Happy Friday!

In case you were concerned about my sanity after reading this post, let me just tell you, today I feel like a new woman!! Last night I got, SEVEN straight hours of sleep! Whoo hoo!

I couldn't go cold turkey with the middle of the night bottle for the boys.... maybe I'm too much of a softy but the timing just doesn't feel right with that one. Still, clearly I need more sleep to function during the day! So, two nights ago we started giving the boys a bottle at 10:00 p.m. (they go to bed for the night at 6:30). For this feeding, we keep them in their cribs (propped though) and only wake them just enough to take the bottle. We don't change their diapers and lift them up just to gently and quickly burp them. For the most part, they've slept through these feedings.

The first night we tried this, they still all woke up at 4 and 5 a.m. wanting a bottle. They were mad when one didn't magically appear. Really mad. I didn't leave them to cry it out on their own (again, the big softy thing). Rather, I hung over cribs rubbing backs, re-inserting pacifiers, gently tossing lovies next to faces and saying almost aloud, "I think I can, I think I can, I think we can...." It was rough but eventually they fell back asleep and I crawled back in bed.

Last night, we went through the same routine at 10:00 p.m., went to bed and next thing I knew, I awoke TO CHRIS'S ALARM AT 6:45!!!!!!!! Just two days ago I was plotting how I could sneak away to a hotel to get some rest (seriously!) and today my wish came true in my own home :-)

Who knows if this sleeping all night thing will continue, but I'm hopeful.

Tonight Chris and I are having a dinner date at home. Our "reservation" won't be until 8:05 after the last kid goes to bed, and the three highchairs lined up at the end of the table will be a dead give away that we're not at a real restaurant but I'm excited. I may even put some make-up on if I can find it. Look out!

Colin and I went to store this morning to buy the ingredients for the menu I have planned tonight:

Olives for an Appetizer
Spinach Salad
Salmon with Mash Potatoes
Cheese Platter
Mochi for Dessert

As we were leaving for the store, Colin yelled, "Wait Mommy! My HAT!"

(Let me explain what he was referring too. Yesterday, the hat part of his Halloween costume arrived in the mail but he didn't see it as a costume, rather just his new every day fall/ winter hat.... which I guess, why not??)

Can you guess what his costume is going to be this year???

This picture could also be entitled, "How to make every elderly person's day at the grocery store" :-)

Off to set the table for my hot date tonight! (aka, clear the empty jars of baby food, used spoons and bibs,  and wipe the table free of smeared butternut squash puree)

Happy Friday everyone!

If you're going on a date with your husband...

and your two year old is coming with because you fear leaving all four kids, with one person, will make them run for the hills and never babysit again...

then THIS is your best case senario:

A front loader, working right next to where we were dining, may not have been romantic before kids, but now.... feel free to drive the big trucks right up to our table please! 

Colin was enthralled, memorized and happy to watch the workers do their thing which allowed Chris and I to catch up and relax a bit. One of the truck drivers even beeped and waved as he left which made c's day!

Oh how date night changes with kids....

Date Night!

Chris and I had a great time visiting our favorite neighborhood restaurant last night.

However, there were some striking differences I couldn't help but notice, between a Saturday night out before we had kids, and a Saturday night out now that we have four under two and a half years.

Before, I'd put on my make-up while sipping a glass of Cabernet wine and listening to music. Last night, I put on my make-up while wearing my stylish medela pump and go back pack, so I could pump the boys dinner before leaving. Instead of music, I listened to the wahhh, wehhh, wahhh, wehhh, wahhh, wehhh noise of the machine. If you've ever pumped, you know that sound all to well. 

Drying and styling my hair is nixed to tend to a baby that needs cuddling. Easy choice!

Before, if there wasn't a dinner reservation available until 10 p.m. or even later, that was no problem. We rarely made it out before 9 p.m. Last night, our reservation was for 5:30! Even worse, we showed up at 5:15, were the first people there and waited while the staff was still setting the tables and sweeping the floors. 

We were home well before 8:00 p.m because unlike our old life where we could sleep until noon, babies needed to be fed through the night and Colin would be up at 7 a.m. like always. 

Still, those two hours spent sipping wine, eating great food and discussing our future with our boys over candlelight was fabulous! Even if it was still light outside and barely dinnertime. 

Date night

Last night Chris and I got a much needed date night. Much needed! It seems like forever since the last time we went out just the two of us. It was nice. Before we had little c, we'd go out to dinner at least twice a week. It was one of our favorite things to do together and a great way to re-connect. We love to try new places (and return over and over again to our favorites). At the end of dinner, we always do a pretend review of our meal, the atmosphere and the restaurant. And then we reiterate to each other the idea that we should really be food critics.

Seriously, sitting by candlelight, sipping good wine, eating delicious food and chatting with my handsome husband who's all lit up by the candlelight..... it's heaven and I wish we did it more often. We need to do this more often.