Saturday, August 20, 2011

Feed back needed!

Hey guys, I know I haven't been the best at updating this thing and I know before I started it I had people give me ideas of what I should write about.  The unfortunate thing is that I saved that list of things in my iPhone that died back in April. :( I think I tried a written list but somewhere I've lost it.  So let's throw out some ideas here on the actual blog of what you want to hear from me next.  I will take your ideas and we'll create a poll on my facebook page for the topic of my next big blog post.  So that means you should also go "like" my facebook page so I can also do better at it, too. Facebook Page HERE :)

Friday, August 19, 2011

Tummy Tub

**Just so you know I am not being compensated for my review on this product.  I'm merely writing about how wonderful it is because I know it saved my sanity and it can save yours too!**

Some of you have seen posts from me on facebook (or my last post from this morning) about my Tummy Tub.  I paid somewhere around $75 for my tub and stool set when I was about 20wks pregnant with my twins.  With Conner I had found that after he outgrew the $10 baby tub he really just wasn't ready for the big bath tub.  Sure, there are swivel seats to put in the tub but I didn't like those either.  I felt you had to fill up the tub so full to really let your baby enjoy the water and that was just wasteful, and took forever to fill it up.  Plus it was hard to get at a good angle to stick my hands down and wash Conner off without lifting him up out of the seat.  It was probably the worst $30 I ever spent on a baby product.  Disappointed is a severe understatement.

When I came across the Tummy Tub early in my pregnancy I did all the research I could about it because I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't be throwing my money away.  Some things about the Tummy Tub that really caught my attention were that...

*It grows with your child.  It works from babies from birth until...whenever.  Conner is almost 3 and he can still squat in the Tummy Tub and actually occasionally does squat in it for his baths.  lol.  The twins are 13 months old now and they still fit very nicely down in the tub.  I think this might get them almost to 2 before I really have to give it up.

*In Germany, doctors can prescribe (yes, write a PRESCRIPTION!) for Tummy Tubs to help relieve colic and gas.

*It comes up to chest level on babies so that they are less exposed to air that can make them cold and make bath time a traumatic experience for them.  Also because there is less surface area, the water stays warmer longer.

*It's safe.  There have never been any accidents or injuries reported.  To read that directly from the site, go here.

*You don't have to bend over the bathtub. HALLELUJAH!

This thing was amazing after being pregnant twice.  Pregnancy ruined my body and leaning, bending and kneeling by the bathtub makes me very uncomfortable rather quickly.  And the twins want to stand up in the big tub and I'm so nervous that they'll slip and fall that I can't just sit back on the toilet like I can with Conner.  With the Tummy Tub I am free to sit in a chair (or on the toilet in the bathroom) with the Tummy Tub on it's stool, between my knees.  No pain necessary :)

So I took a chance on a baby product I just *knew* my family and friends were going to think was a gigantic waste of money.  When I posted on my facebook page that I bought one I had more negative comments than positive ones.  People didn't know why I would pay so much for a "bucket".  But it's not just a bucket.  Tummy Tub actually compares their product to a bucket.

The best thing that I haven't mentioned yet (other than in my post from this morning) is how Tummy Tub continues to save my sanity, time and time again.  Here are some examples.

*One night, Saoirse was screaming and nothing I did made her stop.  She was dry, she was so full she refused to nurse anymore, I'd given her teething gel for her gums in case she was teething.  I think I even gave her a little bit of Tylenol.  I even tried wearing her in the baby carrier.  Nothing was working.  I finally got the bright idea that I should try the Tummy Tub.  At worst, she would continue to cry.  At best, maybe she'd be quiet.  It didn't take even a full ten seconds for Saoirse to calm down and smile at me.  I really wished at that moment I could kick myself for not thinking of the Tummy Tub sooner.

*I rarely use the tub for bathing Conner unless he asks.  However a few months ago he busted his head open for the very first time and with the liquid bandage we weren't allowed to get that spot wet.  So how was I supposed to give him a bath?  This is the kid who dumps water on his head to watch it drip down his face.  I was in trouble.  But of course I had an idea. THE TUMMY TUB!  Conner was able to squat and stand as necessary to get wet and be washed.  And when it was time to was his hair it was the perfect height for me to lay him across my lap and wash and rinse his hear without ever getting the glue on his forehead wet.  Yup, I was winning.

*This morning.  Oh heaven help me, this morning.  Sheenagh screamed for an hour and a half and I finally came to the conclusion she was gassy.  But what in the world could *I* do for gas?  Sure there's gripe water and mylicon but I don't buy them because I feel like they're not really effective.  I rubbed her poor little belly hoping to help her get things moving along, but nothing.  Somewhere in my exhausted stupor I thought "Hey, maybe the Tummy Tub will help her pass the gas".  So at 6:30am I was running the tub full of water.  And again, it didn't take but a few seconds for her to stop crying.  The way the water works at soothing babies and helping their gas problems is like magic.  I massaged her belly some more and about 30 seconds into the bath she let out a belch that I am admittedly proud came from my tiny squirt. I let her play for a bit and Conner came to keep her company and they splashed and giggled though it all.  Once she was dried and dressed her belch count was 4 belches total.  I was then able to lay her back in bed, get Conner a cup of milk and lay back in bed for another two hours of sleep.

Gosh, I'm so wordy.  I can't help it though.  This is a wonderful product and I just *know* that if you had one, you would think so too.  Do yourself a favor and at least go to the www.tummytubusa.com and check it out for yourself.

And here are some pictures of my sweet little monkey from this morning <3





Exhausted is an understatement

It's not even seven o'clock in the morning and I'm writing a blog post.  A short one, but still... a blog post?  :sigh:  It can only mean that all THREE of my children are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.  The rough nights of having twins seems to only get more rough some nights, like last night.  My sweet Saoirse is getting all her molars in and is in so much pain at night that it breaks my heart.  Night time are the only issues we have.  Her amber teething necklace seems to do the trick all day but at night it's a different story.  I don't know how long I cuddled and nursed her last night before I could lay her in her own bed.  Once I finally could it was liberating lol.  I had room to stretch and sleep.  Then I woke up to screaming.  Conner's screaming to be exact.  I can only imagine he had  a nightmare from the scared screaming that was escaping his mouth, so into our bed he went, cuddled with Mommy to calm down.  Casey left for work probably around 4am and all was quiet.  But then along came 4:30am and Sheenagh screaming.  I rolled her in bed with me to nurse, and nurse she did for a little bit.  But then came the squirming and the the kicking.  Oh goodness, the kicking.  Somehow Sheenagh always manages to plant a good kick right in my c-section scar. Every. Time.  I was so tired I desperately tried to convince myself that if I put her back in the crib she would cry it out a little and fall back asleep.  So I tried it and the screaming still didn't stop.  So I just decided to cuddle and love her as best I could.  I finally deduced that she must be gassy and I tried to rub her belly to help her pass it.  Or to help her poop if that's what she needed.  I didn't care what she needed at that point, I'd do it. I just needed her to sleep so that I could sleep.  After she woke up Saoirse with her screaming (which ended up with Saoirse next to/on me nursing and Sheenagh trying to roll all over us) I was awake.  Lovely.  But then I got an idea and I have no idea where it came from.  THE TUMMY TUB.  Yes, I needed to put her in the tummy tub.  At the very least, it wasn't going to hurt anything.  So Saoirse was unlatched and much to her dismay, put back in the crib and I carted Sheenagh off to the bathroom, quite unwillingly, to throw her in a bucket of warm water.

I'm not lying when I said she was in it for ten seconds (max) before she stopped screaming.  She let me massage her belly a little and within 20 seconds out escaped a decent sized belch.  HALLELUJAH!  So I backed off and let the tummy tub work it's magic.  Of course at this point Conner decided it was too quiet to sleep (after sleeping through all the screaming) and came in the bathroom to keep Sheenagh and I company.  I can only assume Sheenagh must have felt much better because she and Conner proceeded to splash me with water and giggle.

As soon as I can type a more put together and coherent post, I will tell you all the wonderful things about the tummy tub and why you need one, too.  I promise, you'll thank me.