Back to work today......

This is just a quick post to document my first day back at work today after 12 months maternity leave. I work part time as an Events Coordinatorr for Cancer Council NSW. I work 3 days a week to coordinate 2 Relay For Life events a year. Pretty sweet deal for me but it's not an easy ride as I have two challenging events to coordinate which keeps me very busy!  

I am writing this on my lunch break and so far it has been the dream first day back at work ....it's only been 3 hours although my day started much earlier at 7am!!! 7am!! I can't even remember the last time I woke up that early. I was supposed to have a trial run last week when my babies started child care but of course that didn't happen we just slept in until 8.30am (which is still quite early as we are used to waking up between 10-11am!)

My prep actually started last night. My dear husband Damien cooked a lovely dinner and prepared a salad for my lunch. I got all the kidlets bags and clothes prepared for child care as well as my own clothes and bag. Keira and the babies went to sleep at 9pm. I fell asleep putting the babies to sleep and I woke up at 11pm to have a shower to find Damien had washed the dishes from dinner, packed my lunch for work,  vacuumed the floor and cleaned the kitchen spotlessly :) He was still awake chopping up fruit for my morning tea.  He told me that after looking after him and the babies for the last 12 months, it's his turn to support me as much as possible. Awww how sweet.

At 7am, I woke up and so did Keira and Lucas. Damien also woke up to get the kidlets ready while I got ready. Montana woke up last and we managed to leave the house by the aim time of 7.50am. I dropped the kidlets off at child care - only Lucas was a little sooky when I left but he has his top teeth coming out. I was on the road by by aim time of 8am. With minimal traffic and finding the perfect parking spot, I was outside my work place in Parramatta at 8.45am for a 9am start. I actually made it to my first day on time! Amazing!

Everyone was very welcoming... it's like I had never left. The handover is going well. Lots of things to do as I have an event in 3 weeks but I am excited to get right into it lol Yes 12 months break from my event Relay For Life has done me good but I wonder how long this enthusiasm will last for..........hopefully until the end of the day at least :)

Keira-isms: The little Housekeeper

Keira can make quite a mess, as most toddlers do. She is a Miss Independent who likes to feed herself, pour her own drinks, make her own milo and cereal. Sometimes when I am busy with the twins, she will look for food in the pantry and fridge then get her plate, cutlery or cup to serve herself. It's cute but her 'independence' can leave a mess behind.

However, on the bright side Keira has shown a likeness and eagerness to cleaning especially to vacuuming, sweeping and washing the dishes. Teach and start them young right? Is it wishful thinking to hope that this will continue for years to come? ;)

Is it worth it?

It's such a mission to go out alone with my three so unless I am visiting family and friends - I don't do it!.....with the exception of going to the library. I try to take Keira alone in the mornings to Story Time when Damo is home to look after the twins but he has been working earlier shifts so lately, I've had to take all three babies with me and when we don't make it to Story Time at 10am, we still go during the day to make returns, re-borrow and to keep up the library routine.

Getting all three kidlets and myself dressed to go out: 40 mins

Loading three kidlets in the car: 10 mins

Drive to the library: 10 mins

Unloading car including pram: 10 mins

Keira borrowing books and DVDs: 5 mins  (10 mins if I get a chance to borrow something and 30 mins if we make it to Story Time)

Re-loading car to go home: 10 mins

Drive home: 10 mins

Unloading three kidlets: 10 mins

So it takes more than 1 hour to make our weekly 10 min library outing (or 30 mins for Story Time outing) and I have asked myself "Is it worth it?" on more than one occasion.

When we get home:

Keira excitedly opens up one of her DVD's to play

Keira and sometimes the twins are entertained by the DVD for 30-60 mins. Keira is often dancing and jumping along having fun

I read the books we borrow to put Keira to sleep

A few days later, Keira is singing the tunes to the new songs and repeating new words from the books I've read to her

This is when my question is answered: Yes it is worth it!

Keira is such an expert at borrowing DVD's - she has it done in 5 mins! lol

June Highlights

June was a busy and exciting month. Here are some of the things we got up to:

We started going to Story Time at Casula Library which is on every Monday. We first went there with our church play group a few weeks ago and the library had a Science Play expo on which was fun for the kids. Keira also enjoys choosing the books and DVD's to borrow which keeps her entertained and busy at home (a little relief for me) so I've added a weekly library trip to our routine :)


Keira having fun exploring the different and fun activites at Science Play

The twins got into the action too at Science Play

A new milestone for the twins - they are now eating solids :) They started on organic baby rice cereal and are now onto their fruits and vegetables. They are great eaters and enjoy their food although the flip side is that now their poos are starting to change as well! :( 

Lucas is having a bad hair day! haha

Montana has an Islander appetite and loves her food :)

I decided to take Keira out of pre school until I go back to work in 3 months so I can spend as much time with all the kids at home. I put Keira in twice a week when the twins were born so that she could continue to have the learning and socialising of child care and so I could spend time with the twins as Keira still commands so much attention which was hard for me whilst nursing two new borns. Now the twins are older and settled and I can give Keira the attention she needs. I know I'm really going to miss being at home full time with all three babies (as chaotic as it is) so I need to make the most of it while I still can.



Keira with her teachers Miss Joanne and Miss Angela from Kids United. They only cater for children 2 years and up so I would've had to take Keira out anyway as I would prefer all three go to the same centre. We might return in 2 years time if we still live in the area :)

The saying goes that when one door closes, another one opens. My friend Kristall and her sister Jasmine have a play school for their children and we're going to join in together with our other friend Darcel and her kids. I'm excited because now that Keira is finished with child care, she will still have that weekly learning and social environment with this play school and who better than with my friends kids :) Between the four of us plus Kristall's brother's daughter - there are 13 kids under 6!! We are going to rotate a teaching and activities roster between the 4 of us mums which will start later in July. From the pictures below, it looks like the kids are having too much fun playing  but I'm sure we'll be able to get a few ABC's in there or we might be a little too ambitious with the teaching part but I guess time will tell - play school could turn into just play dates but I'm sure the kids will still have fun!

 

The last highlight of the month - Montana has just started to crawl! She is such a little adventurer  and can't stay still. Lucas is on his hands and knees and not far off from crawling either. These pics were taken by my cousin Mathilde (Tildy) while she was babysitting the twins with her mum Aunty Zinda. It's hard to believe how fast they have grown!!

  

Six Months later.....

It's been six and half months since we've become a family of 5, since I've been a stay at home mum with newborn twins and a 2 year old. They say time flies when you're having fun and yes time has flown and it has been fun but not without its ups and downs.

I remember some of the early challenges we had when we bought the twins home.  Firstly, we had just moved into a new place one month before the twins were born so there was still unpacking and sorting to do (there still is as we are still looking for 'time' to finish it!) Secondly, Lucas was born with a right club foot (where the foot is turned inwards) so we had weekly hospital plaster appointments for the first 8 week weeks of of his life to straighten his foot and that was on top of helping Keira adjust to her new baby siblings as well as us trying to adjust the demands of two newborns ourselves.

The most difficult thing for me was when they were both crying I didn't know who to pick up first and when I held one, I felt like I was chosing one over the other even though I wasn't. The first few days were heartbreaking for me as all newborn babies deserve and demand a parents full and undivided attention - at least for the first weeks of their lives and our twins had to share ours. I tried to take turns or held the one I thought would be the hungriest etc. I always wished (and still do) that I had an extra pair of arms to hold all three of my babies. It was worst when Keira was crying too and sadly most times she ended up being the last one I tended too (unless it was an emergency). There were times when she was upset she'll just bypass me altogether and go to her father because she knew that most times when she came up to me I would be holding a baby or two in my arms. Yes - lots of adjusting for all of us! There were some days when they would just be a blur - it seemed like it was going slowly but by the end of it I felt like it went by so quickly yet nothing seemed to be done.

After a month, the twins started to adjust to their new world and us with them in ours. I was up a lot during the night - as I would feed one, put baby down, go to sleep and a few mins later the other baby would wake up wanting their feed.  Damo was up to holding the other crying baby or helping me with putting the two babies on me to nurse and then taking them off as they started to get heavier for me to do it. Sleep was a luxury. I really wanted to train the twins to sleep in their cot from day 1 but it only lasted a few weeks as in the end it was just easier for me to sleep in between both and turn to nurse on demand. It's not the ideal solution but I got more sleep, the twins were really happy to be fed straight away, they cried less as they both loved being close to me and overall a happier household. I know people advise against co - sleeping and it can be seen as the lazy way out to parenting but to be honest I really enjoyed it with Keira and I enjoy it with the twins.  I love the cuddliness and closeness of my babies. I love watching them fall asleep and even when they are asleep - I just love watching them, smelling them, kissing their beautiful little features and baby smooth skin, always marvelling at their perfection and that I am their mother. I'm fortunate that I am a light sleeper so I can do that but I am hoping that they will be happy to sleep in their own bedroom when I stop breastfeeding. It may seem like wishful thinking but I am an optimist!

Being an optimistic person is what made me get through the first six months. Yes, there were (many) tough days but luckily I would only be upset or stressed for a few hours after which I would assess the situation or life in general, look on the brighter side and get over it. That is one of my good traits - the ability to always be positive and move on when faced with challenges. I'm no where near the mother/ wife/ person I want to be. I have definitely learnt and grown up so much as a mother, a wife and a person. I still do everyday and always strive to be better and the best I can be.  

No matter how tough and challenging it was or it can be - I am always grateful because I think I had a pretty good first six months. I am so grateful that I had a trouble free pregnancy, a safe delivery of two healthy babies, plenty of breastmilk to nurse both twins, a loving husband/ father and plenty of support from our extended family.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't let my Heavenly Father know how grateful I am for the many blessings He has bestowed unto me and especially for entrusting me with these three precious babies.

Six and a half months on - we still don't have the perfect schedule, our days can still be hectic, chaotic and crazy, our home is still not fully sorted, the house is almost always messy and hard to keep clean, socks are always missing their pairs and Keira is starting to write on the walls but we are slowly adjusting to our little party of 5 and we all healthy and happy!

I thought the the first six months would be the hardest but thinking of the next phase of our lives which will include weaning, teething, solids, crawling, toilet training Keira and my return to work - it makes the first six months look easy when the babies just ate, slept and pooed! However, the ever optimistic person in me says Bring it on! (with a smile :) )

Our little family when the twins were 3 months - Gees we look tired but happy :)

Mother's Day 2012

This Mother's Day I am so grateful to be a Mother of 3 beautiful and healthy children. Last year I was a mummy to 1 and I love saying that I have children instead of a child as I've always wanted more than one and we were so blessed to add another two babies at the same time :)

I remember the first time I ever found out I was going to be a mum through a positive pregnancy test - I ran out the bathroom to Damien, and gave him a hug and just cried - tears of shock and absolute joy. I always try to remember that feeling when I experience the 'challenging' days when there are is non stop crying, tantrums and sore shoulders to remind me how much I wanted to be a mother.

I am also grateful to be able to share this day with my own beautiful mother who is the best mother anyone can ask for. She loves her children and grand children unconditionally and will do anything for us. There are times when I don't know what I'll do without my mother! She is such a great example to me and I wish that one day my children will feel and know how much I love them as much as I do with my own mother.

Mother's Day is a when you celebrate your mother (which I did) and seeing as my children are too young to spoil me with gifts and acts of love - I celebrated being their mother but then this when the husband steps in right? I'm grateful that he took us to a family dinner the night before to one of my fave buffets - Sizzlers followed by making a delicious breakfast on Mother's Day. I think he also mentioned taking me to a massage I really want (need) which I will eventually hold him to but until then I can't complain as I really had a blessed day :) xo

Family photo @ Sizzlers for our family Mother's Day dinner

Mother's Day breakfast of croissants, blueberry pancakes and fresh juice made by hubby :)

Meeting Baby Max McQueen

One of the best things of not working and being home with the kids is the opportunity to have play dates and catch ups with other mother friends and their kids. Darcel is one of my good friends who has 3 young boys ages 4,3 and 20 months old with another boy due in a few weeks. She is a super mummy! Last week the twins and I went over to Darcel's parents place for a catch up/ playdate with Darcel, her youngest boy Kingston and her sister Jaslyn and her 6 week old baby son Max who were visiting from Kalgoolie, Western Australia. Keira and Darcel's eldest two Cassius and Phoenix were at child care so the three of us had a great afternoon relaxing and chatting about the kids, motherhood and took some cute pics of the babies.

5 months old Lucas and Montana with 6 week old  cutie Max

Take 2: Lucas, Montana and Max

Later we picked up the older kids and let's just say that things were much more hectic and noisy than our peaceful and relaxed afternoon! Earlier, we both told Jaslyn to enjoy baby Max as this cute baby stage because life is quite different when they become toddlers and when number 2 etc come along but Jaslyn the trooper just smiled her sweet smile and said that she couldn't wait to have more babies! So here is Jaslyn holding the twins to have a taste of having two babies! lol