Sleepless in Tennessee

Sleepless in Tennessee after 8 months...but hopefully not for long.

As of lately, the twins have been rotating out and having cycles of "frequent wakings." Haha you say, welcome to mommyhood! :)

Last month, Billy had a period of two weeks where he woke up every hour each night. BUT as of today he has slept through the night for two weeks!!!!

Now it's Brookie's turn it appears. For two weeks, she has been getting up every hour.

I have found that I would rather be utterly exhausted than allow them to cry themselves to sleep. I have read countless articles and books that advocate both sides (CIO and nurturing your baby). After reading each article and finishing each book, I still come to the same conclusion: As a parent, it is my job to love, nourish, soothe, comfort, and build trust with my babies. Not the opposite.

You should do what is natural and instinctive as a mommy.

That being said, I have plenty of friends that have used CIO and their babies sleep soundly through the night. And sleep is extremely important for babies. That method just isn't for me. :)


My current reads are "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins", "The No Cry Sleep Solution", and "The 90 Minute Sleep Cycle Program."

I've researched everything from teething, reflux, separation anxiety, feeding schedules, lovey's, bedtime routines, to sleep crutches.

My current physical appearance consists of dark circles, frequent yawning, and red eyes. ;)

But lucky for me, I have a wonderful hubby who is taking on a few nights each week so I can get a full night's rest at those times.

I have decided to apply the methods of "The No Cry Sleep Solution" consistently and see where it takes us. I am suppose to assess my results after a 10 day period so I'll be back on August 3rd with my findings.

Most importantly, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many sleepless nights we experience. I can honestly say there is nothing quite like be needed by your child, whatever the reason may be. I can't begin to describe the love that soars through me when one of my sweeties reaches for me, or gives me a big smile, or giggles while we play games.

God is so good and I am so blessed to be Billy Ray and Brooklyn Rose's mommy.

Now here is to a good night's sleep!

Living in the moment

Here lately, I have been trying to take extra care to live moment to moment.

Life with twins means twice the smiles, twice the laughs, and well, being twice as busy.

Having twins hasn't actually caused me to have to speed things up, it has actually helped me remember to slow them down. When I get up in the morning, I can''t immediately begin to think about where Billy's missing baby shoe is, what flower bow may match Brooklyn's outfit best, whether it will be cool enough for a stroll, how easily the babies will lay down for their naps, or how much longer we have before we need to buy more diapers or formula....I have learned to take things in stride and to live minute to minute. Billy and Brooklyn continually serve as reminders for me to live in the moment, while of course bearing in mind those things of importance for our future. It's amazing to me what two 8 month old babies can teach you about yourself if you slow down enough to truly take in those special moments. Beyond letting me know what faces I make are the funniest (and what faces are not ;)), the twins have helped me to remember what it feels like to be needed, how golden patience is, that you don't have to use words to communicate, and that there can be gaps in your life that you never knew existed until you have someone fill them.

~4th of July 2011~

For this year’s 4th of July, the Helton 4 spent time at Netty’s and Big Daddy’s house. We enjoyed a late afternoon meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, Pina Colada smoothies, and homemade strawberry ice cream. It was all DELICIOUS. The Sandlot was playing on TV, which is one of my ALL TIME favorites and also served to set the tone for the day. As darkness began to fall, Big Daddy and Netty kept the twins so Billy III, Ashley, and I could go watch the fireworks show in Lawrence County. It went off with a bang…well, actually, there was several loud bangs during and at the end of the show as it seemed some of the fireworks were apparently malfunctioning. All in all, we had several good laughs and I was glad that we went. You can’t have a 4th of July without a good fireworks show!

This has been the best 4th of July yet as it was the first one we got to experience with the twins. I was so excited to deck them out in their matching outfits for the occasion. While we were at the fireworks show, Ashley and I noticed a large family sitting together on a truck next to us, and I couldn’t help but think of the future and what I’m sure will be numerous exciting holidays with our families. I have always wanted a big family, as I grew up in one, and it was always so much fun at get-togethers.

This year, I had a lot of things to be thankful for and I took time during the day to think on those wonderful blessings I have received over the past year. It’s wild to think that between last year’s 4th of July celebration and this year’s celebration, I have had a son and a daughter and am getting ready to be an aunt to my first niece. God is so good!!!

The months are speeding by...

On the 18th of this month, our two "babies" will be 8 months old...8 months old seems so much older to me than all the other "monthly" birthdays for some reason. :) Everyone has told me the time would fly by, and it truly has. I can honestly say though that I have enjoyed every single moment of it. I don't take being able to stay at home with Billy and Brooklyn one bit for granted. That doesn't mean there aren't days when I am especially tired, or a bit stressed when they are both ready for naps at the same time, but that just makes me human. And a mother of twins. :)

During my days, weeks, and months with the twins thus far, I have taken special care to remember to do certain things each day.

For one, after I rock them to sleep (yes, we are still rocking them-that's mommy's call ;)), I always make sure I spend several extra minutes holding them. As simple as that seems, it is one of the most sentimental moments of my day. As they are in my arms and I am studying their features, I typically drift into thought- thoughts of what we will talk about when they are toddlers, of what sports they may or may not play, and also into much deeper thoughts, like what kind of friends they will have in school, what kind of spouse they may marry, and most importantly, what I can do as their mother to ensure they are strong Christians. My faith has been strengthened that much more through the blessing of Billy and Brooklyn. I see God's love in their sweet smiles and precious laughs. I see God's grace in the fact that they are both healthy. I could go on and on. Each and every day, I see aspects in our twins that make me realize and appreciate God's love for us and the gift of his Son that much more. I pray that I continue to see my blessings this clearly.

I also take time each day to sing and talk to Billy and Brooklyn about God. It's never to early to started teaching your children about God. Especially in the world we live in today.

In addition, numerous times during the day, I tell Billy and Brooklyn I love them. They may not know exactly what that means just yet, but I can tell that they already know what love is through their expressions, and that means the world to me. May we always remember to do the simple things and to give our children the focus, love, and attention they deserve.