Hazel converses with broccoli

Ivy eats of the porridge

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Playgroups

Last Friday, we all went to the NIMBA playgroup.

NIMBA is the Northern and Inner Multiple Births Association. That means that the play group has a lot more kids than you would expect, given the number of adults present.

Most of the kids are at the running-around stage. A very helpful mum (sorry, your name eludes me) helped me construct a playpen to keep our babies safe from the clattering toddlers and runners. I dumped Trudi in it with the girls and went off to socialise.

When I came back I let them out, and within three seconds of us getting out, the pen was packed with little kids eager for a go in jail.

We won't be able to go to this playgroup again for ten weeks, because my ten-week Mother Baby Program is starting at Northpark. Not really sure what this is about. It runs 10.30am - 3pm every Friday. If I miss a session, I have to pay the $200 health insurance excess again. The amazing part of this program is that THEY HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF THE BABIES. They even have cots set up in separate rooms for them!

Today I took the girls to the Rainbow Playgroup in Fairfield. Again, there were heaps of families. I was assured that it's usually not that busy (I liked its busy-ness anyway).

I think there were about ten mums there, plus two dads. I'm planning to go to this every Monday.

One of my favourite poems

Is here, in a comment on an old post on the Electrolite blog.

Back in the day when I worked outside the home, I had this pinned up on my cubicle wall. Not sure why I thought of it today.

Hazel stands

She loves to stand - has ever since she was a few weeks old. She now needs very little support. I wonder if this means she will walk early... kinda hope not.

Must get a photo of her standing. It cracks me up.

They slept through the night!

Lately the girls have been waking on and off from about 4am. Last night they went to bed at 6.30pm. i fed them at 10pm, and they went straight back to sleep.

There were a few squeaks in the night, but they did not need my help to fall back to sleep. I went in to get them up at 7am! Hazel was awake and happy, and Ivy was still asleep!

OK something bad has just happened. The girls are playing on the floor with a plastic arch thing that has dangling toys. We got it from someone on eBay. One of the toys that came with it is a musical thing: when you bash it, it plays a section of a tinny little song. It sang to itself all the way as it was being sent here. Luckily it has an OFF switch, which I set it to, as soon as I found it.

The bad thing is that the girls seem to have turned the damn thing on. This has happened a few times now. Geez.

Solids

We have started the girls on solid food. It's a blast.

I'm deeply into the philosophy of baby-led weaning. See the link on the right for more info than you really want.

The short definition of BLW is that you don't bother with mushing things up - you just offer your baby food in its normal state. For example, our girls' first solid food was a steamed carrot stick (one each!). They licked and sucked on them, and got a little bit down their throats, but mostly they just had fun.

That's the big idea of BLW - that for young babies, eating solids should be about fun, socialisation, experimentation, and learning new skills. Actually ingesting stuff is a great bonus.

However, I am spoon-feeding the girls porridge and yoghurt. They are keen on them. Hazel is especially keen on wresting the spoon from my grip and feeding herself. Mostly we end up sailing the spoon into her mouth under dual control.

They have both dropped their consumption of milk. Yesterday we asked our doctor about this (we were there anyway, getting the girls immunised), and she said to not worry if they are still putting on weight, but to think about how to get iron-rich food into them. I might take them in to get weighed at 7 months instead of waiting until 8. Also, it's probably time to give them some meat. Not quite sure how to do this - perhaps a small hunk of steak? Stay tuned for some gruesome photos.

True confessions

OK so it's time to come clean. We're not using the cloth nappies at the moment, and I've pretty much given up breastfeeding. I feel like a Bad Mother, but only a little bit. Mostly I feel great! Trudi and the girls are in excellent nick too.

We have set aside the cloth nappies because the laundry burden was getting too much for Trudi. I have not been able to do anything much in that direction during the day, cos of taking care of little squeaky people. Trudi was coming home from work and putting on a load or two of washing, then making dinner, then hanging the washing out. All a bit much really.

We have not sold the nappies. I'm hoping that once I've found my feet I will be able to do the washing, drying, folding, etc. We will see.

On the breastfeeding front... I'd been doing the 10pm and 6am feeds on the boob, and expressing and bottle-feeding for the rest. If you've been reading this blog you may have noticed that this was taking its toll. I had to keep finding ten-minute blocks of time, preferably right after a feed, and this was not easy. I could only do it because I had someone else here helping me - my mum, or Trudi. However mum is not able to be around any more (she's gone back to work), and Trudi works in the office three days a week. Also I was always worrying about whether my supply was enough (it was not quite).

So just before we went to Merimbula, we started doing formula feeds for all the day-time feeds, and still doing boobs for 10pm and 6am. My goodness it was great. The girls do not mind, and it's a big weight off my mind. Not to mention my body. The only bad thing is that I have to get used to not eating for three.

We returned the breastpump to the ABA on Sunday. It was a wonderful thing - an industrial-strength double electrical thing. I bought a tiny single pump off ebay the other day - it will do for the few times I will need to express in the future. We'll sell it again once I'm really finished.

A few days ago I decided to cut out the 6am breastfeed as well. They now get a bottle for their first feed. This has made a huge difference to our mornings. Because Ivy will not take the boob unless she is basically asleep, I have had a difficult time of it in the mornings. It's been hard to balance getting them to stay in bed longer, with the knowledge that if I let Ivy stay in there awake too long she will be beyond feeding.

Now I can easily get them to wait until 7am to get up and have breakfast! This still involves a lot of resettling from about 4.30am, but I hope they will learn to fit in with this.

We are all a lot happier and calmer, so it's all good here.

Six months old!

And we're all very glad that it's now, not six months ago.

I've decided to use sentence caps for the blog titles. You'll be glad to know that I've settled on something.

On the girls' six-month anniversary, (yesterday) we had a little afternoon tea party. Judy made an enormous carrot cake, and we invited Ole and Dianne. Only Ole came.

The carrot cake was excellent, ad none of us had dinner afterwards because we overindulged. The girls had no cake, but they did have these things:

- Steamed carrot sticks
- Cucumber sticks
- Boiled potato

They are really keen on feeding themselves. This baby-led weaning thing seems to be mostly good. However, they do gag, which is a bit scary. Mum & Trudi are not at all keen on that aspect. There is a difference between gagging and choking, though.

Ole gave the girls some cute little feeding devices. You post solid food inside this net thing, and the baby gnaws on the little net bag and gets some food through it. Ivy had some apple that way this morning - it worked well. Here's a picture:


Here are the cool new things that the girls can do:

Ivy can roll over. She did this for the first time (three times) ON HER BIRTHDAY! She rolls from her back to her side, then dithers, then goes onto her tummy.

Hazel can sit unsupported for a few seconds. If she has a tiny bit of support (say, a cushion behind her), she can sit for longer. She also made her sitting-unsupported debut on her birthday.

Lunch at Bestefa's

Bestefa = Grandpa in Norwegian.

We had lunch at Ole's place, and here's him holding Hazel:



On Monday the girls will be exactly six months old, and we will have a cake. not sure what kind: ice-cream cake and carrot cake are both being mooted. The girls will have some of neither. Ole is coming over, but not Dianne.

Went to Turingal Heads

We go for a little outing after the girls' ten-o'clock feed, and again after the two-o'clock one. Of course on any given day these feeds can be at any ol time.

Today after the morning feed we took the girls to Fishpen (a quiet little beach) and the girls had tiny little swims. Both had their feet in (okay) and then sat down (not so okay). The water was pretty cold in comparison to the pool and baths, so it's understandable that having their bums in was challenging.

Here's Ivy with her feet in:

And here's Hazel sitting down in the water:







After the afternoon feed, we went for a walk to Turingal Heads. Trudi and I have been swimming there a few times. No swimming today though. Trudi found a butterfly caught in a spiderweb, and managed to save it. Hungry spider.

Black cockatoos swooped in and demonstrated how to shred tea tree bark. looking for bugs?

Hazel liked her foot best of all.

I hab a cod

By dose is bocked. So is Trudi's. T has been using one of those nasal spray things at night for over a week now. The instructions say to not use it for more than three days - why?

Also I have a sore sacrum. Off to see a physio at Wolumla at 1 pm.

The girls are in pretty good nick. Ivy is a bit more whingy than usual. She has a bit of a cold. Hazel has started doing this lurching-rocking thing when she's being held. Very cute!

Having an unsettled morning so far. The girls have been taking turns waking up, being resettled, but waking up their sister before going back to sleep. Feed time soo; hope that will "re-set" them.

Are Oceanbug's days numbered?

Trudi is thinking of decommissioning our website, Oceanbug. Do you care? Leave a comment if you have an opinion...

Little outings

The girls are small, so we do small outings.

They've both had little dips in the sea (Hazel twice, Ivy once). most days we go for a walk after the 10 am feed, then a walk or dip after the 2 pm feed. Though today the feed cycles have been shorter. All that sea air?

This morning they slept until 5.55 am, which is excellent, because according to their body clocks that was 6.55 am. The daylight savings change has been a lot less difficult than I thought.

Ivy has been having some difficult feeds again. AGAIN. Poor poppet.

Tonight we are having oysters. There are four adults here, so of course Judy has ordered 8 dozen oysters. We will also have some smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, also some dips and biscuits, and maybe a salad. We live very simply here.

Travelling Bunnies

The trip from Melbourne to Merimbula was fine! We left at about 10.30 am, after their feed, and arrived at Judy's house at about 6.30 pm.

I sat in the back seat between the girls, and entertained them for the trip. They napped on and off. I fed them their bottles as we drove along.

We stopped for a bit in Bairnsdale (Trudi and I ate McDonalds cheeseburgers and chips). Had a picnic on a rug in the wide central median strip. I have eaten McDonalds twice since having the girls... hadn't had it in about fifteen years before that. A bit disappointing if parenting means eating McDonalds.

Later Ivy had a little tanty because she was so tired but couldn't get comfy in her carseat. We stopped at the side of the road, and I walked up and down with her until she calmed. Back in the car she dropped off to sleep.

Because we got home before their usual bed time, we were able to pick up their bedtime usual routine, and they slept really well.

Stay tuned for news of their first dip in the sea!

Calming down I hope

The girls had only a tiny nap, then the cleaning noise stirred them both into frenzies. I got them up and distracted them until it was time for their feed. Lots of crying from Ivy by the time they fed - very sad. They hardly ever cry so I'm not very good at dealing with it.

Ivy's actually been crying quite a bit this week. She has little temper tantrums when she gets overtired.

Now Ivy is in bed and Hazel is playing quietly by herself on the floor. I hope she will get tired soon so they will be more or less in sync. Or if not I I'll cope!

It's been an OK day so far.

It was fine

The trip to Northland that is.

Uneventful. Except for lots of stares and giggles from other shoppers. I sailed past with Dignity.

Now there are two cleaners here making a huge amount of noise while the girls are trying to nap. At least a vacuum cleaner makes white noise... sort of. I spose we will have a bit of a dodgy afternoon. Bracing myself.

OK so Hazel is asleep now

It's 10.15, and their feed was due 15 minutes ago. Not game to wake her though! I hope they aren't too upset when they do wake.

I have their bottles all ready so when they do wake I can feed them like totally immediately.

My plan for the day had included a pointless walk to the shopping centre to tire them out, but maybe that won't be necessary. Will do it anyway I think.

Deeply average

Hazel's nap this morning is very ordinary. 40 minutes of actual nap, 1 hour of fussing and dummy-spitting, and I THINK she has just gone back to sleep. I sat by her cot holding her dummy in for 10 minutes! Now Ivy is stirring which might wake Hazel. Minutiae.

First day on our "own"

Trudi is at work, Mum is at work, and I am here with the girls. My first day caring for them without help. Eek!

It was going fine until a few minutes ago. 40 minutes into their morning sleep, Hazel woke up and is now REALLY awake. I am not going to get her up tho. Did that too much over the last few days, and getting them up and down too often makes for a shit day.

OK now she is blowing raspberries. Nice.

I'm letting her blow off some steam and going in to give her :the sleep message" every so often. Hope she will drop off some time soon. Without bothering Ivy too much.

Amazing how these tedious details fill my whole consciousness.

Still here

And getting ready to drive to Merimbula on Friday. It is an EIGHT HOUR TRIP. Yes you read right. Eight hours of driving, plus stops for feeding and airing the babies. omg.

We are kind of not thinking about it. Beyond planning every last little detail, of course.