SuperMom Mentality

Before the babies were born, I read and heard time and time again, “the babies need to be on a schedule.” For the first couple of weeks, I tried to get them in sync: feeding them in tandem, back-to-back baths and diaper changes, etc. However, it became clear that these two babies had not only unique personalities but also their own specific needs. For example Brooks gobbles with gusto, then can be burped and put to bed in a simi-comatose state, while Bella takes her time, often pulling away for brief periods in an effort to slow down the flow of the yum-yum (breast milk) let down caused by Brooks. Then she needs to be cuddled upright for some time to help her little tummy digest.

I’ve had these guys for a few weeks now and have observed several cycles:
1. The best is when they are up back to back. I change, feed and cuddle one, put him or her back to sleep just as the other is waking up. I take care of that one and they both sleep for a while.
2. When they both wake up demanding attention &/or food at the same time, they are double teaming me. It’s not easy when this happens, but it’s manageable.
3. The least preferable cycle for me is when they tag team me. That’s when one has been up for some time but finally start winding down. But just as he or she starts to fall asleep, the other twin wakes up. Then, I manage to get that one calmed down just in time for the first one to reawaken. And so it goes.

Last night, I got double and tag teamed. I didn’t have immediate help around, so I tried nursing one and distracting the other. Amor had been up with them for the first shift of the night while I caught some z’s from about 10 to 2am. Brooks was stirring, and I changed and fed him without incident. He had just finished when I heard Bella stirring. So I put Brooks down to change and feed Bella. All was well for about eight minutes. Then Brooks, who was only half asleep, had the unfortunate luck of knocking the pacifier out of his own mouth. For a few minutes he searched for it, gently whining while Bella contently worked on her meal. She was falling asleep, though so I sneakily switched her to a paci. I put her down and helped Brooks (now wide awake) locate his paci which, of course, he no longer wanted. So I fed him again. He became drowsy just as Bella started stirring and realized her feeding had been prematurely terminated. Finally, I put Brooksies in the rocker up on the bed and helped him relocate that paci over and over again as he gently whined and swung back and forth while simultaneously nursing Bellaboo. Finally, grandma arrived to save the day. Ahh thank goodness it’s Saturday.