I Will Share My Secrets

As much as I know you all enjoy short, little blog posts with pictures. Today, I decided to share some of the knowledge we have acquired in the past 11 months. So future moms, future moms of multiples—listen up. The following information COULD change your life. Even if it doesn’t, just tell me it did.

Bottle feeding. It’s going to happen. We happen to be a formula family and it works just fine for us. Over time, E and I like to think we have “mastered” our bottle routine. Now, I took these photos before we started to wean the babies off formula, so you are about to witness Operation Twins with Bottles in full effect.

It goes something like this….

At the end of the day, there are 10 bottles to wash…by hand. Santa Paws keeps forgetting to drop a dishwasher off at our house. Be jealous.

Once all the pieces are parts are washed, I allow them to dry on the rack overnight. Back in the day (like, 5 months ago), we used to dry them and assemble at night. Yes, it took us 6 months to realize that we were making more work for ourselves than necessary.

Then, I move out onto measuring out the formula scoopings for the next day. Now, I am not going to name drop, but we use a generic brand formula. It happens to rhyme with Barget. I suggest it if your baby and/or babies have no real formula issues. I don’t remember who thought of it (E, I am sure), but we decided when the babies were newborns that if we had the formula pre-measured, it would make those delirious 3AM feedings better. Pure genius. Who wants to scoop out formula while rubbing one eye? Wait. Do I hear you snickering at my pink kitchen? Came with the house, it is the bane of my existence. Am too lazy to fix it.

Speaking of being one step ahead of the game. During one of her first visits after our release from the hospital, my mom noticed E and I frantically filling bottles with our filtered water. In another stroke of genius, she recommended pre-filling the bottles with water too. Since we didn’t heat or cool the bottles anyway, the babies were used to room temperature water. So alas, we pre-measure the water too.

Now, I am sure you’re asking, “What’s with the rubber band?” That, my friends, is a perfect way to tell bottles apart especially when one person is feeding both babies at the same time. Also, at one point, Olivia would take more formula than Ethan, meaning she had different measurements. Of course, now that the babies are mobile, they will help themselves to any bottle they see bringing the rubber band to a moot point I suppose.

Instead of standing at the sink and precisely measuring water from the filter for each bottle, we fill a jug. Made with real babies.

At this point, I am done for the evening with bottles.

Bright and early the next morning, my helper joins me to finish the bottle process. Cute, isn’t he? Alright, he’s really only there for the Cheerios, but he’s pretty good company.

Then, my friends, the process is complete. Life feels pretty good when there aren’t any bottle duties hanging over my head. The angels sing softly in the background…..

Now, you may be noticing the numbers affixed to the lids of some of the bottles. That is because the babies take different amounts at different feedings. They take 7 ounces each in the morning, 6 ounces during the day and 8 ounces at bedtime. Yeah, I know. Crazy. A lot of trial error with those numbers, but these seem to keep the kids the happiest.    This also leads to separate formula container for special sized bottles of course.

So that’s it. It’s probably the most organization in our lives at the moment, sadly enough. Does anyone have anything to add? Leave a comment! Oh and if you’re an aspiring kitchen remodeler….call me.

Once last glimpse of my helper because I just love his bed head.

Christmas, 4 Months, New Years and the Pewp Eye

Happy New Year Bloggy World!  Yes, I realize it is 19 days into it, but since this is my first post of the year, I am going to go with it.

Ok, have a good one.... Bye!

Fooled you!  Nearly a month of being dormant and you think I would do that?

Ok, I probably would..

So Christmas was a blur.   But man, isn't this one of the cutest babies you've ever seen?

Let me preface this with, my kids are four months old. They slept through every gift opening opportunity and didn't give a crap about Santa.  Maybe next year.

Shortly after Christmas, they turned four months old.  Enjoy their pictures (which they were not in the mood to pose for in any way)....That's okay though, we all can't be super stars ALL the time.

Then it was New Year's and they wore their little OSU shirts and watched the Rose Bowl. They could barely contain their excitement.  Really.

The holiday season came to an end with the appearance of an awful nemesis of mine. The Pewp Eye.  Better known as pink eye or conjunctivitis.  And wouldn't you know it, once Olivia got rid of it, Ethan had it.  Ah, life with twins I tell ya!

So we're up to speed here. I am saving all their fun four month activities for the next post, because it is really getting exciting around here...

Here is a hint...

Santa!!! We KNOW him!!!

From our crazy house to yours, have a wonderful Christmas!

Oh yeah... 3 Months Old...

In the excitement of getting wonderful Christmas Card Pictures , I forgot to blog on their 3 month birthday. Enjoy my kids...





The kids also celebrated their very first Thanksgiving at their Great Aunt Margaret's house. On a side note, Olivia did have on a dress, but you know.... She had other plans. This is also our first family photo without me being on an operating table.



People have been asking if I think Olivia and Ethan are similar. What do you think?



We've been researching new entertainment endeavours.



And practicing our Ho, Ho, Ho's for Santa!