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Walt & Whitney - 3 Months

Month 3 seemed a tiny bit easier because the babies gas and colic was subdued and feeding was much easier! I had my first full week alone and a couple of weekends with just Alex and I, and finally felt comfortable handling both babies. Now handling all 3 of my children is another story, and I haven't had to do that yet.

Let me tell you, weekends alone suck. Alone meaning no extra help from family. I feel like it's a never-ending cycle of no sleep, feeding, rocking, burping, repeat. It's been tough on me, because I love to be active...especially when the Texas weather is absolutely AMAZING right now (mid-70's). We can get out, but it takes forever. So what usually happens is Alex and I take turns. For example; last Saturday afternoon, I took Turner and Whitney to a friend's baseball game, and later that night Alex took Turner to a movie while I took care of the babies. So basically we're never all together unless we're at home. I don't mind it too much, because it gives me an opportunity to spend quality time with Turner. Finding the new normal has been hard, and going back to work is going to bring a whole new dynamic to our situation. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

I discovered my new favorite activity during month 3, selling baby clothes to second hand stores (Once Upon a Child, Kid to Kid, and SparkleKids)! Walt and Whitney have outgrown their newborn clothes, and many of their winter 0-3 month outfits so I took a bunch of clothing and miscellaneous items to a few kids second hand stores and was blown away! Not only did I make some great money, but I also discovered super cheap clothes that I adored and most for less than $4! Whitney doesn't have a lot of clothes, so I bought her a few zip-up terry cloth Carter's sleepers for $2 each, and then 4 new comfy 3-6 month summer outfits for less than $15 total. Old Navy and Gap are my baby clothing kryptonite (seriously, they have THE cutest dang clothes), but it's SOOO hard for me to spend money on baby clothes. It feels painful at times. I might buy a few outfits that I can't walk away from BabyGap or Old Navy, and then get all of her outfits for daycare from second-hand stores. I've been wanting to bite the bullet and buy a cute pair of baby moccasins for both of them, but I seriously can't justify spending more than $15-20 for a pair...and even that is pushing it. This is mostly because they can't walk. When they start walking I won't mind spending more on a quality pair of shoes but $25 is usually my limit. I also have this strong desire to find cute matching outfits (in different colors), so when I do I usually have to spend more money.


Sleep:
  • Alex still sleeps in our bedroom, and Whitney is in our closet in a rock n' play. Walt sleeps in the nursery in a rock n' play, and I sleep in our guest bedroom. We do this because we get more uninterrupted sleep that way. I only wake up when I hear Walt, and vice versa for Alex with Whitney.
  • Walt's head is very flat on his right side, so I've been trying to get him to nap on his belly in hopes that he won't have to get a helmet. When I transition them to their cribs, I will likely put both on their bellies once I'm completely done swaddling.  
  • Walt sleeps 3-4 hours straight on a good night, and Whitney has a great 5-6 hour stretch. Poor Walt...no one wants "Walt night duty" because it's a lot more work than easy going Whitney. Although, the first night after they went to daycare all day, Walt slept 6 hours and Whitney slept 10!
  • Naps are getting a bit better. They will have a good 1-2 hour nap during the morning and afternoon, but they usually aren't at the same time. Then they'll have a few short 30-45 min. naps throughout the day.
Health: 
  • Walt and Whitney have both had a cold for a few weeks, but Walt is much worse. We took him to the doctor a few days ago and sure enough he has an ear infection (the day after I go back to work...typical). He has a rattly chest and coughs like an old man every once in a while when he tries to cough up the phlegm. They both have tons of green snot, but thankfully I have the Nose Frieda to save the day.  
  • I got whatever they had, and it got so bad that one night my throat was so red and swollen that I could barely swallow. I didn't sleep a wink because every time I did swallow it was extremely painful. I went to a throat specialist the next day and he prescribed me a steroid and an antibiotic. This same sickness actually happened to me about a month prior, and I had to go to an urgent care facility and was prescribed antibiotics as well.  They ruled out strep both times. I will never take my throat for granted again! With all that being said, taking care of a baby while your sick sucks...taking care of TWO babies while your sick is HELL! I texted my mom at 5am when I was feeding Walt because I knew that I couldn't make it through another day without an extra hand. She is the best, and came right away (praise you Gigi)!
Eating:
  • Whitney is on a added rice starch formula for reflux/spit up, and Walt drinks a gentle formula for gas. They are drinking 4-5 oz. per feeding, which can be every 3-4 hours.
  • I just changed out our Dr. Brown nipples to size 2 for 3 month olds, and I'm hoping this makes feeding take less time. Walt takes FOREVER to eat.
Growth:
  • Clothing - 0-3 months
  • Diapers - Size 1 Huggies (Pampers are too tight)
Likes:
  • Baby Einstein play gym, they enjoy looking up at the dangling toys that play music
  • Walks in the ACK Wrap. If I have trouble getting Walt to sleep I put him in the wrap and he's OUT! It's also a way for me to help round out his head instead of having him on his back during the day. I felt like a supermom when I grocery shopped with Walt in my wrap.
Dislikes:
  • Walt seems to have an love/hate relationship with pacifiers. He will take them for a few seconds, and it will soothe him...then he spits it out. Not sure if his latch is just weird, because he's always had trouble with bottle feeding as well. 
Fun Facts:
  • Walt:
    • This child does not stop moving! He is constantly grunting, looking side to side, stretching backwards, wiggling and squirming. Whitney on the other hand is the exact opposite. She's calm, quiet, and stares deep in to your soul with her blue eyes ; )
    • Walt can roll to his back if he's laying on his stomach.
  • Whitney: 
    • Loves to smile, and likes when I stick my tongue out at her. I think I got a little giggle the other day.
    • I'm officially obsessed with dressing her up. My budget is going to take a hit once she starts walking.

9 comments:

Sarah said...

Have you looked at amazon for baby mocs? i found an adorable leather pair for $11! of course not sure how long they will last ;)...

Alexis said...

I sell so much stuff to swank baby! And you get more money if you get store credit so I always do that to get them new stuff. Theyalso have so many brand name stuff for resale there. I've gotten baby gap items and polo shirts for my dude. Plus all those smocked outfits Iget are from there! Oh and the one pair of freshly picked mocs rowan has I snagged there on resale for cheap! Love baby resale shops!!

kelsey williams said...

I got a super cheap pair of moccasins for Finch (never had any with Rooney) on Sassy Steals. They are wearing out super fast now that he's taking steps, so I get why people get the "real" ones. I will get better quality ones in the future, but I only have one kid to buy for... :/

Amazon has some (Sayoyo is one of the brands I've seen on there) in the $15-20 price range if you decide to take the leap. The white ones are only $10!

Unknown said...

I have NEVER thought to sell Harper's clothes back, but that is BRILLIANT!

We need to come see you guys soon!

Jesse Coulter said...

I'm thinking about getting them some minimocs for Christmas, they run about $40.

Jesse Coulter said...

Yes, it's the best! I miss you guys, and feel horrible I haven't seen Harper since she was BORN! Time flies...

Jesse Coulter said...

Definitely need to check out their shoes!

Amanda O. said...

Are you a member of the Austin Parents of Multiples group? I only ask because I am a member of my local twin club, and I have since fallen in love with RESALES! I never heard about them until I was pregnant with twins, and now buy just about ALL of my baby clothes and gear at different twin club resales/consignment sales. I find the prices at places like Once Upon a Child can be a bit high, and at resales I can get a much better deal on the same clothes. Just a thought.

I love your blog and look forward to reading up about your twins all the time. Mine are little too and I'm loving being a mom to multiples.

Jesse Coulter said...

I'm not, but I should definitely join! Thanks for the tip : )