, but I wrangled him for this one.

Sorry, there isn't really a story to tell with this post.  I just want to remember how much fun he is, right now, June of 2016, 2.75 years old. I am one lucky mom. :)

-Kim

Memorial Day picnic

We spent the day before Memorial Day with Meo and Omi.  We were lucky enough to spend the actual holiday with Auntie Laura!  Sadly I dropped the ball on pictures while she was over.  We spent the day the traditional way- Pat grilled up some burgers for us and we pigged out. :)  Then we played with the kiddos.  While they napped Laura and I got some much needed girl time in.  I so appreciate Laura's friendship!

Wearing the great shirts Auntie Laura gave us! (Sammy left, Ali right)

That evening we did go out to a park to have a picnic!  Ben and I have decided that this summer we are going to try to go to every playground in the park district area.  Okay, I decided that.  But Ben isn't arguing.  That is 24 playgrounds to visit!  We need to go to more than one a week most weeks!  We've already been to four, only twenty more to go! I like having a challenge for the summer, especially one that gets us out of the house and playing!

We went to one I had driven by before that looked pretty cool.  It was awesome!  The whole thing is a music theme.  There were a ton of drums to bang on, giant gourds that rattled, and a huge slide.  Ben loved the 'drum park' as we called it.  We're going to have to add it to the regular rotation.  (I'm not sure how, we have so many more to visit!)

And to think this kid used to hesitate at slides!

Making music.

 While we were there we enjoyed one of my favorite parts of summer- picnics.  I love to cook, but I also like having a reason to just put together some sandwiches and make it easy.

I love my boys in their Captain America shirts!

 We are really seeing the girls' different personalities comes out as they get bigger.  Ben always loved being outside.  Sammy appears to be following suit.  I looked down at her and she was just smiling away outside.

Loving the park!

She caught me looking at her. 

Ali seems to be a little more like me.  She isn't as thrilled with being outdoors.  That's okay, I get it.  I think she'll be more excited about it when she can actually run around and play.  I always like it better when I give in and just play.

Not impressed.

She perked up when she saw me looking at her!

The playground is a handicap accessible one, and we were the only ones there.  Perfect chance to bring Sammy and Ali onto the equipment for the first time!

Girls first time playing on the equipment! Kinda ;)

 Ben discovered sand on this trip.  Sigh, I am not a fan of sand.  Honestly, I think it just glorified dirt.  I know kids love it, and I won't stop Ben (or Pat) from playing in it.  But I am not looking forward to future sand clean up in the house.  Oh well, you can't stop a little kid from wanting to dig in the sand.

Dig! Dig!

That wrapped up our holiday weekend.  Pretty relaxed, which was wonderful.  Good food and fun with friends and family is all we need.  

I am so grateful for all those who have fought for out country, especially those who paid the ultimate price.  Our country might not be perfect, but I feel so blessed to call it home.

-Kim

First swim of summer!

 This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend, that means summer!  We kicked it off at Meo and Omi's house- yummy grilling and Ben's first swim of the year!!

I love that Ben still likes this little pool.  It is small, but it is so easy to set up and use.  (Even easier for me because Omi does it.;) ) It is just the right size for a little splashing around.  It will be great for the girls when they get a little bigger too!  The water was freezing, but Ben didn't care.  He had a blast playing, and Pat had fun watching him!

Daddy lifeguard

 The girls aren't ready to do much swimming yet, they were more in the mood to hang out and wiggle.  So of course I stayed inside with them instead of enjoying the outdoor fun with the boys.  (Also known as letting Pat sit in the heat while I stayed in the a/c.)  I am loving breaking out the cute summer outfits for the girls.  Is there anything sweeter than those little legs and baby feet?  The girls are really getting into their lovies as well.  I hope they like theirs as much as Ben loves his!

Sammy with her monkey and Ali with her duck

Ben rocked his summer shirt after his swim.  He loved watching the car race the men were watching too.  (Yes, I was told which one it was.  No, I don't remember.  I am not a car person.) He also found one last Easter Egg that was hidden in the house.  Fortunately there wasn't anything in it, and we had a good time re-hiding it when he wasn't looking.

Grilling, swimming, and looking cool?  Summer is off to a great start!

-Kim

Basketbal hoop

Pat was a savvy garage sale shopper and got Ben a basketball hoop for almost nothing!  He and Ben have been having fun playing with it in the back yard.  The girls and I decided to get in on the action a bit recently.

Ben's favorite is to slam dunk.  He yells "Score!" every time.  The funny thing about that is he grabs a ball, and backs up into Pat or me until we pick him up to dunk.  We are trying to teach him to actually toss the ball at the hoop, but he is not into that yet.  We currently have the hoop in the backyard, so we are holding off on any dribbling lessons.

Slam dunk!

The girls were happy to be outside in the nice weather.  They were totally rocking their Dr. Seuss matching onesies.  I love these onesies because their twin cousins Joe and Ella wore them too!  Yay for twin cousin hand me downs!

Sammy!

Ali!

In typical toddler fashion, Ben was not interested in my attempts to teach him the rules of the game.  (And yes, I do know them.  I actually played in high school back in the day.  I have not actually maintained any skills though:P ) Pat and I ended up having a little one on one game to show him the ropes a bit.  As you can tell from how diligently he paid attention that went really well.

Not interested in Mommy and Daddy's shenanigans

The girls were not into it either

Ben did enjoy his firetruck while we goofed off.  And he liked our mini game of dodge ball we played with him.  (Good parenting there, right?)

Overall Ben loves the hoop, and I am loving playing with it too!

Sigh, 4 months old and already not wanting to take pictures with mommy. :)

Cutest little hoopster!

Score!

-Kim

BFBN: Needing Dad: A Bedtime Story

It's a BFBN pinterest day!  With Father's Day right around the corner, the ladies of the BFBN are talking about all things dad.

As a mom that has the kids all day, I am pretty much the default parent for most things.  I don't mind that, it's how our family has chosen to divide the labor.  Not to mention the girls are still nursing, which makes me super important in their lives.  Ben is still only two, and he tends to be super into mommy.  I think it is easy to overlook a dad's role when the kids are so young.  Despite the fact that I tend to be the go-to parent in a lot of situations, I for sure couldn't do all the parenting on my own.  As I mentioned in my post Letting go and letting Dad, it is so important to let dads do things their own way.  More than just letting each parent do what they think is best, it is important for Pat and I to work as a team.   We made a big jump when we had the girls.  We went from two on one to being outnumbered.  With the girls being so young we can do a modified man to man- one parent with Ben, one with the girls.  But overall we are zone defense here.  That means constant communication and teamwork.  It also means I had to realize that in order to meet the needs of everyone, I couldn't try take over and do everything myself.

A great example of how I've really come to rely on Pat to do his dad thing is at bedtime.  When the girls were newborns they had a later bedtime.  I was able to put Ben to bed, then later put the girls to bed.  Well now that the girls are a little older they have moved to an early bedtime.  This puts their bedtime right when Ben's is.  Now yes, we could move one or both of the times around a little bit.  But my children's sleep is one of the most important things I work on, and in order to give each child the best sleep we could the times had to overlap a bit.  Add to this that Ben is kind of potty training.  I say kind of because we are doing a very long, drawn out method.  I'm not going to go into the details of it now, but a part of it involves Ben of course sitting on the potty before bed.  The girls also nurse right before bed.  Both of these things take time, and it means one parent can't do it all.

Fortunately for me, Pat has had no problem handling the bedtime routine with Ben.  (Obviously if the girls need to nurse that's where I am.)  The first night was a little confusing, but now we have it down.  We bring all the kids upstairs.  I start nursing the girls while Pat does teeth brushing and using the potty with Ben.  Then the boys come in to the bedroom with the girls and I for prayers and songs.  Pat puts Ben down to sleep, and I put the girls down.  It can be a bit of back and forth.  There is some yelling as I cheer Ben on for going potty while in a different room.  Sometimes Pat has to run in and hand me a burp cloth for the girls.  Ben just runs back and forth between rooms because, you know, two.  But it works for us.

We went from me trying to do everything for each kid, and bedtime routine stretching out for almost an hour, to a much more efficient system.  Each kid gets their needs met.  Each kid gets into bed at the proper time.  And with Pat and I working together, we get it all done in about 30 minutes, which means more couple time in the evening.  Could one person do the whole thing themselves? Yes.  And sometimes that has to happen.  But bedtime is a much less stressful time with both of us pitching in.

This is just one example of how important a dad can be.  I know our roles will change a bit as the kids get bigger.  We will be able to take turns with bedtime for the kids.  (I have the easy part now, I get to snuggle with babies while Pat deals with pees and poops)  As the kids get bigger we will need to rely on each other more and more.  As a pretty solid do-it-all-myself person this is a challenge for me.  Bedtime currently reminds me that I don't need to do it all myself.  I am fortunate to have a partner to work with.  I am fortunate that my kids have a great dad who loves them more than anything.

-Kim

Be sure to check out the rest of the ladies today, and our Pinterest page on fatherhood!


How To Help Your Spouse Succeed as a Father (in a non-nagging way)
Parenting Isn't Easy on a Relationship- The Real Truth
The Importance of Dad's Support with Babywise
5 ways to celebrate Dad

Four month update

The girls turned four months old on Saturday!  I thought I would update on what they have been up to a bit.

Shh, they're talking about us!

They had their four month check up recently, and they are growing hard!  They are both over 15 pounds now!!  Ali is a little bigger, at 15lbs 7oz.  Sammy is catching her at 15lbs, 3oz.  They are both around 24 inches tall.  So they are a little on the shorter size, but looking at their family tree that is no shocker. :)  They are both good eaters and gaining weight nicely, which makes me happy!

Ali and Sammy have had to deal with second child problems since, well, before birth.  It continues with these checkups.  I remember the week leading up to Ben's checkups I would be writing down lists of questions to ask.  I checked the "What to Expect in the First Year" book all the time.  I could tell you everything Ben was supposed to be able to do for his age.  The girls?  Well, I did remember to ask Pat if he had any questions the night before their appointment.  And no, we really didn't have any.  I'm choosing to think that is a good thing, as it meant we didn't notice anything wrong.

I did check out the book to see how the girls were doing compared to what it said.  And they are perfect with all the milestones they should be reaching!  They can hold their heads up well, and they are just getting better at it.  They can follow objects around, and they are always trying to check out what Ben is up to.  They laugh, and it is the most beautiful sound.  They reach for and grab objects.  They can roll over from their stomachs to their backs.  (They look like they are trying to get from tummy to back, but as a seasoned mom I hope they don't do that yet!  Nothing that makes them mobile please!)  They turn toward voices.  One thing the book mentions makes me laugh- babies at four months old may object when you try to take a toy away.  With Ben, I never really tried to take away a toy,  I mean, why would you do that?  Well the girls already yank toys away from each other.  And yes, they express their displeasure.  Loudly.

Every day it seems like they are getting better at grabbing things.  They seem like they are paying more and more attention to the world around them.  Their head control is getting better.  We brought the jumper out for Ben around this age, and I think we will bring it out for the girls pretty soon too.  They are getting very into their mobiles and toys, which is awesome because they can entertain themselves for a bit.  They aren't doing real independent playtime yet.  But they do have time where the two of them have toys and I'm not directly playing with them.  It is super important to me that my kids are able to entertain themselves.  Don't get me wrong, I play with my kids.  I play with them a lot.  But there are times I need to get other things done (you know, like laundry, dinner, helping Ben out).  I am really enjoying that the girls can amuse themselves for bits of time.

The girls love to smile and laugh.  One of their favorite things is when you say their names.  I don't remember that being the case with Ben.  Maybe because they are twins, or just second children, they like knowing you are talking to them specifically.  They are certainly chattier than Ben ever was.  They like to talk, and sometimes yell.  We went through a yelly period about a week ago.  I think they were hitting the four month sleep regression and a huge mental leap.  But things have settled down and they are happy little girls again.

The girls love to get out and go places, which is awesome for Ben and me.  They are starting to stay awake during playgroup, and seem to really enjoy the antics of all the kids.  They love visiting Meo and Omi at the office, and are getting into story time too!

Ben is a great big brother.  He still doesn't want to sit with or hold the girls, but that's okay.  He brings me burp cloths and throws away diapers.  He helps out by bringing the girls pacifiers up and down the stairs for me.  He has started to let them play with 'his' toys.  Really they are baby toys that Ben has outgrown, but thinks we brought back out for him.  He is very good at giving the girls toys he knows are theirs.  He is actually quite sweet with them, often trying to make them feel better by saying "it's okay, ladies."  One of his favorite things to do is help me wake them up.  He runs into the room, turns off their sound machine and yells, "Wake up, girls!"  And despite getting woken up by him yelling and tapping at them, they smile and giggle.  They adore their big brother.

Overall the girls are awesome.  I'll do posts on sleep and schedule soon.  We are busy around here.  Some days are non stop and I have no idea at the end of the day what took up all my time.  But really I can't complain.  My kids are happy and healthy.  The girls are doing everything they should be.  I am so grateful they are hitting all their milestones on time and don't seem to have any problems because they were only 36.5 weeks when they were born.  I was told that twins seem to mature faster in the womb due to the stress of having two in there, and it seems to be true.  They are right on target!  I don't know how I got so lucky, but I am thanking God every day for my beautiful family.

Rocking Ben's old jammies!

-Kim