Monday, November 22, 2010

I never finished cleaning the bathroom

I just collapsed in exhaustion on the couch.... but then decided to drag myself over to the laptop to attempt to record the last few hours of typical-morning pandemonium I just survived. In case someday I wonder, "how in the world did I make it through those early days?!"  or "what did I DO all day?!" this post might help jog my memory.
So... here goes.
Starting at the beginning.... I "woke up" at 8:15am. I put those words in quotes because I had been up 5 times during the night. Three times to feed Bennett (with one poo diaper change in there), one feeding for Courtney, and once to respond to Brianna's "HELP ME MOMMY GO POTTY! HEEEELLPPP!"  Brian left around 7 or 7:30, but amazingly his departure didn't wake me. He's good at being veryvery quiet. Or maybe my body subconsciously knows that I don't have to wake up for ANYTHING other than childrens' noises. Brianna came bounding into bed with me at 8:15, asked to cuddle with me (which of course I gladly obliged), but 30 seconds later started the chorus of begging for breakfast. A chorus, because her noise woke Courtney who also wanted breakfast. I grabbed the baby, held her while I quickly got food out for Brianna, fed the baby, changed the baby, other baby woke up, fed and changed him, realized I was starving and fed myself, then realized this was my CHANCE - everyone was content, so I got on the treadmill. But of course as soon as I started, Bennett started his fussy-TIRED cry, so I had to put him to sleep. Then Brianna for some reason decided to take off all her clothes then complain she was cold. Got her dressed. Then finally...I ran while watching Toy Story, Brianna watched with me, and Courtney hung out in her bouncer chair staring at her mommy attempt to get a good workout. I did 40 minutes, 30 of them at 8mph, which I was really proud of. My standards are low these days. When I got off, dripping in sweat, I wanted to jump in the shower but Courtney was squirming. I checked - yep, a yellow LAKE in her diaper. So I grabbed a towel to go under her while cleaning her up. Bennett woke up  (probably because the movie/treadmill loud noises stopped), and Brianna tried to go get him out of his bassinet. So I had to stop mid-change with Courtney, help Brianna gently get Bennett out of bed, put Bennett in his chair so I could finish with Courtney. She started her fussy-tired cry, so I had to get her to bed. I also had to change her outfit because it got a little messy, so I started it in the laundry along with the rest of the overflowing dirty laundry basket. Keep in mind here, I'm still dripping in sweat and reallyreallyreally wanting a shower. Bad. I'm also half naked, thus horrified when the doorbell rings. I grab Brianna as she starts her excited sprint to the door. I tell her we can't go answer it because mommy's not dressed. She's extremely put out. I prayed the door was locked in case it was a friend/neighbor (because most of them know they're free to just walk in anytime). Courtney got to sleep, Bennett was hungry. Brianna was bored and starting into her 'give me something to do or I'll start making messes' mode. So I put on another movie for her (and felt guilty about it), fed Bennett and he got a weird look on his face. Probably because his milk tasted a little salty. I told him - sorry bud, but if I showered first then I'd have to listen to your hungry-cry, which always makes me sad and slightly panicked. Finally, I put him in his chair in the bathroom (so I could protect him in case Brianna decided to attack him with too-rough tickles and smothering kisses) and showered. My bathroom was embarrassingly dirty. So as soon as I was done and the bathroom was steamy, I got out the Lysol and did the fastest bathroom clean I could manage. Brianna saw the squirt bottle and insisted she had to help clean. I took Bennett OUT, so he wouldn't inhale the cleaning stuff, or get sprayed by Brianna's "helping." The phone rang. I would ignore it, but it's Brian's phone he accidentally left at home. Finish call, back to bathroom. Cleaning efforts thwarted by my "helper," who of course just makes things harder, but I still have to let her help because I can't bare to burst her bubble. Courtney wakes up. She's hungry. The bathroom is half done. I can't leave Brianna alone in their with the Lysol. So I quickly thank her for her fabulous help, put the cleaning stuff away, get Courtney, feed her while sitting next to Bennett tickling him (because his new-found belly laugh is just the most awesome thing ever and I love seeing/hearing it). Fortunately Courtney only eats for 5-10 minutes, because I really needed to get dressed. Our house dropped to 60 degrees because I turned the heater off before working out. Halfway dressed, Brianna starts asking for food again. I throw on the same pajamas I wore the night before and take her into the kitchen. Our gourmet lunch? Canned soup. With extra veggies chopped up and thrown in. Brianna helped chopped everything with her plastic knife. We listened to talk radio while doing this. The babies just sat around. I felt bad about that - I feel like I should constantly be playing with them so they don't feel ignored/neglected. But Brianna and myself must be fed. Bennett did his hungry cry. I go to the couch to feed him. Rush Limbaugh comes on. He annoys me. I endure listening to him because I don't want to try to walk around while feeding Bennett - it makes him pull off, then get sprayed and we have a mess. TMI, TMI. Whatever. But if you're reading this far, you're probably one of the people who have very low standards for the "TMI" label, and can handle reading just about anything I'm willing to write. Finally... both babies are tired, I swaddle them both tight, turn on the ocean noises, and then fall asleep with minimal crying. Brianna eats and goes back to her movie and falls asleep watching the Wiggles (which means she's REALLY tired, or REALLY bored, because she usually dances along with that movie).  And me... like I said before. Collapsed on the couch. Now typing this. And I think I hear a baby waking up.  

7 comments:

Malerie said...

Chelsea- you are amazing. I got really tired reading that and you seem to have such a great attitude about it. I like reading your blog because it reminds me to stop thinking my life is hard with two kids :)

Keep up the good work. Your kids have one awesome momma!

Unknown said...

Wow, quite a morning. I'm glad I'm not having twins, YOu arr amazing to do that every day!

Megan Smith said...

BIG HUG!

summer said...

wow! that is quite the morning...I realized we are all busy in our own ways, but your busy makes me tired!

I can't believe how big the twins are - they are so precious and it's so fun to see all the smiles popping out in your pictures!

btw - my eyes are either completely horrible, or perhaps....perhaps just for me because I really do enjoy reading everything on your blog, could you make the font on some of your posts just a tad bit bigger? Right, I know - I'm such a needy blogging ready! But I do want to keep reading --- I'm hoping someday I get to have twins of my own and I need to learn from you! Plus, I find it just fascinating everything you do in a given day with looking after your darling trio! Okay...that's all!

Brittany said...

Do I laugh or cry? Been there. Felt those feelings. Love. You are doing great! I'm amazed at your running. I can't even run for a minute on 8.

Lisa-Lou-Who said...

You get a gold star for surviving! And I will get a gold star for coming over to your house and cleaning that dang bathroom for you! Keep chugging along! And holy crap girl-- 30 min at 8mph--- those seem like way high standards to me. I blame it on the shortness of my legs tho. I am sure your long legs make it easier to run faster, right? am I right?

chelsea mckell said...

Summer - sorry, meant to respond sooner - the tiny font... yeah, I know - not the most readable! But I just don't want my ridiculously long posts taking up the whole page. I know most people just wanna see some pictures and read a sentence or two and be done. But I like to blahblahblah forever. So I make the font small to save page space. BUT... you should be able to go to the VIEW tab on your computer and make the font larger. Or there's a shortcut... something like ctrl +
:)
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