8 Months

Oops, I drafted this post a while back and forgot to post it till now.  Here ya go.

The boys are 8 months old now!  I'll have to do a proper update soon, but here are some cute pics for now.

Let me say, we are busy, busy, busy!  As I mentioned previously, starting solids has filled up our schedule and it is go-go-go from 6:30am until they go down to bed (usually around 6:30pm).  The nice thing is.... they have started to sleep through the night!!!!  Well, mostly.  My husband usually stays up till 12 or 1 and he often has to settle them with a soother, and sometimes they wake up around 3 and need a little settling, but otherwise, I am sleeping the night through.  People, this is MONUMENTAL!  I haven't slept that well since pre-pregnancy, I'm sure.  I feel like a new woman!

As they are becoming more independent (in some ways), and dependent in different ways, I am finding it is hard to adjust to having more time.  Well, it's not necessarily that I have more time.  Time has shifted and I find that I have space in my mind to think about things other than the boys, and space to do things other than take care of the boys.  In a way, this makes me sad.  In another way, I am freaked out because I just don't knlw what to do with myself  I am not tbe same person I was 8 months ago  in a way, I am redefining wno I am, what I can do, whatI like to do...and that is a vilnerable place to be.  Its another new phase once again

Anyways, more on this later.  Im heading out on holidays and will catch up once I am back.  Ttyl!

Feeding Machine

Okay mamas, here's a callout for some help.

Just when I thought we had reached a nice stride and things were relatively "easy," things change.  That seems to be the way with twins.  You can never get comfortable for too long. 

We are in the process of dropping the third catnap, moving to two naps a day AND starting solids three times a day.  The boys are still nursing/bottle feeding at LEAST 5x per day (more like 7 most days).  Nursing/pumping/bottle feeding can take 30-45 minutes.  Feeding solids can take 30-60 minutes, depending on how long I let them sitting there feeding themselves.  I haven't done the actual math, but that is a LOT of time spent feeding babies! 

From the friends I have spoken to, they tend to only nurse 4-5x a day since switching over to solids.  Has that been your experience?  I'm excited for this new transition, but nervous too.  There are always hiccups with transitions.  Does anyone have any advice?  What kind of schedule did you have for your babies around 8 months?

As for sleeping, it is going great!!!  I do think we are ready to drop the third nap, since the boys have lately been sleeping so well for the first two naps (on most days - I don't want to say so and jinx it).   The first nap is usually an hour and a half around 9:00.  The second nap is  1 1/2-2 hours, though we have often had to wake them up from this nap to keep them on "schedule" for a third nap.  It may take them a while to adjust and lengthen out these naps even more as we drop the third nap.  On days they don't nap well we can throw that third nap in there, or if we need to be out later into the evening.  The downside is that for a while this will mean early bedtimes (probably 6/6:30).  I remember seeing other moms go through this stage and it sucks (especially in the summer), but eventually it will lengthen out to later.  And once the schedule is established, we should be able to tweak it here and there for special events.

All in all, we have great sleepers and eaters, and the work we have done has paid off!  Now, I just need to figure out how to adjust myself to this new routine (more on that later).

Next Steps

I had a meeting this week with my work colleagues to discuss my back-to-work plan.  We are 7 1/2 months into the 12 month maternity leave I get.  That leaves me 4 1/2 months to go. 

When I went into my meeting, I really had no idea what I was going to say.  I was feeling so mixed about going back to work.  If we didn't have to worry about finances, I would love to stay at home with the boys, especially at this time in their lives.  But finances are a concern.  Also, I spent nearly 7 years of my life working towards a degree, and still have a student loan to payoff, so it seems silly not to actually go back to work.  I had begun to establish myself in the community as a counsellor before I went on bedrest, and I would have to start back at square one if I waited too long.  Plus, I really do have an awesome job lined up.  My colleagues are wonderful.  They want me to be on their team and are helping me become established as a new counsellor.  They are willing to offer me a gradual re-entry to work, and letting me choose my own days/hours and work as much or little as I want at the beginning.  Plus they gave me a substantial pay raise to make it worthwhile for me to work.  It really doesn't get better than that. 

So, I will be returning to work in the fall.  I think it will be good for me.  But in many ways I just don't want to. 

I love this time at home with my boys!  I love our daily routine.  I love being there for every milestone, and every feeding (well mostly), and watching them grow day by day.  I know I won't miss out by being out of the home a few days a week, but still.  This is such a special time and I want to treasure every moment. 

It's going to be a good summer.  I'm so excited to make the most of it.