Saturday Shenanigans: Recap of a weekend day

WARNING:  This is a long post and is mostly just about our "normal" Saturday activities today so feel free to skip to the end for pictures if you like. 

Today the babies woke up for the first time around 6:30 am, and it was my morning to get up and feed them.  Sometimes they will go back to sleep after the first morning feeding, and sometimes not.  This morning after I put them back in their cribs they were wide awake and ready to start the day.  So we got them out and brought them back to our bed to hang out with us for a few minutes before we planned to head downstairs to the living room/play area.  To our surprise we all ended up falling back asleep until 9:30 AM!  What a rare treat for us! 

By 11:30 am we were all ready to go out on a shopping excursion.  Chad and I were looking for a large area rug for our living room.  We have a smaller one now that fits in the middle of our sectional, but we were looking for one that covered more of our hardwood floors and was a thicker/softer material for the babies to crawl around on.  We were very lucky to find a rug we loved at the first furniture store we went to, where we have previously purchased a lot of the other furniture in our home.  We had to special order it, but with any luck we should receive it within the next 7 to 10 days. 

Next we went out to lunch at a wonderful Tex Mex restaurant in the Galleria area.  We also fed the babies while we were there.  We have unfortunately become THAT family, the one whose table looks like a bomb went off by the time they leave, and somehow a million baby puffs or miscellaneous food items have scattered all around the floor.  We now tip our waiters and waitresses more than we otherwise would just to account for our mess and we always apologize before we leave, although I am not sure how much that really helps. 

At lunch we coincidentally were seated right across from another family with boy/girl twins who were 5 1/2 years old.  We chatted with those parents for quite some time.  When you are the parents of twins you automatically feel a camaraderie with other parents of twins or multiples, because you share many of the same joys and challenges of what is a somewhat unique parenting experience. 

Speaking of joys and challenges, our next endeavor after lunch involved one of the principal difficulties of infant/toddler twin parenthood:  transporting your children from Point A to Point B in the most manageable way possible.  Double strollers are no joke.  Not only are they expensive, but they are often bulky, heavy, and difficult to maneuver.  We had the opportunity to "test drive" a double jogging stroller on Halloween evening while trick or treating with our friends the Dermody family (also parents to boy/girl twins).  Chad was so enamored with their stroller he could not stop talking about it.  I had to admit that it was a very nice stroller, light as a feather yet extremely sturdy and well-made.  After some consideration, we decided to buy one for the babies.  We ended up stopping by REI since they carry them in their store.  The salesperson actually assembled it for us while we were there, demonstrated all of its features, and walked us through how to operate it.  Since we carried the babies in, we actually got to wheel them out in their new stroller!  Somehow I didn't snap any pictures of their new ride, so I will have to get one soon to post! 

After our day's adventures we headed home.  Believe it or not this wasn't the end to our activities for the day.  Chad actually installed a permanent baby gate on our second floor this afternoon.  We had a pressure mounted one that you could put up and take down, but this one screws into the wall and has a door you open to get in or out so it is more secure. 

Whew, what a day!  Congrats if you made it to the end of this long post.  I apologize there is no "theme", I am just too tired to be very creative tonight.  Next week there should be a few fun posts though, as we have a trip planned to the Children's Museum on Wednesday and the babies' 9 Month check up is on Friday so stay tuned! 

Now for a few random pictures:

Playing with the 3D Glasses while watching the UNC v. Michigan State b-ball game last night!



"How cool are we?"

Dressed to go shopping today, the only picture I could get Brady to sit still for

Probably one of my favorite outfits of Chloe's right now

 

Making it Work: Play Space & Toy Storage in a Small(ish) Living Area

EDITED TO ADD:  This is a long post but there are pictures if you want to scroll to the bottom.  Also, I want to thank Chad, he did an amazing job rearranging furniture, putting furniture up in the attic, making TWO trips to Ikea, and spending most of his Sunday afternoon building the storage shelves for our project.

I mentioned back in July that we decided to put our house up for sale.  Our plan was to ride out the summer real estate season and see if we had any interest in our house.  We only signed up for a three month contract with our Realtor that ended in late October.  Although we did have some showings and one near-offer, we were not able to sell our house.  The market is flooded with inventory and we were competing with many new houses in our area.

While three months is not a very long time to be on the market, it definitely felt like a long enough time for our family.  Keeping a house in show-ready condition with two infants is nearly impossible, and we often felt like our evenings or weekends were compromised because we had to plan on the possibility of being kicked out for showings.  Now that we've taken our house off the market we are enjoying the flexibility in our schedule and the freedom to live in our own home however we please.

Deciding to stay in our three story townhouse with our two growing babies did come with its share of new challenges.  Most importantly, the babies needed an open, fairly large, and safe place to play.  We also needed an appropriate place to store their multiplying toys.  We considered turning our first floor guest bedroom into a playroom, but we really like having a room for the grandparents to stay in when they visit.

We eventually decided to work with our large open-concept living space on the second floor and make some room for the babies to play.  We moved our dining table to another part of the living space, put a few furniture items away in the attic, and decided to use the recessed "dining area" for toy storage.  We also found an extra square of carpet in our attic that we saved when we upgraded the carpet in the bedrooms a couple of years ago.  It is thick and soft and makes a perfect area for the babies to play on instead of the hardwood floor.

We went to Ikea and found this book shelf and these baskets.  We bought two of the shelves and placed them longways side by side, making 16 cubbies for storage.  Our Ikea (not sure about other locations or how long this is going on) is currently donating $1 to children's education for every soft plush toy purchased, so of course we had to get two stuffed animals.

Here are some pictures of the end project:

Lots more room for toys!

Cubbies and baskets up close

Two out of three of these fuzzy animals were purchased at Ikea

All tuckered out from his Ikea shopping trip, poor buddy!

We still have a few projects to do around the house, but we feel like we've improved the living situation for the babies substantially.

50th Post: Start Your Engines!

This is the 50th post of the Ringley Family Circus!  It has been a lot of fun keeping up with the blog and I really enjoy posting to keep our family and friends informed of what is going on in our lives.  I hope you all have enjoyed keeping up with us and that you will continue to check in on us. 

Today was the first day the babies got to try out their new walker.  We have been having a lot of fun giving it a couple of "test drives" around the living room. 

Chloe took to the walker right away, and is very pleased with her new ability to move about.  Her preferred method of moving in the walker right now is by scooting herself backwards, and she is enjoying herself! 

Brady took a while to warm up to the walker, but now he seems to like it, especially since he has figured out he can use it to "come and get Mommy".

Have a great Friday evening everybody! 

Jumpin' Jumpin'

Although we have really streamlined the amount of baby stuff in the living room since we have the house on the market, the one thing I refuse to move or put away is the Jumperoo because they just LOVE it and it is really handy to have around to entertain a baby if I need a second to get something accomplished. 

They are old enough and grown enough to really enjoy it now.  Chloe has officially retired the beloved (and abused) Monopoly game box and can jump without it now. 

Here is Chloe proudly jumping Monopoly-less: 

Here is Mr. Brady jumping away:



Have a great afternoon everyone! 

Two Peas in their Pods

In less than three weeks, our family is going to embark on a new adventure...traveling home for the first time with the babies.  It will be 2 parents, 2 babies, for 2 weeks of touring NC and VA.  We booked this trip in May and have been looking forward to it all summer long. 

Going home is always such a privilege for us.  We LOVE spending time with our families, catching up with old friends, enjoying the (usually) cooler weather, and eating at all the places we miss because we don't have them in Texas (including our Momma's kitchens, of course!). 

This time it takes on a whole new meaning for us because we get to reunite the babies with their Grandparents who haven't seen them since they were tiny newborns, and we get to introduce them to Great Grandparents who can't travel, and family friends we don't get to see often.   

All that aside, as excited as we are, we are also scared to death!  The thought of interrupting the babies' normal routines and traveling for prolonged periods of time with them definitely has us nervous.  So we are planning, planning, and planning some more.  Our hope is the more we can prepare in advance, the easier the traveling experience will be for everyone. 

Part of our plans involved what to do about the babies' sleeping arrangements.  I did some research and we purchased two of these infant travel tents.  We decided to "practice" with the babies by letting them sleep in their tents for naptimes.  Eventually we will work up to having them sleep an entire night in them.  If they can feel comfortable in them now, we are hoping it will be an easy transition when they are sleeping in them on our trip.  So far today (knock on wood) they have already had two successful naps in them, so things are going well! 

Here are some pictures of the babies in their "PeaPods" (that's the name of the tent):



Please keep us in your thoughts as we hopefully have a safe, fun, and successful trip at the end of August through Mid-September!  

Out with the Old, in with the New

Living in a townhouse in the city with two adults, two babies, a dog, and a cat can definitely lead to some space issues, particularly when it comes to baby stuff.  We have two of almost everything, and sometimes two sets of things on different levels of the house.  As the babies grow and their needs change, so do the baby gear items they need. 

A local restaurant nearby holds a garage sale in their parking lot every first Saturday of the month, and anyone can bring their stuff to sell for free, no need to sign up ahead of time or anything.  Since we were in the process of phasing some items out and bringing new items in, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to unload some of the stuff we'd outgrown. 

This morning Chad took it all over to the garage sale and we sold everything, including: two bassinets, two bouncy seats, two newborn boppy loungers, and two swings!  We were delighted to have successfully cleared out these things so we could have more space! 

Now for some fun pictures of the babies using some of the NEW baby items in the house!

REGULAR BOPPY PILLOWS

They have graduated from the Newborn Boppy loungers and now can use the regular Boppy pillow on the floor.  These adorable Boppys were gifts from our friend Patrick's parents, Sammy and Lorene.  Their outfits are new also and were sent to them from their Meepie (Grandma Kathy).  

HIGHCHAIRS

Look how big we are now in our highchairs! 

JUMPEROO

Brady laughing in his new Jumperoo!  So exciting! 

Chloe checking it all out!  She seems to be thinking, "Whoa!"

We have really enjoyed watching the babies process these new experiences, it is so much fun!  Have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend everyone! 

Top Ten Baby Items Under $30 (for 0-3 Months)

When I was expecting I was always asking parents for their favorite baby product recommendations because there is SO MUCH out there to choose from that it can get really overwhelming. I wanted to get real, practical answers from parents who had "been there" instead of getting lost in the hype.

Having "survived" the first three months of twin parenthood I decided to make my own list of items that made our lives easier as a new family. My criteria for picking these items was as follows:

1. Must be something that was used frequently.
2. Must be something that made life easier and more efficient.
3. Must be under $30.
4. Must be for infants 0-3 months.

Disclaimer: These items are just from my family's experience with our babies. Obviously every family is different, so these may not work for you...but it is my 2 cents for what it is worth.

1. Sleepy Bee. This is a portable sound machine that comes with or without vibration. It is small enough to fit in a purse or diaper bag and can attach to the arm of a carseat or stroller. It is perfect for drowning out the noise of a loud restaurant or mall, etc. It is wonderful when you need a baby to nap on the go. There are some downfalls: It eats AAA batteries. There is no automatic shut off, you have to press it off yourself. It is loud. This sounds like quite a few drawbacks but when you see the almost immediate calming effect it has on a fussy child, you will think this product is worth its weight in gold. I use it to help with bedtime too, not just on the go. Link

2. Boppy Loungers. These are the Boppy pillow, but with a center. They are a perfect safe and comfortable place to set a newborn when you need a free hand. They seem to be molded in the perfect shape for newborns to lounge comfortably unlike other products that are often too big and the babies get all slouched over or scrunched down. Also very machine washable and will hold their shape. Link

3. SwaddleMe infant wraps. These are fool-proof swaddle blankets for infants. They are secured with velcro and make for a snug swaddle. No fuss swaddling for parents, and babies love them. Link

4. Fisher Price Precious Planet Whale of a Tub. Simple, straightforward infant tub. Best part about it is the green insert in the middle that props up baby's bottom and keeps its upper body out of the water. Very comfortable for even very small babies. We started bathing Chloe and Brady in this tub at two or three weeks old and never felt like they were uncomfortable or unstable. Has a drain in the bottom for easy clean up. Link

5. Medela Quick Clean Micro Steam Bags. These bags are used to sterilize bottle or breast pump parts, as well as pacifiers and nipples. Very easy to use, just rinse what you want to sterilize in warm soapy water, then put 2 ounces of water in the bag with your items and microwave for 3 minutes. The first few weeks we were sterlizing things several times a week and these bags were a lifesaver. I believe a pack comes with 5 bags and each bag can be used 20 times, so you get 100 uses per box. A great deal and a real timesaver! Link

6. The Mommy Hook Stroller hanger. Hanger stays in place on your stroller and holds lots of bags. We learned quickly under-stroller storage is at a premium and is not always easily accessible. We actually use the Mommy Hook to hold our diaper bag (with a cajillion things in it). Inexpensive and great product. Link

7. Babies R Us Multi Use Pads. These are waterproof pads that come in packs of three. They are great for putting on top of your changing pad to protect your cute (and probably expensive) changing pad cover you bought to match your decor from the inevitable accidents. Also can be used in the crib or bassinet. Only irritating thing about these is that they have a tendency to bunch up in the dryer. Since they really aren't meant for aesthetic value, I let it slide. Link

8. Johnson's Bedtime Lotion. Disclaimer: Per our infant care class at the hospital, it is not recommended to put any type of product on an infant under 6 weeks old. So we didn't start using this lotion until they were 6 weeks old. The big selling point of this lotion is that it is supposed to help babies sleep better. We use it every night as part of our bedtime routine and so far we've had a lot of success with sleeping (crosses fingers big time since I am going to totally jinx myself now). Regardless of whether it helps with sleeping or not, it keeps the babies' skin soft and smells wonderful on babies and mommies too. Link

9. Gum Drop Pacifiers. Pacifiers are really a baby by baby preference type of thing. Brady will pretty easily accept any kind of pacifier. Chloe rejected every pacifier we tried with the exception of these. They seem to be the pacifier for the picky pacifier baby. They are the same nipple shape as the Soothies that are used in the hospital, but the outer shape seems to help babies hold it in their mouths easier. Comes in packs of two in all different colors. Link

10. Zip Up Pajamas. There is not a specific brand (but I do know that Carters does sell zip ups). Most baby pajamas come with a million snaps. Not fun trying to find all the snaps, especially during the 2 AM feedings/diaper changes. If you can find pajamas that zip up, get them! My link is for a set from Carter's but honestly it is more about the zipper than what brand it is. Link

Well, that's all folks. I hope maybe this list will help a new parent or maybe will be a good gift guide if you know someone who is expecting.