Traveling

I have so much I want to post, but I'm traveling on this business trip, so not sure how much I'll be able to update this week. I miss you guys.

We went to the zoo over the weekend and had a great time!

7 Months (+ 3 weeks)

I've been wanting to post about Amber turning 7 months, but our picture software is still causing us fits. We just don't seem to have the time to fix it. So finally, I used an old program so I can post pictures of our precious Angel! And now she's almost 8 months.

She's not crawling yet, but so close. I'm going on a business trip next week and I'm afraid her first crawling is going to happen when I'm gone. I hate that!

Lest You Get Cocky and Think You Know What You're Doing

Oh sleep, that elusive rejuvenator that I so desparately want to claim as my own. Just when I thought we were on the road to a somewhat normal life, my feet get pulled out from under me.

Amber had been sleeping from 7PM to 6-6:30AM without a waking in the middle of the night for 6 days straight. The boys had been napping for several hours during the day and then going to bed around 8 and waking at 6:30-7. Oh how I love that schedule. It was still difficult to get Tyler to bed, but laying with him until he falls asleep was getting to be ok.

All the wheels fell off last night.

Boys wouldn't nap yesterday. Tyler made it clear that he was not going to go to sleep. He first layed down and pretty much fell asleep pretty quickly. I thought the coast was clear, so extracted myself from under him just as he woke up. He was groggy enough that I was able to talk him into staying in bed as I left the room. Not long he was up with a poopy diaper (his new modus operande), down to change and then back to bed. Many back and forth and taking off all his clothes and banging and unplugging his monitor and basic shenanigans made us finally give up. Through all the commotion, Cory didn't go to sleep either. On the topic of no naps, Amber decided to weigh in her protest and didn't go down until 4PM for her afternoon nap.

Good naps beget good nighttime sleep. I know that. So, bedtime was ok. Everyone went down pretty easily, but Tyler woke up at 11PM banging and thrashing in his bed. I went in to check on him and he just continuted to kick and scream. I asked him if he wanted some water and he calmed down, said yes, so I left to go get it. When I got back, he said, 'NO!' So I took it out and so he said, 'I WANT WATER', so I went and got it and he said, 'NO!'. This went on for several minutes until I decided to just leave him alone. Miles eventually went in and laid down with him until he fell asleep.

Amber woke up at 1:30AM, crying for a bottle, which she promptly drained and went back to sleep.

Cory woke up at 2:30, crying for his DeeDee, which I got up to give him.

Cory woke up again at around 3:00, but settled down without me having to go in.

Amber woke up at 5AM, so Miles got up to give her another bottle and see if she'd go back down - nope!

Tyler woke up at 6:15AM.

We had to wake Cory up at 7:15AM.

Here's hoping for a better day - Bumpa and Grammie won't let them get by with no naps - and a better night!

Valentine's Day?

Just a quick post to share my dissapointment. I'm (we're) trying to fix some things in our marriage. Nothing serious, just need some more time to connect and be a couple. I find it hard to focus on Miles because I enjoy the kids so much. So, a few weeks ago we agreed that for Valentine's day we would do something special for each other. Miles agreed to write me a poem and I agreed to do something to surprise him.

Valentine's day came and went - no poem. I did fulfill my end of the bargain and although I wasn't entirely creative, I think I gave him something he appreciated.

The thing that really bummed me out was that I got no cards from my kids.

3 In a Row

Amber slept all night again last night. That makes 3 nights in a row. I stopped putting her in the sleep sack and bam, sleeping all night. Maybe she didn't like that thing, or it got too hot? Anyway, keeping my fingers crossed.

Now if we could just get Tyler to go to bed and not wake up at 5:30 every day...

Infant B

Amber moved up to the Infant B room at daycare yesterday. I remember when the boys moved up -- it was dramatic, stressful and final. I couldn't believe they were already ready for the bigger infant room where babies were crawling, pulling themselves up and some were walking! They were eating solid foods and interacting with each other. They were getting ready for the toddler room. I was tearful.

With Amber it was calm, inevitable and celebratory. She's not crawling yet, but she's rolling around to get what she wants. She's sitting and reaching for toys. She's very clear about what she wants and lets you know. She enjoys her friends. She's getting ready for the toddler room. I was joyful.

I think the difference is that I've been through this before. As much as I love each stage, I know what else is coming for her and I'm excited for her. She wants to keep up with her brothers, she wants to be mobile, she wants to stand. She can stand on her own if I pull her up and give her something to hang on to. I've had thoughts of her skipping the crawling stage and going right to walking. It wouldn't surprise me. She watches her brothers and she wants to keep up.

Last night the boys were chasing each other around the kitchen island. I was holding Amber and she was following them with her eyes and giggling and laughing. She would lunge out and I know she wanted to be running around with them.

But this is still bitter sweet. As much as I want her to be able to walk and keep up with the boys, I don't want her to skip her crawling stage. I'm not ready for my last baby to become a toddler. Such mixed feelings, but also excitment about the future. How fun this is getting!

IVF Memoires

I've started a new blog for all my IVF stories. I decided it would be cleaner that way. All of my friends and new acquaintences that are going through infertility can read the memoires if they're curious to see how my story goes.

I'll keep this blog as I now intend and that is to talk about parenting twins and a singleton only 20 months later.

My new blog name is IVF Memoires. See you there!

Colorado Bloggers

I've joined a blogging group! Yea! Check out the ColoBloggers link to the right, although if you're here, you probably came from there.

I really am not a very eloquant writer. I have many ideas and funny thoughts, but when they get written down here, they just don't flow as well. So, bear with me. I will continue to write about my infertility journey, my IVF journey, my parenting twins journey and my spontaneous, unassisted pregnancy journey. As well as parenting THREE kids - wow, never thought that would happen. And what it's like to go to zone defense after the man-to-man with the twins.

It's fun, way more beautiful and wonderful than I ever imagined. A thought for my new friends that are now going through the IVF process and the agony of the waiting and the shots and the dissapointment and the doctors and the not knowing. For me, it was worth every second of it. And even though the IVF process seems to take sooooo long, especially when you've been wanting this for sooooo long, time really goes sooooo fast. I can't believe that our twins are now 2 (27 months) and our baby girl is 7 months.

More pictures are coming soon, I just haven't had a chance to get new pictures downloaded. Long story, but I've got to reload our picture software.

Infertility Reminders

I've been doing some reading of some new blogs where people are going through IVF. It really is bringing up memories of my own experience, which I wrote down, gasp, in a spiral notebook!

When I started this blog last year, my hope was to transfer those notes into this blog so that I had a record of my experience. It is an amazing procedure and there is an amazing network and group of really good writers - much better than me, that's for sure. I can picture this blog, had I started during my IUI cycles or even starting the IVF process, would just be a list of facts and figures. I really wish, though, that I had started this then. I think it would have really helped to have that community to share stories with. Especially when I was on bedrest!

Anyway, look for my IVF story shortly.

What Are You Doing In Here?!

Yesterday when Amber woke up at 5:30AM, Miles trudged down the hall to get her. As he walked past Tyler's room, his door was open, his light was on. No Tyler. As he got to Amber's room, he realized that Amber's door was open, her light was on. As he walked into her room, he heard, "Hi Daddy!" coming from her crib. Tyler had gotten into her crib with her and was pleased as punch to be there.

We're still not sure who woke up first.