Gratitude Challenge 4: Small But Mighty
At the end of the day, after the babies are put to bed, the dishes are done, the laundry is piled high, and there are blog posts to write, and content to curate I wonder if the the to-do list will ever get shorter. We can lose sight of all the wonderful aspects of our lives when the chores are seemingly never ending. By committing to the 7 Day Positivity Challenge that @mariannewest kindly invited me to, I have had to sit down and really identify all these wonderful things I have been taking for granted. This world has become so filled with hatred that we can easily get swept away in negativity. Let's start a shift together and start sharing our blessings instead.
The Little Renegades are getting awfully mobile these days.Everywhere I go, I carry a reminder of my babies. My soft saggy stomach was once their home and I have come to be grateful for my body for growing these tiny beings. I feel blessed for having not one, but two children brought into my life at the same time. They are already best buddies even though they are vastly different. Despite the long days, daily melt downs, constant chasing, and frequent night wakings, I couldn't ever give them up. I might threaten to leave them at a fire station, but I wouldn't ever actually follow through... probably.
I am grateful for my babies.
Have you ever watched a baby learn? If you haven't you really ought to one day. Yes, you will repeat the same words day after day, week after week, but that one moment when you finally see their little mind click, is worth the countless hours of sounding like a broken record. The twins first animal noise is that of an elephant. They will raise one arm up in the air, as though it's their trunk, and toot like an elephant. And yes, it's as adorable as it sounds. They are always reminding me just how magical this world is with each and every discovery they make. Their innocence has restored sweetness to my life and baby snuggles have got to be one of the most cozy feelings I have ever experienced in my life. Being a mom of twins still feels surreal. I am simply amazed that these two people who grew together, came into the world together, and are growing up together can still be so different. They are sweet, they are frustrating, they are brilliant, they are challenging, and they are all mine. Well, I guess they're Mr. Canadian Renegade's too but same difference, right?
You've Been Nominated
The rules:
- Write a post about something you have to be positive about today - this could be anything from being thankful for your current situation, someone being nice to you, being thankful for your friends and family, or even being thankful for the opportunity you have been given here on Steemit - just keep it positive :)
- Do this for 7 days in a row if you get nominated.
- Mention three people who should do this on each day.
- Tag it with #7daypositivitychallenge and include these rules at the bottom of your post Include a picture of something positive (related to your story if possible.)
- Tip: You need to put the # in front of 7daypositivitychallenge or it will not let you use the tag.
I thought one baby at a time is hard. Can't even imagine having two at once.
And your babies are so cute.
Parenting is hard, regardless of how many babies or how many arrive at once. Thanks, we think they're pretty adorable too but we might also be a little biased. 😉 -Aimee
Very cute kids.... and I guess they make taking part in a competition like this pretty easy, as they're so obviously a perpetual source of joy!
Although this appeared in my news feed recently, which might give you something to think about, especially when the content here is immutable after 7 days, barring total server meltdown.
They are cute, and joy bringing aren't they?
Thank also much for sharing the article. We agree 100%. We created a private instagram to stay in touch with friends and family, especially those who are long distance. We were just getting too many requests to text photos and it was becoming a huge chore. Other than that, the handful of photos we shared here are the only ones of our kids online and we wrestled with whether or not we should do it. We do upload our photos from our own website though so that if we ever need to remove them we can delete them on our end and leave Steemit with a broken link. But you're right, it's easy to fall into the sharenting trap and it is something we want to to avoid so I appreciate the reminder. On a side note, I really hate when people share the photos of their kids crying or throwing tantrums which seems to be a trend. What an incredible breech of trust. Thanks for stopping by. -Aimee
Sounds like you've got it well-covered!
Karl.
Well, we're trying anyway. Parenting is a challenge, add in the need to evaluate the repercussions of technology and social media and decisions get complicated. We had made a point to tell people not to share photos of our kids because I have friends who have encountered grandparents who share without consent. I am still surprised to see just how much people give away. Social media has created a lot of glass houses. -Aimee
They're adorable. I hoped for twins before and I think God knows what He was doing that He gave us one baby at a time.
You got twins and that's a thumbs up that you can handle two renegades. You have great family and friends support, so I hope they help make it manageable. Esp now that they're crawling around! My youngest one's belly scooting...uh oh, she's close to crawling
Thank you! We are so blessed to have as much support as we do. When I am struggling my mom will tell me, God only gives us what we can handle. Sometimes I think he made a mistake, but he doesn't does he? We have survived up until now!
Once they become mobile it's a real game changer isn't it? Little H is starting to walk and R isn't far behind! Eep! -Aimee
Mom's right! And He knows what we're capable of. I think we're just underestimating ourselves. Because when we have to, we can do things we thought would take forever to finish.
Oh gosh, my baby girl's very very mobile now. It's so funny how she uses her elbow to scoot forward and uses one leg to push up. Eeep!😆
Wow! That's incredible. I love watching them problem solve and making connections. What an exciting time. I am reading my response to you about R not being far behind... well, she's caught up. They're both walking and I am doing a lot of chasing. R wants to run though so she tends to start off slow, then bursts into a run, then bales. But she is so determined she just keeps trying over and over. I hope your boys are all pitching in. -Aimee
The boys are pitching in :) They love baby sister and keeps an eye on her when I'm busy. It's really been a blessing. We don't know how we can ever manage 4 babies without @futurefarmers.
Wow! That's incredible. I love watching them problem solve and making connections. What an exciting time. I am reading my response to you about R not being far behind... well, she's caught up. They're both walking and I am doing a lot of chasing. R wants to run though so she tends to start off slow, then bursts into a run, then bales. But she is so determined she just keeps trying over and over. I hope your boys are all pitching in. -Aimee
Look at those Little Renegades! I'm so happy for you that you're able to roll with the hard to appreciate the good. I love that they're already best buds!
Me too! They're rarely ever apart. The last time they spent a part for a couple of hours they did well but as soon as they were reunited they started giving each other hugs and kisses. We were so surprised and it was the cutest thing to watch. -Aimee
What a sweet duo 🧡💛, I have a trio ❤️💚💙
Thank you! Do you have triplets? I couldn't even imagine! -Aimee
Yes triplets
OMG! 👏 You are incredible! How long were you able to carry them? I really struggled with having one baby crying while the tending to the other so I can't imagine having 2 waiting on me instead of just 1. So much mom guilt that I am still working through. How old is your trio now? Did you know that @mntmeadowmomma is also a multiples mama? (Twins) I love having a multiples mom tribe. -Aimee
31 weeks 5 days 😊 Husband couldn’t fit his arms around me or even touch fingers. Before and now he can wrap him arms and touch elbows easily.
In the beginning I did one on one feedings, took about three hours. As they go older I started to feed them all at once. I don’t really remember them ever being fussy, mostly when they where sick or teething. But that is to be expected.
They will be 10 this summer 😊
Whoa! Way to go mama! Ha ha ha, I felt humongous by the end of my pregnancy, I can't image tucking one more baby in there. Awh, hugs must have been difficult. I think we had to side hug too. Oh, I am so glad your babies weren't overly fussy, what a blessing. Our poor girl was wedged into my hip for so long that she had torticollis (basically a really bad kinked neck) and both had tongue ties. If only there were a frequent flyer card to the doctor, lactation consultant, physiotherapist, and cranial sacral therapist. At 11 months though, they're incredible babies. We struggled in the beginning but are finally falling into a groove. 10 years old? I can't even imagine! There are days I want them to be just a little older but then there are days where I can't believe they're always grown so much. They kind of bully each other a little, but are still best buds. Are your kiddos close? -Aimee
Wow on all the medical, my husband had a tied tongue. But I have a lizard tongue so the kids got in between.
I had my fair share of doctor appointments, because they where preemies we had to go to monthly appoiments to check growth. I was also breast feeding them and was pumping like a dairy cow. Problem is I also have PCOS, it allows little to no breast feeding. I got mastitis three times before I had to call it quits, to much pain. We had to be on WIC (a program that helps new moms feed their babies), I couldnt pump enough milk so I mixed what I could with formula. Their cans of formula cost $28 a can, but they where on a high calorie diet. So instead of one scoop they would get two or three. So we went through a TON of formula.
I am the opposite of wanting them to grow, they are my only children and I struggled for 7 years. I went to three doctors and left crying from one.
You are actually a supermom. I am familiar with pumping like a dairy cow. I remember getting up at 3:00 am to pump and nodding off while I did it. Once night Matt came down with a crying baby and I had to switch from the pump the the baby. The beginning felt so insane. I am lucky that I haven't had mastitis but I have had my share of clogs and all the pain that comes along with it. Every time it happens, I am always terrified it will progress to mastitis, the second last time was the worst and I was in pain for days. Yeah, formula can get really expensive really fast especially with three babies. Oh! I can't even imagine going through what you did to have children. That must have been really hard. You sound like an incredibly strong and determine woman and that's so admirable. I hope someone put that doctor in their place! Well, congratulations for overcoming the struggle! I am so glad to hear you were blessed with three beautiful babies. I hope time slows down a little so you can enjoy them as long as possible. Any time you want to connect, please feel free to reach out. There's nothing like another MoM. <3 Aimee
Incredible! I hate to butt in but wow! Triplets! I haven't met you yet and I sure am glad to see you here at the renegades.
I'm heading to your page now :)
😊
Such a cute photo of the little Renegades! I agree with everything you said, too. Watching babies learn...it's so fun!!
Thank you! I think they're pretty adorable myself but I might also be a little biased. Ha ha! They're making leaps and bounds now, imitatings sounds and words, walking. It's like all of a sudden their brains are exploring. -Aimee
I dimly recall that this age is when I began to start actually enjoying my babies and having more fun with them. Watching them wake up to the world around them and become more interactive was the best :)
Yes! I am in that stage and was just thinking the other day, I am not sure when things switched exactly but there is a definite change. They are more interactive, and cuddly. They're able to play on their own and with each other (blessing!), naps are a thing, night time sleep has gotten significantly better. They've really started to imitate over the last couple of days and it's hilarious too. -Aimee
informative and initiative content..babys food is so exited of his family .thanks @canadianrenegade for sharing this blog.
The twins are definitely excited for their sippy cups but on this particular day they were more toys than nourishment. Thank you for stopping by. -Aimee
o yes, today I have not posted it yet, am I still nominated?
Yes, I nominated you! The challenge is to share 1 gratitude a day for 7 days. But just do what feels right for you and have fun! -Aimee