Today

Note: this post was actually written last week, but I was interrupted by a hungry baby and didn't get around to posting it. So, really this post should be titled "Last Week". But, better late than never right?

Often, Mark and I will reminisce about when Rylen was a baby. Except, we find ourselves unable to remember certain details (maybe we are blocking them out hahaha!) I  find it hard to remember the simple things, like what our day to day routine was.

So, this post is all about today. Because, one day, I will look back and wonder "what was our life like when Garrett and Rhys were 4 months old??"

Today was a great day. Mark let me sleep in while he single-parented all the boys. This is harder than it sounds. We both find it very difficult to be the sole care provider for all three at once. The little boys are very demanding, and Rylen is too, just in a totally different way. When you are by yourself with all three, you don't sit down. You are lucky if you have a few seconds to pee. And, you are always multi-tasking (eg: feeding a baby while wiping sticky hands, or changing a diaper while playing "I Spy")

Anyways, I got to sleep in. Which was great, because I only went to bed at 2:30am.

We take shifts around here to ensure that we both get a decent stretch of sleep at night. My shift is usually the first one. So, I get to stay up and do all the baby stuff until around 2 am when Mark and I switch. That means, his day starts at 2 am. If he's lucky, the babies settle well and he gets to sleep an hour or two more before the day begins. But, there is many a night, when he is literally up  at that time for the rest of the day.  My husband is a saint. :-)

Usually, I have to get up in between 6:30 and 7:00 because that's when Rylen wakes up. So today was a real treat. Mark said the babies settled well on his shift, so he felt fairly well rested.

After my wonderful sleep-in, we had a frenzied hour or so where we fed both babies, had lunch, I pumped, and we got ready to go outside. In that time span, there was also a baby puke-fest, outfit changes, and a scenario called Rylen versus the "washable" stamps from Dollarama. (which are not all that washable as it turns out).

Then, we went for a walk. With our NEW stroller which is 1000% times better than "The Bus". Love it!

It was a beautiful day out and we took full advantage. We all had a great time, and Rylen was in heaven because he found many, many mud puddles and took full advantage, despite the fact he was not wearing rubber boots.

After that, we did: sidewalk chalk, soccer, played with a ladybug, vacuumed the van and tidied the garage.

Then, the feeding frenzy started again. The, the puke-fest. Then supper.

After supper, we all packed up again and went out for frozen yogurt. Rylen gave himself brain freeze a million times despite our repeated attempts to explain that you cannot put giant globs of frozen yogurt in your mouth all at once. I think the other patrons kept thinking he was having a temper tantrum, but really it was brain freeze causing him to freak out.

After that, we got a coffee for me so that I could gear up for my shift. Got home, put Rylen to bed, did two loads of laundry, washed and made up bottles, pumped, sponge bathed and fed both babies.

Whew. We did alot today. Not every day is like this. Sometimes we are stuck at home. Usually this is when I am on my own. It's hard to get out. And, sometimes the babies are grouchy, making it impossible to accomplish anything else.

But today was awesome. Re-reading this, I wish every day was like today!!!

One thing I didn't get around to, is taking any pictures. So, this is just a random one that has nothing to do with today, but it is cute nevertheless.

11 lbs!

My boys are getting big!!! Rhys is 11 lbs 2 oz and Garrett is 10 lbs 11.5 oz!  Big Little and Little Big have returned!

Yes, that's right, Rhys has finally returned to his rightful place as the bigger brother.

If you remember, Rhys was the bigger one at birth, weighing in at 4 lbs 9 oz. Garrett was 3 lbs 13 oz. But, because Rhys was so sick, he dropped way far behind Garrett. But, now finally, he is catching up! We are so proud of him, he looks so very healthy these days.

Garrett isn't too far behind. He is starting to eat like a champ, breastfeeding better or taking around 90 mls by bottle. He is doing so well.

We couldn't be happier with our little men's progress. It is so hard to believe that they have come this far, considering how little they were at birth.

Garrett at birth

Garrett now!

Rhys at birth

Rhys now!

Snuggles

There's nothing quite like baby snuggles.

This is my little cuddle bug Rhys. This is after literally 2 hours of fussing and eating like I had starved him for a week. He finally settled and I was more than happy to snuggle him. He was so warm and smelled so nice.

I sure love this little guy :-)

Friends

I have some pretty awesome friends.

These are two beautiful gifts I have received from two awesome ladies:

Thanks Jen and Kari! You guys sure know how to bring a smile to a girl's face. I love the necklaces, they are so meaningful and special.

The Fair

It was the Winter Fair last week in Brandon. Now that Rylen is a bit older, we enjoy doing these types of activities with him.

We decided, for his sake, to brave taking everyone to the fair. We decided to go at the last minute, so the whole thing started off very hectic. Loading everyone up, packing bags, snacks, bottles....seems to take us a year to get ready to go anywhere.

Anyways, we finally made it there.

At which point, I realized we must be crazy.

First of all, I will discuss "The Bus" which is what I have nicknamed our stroller. We bought a Joovy Big Caboose which is basically the double version of the regular Joovy which alot of people have for a baby and a toddler.

Well, my understanding is  that the single version of this stroller is great. The double, not so much. There's a reason I call it "The Bus".

People were literally running away from us as we pushed our way through the crowds with this puppy. It is so huge and cumbersome. A true embarrassment. Mark had to hold the front and steer, while I pushed from the back. Several times we got stuck. It's like pushing a bad shopping cart. A shopping cart loaded with screaming babies.

Things overheard while pushing this sucker around:
"Whoa!!!! It's on the move!!!"  (said while backing away, clearly frightened)
"Wow, that's a Big Rig"
"Oh my." (enough said right??)

It was very embarrassing, and basically this thing just attracted more attention to us than was necessary. We were quite the spectacle.

Speaking of spectacles,  Rylen didn't help things much. Especially when he ran on stage during a children's  musical performance and proceeded to start playing with the music equipment. Mark, who was holding and burping Garrett after a feed, had to run on stage and chase him off. Of course, Rylen protested this. Quite loudly. (During this incident, Rhys and I were happily pretending we did not know "those crazy people").


The fair was super crowded. And the babies were fussy. Which meant that everyone and their dog came over to gawk/drool over the babies. I felt like a celebrity. But not the gorgeous, skinny, makeup and hair-done kind. More like a sleep-deprived, hair a mess, baby puke on my sleeve, part of some crazy reality show that everyone makes fun of but still watches. That kind.

Anyways, looking back, we did have fun. Rylen loved the big sandbox, the seed sorter, the petting zoo and the Super Dogs. At the time, it seemed  completely nuts, but we are slowly realizing that crazy is the new normal for taking out two babies and a soon- to- be 3 year old.  We are glad that we braved it and it gave us confidence to try and get out of the house more and resume "normal life" activities.

 P.S. We have recently bought a new, much more compact double stroller that I can manage on my own. The Joovy is up for sale. Any takers???

Corrected Age

It amazes me that I have 4 month old babies. They are so small and tiny still, and they don't do anything that 4 month old babies should do. They weigh about 9 and a half pounds each. I think when Rylen was 4 months he was around 16 pounds.

If we are out in public, people will often ask "how old are they?". I always stumble over the answer. If I say "4 months", they look at me as if I'm some awful mother who doesn't feed her babies. But, it feels wrong to outright lie and say "2 months" which is their "corrected age".

Corrected age or "adjusted age" is a term used to describe the age of premature babies. Basically, you count from the due date, and this is their "corrected age". It gives a more accurate description of how they should be behaving developmentally.  The time from when they were actually born, to their due date, was spent just trying to survive and grow. It doesn't really count because they were still supposed to be cookin' away in my belly!

So, Garrett and Rhys' corrected age is around 9 weeks. And they do act like 9 week old babies. I feel as though the newborn stage for these guys, has lasted forever! Which is good, because there are alot of awesome things about the newborn stage (if you can get past the sleep deprivation to enjoy them). There is absolutely nothing like a just-fed little baby snuggling into your neck, smelling all milky and sleeping like a rock. And, you can pretty much bring them anywhere with you.  Newborns are quite portable. So long as they are fed and changed, they are good to go.

But, I am starting to see some changes in the boys. They are smiling, and cooing, and staying awake longer between feeds. They both have more head control now and aren't as squishy and floppy. And the sound of their cries is becoming different and more "big boy". They are finally growing up! Of course this makes me happy. But also sad. I will miss the newborn stage. I won't miss the sleep deprivation (but who am I kidding, that will last awhile longer). Putting away some of their clothes that they have outgrown is bittersweet. I can't believe how small they used to be.

Times sure flies. All you moms out there know what I'm talking about right?

Benjamin

Dear Ben,

We miss you and think of you every day. I am so happy that I had the amazing experience of growing you and carrying you inside me. Your time with us was brief and I wish I cherished it more.

Every time I look at Garrett I think of you. I picture the two of you side by side, little clones of each other. Then I picture you, Garrett and Rhys all together. I so wish that you were here with all of us.

Every time someone calls Garrett and Rhys "twins" I want to tell them that they are wrong. I want people to know that you existed and were loved so much. We are thankful for the health of your brothers. But it doesn't change the fact that we are devastated by your loss.

Everyday, I wonder why you were given to us, only to be taken away. The only reason I can come up with, is that you have made us better parents. We appreciate things more, especially your brothers. We are learning to let the little things go, and focus on what is important in life.

When I lose patience with one of your brothers, I often think of you. I remind myself of how much I would love to have you here driving me crazy too.

Thank you Ben for watching over your brothers and keeping them safe. Thank you for teaching us to be better people and better parents.

We love you and miss you more than words can say.

Benjamin Mark

Nov 30, 2011

2 lbs 1 oz