I hope this will work!

The last few weeks have had its ups and downs.  I've found that a key to my happiness is getting out, at least most days.  I take the kids on a walk often.  A lot of my friends (mothers with young kids like mine) live in an apartment complex that is about a 15 minute walk away so we go there a lot and sit out on the lawn visiting with lots of other moms and kids.

However, we've had a lot of cool, rainy days lately and so we haven't gotten out as much.  I've found myself getting kind of crazy.  Aiden and Bryan were on no schedule whatsoever!  It seemed like they fussed and cried all the time and that I was constantly sticking a bottle or binky in their mouth to shut them up!  Yes, I actually tried taping the binky to Bryan's face!  (It didn't really work and just made him scream when I pulled the tape off!)

Basically, due to my lack of planning and survival mode mentality I was creating two little monsters!  Fortunately a friend of mine reminded me about the book On Becoming Babywise.  She had a copy and let me borrow it.  I loosely followed the Babywise guidelines with Amy for the first few months, and she was a happy baby.  But amazingly, I had forgotten how to do it.  I quickly read the book and have been using the Babywise guidelines (eat, waketime, naptime on a 2.5 hour cycle) for about 24 hours now.  It is so nice because I know what to expect!  I have a much better idea of why they're crying.  They are eating full meals again instead of snacking all day long.  When they're awake they're alert and fun to be with.  And they are napping so much better.  I am hoping that this will lead to better nights as the books says.  They've been getting up 3 or 4 times a night, which is ridiculous!   

I need to take more pictures!  These boys are getting cuter everyday!  Bryan smiles at me now, which is so fun (and makes up for his crying -- he's been given the nickname Cryin' Bryan!)  Aiden loves being outside and sleeping on a blanket in the shade.  Amy is so much happier lately which is so nice!  She LOVES playing outside with her water and her sandbox.  She's more interested everyday in being involved with the babies.  We sing to them together and she actually likes to help hold bottles when they eat.  Sometimes she's a good "gopher."  I'm missing Aaron and Jessica this week.  And I should mention that my husband is pretty awesome!

Well, time to get lunch on the table. . .