Is It Worth It?

My boys have been teething since the beginning of April. When we left on our epic road trip to South Carolina, Ezra and Elliott were chewing on everything they could get their hands (and mouths) on! Well, it's now the beginning of July and they are still chewing on teething rings, necklaces, and a number of toys. They still remain toothless, though.

According to my mother, I didn't get my first tooth until I was nearly one. Eliza got her first tooth at 8 months, so I expect to see a pearly white any day in the near future. I also expect the teething process to last a very long while, so I am anxious to find something that soothes and entertains the boys. A friend recommended Sophie the Giraffe, which I had heard great things about.

However, they are a bit pricey. Does anyone else have any thoughts about this toy? Is it really worth 20 dollars? I'm hesitant (but maybe because I am a bargain shopper and everything we have for the boys came from our baby shower, a yard sale, or giving friends and family members).


Also, if you are in the market for amber or teething necklaces, check out my friend Leah's Etsy shop. She has the cutest things!

Snakes in a Library

Earlier this week, Eliza and I went to the local library to see the "Reptile Man." Scott Petersen is a wildlife expert based in Seattle, who does tours for children around the state. He brought a number of amazing reptiles to our little town, and I was even excited to see what he had in store!

Eliza, on the other hand, was not amused. There were over 100 children packed into the tiny library, and Eliza was the only one who wasn't entertained. A baby crocodile? Mildly entertaining.

A spectacled cobra? Oh, it's just a little guy.

A rattlesnake? No big deal.

A gaboon viper (which I found horrific!)? She wouldn't even look at!!

And a yellow giant boa? It wasn't pink.

This was her facial expression the entire time we were there:

Please notice that the people in the background are facing forward. Eliza didn't even want to look at the reptiles! She was so bored that she kept begging, "Please let's go read books! Please!!" When all the other children went to touch the snakes (the venom had been removed from all of the poisonous ones, FYI), Eliza and I left. I promised her we would come back and check out books once all of the kids were gone.

A few hours later, we returned. The coast was clear. As soon as we walked inside, she began looking left and right, as if she was searching for something. I assumed she was looking for the books, so I directed her to the children's section. She kept looking around, though. Finally, I asked her what she was looking for. She quickly said, "I don't want the snakes in my library. I don't want them in my books!"

Apparently, she isn't a fan of reptiles.

GPS Fortune Cookie

I've never had a fortune cookie suggest where I should vacation.

Funny enough, we are going to the mountains this weekend! Weird, right? 

I hope the rest of the fortune is accurate and that the trip is "enjoyable!"

Better Than Christmas

You know what's better than waking up on Christmas morning?

Waking up at 7 AM and realizing your children (and you) have SLEPT ALL NIGHT.

I planned on waking up and nursing Ezra and Elliott at 3 AM or so when they cried, but it never happened. They slept through the night, and we couldn't be happier. They were so alert and energetic today, and I can tell they are feeling the effects of resting well. They went down amazingly for their naps and now they are back in bed.

I am so happy that I could cry. Actually, I have cried. I am so relieved and hopeful. I feel like I can be an even better mother now that I am resting. Our prayers have been answered, and I am thankful. 

Ezra did have a rough time falling asleep tonight, but we stuck with our routine and reassured him that he was okay. I know that they may not fall asleep immediately each night and that they may need one feeding, but simply seeing results is changing our world. 

Oh, to sleep again! 

When Pigs Fly

I never thought I would live to see the day when a panel like this went up on my wall:

Yes, it's true. We (meaning my in-laws) got a security system. From Vivint--my archnemesis.

After working three years for Vivint's largest competitor, I am well aware of the corruption within the security system industry. Sales representatives are often dishonest and customers end up locked into awful contracts with terms they were unaware of (because the fine print is very small and they trust the friendly salesman). So, when a man wearing a Vivint shirt came knocking yesterday, I politely told him I was not the homeowner and slammed the door.

I didn't expect he would come back again today. And I certainly did not expect that my father-in-law would listen to his horribly rehearsed spiel and be interested! After our car was broken into last month, Rex realized protecting our home might be a good thing. That, along with a couple of burglaries in our neighborhood, made him feel like an alarm system was actually a necessity.

Fortunately, I was able to use my security system based knowledge for doing good today. My favorite part of the afternoon was when I told the sales representative that I had worked for a security system and knew the contracts in and out along with their sales tactics. Essentially, I told him to cut the crap, and he read my message loud and clear. My in-laws ended up getting a great deal and will hopefully be happy with the system.

As strange as it sounds, I actually do feel safer in our home. When I thought about someone going into our minivan (which was parked 10 feet from our door), I began to think: "What if they had come into our home? What if they had hurt our children?" Obviously, your mind jumps to the worst case scenario.

So, even though I said I would never get an alarm system, I am glad for the peace of mind it provides (and it technically wasn't me who signed the contract!).

I can't believe I just typed that last sentence. My former self is dying inside. This is proof that being a mother really does change things. You are willing to accept security systems because they will make your children safer (in your mind, at least). I feel like I just aged 10 years. I hope all of my former coworkers who read this blog forgive me for passively advertising for Vivint!

It Gets Better

Yesterday, someone told me that letting my children cry it out was "incredibly cruel." My immediate reaction was to feel guilty and sad, but then I remembered that we are already seeing great results from our efforts and that Ezra and Elliott were incredibly happy today after resting well last night.

The second night of sleep training went terrifically! The boys went down at 8 PM and didn't wake up and eat until 3 AM. That is seven hours of sleep! They then slept until 6 AM, cried for just a little while, and had to be woken up at 10:30 AM. If that isn't success, I don't know what is!

I responded to this mother, who explained that her children have been sleeping through the night since they were two months old, telling her that I initially thought crying it out was cruel. However, crying it out (to me) does not mean placing your child in a crib and abandoning them for the night. 

Nathan and I established a routine, which calms the babies down and helps them realize they are about to go to sleep. The first night, we did go in and check on them. Last night, they were nursed when they woke up at 3 AM. Tonight, Elliott had a hard time falling asleep (Ezra fell asleep immediately), but we went in and checked on him every 10 minutes. We comforted him. It was hard to hear him cry, but I do not feel like we were being "cruel."

I also let this woman know that I would never have resorted to letting the babies cry if I wasn't on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown. They have been waking up every 1-3 hours since they were born, and they are 7 months old and weigh a healthy 20 pounds. The constant dizziness and vertigo were huge red flags that I needed to take control of the situation. Hopefully, establishing a firm routine will allow the babies to feel secure. It seems that some children naturally sleep well and others need to be taught sleep patterns. Obviously, this lady had been doing something right, while I, on the other hand, needed to play catch up. I just want the same thing she has: sleeping, happy babies and a well-rested family. 

So, thank you for the encouragement and for not making me feel awful about wanting sleep. And a big, huge thanks goes out to my friend and fellow twin mom, Becky. Lots of my friends had great advice, and Becky even sent me an amazing book that reinforced all of the things you all had said. Sleep Sense explained why letting them cry for a couple of nights is okay and made me feel like I could actually change our current situation. 

Thank you so much, Becky!

7 Months

The little giggles are 7 months old today! (except they aren't giggling here because they were denied nursing all night and are angry with me!)

They are growing so much and were nearly 20 pounds when we weighed them on Friday. The past couple of weeks, they have tried desperately to move their weight around. They roll around and scoot backwards constantly. They haven't mastered how to sit up or scoot forward just yet, but they are definitely working on it! They are mildly interested in food and are much better eaters than their big sister. 

Ezra

Ezra makes me laugh. He has such personality. His loves playing with his tongue and constantly has it sticking out of his mouth. He loves playing with Nathan and gives smiles to most people. He is impatient when it comes to eating and nursing and will scream if he is not being tended to quickly enough. He still loves his jumperoo and could bounce all day if we let him. Recently, he has discovered how to spit and enjoys the sound pursing his lips makes. I love him, and I can't get enough of his playful expressions.

Elliott

Elliott is a sweetheart. When he first wakes up, he will snuggle for just a minute and that one minute is heaven. He babbles and also enjoys making spitting sounds (although not as much as Ezra). He can remain calmer for longer and is fine with letting Ezra go first with most things. Elliott loves watching Eliza play and giggles anytime he sees her dancing or singing. He has a peaceful energy and is a little bit more reserved with his smiles. For instance, Grandpa can always tell "who's who" when he gets home from work. Elliott takes a little longer to smile, but Ezra always flashes him a grin. Elliott is coming around, though! And check out Elliott's cool faux hawk!

The boys are now aware of each other. They laugh at one another, look for their brother, and exchange smiles. They are so lucky to have each other, and I still feel amazed and blessed that we have two little guys. 

We have three kids (it's still strange that we never had two). I think it will sink in sooner or later. Won't it?