19 months 29 days

Today was a different day, and hopefully the first day of what life is gonna look like from now on.

Last night I went to bed just after midnight, as planned. Not being used to going to bed this early, it took me at least an hour to fall asleep. In the morning, we got up at 8 am sharp, as usual. After they had had their breakfast, I cleaned them up and dressed them and took Tammy and Emmy downstairs to play, waiting for Randy to come down with Sammy, who he takes care of. When they came, I picked up my computer and left.

But today I did not go to bed. I went upstairs and started doing office work - after cleaning up. I had 90 minutes before I needed to start cooking. I was making good progress, even though I got really tired after a while. The night was still only 7 hours at the max, and I usually sleep at that time that I was working at today. I powered on anyway. At 10:45 I stopped and started cooking for the five of us.

At 11:30 they came upstairs to eat. It was pork chops, potatoes and sauerkraut. As it was not a meal for spoons, I went to get their forks after a while. They had never needed them yet, so it was their first time using them. I stuck them into their meat and potatoes, and they put them into their mouths, and that was really easy for them. Tammy and Emmy ate everything on their plates. Sammy had a harder time. They all had yoghurt and fruit as dessert.

Then I cleaned Emmy and Tammy up, dressed them, and let them run around until Randy was done with Sammy and putting him to bed. That way I put Emmy to bed at the same time as Sammy. It was nearly 1 pm already, so they were pretty tired. Randy took Tammy downstairs, while I helped Emmy fall asleep by stroking his head. That way it didn't take long for him to sleep, and then I called Randy back up and put Tammy to bed, who also fell asleep pretty quickly.

I cleaned up everything, and then went to work again. I was getting pretty tired after a while, but never got to take a nap. Sammy and Emmy woke up after about 90 minutes, and I lay down with Emmy, but he didn't go back to sleep. Both boys went downstairs with Randy. I lay back down and rested, but it wasn't long before the girl woke up too, and I called the boys upstairs to eat.

Tammy is always pretty cranky after waking up and wants me to hold her. She also doesn't want to go into the chair - at least until I put the watermelon onto her tray, then she goes in without complaint.

Tammy and Emmy have been shaking their heads for weeks now, even when it's yes and not no that they are meaning to say. Today was the first time that Tammy nodded her head yes, copying me. Yeah! Emmy tried to do it to, but he couldn't, and the movement he did was really funny, like moving his neck forward instead of his head up and down. All that happened while they were in their high chairs.

As for Sammy, he's been saying "mama" a lot recently, sometimes over and over again, and it's so very cute.

We cleaned them up and dressed them again and took them downstairs. I had decided to work until 4 pm, and then spend the hour from 4 to 5 with them. I had less than half an hour left to work before it was 4, and it was really too short to even start anything.

At 4 I switched places with Randy, who went to continue working on the new shelves. And then I had so much fun with my littles ones for the next hour. Tammy decided she wanted to take their chairs inside their play area with her, and so she did. Then she kept moving them around, and Emmy joined her.

All three of them also went on the swing, and down the slide. Sammy doesn't care much for the slide, but he did slide down on his belly, head first. I also threw him around quite a bit, which he loves, and it makes him laugh big time. Emmy is usually cranky at this time, so I had to do quite a bit of throwing with him too. We also read several books, and watched a short video teaching animal names.

At 5 pm Randy came back down and I went upstairs to make their food. It was after 5:30, when I called them back upstairs, and we sat down to eat. They did pretty well eating, but they still throw food at times. That's when I take their plates away. I combined it all on one plate that I took to the bathtub. Then they went into the water, and Sammy joined them shortly after. Emmy was pretty tired again, and did not like the bathtub much, and was laying his head on my chest at times, which is what he does, when he is tired, and then he stops crying. But all three finished all their food, which is rare.

Then they all came out, and I got Sammy ready for bed, which includes putting his braces on, and Randy the other two. I then put them all to bed one after another with a prayer. And then I walked away. Tonight Emmy fell asleep without needing help, and really quickly, and I just had to return once to give Sammy his pacifier back and to comfort Tammy.

I started making my dinner, which takes a while. I have a soup first, and then a salad, and cutting up all the salad ingredients is time-intensive, which is why I do it for two days at once. Today was the cutting day. As soon as I was done eating, I went to work, as my goal is to go to bed at midnight again, and I need to be at least done with the pictures and report of today by then. I'm very tired now, not having slept all day, so I would think I'd fall asleep more quickly tonight. It's not even 11 pm now, but I still have to clean up everything, which usually takes me about an hour.