Update: Life with 2 under 2

Well, it's been a while since I've blogged anything. Jeb and I now have 2 under 2 and life could not be any busier! I often wonder if there are differences with having multiple kids that are not so close together in age and having two that are really close. I have my sisters and some friends to compare it with and I guess no two lives of parenthood are alike, not one is easier than the other. But if you are curious as to how our "2under2" experience is, here are a few updates, changes and realizations:

1. Sleep.
Or should I say lack of? Surprisingly enough, Joaquin or Quino as we call him is an amazingly good sleeper (so far that is. Isla was great too for the first 7months. I'm already dreading Quino reaching that age). Isla on the other hand, never got over her separation anxiety stage and now partially sleeps in her room, mostly in ours (she moves between 11:30am-12:30am), all sleep training out the door! Even then, she wakes up about 2-3times, sometimes more, a night. So...no sleep not due to the infant, but more due to our young toddler. 

2. You can never have enough diapers...to buy and to change.
One of the biggest adjustments we had is the amount of work and time it is to change diapers. We are constantly on diaper duty! Our morning routine begins with that and ends with it as well. For our baby sprinkle, we had a diapers & wipes party and man oh man, was that a good idea or what!? We did not have to purchase a single diaper for Joaquin until he was about 3months old. Now, our honest subscription is divided between the two and is covering our diaper needs (wipes, we buy boxes of and we still always run out of it). I'm loving our honest subscription even more so now than ever!

3. Getting ready.
So I think this is true for any mom with multiples, it's been 6months since Quino arrived and I still can't master getting ready on time (haha!). I have now cut my hair short for the sole purpose of not having to mind it. I go out of the house with my hair wet and no make up, I'd be lucky if I can squeeze in a 5minute face which includes, eyebrows, cheek and lip. Forget about impromptu trips, just not possible with two babies especially if one parent is absent. It takes about 1.5hours to get out which includes, prepping the kids (diapers/clothes and shoes), packing their bag (and we pre-pack the day before, so only last minute additions), loading them in the car (toddler fights the carseat at all times now).

4. Time.
This is probably the ultimate challenge of all. Jeb and I both work, schedules are different but because we do work, our time at home, specially mines is very limited. I get about 1-2hours in the morning and about 1-2hours at night to divide between the two. I mostly live with guilt because of this but it is the harsh reality of being a working parent, even if you just have one it is and so much more so when you have more than one child. Because our toddler is so attached to me, there are nights, I have to admit that I only get to hold Quino for one feeding before he is asleep. I certainly wish that there's more than 24hours in a day so that I can squeeze in more cuddles for him and more playtime with Isla.

5. Balance.
Impossible. I would say this and it may not be true for all but I don't think I can ever reach the right balance between all of it--home, work, parenthood. However, there isn't a day that I don't try. Everyday I try something new to make things work better for our children. One always has to give and you just have to choose which one will for the day. Work will always be secondary to my children of course, but there are days where I need to be at work more, I just try to lessen those days. I have come to accept that I cannot do it all. Our home, which I spent so much time cleaning and organizing, designing before has to take the backseat. Cooking is seldom, maybe once to thrice a week. Fortunately, our house is well-maintained by my amazingly supportive and hardworking husband. Thank you love!

To sum it up, is the life of 2under2 crazy? Yes! It is hard, I've cried so many times because of how challenging it is, it is never boring, it is beautiful and ugly at the same time, I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world!

Confessions of a new mom

I just had to write this and there are so many I want to include but I don't think people will all day to read my confessions as a new mom. But here are a few of what I think many may say they went through, not just me.

1. Giving birth wasn’t that bad (with epidural), after birth was worse.
I don’t know if all new moms will agree but I honestly, complained more after birth than during birth. My birth plan worked well for me, I had 21hours of labor but it wasn’t bad with the epi. I did feel pain, enough to get me pushing good and making the actual pushing short enough. After birth however, is a different story.

Ah, how uncomfortable was getting the placenta out? And if you’re as unlucky as I am, hemorrhoids??? The worse!!! On top of that is the stitches healing (down there and worse if you’re c-section), constipation and your breast bleeding from the non-stop breastfeeding of your hungry little one. With my 2nd baby on the way, I am seriously more afraid to feel those pain again than the birth pains!

2. Breastfeeding, not an exact science…and it’s not that bad if you can’t or choose not to do it.
Part of my birth plan was breastfeeding of course for all the reasons that it is the best. But you know, not all are fortunate to be able to and not all will choose to and that’s ok! I have to remind all moms of this because so many writes about their success story with breastfeeding, giving advise how to succeed, but not too many will talk about their choice of not to or their struggle of not being able to. Click on my next post for my breastfeeding experience!

3. The first 2months was blah!
Sorry, motherhood is exciting and yes, our babies are the most gorgeous and most difficult thing that ever happened to us but, the first two months, you and your baby will kind of just stare at each other, cry together because you both can’t figure out what’s wrong, and sleep together because you both are just so exhausted. Your baby also doesn’t respond much yet during this time (some though will do coos and aahss at 2months) part of what makes it blah! It is also thought the most difficult time. #thestruggleisreal during this time because you are still getting to know your baby’s personality, what all his/her cries mean and what does he/she wants. Can we just admit that it is not at all that glamorous nor fun? It’s hard work, it’s a struggle but hey, it’s all worth it for sure!

4. You will lose your temper and part of your sanity.
I have to admit that I have screamed at least once to ask my Isla, what she wants. I felt guilty afterwards and I apologized a million times because it’s not her fault she can’t tell me but it will drive you somewhat insane trying to figure out what your baby wants. Losing your temper and at that very short moment, your sanity is part of parenthood. I’ve seen mothers of all different ages with children of different ages too and they all went through this. The best thing is to forgive yourself, step out of the room for a minute, breathe and start all over again.

5. Lastly, motherhood is a different experience for all.
I am one of the few fortunate people who has a huge support system, my sisters who are also mothers, my mom, my husband and many of my other friends who are moms and even those who are not were all there for me during the most difficult times that comes with being a new mom (whether it’s your first of you’re a new mom to your 2nd or 3rd child). My experience as a new mom had its struggles but I can honestly say that my support system made it much more bearable. But there are others who wouldn’t be able to say the same and will be afraid to admit it.

To those new moms and not having the best time yet, it’s ok to say that it’s not easy, it’s ok to cry, it’s ok to admit that it’s not what you expected because it really isn’t what you expected. That’s true for all. What you plan and what you had in mind will not always happen and you are going to commit mistakes. And to those who had a more pleasant experience, encourage those who need it, support them and please continue to share your stories!

Favorite Baby Items: Absolutely unnecessary but so useful!

So I've been dying to share my favorite items. I've come to know so much about baby items from my two older sisters, friends and other relatives and I have to say that I'm quite lucky that there's so many new things that has come out and was renewed since their time to mine (feeling millenial! lol!). So many new things that really most of them are unnecessary but I can see why someone invented them...for convenience! I did not avail of all the fancy ones but a typical 1st-time-mom, I did fall for others that may not necessarily be needed but I loved them and really did make use of them.

Favorite #1: All foldable gadgets!

We live in a town home and storage and space is not a luxury for a home like ours. I decided that for Isla, we were going to get things that can be folded away so that when we do have guests over or when she grows out of it, storing it won't be such a hassle. Here's a couple that I thought were great:




1.1 Lounger/Rocker-mines was Graco Little Lounger Rocking + Vibrating Seat. Usability is up to about 4-5months or until your baby learns to roll. This was great for nap time and because it is super light and folds, whenever I had to bring the baby to my mom's or at the office (yes I brought her to work on some days) it was easy to carry.

1.2 Fisher-price Spacesaver jumperoo. Usability is from 3-7months or until your little one outgrows it. I store this under Isla's crib again so easy to carry because it's flat and light and even the arch with toys can be removed attached to the jumperoo during storage time.

1.3 Zobo Infinity Matrix High Chair. Usability is upto 50lbs, that's a pretty big kid! I actually love all the zobo high chairs, my sister has Zobo Summit which is also great for small space areas although that one doesn't fold so if you're looking for something that doesn't necessarily fold, that's also a great option. However, the infinity high chair is also great, has the look of a regular sized high chair but in person this is quite small yet sturdy, it has a 5pt safety harness and yes it folds and easily too! The best part of it folding as well is that the tray doesn't have to be removed unlike other foldable high chairs I checked out before getting this one. This store on a corner of you living room and you won't even know it's there. Other features include a removable tray so you can easily put your baby in and out of it, and it makes it easy to clean.

1.4 So this is my most favorite one of all the foldable items, my Summer Infant Pop N Sit Portable Booster. Usability, well until they outgrow it, my 10month old still uses it. Found it at amazon for $26! Now why would I need two high chairs really?! I don't, but I do bring my daughter to work on some days and when she got to the age where she started eating solids, feeding her got more difficult without a chair (especially because I'm also pregnant with my 2nd child). I thought the carseat would work but it was unsafe and so I resulted to buying this. I keep mines in the car and it has come in handy in several occasions. It works with any chair, small, tall, fat or skinny because of the adjustable straps and it even comes with a removable tray which also serves as Isla's plate when we are using this at a friend's or my mom's house. It's small and light, I love it!

Favorite #2: Roller Cart

You can grab these at ikea, Michaels or target for less than $30. It is perfect to roll around all your necessities from room to room, corner to corner. I store in mine diapers and wipes, lotion, extra clothing and at night, this is our bottle station since Isla is formula fed. It's like having a diaper/bottle station all over your house and saves you the time from having to move item per item from one room to other. It is also great for organization, this way you know all her essentials are kept in one place.

Favorite #3: Luggage Organizer Bags

I am addicted to these things have them in different sizes. They can be found anywhere from amazon to tjmaxx (really good price for them there) and I just love how my diaper bag can stay organized and categorized and it's just so much easier to find things this way. Also this makes it easier for any purse to turn into a diaper bag! I have the bigger sizes for Isla's diaper and wipes, so if I have to change her I just grab that part of the bag instead of carrying the entire diaper bag with me; I have one for snacks, for her change of clothes, bottles, etc. If you have a wide enough purse, you can just leave your diaper bag in the car and carry the ones you think you will need for the time that you are out. I just love them!

Favorite #4: Silicone Mat

If your baby is already in the stage of solid food, this is a great item to have. Silicone mats are reusable, they can be folded and packed so it's easy to carry them around in your bag and it's super easy to clean! I carry our mat and use it as Isla's plate when out in restaurants, they're great because they stick in almost any surface and it's reusable so saves money compared to buying the disposable ones that are plastic and most of the time the sticky part of it just doesn't work. After use in a restaurant I wipe it clean with a disinfecting wipes and wash it at home, ready for next use.

Favorite #5: Bububaby Food Feeder

This is the new net teether/fruit feeder. I have read several reviews before purchasing this and what truly convinced me in purchasing it is how easy it is to clean. Unlike the net/mesh feeder where fruits can get stuck, this has a plastic feeder with wholes just like a big binky. This order also comes with two feeders and 2 sizes of feeder, it also comes with a holder that can attach to your baby's bib or shirt to prevent it from falling on the floor. A great buy for teething babies! ($15 at amazon)

There are so much more out there that I wish I can share all but these are few of the items I discovered that I felt were very useful to me.