{ Sorry I haven't been around much this past week and weekend. The wedding is over. Amen! And then just when I thought things would calm down, I got a sore throat which turned into me going to Urgent Care on Monday night and being diagnosed with strep. It's been nothing short of HORRIBLE...fever, and all. I haven't been this sick in years...that wasn't from being pregnant! :) I am slowly catching myself up after two days in bed and having Tim home from work to care for all five of his girls. And just when things were looking up, Claire has a fever now! It never ends...but that's just motherhood! }
{ How do you manage with 4 kids? / I've always wondered how you handle having four kids SOOO close in age. I'd imagine you just take it one day at a time. }
I get this question A LOT. People always ask me how I do it, and the answer I always give is: what am I supposed to do? Sit in a corner and cry?! God only gives you what you can handle and so he knew I could handle these precious little girls! Don't get me wrong, there were days when I cried right along with the girls, but those were the days were I was puking my guts out when I was pregnant with Emily...and that didn't last as long as I thought it did, looking back. My days are not that bad. I think people think it's a lot more work than it really is. When you only have one baby, you think, oh my, how could I do this times three or four.
But the secret is, I think I have it easier in some ways. First, my girls entertain each other. They play with one another so they aren't so needy when it comes to being attached to Momma. They have built in play-mates, who are all the same sex and same age as them and that is a true blessing! They honestly could care less about me and if I am around, unless they get hurt. Second, once I am done with a certain stage, it's over. Teething, bottles, potty-training, when it's done it's done. I don't have a fourth grader, first grader, preschooler and a newborn. That is MUCH worse in my thoughts! For example, which I always use is, we can all ride the rides together. Again, I don't have different age groups to tend to and make happy. No one has to pout because we are riding the tea cups for the hundredth time. Everyone being so close in age and all the same sex is such a blessing! So really, to be honest, I don't think of having multiples as anything but super awesome and in some ways totally easier. God picked me. He knew that I could handle this. He knew my strengths and what I could do, so therefore I trust in Him.
I get this question A LOT. People always ask me how I do it, and the answer I always give is: what am I supposed to do? Sit in a corner and cry?! God only gives you what you can handle and so he knew I could handle these precious little girls! Don't get me wrong, there were days when I cried right along with the girls, but those were the days were I was puking my guts out when I was pregnant with Emily...and that didn't last as long as I thought it did, looking back. My days are not that bad. I think people think it's a lot more work than it really is. When you only have one baby, you think, oh my, how could I do this times three or four.
But the secret is, I think I have it easier in some ways. First, my girls entertain each other. They play with one another so they aren't so needy when it comes to being attached to Momma. They have built in play-mates, who are all the same sex and same age as them and that is a true blessing! They honestly could care less about me and if I am around, unless they get hurt. Second, once I am done with a certain stage, it's over. Teething, bottles, potty-training, when it's done it's done. I don't have a fourth grader, first grader, preschooler and a newborn. That is MUCH worse in my thoughts! For example, which I always use is, we can all ride the rides together. Again, I don't have different age groups to tend to and make happy. No one has to pout because we are riding the tea cups for the hundredth time. Everyone being so close in age and all the same sex is such a blessing! So really, to be honest, I don't think of having multiples as anything but super awesome and in some ways totally easier. God picked me. He knew that I could handle this. He knew my strengths and what I could do, so therefore I trust in Him.
Just the other day I was at our Infants and Toddler play group at the park and one of the therapists told me that I had the best personality when it came to dealing with my children. She said I was so positive and had such a great attitude. It seriously made my day. I am much more laid back and easy-going I think because I have had four kids in such a short amount of time. You don't have time to dwell and worry about stupid little things...that in the long run probably don't matter. I'm not sitting here comparing my kids to others, because I just don't have time for stupid things like that.
Another thing, I don't make excuses for having four kids and doing things all by myself. Yes, I may complain that things take much longer or that I can't do what others can easily do but I don't use that as an excuse NOT to do something. One of my best friends was just telling me that she met another woman with 6 year old triplets and she and her husband took them on their first vacation this year (at SIX YEARS OLD!!!!!) and that it would be their last because the kids were so bad! Umm, that is just ridiculous to me!!! Maybe they were bad because they had never been away from the house before? Those poor kids, and those poor parents!!! I am not going to get into how horrible that is because I could honestly write a whole post on it. We went to the beach when the girls were 8 months old and I was 4 months pregnant. Again this year, we didn't think twice about going to the beach and EVERY year we will go somewhere. We don't NOT do things just because we have a large family. NO WAY! My girls deserve just as much as a family with only one or two children. I can't stress this enough. No matter what it is, I will always try to make it work for my girls. They deserve it. It may be harder, and Tim and I may have to remind ourselves that we aren't using our children as an excuse at times, but we will make it work and I am very proud of that.
{ Do you follow a strict routine? }
YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! I am a FIRM believer on a scheduled routine! I wouldn't know where to begin without one! My motto is PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE!!!
See next question.....
See next question.....
{ What does your typical daily schedule look like? }
Our typical day looks like this:
7:30AM - Emily wakes up. I change her. I get her dressed (most days). Bring her downstairs and she eats her two jars of food and plays in her high chair.
7:30AM - Emily wakes up. I change her. I get her dressed (most days). Bring her downstairs and she eats her two jars of food and plays in her high chair.
8:10AM - Big girls get up: I change them. We pick out outfits. Everyone gets dressed and then they go downstairs right to the kitchen to their high chairs. We say "hi" to baby Emily and blow her kisses.
Normally, I have already started breakfast or made it, because they are normally starving. I give them their breakfast, fill their water cups and give them out. (See below for foods they eat.)
While the big girls are eating, I am either feeding Emily (if she didn't eat earlier), snacking on something myself, making my coffee/tea/hot chocolate or sneaking over to the computer for a split second.
Girls finish up. We wash hands, give kisses, count the sheep (there are 7 sheep and we point to and count each one every single morning) on this Americana country picture in our kitchen and they go play.
I take Emily out of the high chair and she goes on her play mat/chick pen, so she can crawl around and be safe.
I stay in the kitchen and clean trays, empty dishwasher, clean up all the dishes, and kinda figure out what I'll be making for lunch. I wash out the bottles, wash bottle tops if I need to and pick out Emily's lunch and set it next to her high chair. Sometimes I throw the laundry in the dryer or washer. Clean up upstairs: diapers, bottles, find binkis that were thrown under/behind cribs. I take out what's for dinner.
9AM - I talk to my MIL for about 15 minutes.
9:20AM - The girls normally are starting to get antsy about now and so I put on Barney and it always calms them down from fighting with each other.
I am normally either doing more laundry, vacuuming, making something, checking emails, making phone calls.
I switch Emily from time to time from her play mat, to the walker, to the bumbo, to sitting with me, ect.
10AM - Make Em a 4 ounce bottle and she practices feeding it to herself, with Momma's help..but she can pretty much do it herself now.
We all play, do play-dough, color, dance or go outside on the deck. Just depends. I still do laundry, put away clothes, ect...
11:20AM - Lunchtime. I make up lunch pretty quick, and get the girls in their chairs. They eat and I fed Emily her two jars. She plays in the high chair while I finish lunch for the big girls. I prepare bottles for nap time.
When the girls are done, they wash their hands and go back to playing.
I clean up the kitchen, the trays and set everything out for dinner that I will need.
12:15PM - We go upstairs for nap. The girls climb the stairs and go into their room and wait by their cribs for me (we are working on them listening to my directions...ha!). I change their diapers, put on the sound machine and they drink their bottles and go to sleep.
12:30PM - I give Em another 4 ounce bottle and rock her. I put her in her bed, turn on monitor and sound machine and she goes to sleep.
Now, I normally shove something to eat down and finish up my chores around the house before laying down and watching TV, browsing the internet or taking a nap myself. I must say, it's normally watching TV and then falling asleep for at least an hour. I make it a priority to lay down. I need it. I make time for it.
3PM - Tim gets home. We talk. He showers. Sometimes, I go and run errands or go to the grocery store during this time if I need to pick up something quick.
3:45PM - We get all the girls up. Change them and come down stairs. We all play and I start dinner. Sometimes we go for a walk or to the park. if it's a nice day.
5:30PM - Dinner for the girls. Tim feeds Emily her three jars and she plays in her high chair. I make bottles for bed time and wash bottle tops if needed. Emptying the dishwasher, putting more laundry in...it never ends.
Tim and I sometimes eat now with the girls, or sometimes we wait until after they go to bed. Just depends. We clean up the kitchen and toys and get everything ready for the following day.
6:45PM - Bath time. We all go upstairs. Emily goes in the swing and we bath the big girls all together in their bathroom. One at a time one of us takes each out, and gets them dressed. They sometimes can play in their room or the go straight in their beds for quiet time. They get their bottle and a few books. We give kisses and hugs, say prayers, ect. They sometimes watch a few shows such as Elmo, Barney or Sing Along Songs. Depends on how the night is going.
Tim gives Emily a bath and I take my shower. If we haven't eaten, then we eat.
7:30PM - I gave Emily a 8 ounce bottle and rock her. She goes in her bed and falls asleep.
8PM - If the girls are watching a show, I go in their room, collect bottles, give them all their lovies, blankets and such (because normally they have thrown everything out) and turn everything off and give last kisses and hugs and say night-night.
Phew, that's my day...day in and day out!
I must say the girls are very good listeners and follow my commands pretty well for only being 22 months old. I like to keep my chicks in a row. :) They can find their shoes, sit where I tell them, come when I call them...and listen to most things I say. But don't get me wrong, let's keep it real....they ARE only 22 months old and love to wonder at times. I have a pretty good routine to get out of the house by myself with them all. Loading everything we need and then the girls, and myself...and maybe not forgetting anything...I have it down to a science and like I said, I can be out of the house in record time.
While the big girls are eating, I am either feeding Emily (if she didn't eat earlier), snacking on something myself, making my coffee/tea/hot chocolate or sneaking over to the computer for a split second.
Girls finish up. We wash hands, give kisses, count the sheep (there are 7 sheep and we point to and count each one every single morning) on this Americana country picture in our kitchen and they go play.
I take Emily out of the high chair and she goes on her play mat/chick pen, so she can crawl around and be safe.
I stay in the kitchen and clean trays, empty dishwasher, clean up all the dishes, and kinda figure out what I'll be making for lunch. I wash out the bottles, wash bottle tops if I need to and pick out Emily's lunch and set it next to her high chair. Sometimes I throw the laundry in the dryer or washer. Clean up upstairs: diapers, bottles, find binkis that were thrown under/behind cribs. I take out what's for dinner.
9AM - I talk to my MIL for about 15 minutes.
9:20AM - The girls normally are starting to get antsy about now and so I put on Barney and it always calms them down from fighting with each other.
I am normally either doing more laundry, vacuuming, making something, checking emails, making phone calls.
I switch Emily from time to time from her play mat, to the walker, to the bumbo, to sitting with me, ect.
10AM - Make Em a 4 ounce bottle and she practices feeding it to herself, with Momma's help..but she can pretty much do it herself now.
We all play, do play-dough, color, dance or go outside on the deck. Just depends. I still do laundry, put away clothes, ect...
11:20AM - Lunchtime. I make up lunch pretty quick, and get the girls in their chairs. They eat and I fed Emily her two jars. She plays in the high chair while I finish lunch for the big girls. I prepare bottles for nap time.
When the girls are done, they wash their hands and go back to playing.
I clean up the kitchen, the trays and set everything out for dinner that I will need.
12:15PM - We go upstairs for nap. The girls climb the stairs and go into their room and wait by their cribs for me (we are working on them listening to my directions...ha!). I change their diapers, put on the sound machine and they drink their bottles and go to sleep.
12:30PM - I give Em another 4 ounce bottle and rock her. I put her in her bed, turn on monitor and sound machine and she goes to sleep.
Now, I normally shove something to eat down and finish up my chores around the house before laying down and watching TV, browsing the internet or taking a nap myself. I must say, it's normally watching TV and then falling asleep for at least an hour. I make it a priority to lay down. I need it. I make time for it.
3PM - Tim gets home. We talk. He showers. Sometimes, I go and run errands or go to the grocery store during this time if I need to pick up something quick.
3:45PM - We get all the girls up. Change them and come down stairs. We all play and I start dinner. Sometimes we go for a walk or to the park. if it's a nice day.
5:30PM - Dinner for the girls. Tim feeds Emily her three jars and she plays in her high chair. I make bottles for bed time and wash bottle tops if needed. Emptying the dishwasher, putting more laundry in...it never ends.
Tim and I sometimes eat now with the girls, or sometimes we wait until after they go to bed. Just depends. We clean up the kitchen and toys and get everything ready for the following day.
6:45PM - Bath time. We all go upstairs. Emily goes in the swing and we bath the big girls all together in their bathroom. One at a time one of us takes each out, and gets them dressed. They sometimes can play in their room or the go straight in their beds for quiet time. They get their bottle and a few books. We give kisses and hugs, say prayers, ect. They sometimes watch a few shows such as Elmo, Barney or Sing Along Songs. Depends on how the night is going.
Tim gives Emily a bath and I take my shower. If we haven't eaten, then we eat.
7:30PM - I gave Emily a 8 ounce bottle and rock her. She goes in her bed and falls asleep.
8PM - If the girls are watching a show, I go in their room, collect bottles, give them all their lovies, blankets and such (because normally they have thrown everything out) and turn everything off and give last kisses and hugs and say night-night.
Phew, that's my day...day in and day out!
I must say the girls are very good listeners and follow my commands pretty well for only being 22 months old. I like to keep my chicks in a row. :) They can find their shoes, sit where I tell them, come when I call them...and listen to most things I say. But don't get me wrong, let's keep it real....they ARE only 22 months old and love to wonder at times. I have a pretty good routine to get out of the house by myself with them all. Loading everything we need and then the girls, and myself...and maybe not forgetting anything...I have it down to a science and like I said, I can be out of the house in record time.
{ What is your favorite thing about being a mommy of multiples? }
I think many people think being a mom of multiples is sooo hard, but yet, I think it is a lot better than having one at a time (see above questions). My favorite thing would have to be watching the relationship of my girls unfold. It's amazing and so interesting to see the dynamic between triplets with having a set of identical twins and then a fraternal and then also a singleton, but so close in age. It's neat to see how they interact and how alike or not alike they are at different stages. Just because the triplets were born together and just because Madelynn and Claire are identical doesn't mean that they aren't completely different individuals. Not many people can experience sitting back and watching multiples day in and day out. The dynamic is so neat. I love seeing how sometimes they really seem to be like quads and other times like two sets of twins. Just in the last few weeks Natalee has been SO attached to Emily. She always wants to be near her, sit next to her and play with her. It's so cute and I hope it continues and they are always best buds.
I think many people think being a mom of multiples is sooo hard, but yet, I think it is a lot better than having one at a time (see above questions). My favorite thing would have to be watching the relationship of my girls unfold. It's amazing and so interesting to see the dynamic between triplets with having a set of identical twins and then a fraternal and then also a singleton, but so close in age. It's neat to see how they interact and how alike or not alike they are at different stages. Just because the triplets were born together and just because Madelynn and Claire are identical doesn't mean that they aren't completely different individuals. Not many people can experience sitting back and watching multiples day in and day out. The dynamic is so neat. I love seeing how sometimes they really seem to be like quads and other times like two sets of twins. Just in the last few weeks Natalee has been SO attached to Emily. She always wants to be near her, sit next to her and play with her. It's so cute and I hope it continues and they are always best buds.
{ What kinds of meals/snacks do you feed the girls what kind of foods do they like? }
The girls loved pretty much every single fruit and veggie known to man! They love peas, carrots, corn, corn-on-the-cob, green beans, french fries, broccoli, bananas, apples, strawberries, blueberries, yogurt, chicken nuggets, toast, pancakes, waffles, pizza, spaghetti, pasta, pop-tarts, applesauce, grapes, fish sticks, hot dogs, bologna, bread, pickles, olives, cucumbers, cheese, brown rice, white rice, mac-n-cheese, fruit snacks, any dried fruit, mandarin oranges, fruit-cocktail, pears, pineapple, raisins, chips, cheese curls...I could go on and on!
They LOVE pizza right now and I can always get them to eat it! I always give them a lot of fruit and veggies with every meal and that's probably why they aren't big meat eaters. Claire loves anything with ranch dressing and they have just discovered ketchup and loving dipping their hot dog into the ketchup. Madelynn and Natalee don't care for PB&J yet, but Claire loves it.
I don't give them juice but maybe twice a month. I don't give them snacks unless we are out or I know they will be eating at a different time than they are used to and a snack would be like cheerios and raisins or something healthy.
I have tried giving them sweets, like a cookie here or there and really they could care less. However, Claire, she LOVES sweets and will eat any cake that is put in front of her. I never hold out on them when it comes to sweets. :)
I am a firm believer in you eat what you have on your plate. I never plan on making a hundred different things for each of them every night. No thank you. If you don't eat, then you don't eat. They will not starve.
I still do give them two 10 ounce bottles a day. I know...HORRIBLE. Shoot me. I don't care. Honestly, I want them to have the fattening calories of the whole milk since they are still so underweight from being preemies. I don't care what the doctor says, I know many people including myself who had bottles until much older and we all turned out just fine. I will start weaning them at two. It's just a calorie thing right now.
Any other questions on motherhood?
They LOVE pizza right now and I can always get them to eat it! I always give them a lot of fruit and veggies with every meal and that's probably why they aren't big meat eaters. Claire loves anything with ranch dressing and they have just discovered ketchup and loving dipping their hot dog into the ketchup. Madelynn and Natalee don't care for PB&J yet, but Claire loves it.
I don't give them juice but maybe twice a month. I don't give them snacks unless we are out or I know they will be eating at a different time than they are used to and a snack would be like cheerios and raisins or something healthy.
I have tried giving them sweets, like a cookie here or there and really they could care less. However, Claire, she LOVES sweets and will eat any cake that is put in front of her. I never hold out on them when it comes to sweets. :)
I am a firm believer in you eat what you have on your plate. I never plan on making a hundred different things for each of them every night. No thank you. If you don't eat, then you don't eat. They will not starve.
I still do give them two 10 ounce bottles a day. I know...HORRIBLE. Shoot me. I don't care. Honestly, I want them to have the fattening calories of the whole milk since they are still so underweight from being preemies. I don't care what the doctor says, I know many people including myself who had bottles until much older and we all turned out just fine. I will start weaning them at two. It's just a calorie thing right now.
Any other questions on motherhood?
Whew! Busy busy. I love how you mention laundry all day. I bet there's a ton!
ReplyDeleteAlso, lucky you to have your husband home at 3! That's awesome!
Don't feel like you have to answer this. Really. (I'm just being nosy) I know you have the Diapers for Divas (it was set up for the triplets, right?). Is that still how you get diapers? I mean, four kids in diapers is a lot of diapers and a lot of money.
I was also thinking what time he must have to go into work to get home at three!? It sounds like you have busy but amazing days! And yes, you have an amazing and positive attitude :). Don't sweat the bottles. My DD is 14 months and has always been small so I give her 4 8oz bottles a day to make sure she gets enough. I'm guessing she will still get them at your girls ages. They will be just fine. just like having a paci past 1 won't ruin a kid.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the juice/milk/water. We took Lilly off the bottle at 14 months. She is now 10. She gets 2% milk with meals, then it's water and only water. Once in a blue moon she'll get juice...but never soda. We never ever gave her sips of ours when she was younger, and now she's a "snob" when it comes to soda. She tells her friends how bad it is for them. lol. I really need to cut back her milk though. She goes through two gallons a week and it's expensive!! She's a pretty good eater, but we have to literally force the veggies down her. She ate them fine as a toddler...but now she's picky. She loves fruit and sweets...but we limit both.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed with your schedule and you are right that kids thrive they have a routine. Things will get hectic soon enough when they start to gain independence!
You mentioned your laundry, I want to see a picture of the mountain of laundry that 4 children under 2 must make! I know my laundry is crazy with only 2 girls, I can't even imagine 4! And very random question, did you even find shoes for them? You blogged about it a while ago, and I was just wondering. What size are they all in for shoes?
ReplyDeletedo you ever get asked questions in public? if so what kinds? rude or nice usually?
ReplyDelete