Questions, Questions

So when you are the mother of multiples you get asked a lot of questions that you don't get asked when you have just one child at a time.  The questions vary from my mom to people in the store.  Now being a teacher, you always tell the kids that there is never a stupid question.  At the end, you can tell me if you think that is still true, because I'm not so sure.   Here are some of the many things I've been asked throughout and after having the boys:

Q.  Is it just crazy in your house?
Me- Um, I have 2 babies and a 2 year old.  So yes it is, but I have to say that I feel like it is a little less crazy than it was a  month ago.  I think that everyone is getting a little more adjusted to what goes on everyday. 

Q- Have you lost all of your pregnancy weight?
Me-  NO!!  You would know the answer to this without asking after walking into my bedroom and you can't see the bed from clothes being thrown everywhere after I strip them off of me in disgust.  But I do have to  say that the weight has come off faster than it did with Karter, mostly because at times it is hard to find any time to eat.  Don't worry, I'm finding more time now. :)

Q- Did you get really bored when you were on bedrest. 
Me- Oh, how I would love a day of bedrest now.  Just 1 day to lay on the couch and do nothing.  I did get bored after 12 weeks of bedrest and it wasn't fun at all.  I was so big and uncomforatable.  I think that was the hardest part.  A lot of people say, "I don't know how you did.  There is no way that I could do it."  Well, I am not the best person at sitting still especially after my ADD kicks in, but when your children's lives are in your hands, you can do anything.  There were times that I would think that I could get up and do some laundry, but then I would have contractions or feel something funny.  Then I would feel guilty, because I just knew that I wanted my boys to have the best quality of life possible, and the one person that could help do that was me.  It ended up working out pretty good and 3 months of boredom gave me 2 healthy little boys.

Q- How does Karter do with Max and Kane?
Me- Awesome.  Most people probably wouldn't be able to say that about a 2 year old that has 2 new babies come into their home, but Karter really has been awesome.  I mean she is a 2 year old, so with that comes tantrums and a busy body.  We are really lucky to have such an amazing little girl....even though she wears me out....A LOT.

Q- Are you ready to go back to work. 
Me- I have mixed feelings about this.  In a way, it will be nice to get back to a routine and just to work in general.  I haven't worked since January 19, so hopefully I remember what I am doing.  I remember with Karter I felt good about getting back, because I love being a teacher.  When I go back to work, I will also get a little time for myself, which I think is so important for everyone, not just a mom.  I will also miss my babies like crazy, but am so lucky that I have been able to be home with them as long as I have.  Not many women get to stay at home with their babies until they are 4 1/2 months old.

Q- What are the boys going to do when you go back to work.
A- Well, plans have actually just changed on this one.  They were going to go to the same sitter as Karter, a woman that does in home in Pleasant Hill, but John and I got an offer last week that we couldn't pass up.  Karter's sitter would have been great and Karter will continue to go there, but we are so excited that our friend has offered to watch the boys, and ....... she is coming to the house.  Do you realize that this means that I don't have to get 2 babies and a 2 year old out the door in the morning and make it to work in time, that I don't have to haul 2 carseats in the freezing winter temperatures, and that our boys won't be exposed to other sicknesses in their 1st year.  I am all about building up their little immune systems, but I'm sure they will get enough from their sister.  And with them coming into this world early, it probably won't be a bad thing at all.  So anyway, I think that this is going to relieve a lot of stress for me going back to work. 

Q-  Do you ever take all 3 kids to the store by yourself.
Me- Absolutely NOT.  I have taken them all with the help of my 8 year old niece and once with my 11 year old nephew, and it still wasn't easy.  The best way to go to the store is alone.  Plus it gives me a little bit of Kari time.

Q- Are the boys good.
Me- If you would have asked me 2 weeks ago, I would have said "No, I have 2 very fussy babies."  But fortunately, I can now say that my boys are pretty good.  We were having a lot of trouble with formula, gas, and acid reflux.  All of these things just made them very uncomfortable and not happy babies, which made mommy and daddy stressed.  The day after the 4th, I called the pediatrician again, and just told her something else had to be done, because they were just miserable.  She said I could try to up their dosage of Zantac or try adding rice cereal to their bottles to thicken the formula to try to keep more of it down to help the amount that comes back up.  I didn't feel that the Zantac was the answer because it helped a little to begin with, but the boys were still fussy.  The cereal in the bottle definately was not my 1st choice, but I decided to try it.  After about a day, we had totally different babies.  The still spit up a lot, but they are content, happy, and are even starting to gigle.  In turn, mommy and daddy feel a lot better.  There is nothing worse than sick babies that you can't help. 

Q- Do you have help?
Me- No, not really.  I mean John when he gets home from work, and my mom or John's mom, or one of my sister-in-laws or a friends sometimes will come over during the day for a couple of hours so I can run some errands.  I guess there would be times that it would have been nice to have the help, especially when the boys were younger, but I managed to get through it and we are still all alive.  I'm pretty excited about today though.  John is taking off early so I can head to Ft. Dodge to watch the Dowling girls in their 1st game at State.  I am pretty excited about just having a car ride....by myself.  I might make some phone calls or maybe actually listen to some music and not Dora on the DVD player. 

and lastly one of the best questions (I think I got asked this question about 15 times when I took the boys to The Cracker Barrell to meet my mom and grandma for lunch one day.)

Q- Are they twins?
Me- Yep.   Really?  I have nothing more to say to that.  My mom says that people are just trying spark converstaion.  It seems like I am with my mom a lot when I get asked this question, and I would like to say, "No, one is hers." 

So that is where I'm not sure if there ever a stupid question, but the boys do bring a lot of attention.  For some reason people find mulitiples very fascinating.  I guess I do too.  At times I can't believe that I was able to grow both of these amazing little people inside of me.  When the boys were fussy, it was very frustrating.  There were times I wondered why John and I had to have babies that didn't feel good, but then my dad, being a dad, made me bring things back to perspective again.  We could have so many other things that we could have to deal with. 

Here are some recent pictures from our summer activities, which lately have just been hanging out in the cool house.

Kaner is full of smiles when he wakes up.

Karter got to watch fireworks 4 nights in a row during the 4th.  This was outside the Embassy Suites downtown during our friend's wedding reception.  She loved them!

Big boys in the Bumbos.
Max & Kane

4th of July outfits thanks to my friend and Max's nurse at Blank
Kane & Max



My loves.
Max, Karter, & Kane



Maxer showing off his smiles.

Karter and Max watching the U.S. Women in the World Cup.
Kane decided to nap for it.

More smiles from Kane.