A day in the life

This is mostly for our benefit so we remember what our days were like at this stage.  But for those of you who are curious what a day is like at home with E and S, read on.  I'll give a 24 hour break-down:

Thursday
5:15 pm: Sit on the couch and feed the babies.  Burp them (mostly Ethan).

6:00 pm: Put them in the jogging stroller to go water our garden (it's by our old house, so I need to pack them up).  The front tire is flat on the jogger but the babies are already loaded up - push them over suspending the front wheel so I don't damage it.  Get to the garden and notice I dropped a glove.  Wheel them back over nearly to our house again and find the dropped glove.  Go back to the garden to handwater and turn on the sprinkler.

7:00 pm: They are hungry again.  Sit on the couch and feed them again.  Doug comes home from work.

7:30 pm: Get them in the Bumbos and feed them some solids - avocado mashed and mixed with my milk. Doug feeds Ethan while I feed Sydney from the same bowl.  I put some pasta salad I made (I actually made dinner!) in a bowl and chow down on my dinner while Doug finishes feeding them.

8:00 pm: Get out their bath and fill it with water on the counter.  They are COVERED in avocado.  I bathe Ethan and get him dressed.  Put Ethan in the Bumbo while I prepare their nightly bottles - my milk fortified with formula plus a little extra formula because I didn't have enough.  Pump.

8:15 pm: Doug bathes Sydney.  He picks her up and didn't notice that she'd blown out.  He has baby poo all over his shirt and on the mat he was using to get her undressed. 

8:30 pm: Bottles are finished and warmed.  I move some laundry to the dryer (I'd done 5 loads of laundry so far today) and throw Doug's shirt into the wash so it doesn't stain.  We start feeding them.

9:00 pm: Sydney is asleep and I work to get her to finish her bottle of just over 6 oz.  I put her in her bed after getting one burp up.  Pump.

9:30 pm: I burp Ethan while Doug hops on his bike and goes to our garden to turn off the sprinkler.  Ethan falls asleep and I put him in this bed.  This is just about record time!  I quickly do my nightly routine:
- Wash bottles and start the bottle sterilizer (we have no dishwasher).
- Do the day's dishes
- Clean up the Bumbos
- Put yet another load in the laundry
- Take the soiled burp cloths and dirty clothes to their laundry bin
- Clean up toys
- Pick up the house so I start the next day fresh

10:00 pm: Ethan wakes up with burps.  Burp him and soothe him back to sleep. Pump.

10:30 pm: Put Ethan in bed.  When I walk in their room, Sydney is awake.  Put Ethan down and pick up Sydney.  Burp Sydney.  She is acting wide awake.  Feed her another ounce in her bottle.  Put her down in the bouncer so I can finish my nightly routine thinking she might just fall asleep.  Grab a snack.

11:00 pm: Feed Sydney, or at least try to feed her - no luck.  Give her a teething tablet.  Put her back in the bouncer.  Pump.

11:15 pm: She's still awake.  I try burping her again.  No luck.  Put her back in the bouncer - pretty frustrated.

11:30 pm: Try feeding her again.  No luck.  Put her back in the bouncer and clean the kitchen (it's what I do when I'm stressed - clean.)

11:45 pm: Take her to bed with me while Doug stays up to work.  He has a psychological assessment to finish tonight and it's not close to being done.  Sydney just squirms and cries in bed. 

12:00 pm: Bring her to the living room and pour my pumped milk in a bottle and feed her 2 ounces.  Burp her and put her in bed.  I go to bed with many tears.  Doug tries to comfort me, but I was still upset.

2:30 am: Doug comes to bed, but I don't hear him.

2:40 am: Ethan wakes up crying.  Doug takes him to the living room so I can sleep.

3:00 am: Ethan is still crying pretty hard.  I go out and find that Ethan is pretty stuffy and Doug is trying to suction his nose.  I go back to bed and leave Doug up with him on only 10 minutes of sleep.  He's so great.

3:30 am: I feed Ethan in bed.

4:15 am: After trying multiple times to get Ethan to stay asleep in his bed, Doug grabs a blanket and pillow to sleep with Ethan in the recliner to help him sleep with the congestion.  He burps him first and tells me he was up until 5:30 am before sleeping in the recliner.  He's a trooper.

7:00 am: Doug puts Ethan in his bed and comes to bed.

8:00 am: Sydney wakes up and I feed her in bed hoping that Ethan will sleep a little longer since he was up for so long.  (I normally feed them together)

8:30 am: Ethan wakes up and I say to Doug, "you've got to be kidding me."  Doug leaves for work.  I feed the babies together.  Sydney has a blowout while I am feeding her.  I throw her clothes in the wash.

9:00 am: Sydney falls asleep and I put her in her bed. Pump. I burp a very fussy Ethan from 9:00 - 11:00.

10: 30 am: Ethan is still fussing.  I feed him again and burp him.

11:00 am: Ethan goes to sleep finally.  I have 1 hour to myself to pay bills, clean up, fold laundry from yesterday, throw a squash from the garden into the oven for them to eat later.

12:00 pm: Ethan wakes up.  I still haven't showered.  Lame.  I feed him again and then he has a blowout.  I was hoping that would happen twice today.  Put his clothes in the washer with the changing mat.

12:30 pm: Sydney wakes up and I feed them both together.  Burp them.

1:00 pm: Make myself a sandwich and eat it while I get out their bumbos and get their food ready - avocado.  Feed them and clean them up - so messy!

1:30 pm: They are both acting hungry still.  I feed them again.  Followed by the burping...

2:00 pm: Sydney falls asleep and I put her in bed.

2:15 pm: Ethan is still acting hungry.  I make him a bottle and feed and burp him.

3:00 pm: Ethan is asleep.  I bring him into their room to put him down and low and behold - Sydney is awake.  I take her out so she doesn't wake up Ethan.  I text Doug, "I literally think I am cursed."  Feed Sydney and then give her a bottle - formula because I have no more milk. 

3:45 pm: Doug calls to tell me he's on his way.  Yes.  Sydney then has yet another blowout.  Put her clothes in the washer with 2 other outfits in the washer from the previous blowouts.

4:00 pm: I go into their room to get an outfit and Ethan wakes up.  Seriously.  I calm him down and pat his back (if we catch him 'early' this works.)  He goes back to sleep.  That was a close one.

4:15 pm: Doug is home.  I get a few things done for work while he plays with Sydney.

5:00 pm: Ethan wakes up.  I feed them both while Doug blends up the squash.  We then set up the Bumbos and feed them the squash.  Sydney loves it.

After putting all of this 'on paper' I feel somewhat justified that I nearly lost it multiple times today.  Almost all parents of twins have told us that the first year is a blur and they don't remember anything.  I will remember this.  To be fair, this was a bit of a rough day.  Glad this one is over and I am heading to bed.  Let's hope TONIGHT and tomorrow are better.