Monday, November 2, 2015

White Noise

There are two babies living in my house. I have managed to wrangle them for 12 whole months. I wouldn't trade the double diaper change, the double burp, the double carseats, the double stroller the double shift or the double duty for anything. I am the leader of this v. cool little gang and they look just like me and the person I love the most. They are my little pack. We're a clique. Or a crew- depending on which car we're in. #shoutout <---- only a select few will understand this joke, but it was worth it.

When I first came home from the hospital, the babies had beat me home. I was out of immediate danger but very weak. I wasn't allowed up the stairs because the trip to the mailbox was like a marathon and any activity took recovery time. Because that's how we're wired, my babies needed me. They needed me and when they did they would cry. I was so weak that it took much effort to get to them and tend to their need, and I would get there-slowly..but they needed their needs met with a quickness.

For the first 6 weeks it was necessary for us to have a night nanny. I had already hired a full time nanny to help me get in a rhythm for the first year or so. Every book I read (and there were several) suggested that paid help is the best buy when you have multiples. The other best buy? A white noise machine. <--I'll get back to that.

A family friend was available to help us out during that time and would work 10pm-6am Sun-Thursday nights. Trey had to go back to work and needed decent sleep and I was in full recovery mode- following doctor's orders and resting resting resting.

The weekends we were on our own and we got into a routine quickly. Bath, lotion, bottle/reading, music/rocking, bed. The wake ups were well orchestrated while I pulled the babies from the side sleeper to change their diapers Trey would heat up their bottles in the kitchen. We would feed, burp, feed, burp and back down they went. This went flawlessly, I must say. They would only wake two-three times a night and were never inconsolable. We created a healthy and strong night time routine and Jesus had mercy on our souls. the end.

The white noise was a life saver. I read endless articles about what it does for baby's brain waves and how it helps drown out outside noise. It also drowns out each cry from the other baby- this. was. love.  Before the babies were born we slept with the TV on. Trey has terrible tinnitus and while I was prego it worked because I was up much of the night anyway going to the bathroom, throwing up in my mouth and other fun pregnancy activities. I became accustomed to great 4am shows on Nick like Instant Mom and other goodies. #thanksobama Anyway, with the babies in the room leaving the TV on wasn't an option. Our poor little pudding cups already had to do a bunch of bells and whistles in the hospital so we wanted to give them the best opportunity for a night's sleep possible.

When I was a kid I spent half my time at my best friend's house. They were big on noise makers. I never knew why. Now I do. Loud life. #onelove

The white noise machine kept it so you couldn't hear every squeak and hiccup from the baby. If I did hear it, I would jolt awake like I was falling and my heart would race and I would sometimes panic. I felt like if my babies were in need I wouldn't be able to get to them fast enough because I was so weak.
The white noise helped keep my mind clear so I could sleep without panic.
The white noise helped create a background noise so Trey's ears weren't ringing all night and keeping him up. When the night nanny was there, the white noise machine stayed in my room (there were 2) and it kept me from hearing the babies up with the nanny so I could get that sleep I so desperately needed to heal my body.
The white noise kept us all from hearing the dogs snoring. After all- two adults, two infant and two great danes all sleeping in one room can get....loud!
After the night shift was dissolved the babies stayed in our room for about 3 weeks after they started sleeping through the night. After much prayer (and a little xanax) we decided to move the babies in to their own room- each in their own crib. This caused a whole new need for the white noise machine. I needed it in their room so their noises didn't wake the other and I needed it in my room because now it was far too quiet with the babies gone. After time- Trey's c-pap machine became my new white noise. The sound of it brings such a comfort to me. Sounds silly maybe. My husband is such a comfort to me and was during those very scary times. Hearing that white noise calms me. It settles me. I have 2 white noise machines that go with us out of town wherever we go. I have a white noise app on my phone that plays at night next to my bed. With the baby monitor and Trey's c-pap, the app on my phone and the fan in our bathroom it's like a symphony of white noise in our bedroom and I LOVE IT. I am at peace. Now go, find your white noise.

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