Nursing, Moving, Smiling and Sleping

This is what nursing twins in public looks like when I'm well prepared with my pillow

A series of pictures I took a few days ago, you can see how much they are starting to move and smile, and how quickly Matthew's mood changed that day. And speaking of movement, we put Matthew and Renee in their crib last night for the first time and they slept great! When we put them down they were parallel to each other, when they woke up though, Renee was perpendicular. And she was swaddled. Not sure how she did that.

Sleeping in the sling (picture taken from above my head)

What's In a Name

"Samuel, what's Daddy's name?"
"Marc"

"What's Regi's name?"
"Regina"

"What's Andy's name?"
"Andrea"

"What's Gradpa's name?"
"Grandpa"

"What's Bubba's name?"
"Bubba Ruth"

"What's Tocayo's name?"
"Tocayo" with a look of puzzlement, as if Tocayo could possibly have another name!

"What's Mami's name?"
"Mi amor"
"Who is Silvia?"
"Mi amor"

We had this exchange the other night before bedtime, but it's not our first, and I hope not our last conversation where I am identified as "mi amor". If I'm not going to have a name other than Silvia, this is the best I could hope for!

Mutlimedia Art

Samuel's first multi-media bath art work (also he knows he can make purple with red and blue, orange with red and yellow, etc):

Samuel Sharrett
Untitled
Paper towel roll with bubble bath paint on bath tile
2008

Catching up

Matthew and Renee are more active during the days now, eating more and sleeping less which makes it harder for me to find time to update our blog. I'm also trying to get out of the house a few times a week which is important for my sanity as a human being, but also takes time and uses up a lot of my energy. When Samuel was 6 weeks old, we went out almost everyday - I'd put him in the Baby Bjorn and walk out the door, no effort required, and run little errands easily. Two babies, and living in a more suburban setting makes going out a far more involved process and a quick errand takes at least 30 minutes and involves car seats and a minivan. and the timing is harder because feeding them out is challenging (it doesn't stop me though, I've been feeding them out, but it takes a toll on my back and it's not stress free). Enough about me, now more about the kids.

Matthew rolled over the other day - I swear. It was accidental and thankfully has not been repeated. Both babies were on the floor and I left Matthew on the floor to change Renee and when I looked at him a minute later he had rolled over. Renee also moves around while on the floor, and has to be week strapped in to her bouncy seats and stroller. She can move her head from side to side while on her tummy. They have both found their hands. The other day, they were both on the changing table, following their hards. When their hard crossed paths, the started to follow the other one's hand!

They started off together and moved and moved.

Renee moving her head

This had been a smile (camera not quick enough)

August Second Sunday

The "Twins"

Matthew and Renee are two different people, with distinct personalities and as such I am making a big effort to not refer to them as "the twins". But, I couldn't resist titling this blog and this series of pictures "the twins". It's a rare occasion, unlikely to be repeated, when they are dressed exactly the same - one of the outfits was Samuel's the other was from a friend. What I love about these pictures is that even though "the twins" are dressed the same, Renee and Matthew are easily distinguishable - I hope you can tell how much more she moves. I also take pride and find congruence with my feminism by dressing a boy and a girl exactly the same.

"Matthew and Renee don't do that"

So said Samuel after using the potty. Last night, he asked if he could use the potty for the first time and he did! He was so very proud of himself. He did a little dance, we took pictures (which we're not posting) - all in all very successful. Thankfully, our daycare is taking the lead with toilet training, we're following their lead and supporting their approach which is about all we can handle at this point.

"It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's MY HAND" and "Yes, I'm Real"

If Mathew and Renee could talk, this is what I think they would have said on the grand event of their one month birthday.

"Yes, I'm real"
I'll start with Renee. Her one month birthday was marked by an outing to Mom's night out. She did brilliantly - sleeping through dinner waking up after I had eaten, ready to nurse, she stayed awake through dessert while I nursed Matthew. When we were ready to leave (OK 5 minutes before the parking lot closed!) one of my friends pushed Matthew in the stroller while I walked with another friend holding Renee in my arms as we walked to the car. She was facing out, tummy on my arm so she had a great view of the world and people could see her well. We got lots of smiles and "she's so cute" comments. But there were two people who made a really odd comment. The first was a man, mid-forties, disheveled, walked as if he had been drinking, or maybe smoking, something. He looked at Renee and asked me if she was real! He did it in a very nice way - "she's so cute, is she a real baby" type of comment. I chalked it up to whatever he may have been drinking or smoking. Two blocks later as we walked past a patio, and a woman said to her friend "look at that, she's so cute, do you think she's real". I couldn't believe it - two people making that very odd comment - do they really think 35 year old women walk around holding baby dolls? And do baby dolls really look like one-month old Renee?

Had Renee been able to talk, I think she would have looked right at both of them and either said "Yes, I'm real" and keep right on walking or come up with a witty comment that would have left them speechless.

"It's a bird, it's a plane, it's my hand"
So after a great night out with my friends, Matthew had a really rough night crying and feeding on and off until 5 am! Renee's night wasn't great wither, but not as tough as Matthew's. But, in the midst of all the crying fits, he had a moment of quiet and lying on our bed he looked up at his hand and moved it across his line of sight slowly and deliberately and then put it in his mouth! It was one of those time that you forget that it's 4 am and that you only slept 4 hours the night before and no hours yet tonight, because you are so thankful that you were able to witness that moment.


Today, Saturday, was our first day at home as a family of five without help from anyone and I think we did pretty well. Matthew, Renee and I woke up at 8 (seems indulgent, but remember we went to sleep at 5) and Samuel was already up with Marc. We went out for breakfast, came home to feed Matthew and Renee and play with Samuel's water table (sorry, no pics I had both hands completely full). Matthew, Renee, Samuel and I all napped and we went out for dinner. At Samuel's request we had pizza and sat by the window, Matthew and Renee slept through the meal. After bath (for Samuel and Matthew) and bed time, at 3 kid are currently asleep so I'm off to take a shower. Not bad. I hope the night is better than last night.

Setting up his new water table

That used to be his car seat, 2 years ago

Taking pride in clearing his dishes from the table

Making pancakes

Eating pancakes (OK, a more accurate description is licking maple syrup - look at the pancake on the table)

During bathtimeAfter bathtime

Necessity of the mother of invention

When Samuel was a baby, I nursed him everywhere - at the post office, on the bus, walking down the street, etc. It was a big part of our life - we were portable and could do whatever we wanted to do, "have boobs will travel".

I couldn't quite figure out how I would do this with two babies at once. Until yesterday. We were shopping for a double stroller (for which we definitely need a minivan, even if we didn't need one for our 3 kids), and Renee woke up from her nap much earlier than expected and wanted to eat. OK - that was no problem I took her out fed her while continuing to look at strollers. I even used the sling so I could try out the strollers with both hands. Then Matthew woke up. That was no problem too as Renee was content to take a break. So I rotated between them for a little while until both started to cry. Being faced with the choice between two crying babies and figuring out a way of nursing the twins in public, I chose the latter.

So I sat down in a car seat the store uses to demonstrate how child car seats install, and right there in the middle of the stroller and car seat section of Great Beginnings, I pulled up my nursing top and fed both Matthew and Renee at the same time. I got a few looks, but they were smiles, and I got a "you go girl" from a fellow mom. I don't think I was very discreet, but I didn't really care either - whoever wants to take an issue with a mom who is nursing twins in public, at a baby store, is asking for trouble. No wonder I was exhausted when we got home (after having to pull of the highway to nurse Renee again). Not bad for week 3.

Samuel's New Games and Tricks

It's amazing how much Samuel has grown in the last few weeks - both physically and developmentally. I carried him the morning the twins were born and then didn't carry him for two weeks while I healed, and there was a marked difference in that short period of time.
Here he was demonstrating his climbing, balance and jumping skills at the local market, repeatedly climbing the bench, walking it's length and jumping off the other end.

Building a changing table with my friend Marya, mother to David. Samuel is a big fan of both and has asked for them to come play many, many times. I'm a big fan as well - Marya has been a fantastic support to me and has organized a Wiki website for everyone else who has been, and who will be, helping us.





Above is a new game that Marc and Samuel play - Samuel hides the paper towels in a kitchen drawer and stands in front of it so no one can get into that drawer. Marc then opens every drawer, cupboard, fridge, etc. in the kitchen looking for the paper towels. As you can see in the video, Samuel thinks this is absolutely hilarious. It went on for about 20 minutes the other night! Samuel was so excited about the paper towels that he could hardly speak straight - neither Marc, my mom nor I could understand what he said when I was taking the video. And about the video - sorry it's sideways, I can't figure out how to make it horizontal and the shaky quality was due to my nursing with one hand and video taping with the other while laughing hysterically.

One of the presents that Samuel got for becoming a big brother was a set of bath paints. He loves them and has a blast painting all over the walls and then cleaning up after himself.

Life with Samuel, Matthew and Renee

Their fist outing - Second Sunday at a swimming pool with the Milk Moms (moms I met while nursing Samuel; they are my support network and their older kids are Samuel's closest friends). We had help from my mom and Marc's mom, Ruth and we could not have gone to an outing with more supportive people. Unfortunately we were rained out, but it was still a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, not to mention that there was a water main break so we didn't have any water and later had no power either so there was little benefit to being home.


Matthew and Renee are changing every day, becoming more alert and spending more time awake. Today, I got a real smile from Matthew - he had a few fleeting smiles before, but today in the middle of nursing he stopped, looked up at me a smiled. Marc also got a real smile from Matthew today.

At 10 days

At 11 days
At 17 days

Matthew started tracking with his eyes a few days ago, and has been able to follow his hands as they move in front of his face.

A quiet moment with Matthew. What else do I need to say?

A weekday breakfast, with a kiss for Renee

Big brother wearing really big shoes

"My Renee"

Learning how to use a sling with two

At the end of a long day