Short update

When Mama Lovebo is home alone for the day, there is not much time for crafting or posting clever or even not-so-clever blog entries. If there is time for a shower and lunch (for me) that is a good day. Today I write with Theo in the bouncer below and Beck on my shoulder. Theo just spit up all over himself for the second time this morning, and all over the bouncer. The cover for the other bouncer is already in the washing machine as we speak from an earlier spit up event. I usually have to do at least one "emergency" wash a day, one that cannot wait until Jeff gets home, because of a situation like this where a bouncer is out of commission, or every single changing pad cover is saturated with pee, or all of our diaper covers reek. Yesterday I did bake a loaf of banana bread between various meltdowns and marathon nursing, which is the closest thing to an accomplishment I've had in days. So here are the updates from week 5 of Theo and Beckett:

1) I'm thankful they do still sleep at night, still on the same schedule of down at 9:30 or 10, up at 1, up at 4, up at 7. They wake up at the same time or are amenable to being woken up at the same time so that I only have to get up once, though it takes about an hour to diaper and feed both of them. I'm too sleepy to manage tandem feeding at night unless they have really awakened me with screaming.

2) They are having a growth spurt at the moment which requires near-constant nursing and very little sleeping during the day. Sunday I was worried I was having milk supply problems because of how much they wanted to eat, but we made it through the day and I called a lactation consultant at Crouse yesterday afternoon who said that was perfectly normal and that 3-4 weeks is a typical time for it to occur. She said it should last 3-4 days. Amazingly, my supply has already responded and I have more milk today than I did yesterday. I can understand how moms get worried about their supply because it's stressful to think your baby is not getting enough food, but these guys are continuing to wet and dirty lots of diapers so I know they are getting lots of sustenance through all that nursing. They also feel noticeably heavier to me than they did even a week ago, and sturdier. Beckett is even starting to outgrow some of the newborn clothes--some of the footed sleepers we have are too short for him!

3) We had a great visit last Thursday with Alex and Joanne, who were kind enough to bring homemade whole wheat bread, fresh lettuce from their garden, and delicious double chocolate cookies. It's great to hear stories from parents who can recall the "expert" parenting advice from their generation and lived to say that they didn't follow it. Best advice given by Joanne: when they ask whether you are doing [whatever they think you should be doing], just LIE.

4) We have changed around the set up of the downstairs of our house and decided on some furniture acquisitions. I will try to post pictures when I have two free hands and the camera is within arm's reach.

5) We also had a great visit with Jeff's family Sunday for Fathers' Day. They brought two great meals, mowed the lawn, and did lots of good sleeping baby-holding.

6) It may not have been a fluke when Beck rolled over at the pediatrician's when he was one week old. Actually 6 days old. He rolled from back to front at 6 days old. The pediatrician kind of shrugged, and said, well, it's probably a fluke. Yesterday I watched him flip from front to back during tummy time. He then totally freaked out, I imagine because he didn't know how he got there. He's definitely very mobile--he is often perpendicular in the crib to where we set him down, and as you can see in the photo above, that means he can sometimes maneuver to kick his brother.

I may have a window of opportunity to take a shower in the next hour, so I need to act quickly. More later, including pictures!