"Babies Crying!"

DD1 learnt pretty quickly what crying was once her sisters came home from hospital. Recently on Baby Centre there was a thread about whether there are really people who never leave their baby crying. I think there are people who do not leave their baby crying. They are the same people who stay in their pyjamas everyday, who don't get the hoovering done or the laundry sorted (or have a cleaner), who daren't make any phone calls. They are women who don't already have a toddler.

When DD1 was little I threw myself into getting her into a routine. Looking back I realise I had nothing else to do that was as important to me. I was determined to keep her routine the same when the twins arrived, in order to help her feel secure and confident that her world hadn't really changed. By and large we've managed to do this, and it's paid dividends, she's still eating well and sleeping well. Of course there's been a huge change to her little life but I like to think she's generally happy and that any changes in her behaviour are as likely to be related to her development.

The consequences are that I can't always get to the babies immediately, because it might mean that DD1 doesn't get her breakfast or get dressed or go down for her nap when she needs to. It sounds like DD1 is my priority but it's more that DD1's routine is established and working and when the twins routine is established and working it will fit with DD1s. It would be going backwards to mess up the one that is successful. DD1 has to wait too. She spends a lot of time entertaining herself, or watching TV, while I spend up to an hour feeding the babies.

Also, even when DD1 is napping, or out with her grandparents I can't always deal with both babies at once. If I stop what I am doing to comfort the crying one I won't get both of them in clean nappies and make up two bottles so I can sit down and solve the cause of their unhappiness. And yes, if I need the loo I am going to do it before sitting down to feed them because if I don't and I get a urine infection I will have to get someone else to look after them while I go to the Dr, or else become unwell and less able to look after them. It sounds melodramatic but I have to keep me eye on the bigger picture.

So sure there are people who never let their baby cry. Good luck to them!

Flying Solo

Today is the first day that the girls and I have been completely home alone. I am quite glad that the monster buggy is out of action, if I am honest, because I would have tried to go out and quite honestly surviving the day at home has been more than enough.

You might say that I am making life harder on myself by attempting to put the twins in a Gina routine. But I believe that it will make life easier for all of us in the long run. I do, I do, I do, I do! Things making this even harder for me include

* The girls not always being able to 'last' between feeds. Worse still, one being hungry, the other being asleep! I am desperately trying to sync them for the sake of DD1, otherwise I will always be feeding a baby and not spending time with her!

* We were doing one feed a night, now we seem to be doing two, one of them perilously close to breakfast, meaning that they don't really want their first bottle of the day.

* They are still quite sleepy babies and so spend a lot 'awake time' asleep in their bouncy chairs! But I'll start worrying about this when they stop sleeping at night.

* When they cry during their naps I go up to resettle them and worry about what DD1 is getting up to downstairs and that she's on her own. If I'm downstairs I worry about why the baby/babies are crying.

* I am still getting my fitness back, will be for several months I suspect.

I suppose I will find answers to some or all of these problems, probably about the same time that they change their routine and give me new things to worry about. That's parenthood.

Still, here are some signs that I am not sinking yet...

* I have got dressed every day since getting home from hospital. There haven't been any pyjama days here!

* Most days I manage to shower and wash my hair - this makes everything better"

* I have managed to keep my nails neat and polished. (The key to this is to use a pale or opaque, iridescent polish that doesn't show chips).

* I have started cooking from scratch again, as we've run out of my stash of pre-cooked meals in the freezer.

* I am on top of my basic chores, even though we haven't hoovered upstairs for two weeks!