Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Christmas

We had our second Christmas with Michael and our 1st with all 3 kids.  It certainly seemed that Michael got Christmas a little bit this year.  He certainly didn't get Santa, but he started to unwrap some of his gifts.

This was the first year we hosted Christmas breakfast.  We got up before the kids and hoped to have some time to clean up before they got up and also get some of the food prepared.  Unfortunately, the kids were up before we finished and we started opening gifts.  The kids seemed to really like all the toys and we videoed the kids, but id not get any pictures of them opening their gifts.  The favorite for all the kids seemed to be the refrigerator magnets.  Eva Rose got her first doll and stroller and the boys got legos.  All 3 kids love dumping the legos and Michael and Eva Rose seem to like playing with the doll stroller.  Unfortunately, at first, Michael did try to get in it himself, but now he just pushed it around the house.  Eva Rose has definitely been puling up on it and starting to push it just a little.  Thomas just likes to play with everything.  after opening and playing, we realized that we were pushing the limit and really needed to start getting food together.  Everything pretty much went off with out a hitch and the only draw back was that I ended up in bed with a migraine.  Things got better and we travelled to Maine and had a great time at my sister -in-law and brother-in-law's house.

Michael's absolute favorite gift is Thomas' sock monkey in the box.  He laughs every time it is played and blinks his eyes just before the monkey pops up!  He's so cute to watch; laughing and getting excited waiting for the sock monkey to pop up.
All in all it was a great Christmas!




Christmas Eve 2008



Michael Christmas 2009




Eva Rose Christmas 2009




Thomas Christmas 2009


Hope everyone had a great holiday and many wishes for a fabulous new year!
Amy

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Way back When-esday



Our 1st Christmas together 16 years ago 1993.

Who would have thought that 16 years later we would have been married 2 1/2 years with 3 kids; 21 1/2 month son and 11 month twins!





Our Christmas card 2009

Amy

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Play Date



Eva Rose and Thomas playing with one of the big soft blocks.  At one point, they ended up in this one rocking.

Today we met a couple of other mom's at Together in Motion in Arlington.  It was a little crazy getting all 3 kids out of the house and to Arlington by 9:30 this morning, but it was worth it.  All 3 kids had a great time playing with new climbing toys and playing with many balls.  Most of the time, the 3 kids were scattered in all directions.  It was crazy trying to keep an eye on all 3 but it was doable.  They played with other kids, but did not spend a ton of time playing with each other.  It was fun getting out of the house and being with other kids and other adults.  It will be fun to do again, but I'm sure that we won't do it that often since it really was crazy getting all 3 kids out of the house and keeping an eye on all 3 kids by myself.  We did have a great time though!



Michael climbing.

Amy

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Sleep update!

So we started sleep training truly on Wednesday night.  Surprisingly they slept thru on Wed even after H1N1 shots.  Unfortunately on Thursday and Friday night Michael and Eva Rose cried.  We just let them cry and after some time they fell asleep.  Last night we had some people over and were pretty good at keeping them on their schedule even though people wanted to play with them.  They went to bed at their normal time and slept thru til 7:30 this morning.  Did we do it?  I certainly hope so, but I am certainly not expecting that we are all in the clear.  I am definitely expecting to have more nights were we will have to listen to the kids CIO, but I am hoping that we are close to them sleeping thru without wailing and screaming for hours!  I have the Weissbluth book and have skimmed, but I really need to look at the Chapters for the kids' ages and see what he says, but I feel like we are on the right path and will finally get some much needed sleep!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Christmas shopping

We finally went out and shopped for the kids' Christmas gifts.  We totally spent way more than we expected to and got more than we wanted to, but when you have 3 little ones so close in age, I think that it seems like you got too much when in reality you didn't go too over board.  I am so happy that we gave in and bought Elmo Live for Michael.  I think that he is really going to go crazy when he hears Elmo talk to him.  We got Thomas big lego type blocks with a wagon to cart them around in.  Little miss Eva Rose got her first doll and carriage.  I was so excited that I found a doll carriage for her age group.  All the ones that I saw were for 2+ or 3+ years and since she will be 1 a month after Christmas, those just didn't work.  I can't wait for Christmas.   Even though I know that the kids probably have little to no clue about Christmas and presents, I think that they are going to enjoy at least some of their gifts, or at least I hope so.

Stil need to get the nieces and nephews their gift, but otherwise we are done!  Tom and I have decided not to exchange gifts this year.  We decided to save money and space.  There really is nothing we need, and I would much rather buy for the kids in the family than get something stupid for each other.  I would like to do something small for Tom though.  Any ideas out there for something that doesn't cost anything yet means a lot to someone you love?????

Oh, and I did get things for some of the adults, just not store bought.  I hope they like them!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Fluke?

So yesterday we went to get the first dose of H1N1 in Newton.  Not far, but getting the shot at 4:40pm then attempting to drive 128 north at that time was not my idea of fun.  I decided to go the back roads through Belmont, Arlington and Winchester.  Other than the beginning, I knew exactly where I was going.  Unfortunately I got a little lost in the beginning and My little Eva Rose cried, no screamed most of the way home.  I figured that since we had more crying than usual after a shot I would give them a quick dose of Tylenol before going to bed since I was going to attempt to get the 3 kids to sleep through the night.  We got home had dinner and bottles and off to bed without Tylenol since I totally forgot that I wanted to give it to them (I am not someone who pre-medicates just in case usually).  The twins were in bed at 8pm and Michael by 8:30 (this is their normal schedule for the last couple of weeks and actually seems to work just as well if not better than earlier bed times).  After they were in bed, I left Tom and went to B&N to get the Weissbuth book.  Unfortunately my plan was to start the book last night, but I was just too tired.  I didi read the first couple of pages and skim some of the book, but didn't really retain anything.  I will start today now that I got a good nights sleep.  That means, Michael went to bed will little to no crying and slept through without a peep and the twins did the same except Eva Rose did cry a little but went back to sleep without help after a pretty short time.

Is it a fluke?  I certainly hope not.  I know that these guys can sleep through the night and I think that it will be better for all involved!

Amy

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Sleeping through the night

What is the definition of insanity?  To keep doing the same thing and expect different results!

I think I've reached my breaking point with sleep.  The twins seem to be doing ok, though we still need to be consistent with how we deal with sleep with both the twins and Michael, but it seems like the twins will be easier.  Michael, on the other hand, I think, is going to be a difficult venture.  Last night we absolutely started the CIO method for going to sleep.  It took him over an hour to go to sleep.  This is the longest time that it has taken him to fall asleep.  Usually, he will fall asleep easily but then wake after only a couple of hours.

Last night, it was tough going to sleep and staying asleep.  I have resisted the CIO method for sleep training, but I think it is time to do it.  After just a couple of hours of finally going to sleep, Michael woke screaming.  We let him scream for probably an hour and then I broke down and got him up.  I rocked him in his room and he was fine as long as he was in the position that he wanted to be in.  If I changed his position when I got uncomfortable, he cried and screamed.  At that point I decided that he needed to go back in his crib and go to sleep on his own.  It took awhile (can't remember how long), but he finally went to sleep and I had to wake him this morning!  The twins on the other hand slept through the night til 6:30 this morning.  If I remember right, there was a little crying but not enough to make me uncomfortable.

As much as I have resisted this, I am going to continue to do the CIO method (not that I was totally successful in starting last night, but I kind of started), since what was working is no longer working.  Tonight, all 3 kids will go to bed on schedule and will  start to learn to sooth themselves back to sleep.  As long as all their needs have been met, I should learn not to feel guilty about letting them cry themselves back to sleep, right?

Amy

Friday, December 11, 2009

H1N1

This whole vaccine issues is crazy.  I finally just scheduled my kids a time to get the vaccine next Wed.  The twins are getting the 2nd dose of their flu shot on Mon and then Wed we have to go to Newton to get the 1st dose of the H1N1 vaccine then hope that we can get the 2nd dose after 30 days most likely somewhere else since NWH is probably not doing more clinics.  According to the twins Dr, she feels that the twins need to get the vaccine especially since they were slightly premature and then had RSV when they were just weeks old.  The RSV places them more at risk for respiratory issues when they get sick, so even a cold may cause serious breathing complications or it may not.  One never knows.  I'm not thrilled about the vaccine, but given the alternative, I changed my mind and decided that the vaccine was important for them all to get.  At least they'll get the 1st dose and maybe it won't be as difficult to get the 2 nd dose!

Amy

Monday, December 7, 2009

Crazy somewhat sleep deprived life

I am fighting off some kind of illness.  Thankfully it's just a little sore throat, headache, being tired and just feeling blah!  Unfortunately, I am also working on getting sleep.  We were doing ok for a short time, then last night, when I felt my worst, Michael and Eva Rose just did not want to sleep.  I have thought about trying CIO, have thought about attachment parenting ways of getting them to sleep, and have kept them on schedule so that their sleep would not be disrupted.  I am not a huge fan of the CIO, since I can't handle letting them cry and am afraid that I will end up with 3 screaming kids.  I am more of the attachment parenting camp, but last night, I had to let both Michael and Eva Rose CIO.  They both had all their needs met, they were actually up for awhile because I couldn't get them to sleep, and to my dismay, Michael actually came to bed with me.  I know he is getting to upper teeth and he is not eating well at all.  I think Eva Rose is teething, but I can't see any new teeth coming in.  As much as I don't like it, I may need to do CIO from now on just to get some sleep.  The twins have been sleeping from 8-6 and taking 2 good 1-2 hour naps a day.  Michael is taking 1 2 hour nap and sleeps from 8:30- 8:00 am, but with a wake up through the night.  I can't figure out what is the right answer.  I need my sleep, but I hate hearing my babies scream.  And I don't run in at the first scream, I do let them cry a little before I go in.

I guess every day is a new lesson.  Nothing in life is black and white!

Now off to figure out how to decorate for the holidays!

Amy

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Conference

Tomorrow I am attending a Journaling conference for social work license credits.  I haven't done anything with social work in the last year since I went on bed rest with the twins.  I now have 11 months to get a total of 25 credits.  That doesn't sound bad, but I need to find the time to attend a conference and the money to pay for it.  When you are working, you tend to have more options for free CEU programs and finding the time is much easier.  I now need to plan a babysitter for the whole day, usually my mom around her schedule or give her plenty of time to get her schedule in order.

I am really looking forward to this conference.  I signed up for it back in the middle of August and felt like it would never come, but here it is.  Even though I can't wait to go to this conference, this will be the first time that I have left all 3 babies for a whole day.  I've gone out for a couple of hours, either alone or with my husband, but never from 7:30 am til probably 5pm.

This will be an interesting day!  I get to be around my social work peers and I get to see how it would be if I were to be working 8 hour days.  Thankfully, it is only 1 day and I get to go back to being a SAHM which I love.  It will be nice though, to be around other social workers for a little bit and see if I still enjoy being a social worker!

Life is crazy,
Amy