We’ve had such a lovely summer so far and I would love to show you a few pics.  Nathan and Lucy love going outside.  So we’ve been doing a lot of that and visiting friends.  Take a look at all the fun we’ve had.

finger painting…

talking walks

giggling under trees while daddy shakes the leaves at us

kissin’ on the porch

helping mommy water flowers

trying to pick flowers

looking all pretty

playing with friends

mowing the lawn

sliding

skinny dipping

And trying to preserve our modesty.

Pregnancy Update:

I’ve been feeling pretty good still and not sick anymore.  That has made summer so much easier!  I’m about 28 weeks now.  I can’t believe how much faster this pregnancy has gone by.  I guess it’s because I stay so busy each day.  I laid around a lot when I was pregnant with the twins because I felt so bad all the time.  I am so blessed to feel so good now because I have to take care of 2 little people all day and make sure they get fed.  It’s tiring but doable.  I don’t have a belly pic right now.  I need to get some of those.

This is a phone pic so not the best quality, but don’t you wish you were sitting there with me sipping a homemade latte?

I’ve decided that I have great intentions of blogging but when it comes down to it, I choose to do other things with my time.  That’s just what I prefer.  However the blog is not completely dead.  I’m just not an everyday blogger.

It’s been a long haul, but the worst is over now.  Still having bad days but overall, I feel sooo much better.  The twins are probably glad to have the chipper me back.  We’ve been playing outside a lot and going up to Noni and Grandpa’s.  My mom’s garden is bursting with color and fragrances and it’s just too hard to stay away from.  This week I took the kids up there and spent the whole day relaxing in the courtyard and sipping on coffee.  The kids played with stones and water while I sat on the porch swing soaking in the breeze.  They have been doing so great playing together!  It’s so nice to know that when I really need to I can sit down now and tell the kids to go play and they do.  We don’t have a lot of toys to play with in the back yard but I just got a little kiddie pool and they love it!

Also, my appetite is back and I have been eating and desiring good nutritious food.  I want a huge salad every night.  I use my homemade vinaigrette as my dressing, add tomatoes and goat cheese, and I feel like I’m eating like a queen.  It’s nice to not want the bad stuff anymore.  I think I’m still consuming too much sugar compared to my unpregnant self, but not like I was a few months ago.

My dear friend Dana also suggested I do a post on my homemade pancakes.  I need to wait til the next time I make them so I can get exact measurements because right now I just know approximate measurements.  I’ll just let you know that they turn out moist and crispy on the edges!  And you can make them as brown and grainy or as white as you want.  Go ahead and get some organic extra virgin coconut oil to have on hand because I believe that’s the secret to the unique taste of the pancakes.

As soon as I’ve sorted through my most recent pics, I’ll post some updated pics of the kids and me!  For some reason, Josh hardly ever makes it into the photos, but I’ll track some down.

Happy weekend!

Be sure to check out the first 3 posts in this series:

• 0-3 months
• 3-6 months
• 6-9 months

Every stage was fun, but this one was special. Maybe it’s because they were both crawling and goofing off more.  They were pulling up on things and having tons of fun in the walker.  Neither one of them walked until after they turned one.  Nathan was 13 months old and Lucy was 14 months old.

The babies were playing a little more independently but not as much as I would have expected.  Seems one of them still wanted to be held all the time or something always came up.  I was getting up and down all the time and was looking forward to the time when they would just play together and let mommy rest.  =)  They do now and it’s lovely.

Things that we did/used the most during this stage….

• We had play dates!! My friend Mandy and her sister Lacy and I got together with their little ones and mine.  Sometimes we had another mom or two to make it even more fun.  This was great to look forward to every week.  We switched houses every week and the host usually made a small snack for the mommies to enjoy.  The kids loved seeing new toys and each other.  I think it’s good to get them socializing at this age too.
• Since the babies weren’t walking yet, we still used the walker.  The Johnny jump up had pretty much retired by this point.
• Walks walks walks! Still used my Schwinn double stroller all the time.
• Went to Noni and Grandpas a lot to take pictures and to see the animals. The twins would say “da” for dog.  This is where the walkers were so they had tons of room to run around.
• We still went for an occasional swim at my brother’s house because the weather was nice.
• Tupperware fun! The kids aren’t allowed to get into any cabinet but the tupperware cabinet and they just love it!  They can pull it all out and make a mess.  I think it was around one year old that I started teaching them to put things away that they took out.  I usually clean up the tupperware because I need to stack it to make it fit, but if they knocked something over, they learned to “put it back”.  Now at 16 months old, they clean up their toys every night before bed.  =)  We all have fun cleaning together.  Mommy, Daddy, and Nathan and Lucy all join in.

Their diet wasn’t as pureed anymore either.  They were eating cereal and sandwiches cut into small pieces, stew, spaghetti, and other chunky things.  They started to get picky about what they were eating, so I cut out the afternoon snack and that pretty much took care of it.  They were hungry enough for dinner to eat it.  They do well now eating anything from ratatouille to Lima beans.  But I try to make things yummy.  I don’t want to make them dread meals.  I spice things up to have lots of flavor.  And they still get to enjoy fruit and yogurt daily.  They LOVE fruit!  Pretty much any fruit I’ve tried.  And I don’t buy sweetened yogurt.  I buy plain and add a little applesauce to sweeten it, or they just eat it plain because they like it that way.

We had a simple but fun birthday party at my Mom and Dad’s (aka Noni and Grandpa’s).  The kids enjoyed opening a few gifts and playing with the wrapping paper.  And they got a kick out of the jack-in-the-box that was really a horse-in-the-box to the tune of “Home on the Range”.  Nathan jumped a mile every time the horse popped out!

I put a lot of pics in this post!  I couldn’t narrow it down.  Hope you enjoy.

One of their first fights.  I had to get a picture before intervening.

Lucy just got done with a bath.

Not really into taking pictures that day

Wrestling match

Nathan trying to kiss Lucy while she made a fish face

One of our play dates with little Jonathan and Anna

Nothing like bath time

A favorite past time:  looking out the back window

Mommy and Lucy

Mommy and Nathan

One year old!

And they couldn’t wait for the cake!  My sister made this fluffy white cake from scratch using honey instead of sugar.

Nathan’s first kiss.  And the lucky girl was Anna! 

She’s modest though.  Look how embarrassed she got.  =)

Josh had just come home from drill and Nathan was in his camo too!

Adorable

I’m still struggling with my all day morning sickness and it’s still hard to do anything productive.  I’m thankful the twins have started playing better together for longer periods of time.  I have been reading other peoples’ experiences with morning sickness and have heard from some close friends and family what helps them with morning sickness.  Here is a list of things that could possibly help with morning sickness.  The thing is, sometimes nothing helps and you just have to wait it out.  But you may run across something that your body responds well to.  I hope something on this list turns out to be a help.  When I was pregnant with the twins nothing helped.  And I tried everything that was suggested to me, including pretty much everything on this list.  I hardly kept anything down for the first 19 weeks.  I was throwing up at least once a day but more often it was 2-3 times every single day.  I’m just happy the twin pregnancy is over.  This one isn’t quite as bad.  But still, it’s never fun.

• Peppermint:  Altoids, peppermint tea, and peppermint gum
• Take your vitamins and get B6 vitamins
• Ginger:  Ginger pills, ginger tea, ginerale
• Nibble on Crackers
• Drink enough water.  Add lemon or lime to the water to help with nausea, or drink lemonade
• Sniff or lick a wedge of lemon or lime
• Suck on lemon drops
• Sea bands that you put on your wrists for sea sickness
• Don’t let yourself get hungry….eat several tiny meals throughout the day
• Get enough sleep
• Eat beans
• Get enough protein
• Brewer’s Yeast
• Eat plain crackers or dry cereal before you get out of bed in the morning
• Open windows or turn on exhaust fan when cooking to minimize the “gross” smell of food
• Don’t drink too many fluids with your meals
• Take your prenatal vitamin later in the day or before bed if you can’t hold it down in the morning

One of the best things for me has been to eat TV dinners because I don’t have to see it being prepared nor do I have to smell it cooking (or I barely smell it).  I know they are not the healthiest thing to eat as far as keeping things natural and/or organic, but sometimes you just gotta make exceptions.  I’ll probably end up doing a post on why you shouldn’t eat TV dinners later.    When I’m pregnant I’m not as picky about ingredients as when I’m not pregnant.  You would think that I would be even pickier because I’m pregnant, but ladies, let’s face it:  it is so hard to eat something that sounds unappealing when you feel sick!  Sometimes you just have to eat what you can stomach, right?  This time of sickness doesn’t last forever.  On days that I do feel good, that’s when I’ll eat the healthiest food.

Another good tip is to prepare as many meals as you can and freeze them before the sickness sets in.  I wish I had done that.  I knew I was pregnant for 2 weeks before I started getting sick.  I should have made better use of that time.

One of my biggest worries is not how I eat but how the twins eat while I feel sick.  Normally they eat lots of veggies and a variety of food, but lately I’ve been giving them less of a variety and not as many veggies.  I’ve found that they like steamed Lima beans with a little butter, so that’s an easy thing to prepare.  Lots of spaghetti, chicken from the freezer, and peanut butter and jelly.  Those things aren’t bad but I don’t want them to only eat that or they will lose their taste for healthier foods.

I would love feedback from you.  Please share your advice too!

Today you can find my post at another blog!  Tamara has a great blog that you need to read.  She has a “I Had a Mommy Moment” feature for guest bloggers to write about their experiences with motherhood.  Go check it out!

Follow the link to see my guest post at The Unexperienced Mom.

Dear Readers,

I’ve been feeling sick all day long for over a week now from the pregnancy and have had zero motivation to get on the computer.  I hope you will check back later this week though because I hope to continue with some quality posts soon.  Right now I just want to curl up on the couch and wish the time away.  And I wish I had a nanny.  And a cook and also a house cleaner.  Until then, I’ll just stay curled up on the couch and cook the simplest meals possible.  Ugh, don’t even talk to me about food right now.  Anyway, please don’t give up on me.  I’ll be back!

Love,

Megan

photo credit: yomi955

Here I am.  Here I am at my favorite coffee shop sipping on a thick vanilla chai frappe with whipped cream.  Yes, even I like to indulge.  And you know what else?  I love ice cream!!  And Coke from the fountain! And tirimisu!  In fact, I just love sweets.  =)

I don’t want to give the impression that I only eat healthy food all the time, because I don’t.  I’m not strong all the time.  I strive to make sure my diet consists mostly of healthy, wholesome food, but I’m not a fanatic about it.  I enjoy going out to eat with my husband from time to time and eating an occasional dessert, or enjoying a sweet coffee drink.  I just don’t do it all the time.  And when we do go out to eat, I try to choose healthy items on the menu and avoid things that are really bad.  Sometimes it’s choosing the lesser of two evils.

I think one of the keys to healthy eating is being mindful of ingredients and staying away from processed and sugary foods as much as possible.  But allowing occasional indulgences seems reasonable to me.  Most of the time I don’t even crave “unhealthy” foods.  I find that the better I eat, the better I want to eat.  Just like the more I exercise, the more I want to exercise.  It’s amazing how that works.

Right now, I’m almost 6 weeks pregnant and I’m starting to feel the ickyness that comes along with it.  I’m afraid of gaining too much weight and eating too much unhealthy food because when you are pregnant and feel sick, you have to eat what sounds good.  Because not much does.  Fortunately I haven’t had many cravings yet, but pizza always sounds good and so do pancakes.  So I’ve been making whole wheat pancakes from scratch and we ordered Papa John’s pizza last night.  I need to keep the ingredients on hand so I can make my own.  I think I’m going to make a bunch and freeze it for moments like last night.

I know I shouldn’t worry too much about the weight I gain, but it’s hard not to.  I have to eat extra throughout the entire day or I get so sick I could throw up.  So the only way to cure that is to eat.  I’ve been working out, but my critical eyes have tended to see the negative.  I need to keep some almonds on hand for a quick protein snack.

So you see?  I love to blog about health and natural living stuff, but please don’t think that I’m strong all the time or that I never want goodies, or that I have it all together.  I don’t.  I do want to take care of my body though.  And I want quality of life.  And it’s just the truth that I feel so much better when I’ve put good things into my body.  I love having energy!  Knowing how good I can feel makes it a lot easier to lead a healthy lifestyle.

I like that each new day is a new chance to do things better.  Sometimes health information and natural living options can be so overwhelming and you don’t always know where to start.  But I think that some changes are better than no changes. A few healthy choices can still make a difference.

Anyway, wish me luck with eating right during this pregnancy!

photo credit: dano

Be sure to check out the previous posts on Vitamins Explained:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D

Rainbow Light’s Just Once, Women’s One Multivitamin can be found at iherb.com.  This is the multivitamin that I take and I am  doing a brief overview of the importance of each vitamin on the label.  I’m learning as I go and love to share it!  If you decide to purchase anything from iherb, put in the coupon code, TOL704,  and get $5 off your first order.

About Vitamin E….

• It is a fat soluble vitamin, which means the vitamin is stored in the liver and fatty tissues of the body.
• It’s commonly found in vegetable oils.
• It is an powerful antioxidant (protects cells from free radical damage), which helps to fight against cancer, other diseases, and the effects of aging.
• It is great for the skin as a moisturizer and nurturer to scared or burned skin.
• Boosts immune function
• Believed to reduce cholesterol and plaque buildup reducing risk of stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD)
• Has anti infammatory properties and is used to help reduce arthritic pain and improves joint mobility

Some food sources of vitamin E include:

• wheat germ
• vegetable oils
• avacado
• egg yolk
• nuts
• peanut butter
• liver
• whole grain products
• leafy vegetables

Too much of any fat soluble vitamin can lead to toxicity in the body so be careful.  Fat soluble vitamins are stored in the fat in your body, and the build-up over time is what can lead to toxicity.  Find out how much you need apart from your food sources.  Eating a balanced diet containing these fat soluble vitamins is the best way to go and won’t cause a problem.  It’s always wise to check with your doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements.  And that especially holds true if you are pregnant or nursing.  Just Once, Women’s One Multivitamin contains 100IU.

Possible overdose symptoms include:

• nausea
• fatigue
• diarrhea
• headaches
• gas
• abdominal pain
• increased risk of bleeding

Wow, this is a very list oriented post!  At least that makes it easy to read.  These are just basic findings to give you an idea of why we take certain vitamins.  Information like this is easier for me to remember when it’s simplified.

Next up, vitamin K!

Check out the first two posts in this series:

• Raising Twins the First Year: 0-3 Months
• Raising Twins the First Year: 3-6 Months

It was during this three month period that Nathan and Lucy started to sit up on their own, crawl, and get teeth.  Lucy got the teeth.  Nathan was closer to 9 1/2 months when he got teeth.

At 6 1/2 months old, they finally started sleeping through the night, but only because I enforced it.  Up until that point they were still eating two times during the night, which is ridiculous.  10pm and about 2am  were the two times I was nursing.  And then again at around 5am.

Eliminating the nighttime feedings was hard.  We lived in campus housing and I was afraid of upsetting my neighbors over screaming babies, but I finally got over that and let them cry it out.  My only regret is not doing it sooner.  It took about 3 nights of one crying session each night and then it was over.  They slept through the night, and I felt like a new person.  I woke up refreshed and so did they.  We’ve never gone back.  And it turns out that my neighbor said even if they could hear the babies, it was a very distant sound and didn’t bother them.  However, I was under the impression that my crying babies were very easy to hear through the walls and ceiling, or else I would have done this earlier.

By six months old, I had already started giving my babies some solids.  I know, I know, it’s  advised to wait until 6 months, but I was desperate for sleep and thought that the twins would sleep better at night if they were getting more substantial food during the day.  I had so much trouble breastfeeding in the first few months, that I didn’t think I was going to nurse for long anyway.  Plus, I wanted to have them completely weened by 7 1/2 half months, so I was slowly working up to a stable solid food schedule.  I had a plan of which feeding I would drop and when.  And I knew which feedings I was going to replace by meals of real food.  It all worked out great!  Weening was not that difficult and the babies loved food.

A word about baby food:

When the babies first started eating solid food, we started with rice cereal mixed with breast milk or goat milk.  Next, we started mixing in plain yogurt because yogurt is easy to digest.  Along with the yogurt, we added in mashed ripe bananas because bananas are also easy to digest.  Then we started adding foods one by one with a few days in between each new food to make sure the babies didn’t have any allergic reactions.

Baby food is ridiculously expensive.  So I started steaming or cooking my own vegetables and pureeing them.  I put the puree in ice cube trays and only took out what I needed for each meal.  I was always careful to give the babies a good variety of vegetables and some type of beans for protein and extra fiber.  Usually I added a cube of banana puree to make the meal just slightly sweet because they ate it better that way.

Their breakfast consisted of baby oatmeal made with water and goat milk with bananas added to it.  They still eat that, but now I use old fashioned oats.

We continued to walk a lot during these warm months.  The babies also had their first swim!  They went under water, holding their breath like pros.

It was still difficult to get out a lot when I was by myself.  I guess that’s always difficult until they are walking very well and don’t need to be held every moment.  Nathan and Lucy still needed me to be by their side pretty much all the time.  Sitting up on their own took a while to get the hang of and it was impossible to get back up without mama’s help if they fell over.

With every month that went by, they occupied themselves for longer periods of time.  I loved that!  We had them watching “Your Baby Can Read” since they were 3 months old, but by now, we could tell that Nathan had a serious crush on Alika, one of the sweet girls in the video.  Every time she introduced the film with, “Hi, my name is Alika…” Nathan would get a huge grin on his face and kick his legs all about.

We were still using the Johnny Jump Up, the Baby Walker , and our Schwinn Double Jogging Stroller pretty much all the time.  I took the stroller everywhere.  It’s easy to fold down and load up.  I was still able to meet friends at coffee shops this way.  =)  I’m a sucker for coffee shops.

It was near the end of their 8th month that I finally retired the Twin-Nursing-Pillow.  I have it in a closet for the next baby!  It was a wonderful while it lasted.  Not only was it great to nurse twins, but it was a great support for one baby sitting on the floor, as in the photo below.

Nathan 7 months

Lucy 7 months

Also 7 months

7 months old and still having trouble sitting up on their own.

But not at 8 months!

Bath time is their favorite!

Using our Schwinn all the time.

When Josh had to leave we sent him this to let him know how much we love him.

The babies enjoying my Eagle’s Nest Chair.

Proud owner of two teeth.

Chewing on a teething biscuit.  These are great!  At first it would take the babies nearly 45 minutes to finish one of these.

And all I had to deal with was two messy faces to clean up.

That’s just a brief overview of the 6-9 month age. The main thing that changed was how much real food they were eating.  I’m sure I’m leaving something out.  But tell me about your experiences with this cute age!

photo credit: GKS

We are now on the third vitamin listed on the label of the multivitamin that I take.  It’s called Just Once, Women’s Multivitamin by Rainbow Light.  There are tons of vitamins and other supplements to choose from at iherb.com which is where I get most of the supplements we take.  If you order from iherb, put in this coupon code to get $5 off your first order: TOL704

Check out the previous post on vitamin C.

Vitamin D is a pretty amazing vitamin!  It is thought that getting enough vitamin D can help to fight against almost every disease that you can think of.  It is a huge component to a healthy immune system.  Not only does it boost your immune system, it helps regulate it making sure that it doesn’t overreact, which can be dangerous.

There is so much to be said about vitamin D, and I’m not going to say it all here.  This will just be an overview of things that stick out to me.  You can google the “health benefits of vitamin D” or read this great article from Dr. Ben Kim.

Vitamin D comes in a few different forms:   vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol).

• D2 is synthesized from plants

• D3 is synthesized by humans in our skin when exposed to ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays from the sun (the very best way to get vitamin D!).  It is thought that it takes as little as 10 minutes per day in the sun to get enough vitamin D to not be deficient.  Here is an interesting fact that I just read from Dr. Ben Kim:  If you live above 35 degrees latitude north or below 35 degrees latitude south of the equator, the sun’s UVB rays can’t reach you during the winter months because of the angle of the sun’s rays.  Also, you can’t get the vitamin D you need through glass or with sunscreen on, so go outside into the fresh air and soak up some sun!

For the sake of simplicity, suffice it to say that vitamin D3 (as opposed to D2) is what should be taken when buying supplements.  Vitamin D3 is the more natural form because it is closest to the vitamin D that the sun provides.  Vitamin D2 is not as easily absorbed by the body, but vitamin D3 is.  In the case that you go to buy vitamin D supplements, if it is not specified “D2″ or “D3″, look on the label and you should find either of these two words to indicate which is which.

• vitamin D2 = ergocalciferol
• vitamin D3 = cholecalciferol

Top food sources of Vitamin D3 include:

• oily fish such as wild salmon
• cod liver oil (I take gel tablets)
• mackerel
• canned tuna
• egg yolks
• fortified milk

Vitamin D…

• helps to prevent inflammation in the body including autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple schlerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
• regulates blood pressure
• is needed to better absorb calcium in the gut
• regulates calcium and phosphate levels
• helps to maintain strong bones and teeth
• helps to protect against all types of cancer
• is so good for the immune system!
• helps to prevent against diabetes type I and II
• fights colds, flues, tuberculosis

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children.

Too  much vitamin D can lead to too much calcium absorption which can then be deposited into soft tissues and organs reducing their ability to function.

My multivitamin contains 800 IU.  There are a lot of different medical opinions out there about how much vitamin D to take, so ask your doctor.  I take my multivitamin, plus another 1000 IU a few times a week based on recommendations that I’ve read by real doctors that I respect.

Next up is vitamin E!

photo credit: maesejose

…At least not when it comes to green potatoes. =)

This is one of those things I haven’t known for very long.  Maybe not even two years.  But you should also know that green potatoes are toxic and can make you sick.

Have you ever started peeling a potato and found that it was slightly green instead of white under the skin?  Or have you ever dipped your hand into a bag of potato chips and pulled out a green tinted one?  That green color indicates the presence of a glycoalkaloid poison called solanine.  Glycoalkaloid poisons are found in species of the nightshade family, the family to which potatoes belong.  The green you see is actually chlorophyll but its presence tells you that solanine is also present.  The potatoes become green from exposure to light, producing stronger concentrations of the solanine.  The solanine is found in the skin, sprouts and tubers of the potato.  The chlorophyll itself is not bad for humans, but the potato will produce the solanine at the same time.

This might sound confusing, but I’m trying to give you the correct terms while also trying to simplify it.  I don’t know about you, but big scientific words that are names for chemicals and such all run together for me and I forget what they are.

Solanine can cause gastrointestinal disturbances and neurological disorders.  If it’s ingested in large amounts it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and paralysis to the central nervous system.  Don’t freak out and throw away all your green potatoes because it’s not that uncommon to find green on a few potatoes in every bag.  Unless, of course, your potatoes have hardly been exposed to light since they were picked out of the ground.  It suffices to peel off all the green. Plus, it takes quite a bit to become sick.  Most sources say you would have to eat about 4 1/2 lbs of green potatoes to get sick.

The best thing you can do is keep your potatoes out of the light.  As soon as you bring them home from the grocery store, find a cool, dark place to store them, and don’t forget to peel away all the green before you cook and eat them.

Once you’ve made sure your potatoes are safe for eating make my delicious roasted potatoes and add some extra onion and bell peppers in there.  =)

photo credit: sonictk

We are going through the label on the daily multivitamin that I take (Just Once, Women’s One Multivitamin by Rainbow Light) and today we are discussing vitamin C.  If you are interested in this vitamin or any other brands, check out www.iherb.com.  Be sure to put in the promotion code TOL704. You’ll get $5 off your first order.

Previously we discussed Vitamin A, so check out that post!

Vitamin C, aka, acsorbic acid is a water soluble vitamin which means that it does not need fat to be absorbed by your body.  However, that also means that it is not stored in your body like fat soluble vitamins.  A water soluble vitamin will pass through your body in the form of urine if it was not all absorbed.

Vitamin C is a complex vitamin that covers a lot of ground.  Here is just a small tidbit of information on the amazing health benefits of vitamin C.

It is:

• required for the growth and repair of all tissues in your body
• necessary to produce collagen which is a protein that makes skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels
• an “anti-aging” agent
• an antioxidant
• necessary for speedy healing of wounds
• needed to help the body detox
• when paired with vitamin E, can lower risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease
• great for our immune system and is involved in white blood cell production
• a defense against colds and flu

It has been know to help with many forms of cardiovascular disease, cancer, eye disease, liver disease, thyroid and lung disease.

Vitamin C is highly sensitive to air, temperature and water.  You lose part of the vitamin C content through freezing and unfreezing fruits or vegetables, canning and reheating, and during cooking processes.  When cooking vegetables that contain vitamin C, it is very possible to destroy most of the vitamin.  Because most of the vitamin C is found in the watery part of the vegetable, it is easily lost in the cooking water.  Your best option is to lightly steam your vegetables to preserve as much of the nutrients as possible.  Better yet, just eat them raw.

Vitamin C is usually absorbed withing 2 hours of consumption, and leaves the blood in about 3-4 hours.  It is commonly suggested to take vitamin C in 4-hour intervals for this reason so that, essentially, you don’t pee it all out.

I take buffered vitamin C apart from my multivitamin.  Buffered means that the vitamin C is accompanied by minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium that help us to absorb the vitamin C and minerals better.  They work together to make each other more effective.  Also, buffered vitamin C may be preferred by those with sensitive stomachs.

Top Vegetable Sources of Vitamin C:

• Red and green bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Asparagus
• Tomatoes
• Mustard and collard greens
• Kale
• parsley (herb)

Top Fruit Sources of Vitamin C:

• Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes
• Rose hips
• Acerola cherries
• Strawberries (get organic because they are typically heavily sprayed with pesticides)
• Papaya
• Kiwi
• Cantaloupe
• Blueberries

Signs of vitamin C deficiency include:

• dry, splitting hair
• gingivitis (inflammation of gums)
• bleeding gums
• dry, scaly skin
• decreased ability to fight infection
• easy bruising
• nose bleeds
• anemia
• swollen and painful joints
• scurvy, a disease caused by severe deficiency of vitamin C (very rare in countries where fresh fruit and vegetables are readily available)

My multivitamin contains 120mg of vitamin C.

Next up vitamin D!

I would like to do a series on the different vitamins that we commonly take or should take to stay healthy.  I want to take a look at natural food sources for vitamins and talk about their health benefits.  I am going to hit on the most common uses and needs of vitamins.  I won’t be giving you every piece of information out there.  This is meant to be an overview, not an in depth study.

To do this, I am going to walk you through the nutrition label on the daily women’s multivitamin that I am taking.  It’s called Just Once, Women’s One Multivitamin by Rainbow Light and you can get a great deal on it at iherb.com  They are one of my affiliates and I have been buying from them for years.  Their products are top quality and they have great shipping rates and great specials.

If you type in the coupon Code   TOL704   you will get $5 dollars off your first order, and you will help support my blog.  =)

As always, this is for your information only and should not be taken as medical advice.  I am simply sharing with you what I learn and do for myself.

So.  Here we go with vitamin A.

Vitamin A is good for the health of hair, skin, and mucus membrane cells.  Why is this good?  When membranes are healthy and moist they are more resistant to cell damage.  We need vitamin A for healthy bone and tooth development as well as fertility and reproduction health.  Also, vitamin A is known to be good for your vision (including night vision) and eye health as well as overall skin health.  A lot of women take vitamin A based medications for Acne.  It is an antioxidant, protecting cells from cancer and other diseases.  It plays a key role in a healthy immune system by helping protect against infections.

Sources of Vitamin A.

Mainly found in animal foods but also comes from some plant foods, mainly in the form of beta carotene which is then converted into vitamin A in your body.  Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin which means that it is absorbed if taken alongside some sort of fat, such as olive oil or fish oil, to give two examples.  However, beta-carotene is water soluble, so it does not have to be taken with fat to be absorbed by the body.

Top Animal Sources:

• Egg yolks
• Cheese
• Whole Milk
• Liver (I wish I liked liver)

Beta-Carotene Sources:

• Yellow vegetables: squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, canteloupe
• Spinach
• Collard and Turnip greens
• Broccoli

Risks of Overdosing on Vitamin A

Believe it or not, you can get too much vitamin A, but only through the animal source and supplements.  With beta-carotene, your body will simply make the vitamin A it needs.  Just Once, Women’s One Multivitamin contains 5,000 IU (international units), which is considered safe by many.  Some sources have stated to use caution when taking supplements if you are taking fish oils and other animal sourced vitamin A,  as well as eating a lot of beta-carotene, as this could lead to an overdose of vitamin A.  Some symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Irritablity
• Orange/yellow hands and feet (harmless, just not a desired look)
• Possible birth defects and bone fractures in some people
• Liver damage
• Confusion
• Hair Loss

If you are ever unsure about taking any vitamin or supplement, ask you doctor.

Next on the list: Vitamin C

Be sure to check out my first post on this serries:  The First Year of Raising Twins 0-3 Months.

3-6 months is fun!  They become more interactive, make funny noises, and get a lot pudgier.  =)  My 12 week mark was a milestone for me because Nathan finally got the idea of breastfeeding and I was able to stop pumping and just nurse.  I had pumped every single meal up to that point.  I had to supplement with just a little formula (maybe 4 ounces a day), but when they started nursing full time, I soon produced more milk and quickly gave up supplementing with formula.  And, by the way, we had been making our own formula from powdered goat’s milk and adding vitamins to it.  There are a lot of homemade formula recipes out there, but check with your pediatrician before you yank your baby off store bought formula.  You want to be sure that they get the essential vitamins and minerals that they need to thrive.  More on homemade formula later.

The conveniences and products that I had in the first 3 months were still very needed in the 3-6 month stage.

• Twin-Nursing-Pillow
• Playtex Drop-Ins
• Schwinn Double Jogging Stroller
• Zipper Sleepers
• help from people

Schedules

Hopefully by this point you have a good sleeping schedule established or at least are well on your way.  It took me a while because Lucy never needed as much sleep as Nathan, so I had to learn how to get them in sync with each other and be somewhat flexible.  And as the months go on, they don’t need as much sleep anyway so you need to have an idea of when you want their main naps to be, long-term, and work toward that. I knew I wanted an afternoon nap that lasted 2-3 hours.  So from 1-3pm was my goal.  Then they went back down around 4:30 or 5pm for a 30-45 minute cat nap.  They really did need that.  That nap lasted til they were about 8 months old.  And in the mornings they took a nap somewhere around 8am for 1-2 hours.  But I knew they would eventually drop that too.  Turns out they are now almost 15 months old and are just now starting to drop that morning nap.

Of course you can’t always prevent an occasional cat nap.

One thing that helped me get them on a good sleeping schedule was to make sure I fed them at the same time every day.  I was a little lenient on this because when I had both babies sleeping at the same time there was no way you could talk me into waking them up.  I was desperate for down time.  It usually worked out just fine, and I was never really thrown way off schedule. As long as I could stay within 30 minutes of my designated feeding time, I was okay with that.

Let me add in this very important point.  If one wakes up to eat, wake up the other as well.  If not, you will be feeding around the clock and never get them on the same schedule.  Trust me, it’s worth it.  You get more rest in the end.

A few new things that made life easier:

• Johnny Jump Up:  Oh my, this was excellent.  I borrowed 2 of them.  One had a tray on it and it was much easier for the babies to balance and be comfortable.  My twins were about 4-5 months when they first got in the Johnny Jump Up.
• Baby Walker or some sort of entertainment thing such as an ExerSaucer.  If you have stairs, I would not recommend a walker.  Too many accidents happen.  The ExerSaucer still provides entertainment and the baby can rotate the seat, providing some mobility.  I got a walker at a yard sale for 5 dollars.  I didn’t buy two.  Usually I put one in the walker and one in the johnny jump up.  My mother in law brought over a mobile where they could lie on the floor and look up at all sorts of colorful things that made noises.
• Teething toys.  It was during this age that they started holding things in their hands and were enamored for long periods of time.  Precious time.  And they stick everything in their mouths and have that need to bite.  My friend Lacy had some NUK spoons that my babies loved to use as teething “rings”.  They are rubbery and soft and easy to bite on for a baby.  Lucy stole one without me noticing so we quickly returned it and I wish I had bought my own pack for the twins.
• Bumbo Seat.  I almost forgot!  This was just great.  I would prop up one baby in the nook of the twin nursing pillow (aka big boppy) and one in the bumbo seat and they had a grand time staring at each other.  Also, it’s great for feeding time.
• Bouncy Seat.  I could peel potatoes at the kitchen table while bouncing Lucy with my foot while Nathan enjoyed the swing.
• Baby Swing.  We had two of these and I’m glad we did.  If they were both fussy, I put them in the swing and vacuumed the living room.  The sound calmed them down right away, and I got some cleaning done.  Two birds, one stone.

Most of the above, I either got at my baby shower, yard sales, or just borrowed them for a period of time.  Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to borrow something if they aren’t using it.  It helps to not have to pay for these things.

The only thing that I had two of, was the baby swings.  Everything else, we just rotated throughout the day.  And we took lots and lots of walks.  Nathan and Lucy love being outside.  I got stuck in the rain a few times but that Schwinn stroller has a rain shield that unfolds from the canopy!

Lucy with the nursing pillow, Nathan in the Bumbo.

Tell me this isn’t precious.  They would even hold each others hand in the stroller quite often.

Do they look alike or what?

Fun entertainment

Happy Nathan in the bouncy seat

During the 3-6 month age, you really see a lot of progress with movement and coordination.  It’s nice because the babies are able to entertain themselves more, but it’s also hard because you have to keep an eye on them more.   Nathan fell off the couch twice and I about had a heart attack.  Lucy once.  I underestimated their abilities to move.  They progress so much faster than you think.  Be careful with some of the products listed above.  Especially the walker and the bumbo seat.  Babies have died falling down stairs in a walker and also falling off tables in the bumbo seat.  Please, please, please never leave your baby or babies unattended in these pieces of equiptment.  It’s just not worth it.

Josh and I also decided to never leave our babies in the same room as a dog, even if it’s the family dog that’s 10 years old and has never growled or bitten in its life.  It’s still a dog with canine instincts and it’s simply not worth the risk.  You may be thinking, “well, yeah Megan, we know this and we’re not stupid”.  But please know I am not saying these things to make any mother feel stupid, but the fact is these things do happen and sometimes it’s from just one forgetful moment.  And in that moment an accident happens.

I’m sorry, this isn’t supposed to be a lecture, just a cautionary word of advice from a mommy who’s babies fell off the couch.  Thank God they didn’t get hurt, but they could have.  I learned my lesson.

Okay, are there any suggestions from you?  Mother of twins or singleton welcome.  One baby or two, anything that helped make these months smoother, let me know!

photo credit: me’nthedogs

I just ordered some Elderberries from More Than Alive.  I’ve been wanting to make my own elderberry syrup for a long time now but I just haven’t taken the time to search for a good source.  I found this site and compared prices and quality and they are the winner!  Click on the link to take you there to purchase your elderberries.  I also ordered Peppermint tea bags because when taken with edlerberries, it gives an extra punch to boosting your immune system.

Elderberries are amazing for flu and cold fighting.  Rich in antioxidants, elderberries are an immune system booster as well as an agent in lowering cholesterol, improving vision and heart health, and fighting off bacterial and viral infections.  Elderberries have also been used to treat some chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, cancer and AIDS.

The way the elderberry extract works to fight against the flu, is that the viral cells invading the body are inhibited from penetrating the healthy cells with the neuraminidase enzyme, thereby preventing the spread of the virus.

Some of the most noteworthy properties of elderberries…

• antioxidant (inhibits oxidation which can be damaging to living organisms)
• diaphoretic (induces sweating)
• diuretic (causes increased urination)
• laxative (helps evacuate the bowels)
• immune-boosting
• anti-inflammatory

Key nutrients include:

• Vitamins A, B, C
• Tannin
• Rutin
• Amino Acids
• Carotenoids
• Flavonoids

Helpful precautions concerning elderberries:

• Don’t eat them raw because they contain toxins that can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
• Only eat the purple, black, and blue elderberries and avoid the red ones.  The red ones are poisonous

These are the ones you DON’T eat.  photo credit: hickoryrose

I wish I had known about this a long time ago.  It seems now that I have kids, I pay more attention to everthing that can help prevent sickness or at least shorten the duration of it.  Nathan and Lucy have been sick during this last week so I’ve been giving them some elderberry syrup I had on hand.  Josh and I have decided that we are going to start taking it on a daily basis for maintenance, once I make my own.

We will take 1 Tbsp per day for maintenance and 1 Tbsp on the hour if we get the flu or a bad cold.

If you don’t feel like making your own elderberry syrup, you can buy Berry Well. It’s elderberry syrup ready for the taking! 

When I get my elderberries in the mail, I will walk you through a step by step tutorial on making elderberry syrup.  There are many recipes to follow out there but we are going to use one that uses honey instead of sugar.  Check back to see which recipe I use.  Any suggestions?

photo credit: marcusrg

I was very disappointed when I pulled a never-before-worn wool sweater out of my closet that Josh got me last year, only to find that a moth had feasted on it, leaving not one, not two, but three holes in it.  I bet I can find more if I look more closely.  But those were the big ones.

I’ve never had a moth problem before, but now I do and it’s time to take care of it.  And I’m not going to use moth balls.  Just the smell of those things should raise red flags.  Moth balls are not something I want in my home.  Let me tell you why.

Moth balls contain (here’s some big words that are hard to pronounce) naphthalene and are considered a pesticide. They also contain paradichlorobenzene.  The gases produced from these compounds grow and ferment over time and can be dangerous to humans and animals.  Inhaling the vapors can cause bad headaches, dizziness and respiratory distress.

Here are a few more of the possible symptoms you can have from exposure to naphthalene:

• Irritated eyes, headache, dizziness, respiratory distress, liver damage, confusion, excitement, malaise (vague feeling of discomfort), nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, irritation in bladder, profuse sweating, jaundice, hematuria (blood in the urine), renal shutdown, dermatitis, optical neuritis, corneal damage

Um.  No thank you.  I’m sure the above list is referring to extreme exposure to this chemical, but still.  I don’t even want a little of the chemical in my home.

A nightmare scenario is a child in the house thinking that the moth balls are candy and attempting to eat it.  Ingestion of moth balls can lead to seizures, liver damage, respiratory failure and even death.

I remember as a child handling moth balls, thinking they looked cool, (don’t worry, I didn’t eat them), and not thinking a thing of it.  I don’t think anybody did.  It just wasn’t something we thought about because it was so common to have moth balls fall out of a winter clothes box.  If you handle moth balls, wear rubber gloves.

What are the alternatives?

The most common used alternatives are cedar and lavender.  Even rosemary is used and supposedly works.  There are many different ways you could combine these “ingredients”.  Here are a few:

• If you are feeling crafty:  make some cute sachets out of cloth, and fill it with cedar shavings (you can get those pretty much anywhere that carries pet supplies) and dried lavender and dried rosemary.  If you don’t have lavender or rosemary, you should buy the essential oils and drop several drops on your cedar shavings.  In fact, you should add the essential oils anyway to create a more robust deterrent.  Follow the links to see some good prices on these oils.  Keep in mind that these oils have many purposes, so buying them to keep on hand is a good idea.

Cedarwood Essential Oil

Lavender Essential Oil

Rosemary Essential Oil

• If you are not feeling crafty, stuff an old sock or fabric bag like the one below (if you have one on hand) with the same ingredients.
• You can just buy cedar balls and disperse them generously.

*Post Edit:  Make sure to include cedar in your recipe.  As in, don’t use just lavender or just rosemary.  Those are extra ingredients.  Cedar is stronger deterrent of all of the above.  But together, all the ingredients make a more powerful moth deterrent.

Curtains from World Market came in this bag.  I kept it.

Lavender from my mom’s garden.  Also a pretty centerpiece. =)

The best thing to do is contain the concentrated odors of the cedar and lavender by putting your wool garments in a drawer or box with your new creation.

Let me know if you have other moth ball alternatives that you use.  I would love to hear it!

There’s nothing like a Friday.  Somehow the world around me has a different feel to it.  The weekend is here and it’s time to wind down.  The snow is falling, the heat is blasting, the coffee is brewing and fluffy socks are on.  The dawn has broken and it’s a beautiful day.

Let me just tell ya what you need to do today.

• Relax.
• Treat yourself.
• Call up a friend and drink something hot together.
• Forget the stress of the week and live in the moment.
• Take a deep breath.
• Open the curtains, pull up the blinds and let the daylight in.
• Eat some fresh fruit and veggies today.
• Take a hot bath.
• Drink an extra glass of water.
• Read a book.
• Wear a sweatshirt.

There are a lot more ways to relax but those are some of my favorite.  If Friday isn’t a good day, find your day.  I like Fridays because Josh comes home and stays home for the weekend.  And even though there is no weekend off from being a mommy, at least I have extra help.  =)

Stress is bad for your health, so it’s nice to just set aside time to relax.  Put your to-do list aside for an hour and do yourself a favor by taking it easy.

photo credit: realSMILEY

It seems like right around this time of year we can look down and notice just a bit more pudge on our belly or thighs than we could just over a month ago before Thanksgiving.  Just thinking back to all the extra goodies I’ve eaten since the 4th week in November…lots of gravy, pumpkin pie, whipped cream, hot mochas, pecan tarts (my mom makes them better than anybody), gingerbread cookies, cheesecake (my birthday also happens to fall just a few days after Thanksgiving and I have to have cheesecake every year), cheesy casseroles, and…you fill in the blank.  Yes, I have eaten all of the above in the last 7 weeks.  And a whole lot more that I haven’t mentioned.  Josh says I don’t look any different (he’s nice like that), but I can feel a small difference.  Maybe not with too many pounds, but I never feel great when I’ve consumed too many sweets.

This may be the point where you sat down to make a New Year’s list that included losing X number of pounds, eating no sugar, no fat, no carbs, no calories, and exercising 7 times a week for 2 hours each day, no exceptions.  Okay, so that list may be a little exaggerated, but that’s my point.  It’s easy to set unreasonable goals that only set us up for failure.  Be reasonable and start with realistic goals.

As you make your New Year’s resolution list, remember this one thing:  YOU are the one behind the list that can make it happen.  I know that losing weight or some form of being healthier is on almost everyone’s list.  Maybe it’s cutting out sugar, or exercising more.  It’s nice that right here and now we are motivated and ready to tackle the year.  But all too often, the end of January rolls around and we are still waiting to start our health goals.  I want to encourage you to pursue your goals right now.  Today.  Don’t wait.  Make this year different than last!  There is no magical formula to lose weight and become healthier. We have an opportunity (and responsibility) to be healthier in the body that we’ve been given, and it takes work, self control, and discipline.  You have to want the difference in your life.

Getting healthier after the holidays (or anytime, really) is not only about weight.  You may not be someone who struggles with your weight.  You might be like my mom or sister who is stick skinny no matter what (lucky you).  But skinny doesn’t always mean healthy (Mom and Jill, I know you are healthy though).  I always opt to pursue health not weight loss only.  Usually a natural result of eating healthier is that we lose weight.

If you still have left over Christmas cookies, pies, and whatever other goodies you keep on hand for the holidays, I would suggest you get rid of them somehow (and I don’t mean eat them).  If you have a dog, they love cookies, believe me.  Give them away or throw them away.  I still like the dog option because then you don’t have to waste them.  But I don’t think dogs are supposed to have chocolate.

Here are a few suggestions to make some reasonable healthy changes without depriving yourself of everything you enjoy:

• Replace white refined sugar with raw, organic, unrefined sugar in your coffee or tea and in all your recipes.
• Or use honey or stevia (stevia has no calories)
• Use coconut oil on toast instead of butter or margarine
• If you don’t like coconut oil, at least use real butter instead of bad artificial margarine
• Eat whole wheat breads and pasta instead of white flour breads and pastas
• Replace a few cups of coffee per week with organic herbal teas
• Buy a cute water bottle and fill it up several times a day with filtered water

That’s just a small list, but it’s just to give you an example of some changes that can be made.  Find a workout partner or someone to keep you accountable to your new goals.  I find this helps.  And have fun!  Eating healthy and exercising really is fun.  :)

A few days ago I set a goal of taking at least 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar …every day.  Maybe more, if I can stand the taste.  I’m taking a weekend vacation and I forgot to bring the apple cider vinegar, but I’ll get back to it tomorrow.  The health benefits are incredible.  I used to take it every now and then but I hate the taste of it!  The only way it’s tolerable is to put some stevia or honey in it after I’ve diluted it with water.  If you decide to take apple cider vinegar (ACV), make sure you dilute it with water because the strong acid in it can harm the enamel on your teeth and even hurt your throat.

My husband has recently been dealing with what we think is acid reflux.  It’s been causing him to lose a lot of sleep lately, until I told him that I remembered that ACV supposedly helps acid reflux and heartburn.  So he tried it and it works!

I’m not talking about crystal clear ACV.  That type is devoid of all the amazing nutrients that we are trying to get from the ACV.  Real ACV is a cloudy brown color with fine weblike “things” floating around called the “mother”.  It may look a little gross but the “mother” is the result of the vinegar bacteria itself.  It is a gelatinous material and is the growth of acetic bacteria responsible for turning alcohol into vinegar.  This is very important that your vinegar contain the mother because if it doesn’t, it’s probably been pasteurized which means most of the health-giving benefits are dead.  It is completely harmless to consume.  It needs to be made from raw, organically grown apples, and should be unpasteurized and unheated.  You can buy it at your local health food store, and even just a regular food market.  Or, you can buy it online.  Apples are one of the most nutritious giving foods containing pectin, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, as well as enzymes and amino acids.

People take apple cider vinegar as a home remedy for a lot of physical ailments.  ACV users claim that it helps with skin problems such as acne, rosacea, uneven skin tones, and much more far beyond skin problems.

Some common reasons people take or use ACV are…

• Weight loss
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower cholesterol
• Acid reflux
• Heart burn
• Constipation
• Natural energy booster
• Help with joint pain and stiffness
• Help remove toxins from the body
• Supports a healthy immune system
• Rich in enzymes
• Rich in potassium
• Bladder and kidney health
• PH balance
• Poor digestion

Remember Johnny Cash’s song, “The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer”?  John Henry was the strongest railroad builder who competed with a new steam engine.  His secret?  He was “full of vinegar.”  Johnny Cash fan or not, the point I’m making here is that ACV has long been used as a health tonic and natural energizer.

When so many people claim that their ailments were successfully cured or  helped by ACV, I think that is reason enough to stop and take a peek and consider trying it.  I’m trying it to help my complexion.  Since the day I got pregnant I’ve had a problem spot on my face that I can’t seem to get rid of.  Recurring acne, ugh.  So sipping on ACV and using it as an external toner will hopefully help, even though the problem is hormonal, I’m hoping to improve it externally just a bit.

Apple cider vinegar can be used on pets to help control fleas and give a healthy shine to their coat.

This site has a lot of helpful information and specific recipes using ACV.  It was here that I read a suggestion to sip on very diluted ACV throughout the day instead of taking one concentrated dose in order to help keep your pH levels balanced all day long.  They suggest less diluted concoctions to treat acute ailments such as a sore throat, cough, and acid reflux.  Check it out for more great tips.

Also, check out these great books for more information on apple cider vinegar…

Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss and Good Health
The Miracle of Apple Cider Vinegar: Practical Tips for Health, Home, & Beauty

Of course, make sure you check with your doctor before trying anything new for any medical conditions.  This is for your information only and is not meant to replace your current medical regime.

This blog is not just about health.  It’s about me being a mommy and wife too.  My babies and my husband are part of who I am.

I hope that someone out there who is about to have twins or has infant twins can benefit from my story.  I want to share with you the way I did things, including what worked and what didn’t work for me.  You may have a completely different parenting philosophy than I do.  So my advice is to just take it or leave it and feel free to ask me any questions.  The first months were very difficult for me for many reasons.  It was a big adjustment for me, I was so worn down, I took a long time to recover from the c-section, and I hardly got any sleep.  I got mastitis, a bladder infection and my incision got infected all during the first 3 months.  It was horrible.  But it gets easier, I promise.  Then hard again.  And then easier.  Just hang in there and embrace every moment.  Even though it’s hard, it’s beautiful too.  And fun!  I just took it one day at a time.

Let’s see if I can remember the details…

Ask for help and accept it from those who offer. Ladies, ladies, ladies, you need help.  People will offer right and left, so accept a few of those offers or you will wear yourself out.  During this time I was so emotionally and physically tired.  I needed a break now and then, even if it was to just take a nap.  It was always nice having an extra set of hands to help me with the daily tasks of taking care of the babies and the household.

Sleep when they sleep. It goes without saying that this is hard if you have twins.  The doctors and nurses recommend this to every new mommy, but they may not realize the weight of their suggestion.  Twins don’t always sleep at the same time.  But my number one goal was to get them on the same sleeping and eating schedule.  In the meantime, though, I would nap on the couch with them.  Even if it was just a 30 minute nap.  Anything helped because I was NOT getting much sleep those days.

Feed them at the same time. Typically they let me know they were hungry every 3 hours.  Occasionally it would be every two hours or every 4 hours.  But the key was to feed them both each time.  If Nathan was hungry, I fed Lucy too.  That way I was not feeding around the clock.  Newborns take a long time to eat.  Mine would take an hour to hour and half to eat one meal.  I don’t know why.  I was giving them a bottle of pumped milk because they were not good breast feeders.  So maybe the bottle just takes longer.   Feeding them every 3 hours means three hours since the start of the last feeding, not the end of it.  For example, If I started feeding them at 12:00 p.m. and they finish at 1:00 p.m. then I would feed them again at 3:00 p.m. staying consistent with the 3 hour feeding schedule.

Establish a sleeping schedule. This takes a while, so a firm commitment to this is necessary.  Some people are more laid back about schedules, but I’m not.  I like to have a somewhat predictable day and know when I’m going to have some down time.  I suggest you stick to your gut on this.  Don’t let people with different ideas about sleeping sway you from what you really want to do about a schedule.  I’ve never regretted it.  My babies sleep from 7pm to 7am or later.  And they are now 14 months old.  How about that!!  =)

Get a twin nursing pillow like this. Or, have an amazing seamstress friend named Sarah like I do to make you one.  Trust me, you will need this.  I used it for every feeding.  Even if you don’t nurse and only use the bottle, you can prop those little twins up right in front of you and let the pillow support them while you hold the bottles.  Or just wedge a burp cloth underneath the bottle and you can just relax.  Feeding time can be relaxing if you just accept the time you will be there and allow yourself to wind down.

This is Nathan and Lucy on my homemade nursing pillow propped up right under my nose.  The pretty cover to it was being washed so it’s not seen here.  Easy feeding.

My favorite bottles, and the ones the babies preferred, were the Playtex Drop-Ins.  They are BPA free and easy to clean.  Just throw away the liner and get a new one!  And of course clean the nipple for each feeding.  My babies preferred this bottle nipple to every other bottle we tried.

Car Seats. My advice is to get car seats that detach from the base so you can just pick up the car seat to go somewhere. The Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat is one example. Browse around to see what suits your needs and budget. Infants sleep so much and it’s a hassle to wake them up if they are already snug in their car seat. They’ll never know you moved them.

Keep lots of burp clothes on hand. We went through so many of these in a day. And you won’t want to be doing laundry everyday so stock up.

Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump This is a pricey pump, but it works the best.  I had to pump for the first 12 weeks before my babies would latch on properly.  I used this pump all the time and it was a life-saver!

Schwinn Free Wheeler 2 Double Swivel Wheel Jogging Stroller I was fortunate to receive this as a gift.  I used and still use this all the time.  It’s extremely easy to collapse and load into the trunk.  Glides like a dream.  My mom calls it the Cadillac of strollers.

The twins in the Schwinn

Don’t be discouraged by the price of all the products (and luxuries).  Remember that you can register for some of these things.  Let family know that you might want these as gifts for Christmas or birthdays or if they just feel like getting you a gift.  ;) Also, shop yard sales and Craigslist.  My husband is still in school and has a part time job, and the Lord has still blessed us with these things.  And I don’t work either.  People have been generous toward us.  And when you are able to help others after your babies grow out of these things, pass it on.

I’m probably leaving out a few things, but I’ll just come back and edit this post if so.

Is there anything you would like to share that made your twin experience easier?  Or even for the singletons!  Feedback is great from anyone’s experience!