First Full Day With the Babies

I know everyone is wanting to hear how our first full day together went. I definitely feel like a new mom as I am whipped out tonight.

Bedtime last night went pretty well the first time but then they were both up probably fifteen minutes later and the second bedtime was more of a struggle. However, they were successfully sleeping by 1:15am (is that really considered a success- not sure but it felt like one). I did not sleep well as I got stuck under Addie and was afraid to move for fear of bedtime #3. The room was hot, and the kids were terribly restless. Living in a foreign country with two toddlers adds some special challenges to parenting. For instance, I have no bed rails and the set-up is in a way that I can not put the mattress on the floor. Luckily the bed is low to the floor (Mom and I call it a munchkin bed as it is seriously about the height of a toddler bed) but Dasha still fell off twice despite me moving them away from the edges all night long. Kathy had the same problem with Tessa so at least I was not the only one. Waking up to happy faces this morning made it all worth it though.





We headed down to breakfast this morning at the hotel. The twins are ravenous eaters and can put away a ton of food. Once again, they ate great and had excellent table manners. After breakfast, Kathy and Tessa came to our room and the kids played for a while. They really like active games, but I did manage to squeeze a bit of reading in.


We decided to attempt our first go at leaving the hotel and an out to eat meal for lunch. First we headed to a park in Soviet Square for the kids to play. They had a good time.


We ate at Traveler's Coffee and all three kids were very well behaved. Tessa is very quiet, tiny and just adorable. I don't think anyone was worried about her behavior in public. The twins are so active that Mom and I (and probably Kathy too) were pretty worried that eating out would be crazy but it is almost impossible to eat in every meal here since we have no stove to cook on. They were angels - thank goodness. It was past their nap time by the time we finished so we hurried to get home. The twins love their stroller. They hop right in every time. Here is a picture from the three hours following our arrival home.



Mom and I took them for a walk to another park very close to the hotel after our naps. They have a permanent carnival there once the weather gets pretty. This was either their first or second weekend to be open. It was packed with kids and parents. The girls really enjoyed watching everyone but wanted to stay very close to Mom and Nana. I think they were a little nervous about all the new stuff. We eventually headed home, had dinner, played a while and then put them to bed. They have been asleep for several hours now and haven't moved. I figured out the air conditioner so the temperature is much more comfortable and we finally figured out a way to fix the bed to prevent fall outs. I am sure it will be a better night.



We have had a wonderful day but it has not been completely easy. The things we are struggling with the most are tantrums, difficult bedtimes/nap times and figuring out how to communicate with Russian speaking toddlers. I am still getting used to juggling two kids and my own needs. I have never been so grateful to have a fantastic mom. She has been helping with the girls, getting meals for us, and making sure that I eat/drink and take care of myself. I don't know what I would have done on this trip without her.

Well, until tomorrow, here is a last shot of Mariya. She says "say cheese".



Lindsey

Location:Kemerovo, Russia