Horomones, emotions and changes, oh my!

I tell you, they are real things. I knew the power of hormones previously, but now they have taken on a whole new meaning.

With the new little lady coming home I have been blown away how there is a hormonal difference in how we currently relate to our kids. M has a new appreciation of how a crying baby can cause physical pain for us b-feeding mom's.

More so it fascinates me with how those super-sonic mom ears work. Even today, when T & R are up or something is wrong I will hear them. I have that 5th sense that something is happening with them. And thus far, M has that with Miss. F. I am not trying to give the appearance that I am not boded with Miss. F, but it is just different that innate response and connection.

I am guessing that part of this for the time being is due in part to the division of labor that is currently necessary for our daily survival. It's one of the biggest changes this time around - its not about sinking in to the sweetness of the newborn period. Having two preschoolers really prevents you from having slowing down too much.

I have really taken on the majority of the care for T &R- especially in the mornings when I try and let M get some additional sleep. While M is b-feeding she spends a good chunk of time with the wee one and we try and switch it up every now and then. I guess we are approaching it as we did the first time around - one thing at a time. Eventually we are hoping that it will reach more of a 50-50 sort of scenario but for now it really is a little lopsided. We are making it work...but it is not without some sleeplessness for sure.

Still here

Hey all, sorry for the radio silence lots of stories pictures and thoughts to share fter bringing Miss. F home from the hospital. We are in the thick of it trying to figure out how to juggle life with our new little family. After week of friends and family we are now juggling it all in out own....we are tired but managing.

Blog posts that hope to soon come:
** the difference of having one full term baby vs two preemies is the biggest surprise for us.

**Juggling the needs of the twins and their adjustment in having a new baby at home and how we tried to prepare them for the transition.

**Childcare and division of labor.

** Breastfeeding and attachment. How it is different not being in the drivers seat his time around.

So these are the thoughts rumbling around my head. Anyone have any requests to which one to start with?

And baby makes 5

I am happy to announce that our daughter Freya Jennings Weiss was welcomed to the world yesterday, through 26th at 8:08am.  She is 7lbs and 14oz. Perfect in everyday. Of course there was some adventure along the way but I will share with everyone when we get home.

So in love.

Gush

M's water broke, now off to try and get the contractions to start. Wish us luck!

The flu that binds us

So I am woefully behind on the non-challenge, we were hit hard this week by the flu. It took us all out. I was just reading the musing of the ladies of at Next in Line and I could not agree more. I miss the days of being able to be sick and not having to simultaneously take care of two other little people with the hopes of having your wife who is 37 weeks not get sick. Let's just say it has not been fun. at. all.

but moving forward.

We finished our birth class last night. It was a great gathering- we took a mindfulness class that not only takes about birth, but how to meet your moments. Both the good and the challenging that come for most of us during our birth process. I can not remember if I have talked about it before, but it is a great class. We had taken it before when I was carrying our duo, and it was great being able to sit in the other seat this time around. It was a wonderful conversation starter for us, and allowed us to really feel ready for the road ahead of us.

With the class ending, I have to say I am ready to move into the next phase of this journey. End the pregnancy part of this journey, and move into having this little lady here. It is hard to believe that she will be here...soon. Very soon I would say. There has been no indication that she is making an impending arrival, but it's hard to think that due date is only 2 weeks away.

I will catch up here shortly...

Surprise, surprise...

What surprises me about being a parent - like many of you it's hard to put into words, it's everything and it's nothing. I have been blown away with the primal need I have to care for my kids, to love them to provide for them. I would do anything for them...but I am not sure that is what surprised me.

One thought that came to me thinking about this question is how becoming a mother has provided me with a key to enter into a new club. I am not sure what it is like for men, but I have found that after becoming a mother, especially since giving birth, I was given access to a new club. Now when interacting with new people especially those that have kids or have families - we have a new level of connection, a conversation starter if nothing else. Working in a very female dominated field, I found having become a mother validated me on a professional level as well. Strange? I thought so as well.

I think the other aspect of motherhood that surprises me is how consuming it is. I knew it was a 24 hour a day job, but I had no idea how naked I would feel when my kids were not with me. Feeling like I needed to be wearing a sign around my neck so that the world knew I had this badge of honor. I am not sure why this aspect (and yes, it is only part) of my identity I want to wear so publicly. It's not like I feel the need to walk around screaming to the world - pay attention, I'm Jewish, I'm an environmentalist, I'm a lesbi@n...for some reason when I don't have my kids with me I feel like I am walking around with just one arm. I am not sure if it totally makes sense- but jut the essence of the feeling I guess.

Oh - and going back to guilty pleasures:

• People Mag - it's my motivation to get me to the gym most days. Being able to have my 30 minutes with my mag and the stair machine. Such trash...
• Making M get up in the morning with the kids, pretending to be asleep and enjoying some stolen time in bed to read.
  
• Ice cream...Ben n' Jerry's Phish food specifically, but any ice cream will do.
  
• sigh...there was more, but I forgot.
  

Maybe I should talk about that under what surprises me about parenting, my memory. It's a fraction of what it used to be. <> But all n' all - I wouldn't trade a moment of it.

Day 1 and 2

So I tried to post day 1 a number of times yesterday from my Droid...didn't want to work. sigh. So here we go.

Where I blog- I work from home most days - so this is what I get to see. I have dueling computers (one work, one personal) and you can see it is not too tidy. Just last year we re-did our office space so I am still loving the blue walls - so much better than the wood paneling that was there before.

Working from home it it's own unique challenge - we have someone that comes in house to take take of the kiddos' - and most days they understand that when the office door is shut that Mama T is working. Granted, the door is glass- they can see in. there are a number of times I turn around and see two little faces staring at me - makes me smile every time.

In terms of day 2 - my high school self. I was a self appointed girl sc0ut nerd. I never really loved high school - but I did run track, play in the band (xylophone yo!) but never really felt like I fit in much. but then I came out about 2 weeks post graduation, so that would probably explain it.

If you talked to most folks the thing they would remember about me in HS was my hair. While it was cutting edge at the time, oh boy do I catch flack for it now. While this picture is not me- it is what my hair looked like for the better part of the 90's. sigh...it's where my nick name Mushroom came from. Can you guess why?