One of the best things about preparing for the boys' arrival was getting their nursery ready. I loved thinking of the design - I had three in mind for all possible gender combination of twins - executing it and purchasing the furniture that would complete my vision. It was like getting married again when we got to go to Babies R Us to register for all the baby items we would need to welcome our little bundles of joy.
Even though I have two nephews, I was still a little overwhelmed by all the stuff I needed to register for. But I followed the guidelines given to us by the store and by various parenting magazines and basically went from there. We managed to get most everything on our registries, from the bath tub to socket blockers - we even got stuff we didn't register for that have come in handy like those clothing size tags that you hang in your closet that help you distinguish between 0-3 months, 3-6 months, etc. and cloth diapers; not for what you think they're for since we're not using cloth diapers.
Now that the boys are here and it's been almost two months, here is a list, based off of my personal observations, of things that I think are essentials to the nursery and general life with the babies:
1) Baby Wipes Warmer - I know I've blogged about this before and I can't say it enough...what a life saver...you'd think the warmer would be great for winter months but it's been plugged in and it comes in SO handy at night when you don't want to shock the babies with cold wipes.
2) Little terry cloth squares - these are not the same as the wash cloths that look like face towels - these are slivers of terry cloth about 4 inches x 4 inches. We received these from an aunt and have they come in SUPER handy. We use these to wash the boys because they're so thin, it's easy to get into the baby crevices (those face towels are a little big for newborns). We also have these on the changing table to wipe up any spit up if we're changing them before they're fully digested. If you can't get your hands on these little terry cloth squares, just manage to have something on the changing table (like a box of tissues) to have handy for quick wipe ups and something to grab when pee starts flying everywhere, unexpectedly (and yes, it will happen).
3) Suction bulbs and tweezers - I was silly enough to register for a suction bulb. Thankfully I didn't get it but we got the hospital-issued ones which have become both handy and addictive at the same time. Addictive? Yes, because we like 'digging for gold.' Babies naturally get rid of their boogies by sneezing it out. We've found that our boys sound congested not because they have colds but because they have large boogies blocking their nasal passageways. In comes the suction bulb - hopefully you have a cooperative baby or you'll have to try and do this while they're sleeping....it's good fun suctioning out those big boogies. The tweezers are handy for when you get the boogie far enough forward that you can just go in and grab them with the tweezers because their holes are too small for adult fingers. Be aware of what will come out with the tweezers - that boogie may look small up there in their nose but once you pull it out, you might feel like you're pulling out a caterpillar or something...I swear I pulled out the biggest boogie I've ever seen the other day.
4) Multiple pacifiers - of the SAME kind. We started the boys on MAM pacifiers which they love (not an addictive type of love). I had other pacifiers (Purdue ones) but they seem to be for the older kid set. So in one of my many trips back to Babies R Us and Target, I was looking for additional pacifiers, to have back ups. I ended up buying Born-Free pacifiers. The boys don't like them. I think they'll only suck them under duress...otherwise, they're just lying around as 'last resort' back ups. I managed to purchase two more packs of MAM pacifiers for 2+ months since it was already week 6 of their lives when I figured out that we needed to stick to the same brand. This allows you to have the multiple back ups and no worries from the baby of 'tasting/feeling' something they're not use to.
5) Sleepers with AND without feet - you're going to receive a lot of baby clothes from friends and shower events. Lots of the outfits will be body suits (no pants) which is great for the overly warm summer months. But I have found that the best outfits to have the babies in for the first couple of months of life are sleepers - basically PJs. We got a few hand-me-downs from family and friends and were gifted with hardly any. After a couple of weeks, I found myself at Target and Carters purchasing more because these are quite simply the easiest things to put the babies in. They're not going to be doing much in the first few months other than sleep, eat and poop so why torture yourself trying to dress them up all cutesie (there will be PLENTY of time for that later) - keep it simple. It's also good to have variety - long sleeves and short sleeves with and without footies because I am finding that I keep one in sleepers without footies because he's a HOT baby (seriously, like a heater) and the other doesn't have great circulation so his feet tend to be cold.
6) Cloth diapers - we received these as a gift at one of our showers, not because we're using cloth diapers (and thank goodness we're not; see blog post titled 'Burn Baby Burn') but because my friend was gifted with cloth diapers as well - to use as anywhere drool/burping cloths. They've come in super handy. I keep a pile in the nursery and whenever it's feeding time, I take one off the pile and use it to wipe up spit up and formula. I use one a day and they're so easy to launder.
7) Multiple changing stations - if you live in a multi-level home, it's best to have multiple changing stations; preferably one on each floor. I had them all set up before the boys arrived but in the beginning, I still found myself climbing the stairs to their nursery to change them - it just seemed more 'permanent' I guess. But after those couple of weeks and more trips up and down the stairs than I care to discuss, I've learned to use the main level changing station - just have a box of wipes, diapers and butt ointment at the ready for any situation.
8) Multi-use disposable pads - this was another item we received at a shower that we didn't register for...but boy have we stocked up since. These are just disposable paper mats that you can take with you and put down anywhere - like on top of a changing pad, over your shoulder for burping or over the baby during feedings. We have boxes of it in the nursery for the changing table. We have a changing pad cover but we also have these disposable mats on top of that because when you experience explosions or 'leakage of poo', it's so easy to just wrap the diaper and the disposable mat up and discard instead of having to remove the changing pad cover to wash it. I only have two changing pad covers - so far, I've only had to wash each once....
9) Good stroller(s) - this isn't necessarily in the nursery but my goals in finding a stroller were that it was reasonably priced, durable, light, and will last for the next 3-4 years, at least. I brought my goals to a baby super store and thank goodness the person manning the stroller section was EXTREMELY knowledgeable. He had been selling strollers himself for over 13 years and he was also a father of two. He told me about all the women that come into the store looking for their third, fourth, and sometimes fifth strollers because these women buy strollers in stages. I told him what my goals were in finding a stroller (especially since I have two babies) and he was with me in my goals....he brought out the big names for me to look at (MacLaren, Peg Perego, BOB, etc) and we finally settled on a stroller that has been beating out the likes of MacLaren and Peg Perego...it's the Baby Jogger City Stroller. I think what sold me the most was that I could fold it up with one hand...after purchasing it, I saw that Halle Berry has the same one...how chic! So the point is to talk to someone before investing in something as big as this item...knowledge is power.
10) Sheet Savers - so you're not constantly changing the crib sheet for spit up because let's face it, once you have the mattress, bumper, and mobile all done up on the crib, the LAST thing you want to do is undo all the bumper ties, take off the mobile, just to get to the mattress to remove the sheet. With the sheet saver, you just have to tie and untie for strings and replace....it's on top of the sheet saver that I have the baby's head for the occassional spit up while sleeping.
So those are my top 10 things that I'm finding are key to life with the babies. I'm sure there's a ton more but I think it's these little things that we don't always think about until the little ones are actually here.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Cradle Cap OR....Baby Toupee
If your baby comes out pretty much bald, you can be sure that they will experience the dry, flakiness known as 'cradle cap.' No Head-N-Shoulders for this situation. We were taught in our child birthing class that for cradle cap, just softly scrub the top of the head with a wet sponge/cloth to scrub away the dry skin. The way the nurse demonstrated it to us was by holding the plastic baby in a football hold and scrubbing the head softly over the sink. How does this situation not resemble real life? The plastic baby isn't squirming or crying or fidgeting due to 1) the water, 2) the cloth, 3) being held in the football hold. But I digress...
My boys both came out with barely any hair but enough to let you know that one had blonde hair and one had light brown hair. After the first week, cradle cap became apparent and I did my best, for their first sponge bath, to softly scrub the top of their heads with a cloth while they rested on the changing table. Because they were on the changing table, the cloth I was using wasn't very wet - so needless to say, nothing much happened with the flakiness. It wasn't until we gave the boys their first bath did the washing of the cradle cap resemble washing off dead skin. What they DON'T tell you about 'treating' cradle cap is that the little hair that does exist on top of their head comes off along with the skin.
I discovered this while sitting with one of the boys - and while feeding him, I started peeling away some of the skin on top of his head, because it was BEGGING to be peeled (even though they say not to). I couldn't help myself - ask my sister...we are addicted to peeling things like skin off a sun burn. Anyways - while I was peeling off some of the skin, I noticed that little pieces of hair were coming off with it. THAT scared me. So naturally, I kept peeling. And more little hairs came off. I couldn't believe it. Was what they were born with nothing more than a temporary toupee?
By their second bath, I was determined to scrub off the cradle cap so I didn't have the urge to peel anymore. After their second bath, one child was bald on top - he looked like a mini version of Dr. Phil without the 'stache. It was too funny, yet sad all at the same time...here is my newborn, with nice, newborn hair all along the sides and back of his head but NADA on top - he really looked like a little, old man. The blonde baby's cradle cap was a little harder to get off. In fact, he still has flaky peels on top of his head despite the multiple baths he has had. But I no longer have the urge to peel his skin because their 'real' hair has started to grow in.
So be aware of cradle cap - TRY to resist the urge to peel - as it could lead to scabbing...thankfully, I wasn't ALL OVER the baby's cradle cap to cause scabbing. Their hair will eventually grow in - you'll start to see like a shadow of something on top of their head....and when you look closely, you'll see little hairs sprouting up like new grass...babies are amazing!
My boys both came out with barely any hair but enough to let you know that one had blonde hair and one had light brown hair. After the first week, cradle cap became apparent and I did my best, for their first sponge bath, to softly scrub the top of their heads with a cloth while they rested on the changing table. Because they were on the changing table, the cloth I was using wasn't very wet - so needless to say, nothing much happened with the flakiness. It wasn't until we gave the boys their first bath did the washing of the cradle cap resemble washing off dead skin. What they DON'T tell you about 'treating' cradle cap is that the little hair that does exist on top of their head comes off along with the skin.
I discovered this while sitting with one of the boys - and while feeding him, I started peeling away some of the skin on top of his head, because it was BEGGING to be peeled (even though they say not to). I couldn't help myself - ask my sister...we are addicted to peeling things like skin off a sun burn. Anyways - while I was peeling off some of the skin, I noticed that little pieces of hair were coming off with it. THAT scared me. So naturally, I kept peeling. And more little hairs came off. I couldn't believe it. Was what they were born with nothing more than a temporary toupee?
By their second bath, I was determined to scrub off the cradle cap so I didn't have the urge to peel anymore. After their second bath, one child was bald on top - he looked like a mini version of Dr. Phil without the 'stache. It was too funny, yet sad all at the same time...here is my newborn, with nice, newborn hair all along the sides and back of his head but NADA on top - he really looked like a little, old man. The blonde baby's cradle cap was a little harder to get off. In fact, he still has flaky peels on top of his head despite the multiple baths he has had. But I no longer have the urge to peel his skin because their 'real' hair has started to grow in.
So be aware of cradle cap - TRY to resist the urge to peel - as it could lead to scabbing...thankfully, I wasn't ALL OVER the baby's cradle cap to cause scabbing. Their hair will eventually grow in - you'll start to see like a shadow of something on top of their head....and when you look closely, you'll see little hairs sprouting up like new grass...babies are amazing!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Burn, Baby, Burn
Being a new mother, I have found that when I'm in the company of other mothers (the more experienced ones), one topic inevitably rears it's ugly head when you get around to discussing feedings, schedules and diaper changes. From diaper changes, we segue to gas and from gas we end up at 'explosive poops.' The question that usually comes up: 'Have you experienced the explosive diaper yet?'
No, the diaper doesn't explode...the baby's butt does. And yes, we have experienced the explosive diaper/poop. It's amazing what babies can do - they can poop in the back half of their diaper and up their back and totally miss the middle and front of the diaper altogether. In the beginning, one of my boys was a side pooper, meaning he was able to poop off center. That amazed me.
Back to the explosions. For one of our boys...we call him 'juicy toots,' seven times out of 10, his gas noises would lead you to believe that he has something extremely unpleasant waiting for you at the end of his feeding. But when we finally get onto the changing table to take a look, the damage is usually minimal. The bad ones are the ones that you can actually feel seeping onto YOUR clothes and when you go to lift them up to take a gander at the back side, you are welcomed by a nice, wet brown spot. How does this happen - this up the back thing? They're sitting up, pretty much, while eating. My guess is that since they're sitting on your lap, there really is no other way to go but up?
So far with Juicy Toots, we've had two explosive diapers...how do we classify the two as explosive, you ask? The fact that we consider 'burning' the outfit he was wearing. We already got rid of one sleeper because we did not think it was salvageable (sorry, Pearl...it was one of Izzy's old ones, I think) and we considered 'burning' the second one - until I decided to TRY and save it by hosing it down and letting it soak in the 'tub of shame.'
Tub of shame?! Yes, the tub of shame is where things that were once in good condition, have succumbed to baby badness and need a few days to soak. Who has visited the tub of shame? One towel that my husband, very wisely, decided to lay across his lap while feeding Juicy Toots because JT's tummy was making bad, Bad, BAD noises. (You know it's going to be bad when Mommy's tummy is competing with JT's tummy to see whose could grumble the loudest. Mommy's tummy was grumbling because it was 4:45 AM and she was hungry. JT's tummy was grumbling because...um....because....don't know why cause he just had a full bottle. Thank goodness the explosion didn't happen on Mommy's watch, but on Daddy's!) And then there was the second sleeper that was met with explosive poops. That happened on Mommy's watch - the one I'm trying to save.
So if you're a new mom (or dad), be ready...be ready for the explosions that lie ahead; be ready for Daddys to become drama queens when met with large to explosive size diapers (as overheard on the baby monitor a few times...'Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh crap!') and be ready to discuss it with others....
No, the diaper doesn't explode...the baby's butt does. And yes, we have experienced the explosive diaper/poop. It's amazing what babies can do - they can poop in the back half of their diaper and up their back and totally miss the middle and front of the diaper altogether. In the beginning, one of my boys was a side pooper, meaning he was able to poop off center. That amazed me.
Back to the explosions. For one of our boys...we call him 'juicy toots,' seven times out of 10, his gas noises would lead you to believe that he has something extremely unpleasant waiting for you at the end of his feeding. But when we finally get onto the changing table to take a look, the damage is usually minimal. The bad ones are the ones that you can actually feel seeping onto YOUR clothes and when you go to lift them up to take a gander at the back side, you are welcomed by a nice, wet brown spot. How does this happen - this up the back thing? They're sitting up, pretty much, while eating. My guess is that since they're sitting on your lap, there really is no other way to go but up?
So far with Juicy Toots, we've had two explosive diapers...how do we classify the two as explosive, you ask? The fact that we consider 'burning' the outfit he was wearing. We already got rid of one sleeper because we did not think it was salvageable (sorry, Pearl...it was one of Izzy's old ones, I think) and we considered 'burning' the second one - until I decided to TRY and save it by hosing it down and letting it soak in the 'tub of shame.'
Tub of shame?! Yes, the tub of shame is where things that were once in good condition, have succumbed to baby badness and need a few days to soak. Who has visited the tub of shame? One towel that my husband, very wisely, decided to lay across his lap while feeding Juicy Toots because JT's tummy was making bad, Bad, BAD noises. (You know it's going to be bad when Mommy's tummy is competing with JT's tummy to see whose could grumble the loudest. Mommy's tummy was grumbling because it was 4:45 AM and she was hungry. JT's tummy was grumbling because...um....because....don't know why cause he just had a full bottle. Thank goodness the explosion didn't happen on Mommy's watch, but on Daddy's!) And then there was the second sleeper that was met with explosive poops. That happened on Mommy's watch - the one I'm trying to save.
So if you're a new mom (or dad), be ready...be ready for the explosions that lie ahead; be ready for Daddys to become drama queens when met with large to explosive size diapers (as overheard on the baby monitor a few times...'Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh crap!') and be ready to discuss it with others....
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Pay It Forward - The Pregnancy Edition
I found that before I gave birth, I tried to read anything and everything about twins, how to handle them, how to take care of them, how to get them on schedules - basically, I needed to be prepared for what I was about to face. Life with twins!
I can happily say that no amount of reading or preparation prior to giving birth is ever going to prepare you for taking care of babies - you will undoubtedly come home from the hospital with your new bundle filled with anxiety and baby blues. It's normal and those that say they didn't have the baby blues or difficulties when they came home from the hospital are lying. I even had help during my c-section recovery and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, helpless and ill-prepared.
When I first got home, I was frantic. I felt out of control. I'm a complete control-freak. I like everything to be on a schedule...yet I felt like I had no schedule and no way to control it. I started looking for college nannies or doulas that could come in and help me. Another big part of my stress was breast feeding. Finding time to pump and having issues with one of the babies latching on just added to my overall feeling of helplessness. I was not in a good place.
It wasn't until I started hearing from mothers of other twins that went through what I was going through did I start to feel better. There was one friend of a friend, in particular, that really helped me through the first two weeks - she had just returned to work after having her twins in December and so it wasn't long ago that she was in the exact same place. She gave me advice, shared what she did to get through and it really helped...you could say it brought me off the ledge. I ended up not getting a doula because I created a schedule for me and the boys. We're still living by the schedule now and it's working out well, for the most part. I spoke to another friend of a friend with twins and she also helped me a lot with my stresses with breast feeding because she felt the same exact way and was dealing with the same issues.
It was so great to hear from these women and know that I wasn't the only one feeling the way I did. Their advice and experiences really helped me make decisions that would make me a better mother to my children and to cope better in these 'newborn weeks.'
There was one mother of twins (another friend of a friend) that sent me an email BEFORE I gave birth (four days prior to giving birth) that completely overwhelmed me. She was talking about night doulas and getting a mini-fridge for the nursery and just provided me with a wealth of information that pertained to her experiences that completely turned me off. I can't really say if it turned me off so much as it just completely scared me. I didn't correspond with that woman very much after giving birth - her experience was not one that I wanted to follow....it was certainly appreciated, but I think there's a line that needs to be watched where you don't want to completely overwhelm/scare your audience.
In closing, I have to say that if you get a chance to share your pregnancy experiences and stories with others, especially those that are becoming first time mothers and are completely scared, definitely share them - especially the good stories. But don't go overboard - cause you can't give back your baby!
I can happily say that no amount of reading or preparation prior to giving birth is ever going to prepare you for taking care of babies - you will undoubtedly come home from the hospital with your new bundle filled with anxiety and baby blues. It's normal and those that say they didn't have the baby blues or difficulties when they came home from the hospital are lying. I even had help during my c-section recovery and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, helpless and ill-prepared.
When I first got home, I was frantic. I felt out of control. I'm a complete control-freak. I like everything to be on a schedule...yet I felt like I had no schedule and no way to control it. I started looking for college nannies or doulas that could come in and help me. Another big part of my stress was breast feeding. Finding time to pump and having issues with one of the babies latching on just added to my overall feeling of helplessness. I was not in a good place.
It wasn't until I started hearing from mothers of other twins that went through what I was going through did I start to feel better. There was one friend of a friend, in particular, that really helped me through the first two weeks - she had just returned to work after having her twins in December and so it wasn't long ago that she was in the exact same place. She gave me advice, shared what she did to get through and it really helped...you could say it brought me off the ledge. I ended up not getting a doula because I created a schedule for me and the boys. We're still living by the schedule now and it's working out well, for the most part. I spoke to another friend of a friend with twins and she also helped me a lot with my stresses with breast feeding because she felt the same exact way and was dealing with the same issues.
It was so great to hear from these women and know that I wasn't the only one feeling the way I did. Their advice and experiences really helped me make decisions that would make me a better mother to my children and to cope better in these 'newborn weeks.'
There was one mother of twins (another friend of a friend) that sent me an email BEFORE I gave birth (four days prior to giving birth) that completely overwhelmed me. She was talking about night doulas and getting a mini-fridge for the nursery and just provided me with a wealth of information that pertained to her experiences that completely turned me off. I can't really say if it turned me off so much as it just completely scared me. I didn't correspond with that woman very much after giving birth - her experience was not one that I wanted to follow....it was certainly appreciated, but I think there's a line that needs to be watched where you don't want to completely overwhelm/scare your audience.
In closing, I have to say that if you get a chance to share your pregnancy experiences and stories with others, especially those that are becoming first time mothers and are completely scared, definitely share them - especially the good stories. But don't go overboard - cause you can't give back your baby!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Warm Butt = A Happy Butt
This is going to be a product-promotion posting and it's all about keeping your baby's butt warm during those difficult moments known as diaper changes.
I will add this caveat - a warm butt is not a happy butt when that butt is being warmed by the baby's own pee or poo. Nosiree. Then we do not have a happy baby, nor do we have a happy butt.
But what I do mean about warm butts is having warm wipes while cleaning your baby off during diaper changes.
In the four short weeks we have known our boys, it has become apparent that they are not fans of diaper changes. Not only are they not fans but they view the changing table as a sort of 'axis of evil'. The crazy part is that they're totally fine and calm when taking off the diaper - it's when you're about to fasten the new one on and wrap things up do they start to get all crazy. But I digress.
One of the items I registered for was the wipes warmer - available at Babies R Us, and other fine retailers. Boy am I glad I registered and got it. When setting up the nursery, I had put the wipes warmer on their changing table. I didn't initially plug it in after we brought the babies home because I thought 'it's summer, it's warm - maybe the warmer would be better left for the fall/winter months.' I was wrong. That warmer needs to be on 24/7/365. Placing a cold wipe against their tush was a big no-no. Within 24 hours of bringing them home, the wipes warmer was plugged in and on and there has been no turning back. Now, the diaper change experience only seems to get bad during the wrap up portion rather than the WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS. And every little bit helps.
You definitely see the difference between having a warmer and not having a warmer. In the downstairs changing area, I don't have a wipes warmer so when I change them downstairs, it's an ordeal cause they don't like the cold dampness on their butt after having sat in their pee and poo. I also just googled wipes warmer and apparently they're not only available all over the place (Target, Wal-Mart, amazon, etc) but there's a travel warmer that I might have to invest in! HOT DOG!
So I'm giving two, enthusiastic thumbs up to the wipes warmer - the one I have is by 'Especially for Baby.' It's great - it even comes with a little window and 'oven light' so you can see when you're running low and need to refill.
I will add this caveat - a warm butt is not a happy butt when that butt is being warmed by the baby's own pee or poo. Nosiree. Then we do not have a happy baby, nor do we have a happy butt.
But what I do mean about warm butts is having warm wipes while cleaning your baby off during diaper changes.
In the four short weeks we have known our boys, it has become apparent that they are not fans of diaper changes. Not only are they not fans but they view the changing table as a sort of 'axis of evil'. The crazy part is that they're totally fine and calm when taking off the diaper - it's when you're about to fasten the new one on and wrap things up do they start to get all crazy. But I digress.
One of the items I registered for was the wipes warmer - available at Babies R Us, and other fine retailers. Boy am I glad I registered and got it. When setting up the nursery, I had put the wipes warmer on their changing table. I didn't initially plug it in after we brought the babies home because I thought 'it's summer, it's warm - maybe the warmer would be better left for the fall/winter months.' I was wrong. That warmer needs to be on 24/7/365. Placing a cold wipe against their tush was a big no-no. Within 24 hours of bringing them home, the wipes warmer was plugged in and on and there has been no turning back. Now, the diaper change experience only seems to get bad during the wrap up portion rather than the WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS. And every little bit helps.You definitely see the difference between having a warmer and not having a warmer. In the downstairs changing area, I don't have a wipes warmer so when I change them downstairs, it's an ordeal cause they don't like the cold dampness on their butt after having sat in their pee and poo. I also just googled wipes warmer and apparently they're not only available all over the place (Target, Wal-Mart, amazon, etc) but there's a travel warmer that I might have to invest in! HOT DOG!
So I'm giving two, enthusiastic thumbs up to the wipes warmer - the one I have is by 'Especially for Baby.' It's great - it even comes with a little window and 'oven light' so you can see when you're running low and need to refill.
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