My boys are now full on eating solids. They have been quite adventurous - trying all food that has been put in front of them and up until now loving everything from broccoli to salmon to quesadillas. I have had visions of them becoming foodies and have to admit, have gotten a little cocky when I read about picky eaters thinking 'MY boys eat everything... feedings are a breeze.' But as a fellow twin mom told me the other night 'the second you get cocky about something, it all changes and blows up in your face'. Which is so true (i.e I think proceeded to tell her that my boys have never projectile vomitted when - lo and behond - the next morning Wyatt threw up all over my husband).
So... my boys are now becoming picky eaters. And the amount of food we are wasting is ridiculous. My grocery bill has recently doubled yet half of the food goes on the floor. I will put food on their high chair trays and immediately it gets pushed around and flies to the floor - much to the dogs delight. The only things I know for sure that they will eat are:
1. Avocadoes
2. Cheese (but only string cheese)
3. Raspberries (not strawberries. just raspberries)
And I swear, I'm getting so sick of cleaning up the high chairs and floor under the high chairs 5 times a day. Seriously, can't they make a self-cleaning high chair already?
Somedays I really miss the 'simplicity' of breastfeeding. Though I know that that came with it's own difficulties...
Monday, March 9, 2015
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Bottles and Sippy Cups
I find it overwhelming that there are so many different options for bottles and sippy cups. I feel like I've perused so many different sites and read far too many Amazon reviews trying to find the 'perfect one'. So, I did what I do best and ended up buying a bunch of different types and trying them out. So here is my review of the bottles and sippy cups we've tried to far - rated in order of preference.
BOTTLES:
1. The Como Tomo: This has turned out to be our favorite bottle.
What I like: They are made of BPA-free silicone and the they are so unbelievable easy to clean. With twins, we have twice as many bottles to wash so I would get so frustrated when bottles had multiple pieces to clean. The boys also really took to the nipple and the squishy silicone body. Plus you can buy them at Walgreen's!
What I dislike: My only complaint is that sometimes the nipple would retract into the top of the bottle.
2. Joovy Boob: If i were to do it all over again, I would have tried this bottle in glass. But alas, I was a bit afraid of glass around the babies so I stuck with plastic.
What I like: Fun colors (we has blue), Great shape and a large nipple that was said ti simulate - you guess it - the boob!
What I dislike: There is a grey ring that fits on top of the body of the bottle (I'm assuming to make it spill-free) that you take out to clean. No matter how organized I seemed when I cleaned the bottle, I could NEVER find it when it was time to feed. And I can't count the number of times I accidentally fed the boys without the ring and milk spilled out everywhere. Come on bottle manufacturers, please make these things more busy-mom friendly!
3. Medela Breastmilk bottles: These are the bottles that come with the Medela pump.
What I like: The were easy - you pump into the bottles and then you throw a nipple on it and you're done.
What I dislike: The boys didn't seem to love the nipple. As they got older, it got too small for their mouth and even the fast flow was too slow.
4. Avent: I don't have much to say about these bottles... they are pretty basic.
What I like: I like that they are basic and easy to clean.
What I dislike: Not much... they are pretty good bottles. I did find that it was easy to put the top on incorrectly and milk would go everywhere. But that could also be blamed on sleep deprivation.
5. Playtex Ventaire: I wanted to love these bottles because I love the curved shape but I lost interest very quickly with the complicated design.
What I like: The way you feed with this is that the bottle tilts right into the baby's mouth. Once the boys were holding their own bottles, it was very easy for them to hold the bottles and the milk flows nicely as well.
What I dislike: Too many pieces!!!! There is a rubber ring that fits into the very bottle of the bottle so once disassembled to clean, you have 5 pieces which is too many for this busy and fast-paced mom.
6. Tommee Tippie: We just never jived with this bottle. Not sure why.
What I like: Only 3 pieces so easy to clean.
What I dislike: The nipple is an odd shape. Due to the hour glass design, the bottle seemed heavy and a little awkward to hold.
Bottles I wish I had tried:
Pura Kiki: First, I love the name. Second, it comes in fun colors. Third, it's not plastic.
Lifefactory Glass Bottles: These are supposed to be great. I might still try the sippy cups.
SIPPY CUPS:
Muchkin with Weighted straw: This cup is great.
What I like: It does not leak and it has taught the boys to drink from a straw. They can also easily finish their milk.
What I dislike: Mold has started to grow in the straw and it is really hard to clean. I also don't love that it's plastic.
Safe Sippy: This one was a winner for us.
What I like: That it's blue and orange. And has neat handles. And the babies love it! It has an interchangeable sippy (straw and regular sippy options) and is stainless steel and BPA free plastic.
What I don't like: Too many parts and that you can' see how much milk is left inside (though this will most likely be a problem with all stainless steel options).
Thermos Foogo: We returned this cup.
What I like: It is made of stainless steel and come in cool designs.
What I don't like: The flip-top lid gets in the way. And it's awkward for my young babies to hold. And it's a little heavy.
Sippy cups I still want to try:
same as above.
BOTTLES:
1. The Como Tomo: This has turned out to be our favorite bottle.
What I like: They are made of BPA-free silicone and the they are so unbelievable easy to clean. With twins, we have twice as many bottles to wash so I would get so frustrated when bottles had multiple pieces to clean. The boys also really took to the nipple and the squishy silicone body. Plus you can buy them at Walgreen's!
What I dislike: My only complaint is that sometimes the nipple would retract into the top of the bottle.
2. Joovy Boob: If i were to do it all over again, I would have tried this bottle in glass. But alas, I was a bit afraid of glass around the babies so I stuck with plastic.
What I like: Fun colors (we has blue), Great shape and a large nipple that was said ti simulate - you guess it - the boob!
What I dislike: There is a grey ring that fits on top of the body of the bottle (I'm assuming to make it spill-free) that you take out to clean. No matter how organized I seemed when I cleaned the bottle, I could NEVER find it when it was time to feed. And I can't count the number of times I accidentally fed the boys without the ring and milk spilled out everywhere. Come on bottle manufacturers, please make these things more busy-mom friendly!
3. Medela Breastmilk bottles: These are the bottles that come with the Medela pump.
What I like: The were easy - you pump into the bottles and then you throw a nipple on it and you're done.
What I dislike: The boys didn't seem to love the nipple. As they got older, it got too small for their mouth and even the fast flow was too slow.
4. Avent: I don't have much to say about these bottles... they are pretty basic.
What I like: I like that they are basic and easy to clean.
What I dislike: Not much... they are pretty good bottles. I did find that it was easy to put the top on incorrectly and milk would go everywhere. But that could also be blamed on sleep deprivation.
5. Playtex Ventaire: I wanted to love these bottles because I love the curved shape but I lost interest very quickly with the complicated design.
What I like: The way you feed with this is that the bottle tilts right into the baby's mouth. Once the boys were holding their own bottles, it was very easy for them to hold the bottles and the milk flows nicely as well.
What I dislike: Too many pieces!!!! There is a rubber ring that fits into the very bottle of the bottle so once disassembled to clean, you have 5 pieces which is too many for this busy and fast-paced mom.
6. Tommee Tippie: We just never jived with this bottle. Not sure why.
What I like: Only 3 pieces so easy to clean.
What I dislike: The nipple is an odd shape. Due to the hour glass design, the bottle seemed heavy and a little awkward to hold.
Bottles I wish I had tried:
Pura Kiki: First, I love the name. Second, it comes in fun colors. Third, it's not plastic.
Lifefactory Glass Bottles: These are supposed to be great. I might still try the sippy cups.
SIPPY CUPS:
Muchkin with Weighted straw: This cup is great.
What I like: It does not leak and it has taught the boys to drink from a straw. They can also easily finish their milk.
What I dislike: Mold has started to grow in the straw and it is really hard to clean. I also don't love that it's plastic.
Safe Sippy: This one was a winner for us.
What I like: That it's blue and orange. And has neat handles. And the babies love it! It has an interchangeable sippy (straw and regular sippy options) and is stainless steel and BPA free plastic.
What I don't like: Too many parts and that you can' see how much milk is left inside (though this will most likely be a problem with all stainless steel options).
Thermos Foogo: We returned this cup.
What I like: It is made of stainless steel and come in cool designs.
What I don't like: The flip-top lid gets in the way. And it's awkward for my young babies to hold. And it's a little heavy.
Sippy cups I still want to try:
same as above.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Letting go of breastfeeding.
I'm trying to let go of breastfeeding. My goal was to breastfeed the boys for a year and they turn one in 2 weeks - but this is not why I'm trying to let it go. I'm trying to let it go because they are pretty much telling me they are done. Waylon let me know a few months ago. He just stopped. He was not interested any more. So I let him go and gave him pumped milk while I still nursed Wyatt when I could. So, it's been nurse, pump, pump, pump, nurse, pump, pump for the past year. And my supply is minimal. Like 2-4 ounces per pump even if I don't breastfeed first.
And the past few days, Wyatt just cries and pushes me away when I put him to the breast. Granted, he is sick but I'm thinking it's a sign. And my supply has pretty much dried up over the past few days as well. This morning I tried to nurse Wyatt unsuccessfully and then I pumped for 30 minutes and nothing came out. That is after 8 hours of not pumping while I slept. Nothing. But I kept going. And then I cried. And then I tried to pump again.
This is why I'm trying to let it go. It's causing me too much stress, sadness and effort. But I'm having a really hard time accepting that this portion of motherhood is over. It is the end of their physical dependence on me that we've had since the day they were conceived. It means they are growing up and turning into toddlers vs babies. Deep sigh...
Nursing was not easy for me. The 'troubles' started in the hospital where the dr and nurses thought the boys weren't gaining enough weight b/c my milk hadn't come in so they gave them formula. If I could go back to that moment, I think I would say no. But right after delivery I was so tired, confused and scared, that I listened to the dr's and we started supplementing. And kept supplementing. And have supplemented ever since.
I tandem nursed for the first 6 months. And then pumped after every nurse. And I felt like I did not have enough supply. It was also exhausting and difficult for me to do - especially if I was alone and had to set up the nursing station myself. But there were also amazing, sweet and incredibly fulfilling moments which is what kept me nursing. At around 6 months, the boys were getting too big to tandem so I switched and did them individually. This was even more difficult and time consuming because there would always have to be someone waiting which resulted in one cranky, frustrated and jealous baby. Plus it took twice as long to nurse. To rectify this situation, I would give the 'waiting' baby 1/2 a bottle and then nurse him - until this stopped working because the babies just wanted bottles. At around 8 months Waylon just would not nurse. Every time I offered him the breast, he would just push away and become really frustrated. I tried a lactation consultant, La Leche and other support groups and posted stuff on multiple message boards. So for the last few months I've been nursing Wyatt when I can and giving Waylon all of the pumped milk. And it's worked out prety well.
I know that letting go is a process and that the only way that this motherhood thing is going to be enjoable for me is to be much much easier on myself and that I have to stop comparing myself to other.. I know that in a few days I'll feel better about not breastfeeding. Hopefully I will be able to let go of those 'I'm not good enough' feelings that I felt when I was not able to exculsively breastfeed and will feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness that I did the best I could. And probably in a few months, it will seem like a distant blur and there will some other challenge that I will be going through.
The most important thing right now is that my babies are healthy. They are a great weight. They eat well. They are getting their nourishment from high quality formula and healthy foods. And they are happy happy babies. That's all that counts.
And the past few days, Wyatt just cries and pushes me away when I put him to the breast. Granted, he is sick but I'm thinking it's a sign. And my supply has pretty much dried up over the past few days as well. This morning I tried to nurse Wyatt unsuccessfully and then I pumped for 30 minutes and nothing came out. That is after 8 hours of not pumping while I slept. Nothing. But I kept going. And then I cried. And then I tried to pump again.
This is why I'm trying to let it go. It's causing me too much stress, sadness and effort. But I'm having a really hard time accepting that this portion of motherhood is over. It is the end of their physical dependence on me that we've had since the day they were conceived. It means they are growing up and turning into toddlers vs babies. Deep sigh...
Nursing was not easy for me. The 'troubles' started in the hospital where the dr and nurses thought the boys weren't gaining enough weight b/c my milk hadn't come in so they gave them formula. If I could go back to that moment, I think I would say no. But right after delivery I was so tired, confused and scared, that I listened to the dr's and we started supplementing. And kept supplementing. And have supplemented ever since.
I tandem nursed for the first 6 months. And then pumped after every nurse. And I felt like I did not have enough supply. It was also exhausting and difficult for me to do - especially if I was alone and had to set up the nursing station myself. But there were also amazing, sweet and incredibly fulfilling moments which is what kept me nursing. At around 6 months, the boys were getting too big to tandem so I switched and did them individually. This was even more difficult and time consuming because there would always have to be someone waiting which resulted in one cranky, frustrated and jealous baby. Plus it took twice as long to nurse. To rectify this situation, I would give the 'waiting' baby 1/2 a bottle and then nurse him - until this stopped working because the babies just wanted bottles. At around 8 months Waylon just would not nurse. Every time I offered him the breast, he would just push away and become really frustrated. I tried a lactation consultant, La Leche and other support groups and posted stuff on multiple message boards. So for the last few months I've been nursing Wyatt when I can and giving Waylon all of the pumped milk. And it's worked out prety well.
I know that letting go is a process and that the only way that this motherhood thing is going to be enjoable for me is to be much much easier on myself and that I have to stop comparing myself to other.. I know that in a few days I'll feel better about not breastfeeding. Hopefully I will be able to let go of those 'I'm not good enough' feelings that I felt when I was not able to exculsively breastfeed and will feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness that I did the best I could. And probably in a few months, it will seem like a distant blur and there will some other challenge that I will be going through.
The most important thing right now is that my babies are healthy. They are a great weight. They eat well. They are getting their nourishment from high quality formula and healthy foods. And they are happy happy babies. That's all that counts.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Sickies.
Both boys are sick. Again. It flabbergasts me at how uneasy and overwelmed I feel when my boys are under the weather. I feel so sad that they can't communicate what is wrong and where they don't feel well. Today it was pretty obvious with high temps, runny noses and deep coughs and the only thing that would comfort them were some good cuddles. One of the challenges with twins is that if they are both sick it's pretty hard to tend to both of them at the same time. This afternoon Waylon puked all over me while Wyatt was screaming for attention at the other side of the room. My attention went to the puker and I just had to listen to the other scream. The only thing I can do in those moments (after I call the doctor) is take a deep sigh and put one foot in front of the other or else I will lose my patience and my mind! Thankfully they both went to sleep really easily and I'm hoping they sleep through the night. If not, I"m prepared with a counter full of fever reducers and Benedryl. Deep sigh...
Friday, January 2, 2015
The importance of naptime.
Naps are important for babies. From what I read (and what I've also found to be true from experience) is that 'sleep begets sleep'. I find that the days when the boys nap more in the day, they sleep better at night. It's a win win b/c not only are naps important for babies they are SO important for us moms.
I usually take nap time to straighten the house. I always PLAN to rest but inevitably I end up starting to clean up from breakfast/lunch etc which turns into emptying the dishwasher which turns into changing over the laundry etc. You get it.
But today - today I'm going to leave the kitchen messy (cringe) and lay in bed. It's a 39 degree rainy day here in Texas and I'm going to cuddle in bed and read. yes, read. which hopefully will turn into naptime for this mom as well. NAP AWAY MOMS - the kitchen can be cleaned later (perhaps by DAD?)
.
I usually take nap time to straighten the house. I always PLAN to rest but inevitably I end up starting to clean up from breakfast/lunch etc which turns into emptying the dishwasher which turns into changing over the laundry etc. You get it.
But today - today I'm going to leave the kitchen messy (cringe) and lay in bed. It's a 39 degree rainy day here in Texas and I'm going to cuddle in bed and read. yes, read. which hopefully will turn into naptime for this mom as well. NAP AWAY MOMS - the kitchen can be cleaned later (perhaps by DAD?)
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Toys toys toys
It seems that without much effort, our house has become one large toy store. There are toys everywhere. And surprisingly the boys seem to play with them all. They have very short attention spans so they seem to go from one item to the next. Thankfully they haven't started fighting yet and instead seem to play well with each other. Here is a list of some of their favorite items to play with at the moment:
1. Leap Frog activity table. My boys LOVE this. They are starting to stand/wobble/walk so this keeps them occupied while strengthening their legs.
2. Books. Waylon, the shyer of the two boys, always goes straight for the bookshelf. He crawls over and pulls every one out of the shelf and then chooses one to 'read' for awhile. It's so cute, he just lays on his back and flips the pages.
3. Anything with a tag. They dont want the toy - they just want to play with the tag.
4. Fisher Price Train. They are boys. They are going to like trains.
5. Poppity pop musical dino. The nanny gave this to the boys for Xmas and though it makes far too much noise (I don't let it be turned on before 9am) and throws balls everywhere, the boys are obsessed with it. And if they are happy for 5 minutes, I'm happy for 5 minutes.
1. Leap Frog activity table. My boys LOVE this. They are starting to stand/wobble/walk so this keeps them occupied while strengthening their legs.
2. Books. Waylon, the shyer of the two boys, always goes straight for the bookshelf. He crawls over and pulls every one out of the shelf and then chooses one to 'read' for awhile. It's so cute, he just lays on his back and flips the pages.
3. Anything with a tag. They dont want the toy - they just want to play with the tag.
4. Fisher Price Train. They are boys. They are going to like trains.
5. Poppity pop musical dino. The nanny gave this to the boys for Xmas and though it makes far too much noise (I don't let it be turned on before 9am) and throws balls everywhere, the boys are obsessed with it. And if they are happy for 5 minutes, I'm happy for 5 minutes.
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