So, why am I so tired? Attley is a proficient crawler now and thinks it's the best thing ever, so she won't actually sit for more than 5 seconds at a time. Thank goodness for her exersaucer and jumperoo because otherwise I would be chasing her constantly and Avery would get ignored all the time. Avery is showing an increased interest in moving around, and she gets in the crawling position and rocks back and forth, but then she scoots...backwards. She is clearly aiming for an object in front of her, but bless her heart, she just keeps going backwards. Most of the time, she maintains her pleasant disposition despite her misdirection, but sometimes she gets mad. I have included a video of Attley crawling and Avery scooting, which is followed by a wrestling match just so you get a clear picture of what our play time is like.
Why else am I tired? Let me describe for you the SIMPLE task of going for a morning run with the girls when Joe isn't home. Let me digress here for a moment and explain that while we are extremely lucky to have Joe home 20 days a month, I am on my own 2 out of every 3 mornings because when he is on shift he leaves at 7:20 am and gets home at about 8:20 am the next morning. Anyway, I get up around 7:15 (yeah, I know, I sleep late and have no excuse to be tired, but read on). I brush my teeth and put my work out clothes on. I go in the girls' room at 7:30. Avery has usually be awake and playing in her crib for a few minutes, so she delights in my appearance and gives me a huge, beautiful smile. Attley is almost always still hard asleep (she is so my child--loves to sleep) and continues to suck her thumb and avoids the overhead light by keeping her eyes tightly shut. Avery's delight in my appearance quickly subsides as she gets focused on her most important goal in life...EATING. I think at this point she forgets that I have a head and focuses only on my breasts. By now she is whining. I take her out of her sleep sack (i.e., a zip on blanket). Now she is crying. Then I pick her up our of her crib and put her in Attley's crib so that I can wake Attley up. I rub Attley gently, turn her over from her tummy to her back at which point she opens her eyes and looks at me like I am crazy. I take her out of her sleep sack. Avery is now really mad. Attley, bless her heart, finally looks alert and gives me a huge smile. Thank goodness because Avery's anger is starting to make me feel bad.
Both babies are up and ready to eat. I can no longer trust either of the girls to sit on the loveseat or ottoman because they'll crawl or roll right off. So, I take one baby, we'll call her Baby A, out of the crib and put her on the floor. Attley HATES being put on the floor, so since Avery is usually already whining and/or crying, she is usally Baby A. Then I strap on my huge nursing pillow and pick the other baby, we'll call her Baby B, up out of the crib. I sit down with Baby B and then pick Baby A up on the floor, which is hard to do without tipping Baby B on to the floor in the process. I position them both on the nursing pillow (which they BARELY fit on anymore) and stare down my precious angels. It takes me 1.5 seconds to release my nursing tank and whip out the goods and in that 1.5 seconds, they transform from angels into vultures. I don't say that to be mean. That's what they look like. They are both literally tearing at my tank top with their mouths open. But finally, we eat. This is a whopping 4 minutes after I have entered the room, mind you, which is why I have never understood Avery's impatience with the whole thing.
Sadly, I have to sit bolt upright because their legs are too long to lean back now, so there is nothing comfortable about it for me. Fortunately, the babies are good nursers, so eating doesn't take too long, which is a shame since it means I get to sit down (even if I am uncomfortable). But, we finish quickly and I burp the girls. Sometimes, if I am really lucky, I get spit up on. After burping, it's time to change diapers. We go through the routine again. I put Baby A on the floor. Who's the lucky winner this time? Well, I try to pick whichever one didn't have to sit on the floor 20 minutes earlier. I hold Baby B while I nimbly remove my nursing pillow. Then Baby B goes into a crib--I put some toys in the crib to keep her entertained. I quickly pick up Baby A (since if it's Attley, she is crying about being on the floor) and swiftly move across the room to the changing table and change Baby A's diaper without incident. Then I trade babies and quickly change Baby B's diaper. Then Baby A and Baby B are thrilled to be reunited and play in Attley's crib while I continue on in my mission.
I put my running shoes on, grab Titan's leash and collar, my Iphone and headphones (so I can listen to an Audiobook during my run) and take all that downstairs with Titan. I put Titan's leash on him and make him lay on his bed (otherwise I run the risk of tripping over him on one of my many trips up and down the stairs). Then I position the stroller in front of the door, placing my phone and headphones in the handy-dandy handlebar console. Now back upstairs. I pluck Baby A from the crib. Now back downstairs. Baby A gets strapped into the stroller and a toy gets hooked onto the strap so that Baby A cannot launch said toy through the air in the middle of the run. Now back upstairs. I pluck Baby B from the crib. Now back downstairs. Baby B gets stapped into the stroller along with another toy. Now Attley and Avery look at each other's toy with envy and start trying to snatch each other's toys. I put the sun shades down so they can't see each other's toys anymore. Genius.
Now I grab the house key, set the alarm, call Titan off his bed, open the door, roll the stroller down the custom built ramp (thanks to my wonderful husband), lock the door behind me and we are off, usually at 8:00. I should mention that the girls are still wearing their PJs, because the thought of trying to get them dressed before going running is just too much. If I hit the jack pot and was spit up on before leaving, I get the extra special bonus of smelling the spit up the whole run (since it is usually located on my shoulder). Calvin Klein should bottle baby spit up and sweat--it's a winning combination.
We are back at 8:30 (yeah, I know, hardly seems worth it for a lousy 30 minutes). Now reverse the process. The best part is that I get to go up and down the stairs 6 more times. And then I either have to get ready for a full day of work or a full day at home with the girls (preferably, the latter).
All joking aside, I wouldn't trade one second of my day. It seems that in the moments that I am exhausted and wonder how I will be able to keep moving, I get the most precious smile or the cutest laugh and it reinvigorates me. Attley and Avery light up my life in every way imaginable.
I have also included a video to showcase part of our typical morning routine, which includes the girls jumping in their jumpers while I have some coffee and admire their ridiculous cuteness. Finally, I have inlcluded a few recent photos. And now, I have to pump and then I FINALLY get to go to bed! Good night all!
They are growing too, too fast. So very precious and loving. Attley is really on the go and Avery is talking up a storm. Love, Pa Butch and Gran
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