Sunday, July 26, 2009

All's fair in love and....babies?

I haven't blogged in a few days. Mostly that's due to the fact that last evening I was home alone with all 5 kids and M&M screamed and fussed for 3+ solid hours. It was NOT pretty. But let me backtrack a bit so I can remember what I wanted to blog about...

Friday night my mom volunteered to keep the twins overnight. YAHOOOOO!!! So we willingly dropped them off Friday evening and went home to put our older 3 to bed and fall blissfully asleep ourselves. We slept through the night (yay for us!) and the twins did really well, too! My mom swaddled them and put them in their carseats and then went from 10:45-3:15! She then fed them and they made it until 6 again, so they did really well. In the morning I went in to my parents' house and picked them up, then brought them to a family from our church who was willing to keep the twins for the day while I went shopping with my mom. It was such a wonderful break from the ordinary and we found some great deals. James kept the older 3 during this time, and when I got home it was James' turn to go out...

James left at 6:30 to go to the races with some friends from work. I thought it was important that he go and I know he was looking forward to it. The twins started fussing about the time he left and by 7pm they were screaming, sometimes taking turns, other times wailing in unison. I got the older 3 to bed and from 7pm-10pm I basically did nothing except walk babies, pat babies, feed bottles, prop bottles, burp, give gas drops, lay them on their tummies, lay them on their backs. It never ended! I think they both had tummy troubles and they were just miserable. Finally at 10pm I fed the last bottle to each of them, swaddled them tightly and put them in their carseats in the crib...and they made it until 3:15! So just over 5 hours! Oh man, that was awesome. Let's hope it's a continuing trend!

So now I am outside and I have 4 kids with me, the oldest 2 and the youngest 2. Only one is fussy, so I suppose I am doing well! I am letting James nap while Declan naps. I hope they are able to get a few good winks in.

1 comment:

Terri H-E said...

I love reading about your hours with all the joy in your house. Ooh, that would annoy me to read if I were you! Really, though. I love hearing every minute of it, trying to imagine, wishing I could lend a hand.

But what I am most excited about is hearing about the times you take an extended hand - that you are accepting, seeking help. 5 kids - that's a lot! And you are doing a beautiful job - made even more beautiful by you saying "yes!" to breaks, to quality time with some, with James. It may not feel like it, but I think balance is struck as best as it can be with 5 kids in the single digits of age.

Well done, Tena. I can't wait to meet the girls in March. c'mon! Bring the 'rents and you can do it. I promise you'd barely have to hold M&M with all those baby-lovers about. Caden and I have a photo thing going, so he'll be set and Avery can hang with Addie watching signing times. Michael and Declan actually sound like they are kindred spirits, so he'd be taken care of, too.

Think about it!

Love to you.