5 Minute Friday - Laundry

Laundry

Go.

Laundry is one of those things that makes me crazy. I'm all for clean clothes but doing laundry always seems like such effort - and it seems like the last load always needs to be put away at midnight.

I try to focus on the positives. We have clean clothes in overwhelming number. We have working machines to make it easier to tackle this beast. Yet I'm often left complaining.

The only time laundry doesn't get the better of me is when I think of it, like so many other chores, as a ministry to my family and not just another task to be done. Similarly to picking out clothes and choosing things they will like, I am restocking them with favorites and memories and that really ought to be enough.

The laundry beast will never be tamed but the stubbornness inside of me that does not want to allow this to be service is slowly being tempered.

Stop.

2 Weeks With My Guys

We have officially reached two weeks with our little guys!  The two questions I get asked most are: How are they sleeping? and How do you do it?  The first question is easy - most nights they are sleeping really well and we wake up between 1-4 times for bottles.  It just depends on the night, when they ate last before bed and how they are feeling.  Sometimes I feed one than the other which takes about 30-45 minutes start to finish including diaper changes.  Sometimes we double bottle feed which takes about 25 minutes start to finish.  They usually fall right back asleep after eating so I can too.  Occasionally one (or both) needs an extra cuddle, but that's not a big deal generally.

How do I do it?  One moment at a time.  We have had some really great days of clockwork schedules where everything just meshed...and some days of tantrum craziness where things felt crazy overwhelming.  And we just deal with it.  One moment at a time.  Truth be told as far as babies go, mine have all been really easy.  They generally don't cry a lot and they eat well.  Since we have those two things going for us, it makes it easier to enjoy them and easier to get things done.  I can't complain.

The girls are adjusting well.  Again, we have good days of helping with the brothers and days of "I just want you to play with ME and not the brothers", which I understand.  There is a little mommy guilt when I can't make everyone happy and it does feel like I favor giving attention to the boys - mainly because they need it more...but that will soon start to come together.  The girls are great about helping and we now have a permanent art and craft table set up so they entertain themselves a lot and are happy to do it.

Overall, I have great, easy kids and an amazing husband who is great with the kids and always willing to help.  If either of those factors were gone and I was left to my own devices I'm pretty sure it'd be a completely different picture.

I am going to start working on my weight loss/toning pretty soon although I do realize it took 9 months to stretch this belly out and things aren't going to snap right back into place.  I am 2-3 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, back in my regular jeans but my body is still a jiggly mess.  (And I'm totally ok with saying that on the internet!)  My goal is to get to a healthy weight but more so a healthy feel by Christmas so we'll see how that goes!  I want to make healthy choices but I'm also not so concerned with it that I'm going to go crazy at this stage either :)  This momma still needs her ice cream.

Happy two weeks boys!

Pictures of My Men (7 Days Old)

Jacob and Levi

Jacob and Levi

Jacob (top) and Levi

 

Levi

Levi

Levi

 

Jacob

Jacob

Jacob

Ok Mom, we're done now.

 

Levi and Jacob's Birth Story - October 4, 2013

October 4, 2013

Levi - 3:45pm
21.5in; 7lbs 3oz

 

Jacob - 4:06pm

21.5in; 7lbs 13oz

 

 

Hubs with Abi (2) and Jacob
Me with Grace (4) and Levi

The boys were scheduled to be induced on October 4th at 8am.  I was 39weeks +4 days and SO ready for them to arrive!  So of course, on the 3rd (Thursday night) we had Bible study at our house, ran some errands, ate ice cream, watched TV and generally killed time until 2am when we were both calm enough to try to sleep.  On Friday morning we got up early-ish and left the house at 7:45 to head to the hospital.  We took a "Game Time" picture that I'll have to get off my phone at some point.  Of course Aaron planned ahead and had "Eye of the Tiger" ready to go on his phone to play for our trip there.  We got checked in, got me and the babies hooked up to monitors and were ready to start the induction at 9:30am.  I felt like it may have been the day even if I hadn't been induced...but we won't get into those details :)

 

The day was a blur of upping the dosage of Pitocin and just hanging out waiting for things to happen...

11am - - 2cm

12:30pm - -  3cm & Doc broke water
1:15pm - - Epidural

2pm - - 4-5cm

2:50pm - - 6cm

 

I felt a lot of pressure at 2pm on and I seemed to be moving right along.  At 2:50 the nurse said she thought I'd be ready to deliver by 4pm.  Well at 3:20 I was really uncomfortable so she checked me again and I was at 9.5.  She said we need to call the Doctor - NOW.  And after that it was a mad rush of scrub hats, bunny suits (for the hubs), and getting wheeled down the hallway to the Operating Room (just in case).  I got in the room by 3:30pm and everyone was ready to go.  (We also got to listen to 80s rock during the delivery which was kind of fun!)

 

Levi was born first and quickly.  He was ready to come out at the point and take on the world!  I was told later he had great APGAR scores.  It was a little bittersweet because while I could see where he was, I couldn't really see him.  I got to give him a quick kiss before focusing on Jacob.

 

Jacob was NOT ready to come out and was still transverse right up near my rib cage.  We did a lot of pushing on my stomach and manipulating to get him ready to go.  We took a break at one point just to focus on oxygen and getting stabilized.  I worried about a C-section but my Doctor is awesome and I think she was as against it as I was (although willing to if we HAD to).  Finally he was ready to go and just took a little extra coaxing to come out. 

 

Aaron got to cut both cords and even got a lesson in placentas.  (My nurse then carried it around in what looked like an over sized yogurt container for awhile...it was kind of weird.)  I got to hold Levi while they cleaned Jacob up and then quickly the realization that there were two hit in full force as I got to hold them both as the wheeled me back to the recovery room. 

 

This was the first birth my mom didn't get to be there for the delivery (because of the operating room setting) so that was sad, but we were out of there within I would guess 10 minutes of Jacob's birth.  They were quick to get me back to the other room where we could really check out the boys.

 

I now have two beautiful sons and am so blessed as a momma.  I told them in the hospital that my prayer was they would love Jesus and be kind to girls.  I think most other things will naturally flow out of that.