Ribbon Dispensers!

My girls are busy! And fast! And they have some bad habits. One of them looks like this:

 mThose are wipes strewn all over the floor. It happened in seconds. I watched it happen once. They pull out th nmn8e first wipe, realize how fun it was, and all of a sudden they're pulling wipes out with both hands! They love it. 

It's good for them to explore like that, and develop those motor skills, but not at the cost of wipes. So I developed the ribbon dispenser!

I collect ribbons. I collect a lot of things, really. I'm a bit of a pack rat. But I use ribbons all the time. Every time I get a gift, I keep the ribbon. I had plenty from our baby showers. So I packed them into an empty wipe dispenser and voila! Hours of entertainment. 

 It's funny to see the difference between each twin. Avery likes to pull out each ribbon as quickly as she possibly can. Amber likes to explore the ribbons. She wants to examine how each one feels, scrutinize the pattern, measure the length. Needless to say, I had to make two ribbon dispensers so each kid could move at her own pace. 

For some reason they both had the idea to wear their favorite ribbons like necklaces. I don't know why that is, but I always complement them and tell them how pretty they look in their ribbons. They get all coy like they know they should be flattered. But their little necklaces are a good reminder not to let them play alone in case they get one wrapped around their neck. 

This is a great way to wind down before bed. We pull all the ribbons out and put them back in at least three times before they're ready to move on. 

What makeshift toys do your little ones play with?

Balanced Toddler Meals on a Budget!

A balanced meal includes a low-fat protein, a (preferably whole-wheat) starch, and fruits/veggies.

This little graphic helps me with portion size. 

When I had gestational diabetes, I met with a dietician and learned a LOT about what I'm eating and how it affects me. In a sugar-saturated culture, I know eating right is a skill my girls will have to learn. I want to start them out on the right foot.
A caveat or two before I provide my list below. I do most of my shopping at Aldi. I can find almost everything I need there, and if you can only get to one or two stores, I find that's the cheapest place to go. The prices below are based on what I typically spend at my local Aldi.
Also, it's important to be flexible to what your toddler needs and likes. However, my babies are young enough that even if I haven't had success with something in the past, I'll try it again after a few weeks. Tastebuds are always changing.
Lastly, I left out the obvious fresh produce under the fruit and veggie category for sake of time. Grapes, apples, carrots, etc., are great things to buy and have on hand. It's always best to go fresh!

Breakfast

• protein:
• Turkey sausage ($2.00/ 12 links)   
• Eggs, eggs, eggs! ($1.79/dozen)
• Peanut butter ($1.49/jar)
• Greek Yogurt ($3.79/2lbs)

• fruit: 
• Fresh produce only. The body isn't ready to process anything too sugary in the morning.
• Tomatoes mixed into eggs are one of their favorites. 

• veggie:
• My Ugly Zucchini Bread
• Spinach (mixed into eggs) ($.50 @ Hen House salad bar)
• Breakfast potatoes (hash browns or peasant potatoes)
• This time of year, a healthy pumpkin bread recipe is great, too!
• starch:

• Cheerios ($1.79/ family-size box)
• My Ugly Zucchini Bread
• Oatmeal ($1.19/canister)
• 12 Grain Bread ($1.89/loaf)
• Clean Eating Pancakes with a tiny bit of syrup or jam. 

Lunch

• protein:
• Deli meat ($8 for 1.5lbs from Sams, and it's gooooood)
• Any leftover meat from dinner
• Peanut butter ($1.49/jar)
• fruit: (Go easy on fruit servings that aren't fresh, i.e., applesauce, as it can be really sugary.)
• Applesauce
• Canned mandarin oranges ($.95 per can)
• Small amounts of jelly ($1.75/jar)
• Dried fruits (i.e., raisins)
• veggie: 
• Shredded carrots ($.95/bag of baby carrots)
• Cucumbers ($.75/lb)
• Baked potato ($3.00/3lbs)
• Sweet potato ($3.00/3lbs)
• Squash (seasonal)
• Any leftover veggies from the night before. 
• starch:
• Whole wheat bread ($1.85/loaf)
• Crackers
• Cheerios

Dinner
Following the same principle, I cut up and feed my girls whatever it is we are having for dinner! That's good for us, too, because we're always sure to have a veggie, fruit, starch, and primary protein, just like we should!


Hopefully this will give you some new ideas on a meal plan for your kids. I used to look to lunch time as a break for myself, but I'm realizing now that good nutrition is one of my primary functions as a stay-at-home mom. As you all do your own research and brainstorming, please send me your ideas!

Ugly Zucchini Bread!

This is not a foodie blog....there are some great ones out there that I could never compete with. Nonetheless, I had to share this. My very own recipe for a delicious, nutritious (if not very pretty) zucchini bread. I was so impressed with myself! This will be perfect to give a little fruit and veggie boost to Amber and Avery's breakfasts. Give it a shot--it's super easy, and your tastebuds will thank you.

Ingredients

3 c Zucchini puree

1 c sugar

2/3 c applesauce

2 tsp vanilla 

4 eggs

1 1/2 c quick oats

1 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c chopped nuts

1/2 c raisins

Directions:

Set oven to 350. Put oven rack on bottom setting so top of loaves will be in the center of the oven. 

Grease two 9" loaf pans. In a large bowl, mix zucchini, applesauce, vanilla, sugar, and eggs until well-blended.  Add remaining ingredients, except nuts and raisins. Mix well. Stir in nuts and raisins. Divide equally into loaf pans and bake for 1 hr 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before moving bread to cooling rack. Store in the fridge up to one week. Enjoy!  

The New Me

Well, it's been almost a year! I promised an update after my surgery in May. I know this is late, but I didn't want to keep writing about this, so I thought I'd save my thoughts and wrap it all up when I was a year postpartum. Well here we are! Unbelievable. What an awesome year.
This time last year I was 33 weeks along and got a hernia. (Ouch.) That's what my surgery was for in May. At the time that I had the surgery I was 7 months postpartum, and very discouraged that I was working out like crazy, eating right, and I still looked pregnant. A big part of that was due to my diastasis (separation of the ab muscles), which was supposed to get better with intense exercise, and did, a little. After the girls were born, my hernia was no longer painful, and it was never dangerous, so for a while I considered not paying for the surgery. I am SO glad I did.
As a side note: I really recommend anyone in a similar situation to have their OB check for an umbilical hernia. They often go unnoticed. When I got my hernia repaired, I felt incredible. I think I'd been nauseated since my last month of pregnancy and just didn't remember what normal felt like anymore. Now I feel fantastic. My ab muscles are strong. I know it sounds weird, but if you've been there, you know.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't go back to my pre-pregnancy body, and I won't. I still have stretch marks, loose skin, etc. That's ok. I don't look pregnant anymore, finally, and I'm glad for that.

Here's a little before and after:

Me and my ever-present sense of humor. Dec '13

11 months postpartum. Sept '14

Here's some things I've learned to keep in mind that have helped me along the way.

1. My girls love me to pieces. They love my hair. They love my eyes. They LOVE my mouth for some reason (and are always trying to put their food-covered fingers in there). They don't mind a little extra squish for cuddling purposes.

2. All I can do is be the best possible version of myself. I can't hold a supermodel up as my standard. I can really only compare myself to myself. I'm not going to look like someone else. That was true before I ever had a "mom body". But I do have every reason to hit the gym hard and eat right--because I want to be the best I can be.

3. I have a new body. I can't compare it to my old body anymore than I can compare myself to Megan Fox.

I knew I was finally ready to write this to you because this week I experienced closure on the subject. Of course it is still frustrating when clothes don't fit right and things don't look like they used to fit on me. The other day, after spending an inordinate amount of time trying to find something to wear (while my sweet husband watched the girls for me), I knew I cared way too much. I could have been spending that time tickling my kids or talking to Stephen. I have a full length mirror hanging on the door in our bathroom in addition to our vanity, and it's that mirror that I'm always judging myself with. Well, I'm done. I took it down. In fact, I discovered the girls really like it! So now it hangs in their room, and we make faces at ourselves in the morning. Amber kisses herself in the mirror. Avery tries to poke herself. And I cuddle my babies. Let me tell you what, girls: that mirror has never been so flattering.

5 Ways to Save on Similac

Formula-feeding is an expensive endeavor. In our case, it was also necessary. We had to supplement from the time the girls were in the hospital, and a month later, the girls were on a steady diet of Similac for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. My girls are good eaters, too! Similac is not the cheapest option out there, but it causes distress to a baby's stomach to switch back and forth trying different types of formula, so I wanted to stick with it. Eventually I learned some tricks to help me save my money for things that are more fun.

1. Salvage. I always found it difficult to know for sure how much my newborns were going to eat. Whenever they didn't finish a bottle, we saved the leftover formula for next time. You do have to be careful with this! Formula cannot sit out at room temperature for as long as breast milk can. You can leave it out for 1-2 hours max. So make sure, when your baby is finished with a bottle, you refridgerate very quickly. We kept ours in a storage bottle. Even in the fridge, though, you cannot store it for more than 24 hours. So label it with a date! If in doubt, throw it out!

2. Sign up and save! You can join StrongMoms at Similac.com and they will send you coupons for as often as you are on the website reading their articles. That's free and easy to do, even if i'm just sitting with the website up while Avery pounds on the keyboard. That is the way to get the best coupons--$5 checks off every tub of formula. For those times when I need a little extra, I can call Similac and talk to a representative to request some new coupons. They only send $2-3 off. But that's still something!

3. Check for low prices and deals. Seems obvious. But it's really easy when you have a little one just to get what  you need where you happen to be. It's worth the extra trip to Sam's or Target instead of just picking some formula up at Hen House. That can mean as much as a $10 difference. I've also noticed that some deals you don't hear about unless you are price checking with other stores. Target is almost always running a special where you can buy two value size tubs of formula and get a $10 gift card. I put it toward my next formula purchase. With that and my Similac StrongMom's coupons, I always have $10 off every value-sized tub of formula. And that's off the Target price, not the CVS or Hen House price!

4. Level up! Similac has a "Stage 2" formula for babies 6+ months. It has more calories per ounce but costs the same. My babies had no trouble adjusting, but they don't eat as much of the Stage 2 formula. Switching to that, they ate 4 ounces at a time instead of 6-8.

5. Start on Solids. Of course, talk to your doctor. I started feeding my girls pureed foods at 4 months. This was in line with what my doctor told me to do. Amber was eating as much as we would allow and always wanted more, so that seemed to be best for her. Once they started getting some actual food in their systems, they ate less formula. Of course you need to do what is best for your baby. But once you make the switch, you can make baby food much cheaper than the cost of formula!

How do you save money on formula? Please comment below and help the rest of us penny-pinching moms!

Bathtime Fun!

Bathtime is by far my hardest time of day, having twins. I have a few options, including keeping one in the playpen while I bathe the other. They hate that--they want to be closer than that. And Avery hates being cooped up. They're not stable enough that I can put two in the tub at once. It's too difficult to keep them contained. I'm afraid they'll slip and need stitches. But not to fear, other moms of multiples! There is a solution!

It worked shockingly well! I filled the tub with water, and then put a laundry basket in the middle of it. It keeps the girls upright, and they're happy to be in there together (as you can see). It keeps their toys close at hand. They are more likely to slide around because I can't hold them still, but there's no room for them slip under the water. And they can't hit their pretty little heads on the porcelain either.
The only trick is to get them out and dry them off at the same time. Otherwise I find I can't devote enough attention to the one waiting in the tub.

Allow me to rant...

My girls are so sweet to each other, even though they're not even 8 months. I just have to gush for a minute, and I have too much to say for a facebook status, so I thought I'd share with all of you.

Avery tends to be the clingy one. She is the one always touching, poking, grabbing, scratching, bothering her sister. This week after having left both of them sitting upright, I looked over to find Amber's head in Avery's lap. She was kicking and trying to get up while Avery held her down by her EYES. Poor kid.

This morning I was giving Amber her bottle. Avery was whimpering on her little play quilt, presumably because her playmate was preoccupied. And Amber was giving me the hardest time for someone who loves her bottle so much. She kept pushing it away and leaning out of my lap. Finally in exasperation I put the bottle down and let Amber do what she wanted. She leaned forward against my legs, straining toward her sister. When she got Avery's attention, she gave her an award-winning Amber smile. Avery stopped sniffling and smiled back. Then she went back to her bottle. 

This happened three times, until they got the chance to play together. So sweet. 

They really really love each other! Remind me of this the next time Avery is banging blocks on her Amber's head. 

Space.

Call me crazy, but I have a hard time remembering to give my girls space. They're only seven months old, but I really do believe it's good for them to be left alone to explore for a while, without my breathing down their necks. For instance, they're playing right now on their little playmat behind me and entertaining themselves very well!
I have left them with a few toys before to go do my dishes or some other chore. Every now and then, when I leave them alone, I hear Amber giggling at something. By the time I'd rushed back to see what she thought was so funny, I'd missed it. For the longest time I couldn't figure out what she was laughing at. So yesterday I spied on her while she thought I was off doing my own thing. And there Avery was, trying to grab Amber's face, but she couldn't reach her (because I'm too smart to keep them within arm's length anymore!), and Amber just thought it was hilarious. I tried to get it on video, but wasn't quick enough. One of these days! They've started to talk to each other, too. And smile at each other. It's sweet.
I'm going to get out the pots and pans one of these days, but while they are still learning to grip things and pick them up, I've been experimenting with a smaller-scale activity. I take all their bottles (bottles only, not the nipples) and put them in a shoebox. We have different colored bottles, which, I think, is more interesting to the girls. I put the shoebox on their mat and let them play! Amber loves to dump the box (usually hitting her sister in the head in the process). They practice picking up the bottles and putting them down, manipulating the box to turn over.
I think it's really good for them. They're learning and exploring on their own. They don't want someone in their faces all day.
That being said, there is a lot of things they're learning from personal interaction. Today Mom swears she saw Avery trying to wave. And Dad swears she was dancing when he sang to her. I'm pretty sure I saw both of those things too! It's amazing everything they're learning.
Below I've added a video--You can decide for yourself if Avery's started dancing! She does this on a regular basis, but was interrupted in this video by Dad coming home. :)

Food food food.

My little sweethearts are growing at an unbelievable rate. If they keep going like this, they'll be taller than me by the time they're five. Thankfully, though, I can still honestly call them babies. And their entire lives still center around mealtimes.

I LOVE FOOD!

It's amazing how much they've learned, and it's really hard to believe they're working on solid foods now. But they are! We've been doing spoon feeding for a while! I make my own food, mostly, with the exception of meat. Everyone raises their eyebrows at that, like I must really be a supermom to be able to make my own babyfood, but really anyone who can push a button on a blender can do it. It's much cheaper, I know what my girls are consuming, it's fresher, and it must taste better. 

We started with oatmeal. I just microwave-cooked it like I would for myself, with no added sugar or anything. Then throw it in the blender and puree. If you have constipation issues, add something fibrous, like pears or avocado. 

Now they only have oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch, they have a veggie and a protein. The key with the veggies is to overcook. You lose some nutrients that way, but you also don't choke your baby! I puree (or my mom prepares it for me. Thanks, Mom!), and then add a store-bought small jar of protein (chicken or turkey or beef).  

Storage is tricky. Mom gets the credit for this one. On Pinterest you'll see a lot of storage in ice-cube trays, but that didn't really work out for me. Having twins, I prepare 4 Tbsp of food for every meal, which is about 3 ice cubes. Mom prepared some sweet potatoes for me, brought them over in a muffin tin, and froze them solid. After they froze, we stored them in a Ziploc freezer bag. Easy peasy. (No pun intended.) Now i can measure how much i want to thaw for each serving, and it takes up less space in my itty bitty freezer. 

Now for dinner we're doing something new. We are working on picking up food with our hands! So we cut up bananas, avocados, thoroughly cooked carrots, etc. Then we put them on the tray and let the girls play! They haven't figured it out yet. 

Add caption

I stumbled across an awesome activity to help the girls figure it out! By the end of playtime, one out of my two girls was picking food up, realizing she was holding it, and getting it into her mouth to eat! I was so impressed. What was this amazing activity? Potato flakes! They can eat it. It can't hurt their eyes. And it's fun! First I poured the flakes onto their trays dry. We made it snow, we mixed it with slobber, we tried to pick it up. What fun! Then we added some lukewarm water, and it was a whole new game. I let them squish it, throw it, pat it, and eventually they figured out they could eat it! It was all very educational. And messy. But worth it! ANNND it's a wonderful way for them to amuse themselves while I clean the bathrooms. Or eat lunch. (Or throw myself on the floor and take a breather, let's face it.)

Anyway, it really is my goal to write more, but you all know how it is!

I feel I should add that I am having surgery the first week of May to correct my hernia, and in doing so, my diastasis will improve as well. I'm really excited! As my buddy Michele put it, it will be great to be anatomically correct again! 

Thanks for your prayers!

Thank Yous and How Tos

Well, it's been a while!! I've had a lot to say, but no time to say it!
The girls have been sick, poor things. Thus my lack of time. And sleep, for that matter. And while I'm up all night, listening to a little one babble (but not cry) through the monitor, waiting for her to go back to sleep, I've been thinking about what I want to share with you!
The name of this blog is "Rooted". It has multiple meanings to me. I'm definitely in a 'rooting' phase of life. Family is priority, nuclear and extended. Stephen's got a career he plans to be with for a while. We painted the walls. In the next few years, hopefully we'll have a house, and then maybe a big dog to terrorize the cats! Anyway, we're getting rooted here, in that way. But this blog is also meant to track my 'spiritual roots', per se. (Psalm 1:2-3 "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruits in its season...") This blog is for my spiritual meditations as much as it is the practicum of every day life.
All of this to say that something has been on my mind.
I wouldn't say I'm a lonely person. I will say, however, I haven't had very many really close friends outside family for a little while. Maybe since we moved back to KC. That's part of why it is so exciting to have joined this small group! It's so fun to be with people in our phase of life. I find you all so refreshing and encouraging, and we want to keep coming, definitely! Thanks for being so open with us, and also for letting us interrupt the entire session half-way through so I can parade my family and baby paraphenalia out the door to get home before bedtime.  

Anyway, it must be DIY Wednesday, because I have been experimenting!


HOW TO: MAKE YOUR OWN BABY-WIPES


I love Pinterest. This was easy.

1 T coconut oil
1 T baby body wash
1 c water

Mix together. Pour over a half-roll of paper towels. Leave it alone for 30 minutes, and then pull out the cardboard in the middle of the roll. I keep mine in an old Folger's coffee can.
The wipes are thinner, but I find that it still works for me.

This makes roughly the same number of wipes as a regular-sized box of wipes.
Coconut oil ~ $.30 per serving size
Body wash ~ $.15 per serving size
Paper towels ~$.50 per serving size (I buy them on sale.)
Total: $.95 per box.
That's half what I pay if I get a really good deal.


HOW TO: MAKE YOUR OWN SUGAR SCRUB


Since I ran out of sugar scrub, and since I bought coconut oil for the previously listed project, I thought I'd give this a shot.

You can find the original link here.

I used 1/4 c coffee in my old sugar scrub container. I poured a melted 1/2 c coconut oil over the top, and let it set overnight.

It was definitely easy, and if you use cheap coffee, it's a money-saving, chemical-avoiding option. I used it this morning and liked it, but have not used it long enough to say for sure whether it works. Let me know what you think!


HOW TO: MAKE YOUR CRIB STUFFY-NOSE FRIENDLY


Yes, I do actually have my own original ideas sometimes!
My poor girls get all stuffy. Every time I talk to the doctor, they tell me to be sure to elevate the head of the mattress, so when the baby lies down, they can drain. I've tried this a hundred times. Without fail, I walk into the bedroom in the morning and poor little Avery has her head at the foot of her bed and her feet are elevated, so everything drains into her face. Very counter-productive.
So this time, I still elevated their mattresses at the head of the bed by placing a folded blanket between the mattress and the springs at one end of the crib. To keep Avery from rolling all the way down the little hill I had just created, I used two rolled-up bath towels. I placed them on either side of her, under the crib sheet. (Please make sure they are under the crib sheet! If they are above the sheet, you increase your baby's risk for SIDS. Not worth it.) So now she's nestled in a little valley, sleeping soundly. We've used it all week and it really helps.
That being said, this morning I did commit the cardinal sin. Amber woke up gagging again, even though her crib was comfy and elevated. She was obviously so tired, but would gag when I laid her on her back. So, I brought her to my bed and laid her on her stomach next to me. She passed out immediately. She could actually breathe and lay down at the same time. That broke almost every rule in the book, but I think in this case I did the right thing. She slept and felt better and was happy all day. I did keep a very close eye on her, and did not sleep when I was next to her--be careful if you ever find yourself doing this!!! Having said that, if I lived in a perfect, SIDS-free world, I would cuddle that little baby in my own bed every night! She's an adorable little cuddle-bug.

The Aftermath Continued

Again, this is a post for my girlfriends out there, especially those struggling with after-baby-body. Might be TMI for some of you.


Well it has been three months of laps around the mall and Jillian Michaels, so I met with my doctor again this week. Sadly, I do still need surgery. He showed me what the surgery will do--my belly button sticks out right now, and he showed me how far they'd tuck it back in with a mesh to keep it in place. Guys, my stomach would be flat right now if he did that. I still do have a lot of loose skin, and he said there was a possibility I'd have a droopy belly button. But that's better than having an elephant trunk there, I suppose! It'd be awesome for my stomach to be flat again. I can't describe how frustrating it is to know you're working out hard and (usually) eating right, and still have a doughnut belly.
Here's the catch: This hernia doesn't hurt me right now. It doesn't restrict me in any way. It won't get any worse, and I'm in no danger if I never had it fixed. Now, the surgery is still considered reparative, and my insurance will still cover their portion of it. But my primary reason for considering it is cosmetic. It's no tummy tuck. I'd definitely still get some looks in a bikini. But I'd be able to wear a one-piece without everyone on the beach stopping to stare at the lady with the freak belly button! Haha.
So I'm considering it. I'm going to work out even harder for another six months. It'll be easy to get the girls out and walk in the spring and summer. We'll see how much loose skin goes away--maybe it'll be easier to operate, and so much skin won't hang around after the surgery. And maybe I'll decide it looks ok after all, and choose not to have the surgery. I won't have it done till after the girls' first birthday.
Thanks for those of you who are thinking about and praying for me! To those of you who are newly postpartum and are struggling with the same issues--there is hope! Despite what you read out there on most blogs, things can change for the better! I am looking SO much better than I was. If I continue to heal at the same rate, I won't even have surgery.
Best of luck to all of you doing the same thing!

Rules of Being a Mom #7

Rule #7: Find your cleaning rhythm.

Now I have no idea how you moms who work full time do it. Not a clue. I'm no supermom--and I'm fortunate enough to be able to stay home during the day.
A tiny piece of my sanity is connected to the cleanliness of our little apartment. Having twins, I'm scrambling for every scrap of sanity I can find. So I try to keep up with the house. When the girls were first born and we were in survival mode, it was the last thing on my mind. But now that we've got a routine and even some sleep, I'm finding that I can keep up with the house too, mostly. I'm a list person, but these days, if I make a complete list, that's all I have time to do. So I'm learning to have a rhythm instead.
Every day, I do one load of laundry and one load of dishes. The laundry is easy. I put my girls on a blanket in front of me and keep them entertained by covering their faces occasionally with the clothes I am folding. (This will become 20x more difficult as they are old enough to undo what I've done, I know.) The dishes are more complicated. I can't do it while a baby is sleeping, because it will wake them up. Occasionally they may have to fuss for 10 minutes while I load the dishwasher. But I keep my sanity that way. I clean out the cat box every time I give the girls a bath. There are a few other things like that. None come to mind at the moment. Please don't ask how often I clean my bathrooms thoroughly. But I'm getting there.

The Aftermath

Disclaimer:  This post is intended for moms/moms-to-be/women only. It might be a little too much information for all the guys in my life. You were warned.

Well, I'm 5'. And when I first got pregnant, I weighed 115 lbs. If I would have done the math, I should have been prepared that being pregnant with multiples was going to wreck me. Actually, I heard it a lot, when people found out. "Where are those babies going to go?!" was a frequent question.
Well, those babies stayed exactly where they were supposed to stay! And my body did what it was supposed to do! My abs split open down the center to make room (a fairly common condition called diastasis recti). And my skin stretched beyond repair. It was all essential, and I know I survived an amazing process! But, the aftermath kind of sucks. (Not the babies, of course--having them is so happy, and still a little surreal! I'm only referring to the healing process.)
After the girls were born, I had a whole new set of challenges to face. Diastasis Recti is a weird thing.  there was no muscle protecting my organs. When I touched my stomach that first day, I could feel straight through to my intestines. It was pretty freaky. I could even see them through the skin if I angled myself the right way. And the bad news was that it kept me looking 6 months pregnant. On top of that, I had (and still have) an incredible amount of excess skin. I learned later that what I have is called "twinskin". People who have multiples--and some who have singletons--sometimes get so much extra skin that it sags on either side of your belly button. I've heard it called a front butt--I think that's my favorite name for it. Needless to say, it's not exactly attractive. And I haven't even mentioned the stretch marks!
I felt that during pregnancy I did everything right. I could not possibly have downed any more water than I did. I moisturized multiple times a day with Palmers lotion for stretch marks. I don't know if it helped. Maybe I'd be far worse without it.
Six weeks after giving birth, my gynecologist referred me to a surgeon. I was shocked. She said I'd need multiple surgeries to correct what I thought would just go away with diet and exercise. I did meet with a Dr. Jurani in Shawnee, KS. He wanted to wait to see if I could work it away with some serious exercise. I'm supposed to follow up with him mid-February.
At first after learning all of this, I was so discouraged. I got online to see what people in similar situations were saying. (On a side note: rarely does anyone get on the internet to share a positive experience. It's almost never helpful to read about everyone else's misery. Yet it is always my first instinct. Stupid Google.) I saw almost nothing positive. Even worse, actually--I could not find a picture of anyone whose stomach looked as bad as mine. After a while my googling became a sick obsession with hoping there was someone out there who had it as bad or worse than I did. There has to be someone, but they are not easily found. I guess they probably didn't feel like posting pictures. Neither do I. It was all very depressing.
However, there were some things I could do. I thought I'd share them--to give some of you struggling with the same things some hope. Dr. Jurani told me to work out hard. No slacking. And, contrary to what I've read online, he said it did not matter what exercises I did. He emphasized cardio, but did not restrict me at all. (Nonetheless, I have noticed it gets worse if I lift something over 40lbs.) So I have been working out really hard. I did not restrict my diet really until the day after Christmas, but I noticed a big difference when I did.
Between both of those things my stomach definitely shrank. My Diastasis recti is not completely gone, but it's only half as bad as it was.
For the healing of my skin, I've used Jergen's Skin Firming lotion. I also exfoliate with a sugar scrub. This increases blood flow and thus promotes healing in the affected areas. It seems to be better as well, but I know it won't go all the way back.
I am young, and I think that's played a critical role in healing. But for cosmetic purposes, thanks to my mom, I have an Avon lotion Skin So Soft Satin Glow that I use. It's really nice and seems to smooth everything out. It really helps.
With all those things and a good bra, I'm looking a little more like myself! I'll find out next month if I still need surgery. I don't think I will. I think he'll try to convince me to get a tummy tuck, but I won't be paying for that. (Although I totally understand why people do pay for that now!) Hopefully with time, it at least won't show through my clothes. I'm so grateful that I look so much better than I did at only 4 months post partum! For those of you struggling with the same issues, don't give up hope yet!

Rule #6

Rule #6: Make sure to hang out with people. I went to Aldi this week and found out the cashier who always rings me up is moving out of state. I feel like I'm losing a friend.

Rules of Being a Mom

I'm no expert, but I do have 3-month-old twin girls, and I thought I'd share what I've been learning with any other new moms out there. Please comment below and let me know what you've been learning, too!!! This isn't by any means extensive, nor is it in any particular order. I'm sure I'll continue to learn and think of things, so I'll continue to add rules down the road, too!
Rule #1: Rules are more guidelines than actual rules. If your heart is in the right place and you're looking out for the best interest of your child, the important rules are fairly obvious. (Don't shake your baby, please.) Most matters are gray areas and you have to find out what works for you! (To breastfeed or not to breastfeed...)
Rule #2: Don't turn down help!!! I'm so lucky to have some awesome family and friends pitching in for me. They're wonderful. But if they don't volunteer, ask for help! By the way, single moms of multiples--I have no idea how you pull this off. Hats off to you.
Rule #3: You do have to have time to yourself every day, even if at first it's just to wake up and take a shower and put on makeup. If no one's there to help, it's ok to put the baby down, even if they cry a little. As long as they've eaten and been changed, it's ok to not hold them and comfort them every moment.
Rule #4: An extension of 3--It's ok to cry! This applies to you and the baby(ies)! Having twins, this is essential. Especially when I am on my own feeding them at night, if they both wake up hungry at the same time, one of them just has to cry until it's their turn. I used to cry every time that happened! Until one night I realized, she's ok. She's a little hungry, and she might need to be changed, but she's not been neglected. She's not sick. She's not in pain. She's not scared. She just has no other way to tell me she's still hungry! And as long as she is crying, she's still breathing. So while it's miserable sometimes, and while you never want them to cry, it's ok. There's a reason they don't remember being a baby!
Rule #5: DR BROWN'S BOTTLES! They're the best! They might be expensive, but if you clean it out every time, you only need one or two. We have two babies and reuse the same 2 bottles over and over again. My girls hardly ever spit up and rarely have stomach issues. I accredit that to the fact that they have always used Dr. Brown's bottles. The slow flow nipple causes them to have to work for their milk, and they're less likely to accidentally suck air. It also pulls the air out of the nipple and moves it to the back of the bottle. They're supposed to use these bottles while sitting upright, which aids in digestion, I'm sure.
Amber's crying. Gotta go! I'm sure I'll add on to this later!

Got milk?

1 Peter 2:2
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."

My beautiful twin daughters were born in September, and with them came a whole new understanding of this verse.
You see, my girls don't occasionally think milk is a nice thing to have. They don't want one bottle before bed. As newborns, their entire lives revolved around feeding time. They ate every three hours, and at first it took two hours to get them fed. And then they would sleep until it was time to eat again.  They can't even sleep through the night without waking up for a bottle.
As they get older they want more and more, too. Just last night, Amber did not want to stop eating when she'd had enough. I had to distract her to keep her from making herself sick!
This type of an attitude and appetite really does lead to some amazing growth. One of them now weighs more than they both did just 3 months ago!
All that is fine, but I ask  myself, "Is it really possible to crave spiritual nourishment like that? How would I satiate that type of craving?"
I can't say I'm at the point where I crave to read the Bible, or where I crave interaction with God like that. In the past it has been true for me that the more read/pray/fellowship, the more I want to read/pray/fellowship. Hopefully this year I will become a closer mirror of that analogy.