Ok, finally got the girls down to nap (it’s been a rough couple days), and I thought I’d tackle a few more reader questions! In no particular order:
Do you cook dinner everyday? Being a new Mom, I find it hard to juggle everything, especially since I’m now back at work.
I love to plan meals and cook/bake. But I’m not a ‘planner’ by nature… I’m more of a free-spirit and like to take life as it comes at me (which is weird since I’m such an organization nazi), so I don’t rigidly plan out meals more than a day or two in advance. I use THIS system of keeping track of what meals we have ingredients for, which allows me to quickly take inventory of our dinner possibilities, and choose something that fits my energy level and sounds good. Nick and I have agreed to have a ‘nice’ meal every other day. And on the off days, we have an easy meal… like frozen pizza, spaghetti, or Hamburger Helper. This allows me to get my cooking fix on the ‘fancy meal day’ and keeps cost down by having cheapo easy meals on the off days. Nothing is set in stone though. We play things by ear sometimes too. Sometimes we have frozen pizza two days in a row!! *COLLECTIVE GASP!* …And very occasionally, Nick even gives me a break and whips something up in the kitchen! He’s a sweetie. We go out to eat about once every 6 months. Being a stay-at-home mom, I have the whole day to think about and prep for a meal. It’s a totally different story for a working mommy, I’m sure! I would probably end up planning ahead a little more and making sure I have meat thawed in advance, and know what you’re having the day before so you don’t have to stress about it all day at work. Check out our recipe exchange post for some amazingly delicious and easy meals!
How the heck do you store the girls toys? We don’t have a play room or anything so I feel like they are taking over our living room! Any clever ways to organize?
I have two small-ish baskets in the living room… one for toys and one for board books. All the rest of their toys are stored in the attic. And every few weeks, I switch out the toys, wash the used ones, and get out some ‘new’ ones. It’s like Christmas having ‘new’ toys to play with (cause they forget they have them after while, so it’s super fun once again!), and it keeps the living room tidy!
Do you do all your projects when the girls are napping or asleep at night or are they just really good and you can do it while they are awake? How do you manage all of your projects AND twins?!
It depends on the day. Most days they girls quietly play together, and I’m able to get a lot done if it’s a project that I can work on in the living room while supervising the girls. They’re very mobile now, and I can’t leave the room for long, so I do my house cleaning/laundry while they’re sleeping. And sometimes I head out to the garage to work on a piece of furniture while they’re napping (we have a baby monitor in the garage) (is that a little redneck?). When Nick gets home from work, he plays with the babes while I make supper, then we give the girls a bottle around 6 (while the food is in the oven). We put the girls to bed and eat our dinner at 6:30, and then often head out to the garage or wherever our most recent project is developing. But some nights we just chillax and watch the tube together. Those are the nights that I get bored and go to bed at 7:30. I acknowledge that some babies are more demanding than others, and I’m the last person to judge someone that is less than productive when their babes are young. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re a more attentive parent than I. I got lucky with very independent and generally happy babies. On a day like TODAY, I get nothing done… because the girls and I all have colds, Adelyn is teething, and Paisley has a double ear infection. We’re having a lazy day!
What religion/faith do you consider yourself?
I’m an extremely open person, and will talk about just about anything. But religion is one thing I prefer not to talk about. I will say that I grew up in a Christian family, went to Christian colleges and have been on a handful of mission trips in my day. But I’ve come to a point where I’m struggling with some things, and prefer to work them out on my own. PLEASE don’t take this as an invitation to try and ‘reach out’ to me and help ‘save me’. This is something I need to figure out on my own!
What was the first piece of furniture you refinished and do you still have it?
We do still have our very first piece of furniture we ‘refinished’! It’s a coffee table/TV stand that I found sitting by a dumpster on the Iowa State campus. Here’s the link! I’m getting a little bored of the color, and have been pondering a new color since we’re getting started on our living room!
I have been rolling around the idea of making my own baby food when baby #4 comes. Do you make your own? How?
I do make my own baby food. It’s much cheaper! A close friend (and fellow twin mommy) gave me The Baby Bullet and I totally love it. It’s so easy to use and it makes the food so creamy. Ok, it’s kinda fun too! But it’s basically just a glorified blender, so I’m sure any old blender would to the exact same thing if you don’t have a baby Bullet. 🙂
Okie dokie, I’m going to stop there and just sit here with my box of tissues and enjoy the peace and quiet… while it lasts. Thanks for taking an interest in our dysfunction! It’s fun answering these questions!! I’ll finish up answering your questions next week! (click here for Part 1 questions/answers!)
Kim says
I am sorry if my question about breastfeeding was offensive. I did not intend it to be judgmental; I was simply curious.
How and what you feed your children is an extremely personal and difficult decision no matter what you decide. Every mom should be supported with the decision that they make.
I am sorry you had a difficult time. From what I have read, I think you are a wonderful mother. I hope you got and are continuing to get the support you need.
Jackie Askvig says
You said “baby number 4″…. Am I missing something???
Bethany says
nope you’re not missing anything, that was the person asking the question that referenced her own baby #4.
Suzy-Q says
I am the mom of the girl who asked you about your faith. I just want to say that I know that she is not going to try to save or reach out to you. She was just asking out of curiosity. She has had her own struggles and has had to find her own way as well. We are Christians, but we won’t push our beliefs on anyone. We enjoy reading your blog, watching your girls grow and seeing your projects. Over time we have read things that made us wonder what religion you were, if you were a Christian or if you had a faith of some sort. Hence the question. I hope you don’t take offense in me responding, but I just wants you to know it was a question of pure curiosity, not an attempt to “save” you based on your answer.
Bethany says
Oh! I wasn’t offended that the religion question was asked… I just didn’t really want to promote discussion about it and have to answer a bunch more questions about this issue. it’s a totally fair question to ask, and it probably should be an easy answer. but it’s not for me right now. thanks for understanding. 🙂
Somebody's Nana says
BTDT on struggling with faith issues. You’ll find your way! 🙂
Kim says
Why are the twins bottle fed? Why not breast feed?
Somebody's Nana says
Did you really mean to come across as confrontational and judgmental? I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you didn’t, but this is usually considered one of those personal questions that you either don’t ask, or you phrase it in a more supportive manner.
Bethany says
well, because after a month of pumping every 3 hours religiously (even during the night) and having double Mastitis, yeast infections, and preemies that wouldn’t latch… I was still only producing about 1 oz at a time. i made the very inevitable and painful decision to bottle feed. when you see someone bottle feeding their baby, it’s important not to judge, because that woman may have tried desperately to breastfeed, knowing the emotional and health benefits to their child. And she may feel like an inadequate woman, not being able to do what seems should come naturally. not everyone can nurse.
Anonymous says
I can relate. After 4 months of exclusively pumping, I just had to throw in the towel and switch to formula. (my son never latched properly) It was a very difficult decision but it was what was best for us. After what I’ve gone through the last 4 months to feed my son breast milk, it would be hurtful if someone questioned my choice to bottle feed.
P.S. Thanks for answering my dinner question.
Sandy
Karen says
And some people simply choose to not breastfeed. With my 2nd we went straight to formula – with absolutely no regrets. I tried breastfeeding for 2 weeks with my 1st. I think there is way too much stigma with feeding formula. There are plenty of benefits/advantages to whichever choice the mom makes. I try to be open about my decision to formula feed in hopes of reducing a smidge of mommy-guilt that others may feel if they formula feed as well.