Months 2, 3, and 4: Part 2

Month 3: July

July was hot, and I stayed inside. We all stayed inside actually. We went on vacation this month, WITH the babies of course. We went to the Outer Banks with our friends who also had new babies. Last year at the beach we were ragging in Alaina for not being able to drink because she was pregnant, hoping that Gina might be pregnant and having a great time being free and unattached. This year though was filled with BABIES, diapers, bouncy seats, sunscreen, 7 o clock bedtimes and rows of baby monitors!

We devised a system for getting to the beach using a big tailgating canopy and fully covering the babies. I nursed them on the beach under a beach towel. Mason, the oldest baby at 7 months was sitting up on his own, Jack 3 months was sleeping through the night. Caroline and Charlotte were developmentally much younger and just coming out of their sleepy stage and starting to notice the world. I was going crazy with no schedule for my girls and went on sleep mission to try and improve our quality of life. While at the beach, my bestest friends helped me get through the first very difficult first few days of crying- it- out. They helped so much, and since then, we've never looked back!

A few pics from the beach (more to come!)





Caroline, Charlotte and Jack





The girls moved out of our bedroom the week before we went to the beach. I had feared this day, wondering how I would sleep wondering whether they would breathe and be alive without me next to them! HA! It got to the point where I was just tired of creeping into my pitch black bedroom, trying to to make a sound and whispering to Dan in the dark about whatever we were talking about. I needed space. So, we took the plunge. They went into the same crib and the monitor was right next to them and the other end, my ear. It was so much better for everyone. After we got back from the beach I ended up putting them in separate cribs because they were kicking each other and waking each other up. grrrrr. can't a person get some sleep!!!???

We were still on a 3 hour feeding schedule, and I was thoroughly enjoying dressing them in cute matching clothes. They were beginning to really smile and interact and Dan and I just thought every thing they did was the best! (It still is the best!). I was trying to get rid of more baby weight and walked a couple of mornings a week with my friend. We were back in church, lugging a car seat with babe each and taking up a whole pew!!! I remember being VERY tired and once Dan and I, longing to go out to eat, loaded up the girls in the car and drive down Colley Avenue looking with jealously at all the people eating out. We just drove by slowly, staring out the windows and talked about how we wish our life was as good as the people who were out and free !!!! We quickly figured out where all the drive thru everythings were in our city. Drive thru banks, restaurants, stores... etc.= Good invention! I ventured out on my own with the girls and definitely felt a renewed sense of independence. I figured out that I could grocery shop by hanging reusable grocery bags on the handles of my stroller and loading them. Once they were full, I had to check out and go home. I learned how to time outings and feedings. I learned that it wouldn't "just be ok" to not use breast pads while going out to walmart where every screaming baby in the city seemed to be located.

Our dogs became highly annoyed with their lack of attention and started doing bad things, namely peeing in the house and stealing things out of my purse or diaper bag. We instituted farm-days, wherein our lovely labradors go on a mini-vacation to my parents house AKA, The Farm. They get tons of exercise, petting, dog treats, swimming and attention. They return on sunday evenings exhausted, sleep off their vaca on monday and then are happy tuesday-friday, when then return again. The dogs have been really great with the babies and are very gentle and loving. In the early days they pretty much just avoid the babies, but every so often during long periods of baby crying or middle of the night wakings they hide in their bed/crate and you can hear their groans and moans. It's like they are thinking "Are you KIDDING ME? Awake again???!?!??" Poor things.

July seems like a decade ago, but I know that Dan and I were really enjoying being with our girls and starting to get a hang of caring for our infants.