Today I'm thankful for: that time Morgan watched the babies so I could see Twisted Melodies

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for that time Morgan watched not just Alice and Katherine but also their friend Ramona so Michelle and I could go see Twisted Melodies.  This is just one of many examples of how he goes above and beyond for me.  I really am lucky to have him, and I am thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: Morgan's taking parental leave

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for the fact that Morgan was able to take parental leave.

I remember the day I woke up and actually felt well for the first time since the babies were born.  It was week 7, day 6, which is fortunate, because my employer allowed me to use only eight weeks' sick leave for a C-section.  This was not just the first time I felt well since the babies were born; this was the first time I had felt well since February.

I can only imagine how much more exhausted I would have been, and how much longer it would have taken me to recover, if Morgan hadn't also taken leave and done the lion's share of baby care.  He didn't just take care of the babies; he took care of me, too.  Alice, Katherine, and I are lucky to have him, and I'm thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: that new-baby smell

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for that new-baby smell.

Today I'm thankful for: the gift of the Everyman subscription

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for the Everyman Theater subscription Heidi and Steve got for us.

They didn't just give us the subscription; more importantly, they volunteered to watch Alice and Katherine during our theater dates, so we wouldn't have to make our own child care arrangements.

And as if that were not enough, they have even, on several occasions, also volunteered to watch Alice and Katherine's friend Ramona, so that Ramona's parents can go to the theater with us, and the four of us can have dinner afterwards.

I treasure these times, and Alice and Katherine treasure these times with their Nagymama and Poppy, and I am thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: diapers

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for diapers.  Diaper technology is just amazing, and I am thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: the day care's Facebook page

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for the day care's Facebook page.  It's nice to see pictures of the babies throughout the day, and nice to know they made it safely to day care, and I am thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: dishwasher inserts

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for dishwashers and dishwasher inserts.

Every day, Alice and Katherine come home from day care with three or four used bottles apiece, each of which needs washing.  Each of Alice's Medela brand bottles has three parts, and each of Katherine's Dr. Brown's brand bottles has five parts.  The bottles fit nicely in the top rack of the dishwasher, and the other bottle parts (nipples, rings, valves, etc.) fit nicely in the dishwasher insert, as do the pacifiers.

My quality of life has vastly improved since I had the insight that I do not, in fact, need to wash the bottles individually by hand, and I am thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: that article Yen sent me about how you may not have to burp your baby

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for that article Yen sent me about how you may not have to burp your baby.

I don't remember much from September 2016, but I do remember, after feeding babies in the middle of the night, trying to burp them.  At that age, they didn't like being up on my shoulder (plus, I was terrified of not adequately supporting their little heads), so I usually used the method of sitting them up on my lap, supporting their chin on my hand, and thumping them on the back.

I had to thump them pretty hard to get the burps to come out.  The babies didn't seem to mind getting thumped, but I didn't like doing it.  Even if I was willing to thump the babies pretty hard, burping still had a low rate of success.  So there I was, in the middle of the night, frequently faced with the choice of whether to stay up longer to continue to try to burp (with a baby happily snoozing with her chin in my hand) or to put the baby back in her crib, worried that she would then spit up because she was inadequately burped.  My rational, well-read self knew that babies who spit up while lying on their backs in their cribs are not going to drown (the spit-up just flows down the side of the baby's face), but in the middle of the night, sleep-deprived, and still recovering from major abdominal surgery plus the previous nine months' illness, it was very hard to be rational.  So I did, in fact, spend many hours in the middle of the night trying and failing to burp babies, feeling demoralized that I was unable to do something that is supposedly so natural.

Then, Yen sent me this article: https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/growth-curve/maybe-you-dont-need-burp-your-baby.  The study has its limitations, certainly (and the article does a good job describing them), but it reminded me of what should have been obvious: burping your baby is not, in fact, necessary for her survival.  She'll be fine if she doesn't burp.  You all can go back to sleep.  If she does spit up all over herself, you can wash her off.

This article at this moment was an important perspective check for me.  I am lucky to have friends who are looking out for my well-being, and I am thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: hand-me-downs

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for how generous everyone has been with hand-me-downs.

Infants go through a lot of clothing, as it turns out.  I don't want to be gross, but they're still learning how their bodies work, so various bodily fluids leak through assorted orifices.  Alice and Katherine are starting to eat baby food, which ends up smeared all over them, despite everyone's best efforts.  Twins need twice as much of everything: onesies, pants, pajamas, bibs, and more.  But despite the sheer volume of clothing these kids go through, we have not had to buy anything ourselves.  (Not that we haven't bought anything: some baby clothes are too adorable to pass up, even if we don't absolutely need them.)  That is because everyone had been extremely generous with their hand-me-downs.  We are not that conscientious about doing laundry frequently, but because of everyone's generosity, Alice and Katherine have never wanted for clean, adorable clothing.

And not just clothing: we have hand-me-down bouncy chairs, baby carriers, bath tubs, and feeding chairs, all of which have proven to be extremely useful.  Having two newborns is hard enough without having to run out and buy stuff for them, and I've never had to because of everyone's generosity, and I am thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: that time my dad flew out to take care of the babies

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for that time Morgan had a meeting in California, and my dad flew out for a week to help take care of the babies (as we speak).  Alice, Katherine, and I are lucky to have so much support in our lives, and this is just one example, and I am thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: infant formula

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for infant formula.

Nursing and pumping are both great options for feeding babies, and while they work great for many people, they don't work for everyone, and fortunately for us, we have infant formula.  Scientists have studied what nutrition is necessary for growing babies, and infant formula stays on the cutting edge of that science.  Not only does it include everything we believe babies need, but it is also getting updated all the time as we learn more about the components of human milk.  Some babies have special dietary needs, and we have specialty infant formula that meets those babies' needs, too.

Before an infant formula manufacturer can introduce a new infant formula, they need to notify the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who reviews the formula to make sure that it is safe and nutritious before it can be sold in stores.  I have worked with the individuals on the infant formula team at FDA: they are all highly qualified, hardworking people who are dedicated to the work they do, and I am glad that they are on the case.

I am also thankful to the manufacturers of infant formula themselves, who are committed to making formula not only safe and nutritious for infants, but also user-friendly for their sleep-deprived parents.  Powdered infant formula comes in a very fine grain, which dissolves very easily into water, with very little work on my part, while still being coarse enough to not float into the air in the way that, say, powdered LB broth does.  And for those times when you don't have the wherewithal to even mix the easy-to-use powder with water, ready-to-feed liquid formula is also available, which has already been pasteurized and is ready to go.

Another benefit of infant formula I learned to appreciate just a few weeks ago, when I was sick with some dread contagious disease, and managed not to infect the babies, which I'm not certain I could have done without infant formula.

Alice and Katherine, and so many other babies, have infant formula as a safe, nutritious, and user-friendly option, and I am thankful.

Today I'm thankful for: Morgan's doing both drop-off and pick-up

Today (and every day) I'm thankful for the fact that Morgan both drops the babies off at day care and picks them up from day care every day.

Morgan is a really great dad, and Alice, Katherine, and I are lucky to have him.  Being a great dad takes a lot of work, and he does it enthusiastically.  Doing drop-off and pick-up is just one example, and I'm thankful.