Product Review: Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder

I bought a pack of Munchkin Fresh Food Feeders fairly early on, maybe when the twins were around two or three months old, so you can imagine I was excited to use them. We washed them up and sterilized them and then waited for the time to use them. I was originally going to use them as teethers, but little man hasn't really had a problem with his teeth coming in and little miss just cut her first tooth today.

About a week ago we finally used them for the first time. We cut up some banana and gave one to each of the kids. They were pretty much instant success. Little miss laughed the whole time she was gnawing on it (she loves food and eating). Little man has had some eating challenges, but even he seemed to enjoy this way of feeding. Then came clean-up. I had heard these were hard to clean, so we rinsed them and put them to soak immediately after the kids were done with them. A few hours later (no more than five), they were washed by hand and left to air dry.

A few days later, I grabbed one to give my daughter some more banana while I gave little man his bottle and noticed some build-up in the bag. I figured we just didn't get them as clean as we thought, so I gave it a good scrubbing and gave little miss her banana. Repeat clean-up from the first use. A few days later saw another repeat as I went to give the kids some watermelon. So, we decided to run them through the dishwasher on a rinse/sanitize cycle. I took them out and they looked like this:






Needless to say I am thoroughly disgusted. It's a really great idea and the kids loved them, but I found them impossible to clean. Even when they look clean, give them a few days/weeks and you'll see they really weren't. I'm planning on trying the Kidsme Food Feeder next which has a silicone feeder that detaches for easier cleaning. I hope that one works better as I really like the idea of the kids feeding themselves with these.

Technology Babies

We have a white board on our fridge that we usually use to make lists of things to do around the house. We also use it to track feedings for the twins. One day I drew this gauge as a bit of a joke since little miss kept getting bouts of diaper rash. We later learned that she has very sensitive skin, and so is susceptible to skin irritations. (Her gauge should really be in two pieces: "?" and "high".)

I have successfully been watching "Call the Midwife" on Netflix and it makes me think about how much things have changed in the last... 60-some years. I'm sure we all wish babies came with instruction manuals, but with the technological advances, I could see this gauge becoming a real thing someday. I hear a lot about how the previous generation raised children and I think what it will be like for my kids. What crazy inventions will they have to make their lives easier? I'm hoping for personal robot nannies (e.g. Fall Out 4).

Halloween Makeup

As today is Halloween, I thought I'd show you a cool makeup look I found and tried out for myself. It's an eye look inspired by Harley Quinn, which I know is a popular costume this year with the release of Suicide Squad.

So, I found this youtube video tutorial: Harley Quinn Halloween Makeup Tutorial and her look is based off a picture she saw on Instagram: Kiki Makeup

I am not a makeup artist at all, but I was able to recreate this look pretty easily. I did try to do it on the cheap though. Following the video tutorial, I tried to mix some $1 white Halloween "makeup" with my usual foundation and it didn't work very well. I think the costume makeup is meant to be caked on, instead of brushed (or sponged) on like regular makeup. I did find the white makeup she used in the tutorial, but it's $38: MAC Studio Face and Body Foundation. Not cheap and I don't know when I'd ever wear it again. If you have a local place that sells MAC, you may be able to get a small sample of the product for free. Otherwise, I would just go with your normal foundation. This isn't based on an actual Harley, so you get some creative freedom.

Next, I used a black liquid eyeliner I already had to draw the line down the middle. The eye shadow I used, I picked up pretty cheap at Target for less than $7: NYX Femme Fatal. It had both the red and black that I needed. If you watch the tutorial, she also used a purple and some other reds, but I found that you couldn't even see the purple when I brushed it on, and this red was very buildable, so you can get different hues by using more or less product. This NYX pallet is really all you need. I will warn you though, the black is very pigmented, so go very very easy on it. I felt like I had barely any on my brush and it did almost the whole eye look. (You can also see my disastrous "white" makeup.)



I used the same red eye shadow for the eyebrow. And honestly, I have no red lipstick. I don't usually even wear lipstick, so using a flat brush, I patted the same red eye shadow on my lips. I did do a splurge and bought a sheer black lipstick from Ulta for $24 (ouch!). It looked really good over the red powder. I did not, however, draw the Joker-ish smile on, and I did not use fake eyelashes as I was keeping the cost down and I never worn them before and didn't want to start now.

Overall, pretty easy look to recreate and it looks really cool when you're done. Pair with a "Daddy's Lil Monster" shirt and you're all set!

Following Other's Advice (My Labor Story)

***Slightly Graphic Post Ahead***

My Pinterest is filled with all manner of pregnancy and baby-related pins that I might like. Pinterest labels them "Picked For You". Recently, this particular pin popped up as something I might be interested in and it worried me. See, the whole basis of this person's post is that you can recognize the different stages of labor. And I don't think most people can. I went through childbirth classes where we went over the different stages and how you would know what they were and what happened in each stage. We even had different breath exercises that would supposedly work best in each stage. Now having gone through childbirth, I can say that none of that was in my mind while in labor and I wouldn't know the stages even if someone had told me at that moment which stage I was in currently.

Now, I know my labor story is not yours. Everyone goes through something different. I also recognize that laboring at home can be less stressful; you can eat, you can move around. But, sometimes things can move quickly and that's what worries me about people urging others to labor at home as long as possible.

My water broke around 4pm. I didn't know that's what it was though. I was 36 weeks and 2 days pregnant with twins. I had been to the doctor that morning for my weekly bio-physical profile, non-stress test, and exam. Nothing had changed. The doctor seemed to think the babies would stay put at least another week. I had been one cm dilated and almost fully effaced for weeks now and I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for about ten weeks. After my appointments, I met my husband for lunch, gave him the (non) update and went home to lay down. So, I was laying down in bed resting after my morning of tests and when I sat up, I felt a flow of liquid escape, not unlike if I was on a heavy period day. My first thought was I was bleeding and quickly checked, but it was clear. Now, I know what you're thinking. How could I not know it was my water breaking? Well, lots of disgusting and horrible things happen to your body while pregnant and I hadn't had my "bloody show" yet, so I thought about it and then rejected the idea, but it kept coming back. After all, in childbirth class they said that very few labors actually started with your water breaking. They made fun of the TV shows and movies that depicted labor happening that way. I texted a nurse friend and she told me to go to the hospital if I thought my water had broke. So, I called my husband and while he was on his way home I took a shower and finished packing my hospital bags. I foolishly packed not only a book, but a movie as well. See, I had read all the articles and knew that labor is a long process. I was in no hurry to get to the hospital. I had heard all the stories about false labor and getting sent home from the hospital to wait. Even when we checked into labor and delivery and I told them I thought my water had broke, they seemed very laid back about the whole thing. It was right about 5pm. As I changed into my hospital gown and fluid continued to run down my legs, the nurse seemed to think she wasn't going to find anything. But as soon as she lifted the sheet, it was obvious and my fears were confirmed. Baby A's water had broke and I was officially in labor. Huh? These were the same contractions I had been having for ten weeks. I was at the doctor that very morning. There were no immediate warning signs. Not only that but I was three cm dilated. They wheeled me into a labor room and less than an hour later I was at 4 cm. And then even with the stress of the hospital and the flurry of activity as my doctor was called, and the staff readied for twins, even with the epidural, both things I was told would stall labor, all of a sudden I was at nine cm. Within the space of a few hours from checking in, I was being prepped to push.

As with all unsolicited (and solicited) advice, including my own, please take it "with a grain of salt". Obviously some people choose to not only labor, but also deliver at home, but I'm talking to the people who want to and know they will be delivering in a hospital. I know if I had waited any longer to go to the hospital, I would've regretted it. There are good reasons to labor at home, but there are good reasons to labor in the hospital too. We are fortunate to live about 15 minutes away from the hospital and they have a policy that they'll administer epidurals right up until it's time to push. But, if we lived further away, if there was traffic, if you got there too late for the pain medication, then it might make for a good story, but it's terrifying enough going through labor, especially the first time, why add to it?

Worth A Mentions (WAMs)

I'm cheating a bit this week as me and the kids are sick again. So, here is a quick list of WAMs (Worth A Mentions), otherwise known as things I'm excited about right now:
     - Now that the twins are over six months old, they can have Motrin. This is exciting because 1: it lasts longer than Tylenol, and 2: it comes in a dye-free formula. No more red stained burp cloths!
     - Last time I was visiting my parents (sans children, even), my mom introduced me to a show "Call the Midwife". Since we don't have cable, I was excited to see the first season is streaming on Netflix. I'm hoping to watch it soon.
     - Speaking of Netflix, I'm excited for the Gilmore Girls reunion, but I somehow don't think I'll have time to re-watch all seven seasons before it premieres. Side note: if you like fast-talking, I highly recommend "His Girl Friday". It's a Cary Grant classic.
     - There is a basket in the "dollar" section of Target that I'm regretting not getting. Since I saw it (and decided I didn't need it), I thought of an awesome craft to do for Christmas. I just hope they still have them when I go back. I've been getting almost all my craft supplies from this section in Target, or from the dollar store lately. I miss the true craft stores, but this makes my hobby so much more affordable.

Twin Tips: Freebies

It turns out, when you have multiple children all at once, people want to help. And not just your Great-Aunt Trudy, either. There are companies that will send you free stuff if you’re willing to carry and birth multiple children at once. In all honesty, they’re probably just trying to sell you on their brand for life (or for as long as you need diapers or whatever they’re marketing).

So, I gave up my precious personal time while the children were napping and made some phone calls and sent some letters. Here is what I found.

Gerber

I called 1-800-284-9488 and asked to sign-up for their multiples program. I received about a half dozen coupons for formula and baby food.

Beechnut

I went on their website (beechnut.com) and emailed them asking to sign up for their multiples program. They sent me a dozen coupons for their products.

Pampers

Send name, address, and copies of birth certificates to:

Pampers Multiple Birth Offer

The Procter and Gamble Company

PO Box 599

Cincinnati OH 45201

I received about a half dozen coupons for diapers. You can also sign-up on their website (they also have an app) for their Pampers Rewards program. We go through a bunch of diapers and each package has a code I enter. You can redeem points for Shutterfly paraphernalia, or more diapers.

TOMY/First Years

Send name, address, and copies of birth certificates to:

TOMY

Attn: Multiples Birth Program

2021 9^th St SE

Dyersville IA 52040

I received two packs of Take and Toss sippy cups and two penguin squeak toys.

Earth’s Best Baby Foods

I called 1-800-434-4246, but they were out of food coupons and did not know when they would be getting more.

Happy Family

I went on their website (happyfamilybrands.com) and emailed them asking if they had a multiples program. I got a prompt response saying that they did not have a formal program, but if I gave them my mailing address they would send me some coupons. I did, and they did. I received a few coupons for their products.

Another one worth mentioning is Similac and Enfamil. I know at the hospital they put little miss on Enfamil and sent us home with a nice supply of ready to feed bottles and some sample sizes of powder. We ultimately went with Similac because the NICU put little man on that brand and we figured his transition home should be as seamless as possible. Also, the Enfamil stuff seemed to stain clothes more, but mostly that first reason. In any case, I signed up online with the Similac Strong Moms program and they continually send me $5 off coupons. I know Enfamil has a similar program too.

What I learned is that you can pick your favorite brands, get in touch with them and ask about a multiples program. Even if they don’t have one, a lot of times they’re willing to send you some coupons. And let’s face it, these slacker children of mine won’t be paying for their own stuff for a while, so we’ll take the help.

Sizing Up

Some of you may have seen a facebook post I did a while ago about the difference in size of some outfits I bought from Carter's. These were one-piece pajamas that came as a set of two. After washing, one of them had shrunk so there was now a two inch difference in length. I did contact Carter's about it and after shipping the pajamas back to them (with a prepaid shipping label they emailed me), they sent me a gift card back for the purchase price (they did also offer to refund the money back, but I opted for the gift card). The person I spoke with in consumer affairs said that they would show this discrepancy to their quality department.


Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence among children's clothes, or at least the clothes I buy. It seems to be an overall problem with quality control, as it is not just limited to sizing issues. I have also noticed that baby clothes tend to pill and become very "worn" looking even though all babies do all day is just lay there. Case in point, here is a sock that has been washed (on delicate!) twice. My babies do not even crawl yet, so there is absolutely no wear going on during usage. I find this extremely disappointing. And yes, this is a Carter's sock. I'm not picking on them, I just tend to buy a fair amount of baby clothes from them. (Why, you ask, since I have such issues with their products? It's the demon you/I know. So, if I know their problems, then I can account for it.)


Frustrated with Carter's, I started buying some clothes from Gymboree, even though their sizing is weird to me (6-12mo, 12-18mo, vs. 6mo, 9mo, 12mo, etc.). Sadly, I ran into the same problem again. Here are two one-piece pajamas bought separately that are labeled the same size, but have over two inches difference in length. I know the one on the right looks like shirt and pants, but it's sown as one piece. I actually bought several of both kinds and they all have different lengths.


Expecting the "major" brands to be more consistent in their sizing, I was pleasantly surprised when I found Little Me pajamas at Costco the other day. These were selling for about $8 per piece, which is the same price I usually pay during a Carter's sale. The first picture is three different 12 month size pajamas and the second picture is three different 18 month pajamas. I didn't even have to get out a tape measure for these ones. This consistency is what I naively expected from clothing manufacturers in the first place.

Now, I know there exists all kinds of horrible inconsistencies within women's clothing. I have a range of clothes in my closet from size small to size large that all fit me about the same. When I buy jeans from a store, I usually take five pairs "in my size" into the fitting room to find the one that is cut best. One time I ordered two pairs of Silver jeans from Buckle online. I thought I was safe since Silver sizes their jeans much like men's pants, with both a waist and length measurement. When they came though, one was several inches longer. Thankfully Buckle altered the long pair for free, although it might have been faster to do a return and order a new pair. Of course, who knows how big or small the new pair would've turned out.

But, with children's clothes, and especially baby clothes, where an inch or two means another month or more of growing, I find it so irritating that the companies don't seem to control the quality of the products being sold.

In closing, I leave you with this final picture. On the left is a 12 month pajama, and on the right is a 9 month pajama. So, yes there is supposed to be a size difference, and yes, the 9 month one has been washed (on delicate!) a few times, but does Carter's truly expect my son to grow six inches in just three months? That's going to be one heck of a growth spurt!

Teething Troubles

Little man and little miss have both been drooling and chewing for about two months now. The first day I noticed little man soak the front of his outfit I got really excited (terrified) about the possibility of teeth (I also bought a bunch of bibs). I waited and nothing happened. The drooling subsided and things went back to normal. This would happen on and off for a month and a half. I thought I was just being over excitable (terrified) for new milestones, especially when my pediatrician laughed and said "babies drool." Then, on one of little miss's many doctor's appointments over this past month, the PA looked in her mouth and proclaimed that the indents of teeth could be seen and I should expect a tooth (or two) to be popping up soon. Back to excited (terrified). And I waited and waited and waited. Then it happened. I was playing on the floor with the babies one day, getting lots of gummy smiles, when I noticed just a faint bit of white on the gum. WHAT IS THAT?! Excitedly (terrified) I examined the speck and upon prodding it... yes, it's a tooth! Little man has his first tooth. Wait, that's not right. Up until now little miss has hit all of her milestones usually about two weeks before little man. Little miss was examined by a medical professional and was told to expect a tooth soon. But, here is little man proudly showing off his new pearly white.

That was over two weeks ago now. Little miss continues to drool and soak many the bib and somedays less so. But, still no teeth. Meanwhile, little man's tooth is working on slowly emerging from his gum. I think it's about a third of the way up at this point. Now, I know I have a bad memory, especially after having the twins, but I did not remember teeth taking so long to come in. I know you're probably laughing at me, but I seriously thought it took a few days, maybe a week and there would be a tooth. I would only have to deal with teething in short bursts as each new tooth erupted. Another hope dashed.

One baby tooth down (almost), another 39 to go.

Product Review: NoseFrida Snotsucker

Basically as soon as I finished writing last week's post, little miss came down with my cold. And then a few days after that, little man caught it as well. It was a pretty miserable week+ and I have a new-found appreciation for my ability to take cold medicine when sick. I spent a lot of time feeling useless as we comforted them as best we could. Since they're not quite six months old, we don't have a lot of cold-fighting tools at our disposal. One thing that has been recommended to us repeatedly, though, is the NoseFrida Snotsucker. I first heard of this disgusting tool when my sister had her first baby three years ago. It is exactly what it says: you use it to suck the snot out of your baby's nose. The fan-base is sizable, with almost 6,000 five star reviews on Amazon (https://amzn.com/B00171WXII). 

I've used the Snotsucker several times now and my husband used it once. He says he's afraid he'll suck out their brains. I think he just finds it super gross, which, it is. The first couple times I tried to use it, I was not impressed. I think this was when the twins were congested, but not necessarily snotty. When we got to the mucus running down their face phase of the colds, the Snotsucker worked like a charm. I especially liked to use it before feeding time so they could breathe through their noses better when sucking on their bottles. Little miss got used to the sensation, but little man never warmed to the idea and still cries when he sees the contraption coming.

The best aspect, in my mind, is that this replaced our nasal aspirators from the hospital. I've heard that even when cared for appropriately, these bulbs can grow harmful mold inside them. I like that the Snotsucker is completely clear, so if it ever did start to grow something, I would immediately see it and be able to take action. Also, I could never seem to get the bulbs to work like how the nurses showed me.

My one complaint about the Snotsucker would be the filters. They are seemingly cheap foam that you're supposed to change after each use. I never saw the snot get anywhere close to the filters, so I did not change them as often as the manufacturer suggested. With two sick babies getting suctioned a few times each every day for several days in a row, we would've burned through them very quickly. A pack of 20 is less than $4 on Amazon right now, so it wouldn't have been expensive per se, but it would've been annoying (plus I didn't have the foresight to order more filters before the colds hit). I believe I bought my Snotsucker at Target and it came with some spare filters in the box, so we just used those.

In summary, the NoseFrida Snotsucker is a great product. It does what it says it will, but is still super disgusting.

The Joys of Parenthood

*not my actual children

I have a cold this week, so this is going to be pretty short. I actually think I caught this particular illness at PAX last weekend, which would officially make this "PAX Crud". It lasts longer and is more contagious than your normal, run-of-the-mill virus. In any case, I was going to title this post "The Joys of Motherhood", but then I realized that my husband was probably going through the same thing (I haven't actually asked him though). So, without further ado, the joys of parenthood include getting:

- Head butted
- Punched in the throat
- Kicked
- Hit
- Barfed on
- Pooped on
- Peed on
- Screamed at
- Scratched
- Pushed
- Pinched
- Hair pulled

At the end of the day, though, what makes it all worth it is the smile they give you when you walk into the room. I know people say it gets better, but I'm not sure I truly believed them until now. Yes, things got better, but then new sucky things started happening. I don't know if I'm just so entrenched at this point that even a single sunbeam seems like a radiant glow, but I will continue to do some pretty silly things to see those smiles over and over.

Thanks for sticking with my cold medicine ramblings. See you next week.

Losing Nanny

This was our last week having a nanny. Back in May I felt like I was falling apart. The twins were two months old and from 7am to around 5:30pm I was alone with them. Over ten hours every day, every week. My anxiety was through the roof. I resented my husband for being able to leave and he, in turn, felt horrible leaving me. I spoke to other twin mommies and learned that many of them had hired nannies in the first few months of having twins. It was like a light had finally turned on. I could get help. That isn’t to say that I didn’t have help before. My mom drove over the mountains several times and stayed whole weeks to help out. My mother-in-law took off from work in the afternoons to come over and help. But here was someone I could have every single day for weeks on end. I could teach them the routine and possibly get some time to myself.

Fast forward three months. I’m still anxious about what the day holds, but now the kids are so much more stable. We’re working on setting a schedule for naps, so I have downtime that I can look forward to almost every day. (I’m finding time to write this blog, aren’t I?) I won’t have a nanny to help in the afternoons anymore, but I’m hoping the truly rough newborn days are behind us. I’m looking forward to the tumultuous teething/crawling/solid food days ahead.

Poop-mageddon

My poor little miss has been sick with a staph infection and has been on antibiotics. Antibiotics, as you may know, destroy little tummies and their digestive tracks, leading to unpleasant diapers. But, today's story is not about little miss. Today's story is about little man.

So, twin A is sitting in his chair (we actually joke that it's his poop chair, because that's what he so often does while sitting in it). He's been playing for about 20 minutes and starts fussing. Everything good so far. I go over and sit down next to him to see if he just wants some company for a bit. The smell hits me and I know the famous chair has done it's job again, so off we go to the changing table. I set him down and go for the leg snaps on his brand new pajamas thinking I didn't remember the fabrics being so dark when I put them on him. Unsnap the first snap and yes. It's all down his leg. It's a miracle it hadn't soaked through the fabric yet (a testament to the new pajamas). I start to peel the fabric off and the extent of the mess makes itself known. I am honestly impressed little man wasn't more upset. He's usually very picky about having clean diapers. In any case, realizing he's getting his diaper changed, he gets very excited and starts kicking, sending the poo in all new directions. Now here's where the experienced moms will shake their heads: I decided the best way to deal with this was to put him in the bath. So, stripped down to nothing but the leaky diaper, I took baby boy by the armpits to the tub, laid him down, stripped off the soiled diaper, and turned on the water. The babes are used to getting bathed in their baby bathtub, but there was no time for that. Little man thinks that I am trying to drown him, so he starts screaming. The screaming wakes little miss who was sleeping in the living room. As the water rises, it takes the poo from his legs and bum and floats it closer to his head. BAD IDEA. BAD IDEA. I turn off the water. My brain is almost completely shut down now as the panic rises. I've got one screaming baby, one crying baby, and instead of getting cleaner, the poop has now spread. I'm sure everyone will now recognize my folly as I got out the baby bathtub. As I put little man into the tub and ran water it quickly dawned on me that now I was just making poop soup. But at least his head was above the muck this time. I eventually got everything sorted but suffice to say next time I will be using a bajillion wipes to clean up the mess rather than trying to wash it off in the bath. At least until he's old enough to stand on his own and I can just spray him down.