Homemade Pouches: Hidden Veggies

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If you don't have one of these Infantino Squeeze Stations to make your own fruit and veggie filled pouches at home, then you should stop reading this now. Go to Amazon. Buy a station and don't forget a 50ct pack of the pouches (you'll want them!) Wait for it to be delivered. Then hit up the grocery store!

These pouches are good for babies who are just starting out on solids because you can make them yourself and know exactly what fruit or veggie you are serving them. Plus, Infantino has these cute little spoon attachments so you can feed baby from a spoon, even on the go.

The boys are 14 months now and we have been experimenting with homemade pouch flavors since I received this as a Christmas present (Thanks T's!) I ALWAYS always always always throw a vegetable into these flavorful combinations... because, why not?

I make a huge batch about once a month or so. And it doesn't take much time. You don't have to cook these fruits or veggies before you puree them. It's no different than making a ton of "green smoothies" ... but they don't all have to be green. I end up using whatever leftover fresh fruits and veggies I have "in stock", along with frozen fruits and veggies, and add milk, yogurt, almond milk, applesauce, oatmeal... Whatever!

 Here's what my pouch making station consists of:

• all fresh fruits and veggies I want to use up
• half used bags of frozen fruits and veggies I want to get rid of
• pouch making station and pouches
• food processor, puree-er, blender
• yogurt, milk, applesauce, juice
• towels to cover surfaces because I'm a mess in the kitchen

In about 20 minutes or so I made a full freezer shelf-full (very accurate measurement, I know) of pouches in about 5 different flavor combinations. Here are a couple of the recipes I made today:
(Each "recipe" makes about 5 pouches worth of puree, so multiply as needed!)

• Green pouch (think green smoothie)
•  Frozen spinach, 1 whole banana, almond milk, spoonful of Greek yogurt and a handful of frozen mango, 1/2 cup frozen sliced zucchini
• Purple pouch (very berry smoothie)
• 1 cup mixed frozen berries (cherries, raspberries and blueberries), almond milk, 1 whole banana, spoonful of Greek yogurt, 1 cup of frozen sliced zucchini
• Yellow/orange-y pouch (Pumpkin pie smoothie)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 whole banana, 1 cup applesauce, almond milk, 1 spoon of Greek yogurt, pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 cup chickpeas

Have you ever tried making your own pouch foods? Do you know how much money you could save versus buying the pre-made pouches?

**Disclosure

How I Imagine the Singleton Life

"How would my parenting style be different if I had only had one baby?" I ask myself this on a daily basis. Sometimes more. I know attachment-parenting style parenting is possible with twins, but not something I really got into. However, if I had only one baby at a time, I'm pretty sure even Andy would have to fight me to get his hands on that kid. I would be that mom.

What would be different? I'm glad you asked...

Gone are the days of needing me to feed them.

1. I would breastfeed. I was able to do it with the twins but I know it would have been so.much.easier with a singleton. I would have more time to devote to said singleton baby and less stress. Also, now that I am more experienced as a parent, I would hope that this would be more second-nature to me. Breastfeeding in public (or at least out of the house) would be much easier as well. I'm a professional formula mixer at this point but I miss the days of breastfeeding and that bonding time. Plus, if we're being completely honest, I liked being the only one able to feed my babies. Sorrynotsorry.

 2. I would have not announced my pregnancy so soon. I heard that with twins you start showing at, oh, 5 weeks pregnant? Kind of kidding, but not really. I wanted to tell people before they were able to figure it out for themselves (and I had to tell work due to the nature of my job) but I didn't start to show until 4 1/2 months. I was actually kind of small throughout the whole pregnancy until the final few weeks when I literally (okay, not literally) exploded. Having to tell people early was super stressful on me. People always wanted to talk about my pregnancy and babies and how little sleep I would be getting soon. All I wanted to was focus on growing two tiny humans without any added stress. And eat. I wanted to eat all.the.time.

Professional baby-wearing Daaa

3. I would BABY-WEAR THE HECK OUT OF THAT BABY. Sorry for yelling, but this is the only downfall to having twins. Baby-wearing two babies is possible, but just not convenient, comfortable or easy. The few times I did wear one of the babies (read: Emmett) I loved it. Also, pass the baby? Not necessary. To this day, I still resent the fact that as soon as other people were around, I had no "rights" to holding either of my children and I would miss them while they were still in the same room. You're probably playing the world's smallest violin for me right now, but it is a legitimate feeling. I will not be made to feel bad because I held my kids too much!

4. I would go out more. Run errands. Get out of the house. Do the grocery shopping during the week so that weekends could be spent relaxing as a family. Hang out with friends more. I can handle the idea of one baby having a melt-down in public, but if two were to reach "code: disaster" at the same time... just no. I spend a lot of time at home with the boys and that's lovely. But it would be nice to pack a baby up on a whim and head out to Starbucks... carry in a singular baby, order, and pack up a singular baby back in his car seat. Sounds like a piece of coffee cake!

5. I would be sad that I didn't have twins. Yup. As much work as they are, they are worth every grey hair and dirty diaper.

Love these goofballs!

DIY Fleece Crib Teething Guard

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This idea is SO GENIUS that I don't know why I didn't think of it first. I'm not a creative person, if you can't tell from my previous arts-and-craftings posts, but even I can do this. The boys only have 2 bottom teeth right now, so I may have jumped the gun on this as far as the necessity of it goes, but it can't hurt to have it in place early. Oliver specifically is big on gumming and/or mouthing things and you just never know when more teeth are going to pop up. But we're ready - so bring it on teefers!

It took me about an hour to make these DIY fleece crib teething guards. And that was with "help" in the form of two tiny, crazy people who kept sitting on my fleece, stealing my scissors and running off with my measuring tape. If they were hired help, I would have fired them. But, alas, I am forced to put up with their shenanigans day in and day out. Could be worse, I suppose. They could have spit up on my fleece. Or cut their hair with the scissors. Or tied up one of my cats with the tape... it actually didn't go that badly, now that I think of it. 

The "help" hard at work.

The only thing you need for this project that you don't already have within about 20 feet of you is fleece. About a yard of fleece per crib. We took an afternoon errand-running trip to JoAnns Fabrics for this and scored 2 yards of super cute owl patterned fleece for less than ELEVEN BUCKS. SCORE. #winning. Heck yeah. That's a steal when you're comparing it to purchasing one (probs not even in a cute pattern) for about $30 from Target, Amazon or Babies R Us. Yes, that's $30 EACH. 

While at JoAnns Fabrics, all of the little old ladies shopping for crafting supplies stopped to "oooh" and "aaaah" at the boys, who were just chilling in their stroller, loving the attention. Somehow 3 of the ladies in the store managed to work into the small talk that they also had twins. One lady apparently didn't even know she was pregnant until she popped out 2 babies. But that was 40 years ago. Thank the Lord Baby Jesus (sorry for the Talladega Nights reference there) for modern medicine, prenatal care, and fetal monitoring.

Running off with my measuring tape... again!

Here's the instructions for those of you who need them... it's so super easy though!

1. Measure the length of the section of crib you are covering. Write it down. Measure the width (all the way around the rail) and add 3 inches to each side, for an additional 6 inches. This is so you will have enough fabric to make the ties. Write this number down.

2. Cut out a piece of fabric with these measurements and fold it in half "hot-dog" style (Yup, that's the technical term). Cut 3 inch slits into the non-folded side, about 1 1/2 - 2 inches apart all the way along the length of the fabric.

3. Place fabric over the rail and begin double knotting using the ties you have just cut. Any pieces that cannot be tied (parts that are right at a rail) can be tucked up under the cover for a finished presentation.

4. Repeat with all rails that baby can nom on. DONE! Boom.

**Disclosure 

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins

 

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I am a huge fan of sleep. I would choose to sleep over pretty much anything else, given the choice. I am also a huge fan of my babies sleeping because that means downtime (and sleep!) for me! One thing I definitely wanted to make sure we had down by the time the boys were a few months old was healthy sleep habits. I am a member of an online message board community so that I can keep up to date on current baby topics and see what milestones the boys should be hitting along with other babies who are the same age - and I am always beyond shocked to see the number of parents who do not know what healthy sleep habits for theirs babies are.

Beyond shocked might be a bit of an understatement --- I frequently call Andy over to show him a post that goes something like this... "My 8 month old won't sleep for more than an hour at a time and we are still getting up 6-8 times a night to nurse! Help! Also, he doesn't go to sleep until 10 p.m. and he sleeps in a co-sleeper and my husband snores really loudly and everyone is a light sleeper!" These people usually also note that every time baby wakes up, they nurse him back to sleep and put him in a food coma, rock/shush/pat for 30 minutes and then by the time that whole process is done, baby is ready to wake up again! I just.can't.imagine.

Here are a few things I implemented early to make sure that we were on the right track as far as healthy sleep habits go. Bonus: If you instill these habits early enough, you may not have to resort to any sort of extreme sleep training, such as the cry-it-out or Ferber method which can be harsh on both baby and parents alike. SWEET!

1. Babies need an early bed time. WAY earlier than I initially thought. We start our bedtime routine at 7 p.m. and everyone (well, the babies...) is asleep by 7:30 p.m. This is even a bit later than recommended by most sleep coaches and experts but it's what works for our family. Keeping the boys up any later than that and we risk them becoming over-tired (read: not going to sleep easily and/or waking up throughout the night.)

2. Each baby goes in his crib. Every night. Every time. Forever. I cannot stress this one enough, although I know it is a very controversial topic - especially for those practicing attachment parenting. Yes, putting a 5 pound baby in a large, empty, cold crib by himself is sad and scary... but, for our babies at least, it was the best for them. They learned to sleep in their cribs alone from night one and they do not get to come to bed with us if they wake up in the middle of the night. This is where comfort objects come into play - Wubbanubs, swaddling, small stuffed animals or loveys. Anything baby can grab in the middle of the night for comfort that is size and age appropriate.

3. The crib goes in the nursery. Not in your room. Not in the living room while you sleep on the couch for the first year of your life. Not in the nursery BUT you have an air mattress in there and sleep right next to the crib at night. That's not healthy or comfortable for you (or your relationship with your husband, I'll go ahead and assume!) Babies tend to be light sleepers and mothers who have babies in the same room tend to be even more of a light sleeper. Happy, healthy, well-rested mom = happy, healthy baby.

4. Teach baby to fall asleep on his own. Nursing/feeding to sleep is tempting. Rocking a baby to sleep multiple times a night is just something new moms do. But after a few months, baby needs to learn to fall asleep on his own. Most infants cannot soothe themselves to sleep until after 4 months old, so you'll need to tough it out until then. Make sure you have a solid bedtime routine established. Bath, dry nighttime diaper (super important!), swaddling or sleep sack, white noise - all of those are sleep cues that let your baby know it is nighttime, not nap time!

One of the best tips I have heard is to always put your baby down drowsy, but awake. They will learn to fall asleep on their own. If they fall asleep eating, they will need to eat every time they wake up in order to go back to sleep. Same goes for pacifiers. A well rested baby wakes up super happy in the morning... the proof is in the smiles!

Do you have any questions about gentle sleep training methods for twins or trying to establish healthy sleep habits? I'm not an expert, but I do have 8 months of experience behind me now and would love to help you work through any questions you may have!

Disclaimer: I am not an expert or medical professional of any kind. AAP recommendations suggest that having baby's crib in the same room as mom/dad may help lower the risk of SIDS. My photos and experiences do not reflect practicing perfect AAP recommendations, but it is what works for our family. 

November is Prematurity Awareness Month

November is Prematurity Awareness Month. Bet you didn't know that, right? Unless you were a NICU preemie parent --- I barely fit into that category. As a mom of babies who were, so thankfully, only in the NICU for a few hours for monitoring, I had no idea until just a few days ago.

I follow the Huffington Post for parents on Facebook and they have been doing a month-long series on Prematurity Awareness. Some of the articles are heartbreaking. Some are inspirational. All of them make me stop and think about how blessed I am that my babies made it SO CLOSE to full term and were healthy.

Here are some of the best articles I have been reading. Put your big girl panties on and grab a few tissues --- fair warning!

--- Meet 51 Babies Who Were Born Too Soon --- These are short stories with pictures of 51 preemies and where they are now. A good number of them were twins. Many of them were premature due to the mother developing preeclampsia (the reason I was induced) and a small number of them actually weighed more than my boys did at birth (amazing!)

--- I Am a Preemie Parent --- One woman's story about what it's like to be told your child is going to die. Every day. For months.

--- The Surprising Thing I Learned from Having a Micro-Preemie --- This baby spent 156 days in the NICU. Mom couldn't hold her baby for the first 30 days, but she has such a wonderful outlook on life!

--- 10 Things Not to Say to a NICU Mom ---  a little bit of a comedic reprieve. But seriously, don't say these things. You might not want to even say them to a mom of a full-term baby.

--- 20 Things Not to Say to a Mom of a Preemie --- in case the last list didn't get through to you, read this one. If you're going to say something, stop. Rethink. Then speak. These moms have enough to deal with as it is.

 --- 10 Incredible Gifts for NICU Families --- Do you know someone with a preemie or a NICU family? Wondering how you can reach out to them? Here are 10 great ideas to show and share some love with the family.

Just minutes old and already had an IV and monitors in place!

Just chillin' in the NICU with "Daaaa"

Were you a NICU family, or do you know a NICU family? I'd love to hear any stories you have as well as any tips for NICU parents!

Product Review - Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Puppy and Friends Learning Table

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Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Puppy and Friends Learning Table

We received this toy as a gift right after the babies were born. To be quite honest, it's one of only a handful of toys that we have that requires batteries. Aside from the Exersaucers and one other toy, we have a household full of wooden or non-electronic toys. YAY US! Wooden toys have their place, and I love them as much as the boys do. But they really love this toy. It sings, beeps, lights up, makes all sorts of loud, obnoxious noises and just generally gets these 20 second-long children's songs stuck in your head.

When we first received it, I considered exchanging it for something that was not electronic. Ain't nobody got time for that though, so I begrudgingly gave in and opened it. It's pretty awesome.

For the first 8 or so weeks, it sat in the closet. But as soon as the boys started to develop their neck muscles and could hold their heads up a bit for tummy time, I collapsed it down on 2 legs so that they were able to see and occasionally touch a few buttons.

A few months old and learning Spanish already!

 Around 5-6 months they were able to use it sitting up...

"MOST EXCITING TOY EVER!" -Oliver

Now, at 8 months, they are just starting to stand and cruise around it to the different areas. Or just stand up and scream at each other because they are so proud of themselves.

Standing is really hard, adult baby work!

Features:

1. ABC's, colors, shapes
2. Spanish mode
3. Musical mode - all of these songs are now engraved into my memory
4. Playtime (computer sounds, piano, just general noises)

A few CONS: 

1. It's loud. Babies are loud. This toy is louder.
2. It comes with a little blue phone (not pictured in my photos, but it is in the photo at the top of this post) but it is not attached to the toy so it's ALWAYS MISSING. 
3. The legs are really hard to take on and off... but you shouldn't have to do that too often. 

This toy would make a great Christmas gift for baby - not necessarily a baby shower gift though as it is not essential and they can't use it for a while. Bonus points if you can find one for cheap at a yard sale on online yard sale!

Need additional Christmas present ideas? Check
out these posts and product reviews!
--- Top 10 Baby Items from a Mom of Twins
--- Munchkin Fresh Food Feeders
---3 Awesome Baby Shower Gift Ideas (or Christmas presents for a new baby!)

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3 Things I Wish I Would Have Done While Pregnant...

First photo together!

 This time last year I was pregnant, knowingly expecting twins, but not yet knowing that they were both boys! Looking back at the past year there are a few things I wish I would have done and/or done better. IF I were to re-do this whole preggy thing again, these will be on the top of my to-do list so I don't miss out on the memories... again!

3 things I wish I would have done while pregnant...

1. Kept a log/scrapbook/journal - anything! Something I could have kept ultrasound photos in with dates and estimated weights of the babies. Something to log dates of when I first felt them move, our anatomy scan or even when and how we announced our pregnancy to our family and friends. Sure, Facebook has done an okay job keeping track of some of that but I actually kept most of my pregnancy off of social media - photos of my baby bump are carefully stashed away, for the most part!

Andy kept a mental log of my complaints and pregnancy symptoms - just to use against me in the future, I'm sure, but a year later I can barely remember some things. I will never forget the acid reflux though. I actually thought I was dying the first time I got it - Christmas Eve to be exact. That will forever be burned into my memory! I would definitely recommend keeping a journal - if only as a reminder of how miserable you were!

Almost 2 weeks old and swimming in newborn clothing!

2. Purchased a handful of preemie outfits. Yeah, this one never even crossed my mind with the twins. I knew the chances were pretty high that they would be at least a little premature but I was convinced that I was going to carry them to term (still convinced that I COULD have if I wouldn't have had to be induced!) and that they would go straight into newborn sized clothing. Well, they were a little early and a little small and looked more than a little ridiculous in newborn sized clothing.

Even if I would have had just an outfit or two for each of them so they could be in well-fitting clothing for photos, that would have been a step up. I had months to prepare and I forgot to get them clothing! First time mommy problems.

6 months pregnant...

3. Taken one final belly picture. I have very few pictures of my pregnant self, by choice. I have maybe 2 or 3 made public to the world, a few from my baby shower and a small stash of other ones hidden away on my husband's computer where no one can find them. Not because I am self-conscious. Not because I hated being pregnant. Just because I'm a fairly private person and I did not want my pregnant self posted all over the internet for everyone to see and judge.

I do wish I would have remembered to take one last picture on the day I was induced, when I was at my largest. Not for Facebook. Just for me.

Do you have anything you really wish you would have done? Anything you're definitely doing for next time (ha... next time!)???

3 New Parent Myths - Debunked.

You've heard these 3 new parent myths everywhere. You've seen them on TV. Your relatives have said "Good luck functioning on ___ hours of sleep!" You've mentally prepared for this mythical "midnight diaper run" ever since you found out you were pregnant. But I'm here to tell you these are legitimately just myths. I find it strange that nearly everyone told me these 3 things while I was pregnant and shortly after having the boys. But yet not a single one has ever rung true in this household. I could just be lucky. But 3/3 makes it seem more as though been-there-done-that parents are just trying to scare the newbies. But why??? Is this similar to fraternity initiation hype? I'm just straight up confused.



Midnight diaper runs. 

Mythical scenario: You have 2 diaper changing "stations" and a diaper bag in your house, minimum. SOMEHOW in the CRAZINESS of being a new parent, you run out of diapers. In every spot in the house. And it's the middle of the night. Supposedly this is when Dad runs to the store in his pajamas to pick up the only pack of diapers left on the shelf - and it's the wrong size. Insert disaster of some sort here. 

One of our "Diapy Stations" throughout our house

More likely scenario: You realize you are down to your last BOX of diapers. You add it to your shopping list. You text your husband to get some on the way home from work. It's Sunday and you feel like going to Target anyway, even though that box of diapers will last you through the week. Who doesn't feel like getting out of the house to go to Target? [Hi, I'm Nikkie and I have an addiction to shopping at Target. I've been clean for... 3 days? If we don't count window shopping online. Then we're at about... 27 minutes.]

Most likely scenario: You have a stash or closet full of boxes of diapers (guilty) and when your babies are close to outgrowing one size, you still have 2 more boxes of that size to scramble to get through. It'll be a tight fit for a week or 2 until you can break open that new box of size 3's, but you'll do it! What the fudgenuggets is a midnight diaper run???

You will never have time to shower. Ever. EVER. 

Mythical scenario: It's the one you've seen on TV over and over again. New mom, hair a mess, spit up on clothing, maybe some poop, too? Mom breaks down crying when family member drops by because they are SO disgusting and haven't showered for a week. You know how that one goes.

More likely scenario: The longest you may go without showering is 2-3 days and that is while you are in labor/shortly after labor when you don't (or can't physically) get up due to pain. I skipped one shower while in the hospital because I couldn't stand up without support. That's it. I have successfully showered every day since and I am very proud of it. Your baby naps, right? Your baby can play by himself and/or entertain himself in a Pack N Play or Exersaucer for 5 minutes, right? You have no excuse!

"Baby jail" is a baby-proofed, secure place for these hooligans

Most likely scenario: You'll take a shower every morning - but it'll be a quickie-5-minutes-or-less shower during the week and a "luxurious" 10 minute shower complete with shaving your legs on the weekends when hubby is home to keep track of the boys. You may still forget to brush your teeth though. And make-up most likely won't happen.

Say good-bye to sleep.

Mythical scenario: You are a zombie. You have not slept since baby was born 9 months ago. The second baby closes his eyes and you tip-toe out of the nursery and crash on your bed, baby is awake again. I repeat: you.have.not.slept.in.months.

More likely scenario: The first few months will be rough. You'll sleep in small increments. 1 1/2 - 3 hour spurts. But you get to go to bed when baby goes to bed (ideal bed time is 7 p.m.!) If you do stay up past that time, use it to do some research on sleep coaching/training/learning and put it to use once your baby is old enough, about 4 months old.

All babies sleep eventually!

Most likely scenario: It'll be hit or miss after the first few months. Baby may sleep through the night occasionally. Sometimes. Maybe never - but once or twice a night feedings don't last forever. I cannot stress healthy sleep habits for babies enough! It has helped me keep my sanity (and sleep) and can do the same for yours. You don't need to pat baby's butt for 35 minutes to get him to sleep each time (and he gets up 5-10 times a night, of course) he wakes up. That's just not healthy for anyone.

What have your family members and friends scared you with while you were pregnant? Have you actually been one of those people who did make a midnight diaper run? Or do you prefer to be the person who hasn't showered in a week?

Top 5 (classic) Books for Baby

You know what all of those dreamy-looking nursery photos that you see on Pinterest all have in common? Books. A bookshelf full of beautiful, classic, board books for baby. Who wouldn't want to have a full bookshelf in their nursery so baby can grow up and be super smart??? Books are timeless and fun, full of memories for us and memories-to-be for baby. They say that the more books you have in your house, the smarter your baby will be. It could have something to do with socioeconomic status, but sure, let's say it's the books anyway!

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Want to see how we made these bookshelves? Read this!

What are some books that you remember from your childhood? I came up with 5 books that I put on the boys' baby registry/Christmas lists so that they can have them for their own mini library. Books make great baby shower gifts (along with something simple, like diapers!) since you can write a "card" on the inside cover and call it a day! Several people did that for our shower and whenever I open up a book, I tell the boys who it was from.

Rainbow Fish: We got the box set of 3 board books as a gift. They matched our nursery decor (sharks, gray/white/blues) perfectly on our bookshelves but more importantly I remembered the Rainbow Fish story for my childhood. I'm pretty sure Andy never had any of these books growing up because he claims he has never heard of them and he has no emotional attachment to them. He was more of an electronics guy, though. The 3-set of Rainbow Fish books are great for more than just entertainment and their sentimental value - the 3 pack lets me read one out loud while the boys each put one in their mouths! How convenient!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: Another blast from the past. I can still remember the tune? rhyme? iambic pentameter? whatever style it was written in playing in my head, but without the words. Andy refuses to read this book because he thinks it's stupid but I think it is fun and the boys LOVE looking at all the bright colors, shapes, letters...


Corduroy: I have this one the boys' Christmas lists. It's a classic book, in my opinion and I can't wait to read it to them some day. I'll probably also take them to Build-A-Bear one day and let them make their own "Corduroys." What a fun trip that will be!


The Very Hungry Caterpillar (and friends!): We received this set of 3 board books as another gift. These stories are fun and classic. They also have a caterpillar toy to go with the story and I plan on having a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" themed first birthday (or maybe second birthday... the 1 year mark is already creeping up super fast!) party for them.


Oh.em.gee! They're already more than 7 months old! Insertmeltdownhere!


Oh, The Places You'll Go!: I don't specifically remember this book from my childhood. I should have my mother verify if I did or did not have it I suppose, but it's a classic and it's Dr. Seuss. You can't have a nursery bookshelf without some good ol' Dr. Seuss. If I ever get the honor of hosting a baby shower in the future, I'm going to purchase this book and use it as the guest book, having each guest write a note to baby throughout it. That's not my idea, of course, you can thank Pinterest.

What books did you grow up with and now have on baby's book shelf?

Nesting - Putting Together a Minimalist Nursery

It seems like nursery decor goes one of two ways - minimalist or way-oh-my-god over the top! While browsing Pinterest - something that by now you know I NEVER do - I have come across both types of nurseries. I knew I would be on the more minimalist side of the debacle because I wanted to keep the nursery low-cost and also fairly basic so I could adjust it to grow with my boys. No "big boy" wants a room that still looks like a baby room. Here are some of the DIY projects we did while nesting!

As you may have seen from my previous Nursery Tour post, the room is basic and uncluttered. The walls are grey with a grey and white striped accent wall. I had seen bunches of nurseries in this color scheme on Pinterest and I knew right from the beginning that's what I wanted! It's calming, matches everything and will still look good when my boys are older. Even if we had girls, the walls would have been painted this way.

This was hour #3 - and I'm pretty sure we hadn't figured out our measuring mistake yet!

Andy used to work in the Home Depot paint department so he knows his shizz when it comes to painting. I will have to ask him to put together a guest post tutorial on picking out paint supplies and colors - but I definitely won't have him write one on actually PAINTING the striped wall. Disaster. He swears he will never do it again. And not to bring this up for the millionth time... but the stripes are all different sizes. Umm. Yeah. It might be a big deal to some people but it's actually not that noticeable. It's only a matter of a few inches here and there... That's what she said.

DIY Mobile

In my Pinterest-ing adventures, I came across these beautiful mobiles. I wanted them. But they were $63.00. EACH. Ain't nobody got the money for that! Even though I am the least crafty person I know, I decided to make mobiles myself and I'm proud to say they turned out decently - I'm sure you could do a better job though - and they only cost $18.00 for BOTH. 

Not bad, not bad at all!

What you'll need: (for two!)

• Two hoops of some sort or another type of base (I purchased the 2 most inexpensive wooden hoop things at Jo-ann Fabrics. They were about $3 each.)
• Ribbon to cover the wooden hoop (I chose sheer, slightly glittery ribbon in 3 colors - silver and two blues from the dollar store)
• Shape punch (optional) I borrowed a star shaped punch from my Grandmother. You can use whatever or even hand cut shapes if you're patient enough.
• Ribbon in various lengths (again, I went to the dollar store and chose several colors of thin ribbons)
• Glue
• Pretty paper - about 6 sheets per mobile. Jo-Ann Fabrics has a wide variety of thick, card making papers. You'll need extra if you want to do both sides to cover the ribbon and glue to give it a more finished appearance. I didn't have the patience to do this.
• Clear string or thread (to suspend mobile from the ceiling)
• Appropriate hardware to hang mobile

Instructions:

1. Cut various lengths of ribbon that will hang from the mobile. Punch or cut out shapes from paper. Glue shapes onto ribbon - do both sides if you want a more finished look. Let dry.

2. Tie ribbon to hoop and adjust lengths to your liking. Take sheer ribbon and cut into pieces that are just long enough to tie around hoop and give character to the top of the mobile. Tie ribbon the whole way around the hoop.

3. Use clear string or thread to attach to hoop. Have husband (you're pregnant, remember?) attach hardware to ceiling and hang mobile!

4. Celebrate the fact that you saved so much money for something that is not 100% necessary to have in a nursery!

Bookshelves from Spice Racks

If you're on Pinterest, like ever, I'm sure you've seen the ten thousand nursery decor pins that show these cute little spice racks - you guessed it - turned into bookshelves. I saved this idea in the depths of my brain the first time I saw this. I knew I wanted to do that for the boys' nursery. Not optional. It's a thrifty alternative to those costly bookshelves - and super cute, too!

The boys have quite a book collection already!

We purchased 6 of them from IKEA - they're really inexpensive since they're technically spice racks, not bookshelves. Andy painted them white to contrast the grey nursery wall. Let them dry. Hung them. Voila! Seriously, that's it. It was so easy and inexpensive. Somebody was a genius. But it wasn't me.


I'd love to see any DIY projects or nursery decor that you have done! 

Ridiculous Baby Items - Top 5

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New moms are overwhelmed with literally millions of suggestions of random baby STUFF to choose from. A lot of junk. A lot of unnecessary items. A lot of cool gadgets that are over-priced that you will actually never use. So.much.stuff!

In researching what I wanted to purchase or put on our baby registry for the boys, I came across so many completely silly items. I put together a list of things I definitely did not want! I don't want the clutter in my house. I didn't want anyone to spend money on such a superfluous, useless item. I'm not saying these items don't have their place... they just don't have their place in MY house.

5. Crib Bedding Set: Seems practical, right? Nope. Babies can only safely use 1 piece of the bedding sets... the crib sheet! You can find a crib sheet, in cute patterns and colors even, for about 10 bucks. A bedding set costs about $100 on average although I have seem custom ones on Etsy (repeat offender for over-priced, useless baby items!) for nearly $400! Sweet baby Jesus are they cute, though, so I can see the appeal. However, most bedding sets don't have the breathable, mesh bumper pads. Safety hazard numero uno. Babies can't  use comforters for at least the first year. Hazard numero dos. Crib skirt, meh. Maybe if you have a cutesy little girl nursery. All in all, kind of superfluous.

This Etsy shop has some BEAUTIFUL items... but this seems like a safety hazard!

4. Designer baby clothes: Even handcrafted "designer" clothes. Etsy is especially guilty of this! A specialty onesie for $50... a "coming home" from the hospital outfit for $75! You could literally buy an entire wardrobe in a size for your baby with that kind of money! A cute holiday outfit is one thing, but I still wouldn't pay more than maybe $15. A whole wardrobe of designer clothing, shoes, hair bows, etc... no way!

If you want something like this but don't want to spend $50... you could always just make it?

3. Wipes Warmer: Seriously, save your $25 and buy MORE DIAPERS and/or wipes for the new baby. They need diapers. They don't need their tiny little butts pampered with perfectly warmed moist towelettes. What happens when baby starts to grow up and realizes the that world is a cold, uncaring place that doesn't have warmed toilet paper to clean their tiny little butts with? They will cry. They will cry a lot. And it will be in public. Speaking of public, what do you do when you're on the go??? Carry this thing with you? Nope. Nope nope nope.

It's cute! It's pink! But, really?

2. "Baby Keurig": Again, seriously? If you're going to be formula feeding, save your $200 and buy FORMULA. It's expensive enough. You definitely shouldn't need a Keurig machine to mix and heat bottles for you unless you're a new mom, have severe OCD and are completely incompetent. I did read a message board post about a new mom who WAS mixing formula incorrectly, adding too many scoops of powder and wondering why her baby couldn't get anything through the nipple. Seriously. If it will help you sleep at night and not have to wonder if baby's milk is the right temperature or if you shook the bottle hard enough, go for it. But personally, I have many other uses for $200.

$160 buys us TEN large containers of formula... or you could buy this.

And finally, the number one most ridiculous baby item I have come across... and I still can't get over how ridiculous it is! 

1. Wearable Baby Monitoring equipment: Mother of God, WHY would you want one of these? Even as a new parent, I would never never never want to have one these things. There are many of them on the market these days. Most of them attach to your baby's diaper or foot and then they monitor heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen levels, etc. Some of them even come with apps you can download that TEXT YOU WHEN YOUR BABY WAKES UP or predict when your baby may wake up. You know, in case you decided to go grocery shopping, you can come home. Most of them have reviews of multiple false alarms that baby has stopped breathing, obviously causing extreme panic and anxiety in any parent. Why would you do this to yourself??? 

Is this what the world has come to???

I'd love to hear about any products you have purchased or received that you found completely ridiculous or impractical! 

The Day I Decided to Stop Breastfeeding...

This will be the last post in my World Breastfeeding Week 2014 series. Probably the last time I will discuss this topic at all, considering I don't have too much experience with it - although I do cherish and appreciate the 8 weeks that I was able to bond with and provide for my babies.

The day I decided to stop breastfeeding was sudden. So sudden, in fact, that I didn't even realize the last time I was feeding my babies would actually be my last time breastfeeding. Within hours, my life and our routine changed. I wasn't okay with it at first, but within 2 days I knew that we had made the right decision - as hard as it was. 

A little background...

I returned to work at 7 weeks postpartum (I know, right??? That was even with using a full week of precious vacay!) I was still almost exclusively breastfeeding my twins- only giving about 1 bottle of formula a day and supplementing with pumped milk. We were doing well - and I was blessed with a crazy-good supply. Had my babies been more efficient eaters we may have been able to get rid of the pump and the formula all together. But it wasn't meant to be. Several factors played a role in how we decided to stop breastfeeding. I believe that returning to work that early postpartum is ultimately what destroyed us.

I had to pump right before I left the house for work, at least 2 times while I was there, and then immediately feed the babies upon my return. It was rough. I was engorged from day one and no amount of feeding or pumping could do anything about it. Within a few days I had developed full-blown mastitis (I would not wish mastitis on the person that I hate the most in this world... or maybe I would? Nope. It's horrible.) I fed my babies one evening, after feeling pretty darn crappy all day, took my temperature and then headed straight to the urgent care facility since it's.always.the.weekend when I'm sick! Geez. ALWAYS!

The doctor there had no idea about mastitis or breastfeeding mothers in general. He didn't understand engorgement and actually kept asking me if I had implants. No. No no no no. He put me on an antibiotic injection and oral antibiotics and told me it was pump and dump only - no feeding the babies milk for 2 weeks. It was heartbreaking. I realized that I had probably breastfed my babies for the last time unknowingly and I didn't even appreciate it at the time because I was feeling so sick. I knew there was no way I would be able to function with pumping and dumping and still have a decent supply at the end of the 2 weeks - or my sanity! 

The following day I go see my regular doctor and, of course, I was given the wrong antibiotics and information the night before. But it was too late. I was in so much pain and so through with breastfeeding I had decided that I was stopping cold turkey (probably one of the worst decisions I've ever made - so much pain! - but hindsight is always 20/20!!!) Mastitis got the best of me. We switched to formula at the point and we haven't looked back. I keep thinking that if I had more time before returning to work, if I had a more knowledgeable doctor, if I had more support (if I weren't such a pain-sissy?) - maybe we could have powered through! But it's in the past. I would love to be able to provide support to friends and family who decide to breastfeed in the future, though!

Formula feeding has given me my life back. It now only takes about a half hour to feed my babies instead of 75 minutes. I don't have boob issues to deal with. I can let other people feed them. The formula does keep them full longer, don't even try to tell me it doesn't! If I were to have another baby, which I won't be, I would probably re-try the whole breastfeeding thing. But I wouldn't kill myself for it. Formula is just as good and it's what works for us.

How Breastfeeding Was Ruining My Life

Last week was World Breastfeeding Week 2014. My babies and I did not participate. However, I feel like I should write a few posts about my breastfeeding adventures and celebrate the 8 weeks that I was able to provide breast milk for my boys. It's quite an accomplishment! But at the end of the 8 weeks, we switched to formula and haven't looked back. Formula feeding is what works for us - and it took me 8 weeks and a boatload of feelings wracked with guilt to finally accept that.

The boys were breastfed as exclusively as possible. They were only receiving about 1 bottle of formula a day (actually, that bottle was given at night usually) and the rest of the time they were breastfed and then fed pumped milk from a bottle. The odds were stacked against me from the beginning but I was also "blessed" with an oversupply of milk (actually turns out that it's as much of a curse as a low supply!) My babies were premature, they had tongue ties, I did not get to hold them for several hours after delivery as they were in the NICU for the first few hours of their lives. Not a good start for breastfeeding success.

I was enjoying the quality time with my babies. The relaxation of breastfeeding. The feeling that I was doing what was the absolute best I could do for them. But there came a point where I just couldn't do it anymore - I was killing myself. My husband was supportive through the whole 8 weeks although I know he was not completely kosher with not being able to feed them (except for their pumped bottles) and he felt like he was missing out and not able to bond with babies as well. There was this little bit of tension between us because of my insistence to breastfeed even though it was not going smoothly.

Emmett enjoying play time!

Breastfeeding slowly started ruining my life. I dreaded going to bed at night, knowing that I would be up in less than 2 hours - by myself for most of the feedings at night - since my milk did not seem to keep them full at all. I dreaded getting up in the morning - usually giving up the idea of sleep around 5 a.m. and I dreaded the thought of being home with them all day by myself, going through the same vicious cycle. Spending an hour and fifteen minutes feeding every 2.5 hours is rough.

It wasn't until I stopped breastfeeding and switched solely to formula feeding that I realized what I had done to myself. I had been so caught up in the idea of breastfeeding them that I wore myself out and was so exhausted that I was physically unable to appreciate my babies. The very week that we switched to formula I found out just how much time and effort I had been devoting to something that may or may not have a significant outcome in the end. I had so.much.more free time to appreciate and play with my babies. A small bit more of sleep. A much happier husband.

Oliver loving tummy time... and thinking I'm the funniest person in the world!

I am one-thousand percent guilt-free about how I feed my babies at this point. But then there's always those people that can take a nice day and ruin it, oh, immediately.

A few months after these lovely breastfeeding adventures, I came across a completely ignorant article on breastfeeding superiority. I have never seen such nonsense in my life. According to this article, I am lazy. I play the blame game. And I definitely don't have my priorities straight. If you get a chance, read this article just so when you come across a "Sanctimommy" you'll know what she looks like and you'll know to stay away from her. Far, far away. I almost didn't want to link to this article because I don't want to perpetuate it. But it's just...ugh.

I am not lazy. I won't even go into that one. Sure, I love a day on the couch binge watching River Monsters and napping intermittently... maybe some food in there at some point. But I'm not lazy.

I may play the blame game. Fair enough. But why do I even feel like a need to defend my choice as to how I feed my babies to anyone? I know that continued breastfeeding was not in my cards, nor did I want it in my cards after a while. 

I do have my priorities straight. I'm feeding my babies. I'm taking care of myself. I'm not loathing motherhood and feeling like a boob-feeding slave to my babies. I can live my life and feed my babies at the same time - thanks to formula. Seriously. Happy, healthy mom = happy, healthy kids. I refuse to be discouraged in my choices by people who have not walked in my shoes. 

I would love to hear your feeding stories and choices as well as what works for you. No judgements, I promise! :-)

How to Stay Sane as a Stay-at-home Mom - Part 2: Netflix!

Somebody was having a bad day...

If you're wondering why a new mom to twins needs anything else to occupy her time, please see the Part 1 post! Summary: Newborns are boring!

Moving on.

Now that the boys are a little bit older, and I feel confident in my abilities to carry them up and down the stairs daily, I allow them to come out of their nursery each day to hang out in the living room and kitchen. We have a set of swings, Exersaucers, and a Pack'N Play downstairs as well as some toys so that they can be a part of the family and be within sight while I am cooking, cleaning, Facebooking. Whatever.

I don't know about you, but it drives me crazy to be home in silence all day. I have to have some background noise. We decided a few years ago to cut back on excessive costs - so out of the budget went cable! We now use only Netflix for our television and movie watching needs and it is awesome! For background noise during the day, I turn on a series that I have already watched and just go through the episodes. When I feed the boys, we can sit down on the couch and turn on a different series to work through. It's what works for us!

What am I watching?

1. Breaking Bad - if you haven't seen it, start it IMMEDIATELY. Seriously, it is one of the best series I have ever watched. Ever. As long as you don't mind tons of drugs, violence and numerous profanities. Maybe don't watch it with your kids. 

2. Dexter - Andy and I are currently watching this together. I was afraid to start watching it because I am a sissy and I obviously spend a lot of time home alone. And awake making bottles in a dark kitchen in the middle of the night. It's not so scary, though! (Meh... I'm lying! I'm legitimately a little freaked out after watching some episodes. But it's so good!) I accidentally looked up something on my phone and ended up reading tons of spoilers before I could stop myself... Also, maybe don't watch this with your kids either. 

3. Psych - This one is a classic and we have been watching it for years! We're still not done working through the final season on Netflix which is the final season. Bummer. :-(

4. Grey's Anatomy - Whenever they release a new season of this show on Netflix, I somehow watch the whole thing in about a week. And then I have to wait a whole year for another season. It's been a long time waiting but the next season should be available for me to devour in September! Can't wait!

5. How I Met Your Mother - These episodes are only about 20 minutes long as opposed to the other shows that are about 45-55 minutes long. Perfect amount of time for watching a full episode while feeding the babies, but not long enough for me to leave on as background noise most of the time! This show has a great cast. I may just be a bit biased because I'm a big fan of Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel.

Honorable mentions go out to Family Guy, New Girl, Vampire Diaries, Lost, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, River Monsters, Glee, Parks and Rec, and Orange is the New Black. Wow. I watch a lot of TV.

Next up on my queue: The Walking Dead, Bones, Doctor Who and Burn Notice

Do you have any recommendations for me?