I am so thankful for their patience with me and my endless questions about the simplest of things as I'm trying to get back into the swing of things around the hospital. I equate my return to work with "walking through jello". You know where you're supposed to be going, but it feels like it takes forever to get there! Things are slowly coming back to me with every new shift I have at the hospital, but I can just tell that I'm slow as molasses (what's with all the food references?). It's entirely too frustrating to me to be this slow and literally feel like I can hear/feel the wheels cranking at a slow pace in my brain when I'm working with my patients- I think my patients deserve better than me and where I'm at right now. BUT... it's so motivating to observe again how amazing my coworkers are with their patients, and it makes me want to get better everyday so I can deserve to be an oncology nurse on my unit again.
When Jason and I both have to be at work, we have a nanny that comes to the house to be with the boys. Now, before you think we're rolling in the money and that's how we can afford a nanny, let me correct you. Here's the absolute truth of the matter: when you have three babies that need to be taken care of, it is going to be ridiculously expensive whether you have a nanny or take them to a daycare. Jason and I did the math, and we were going to be paying about the same regardless of what choice we made. And so the decision of nanny vs. daycare for our family instead became far more about the non-financial benefits. Jason and I went back and forth for a good few months about which option would be better for the boys. Obviously it would be easier on us as parents to have a nanny, but there were both pros and cons with both options for the boys. Ultimately, we felt the boys would benefit the most from a nanny. Cue Magda, our nanny, entering our lives.
And she is AMAZING. A coworker passed her contact info on to us last August, and I just held on it until we started our nanny search. If you've been following our story from the beginning, you know that one of my big worries was who was going to take care of the munchkins when Jason and I couldn't. Whenever Jason or I started getting anxious about it, I'd try to remember that if God gave us these three little peanuts, he was going to also bring someone along to help us take care of them. And boy did he ever. Magda has been a nanny for many, many years and has worked with twins before- so she's experienced with babies and she's definitely experienced with multiples. And we just love her!! I knew she'd be the nanny for us when I realized that the way she talked to the boys reminded me of the way my own mom talks to them... She doesn't carry a big satchel and umbrella, but I still want to call her Mary Poppins anyway. Magda is such a positive, loving woman- I joke with people that the boys are probably better taken care of when she's around than when Jason and I are...
The boys are growing up before our very eyes. Just the other day, I pulled Elliott up from a laying-on-his-back position to a sitting position and I was dumbfounded at just how strong my little man's gotten. I don't remember him going to pump iron at the gym! All of the boys are rolling over now, and you can no longer guarantee that they are going to be where you left them a minute ago. We're getting closer and closer to being fully mobile- yikes!
Here's a little "breakdown" of where each of the boys is at. Everyone always wants to know if they have different personalities as well (which they do!)...
JENSON is our feisty little man. He was the first of our boys to roll from his back to his stomach, and now we have a hard time keeping him off of his tummy (which sometimes we'd like to do because he's developed this nice habit of leaking a little milk out of his mouth if he's on his tummy too much!). He loves his rattles, his pacifier, grinning at everyone, and wearing as little clothing as possible. Jenson's so inquisitive, and he loves nothing more than to talk/shriek as LOUDLY as possible. He's determined to get things done, and he wants the same from us (if he wants his bottle, he wants it NOW). While he might be the most insistent of the three, he balances it out nicely by being the biggest giggler!
ELLIOTT is our patient little dude. He is a happy little man, and he loves his stuffed puppy, his pacifier, falling asleep in the jumperoo, and tummy time on Daddy's legs. I'm pretty convinced he's got a bottomless pit for a stomach, and he's already overtaken Sidney in the weight department. Elliott loves his bedtime stories, watching intently as we turn the pages. He's our most challenging sleeper when it comes to naptime, but I'm pretty sure it's because he just wants to be wherever we are. And guess who has just discovered that he can make all sorts of different noises with his voice?!? This guy!
SIDNEY, sweet Sidney. This kid is quick with a smile, and he has the biggest grin of all three boys. He is pretty sure that his feet are the greatest thing ever right now, and he loves sucking his thumb, bath time, and pretty much any situation where he gets another chance to smile at someone. Sidney's newest thing is to put his arms around your neck in the form of a rudimentary hug- it's so sweet! He loves nothing more than to stand up (with us supporting him of course!) and look around at the world- once again, he grins from ear to ear with pride when he does it. Sidney is definitely a lover and not a fighter.
