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Post Partum: Random Ramblings of a Sleep Deprived Mother

7 weeks ago I delivered our second set of twins - my favorite day in 2014, for sure. But, for the past 7 weeks, I've had broken sleep throughout the night. My body has been going through this process of regulating my hormones. I packed our house in boxes while recovering from a C-section. Then, I drove 3 days straight with 5 small children/babies, without switching drivers. (Jason drove the moving truck.) Then I unpacked all of those boxes and organized them in our new home. My husband left town for 2 weeks to finish up some work in Texas.

Needless to say, folks, I'm NOT running on all cylinders these days. I'm tired. And when I'm tired, I think crazy things. Here are a few of my random thoughts about post-partum....

1.  So, like all mothers to newborns, I wake up several times throughout the night to feed my cute
     little babies. It's easy to fall asleep during those midnight/3am/6am feedings, so to keep things   
     interesting, the babies and I compete in the.....BABY OLYMPICS! Henry & Abigail compete
     against each other in several different events. 

•  First, we see who can drink his/her entire bottle first. Abigail almost always wins at this event - she's a fast drinker, while Henry takes his time & enjoys his bottle. 
• Then we have the burping event - Henry is definitely the champion. He is the first to burp and earns extra points by burping several times, followed by spit-up. Abigail is much more of a lady and will often skip this event. 
• As the mother, I compete against myself to see how fast I can feed, change & swaddle the babies. I started out at 45 minutes, but over time, we have widdled our best time down to 32 minutes "per feeding. 

2.  We always read about "What not to ask/say to a pregnant woman."  BUT, I argue that it's even  
     MORE important to think about "What not to ask/say to a POST-PARTUM woman."  She is now
     being woken up every 2-3 hours at night, getting peed on during diaper changes, and doesn't even
     get a thank you from her cute little babe. Not to mention, this mother is still wearing her
     maternity clothes for weeks/months after baby is born and her hormones are still adjusting.         
     So, she's exhausted, fat & hormonal. You better walk on eggshells, my friend. Here are a few   
     comments I received soon after giving birth.

• "Are you sure there isn't another baby in there?" (From a nurse in the hospital, 1 day after I deliver twins....are you KIDDIN' me?!!)
• "So, when will your baby bump go away?" (From one of Jason's employees - no wonder he is still single!!)

3.   "I split my stitches!"....it's not a joke. The first week of recovery, I couldn't cough, sneeze or    
       laugh without having to hold my stomach and try to choke it down. It hurt like no other and I   
       honestly worried that my incision would pop/rip/tear. 

4.   Since becoming pregnant with our second set of twins, I feel like a celebrity. When we made      
      our FB announcement, I received several friend requests from complete strangers who just
      wanted to follow my pregnancy/baby updates. And then when we delivered the babies...same
      thing...everyone's best friend's - little sister's - cousin's - roommate wants to be my FB friend.
      Sorry, I decline those requests and like to keep my life somewhat private. And THEN...we can't
      go out in public without lots of stares/whispers/questions and of course we have people actually
      counting my children. Can't a girl take her 5 small children to Sam's club without being a
      spectacle?? (yeah, probably not, huh?)

5.  And I'd like to finish off my ramblings on a more serious note. I have a some good family friends
     who have 14 children in their family (THREE sets of twins!!) I asked the mother for her advice
     and I would count her very wise.

"Dana, you will do great. You have done this before and the second time around is easier than the first! Especially right now, don't be afraid to operate on the principle of "selected neglect." This means to only do the most important things and don't worry about the things which are not so important. Just try to enjoy every moment because they grow up way too fast. Also, let others help you with meals, cleaning, shopping, chauffeuring, or caring for your older children. It will be a blessing to those who help and you will make precious friends through that service.. Most important, I have realized over the years that the greatest gift I have ever given my children is their brothers and sisters. It is important to remember that on those sleepless nights!"

And to finish off with some highlight PHOTOS from July!!

4th of July outfits

Handsome Henry at 1 week old.

Pretty Girl at 1 week old

Miles & me at the pool

Big Twins & Little Twins

Grandma Hall came to visit!

A&J roasting marshmallows!

Introducing...

Abigail Neoma Thompson (5lb 6oz) & Henry Francis Thompson (5lb 9oz)

Born June 23, 2014 

McAllen, Texas

via C-section

Babies are here!!

All of the Thompson boys

Headed home from the Hospital

Miles has been promoted to a BIG brother. He has taken on the role quite well. He loves the babies and is not one bit jealous.

June 30, 2014. On our 10 year wedding anniversary.

Our family of 7

Hi Five!!

Happy Happy Birthday to Arlo & Josiah!!

A&J celebrated their 5th birthdays on June 9 and we made sure to celebrate the entire week!! I decided ahead of time that I didn't want the pressure of hosting a big birthday party for lots of preschoolers while I was 8 months pregnant with twins, so we told the boys that we would spend the week doing lots of fun activities together as a family.

A few days before their birthday, we took a family day trip to South Padre Island to play on the beach. We buried the boys in the sand, played in the water and visited a few tourist-y places. Arlo & Josiah got shark-tooth necklaces at the souvenir shop and Miles picked out a Nemo postcard to take home. Successful trip!

On the Sunday before their birthday, we invited the Burnhams, the Karrens and the "Fox friends" (Jason's company) over for a BBQ and water balloons. The unofficial theme of the party was "little legos." The boys have graduated from duplo legos to those tiny little lego pieces that cost a fortune (that I curse on a daily basis as I find them under couches/dressers/beds/carpets & dig them out of the vacuum canister. Heck, I even found one of the teeny tiny pieces in the garbage disposal yesterday - after it got all ground up from the blades.)

 But hey, anything to make my little guys happy; they deserve it.  :)

THEN....came their actual birthday...and we celebrated at the Water Park!!

 

We had a GREAT week celebrating Arlo & Josiah's birthday and I am so grateful to have them in our family. Each boy has a unique spirit and personality. Arlo is my sweet, kind-hearted, forgiving, optimistic, and social little guy - he makes me feel so special - like I'm the most important person in the world. Josiah is my imaginative, smart, artistic, fun & spirited boy who loves his family so much. They start kindergarten this Fall and it's bittersweet, as a mother, to watch them grow up. I love seeing them learn and progress, but I realize they wont be little forever. Now is the time to treasure all of the little moments, because it won't be long before they grow into men and leave home. (I wipe a few tears from my face as I'm typing this.) But, until THEN....I can still carry them, and squeeze them and make all of their boo-boos better.  I love you Arlo & Josiah!

First Time Mother

Maybe this is just me, but I cry at EVERY new event or milestone that Arlo & Josiah experience, but I don't with Miles. Does this mean that I love A&J more than Miles?? Of course not. After evaluating this observation for a while now, I have concluded that I am experiencing these milestones with A& J as a "First Time Mother" - and because it's my first experience to have a child call me "mama" or a child go to preschool, I'm gonna cry.

Let me explain with a few recent real life examples.

1. I cried when Arlo & Josiah gave their first talks in Church Primary.
           & when they let go in the pool's deep water & swam to the stairs all by themselves.
           & when I dropped them off at preschool for the first time. 
           & when they graduated preschool.
           & when they started their first soccer practice.
           & when they said mama for the first time as babies.....
            etc, etc, etc, .........

2. I rejoiced when Miles went to Nursery/gym childcare without a fuss. We slapped high-fives & he went in without looking back. I can't believe that I didn't cry.  He goes through all the same type of milestones as A&J, but I don't ever cry. 


Heck, I even have "First Time Mother" moments for other parents & their oldest kids. For example, I cried when I went to Presli Burnham's first dance recital. And when I watched my oldest nephew pass the sacrament for the first time.

Am I the only one?

I love these little guys.

Preschool Graduation, May 2014

My Mother's Day present from Arlo, he made at school

My Mother's Day present from Josiah, at school.

Can I just say that EVERYONE loves Miles - he's like a celebrity when we go to A&J's preschool

And like most other people, he LOVES the attention. Can you tell?

Some backyard swim time.

Miles & his potato head creations

Presli Burnham at her first dance recital

Pregnancy & 2 babies

This past weekend I hit 33 weeks gestation for babies 4 & 5 and folks, it’s getting real.

Real; as in, these babies could come any day.  I will probably, most definitely have 5 children before the end of THIS MONTH.  It’ll be a serious reality check.

Am I ready?

Well, is anyone ever truly ready?  Sure, we’ve read books, bought the cribs, carseats, strollers, diapers & enough clothes for the first few months. But can you mentally, emotionally & physically be prepared for a baby? Yet, here I am having more children and I couldn’t be happier.   I must be crazy. =)

It may be embarrassing, but yes, I am doing the belly/maternity pose outside of a restaurant. Let's be real....at home I can't keep my mirrors clean long enough to take a mirror selfie, so I have to ask friends to do it while I'm out in public...lol

 For the few who may be interested in my specifics, here you go…laying it all out on the table.

Weight gain 30lbs 

Waist 42 inches

Babies are over 4lb each right now, each with his/her own placenta.

We are 90% sure that we have the babies’ names picked out – but going along with southern superstition, we will not reveal names until after they are born. 

I just noticed my first stretch mark and I’m trying to be okay with it – those cute babies will be worth it. (But still lathering my belly in coconut oil/essential oils in an effort to stop any more potential marks.)

I’m still hitting the gym at least twice a week –the exercise keeps my joints from getting too stiff and the endorphins help me stay positive :P

The babies “dropped” at 32 weeks and I’ve had to slow down a lot this past week. Excuse my crudeness, but I feel like I have an oversized bowling ball between my legs. It’s not comfortable.  And it’s not pretty…I waddle now.

Arlo & Josiah came at 33 weeks/5 days. My goal this time to get past that date and hopefully all the way to 35 weeks. Every day counts. It’s one less day that they stay in the NICU.  So, in an effort to postpone delivery, I am taking a nap/resting for an hour every day. It’s against my personality to nap, and sometimes I have to force myself to sit on the couch. The other day I turned Netflix on for the boys so I could rest and at some point I dozed off. When I woke up I realized that the boys had lost interest in the show a long time ago and had taken matters in their own hands. The toy/family room was a disaster zone of toys and Miles had let the dog out to the backyard unsupervised (where she jumped the fence, followed some walkers/bikers & we finally got a phone call from a concerned citizen who checked her collar – she was over a mile from home….good grief dog!)   So, I need to plan a little better next time I take a rest.

On to a serious note.

I’m thrilled that we are expecting again. Timing is not what we planned, but there are so many wonderful things for which to be thankful.

1.       We conceived with NO MEDICAL help. In 10 years of marriage we had NEVER conceived without IUI or IVF – this pregnancy is not short of a MIRACLE.  (Time to start using birth control, darn it – I’ve got to give my body time to recover before it happens again.)

2.       Not only did we spontaneously conceive, but somehow we got TWINS!! DOUBLE MIRACLE.  I’ve told my story to several doctors and none have ever heard of a story quite like ours.

3.       I don’t have to be pregnant through the entire south Texas summer. Thank heavens.

4.       No complications during this pregnancy & we are praying for a healthy delivery.

5.       These babies will be welcomed by 3 little boys who are SO excited. They will be smothered in brotherly love. 

And can I please give a small piece of advice to all those “with good intentions” ???

PLEASE PLEASE do not imply that this should be my last baby/babies. You may certainly ASK if I want more children after this, but do not vocalize the assumption that this is my last. What right do you have to make that decision for me??  I have had multiple acquaintances and strangers tell me “Oh great, you will get your girl, now you can be done having babies.” NO/MAYBE/YES…..I don’t know if this will be my last pregnancy, but don’t you dare TELL me this is my last.  

Let me respond to you politely, “We haven’t made any decisions yet and don’t plan to do so until the time comes and Heavenly Father tells us what is right for us.”

So, let me enjoy my boys and look forward to the sweet little ones that will be coming soon.

Miles' 2nd Birthday!

So, Miles actually turned 2 LAST month (April 18), but I'm not too worried, because he has changed SO MUCH the past month and now I get a chance to tell you all about it.

But FIRST, a few photos of the birthday boy....

Mini cupcakes - footballs, baseballs & soccer balls

It's a little blurry, but I LOVE that he's holding up 2 fingers! (I asked him how old he was)

Some of his loot.

The party guests - Nate & KJ Burnham family, Kasey Anderson, Matt (Fox), Jerom (from Fox) & the sister missionaries

With the ghetto football pinata that I made him. (When we hung it up, the top part ripped from all the weight of the candy - the kids didn't seem to mind though)

Wearing his new superman belt while drawing on his magna-doodle from Grandma & Grandaddy Hall

Now, on to the details of this little man's ridiculously cute personality.  First of all, when you ask him, Miles will tell you that he is 2....but he likes to act like a 5 year old. He thinks that he can do ANYTHING. I love & admire his desire to do it all - but I wish he would stay my little baby a while longer. Just to give you a few examples of what I'm dealing with on a daily basis....

• He likes to pick out his own clothes, shoes & PJs....and will throw a FIT if I try to change his choices.  And he tries to dress himself - and he will only allow Arlo & Josiah to help him though.
• He moves the kitchen chairs around the room to get up on the counters & cabinets. Scares me to death. 
• He started climbing out of the crib at 22 months, so I changed it to a toddler bed and he REFUSED to sleep in it. He insisted that he sleep in the queen size guest bed in his room - it's pretty cute to see his tiny body laying in such a big bed.  (We will get him a twin size bed of his own when we get to Utah.)
• Insists that he drink out of a big boy cup while at the table - and he has to drink the same drink as A&J. (He spills his darn cup almost once a day - so I only give him a tiny bit of drink, at a time)
• He LOVES when I pack him a lunch bag on errand/doctor days - He gets to have a juice box, slim jim, pretzel/cheese dippers, sandwich etc....He loves to feel big, like A&J.
• He has been swinging on the big boy swing & climbing up tall playground ladders for the past 6 months already - he is a pretty steady boy and can do it all at the playground. 

Jason and I love to sit and talk about how cute Miles is and all the new things that he has learned - especially in the past month. For example, he now willingly goes to gym childcare & church nursery - he walks in and doesn't even look back - and he is great with a babysitter. He wasn't talking much until he turned 2; then it was like a light-switch went on and now he can communicate so well! It's been fun listening to some of the things that he says. My favorite was the other day when I asked him where Miles' mommy was - he pointed to me....then I asked him where Arlo's mommy was - he shrugged his shoulders and said "I don't know?" Jason and I laughed about that for days!! When you ask him a question, 90% of the time his answer will be "yyuuupp!" Miles doesn't sit down for TV yet, but he has recently discovered a love for "Finding Nemo" He asks to watch it every time we get in the van & he loves to carry around Arlo's Nemo stuffed animals.

We weaned him from his binkie about 3 weeks ago and he has been doing GREAT! I told him that the puppy ate it - and he seems to accept it. Naptime/sleepytime/bedtime have been an adjustment, but we are finding ways to calm down & for him to self-soothe. As for the potty-training, I would love to get him out of diapers before the twins arrive, but I just don't have the energy or motivation to deal with it right now. Potty-training will be a priority once we get to Utah this Fall.

I can't believe that our little Miles has only been with us for 2 years because I can't remember when he wasn't "one of the boys." He is such a joy to have in our family and can make the grumpiest person smile. Even strangers in the store are drawn to his beautiful eyes, deep dimple and sweet smile. WE LOVE YOU MILES!!!

Time to get fit!

I'm almost 21 weeks and have been feeling really good lately. Other than tiredness and some back pain at the end of the day, I'm back to my usual routine. And with that I've joined the gym again! I got a 4 month membership and started back yesterday. I'm posting this on my blog bc I need someone to hold me responsible.

I went to the doctor today and babies are looking great! I started to feel them moving a few weeks ago and I LOVE that feeling, it gives me reassurance and excitement for their arrival.

Here are my stats so far:
21 weeks.
13.5 lbs gained.
37 inch waist.