A Long Day

Yesterday we had a lot going on. We had a mobile groomer come to groom our overly neglected dogs, both our moms were here to help with the babies so we could go out, and I had a ton of pumping to do so the babies would have enough fresh milk (I have over 300 ounces frozen- just in case).

I also had a ton of instructions to write, just in case my mom drew a blank in the midst of chaos, oh yeah and I needed to shower and put some make-up on so I don't go smelling like sour milk!

We needed to leave by 6:00pm to make it in to our seats for the 7:30 show, and maybe grab a bite to eat before the show. I calculated (yes, I calculate everything- its what I do!) that we'd be gone for 7 hours MAX which is at least 2 feeds. I laid out diapers, extra jammies, burp cloths, boppys, pacifiers (outlining who gets which color), medications, and a tentative feeding schedule (since we don't have an exact schedule going- sometimes they sleep longer and we let them!). I also made sure the dogs were in their beds and outta the way so as not to trip the baby-carrying grandmas.

We cleaned the house and left everything in order, got ready, fed the babies before we left and out the door we went. I was so nervous! I tried not to call too much but did call about once every hour to check-in. We had a great time, but both really mised our babies...we couldn't get home fast enough!

The lil guy did Ok but the big guy had a bit of a meltdown with my MIL, and she was having a hard time giving him up (she really wanted to be the one to soothe him). Luckily, my mom took over and was there to comfort him. Her style most closely matches ours, so the babies tend to do better with her, and she spends more time with them so that relationship is more established.

It was interesting to see that my mom was able to "take charge" of the situation and handle it the way we would have wanted her to. I am not only confident in her ability to take care of them when I go back to work, but also in her ability to make decisions and do what's best for the babies even if its not the most comfortable situation for her.

She is a very passive person for the most part, and doesn't like to step on anybody's toes, but she also really loves our boys and doesn't like for them to cry. I'm sure it was hard for her to step in and take the big guy from my MIL (she didn't want to hurt her feelings) but she waited as long as she could. She knew he was tired, she could soothe him and get him to sleep, and she did. She was a little worried it would cause some friction with my MIL but I assured her that she did the right thing and we would deal with any issues my MIL may have, although we don't expect anything to come up.

There are some insecurities my MIL may have that we will need to help her through. Since she isn't going to be with them everyday like my mom, I want to help her build her own special bond with the boys as they get older.

As a new mom, its important to me to be as fair as possible but these are tough waters to navigate. I guess its just one of those things you work out as you go along.

Needless to say, I don't think we will be having another night out for a while. Its a big job to take care of twins, and the stress of leaving them is just too much for me at this point. I'd be happier going to family friendly establishments when the boys are older and coming home before dark. =)