Yesterday we went over to meet the new next-door neighbor (another ophthalmology resident). Our kids were mostly running around the hallway, so he stood at the door and chatted with us while we stood in the hallway. The babies made their way in and out of his apartment, but since his moving truck hadn't arrived yet, the living room was still empty and it didn't seem like much of a problem. But after one of these jaunts into the house, we realized that it had been awfully quiet and as I mentioned that, he headed back in to check on them. Immediately I thought oh no as I rush back and see him coming out with one dripping wet toilet baby while trying to grab the other one. I grab the second and he puts the first down, who promptly goes back into the bathroom and we're both trying to set down one/chase the other/try to keep them from slipping on the wet floor until I call Ryan back to come help us. The bathroom floor is filthy from their dirty little bare feet tracking the toilet water all over...we've made a mess...got him all wet with toilet water...and only later did I realize I managed to leave my keys in his bathroom in the process. Which was sort of even more embarrassing having to retrieve later. And all this was after he first met us and was like, "Wow, I don't know how you guys manage all these kids, especially during residency!" Yeah, we're totally on top of things, can't you tell? And our kids can manage to make a mess and cause total chaos in a completely empty apartment.
I have to say, if you're a kid in our house, you do your fair share of crying. But I'm a little tired of it. Our babies cry up to an hour every night they go to bed. Anyone got any solutions? Ryan made me kill the bottle of milk at bedtime about 5 months ago, and since then, it's been non-stop crying. I guess we thought it would just take a while for them to get used to it. Now I think it's just that we've gotten used to it. And we don't do pacifiers with them because they weren't all that interested around 9 months, and we were just going to try to break Cash of it - which had taken forever since he loved it, so we're not all that interested in starting that habit again, especially since every time Cash sees one he wants his again. I guess those were probably the only solutions. We do a bedtime routine and everything. It's probably just the way it is.
Then the other morning someone woke up at 5:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep. We checked and he wasn't poopy, we gave him a bottle, put him in the pack 'n play in our closet, and then we just let him cry while we drifted in and out of sleep amidst the crying. I guess at some point it morphed into the other baby waking up and crying in the other bedroom, but see that's the unfortunate thing if you have parents who love sleep as much as us and just try to sleep through the crying. So at one point I realized he was crying and felt bad because I really have no idea how long it had been him crying, not the first baby (who had gone back to sleep). So I changed him, gave him a bottle and put him back down. But he wouldn't go back to sleep. I still tried to go back to bed though. Apparently at some point then Cash woke up and started crying, but see, once again, in and out of sleep - I guess all cries just blend. So then I finally realized it was Cash crying and felt bad not knowing how long he'd been crying for and not the second baby. Brother. I'm such a lame mom! I finally realized that someone was crying from 5:30am until 9am in our house. I wonder what the neighbors think? I'm sure that guy is even more excited he moved in next door now.
Plus he shares the wall of Cash's room, where I frequently throw a baby or two in with him to watch a movie while I take a shower. Inevitably it ends up with the twin screaming his face off. Today I walked in to find Cash sitting right next to him chucking cheese crackers at his face as hard as he could from about 6 inches away. After that scolding, the next time there was screaming, I found Cash shoving the crackers into his face. Not his mouth, just seeing how far he could depress the skin on his face by shoving a cheezit into it. Other times have found Cash laying down karate kicking the baby in the back, or laying on top of them squishing them while they scream. Hmm. As I'm writing this, I'm realizing maybe I should give up the stick them in the crib habit! I swear I take 1 minute showers though! I never even wash my hair!
Anyway, maybe it would be a good time to mention to the guy next door that the people that used to live there would watch my kids for a few minutes here and there if I had to run somewhere and take the monitors after the kids were in bed on occasion? I'm sure he'd be thrilled.
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10 comments:
At least your new neighbor will have a month this summer of peace and quiet! Hope he appreciates it.
Couldn't you switch your shower to bedtime, when Ryan is home?
xoxocyh
you had me crying and laughing the whole post.....
sick, you don't wash your hair??? lol, I'm lucky to GET a shower every day and that's if I wait until naptime. I wanted so badly to have an answer for the crying thing, but we go through the same thing occasionally and I just do the pacifier thing (mine are only 8 mos though and it will be gone by 12 mos). Are they tired when you put them down? Maybe adjusting their afternoon nap might help them be more tired? Just a thought, good luck!
Well, I understand why you want to not have milk/bottles going to bed. Katie has been off, and on, and off not bottles but those soft-top cups for awhile. And we just put like a half-cup or less of milk in them, and it makes such a difference in her bedtime. Maybe if you and Ryan aren't opposed to those, you could lean on that crutch for awhile. :) Good luck! And don't worry about the neighbor. That's how it goes living in an apartment. And hopefully you'll be friends with him, so he'll put up with the noise more.
Will they drink water in sippies instead? That has made the biggest difference in the bed time and waking time of several of my kids. A sippy of water (the really spillproof kind) and then they can take a drink at will. Usually I'll refill when I go to bed at night and then they can take a drink in the early morning too. I would stay away from cups/bottles of milk in their cribs though because it will rot their little teeth (and really smell bad once they inevitable figure out how to unscrew the lids)
Also, maybe take them on a walk and get them really worn out right before bed time so they crash. It's never easy. You're doing great in a crazy situation. Good luck!
I bet your neighbor starts a blog...living next door to the Isoms. It might be just as entertaining as yours. :) I wish I had a solution for the crying...I'd be tempted to do the binky and oh well if Cash gets it. He won't keep it forever. Or what about a bottle with water rather than milk?
Oh, I feel like this all too often myself...why do my kids go into destruct-o mode when they are in some place new??? And the crying at night...we deal with that too. I have just come to the conclusion that some babies just don't sleep well. period. So try to get some zzzz's in the midst of the crying. I figure they can't keep that up forever.
Oh what a wonderful first time experience with the neighbor! CRAZY! I am getting so excited for this summer and wonder what little things we'll "miss" and be surprised as the twins pull them off on us!!!!
Julie
Seriously I think motherhood is pure insanity!!! Your house seems even more crazy than mine and I have 5! Good Luck...Are you coming home this summer?
The binkies weren't hard for me to get them to give up when they were two and a half and three. And they don't cause bottle rot. I would give back the binkies. Luck Jen. I wish you luck.
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