snippets

so I am not cool enough to understand twitter nonsense, but here's an excerpt from an email I just wrote crazy Diana, which I have a funny feeling did not send.... anyway

"also H says that I am dramatic and pathetic when sleep deprived and that is favorite is when I lose it in the middle of the night and swear at them for waking me up. Then I threaten to throw them in the garbage. Ok, I threaten Chloe since she's the trouble maker. last night she got into bed with us (not on her own, although H claims ignorance to her crib escape) and kicked H in the face. so I told her it was time to go back in her crib. which she did. but not on her own."

the sleep situation is getting better. Z is pretty much sleeping through the night and C is only up once for a cuddle and to sneak into the big bed. The trick for us was a bottle of milk (regular buy-in-the-store-for-$6-a-gallon-organic-whole-milk) before bed. This led to night weaning which led to full out weaning. Which is awesome for me. I didn't realize how ready we all must have been to stop the breast feeding. They didn't really want to nurse during the day anymore and I was tired of listening to someone cry while they waited their turn. so whole milk it is. and more sleeping.

This weekend, H and I will be painting the nursery (what? people prepare their babies' room BEFORE they are born? What lunacy!) so that they can move upstairs and we might not have to wake up to short people staring at us and yelling "HI!!!" at top volume until you open one eye a tiny slit. Then they cry. because you aren't already holding them. both. at the same time. but not their sister. and can we pet the cat? and poke him in the eye? what about your eye? can we poke that? did you know z has a belly button? Do you have a belly button? can I find it? oh, and did you see petey? he's a cat? oh, and HI!!!

Twin Gear List

A friend is expecting twins this fall/winter and asked my advice on what was a MUST HAVE for the first few months. They live in an apt in NYC so space is a premium (as it is at my house. actually, I have little sympathy as I have a feeling they have more usable sq footage than we do, but I digress). She asked me about BF and cloth diapering and I know would appreciate feedback on that as well.


Here's what I came up with, but I'm sure I forgot a few things. Actually, I just thought of something to add and have since forgotten what the hell it was. Please send help. or ginko biloba. or gin. perhaps all three.

Here’s what you need bare bones:

A place to sleep

• We had only one crib at first that I pushed up next to the bed. I got it used. I couldn't see buying a co-sleeper or double bassinet that might only be used for a few months. They slept together until they were 9 or 10 months old. They are still in our bedroom. No, I do not want to discuss that ;)
  
• 4 sets of crib sheets – put 2 on at a time. That way if there’s a mess, there’s a clean sheet underneath. Saves time in the middle of the night when someone explodes. I never do this and always hate myself.
  
• 2 waterproof sheets to go underneath each crib sheet (see above)
  
• Sheet saver – this nifty little thing looks like a tiny changing pad with 4 strings. You put it under where their heads are and if they spit up you don’t have to change the whole crib. Major time saver. Before I had that, I stuck cloth diapers under their heads (where pillows would go)
  
• 2 bouncy seats and/or swings. Ones that vibrate, play music and bouncy with your foot. The girls napped in these as the crib was made of lava. Also good staging area for the baby waiting to eat (tandem nursing was never fun for me). If it weren’t for the graco travel swings (the ones that the carseats snap into) they would have never slept and I would have jumped off the newburgh beacon bridge.
  
• (edit: I remeber now what I forgot before... the baby sling. the one I had to have overnight shipped so that C would sleep and I could pee or eat something or pick my nose. the child continues to be a marsupial. how could I have forgotten the sling??!?)
  
  A place to eat
  
• Double nursing pillow
• Regular boppy – this is good to prop one baby up while waiting to be fed or after being fed to reduce the vomiting. Also better to take out with you during the day for nursing.
• Nursing cover – It saved my sanity by letting me leave the house with two babies and not be arrested for indecent exposure ;)
  
• Rocking chair or glider. You absolutely NEED a comfortable place to sit with arm rests that rocks. Splurge on this. Your ass will be the shape of this seat.
  
• ? Highchairs – we have the ones that strap to your dining room chairs and turn into toddler booster seats. H would sit them in these (they recline for infants) so he could give them bottles in the middle of the night.
  
• Starter pack of bottles – don’t buy too many. You don’t know what they will like. I’d start with born free. They have anti-gas valves and they are PBA free or whatever the hell that chemical is. We used Dr. Browns, but the girls didn’t take many bottles. Two a night until 6 months and then 2 a week until last month when they decided boobies were passé and now drink 24oz of cow’s milk from their bottles. Argh.
  
  A place to change your nasty diaper
  
• We have a changing table in the bedroom. It is also a dresser that I smash all their clothes into. On my dresser next to it is a basket that I have the cloth diapers, wipes and some assortment of butt creams in.
  
• Diaper pail – ours is from the diaper service. It is just a plastic garbage can with a lid. Very high tech. ;)
  
• Washcloths – tiny newborns have mad sensitive skin and even the “sensitive” wipes are too harsh. Get a stock of cheap-ass washcloths and a small plastic bowl. Wet the washcloth with warm water, plop in bowl, wipe butt, rinse, throw in hamper or if not pooped on (and you are like me and sick of doing one million loads of laundry), rinse out in really hot water and hang to dry for next time. Repeat for second baby with new washcloth. We made Zoe patterned washcloths and Chloe was solids.
  
• Cloth diapers – If you don’t get a diaper service, I recommend buying a starter kit of cloth from kissaluvs or stacinator. These are both all-in-one diapers that you put on just like disposables. When you are done, you throw them in a diaper pail and wash them yourself.
  
  I will now wax poetic about diapers. You DO NOT want to wash your own if you don’t have a washing machine. You will be doing 2-3 loads of laundry a day in the beginning. Trust me. Get diaper service for at least the first 6 months. Then you can re-assess your free time (or lack thereof). My diaper service is absurdly cheap since they operate out of Kingston. It may seem expensive, but the cost of disposables is atrocious. The girls also have an allergy to that gel stuff in ‘sposies. It pulls all the moisture out of their skin and turns them into red lizard butted creatures who scream at you. Awesome and disgusting. Also, they have new fasteners for the cloth. No more pins. If H can cloth diaper anyone can. He was very resistant in the beginning. Good thing I never listen to him.
  
  For all your cloth diapering queries, go to http://www.diaperswappers.com/. This is where I buy all my covers. They are used, but cheaper. It’s a whole site of cloth freaks and they are chatting about everything diaper related. Some of these people are nutty. But mostly everyone is really nice and helpful.

.... so what did I leave off? or what did I include that you feel wasn't truly necessary? Also, like I said, she's checking in so any feedback would be appreciated. Like links to sites that are chock full o' info, freebies, etc. These are her first so she still has free time to surf the web and make lists.

On the home front, we appear to be sleeping pretty regularly through the night. you would think this would improve my memory. HA!

more drinking = more peeing

anyone using cloth diapers have a suggestion on how to deal with the great pee-scapades that are going on here?

Now that the girls are drinking milk at 8oz clips before naps and bed, we are soaking everything. At night I'm using a prefold and 2 doublers with Stacinator deluxe fleece covers and that seems to be holding back the tide. But this is waaaay too much for during the day.

Daytime we are in prefolds with bummis super whisper wrap covers. Is there something better I could use at naptime since this is when the great pee-a-thon seems to be happening?

I'm using a diaper service and I really don't want to get into the whole all-in-one, wash your own diapers deal. I have enough on my plate keeping people fed and relatively clean.

Any feedback is sorely appreciated.

THANKS!!

Mooooooo!

or, the magic of milk....

The last two nights the girls got bottles with 8oz of cow's milk before bed.

The last two nights I got 7 hours of straight sleep.

Coincidence?

Who cares, I'm not messing with a good thing. If this keeps up I may be able to leave the house in matching shoes without having to triple check that I even have feet. It may also mean that they are effectively weaned.

I think I'm supposed to feel sad about that or nostalgic or something. Mostly I feel relieved. Although the boobies are complaining today and I did nurse C a few minutes just before bed to help her relax. (C has relaxing issues. let's just say she has two modes: insane and unconscious) But after all the trials and tribulations we had here with breast feeding, I'm glad we made it a year and even more happy to be (almost) done.

Now that I've said that they'll be up 3x tonight I'm sure.