My Rollercoaster Ride

Do you ever just have "one of those days"? Everything is going well and then... erkk... something happens that jerks you in your tracks. I had one of those yesterday.

My boys just began sleeping 8-9 hours a night and I was feeling on top of the world. Wow, I thought, what a great mom I am. I've got this all figured out. Twins are easy! (What do they say? Pride comes before a fall?) Then the boys started to get really good at rolling over. That's when my headache started.

I'm ecstatic that they've learned this new skill, but this now means they will wake up during a nap or in the middle of the night because they turned and don't know how to flip back. I wish I could go in every time to turn them over, but at the good advice of others and for the sake of my own sanity, I'm trying to teach them to get used to their new position. This means crying. A lot of crying.

I don't let them scream for a long time, but I do want them to be able to eventually soothe themselves. Ten minutes of two babies simultaneously crying a few times a day, though, and I'm feeling nutty. I can't even think straight. My husband came home from work and I said, "Would you mind if I laid down a bit?" I went in our room, popped two Advil, closed the door and came out twenty minutes later feeling a little more refreshed. Just another day.

Motherhood is such a rollercoaster ride. One moment you're on top of the world and the next minute you're on the verge of ripping your hair out. I guess it's helpful to know that kind of up-and-down thinking is completely normal. I'm not insane. I'm not a bad mom. This is how it is. Teaching two little ones how to survive and navigate in this world takes a lot of energy and it doesn't end when they go to sleep. Being a mom is a 24 hour job. It's overwhelming, exciting, fulfilling, frustrating and enjoyable all at the same time.

I'm going to try and remember days like this when I start to feel a little too confident about how well I'm doing. I think the Lord uses these days to teach US to rely on Him. There is no one more capable.

A Simple Thank You

I really enjoy cooking. Always have. I think it's one of those gifts I inherited from my mom. I'm not nearly as good as she is - especially since I still need to look at actual recipes - but I love experimenting. I enjoy looking through the sale ads to find the best prices, cutting coupons, and then enjoying the time at the table with my family.

I know it's my 'job' to prepare dinner every night. Still, I enjoy hearing my husband say, "Thank you." He doesn't have to. He knows that I will cook for him anyway. But I'll tell ya, there are few things I wouldn't do for him when I know he appreciates it!

It seems natural to expect a simple thank you for making dinner, but how many of us thank our husbands for what they do all day?

Our husbands work hard to provide for our families. They're up early and home late. They deal with stressful situations and difficult people. Let's let our homes be the one place in the world they want to retreat to, a place where they know they are respected and appreciated.

A simple thank you goes a long way. I encourage you to speak these words to your man. It may seem unnecessary at first, but I think you'll find that YOU'LL come to enjoy the effects of an appreciated husband, too!

FREE Holiday Mailing Labels

Want to get free holiday mailing labels? Just pay shipping! I found this through a great new site, http://www.forthemommas.com/:

1. Go to the printer site HERE
2. On the left hand side of the page, look for "Home and Family"
3. Choose "Holiday" then "Labels"
4. Design your holiday labels there
5. Checkout and just pay shipping and processing!

A New Journey

When I found out I was pregnant with twins, I couldn't believe it. Me? Two babies? At the same time? Yikes. Amongst feelings of utter excitement and joy, I felt anxious and nervous about this new endeavor. How would I be able to manage?

The shower gifts rolled in and filled our small apartment to the ceiling. Two car seats, two high chairs, two swings, and a double stroller. Two of every outfit, toy, and baby utensil imagineable. Oh, Lordy. How am I going to do this? I was extremely excited, knowing what a blessing this was, but still felt overwhelmed as to how everything would come together.

Thank God, we had a great pregnancy and delivery, with the boys arriving after 38 weeks. Every day was a challenge to keep two boys clean, fed, and healthy while also maintaining some kind of sanity in the routine for me. My husband and family was and continues to be a huge support, helping me often and whenever I need a break. But just when I would begin to feel confident in what I was doing, I'd watch other moms and their babies who were born around the same time. Other kids seemed to be sleeping 12 hours through the night and eat solid food on the first try. It seemed like I would never get ahead. How was I supposed to bathe these boys every day, much less trim their nails, keep them in clean clothes much less take pictures and keep track of things in their baby books? As a first-time mom, I thought it'd be years before I'd get it right.

Fast forward six months. My boys are contentedly napping in their cribs at the moment, clean and fed. I just finished a load of laundry and started prepping dinner to make my husband's favorite, beef stroganoff. Some days aren't as serene as this, but I'm feeling good about where I am. A wife, a friend, a mother. I have done many things wrong, but I've done things well, too.

I have created this blog to help encourage other moms through their journey, passing on any insight or encouragement I have received as I navigate through this new world. We are doing a good thing. A God thing. It's not a job that necessarily receives a lot of praise, attention, or prizes. But as you are well-aware, the rewards are out of this world.

My boys still aren't sleeping through the night, but we do get stretches of 8 hours at rare times. They're not quite convinced that they like solids yet either, but at least more seems to end up in their tummies than their bib. I am not superwoman, but I am learning not just to manage, but ENJOY each new day. One step at a time.