Our Schedule at 6 months

People often ask me how I manage my day with twins. When do they eat? What do I do if they are both crying and I am alone? Do they sleep at the same time? Do they sleep together? Do they wake each other up by crying? Etc. Etc. I will be answering some of these questions in later posts but today, I wanted to write out our current (flexible) schedule. I know when I was pregnant, I just wondered how in the world we were actually going to do it, what days looked like for other people with twins. I hope that this will help someone who is in the same boat as I was.

We have had and lived by a schedule from day 1. I love having my babies on a schedule. Our schedule always remains flexible but not by much, just by a half-hour here or there or a few ounces of formula here or there, or a missed nap (or one taken in the stroller or car), etc. Our schedule is constantly being modified based on the stage we are in (newborn, trying to drop feedings, sleeping through the night, beginning solid foods, etc) but we generally stick to a 3-4 hour feeding schedule with playing and napping in between and a good bedtime routine. When I was pregnant, I learned a lot about scheduling from some more experienced moms as well as by reading the book, "On Becoming Baby Wise" that had been suggested by moms who had had great success getting their babies to sleep through the night. Having a schedule allows me and my husband (who has a very flexible work schedule (such a blessing) and is able to help me with many feedings and can stay home at times so I can get out do ministry, exercise, shop or visit with friends) has made our lives so much more simpler and has taken so much of the guess-work out of parenting. By living by a schedule, not only do I have time built into my day to do tasks that I need (and want) to do, but I am able to know (ALMOST all of the time) what my babies need and why they are crying, etc. I am able to better care for their needs and in turn, they are content. Last week, my babies (Gracie and Keane) turned 6 months old. About a week before that, I began very slowly introducing them to rice cereal by spoon along with all of their other formula feedings throughout the day. I am LEARNING something new everyday, I think it will be this way for the rest of my life. For now their daily schedule looks like this:

6:30-7 am: They both begin making sounds from their cribs. We let them lay there for a few more minutes but try to get them before their sounds turn to cries.

7 am (or whenever they get up): My husband and I each feed one of the babies. They both get an 8 oz bottle and they usually chug this one down.

7:30 am (or whenever they finish their bottle after a little cuddle time): Back to bed for a nap. (I tried last week to see what would happen if I just let them stay up and then take a nap around 8:30 am or so, NOT GOOD!)

9 am: Both are up from their naps. Usually one will wake up before the other and will play on the floor with toys or with us before the other one wakes up.

10 am: 4 oz bottle and 1 oz green beans mixed with 1 scoop rice cereal. This is only our second week with the green beans and cereal. They are getting better and better at eating from the spoon and really love the food. Keane usually eats more food than Gracie. I always give them the majority of their bottles first because I don't want them to get full on food and not eat their milk (which most doctors say is more important than the food at this point). (For the day time feedings, it is usually just me or sometimes just my husband that gives them to them now when the other is out). So, we feed one and then when they finish, feed the other. Each feeding usually takes around 15 minutes. We feed the one who seems hungrier first. If we know we are going to be alone during the day then we plan ahead and feed them before they begin to fuss or a few minutes before the scheduled time. This way, I don't have two screaming babies that are both hungry at the same time!

11 am: Nap time again. Gracie is usually VERY ready for her nap at this point. Sometimes Keane is or isn't. If he isn't he plays for a while longer (usually 11:30) and then goes down for a nap too.

12-12:30: Both are up from their naps. Play time on the floor with their toys or in their bouncers or swing or with one of us.

1 pm: 6 oz bottle

1 - 2 pm: play. I also read them books. And lately they are loving chewing on frozen washcloths.

2 pm: They both go down for a nap. Sometimes one of them is crying but by this time in the day they are usually ready for their longer nap and they don't cry for long. They sleep for at least 1 1/2 hours. Usually one is up before the other one (do you see a pattern???:)!)

4 pm: They are both up and ready to eat again. 4 oz bottle and some fruit (1 oz apples or bananas) mixed with 1/2 scoop rice cereal.

4 - 6:15 pm: Play. Last month they usually took a short nap during this time. I am trying to break them of this which helps them sleep longer and better at night. Sometimes if they just can't make it, I let them sleep for about 30 minutes but usually they make it but are just REALLY ready for bed by 6:00. Everyday is getting better and they are able to go longer without getting fussy.

6:15 pm: I give them baths one at a time (because they can't sit up yet), play with them in the bath for a bit and then get them dressed in their pj's (which usually are just a comfy onesie (we don't have AC and it is the summer here in Nepal)). Sometimes Ryan will give one a bath right after I give one a bath if they are both really fussy and we want to get it done quickly so we can feed them or if he just wants to bathe one.

6:45 pm: We each give one of them a 4-6 oz bottle. Sometimes Gracie wants nothing to do with this bottle but usually she will drink at least some of it. Keane usually drinks most of it.

7 pm: We sing 'Jesus loves you' to them and rock them for a few minutes, pray over them and then put them down. Most of the time they go down without problems. For the first few months they NEVER cried when we put them to sleep. Now, they are becoming more and more aware of the things around them and when mommy and daddy leave the room and they cry sometimes and need to be soothed. When this happens, we usually soothe them for a few minutes by rubbing their backs or rocking them while they are laying down and then leave the room and wait for about 5 minutes. If the crying hasn't stopped, we go in again, tap them a bit and then leave again. If they were crying at all, they are usually asleep within a total of 10 minutes or so.

Then they sleep through the night. My problem is that I wake up multiple times throughout the night worried about them so I get up to check on them and I have broken sleep all night. Some nights are better than others for this. Also occasionally, Keane will wake up once in the middle of the night wanting his pacifier. I know, I know, by giving it back to him I am creating a bad habit but sometimes, if patting him won't soothe him back to sleep, I give it to him. He is happy and so am I.

Obedience

I have been thinking a lot about obedience these days. I think part of it is because we are overseas and our first commitment is almost "finished" and we will be returning to the states in November for six months. I often think about the future and what my family will be doing next year or in five years. We have a "plan" but honestly, sometimes I just question it. I go back and forth on whether it is my will or God's will that I am truly following. Sometimes the voice in my head is hard to discern as God's or my own. I hate that. I know most of the time when it is this way, it is because I am not spending enough time with Him to know His voice but sometimes I just don't know. Also, sometimes truth be told, I don't want to know...ever been there? I mean deep down inside, of course I want to know. I truly don't want to do ANYTHING that God doesn't want for me. His plans and purposes are best and that is the only place I want to be (Proverbs 16:9: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.") But sometimes, I just want my way (the way that I think is right) to be THE way. I hope I am making sense and that you can relate. On those days that I don't like my circumstances or I want to be with people I don't get to see for months (or years) at a time, or when I feel tired or sad or lonely those are the times that I often don't really try to listen for God's voice and I (unfortunately) let my feelings dictate my actions (Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way to death."). That is NOT the way I TRULY want to live and I am SO thankful that I have a God that desires for me not to stay at that place, not to be comfortable with what I think is right for my life. I am so thankful that He forgives us for our lack of listening (and hearing) and brings us on His path again. This doesn't mean that what God desires for us to be doing with our life now will be exactly the same as what He desires us to be doing with our life in the future (although it always will have to do with bringing Him glory) but what it does mean is that for today, I want to be OBEDIENT with where He has me. Don't you? I have been reading 1 Kings these past 2 weeks. I often forget how interesting it is to read through the Old Testament books. I am truly enjoying reading 1 Kings and God is opening my eyes to amazing things through it. The main thing recently is on the topic of OBEDIENCE. Over the next post or two, I will be walking you through what I have been learning about obedience through the life of King Solomon in 1 Kings. I pray that it will impact you the way it has me. I pray that it will make you see if there are areas of your life that God has told you clearly where to go or what to do and you simply are not obeying. I pray that it will encourage you to follow God's leading in all things and to be obedient. We have a God who desires to lead us, to show us the RIGHT path. Why, why, why, do we try to do it on our own???

"Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God,
with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever."
Psalm 85:11-12

What's for dinner?

Tonight I tried a new recipe. It was really good. I found it on http://www.betterrecipes.com/ and modified it a bit. If you are looking for a good chicken stir-fry you should try this one out. It is really simple (especially if you use pre-cut veggies (which we don't have here but I have a wonderful girl who helps me in my home so that makes cooking (and living) in South Asia much more do-able so she helps me with the prep work for cooking). Here it is:

What you will need:
Olive Oil (I like Extra Virgin)
Green beans or Broccoli, cut into bite size pieces (200 grams or 1 16 oz bag frozen)
Carrots, cut long and thin 3 large (or 1 16 oz bag frozen)
Onions, 2 sliced thin
Garlic, 3 cloves
1 cup sliced pineapple
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 lb chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup water with 2 tsp corn starch
salt and pepper to taste
Cooked Rice (white or brown)

How you make it:
Turn stove to medium heat. Add a little oil to the pan. Add veggies and cook 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Add a little more oil to the pan. Add chicken, garlic, soy sauce, pineapple juice and salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Add veggies, water and corn starch mixture. Turn down heat and simmer 4 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add pineapple. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Did you try it? How did you like it? Did you modify it at all? I would love to hear from you and hear about some of your favorite recipes!

For the Love of Running...

The title of this blog post is VERY decieving because you see, I HATE running. I always have. Other sports and exercise I really like. Take swimming for example, I could swim for hours and not miss a beat but ask me to run just a few minutes and I will begin coming up with a million excuses as to why I can't do that right now. Can anyone relate? Well, lately I have been trying to figure out a way to get in shape. For much of my life I have been pursuing this quest. Lately, I have been trying to find a plan that I can follow, one that is challenging yet DOABLE, with attainable goals and measurable ways to know that I am accomplishing the task. I came across this amazing program called "couch25k" www.c25k.com Basically, it takes people like myself who are not runners by nature (or habit, or skill) and turns us into people who are able to run a 5k (or 30 minutes straight) at the end of 9 weeks. The commitment is simply 25-30 minutes 3 times per week. Week 1, you begin with a warm-up walk of 5 minutes and then walking for 90 seconds and then jogging for 60 seconds and then repeating that for 20 minutes (for a total of 25 minutes). Each week you drop more of the walking parts until you are running for the entire time. Today was my second day. I am LOVING this. I have never enjoyed jogging so much in my life and I think it would be prety amazing if I could actually run for 30 minutes at the end of this. Fortunately, at the hotel by my house there is an awesome jogging path that I do this on. For those of you who live in America or another developed place you could easily do this in your neighborhood or local gym. For those of you who live on this side of the world, finding a place to do this may be more difficult. I would suggest that you try and find a hotel with a gym. If that isn't possbile (which I realize for many of you it isn't), I would simply encourage you to find something you can do to be active and exercising. There are workout videos family can send from America, you could run up and down the stairs in your apartment building (ok maybe not but it's an idea), or simply walking a little faster when you go to the market or to visit a friend. I am learning that just a few small changes can make a big difference in the way we feel and even look. I tend to try to go all out, to do too much and then I burn out and don't finish what I have started. I am praying that I will keep this up for 9 weeks to finish the program but more than that, I am hoping that at the end of the 9 weeks my "hate" for running will turn into a "love". And now that I have posted it on my blog for the world to see, maybe that will be motivation enough to finish!

What things do you do to stay in shape, get in shape or exercise? I would love to hear your ways and ideas!

Firsts

Well Gracie and Keane just turned 6 months old the other day. I had read in my "What to Expect the First Year" book that around this age is when they may start to cry when a toy is taken from them. For Keane, it happened the first time tonight. I bought them a new bath toy that we endearingly call "Mr. Froggy Friend". He is a frog sponge puppet. Gracie and Keane LOVE this guy. I have no idea why. Maybe because he can move his arms and his face and "talk" to them but for some reason whenever Mr. Froggy Friend comes out they both go crazy, trying to grab him and get all intense. Yesterday was the first day with Mr. Froggy Friend and although they both enjoyed playing with him in the bath, when the bath was finished they were fine. My, how things change in a day. Tonight when I tried to "put Mr. Froggy Friend to bed" there were tears...LONG, HARD, LOUD tears that only subsided when I brought Mr. Froggy Friend back. (I swore I would never do this so as not to create dependency or an "I can cry to get what I want" attitude) BUT I had to see...was he crying over Mr. Froggy Friend or just because he was tired or something and sure enough...he HAD TO HAVE the frog. After a few more minutes of swooning over Mr. Froggy Friend I put him "back to sleep" and the tears begun again. Thankfully at 6 months old Keane is pretty distractable so I was able to get him to calm down by singing to him and laughing with him as I changed him into his pj's. I am sure this is just the first of many times they will cry when something is taken from them. I still do this sometimes!

What are some of your favorite firsts that you have watched your baby accomplish? How do you feel when they accomplish the milestone? Excited, sad, sentimental, proud, all of the above, others?