Then it was dinner time. Evan grilled, and Tyler and he and I all sat down for what we thought was going to be a relaxing meal (yeah, right!). Before we could get a few bites in, Derek was hungry and screaming, and that made Micah and Andrew both start screaming, and sometimes when the babies scream, Tyler starts screaming, too, b/c he thinks that's just the right thing to do at that time. So we have four screaming, hungry kids at this point, and we're both hungry, but we let our food sit there and get cold while we fed everyone. Then we quick grabbed some re-heated food, and stuck everyone in their stroller and walked around until almost 9 p.m. b/c it kept them all happy.
The babies are teething, so that's why they're kind of crabby lately. Derek already has a tooth on the bottom that popped through! The other two guys are working on them. Derek is also starting to pull his legs up underneath himself and rock back and forth. He's so strong! He'll be crawling in no time. Micah still hasn't rolled over, and I think it's just b/c he doesn't want to! He sits up by himself for a few seconds at a time, and really loves to sit or stand. Andrew rolls all over the second you lay him down. We have to watch where we walk in our living room so we don't step on a baby! :)
I'm still nursing...actually pumping. And I hate every second of it, but I know it's so good for the babies. Everything fun about nursing (snuggling, relaxing with the baby) is gone b/c all I do is pump. I've tried nursing, but then everyone takes different amounts, and then one is hungry earlier than the other two, and their schedule gets all off, so we learned it's not worth it. Now we know how much they should take, and do take, so it makes the schedule much easier. I'm still making enough for them all to have mostly my milk during the day...they each get about 2 bottles of formula. I have a lot of moments where I just want to QUIT pumping, though. Like when I'm feeding two babies with bottles in their boppy pillows, and I am pumping, too, and Tyler comes up and shuts my pump off and on, and off and on. And I can't do anything about it b/c both of my hands are tied up. So then I put a bottle down, move my pump away from Tyler, then the baby who I pulled the bottle from starts screaming, and then Tyler starts screaming b/c I moved the pump which he was playing with. OR the most frustrating times are when I spill milk. Nothing makes me crabbier. I'll be pumping, and feeding babies, or changing diapers or something, and if I lean over too far or something a whole bunch of milk comes pouring out of the bottles I'm pumping into. There are my pumping woes. But I look at my big healthy boys, and I know it's been great for them, so I will continue on. Please pray for perseverance! :)
I sound like such a downer today, but I want to write some of these things down so I remember how crazy this time in life is right now. It also helps me to know that other people read this, and feel my pain a little. :) There are days when I feel totally overwhelmed, and feel sorry for myself b/c this just isn't always so fun. It's more work than I knew I was capable of handling. I have a little card on my bathroom mirror that says "Nothing in front of you is bigger or stronger than the power of God behind you." I need His power every day, and I know it's there even though I don't remember to ask for it every day. Please continue to pray for us. We need strength, perseverance, positive attitudes, and an ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's a weird feeling b/c this stage is so much work, but I don't want them to grow up really, either, b/c we know it's the last time we'll have babies in the house. The thing that makes me the most sad is that I don't get to ever just relax and snuggle a baby. Someone else always needs something. I wish I had a whole day with each baby on their own. Evan asked me the other day if we had endless money to spend, what I would like to make this easier. I said, "a housekeeper, a nanny, a chef, and a massage every day." :) Through all of this, I try to remember that for some reason God has chosen to give us these three beautiful boys all at the same time. Every night after supper Evan takes Tyler outside, and I get some baby time. When all three of my babies are laying on the floor staring up at me and giggling at me, I remember that not many moms get to experience that, either. The other day we had a few people over, and they were all holding a baby, and we were talking. I stopped for a minute, and looked around and all three of the babies were staring at me and smiling so sweetly. My babies are happy if they can just hear my voice. And I am the only person in the world who an make them smile by just talking. I am blessed.
Okay, enough of the ranting. Here are the babies 6 month pictures! They turned 6 months on May 26.
Big boy Tyler and his teddy bear that he doesn't let very far out of his sight these days...
Your boys are adorable! Love the pictures... and Kudos for pumping that long. I also hated nursing/pumping and only lasted 6 weeks with 1 baby! Just so you know its OK to do formula too and may create more sanity for the next 6 months, they have gotten all the benefits they can get in 6 months:) Either way, they are soo cute and worth the hard work!
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