Big Boy Beds: First Week

What. A. Week.

Shew!

I had been warned when I was pregnant, as well as when you were first born, how challenging life with twins was going to be. "Be prepared to not sleep for at least the next five years. You are going to be forever exhausted." "Twins? Both boys? Oh my, you're going to be busy." And my personal favorite (heavy sarcasm), which was said while you were in the NICU, "Oh just you wait, you'll be begging to send them back to the hospital once they come home."

And then you came home and we entered the newborn stage. Yes, we were tired. Yes, certain things were challenging. But honestly I was mainly just loving life and motherhood. Maybe I was on a high from actually being a mom that the exhaustion didn't bother me. However, we were also blessed with amazing sleepers (we had some rough patches here and there, but for the most part, we've never been able to complain about your sleep habits).

Until this week.

This week was a thousand times more challenging than the newborn stage was for me. I don't know how many times I said, "I just feel defeated. I don't know what else to do." We had prepared (or so we thought). We had child-proofed (or so we thought). We had routines (or so we thought). We were wrong.

I know a change in routine is always difficult for a little one, but the combination of you being twins along with changing to toddler beds the day after returning from vacation made this doubly challenging. I've talked to so many moms of singletons who have said how difficult this transition was for their family. But add your best friend to this nightly sleepover and it's disastrous! Who would ever want to sleep when your buddy is right across the room, ready to play?! Plus, your bodies were still adjusting back from the time change (just one hour, but still enough to effect such scheduled little ones as you two). But you were hopping out of your cribs like crazy on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. We feared if we waited even one more day, an injury would be in store for us.

Let me say, before this turns all negative, that you did awesome with the nighttime routine. Once we put you in bed (excluding the first night when you had to explore your room just a little), you pretty much stayed in bed and slept all night. You were so proud of yourself each morning, and would immediately ask for your sticker. On the 5th morning, you were so excited to get your special treat! You each got a tiny Paw Patrol pup and car.

 

By the third night of big boy sleeping, Ryan you had tiptoed over to Wiley's bed and snuggled up with him. Since that night, you've slept together each night. In the midst of my stress and exhaustion, it was these sweet moments that helped me keep it together.

So as smoothly as bedtime went, that's how disastrously naptime went (which probably is why bedtime went so smoothly - you were flat out exhausted and couldn't fight sleep for one more minute). We would head upstairs and did our daily naptime routine. After prayers and kisses, I would tuck you both in and sneak out. But the second that darn squeaky door closed, you would shoot out of bed and the play time began.

Again, this was very typical pre-toddler beds. You boys would enjoy thirty minutes, sometimes even up to an hour, of talking, reading, and playing in your cribs. Now that you were in beds though, you weren't contained and you were getting into everything. By Wednesday, the hallway and bathroom right outside your door was completely cluttered with things you were finding in your room that you probably shouldn't have been finding. I would come in, remove, and just dump it right outside your room. Again, we thought we had child-proofed, but you both proved us wrong. Furniture had to be turned around and the drawers in your window seat child-proofed (after you completely broke one of them).

After the first hour of chaotic, free-rein of your room, something seemed to snap in both of you. It was really bizarre to witness. My once sweet, loving, snuggling children were now angry, violent, exhausted little boys. I couldn't get into your room fast enough (from right across the hall, watching you on the monitor) before you had either bit, hit, or kicked each other. Hard too! Bruises and blood were drawn. Once in the room, the biting, hitting, and kicking was redirected at me. I was just at a loss. You both seemed so exhausted, sleep cues going, but you just wouldn't give in to it.

Four days of fighting naps simply had me worn out. I had tried positive reinforcement for your behavior. I had tried negative consequences. I had tried a loving tone, I had tried a more strict tone. Nothing was working. What I really needed was to be able to clone my body and lay with each of you. Many of our failed napping attempts simply ended with all three of us in tears. I just felt helpless.

Friday afternoon I braced myself. I told myself not to go into naptime with a negative attitude. We were going to do this. I got myself a coffee for that extra push I needed (peppermint mocha because it reminds me of Christmas and makes me happy - I'm absurd!). I was ready to do this.

 

As I tucked you into bed, we said an extra special prayer that God would all give us this much needed nap. I left two sleepy boys, just sure that you would take a nap. An hour into what had seemed promising, and you broke the drawer Wiley. It was so broken that I couldn't even get it to slide back in. So, naptime was over by default. I couldn't leave you in the room with a drawer missing - surely you would've climbed right into the hole. We needed Daddy to fix it in his shop. It was back down the stairs.

I just couldn't do it anymore. So, we took a drive around town until you fell asleep (two minutes and you were out Ryan: it took 15 minutes for you Wiley). I parked at our high school and enjoyed an hour of reading in the car. It was just what we all needed - some breathing room for Momma and some rest for two sleepy, Grumpy Guses.

It is currently Saturday afternoon, and I am excited to report that I am typing this post...WHILE YOU ARE NAPPING!!!! Daddy and I took the "divide and conquer" route today (against your protests) and separated you both into your own beds, laying with each of you until your eyes were simply glazed with exhaustion. We then tiptoed out and closely watched the monitor. The second your head popped up, Daddy would sprint into the room and tell you to, "Lay down." After just two or three times, the movement stopped and you were asleep! I could have easily cried happy tears today. Laundry actually got accomplished. The hallway and bathroom reorganized. The downstairs picked up. A real dinner cooked. I felt like a functioning human being again. It was a beautiful thing. Your first nap in over two weeks.

I hope that with Daddy home for this three day, holiday weekend, it can really helps us to reestablish our naptime routine. If we can get you back to routinely napping, I hope that will make my solo attempt at naptime on Tuesday just a little smoother. Please Lord, for all of our sanity!

Addition since waking up:
You were so proud to put up your first ever naptime stickers and we were too! Way to go boys! It has been such a pleasant evening tonight due to your nap. You are your happy, lovey dovey, giggly little boys and I couldn't be happier! Thank you, Lord!

 

Big Boy Beds

Well little monkeys, the time has come to say goodbye to our cribs. We had thought you would be able to stay in them through the summer, at least, but you can no longer be contained! You could easily climbed out of your pack n plays on vacation and we think this taught you to try climbing out of your cribs too (before pack n plays, you had never attempted to climb out).

During naptime, you continually climbed out and refused to nap yesterday. So, Daddy got to work and began to put together your "new, special, big boy, beds."

We decided to put every trick we'd ever heard of into effect yesterday, praying you'd eventually sleep: All toys were removed from your room. Extra baby proofing was done in your room.We read books about big boy beds and sleeping in them. We made you each a sticker chart and hung them in your room. We talked about it all day, hyping it up and getting you excited about your bed. We stuck with our normal bedtime routine.

And while we had prepared, we still doubted it would work. It seems like it would be challenging enough to get one toddler to sleep in a bed, but two of you? In one room?! This just seemed like an impossible feat.

When you first walked into your rooms, you were so excited. You went running to your beds, trying them out. As we said good night and closed the door, you were already running back and forth between beds, giggling and testing each bed out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We let this go on for a few minutes, but suddenly your excitement turned to tears. We came back in to check on you. Ryan, you told us, "No 'dis bed. Scary bed. No new bed. Old bed." So we talked about how the bed wasn't scary and that when you're scared, singing "Jesus Loves Me," makes you feel better. So we sang two rounds of "Jesus Loves Me," and left the two of you to sing the third round by yourself.

It wasn't long after, that you fell asleep, singing to yourselves! To our pleasant surprise, you slept through the night and didn't wake up until 8:30, when the sound of the garbage truck woke you up! Wiley, you went sprinting to Ryan's bed and woke him up so that you could see the truck.

When I entered your room, the first thing out of your mouth Ryan was, "Sticker?" and you went running to your sticker chart! I doubted you guys even realized what we'd do with the chart, but you did! And you were so proud to put your first sticker up.

 

I can't believe I have two little big boys, sleeping in toddler beds already! Hopefully night two is equally as successful!

Family Vacay: Day Seven

Well boys, today was our last day of vacation and we planned on squeezing in as much as possible. Again, I was up by 5:30 and enjoyed a 45 minute walk along the beach, not a soul in sight - just me and wildlife. 

 

After that, it was time to begin the pack up process (which went more smoothly than I anticipated). Once all the cousins were awake, we headed outside to paint seashells to decorate picture frames. 

Most of the guys went deep sea fishing for the morning / early afternoon, so most of our crowd went to the pool today since they didn't have their husbands to help keep an eye on the kiddos. Being our last day, the four of us headed to the beach for a bit. Daddy buried your both from the waist down, which was a great way to keep tabs on you! You both stayed buried for a solid twenty minutes playing in the sand around you. 

 

 

After an hour and a half, it was off to the pool for a final swim. Wiley, our daredevil, you couldn't get enough of Daddy throwing you into the air. And Ryan, you really got the treading water down and gained even more confidence today. 

  

After another hour / hour and a half later at the pool, and it was back to the "orange beach house" (as you called it all week). We loaded up the car and an hour later, we were on the road. 

You boys traveled so well! We weren't in the car 2 minutes (truly!) and you were both asleep - your first nap since last Saturday! After a two / two and a half hour nap, Daddy joined you in the back, keeping you happily occupied for another hour. After filling up the car, we turned your carseats forward facing again so you could watch a movie. At one point, you were cracking us up. Ryan, you kept hiding under your blanket - either done watching the movie or trying to fall asleep. Meanwhile, Wiley, you were having a nonstop conversation with yourself, hands going like crazy. Before we knew it, it was bedtime and you were happily sleeping again. 

 

 

As we pulled into our neighborhood, Ryan you woke up and saw our neighborhood sign. With a big, sleepy smile you whispered, "There it is, Curran Home!" Amen. There it was - we had survived our first true vacation and were home safely. 

Going into this trip, I had prepared for the worst - doubting you'd sleep, thinking you'd be exhausted and grumpy, and that we wouldn't be able to enjoy ourselves. Now that it's over, I'm so grateful we went. True, you never napped and were uncharacteristically grumpy and fussy. True, we were all sick. But I feel when we look back on this trip, those aren't the things we'll remember. 

We will remember you stepping onto the beach for the very first time, whispering, "Wow," in complete, sincere awe.

We will remember you bravely jumping into the waves, shouting, "I did it!!" impressed with your own bravery. 

We will remember you digging in the sand, trying to build sandcastles, and asking for, "more Nemo tail," when you wanted to be buried in the sand again. 

We will remember you feeding the animals like you had done it all your life, smiling with each bite. 

We will remember you counting, "1,2;3,4,5,6,7, jump!" and jumping into the deep end. 

We will remember you swimming in your life jackets for the first time without someone holding on to you. 

We will remember the sounds of giggling cousins, all playing and getting along so well.

But most importantly, we will remember a week spent with family. A week full of love and laughter. A week full of memories to last the rest of our lives. 

Family Vacay: Day Six

Shew wee. Exhaustion has set in and the whining / meltdowns have reached an all new low. Patience are wearing thin. 

Last night, as we headed to bed, Wiley you cried and said, "No more special bed. Home nap." Ryan you "amen-ed" his statement, also wanting to go home. Daddy and I slept horribly, getting maybe 3 hours of total sleep. We knew we were in for a long, rough day!

We were exhausted and just didn't have the patience this morning, causing you all to be grumpy too. Thank goodness for water bottles and imaginations as you two built a long chop-choo train...it bought us 15 minutes of quiet, happy peace.

 

From there it was off to the beach where the whining and meltdowns continued (lack of pictures = exhaustion + grumpy babies). We didn't last long and soon moved to the pool, hoping your moods would brighten (they did!). You love the pool here and are jumping in and swimming on your own (with life jackets) like crazy!

Again, naps were a flop, so it was family cuddling and a movie in bed. We enjoyed dinner at home and ended the evening with family pictures on the beach. 

All in all, a better day than I anticipated based on lack of sleep. Despite the colds, meltdowns, and whining its been a great week of making memories with your family. 

 

 

Family Vacay: Day Five

Well, you boys slept through the night again (thank you, Lord!), but it was a long night for your sick parents. It was known yesterday, but definitely confirmed this morning: we are all officially sick with colds. I'm so bummed! But, we are toughing it out and trying to make the most of our experience. 

The day began yet again, bright and early for Mommy and Daddy (5:30 AM every morning!). I was able to enjoy a quiet 30 minute walk on the beach (not a soul in sight!) and then Daddy was off for a jog with Aunt Callie.

Today was our (hot) trip to the zoo. It was a nice break from our new routine and a fun little, interactive zoo. I was shocked at how much you both loved feeding the animals (especially you Ryan, since you're usually more timid with animals). I guess it's time I bite the bullet and take you guys into the petting zoo at our own zoo.

 

 

From the zoo, we had a nice lunch at The Hangout, where we had a beautiful view of the ocean and a great breeze. You were able to catch a short, but much needed snooze on the drive home.

 

We hoped you would stay asleep once home, but you both woke, fighting to go back down. So, instead of sitting around dealing with screaming babies, we headed back to the pool. You all were even braver today - jumping and even swimming with life vests without us holding on to you!

 

 

 

Two years ago today, when you were 7 months old, Daddy and I went on our first date since you had been born (and even longer than that since I had been on bedrest for so long). Coincidentally, today was each couple's date night in the house! It was such a wonderful night for us - dinner, ice cream, and then a family walk on the beach at sunset. It was so wonderful to reconnect with your Daddy, reflect on our marriage and family, and enjoy some time focused solely on each other. We both love how our lives are so full with you boys. However, we also realize the importance of focusing on each other too and keeping our bond strong. We may not go outside of the house on dates often, but I feel our relationship and marriage just keeps getting stronger. I am so thankful for your Daddy - the way he parents you boys, the way he takes care of me, and the general friendship and connection we have. I pray you both one day find partners who make your lives as full as your Daddy makes mine. I pray you find someone who puts God first, knowing that He is the one that will guide your lives. Part of our discussion tonight was guessing what we thought you might grow up to be and where your lives may take you. I pray that you let God guide you as well and follow what He has in store for you. We both look forward to all that the future has for our family. 

Tonight was a beautiful evening for your Daddy and I, and for some quiet time for all four of us on the beach. I'm so thankful that Nenny, Papa Donnie, Boo, Pappy, and Carl all gave up a night to watch the little ones. Tonight was rejuvenating for us. 

Family Vacay: Day Four

I anxiously awaited you waking up this morning, Ryan. Praying and believing we'd have a miracle. And while you woke up with a runny nose and lack of appetite still, you're disposition was much better and seemed more like yourself. Wiley, we let Ryan take it easy this morning, snuggled on the couch, while we went for another walk, searching for seashells. 

After a huge breakfast, thanks to Pappy and Carl, it was off to the beach and pool for another full day. Ryan, you were much happier on the beach today - and much braver too! You were jumping in and sitting down in the waves, allowing them to crash into your stomach and sometimes chest. Our tent, is set up right next to a turtle nest. You both know baby turtles are sleeping under the sand in their eggs, so you can't walk over there. Wiley, you found your plastic turtle and began burying him right next to the nest. Looking up and smiling, you said, "baby turtles nap!"

 

Unfortunately, just like yesterday, you fought your naps again. After more than an hour of in and out, tears, and "no naps!" we called it quits with you, Wiley. Thanks to a Daddy's magic touch, Ryan, you fell asleep and got a much needed, long nap. Wiley, you were melting down left and right - nothing we did was right. You kept running to your bedroom door, "Me share nap, Ry-Ry," opening the door and trying to hop into bed with Ryan (at this point, it was obvious all 4 of us had colds and Wiley you were simply grumpy because of it, lack of sleep, and just the change in your daily routine).

After dinner, we went back to the pool for a quick swim with all the cousins. You were both so brave, jumping in and going under without any reservations (maybe even too brave - jumping whenever you wanted / without making sure Daddy was ready).

It was another full day - if only we could cut out the 2:00 to 6:00 hours, things would be going pretty smoothly.