Laugh with me to the last degree to create the life you want.
Posts tagged Twins
Friday is my day
Aug 27th
Mother’s guilt is live and well at my place. I went back to work for three days a week when the girls were only 4 months old. I didn’t think too much of it as they were good babies and I only had them in childcare for one day. Daycare was across from work and I could drop by when ever I wanted. My mum and N were available to cover the other few days. Since then we have needed to readjust childcare as my work increased and N returned to full time work. Today I am finding it difficult. The girls are almost 9 months and we have them in childcare for two days and family daycare for one day. Besides that it is THREE days of paying for two children in childcare the most important thing is I am missing out. Other people have their routines and report on how the girls are going and although I keep telling myself that three days would be the complete limit, it is too much.
Mummy with Moana and Adelaide. 3 Months old.
Friday is my day. Friday is supposed to be my day to be a mum and spend time with my children but I confess lately it is a day filled with cleaning, emailing, laundry and shopping. Compared to daycare days where I hear the girls play, eat and sleep my day seems to be rush, busy and rush. I have read some emails and posts while trying to re-examine my goals and priorities as I think now something has to change – perhaps leave the chores to when they sleep and spend quality time when awake. They are growing up so fast; nine months old in a few days.
My annual leave is starting to dwindle so I need to make the jump officially to part-time and at the moment it is a bit of a psychological barrier – cut my salary 20% to be with the babies. I know it sounds terrible as it should not be barrier but things just are not working the way it is.
How do you juggle childcare with working and how do you spend your days with the kids?
Pilates and Lattés
Aug 24th
My health and fitness goals have slipped (as I sit here eating leftover chocolate mud birthday cake). When the girls were almost 4 months I remember having a good sob as my body was alien and I selfishly wanted to find some resemblance of my body. Like most new mums, I had unrecognizable breasts, and saggy tummy and no clothes fit.
I would have loved to have gone with all the other mums to baby yoga, baby pilates, baby swimming classes or even baby bootcamp. But it is completely impossible to attend any of these fitness inspired baby classes with twins. You need another partner and then it is double the cost.
When I was pregnant I had daydreamed of moving to the beach and going for daily walks with my double stroller in the morning accompanying the bikes and runners before relaxing
"Holiday at the beach" entertaining 4 week old twin girls.
with other mums by the beachside sipping their lattes under a bright Queensland sun. It did not happen mind you. When the girls were 4 weeks old we packed up the house, car, bottles, double bazooka breast pump, clothes, bibs, nappies, blankets, bouncers and every other baby paraphernalia and trundled down to the beach to stay with my parents. It was a week of leaking boobs, and tired and cranky babies, and 4 hourly feeds. I remember MM sneaking off home for a night so he could have 24 hours of uninterrupted sleep while I had my parents help. My walks were short as the pram was still uncomfortable in my grasp and the girls were so small.
One who once hiked 96km across the Kokoda Track was now having a heart attack pushing a double pram up the hill home.
So my next search was to find a gym. I compared three local gyms – Fernwood, Goodlife and Fitness First. I attended the membership interviews and filled out their surveys. What I wanted was long opening hours, varied fitness program, preferably a pool and sauna (but willing to comprimise), TV or some sort of entrainment, clean and nice touches to the bathrooms and locker rooms, a good crèche with low adult to child ratios and crèche prices (I would have to factor in 2 additional crèche prices to the membership), membership price and general atmosphere. In the end I joined Fitness First as they topped all my criteria plus they waived the joining fee, gave a discount for private health care, gave me three free personal training sessions, and 30 free crèche visits. Now I am back to work I am lucky to get there one day a week but I’ll get there.
Do you have any tips or exercises to get back into shape at home with your baby?
Getting out and about with the twins 4 months
The Amazing Race Xmas Style
Aug 9th
Last Friday a friend announced on facebook the launch of the Australian version of reality TV show, The Amazing Race. Applications are open for pairs of every day Aussies to work together competing against other teams in a race around the world. For fun, I downloaded the application forms and tested N to see if he would be interested. He is not so keen as who wants to have couples arguing on National TV (a lot of people apparently). Would we be a good couple to go on it? N is a good driver. Excellent driver so that is a bonus. Me; I am not too good with directions so I might let the co-pilot down.
One of the questions in the application form reads, “What is the weirdest thing about you?” I am stumped. What is weird, unusual, and odd about me? I can’t recall any unusual food or pastime cravings or fetishes. Maybe I am just un-interesting to go on TV. I do listen to Christmas carols all year round. Is that weird? Probably. But my arguement is if you ever feel a bit down just play a bit of Frosty the Snowman or Jingle Bell Rock and I am sure you will feel better. I suppose now I should announce my love of Christmas decorations. It started ten years ago when I worked in the Christmas department at Myers. When the internal job applications were opened to work as Santa’s Elf I jumped at the chance. At that time Christmas at Myers included the decorated Christmas cave, window and yearly themes. I attended Santa school where they trained all the Santa’s for the holidays. In Brisbane they had a city Christmas parade to launch the opening of the themed windows. Unfortunately I was not svelte enough for the ballerina costume and had to be content wearing the clown outfit handing out balloons.
Let’s just say Elf and Clown are no longer listed on my resume under Chlamydia expert.
Christmas 2009. Babies less than four weeks old. I promise never to dress them like this again.
Will keep you posted on our application.
The Birth and already Double Trouble.
Aug 3rd
Every birth story is personal to the author and over the last few months as I have entered the mummy blogging world I have read the warm, delightful, inspirational and a few sad ones. So for part two to my “Surprise dear, its Twins” post I thought I better continue with the story.
At 36+1 weeks (so precise I know) N and I rocked up to the obstetrician’s office for a check up. The appointments were now weekly and I had finished work four weeks prior. We sat across the Dr’s desk and I started to beg to be induced. I was huge, swollen and didn’t think I could last any longer. That morning we had seen little baby B’s foot very clearly kick through my tummy but no signs of labour was evident. For weeks I was resigned to sleeping in the double bed in the spare room or the couch but nothing was comfortable anymore and the frequent trips to the bathroom had made any sleep impossible. The weather was hot and I was waddling in the blow-up pool on the deck which was straining under the weight of the water, me and two unborn twins.
The Dr soon gave us a good talking to and we were duly chastised for requesting to be induced early as the priority was to reduce any time in special care. Even though the girls were a good size; we just had to wait. Then she took my blood pressure and the story changed, “We’ll admit you into the maternity ward tonight for observation.” So off we toddled to the hospital in the building next door.
“I don’t have my bag, its at home.” As I settled into my hospital bed and the midwife hooked me up to the monitors N disappeared home to collect my bag. It was peak hour traffic at 5pm when he returned. They took my blood pressure but it continued to climb. “Looks like these babies will be arriving tonight”.
“Where is the camera?” It was still at home. Off N went to return home for the camera. By then the midwives decided to move me into the labour ward. Apparently labour had started but I had no recollection. People were coming in and out of the room and I was oblivious to it all. “Too dangerous its pre-e and we need to have a c section.” It was disappointing but acceptable. All the money wasted on baby yoga. “Where is your partner?” he still had not returned. They inserted a cannula and there was blood all over the floor as it was difficult to find a vein. My mobile rang and it was my sister leaving a message saying “G’day how are things?” right when the nurse decided I needed a shave. Not good timing. It was all happening so fast we did not have a chance to relay back to the extended family that the girls were to be born shortly. A tall Asian man came in and started asking me questions and in my delirium I thought he was the janitor. I called N, “Where are you?” He was in the car park. The staff threw him his greens to wear in surgery and he came rushing in with camera in hand. The epidural was painful, swelling made it difficult. They took blood from my neck. The large bright lights and two Drs peering down and “are you ready?” click went the camera and baby A was born. Two minutes later followed by her little sister’s screams. Twin A and Twin B times were marked on the White board. N holding my hand, “We did it.”
I spent the night in Intensive care to monitor the blood pressure and bleeding. Fluid continued to fill up bags as I started to admire my feet which I had not seen in months. My two legs were periodically pumped for continued circulation and an automatic BP reading went off every fifteen minutes. The night was long and lonely with only the night nurse to talk too as she wandered in and out of my room. She gave me two Polaroid photos of the babies. It seemed forever before I was allowed to move into the general maternity ward to meet my two girls in special care. With the birth done and dusted now the hard bit starts. Parenting.
The Stay at Home Dad
Aug 1st
N and I have been juggling with our roles over who was staying at home since we both went back to work. Enter now the stay at home dad. I was very lucky for the first few months we were both home. In the early blurry days when we come home from hospital it was the constant 24 hour monotonous four hourly feeding, changing and sleeping. We had routine where N would stay up late for the night feeds and I would be up at 2am for the morning feed. It was hard but we worked well together when we did not have to factor in anything else. Then the girls started sleeping through the night and then he went back to work. When the girls were four months I had to go back to work too. Since then it has been a juggle where the current weekly routine on the fridge reads
- Monday– N;
- Tuesday– daycare;
- Wednesday – babysitter;
- Thursday – Grammie;
- Friday – me.
Whew. A different carer everyday but its working ok. I enjoy my day with the girls and N and my mother enjoy theirs.
But now N’s job is not secure and so we have decided he will have a more permanent role as the stay at home dad. It is scary decision depending on one income but it makes sense as I have the higher income and secure employment. We are trying to reframe it as an opportunity. We can now save money by taking the girls out of day care. N can focus on starting his own mobile mechanic business from home. Work is flexible so I can come home around 3:30pm some days and do any extra work at night from home. So we have done the budget and there are some changes to be made. We probably will have to move somewhere cheaper but that is the trade off to have a parent at home. It might be temporary indefinite but some changes are going to be made. At the moment this is right for our family.
Are there any other stay at home dads out there? What tips can you offer to men thinking about tacking this role?
Surprise dear “Its Twins”
Jul 19th
N holds me accountable for the “spontaneous” twin pregnancy. Perhaps it was my obsession with Sweet Valley High books or watching the movie The Parent Trap or living with identical twin sisters but nothing quite prepared me for the ultrasound technician to say, “Congratulations its Twins.” I had gone to the Queensland X-Ray department at 9 weeks on my own – pure curiosity I am afraid with a referral in hand. I should have waited for the usual 12 week scan but I was impatient. I am the type of person who searches Wikipedia for the plot before I watch the movie, read the finishing chapters of a book half way through and certainly not one to keep spoilers from The Doctor.
I am also not known for delicacy and can be depended on saying things at the most inconvenient time. “I’m pregnant” as N chokes on his Weet-Bix. Now in the car park I call N at work, “Surprise, Its twins” as stunned silence permeates through the phone. Tactful comments may also run in the family as not 6 months later as I am admitted into the maternity ward four weeks early, “Have fun” my father says as he leaves for the evening.
Right before all hell breaks loose.
About Me
Jul 13th
Hi, I’m Lisa and this is my blog thelastdegree which aims to boldly present to the universe all my intentions for materializing those dreams I have had for the past thirty years. You may have read the cult following book “The Secret” or other books promoting the Law of Attraction and one of the key rules is to ask and you shall receive. So I decided there is no better avenue to ask than through my Blog.
I started this Blog in 2008 to raise awareness for Bipolar Disorder; “Ski with me to the last degree to raise awareness for Bipolar Disorder”. I was a member of an expedition to the South Pole. Over the eighteen months the blog was live I raised $5000 from friends, family and the local community. As a follow up the monies raised by the Bipolar Expedition was given to the Australian Rotary Health for distribution for further research. Unfortunately the expeditions did not go ahead due to the difficulty raising the capital required however the group was very successful in raising awareness in the community for mental health issues.
Over the past twelve month I debated on what to do with the domain name and blog. In April 2009, I attended a manifesting workshop. The goal of the workshop was to attract all the wants in your life by request to the universe. We did this by creating a collage of images or vision board using the Feng Shui Bagua map as a guide to the location. These sections relate to all aspects of live such as fame, relationship, children, helpful people, career, knowledge, health, family and wealth.
A copy of my 2009 map is below. In April last year I was in a new relationship and no children but I did want children so in the Children right hand side I had pasted random pictures of children and pregnancy. What transpired in the next few months was a pregnancy but what makes this picture so special to me was I became pregnant with twin girls. My two little angels in the photo below.
Click here for a larger copy
2010 and I have a new board in development which I plan to release over the duration of this Blog. So once again please come with to the last degree and see if I can make true all my dreams as I learn more about the Law of Attraction.
To contact me, please email lisad at thelastdegree.com
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