I don't want to jinx anything and maybe I already have by typing such words, but last night Bo slept a whopping seven hours and I was able to get a much needed five hour sleep, which is more rest than I've had since my mom left. Five hours is everything right now and I woke up feeling tremendously different than I have these last few weeks, an emotional time bomb in a perpetual state of fog. It's not depression so much as exhaustion. I'm typically a very chill person who can navigate life on an even plateau but lately I've been driving uphill, chanting "I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!" until I hit a pothole and crash into a wall. Even my dreams are full of car accidents, including the one from last night where Blythe Danner was in the driver's seat and I was screaming at her to stop because she kept ramming her Mini Cooper into the pole she insisted was in her blind spot. (I'm sure the Mini Cooper/pole thing was ingrained in my psyche after seeing Young Adult over the weekend and relating to a character I should have hated. Perhaps it was the cabriolet-driving-washed-up-homecoming-queen-defunct-teen-book-series-writer-thing but I spent a good portion of my yesterday wondering if I was actually a terrible person masquerading as a mom with a thousand kids.) Regardless, it was a fantastic movie. Go see it immediately.
Anyway... Sleep.
Last night I slept five straight hours and it wasn't even Bo that woke me up! It was Rev! It was raining all night so I assume that had something to do with my enormous sleep, which leads me to believe that a noise machine might be in the cards. Anyone have one to recommend? ED: Both babes sleep in their crib but I bring them into during their middle-of-the-night feedings and spoon with them until morning, one in each arm. It is by far the coziest thing of all time save for the cramps in both of my shoulders and spit-up stains in the armpits of my pajamas. (Hal's still sleeping on the futon in the office so the babies don't wake him up at 3am/so he doesn't wake them up at 5:30 when his alarm goes off.)
But enough with the rambles. Here are some of my favorite photos from last week:
Bo is the oldest three-month old I know. In fact, posting this picture just reminded me of ANOTHER dream I had last night (See what happens when I ACTUALLY sleep? I dream! How novel!) where Boheme stood up and started walking and I was yelling at her to SIT DOWN RIGHT THIS INSTANT, YOUNG LADY! YOU ARE AN INFANT CHILD! Except (minus the crying and need for bottles every three hours) she isn't very infant-like. Perhaps that's why I had the dream. Bo exudes this inexplicable maturity. Her energy is very forty-year-old career woman.
"Will I be seeing you at the weekend retreat?"
"Shall we meet at Cheeks Cafe?"
"... I'll be the woman in the pink sweater and blouse."
Later, at Cheeks Cafe:
"I thought you said you'd be wearing a pink blouse."
"Yeah, I went ahead and puked on that. Do you like my shoes? They totally fit me."
...Meanwhile, Revi wins the "smiliest baby of the week" award for outstanding use of happiness:
Meanwhile, part two: at The Napping House...
...Annnnnd wide awake.
Meanwhile, part three: Fable's been wearing her Olivia costume to school because it's adorable and why the hell not?
...And Bo and Rev have been wearing Fable's hand-me-downs:
Socks and shoes aside, every article of clothing in this post belonged to Fable when she was a babe which is awesome for us and fun for Fable.
"This was my coat when I was a baby?"
"It was indeed!"
I'm really enjoying these weekly recap posts, sorting through photos, watching how quickly the girls (who will be three-months old tomorrow) are changing, reflecting on how far we've come even in the last few days. Growing out of clothes and sleep patterns and infancy, learning how to multitask. I even took the babies to the Farmer's Market yesterday all by myself and we all survived! WE SURVIVED!
One of the greatest life lessons I've learned from having twins thus far: if spit up isn't happening from one source...
...it's happening from another.
So long as you clean up the mess to the best of your ability, there's no harm in a little stain.
GGC
79 comments:
I just bought this one for my son:
http://www.target.com/p/Homedics-Sound-Spa-Lullaby-Relaxation-Machine/-/A-10707864#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink
I like it because it was cheap and it works..ha! Well, the projection on the ceiling doesn't work but the sound does and that's all he needed. He will sleep through the night with the rain noise or the ocean waves. I also liked that it had a timer BUT if I want it to run all night it can also do that....oh and it was cheap and I bought it at Target (in the baby section by the monitors)!
I LOVE your babies. And your family. You guys are so damn adorable.
Three months! You are DOING IT. Know what I mean? I hope you can continue to get the much needed sleep.
great now I am picturing Bo in a power suit with shoulder pads.
Beautiful pictures! I had to post about the white noise machine. I have three of these in bedrooms in my house and I even take mine when I travel. It is awesome:
http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-980A-Sound-Screen-Conditioner/dp/B000MPH0PG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323718632&sr=8-2
That last picture is the cutest thing ever. What a great big brother.
Love all the pics! We have this sound machine from Target in both kids rooms: http://www.target.com/p/The-First-Years-Sounds-For-Silence-Nursery-Sound-Machine/-/A-12873665
It is great and is easily portable!
Yay for sleep!
My old boss had a theory that everyone has an age that they sort of always are, on the inside. Looks like you've found Bo's!
We use this sound machine in our son's room. Its the cheapest I could find that actually makes the white noise sound and not just crickets chirping and water running: http://www.amazon.com/Conair-SU7-Sound-Therapy-Relaxation/dp/B000OCK9S2
You are all every kind of awesome, you really are ...
First of all, adorable photos! Second, here's the white noise machine I've used with my kids: http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-SleepMate-980A-Electro-Mechanical-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM
Best of luck with the sleep!
They are getting so big and oh so gorgeous all 4 of the kiddos.
Glad to hear you're getting some much needed sleep.
Keep rockin' mama... you can do it!
They are both stunning. Stunning. But Bo, with those eyes?!?!? I die.
Oh man, you have four of th3e most beautiful children ever!
Bo and Rev and looking so 'grown up' this week. I can't believe they're basically three months old already.
xx
THANK YOU for your noise machine recs! You all ROCK.
I seriously could not live without our white noise machine, we have two, one for each kids room and I wish I had one for us too! I will make them use it forever! My oldest daughter sleeps so well with it we sometimes have to wake her up at 11am! The baby sleeps great too. It just blocks out enough noise so that no one is waking each other up. I find when I sleep with it in the same room as me I sleep so much better.
http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-SleepMate-980A-Electro-Mechanical-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323719854&sr=8-1
That's funny I just read the other posts, sounds like we all agree, it's the best one!!!
I use an app on my iphone that has white, brown, and pink noise. You can even make it oscillate and I think it cost all of a dollar. It's called SimplyNoise.
OMG, I did not even finish reading the post yet, I stopped as soon as I got to your white noise machine request. Buy this now! The Marpac SleepMate. They are awesome.
Go. Now. Order.
http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-SleepMate-980A-Electro-Mechanical-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323720297&sr=8-1
Awesome, I too, am loving these posts of yours. Keep them coming. They are simple and lovely and full of life.
We have the Graco sound machine, which is kinda rad because it has an mp3 port and night light built in. We've been using from super early on and it totally helped me stop yelling at the dog for breathing too loud during naptime or something equally ridiculous.
http://www.target.com/p/Graco-Sound-Machine-with-MP3-Plug-in-Port-Nightlight-Timer/-/A-11147713
Another vote for the Marpac Sleepmate 980A. We use them at work as sound screens in therapy rooms and they work so well I bought one to block out street noise while I sleep. Initially they seem loud but they are amazing. I've actually become conditioned so that as soon as I turn it on, I fall asleep.
The Sleep Sheep! http://www.cloudb.com/ssandf/sheep.html
We have the travel one and have used it in the car and stroller too! There is nothing funnier than using nature sounds from a stuffed sheep WHILE you are walking around in nature. Yeah, my kid was very particular about falling asleep.
Also, those kids. Soooo cute.
I know this sounds super ghetto, but we once left on a trip and forgot the noisemaker at home. (Boo!)
So, we improvised with the radio set to static. It worked.
Maybe that would save you money? It's worth a try for the cost of free. :)
Archer looks like the happiest big brother ever. He's a natural and looks like he's loving every second of it.
Baby #3 will be 3 months on the 18th and Bo and Rev are making want to have twins. OOOOOMG!
Congrats on sleeping and dreaming!
We couldn't afford a white noise machine, but what we COULD afford was a plug-in set of portable speakers (don't have to be high quality, because the constant white noise does some damage, anyway) and this from iTunes: http://www.amazon.com/Help-Your-Sleep-Through-Night/dp/B001HVEETE. We've used our "favorite" track for 3 years, and it still works. Cy calls it "my noise." It's on all of our MP3 players and phones, and is easy to play in the car for long trips if we feel like we need it.
Also on the free tip: We both already needed to have a fan on to sleep so that is what we use. Of course he isn't sleeping through the night, so maybe we should rethink that...
The picture of Bo and Archer where his hand is kind of blurry just seriously made me cry at my desk at work, it is so cute. And I don't usually cry over other people's cute ass kids.
Also, we just use an air purifier as a noise maker. It does double duty.
It's been three months and I'm kind of feeling like a butt because I'm having some public radio-like feeling here. To clarify, it always makes me donate to public radio when they say, "you listen every day, we give you so much, isn't that worth contributing to?" and I think yes! Yes it is. And then I donate and toss another coffee mug on the pile. The point being that I followed your pregnancy so closely and was all internet bloggy excited when the girls were born but I'm just now sharing all of this and I feel like I've been lurking around instead of telling you that you rock and that the girls are so unique and lovely. So I just did it. (But you don't have to send me a coffee mug, I didn't really contribute that much after all.)
Also? Noise Machines? The best! Get one that runs on batteries too--we use it in the car etc to 'signal' sleepy times.
I used this guy with my twin girls (now 20 months - wow!)... we didn't actually use the bear, but his innards worked a charm hung on the side of their shared cot. The womb noise worked best for us when they were tiny and later the lullabies. The great thing about it was that it is noise and motion sensitive so it was sometimes just enough of a distraction to settle them off back to sleep... or stay quiet wondering what the hell they were crying about again... your girls are so gorgeous. I'm really enjoying your posts and having little flashbacks to my girls early days!
Oops, I totally forgot to paste the link - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prince-Lionheart-Slumber-Bear-Cream/dp/B000L3ISWI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323724356&sr=8-1
or search Slumber Bear
They definitely resemble the comedy and tragedy masks in some of these photos! It's amazing how quickly they grow!
I second the rec. for the First Years Sound Machine. It has several white noise options and plays lullaby-esque music. It plays constantly in my home. Also, a white noise App on the iPhone and yes, AM stations in the car. Your babes are gorgeous!
We just use a fan as our sound machine. We tried music, downloaded "nature sounds" on the iPod, etc, but three years in and our trusty fan is still the best low-level white noise out there. Our kid loves it.
You've got the cutest family... and those girls (all 3 of them!) are so lucky to have such a caring big brother.... Archer is such a good brother!
Such adorable photos. The spit-up ones are hilarious. I'm amazed that I've managed to take some shots of my 3-month-old without her spitting up because that is her most favorite activity. And yay for your successful farmers' market outing (or farkin market as my 3-year-old likes to call it, hahaha).
I love how different your two latest are. they look so different, they act so different...it's so neat to see that even though they shared wombspace that they are complete individuals already!
Totally was drinking a milkshake as I read that post, per Archer's shirt.
I love these photos! :)
Travel Sleep Sheep by Cloud B (http://www.cloudb.com/ssandf/sheep.html) was our FAVORITE and even when we broke the sound thingamajig in it I emailed the company and they sent me a new one, no questions asked. LOVE THEM. But now that our toddler grew out of it I am completely reliant upon ocean wave sounds at night, and we have an old person sound machine in our bedroom which is fab.
Okay so I know I'm supposed to be oohing and ahhing over the babies because, well, they are so very ooh-able and ahh-able. But can I just give a little nod to Archer? What a little man he's become. I still think back to that day that he and Thalia played the piano side by side, and I can't believe this is the same little boy.
You make some awesome kids, you two. Stop making us all look bad.
They are getting soooo ridiculously cute, Becca.
We all use sound machines in this house. I've had one in the kids' rooms since they were born. My oldest can't sleep without one! They're all from Bed Bath and Beyond...Homedics brand, I think.
Beautiful kiddos, all 4. You have lots of suggestions already but we've used this sound machine every night of my son's life and it hasn't given up yet!
http://www.amazon.com/Homedics-SS-3000-Soundspa-Lullaby-White/dp/B000QTSW64/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1323730670&sr=8-10
So dang adorable! All of ya'll!
They are sooooo beautiful!!!!
I can't...deal...
Glad you are getting rest. Your family is beautiful.
Someone gifted me a white noise machine from Brookstone. It's small so I can imagine traveling with it. Helps the hubster sleep as well. http://www.brookstone.com/tranquil-moments-sleep-sound-machines-for-baby?bkiid=SearchResults|CategoryProductList|467019p
I have this white noise machine in my sons room. It works great! http://www.amazon.com/Marpac-SleepMate-980A-Electro-Mechanical-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323734623&sr=8-1
Yep - we also use the Homedics Sound Spa Relaxation Sound Machine, I found it at a BBB. The "waterfall" button is the best static white-noise I think. It's pretty small so we do take it with us when we travel. It's saved us a lot of lost sleep!
Bo looks so big all of a sudden, she does have a rather grown-up vibe in those pics. And Rev's little smile just melt's my heart.
Yep, sound machine, girl. My youngest (who is a month older than your girls) also likes the sound of a running faucet. Also, isn't it amazing how seeing an article of clothing can take you back so forcefully to a memory of the baby that last wore it?
This has six different sounds including rain. My neighbor swears by it. http://www.target.com/p/HoMedics-Sound-SPA-Relaxation-Sound-Machine/-/A-10121441?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|10121441&CPNG=health%20beauty&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=10121441
The best thing we have found (and super portable and easy to turn up loud) is a little old ipod that we downloaded white noise onto. We have a small (like travel alarm clock size) speaker we plug in and it is set. We bring it with us when we travel and it is perfect. The other 'real' white noise machines didn't go loud enough for Eleanor. IPOD = all you need!
Oh dear dog, you MUST get a noise maker! I started using one while I was pregnant, living in an apartment that I heard every single noise from every person within ten miles of me and once baby was born there was no turning back.
My sister got me on to the idea and we all use air purifiers (she lived next door to the bank building right after 9/11 and really needed the air purifiers- and realized how well it helps you sleep!)
The noise is lovely and the air is cleaner, win win :D Get one for every bedroom and you will all sleep better
http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HHT-011-Compact-Purifier-Permanent/dp/B000N9CPQK/ref=dp_cp_ob_hg_title_4 is what I have
It's amazing to see how much older they look already! They're gorgeous. And I feel like I can literally see Bo's personality. (creepy, since that sounds so personal and you don't know me from crap. But there you go.)
Holy cripe! I cannot imagine life without the noise thingy. I keep buying the homedics but they always break on me. The switch usually. but more importantly... I have three children which equals three noise machine thingies. Seriously. Get. One. Now! I also have a little battery operated travel machine for the car. Yup, that's how we roll. Oh and when we actually do travel I always forget our little machines. But you know what? There's an app for that. Shazam. Mom of the year.
omg, I love all the pictures!! especially the pic of Fable in the pink jacket. if there was a version of that for me i would sooo get it!
I love the picture that looks like Fable is telling her dad a secret. And Archer looks like he's such a good big brother, he always looks so proud of his sisters. What a good guy you have there.
Bo and my son should meet! He's 8 months old going on 40! He has people wondering what he's really saying behind those looks!
Your kids are gorgeous!
My three month old has been sleeping 6-8 hour nights for over a month now (fingers crossed that it lasts forever) and I think I owe it to a $.99 app that I have on my ipod touch called iSLEEPSPACE.
it has about 30 soothing noises (nature sounds and some weird ambient stuff...it also has sound waves that are supposed to help you sleep better/concentrate etc... we never use those) and you can do combos of the sounds if you want. we only use rain and ocean waves and as long as Margot is in earshot of it, she sleeps like a rock.
rebecca your girls are just beautiful!! (archer and fable too of course!) - you're doing a great job mama!
Sleep Sheep!
We have the little travel one and take it everywhere - started using it right at the start since my son slept in a little bassinet beside me or in the bed with me, and so we conditioned him to go to sleep at its sound. It's awesome. :)
We bought our son a baby soothing sounds machine, but when it broke we put a fan in his room and that was even better. The consistant hum was the best thing rather than the wave sound the machine was making. If you buy a box fan it will slip under the crib, can be propped up with a piece of wood to vent and then little hands can't get to it. GL! What a lovely family you are.
Fable looks so much like you in that picture with the toy phone!
Also, I second the iPod+white noise suggestions, if you have an iPod and speakers, because it only costs $0.99! My boss bought the "Ocean Waves" track from "Natural White Noise for Babies" and it helps her baby sleep, so I bought it to help my girlfriend ignore my snoring, and she says it's helping too.
The spitting up series is hilarious...especially Archer's "milkshake" shirt. Ha! Sweet, lovely family you're growing.
I second the recommendation of this:
http://www.target.com/p/Homedics-Sound-Spa-Lullaby-Relaxation-Machine/-/A-10707864#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink
My son is 4 and we still use it...mostly the projector. He loves choosing a different scene every night.
When he was a baby I think we used the rainforest sound and let it run all night.
Holy cuteness!!!
This is just TOO MUCH. I'm so curious to see how those two are going to come out since they have so much personality at the tender age of three months. And Archer looks just like your mom, am I right? (in those pictures she posted of her younger self with you looking like Bo). And Fable is a rockstar and your kids are my favorite internet celebs and you must have some very good genes and I hope this whole thing doesn't sound creepy but your take out my warm fuzzy feelings like no other stranger on the internet.
they are sooo cute. the only cuter baby is my own! :)
i use a cool mist humidifier and it works as a white noise machine as well. but i'm in the north east, you probably don't need one in california...
Whoa, Rev really looks like Fable.
Okay so I've seen a lotta cute kids in my day. But you may just take the cake for creating the worlds most beutiful children! Seriously. All 4 of them are just stunning.
You've gotta get the Marpac brand one. It is basically a tiny noise-making fan. Others, especially many of the baby-specific ones, are actually little recordings of white noise rather than actual white noise. They tend to turn off by themselves after a set period of time...or they run on a loop and if you have trouble sleeping you can often detect the point when the loop restarts, which can be distracting and can keep you awake.
we have used our sound machine with Salem since day one. we bought the one from Brookstone. Best $70 we have ever spent. It has all different sounds...but we just use the white noise.
We take it everywhere when we travel. :)
your family is just gorgeous!
Okay, your family and babies are GORGEOUS. But your captions had me in literal tears. "I'll see you at the retreat!" Oh my oh my oh my, I love thee.
i slept with my twins for many months and i propped up my arms with pillows. 2 on each side, i think. they never did get sore.
good to hear that sleep is getting better. i hope it continues.
i have used and loved the sleep sheep since month 1-- it's very mellow and also adorable fastened to the corner of the crib. there's a rain setting, and we use the ocean waves setting most nights.
BUT sometimes i like to really mix it up and set it on whale calls-- party time!
your girls are absolutely swooningly gorgeous. you're so right on Bo-- she looks like an old soul. very wise and knowing.
congrats on three months! (and how did you escape the 2-3 month baby acne phase?!)
You are blessed...
I TOTALLY agree with the sound machine. My daughter was a good sleeper, but she did wake easily with noise and we live in a small condo. After a few nights with a humidifier she slept so great that it finally dawned on me that we NEEDED a sound machine. I play it on rainfall full blast and she sleeps an average of 12 solid hrs a night (she is 2yo), this has been happening for almost a year now. I heart my sound machine!
P.S. I love catching up on your family...thank you for sharing your lives with us!
First off ... big high five to you twin mama!
Noise machines are a life saver in our household! The Marpac Dual Speed Noise Machine is what we use in our twin girls room. I got 2 of them one for them and one for us. Money well spent!! I swear my husband and I slept like a dream ( well as much as you can sleep with twins) the first night we got it. I highly recommend it. It is always something I pack when we travel.
Your kids are gorgeous! Keep rockin' girl! :)
Hi I hadn't read ur blog for about a year as I m off work on maternity leave after having my twin boys . Numbers two and three for me all boys! So I thought of ur blog today for some reason and when it opened and I saw the double buggy I was like OMG!!! Wow. My boys were born 37 weeks on April 1st!!! It's been great , but hard too. It's the lack of sleep that's the killer i think .although think we might be getting there now. I had a quick look at the archives and could really identify with that first scan one!! scary!! Anyway ur girls are beautiful ! Congrats from Ireland . M
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