Swamped

Such a busy November so far! Where has the month gone?

Quick recap: Breanna has now joined Lillian in the Holy Rollers Club. Both girls were angels in church yesterday. When we arrived, there were no seats near any exits, and the usher offered to split us up near the front. I told her I would prefer something where we could make a fast getaway. She glanced at our two carseats, winked and said she understood. She then had some old folks move out of our way. For the first time, we didn't need to use the escape routes.

On to news that makes me smile: our girls have "discovered" each other. When we face them toward each other, they now realize that it's another person there. They lock eyes, smile, and sometimes even offer each other their hands for sucking. This is where the fun is starting to come in.

Another big discovery... I finally broke down and bought Podees. For those unaware - these hands-free bottles are great! I'd heard about them on my favorite website in the world (twinstuff.com) and was pretty skeptical. How dare I doubt? I now have an option for feeding both girls at the same time without propping pillows (and popping the bottle back in the mouth over and over again) and without trying to be superwoman. Yay! The directions say that you may need to get the sucking started for the baby for the first time or two, until they get the hang of it. My DH tried it out with Breanna this morning and told me he didn't think it was working. I asked if he'd started the sucking for her (it was her first time trying it) and he said, "No way. You do it." I pulled it out and the bottle was empty. She'd figured it out on her own and emptied her bottle. Wow! I have a feeling we may be turning a corner toward sanity soon.

Let's see, what else. We've spent the past two weekends with my mom while my dad was out hunting and that's been really nice. Mom came to our house this weekend and babysat on Saturday so I could go to a writers' conference put on by a magazine that I regularly write for. (DH was off chasing deer.) The conference was in Fergus Falls (where Lake and Home magazine is based). What a fun visit with a bunch of bright women! I feel quite inspired to try to find some time and finally hammer out some of the articles that I've been wanting to write for a long time now. I don't really expect to find that free time any time soon, but I'm going to be on the lookout for it. Grandma had a ball playing with babies.

Speaking of babysitting, dear friends, is anyone interested in watching our girls the evening of Saturday, December 9th? My sis is throwing a surprise 30th birthday party for her husband at their local watering hole. She's hired a band and we have a lot of family and friends coming to town for the event. I'd love to go, but of course, can't bring the babies out. So if anyone (meaning two people - singletons, I'd never wish two infants on you at once unless you had good reinforcements - or unless you need a moral reminder to "save yourself" until marriage - this is not a job for one person) is up for the challenge, please let me know.

On a bit of a sentimental note, my mom made a comment to me this weekend that made me feel wonderful. She said that caring for two babies is in no way like having just one at a time. It's so very much harder. And she commented that she's impressed that I get as much done in a day as I do.

I can't believe how much I needed to hear that from someone. I've been wondering in the back of my mind if I'm being a big baby about how overwhelming it is having our girls. I've been feeling like an uncoordinated schmuck for having to have someone come in every other week to clean my house. For not cooking up delicious, healthy meals for DH and me. For not finishing that last step of laundry and leaving all the clean clothes in stacks on our unused bed. For not making time to vacuum out my new car once since buying it this summer. For not sending out pictures and updates on our girls to our out-of-town friends. I know that I'm a darn good mom and that our babies are getting all kinds of love and attention, but I've been feeling like a whimp of a grownup.

But just hearing another person who's been there with raising one baby give me permission to feel overwhelmed with two, ahhh. And to hear that someone else understands and agrees that this is so much more, what a relief. I've felt all along that no one understands because none of my family/friends have been down this road before, but after mom has spent enough time with us, she sees the reality. And she knows that I'm not exaggerating. (And she sees why I roll my eyes and want to spit on people every time they say, "Just nap when they nap." As if they nap.) I don't know why it's so important or why it feels so good to know that someone out there gets it, but nonetheless, what a relief. Thanks, Gramma Pamma.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Auntie Lissy!