MM: Part Duece

Day 2 of Version 2 (did first version of lone-caregiver during June's Guard Weekend) for Mr. Mom....or Major Mom. As I entered dreamland sometime near 1AM this morning, my mind began wondering if day two would be "Deja-vu'" or "Something New". It was clear (well, depending on who you ask) that the scales on Day 1 ended up tipped in Evan's favor. His accolades were notable, but little did he know that his fiery red-headed sister intended to make short work of his stay atop the podium.

The first fuss rang out in the 2:30 AM hour...by now, their cries and fusses are so distinctive to both Gena and I that we know instantly who is vocalizing their discontent (a very useful skill when you have twins because you can begin preparing your fix-it strategy as you proceed to the troubled area)....as I arose from the bed knowing I was inbound to see what Evan was up to. And, well, based on the previous night's events, it was a foregone conclusion that we'd go ahead and feed upon waking rather than trying the continual pacifier replacement routine. So up Evan went with me and off to the kitchen for 5oz of liquid gold...breastmilk. "E-Man" made quick work of it and was ready for some post intake R&R so back to his crib he went. I hummed a couple of notes of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (the song of the moment on their IPOD) to him and then made my way to the door...and ever so close to temporary freedom, Taryn rang out with sincerity....as if to say "ain't know way my brother is getting a leg up on me today by sneaking in an extra feeding and having more energy to out-do me again...I wan't some liquid gold too!" "I see how this day is going to go", I said to myself...and off Taryn and I went to the kitchen for another round of: frigerator, bottle heater, burp diaper, feed, burp, feed, burp, rock, and replace." And holy moly if she didn't watch every second of my filling up her bottle with the most focused of eyes to ensure I didn't give her any less than I gave her brother." But how the heck would she know what I gave him anyway, I mused...but red-heads gotta stick together, so I evened hers up and then added an extra tenth of an ounce for good measure :-) Back in the nursery I went; and now it was Celine Deon on the IPOD serenading Evan as he slept. SweetPea went down with no problems, and off I went to try to grab some sleep.

Finding it easier to tend to their needs before they go dolby-surround-sound full volume, I camped out on the floor of the nursery awaiting their wake-up call. Not a second past 0645, Evan signaled the opening of today's "competition". He arose with such fortitude and recklessness that he quickly earned a "WUOWSOC" (Woke Up On Wrong Side Of Crib) award for his tracking sheet. Yup, he was off to the races, but not necessarily on the right track. Not a handful of seconds after Evan called "Game-on", Taryn signaled her determination to stay with him step for step. "Better get to work", I thought...so I whisked Evan into Pit Row (the changing table) and did a swap on all four (diaper, outfit, hairstyle and socks.) I let him utter his discontent out in the swing while I brought SweetPea in for her swap.

Just as the bottles were warming, Gena arrived and was able to feed SweetPea before she had to go in to work. That kept the two of them neck and neck in the early morning hours, with both of them fueled up for the morning activities by 7:35AM. A quick look at the scoreboard showed the wetters (wet diapers) even at 1-a-piece and consumption even at 9.5 total ounces each (can't leave out their early morning protein-loading session). As 0800 rolled around, it was looking more like Deja-vu' than something new (with the exception of Evan's early WUOWSOC" award). Sensing a long day ahead or wanting another chance to arise on the correct side, Evan headed for his morning nap at 8AM. Not about to let her younger brother get a lead on the much-needed rest, SweetPea called for her nap and made it to the pack-n-play at 8:10AM.

Me...well, I made a mad dash for the coffee maker! :-) We've learned that when you are living a schedule directed by not one but two, if you wait it's not gonna happen. So I made haste to get some caffeine and sustenence before the twangel's next sound-check. The result: 55 minutes of personal freedom...for at 8:55AM, Evan woke from his nap and was ready to play. He did good on this one, and his pit crew tallied another wetter. At 0930, SweetPea's strategy became clear...outwit, outlast, and outplay. And as Evan went from Bumbo to Playgym and back, SweetPea kept counting the sheep....and counting the sheep.....and counting the sheep!

10AM rolled around, and Evan tallied 5 more ounces of liquid gold. Sensing that his sister had the superior strategy for today, he quickly called for his nap and was back in the crib by 10:20AM. At 11:03, he awoke as if to do a status check to see what his sister was up to....to which he found...she's still counting sheep! Disturbed and frustrated that he had been lapped in the nap category, he decided to use his vocal disruption tactic to try to awaken his sister. Blasting the airwaves with remarkable tonation and tenacity, he let the entire East wing of the house have it....and the result: well, SweetPea did wake up, but gently and with a smile on her face. I wasn't sure if the smile was more because of the fact that she had slept so good or because of the satisfaction she got as she watched me tally another "WUOWSOC" award on Evan's side of the tally sheet. So after logging an equalling wetter, Taryn decided to catch up in the consumption catergory and downed 5 oz of liquid gold.

So by 1130, the wetters and consumption were still dead even...but Taryn took a HUGE lead in the naptime category...and Evan had the lead...well, in the WUOWSOCs.
Gena was able to make short work of her day, and got home a little after the noon hour. That brought BF back into play, which made tallying LG consumption too hard to be accurate. Taryn did add another lengthy nap (1.5 hours) and a couple of BF sessions...and Evan logged a couple of trips to the Breastaraunt as well and punctuated his effort with a 2.5 hour nap.

In the end, however, the day was ended up being "Something New" when compared to yesterday. But hey, that is what twins do...they both change on a daily basis, and sometimes one is better at one thing and then the other will emerge in that area. It's so dynamic each and every day...but that are so awesome and amazing and so much fun. Taryn told me the other day that the two of them are an absolute blast...and when it didn't look like they were, they actually were and it was just that I was looking at it the wrong way! Her junior perspective on things is so refreshing...and really so very true. The two of them are a blast...a hoot...truly little miracles who have a remarkable way of trying out every ounce of parenting skills I think I have. :-)
So as Day Two of Version 2 concluded, here's how the tally sheet looked:

EVAN:

Fusshead Award
Bad Napper Award (last ditch effort at day's end impressed the panel, but was too little/too late)
Best Smile Award
Best Laugh Award
Spit-up Award
Cranky Award
Best Rollover Award (did some rollovers from stomach to back with Gena right before dinner)

TARYN:

Best Napper Award
Best Hair-do Award (Even without the Red :-) )
Best Eater Award
Nap Longevity Award
Meritorious Breastfeeder Award (Remarkable form/efficiency)

I love every minute I have with my precious son and my daughter...and while their tally sheet is strictly for the purpose of me keeping my terrible short-term memory (who ate how much and when, who napped and for how long, etc) accurate and in check, it's a score-keeping that keeps me laughing and having fun with two precious miracles in my life. Oh, and the best part of the day...
.... "Mom's home!!!"
I think I learned my lesson by now because I know I can't post this much text and not include a picture...so here is one to keep me off the "bad-blogger" list :-) :