11 months 26 days

For the second day in a row I got up before my time. Today because I heard babies cry for longer than usual, so I got up and went downstairs and lay down with them. I was still half-asleep. Randy took advantage of me being up and went to the store as he needed some stuff for the afternoon. All I really wanted was to be back in my bed. And then it was time to warm their food up, and then it was time to feed them, and I was still waiting for Randy to come home. I started feeding Sammy, and was glad when he arrived a little later.

While Randy was finishing up the last baby, I cooked lunch for us. We usually eat downstairs where they are. I let Emmy out of the play area, as he was unhappy with neither one of us being in there with them, and he was so very excited about it. I was watching him with an eagle eye while eating. And he's so fast when he's crawling! When he disappeared behind some furniture, I was right there with him. Good thing I'd cleaned up all of Randy's tools yesterday and put them on a shelf, so that it was safe to crawl where he went today. His path ended at the staircase, as he could not go up there.

Tammy did not want to be alone in the play area. Sammy was already taking his afternoon nap. So I opened it up, and out she came, crawling fast and all happy. She also went straigt to the stairs, and to my greatest amazement, I watched her start crawling up the stairs like it was the easiest thing in the world! Emmy had to stand on the bottom and watch her, as he could not follow. Tammy kept looking down at him, as if she was wondering why he wasn't following. As she kept climbing, and I was filming, I got closer and closer to her until I picked her up. That was enough! It looked like she would have gone all the way to the top! Amazing, considering they are only 9.5 months old biologically! It's time to buy a baby gate.

I put them back into their play area and joined them. They were playing, while I was just so very tired. It didn't take long before they were getting tired as well. Emmy lay down next to me, and Tammy on my chest. Emmy had just fallen asleep, and Tammy was about to, when our friend arrived to help Randy. So Tammy never slept, and Emmy also woke right back up.

I stayed with them while the guys started working on the film for the windows. I was hoping they'd lie back down, but no chance. I was the only one tired. They kept watching Daddy and the other guy, as they were first cleaning the windows and then applying the mirror film, so people walking by outside don't see everything on the inside.

After 3 o'clock a church friend arrived to have fun with them for about 2 hours. I was glad for her to be here, so I could get some things done. I had just received the last papers the government had asked for for Randy's permit, and needed to email those out. Amongst other things.

Our friend took Emmy and Tammy - who were SO tired by now - and took them for a walk in the stroller to the nearby park. Sammy stayed with me, and he kept me busy for the whole time. I had him in the swing, in bed, in the play area, but he was never content for long. When he siblings came back - who had slept pretty much the whole time in the stroller - it was already dinner time. I fed Sammy and put him to bed.

I was wondering whether the other two would be able to sleep after their long nap. At first neither one wanted to eat. A little later I was able to feed Emmy, but Tammy still refused, which is quite frequent with her at night.

Randy also put up the black film on the top of the window that is between the outside hall and our apartment staircase/kitchen. I'm so glad about it! The neon light is right outside that window and would shine bright into our apartment at night, which was also affecting where the babies sleep. It's so much better now.

After I had tried to feed Tammy, I put her to bed. She was tired and cranky. Then I put Emmy to bed. While I was comforting Tammy, Emmy stood back up, and as I had my back to him, he was pulling on my dress. He does that a lot, and I think it's funny. I didn't stay long, but walked away. I had Bethel worship music going, like yesterday, and again, it worked. They were both still crying and fussing, but not as much as without music. They did wake up Sammy, though. After a while they fell asleep - so much easier than without music - but then it was Sammy who kept us busy for a LONG time. I guess he was awake again. He kept turning onto his back - now that he has a big bed with room to do so - but he doesn't sleep on his back. I don't know how many times we turned him over. And I tried repeatedly to give him some milk to be happy and sleep. It took a very long time, and I did not know what else to do. I guess while the music helps the other two, he does not like it. And I had stopped the music after the other two were asleep, but it didn't make a difference.

After and before eating, I unpacked some more boxes and put stuff up, and Randy also did a few more little things. Every little thing I do makes a difference and makes it feel like more progress. Our goal is to have it all at a certain point by Tuesday when my family comes to celebrate their first birthday with us. And I have so much to do in preparation, in addition to everything else, that I don't even know how to get it all done.