CatchingClocks

Sample sleep schedule: 6 months 6:30am - up for the day, nursing/bottle 7:30am - breakfast 8:15am - 9:45am -  nap#1 , nurse/bottle upon wake-up 12:00pm - 1:15pm -  nap#2 , nurse/bottle upon wake-up 3:30pm - 4:15pm -  nap#3 , nurse/bottle upon wake-up -- common for this nap to be a 30-45 minute catnap 5:30pm - dinner 6:00pm - bedtime routine, nurse/bottle at the beginning 6:45pm -  bedtime  (baby to be asleep at this time) Babies should be sleeping approximately 11-12 hours at night + 1 nightfeeding is normal at this age (about 7 hours from the bedtime feeding). Maximum about of time baby should be awake: 2.5 hours! Need About 3-3.5 hours in naps is average at this age, and 14.5 hrs/24 hour period. Bedtime: Naps should be ending by 5:00pm with  bedtime happening 2.25-2.75 hours after the last nap ends .  So a bedtime of no later than 7:45pm is age-appropriate.

Some sleep stuff for reference: maximum amount of time your child should be kept awake at any given age: 6 months: 2.5 hours max 7 months: 2.75 hours max 8/9 months: 3 hours max 10/11 months: 3-4 hours max 12-14 months: 3-4 hours max on 2 naps, 4.5-6 hours max on 1 nap 15-18 months: 5-6.5 hours max 18 months until child drops naps around 3 years of age: 6.5 hours max sample schedule by age: 6 months 6:30am - up for the day, nursing/bottle 7:30am - breakfast 8:15am - 9:45am -  nap#1 , nurse/bottle upon wake-up 12:00pm - 1:15pm -  nap#2 , nurse/bottle upon wake-up 3:30pm - 4:15pm -  nap#3 , nurse/bottle upon wake-up -- common for this nap to be a 30-45 minute catnap 5:30pm - dinner 6:00pm - bedtime routine, nurse/bottle at the beginning 6:45pm -  bedtime  (baby to be asleep at this time) Babies should be sleeping approximately 11-12 hours at night + 1 nightfeeding is normal at this age (about 7 hours from the bedtime ...

Top baby things we really use: My most used baby items other than the necessities (clothes, diapers, bottles, car seat) 1- boppy pillow- we had a twin one but i'm sure the single is amazing too. we use it everyday- for naps, to feed them both at the same time (to prop them up), for tummy time and chilling! 2- play gym- again something we use everyday- it was a while before they could enjoy the toys but it was another place to have them hang out while i held the other or some place to simple wiggle around.  3 swing- great for a quick nap or to simply calm someone down. they both enjoy swinging. (we got ours 2nd-hand) 4 stroller- not sure this would have been so high on the list if we only had one but going anywhere by myself is too difficult without the stroller. they're too heavy and awkward in the carriers- to try and carry them both. we got a stroller with the click-n-go conversion- so it is lighter and more compact then with the seats but still gi-normus...

Things that saved us: 1- room-temp bottles- breast feeding didn't work for us, so i knew we needed formula on hand but i was going to try and pump as well (again didn't work out). but it was really important to me that it always be room-temp. no need to heat up the bottles, which was really great for on the go and ultimately i think made them less fussy about taking the bottle in general.  2- sleeping flat!- the boys started in our room but always slept flat in the pack-n-play. sleep is really really hard so starting good sleep patterns as early as possible is always good. so sleeping flat on their back- swaddled was always best for us. The boys slept in the swing or propped up in the boppy during the day when we were in the same room but always flat at night, this made the transition to the crib easier. Also i wish we had figured out a bedtime routine earlier then we did.  3- let people help you!(especially your partner)- it seems really silly but this is somethi...

What I wish I did while pregnant!: 1- do as much 'me' stuff as possible. While pregnant I stressed a lot! and told myself I didn't need to do anything extra for myself bc how could i spend even a penny on myself when we needed to save, save, save. But once your little one shows up- priorities change and your time is even more limited. So do it now, go get a pedicure, go to the beach for the day, spend all day in bed watching Netflix or reading a good book! make a point to do something 'not baby' related with your partner.  2- pace yourself- pregnancy is just the start of a long, long marathon. I know even about 4 months in, I was ready to be done being pregnant- eating sucked, it was hard to sleep, I was super stressed, working out and yoga became super un-fun. But then a friend reminded me, this is just the beginning and while that was terrifying, it helped me remember to be more present bc this road is long!  3- make a birth-plan and be positive but a...

Hi, I'm Alex! I'm a photographer, ski bum, coffee lover, and now a new twin mom. A lot of my friends are now getting pregnant and I thought I would share a few things that could have helped me along the way. I think first we'll start with my crazy birth story. But first lets start with a disclaimer- being pregnant and then being a mom is super crazy hard and I would never judge/ tell anyone how to parenting. These are just some good tips/advice I was given that actually worked for me and my little guys. You know yourself, your body and baby best but hopefully this helps ease some stress or gives you another thing to try when all else fails!  Birth Story: -how far along did you find out you were having twins?  At 6 weeks I went in for an ultrasound and we found out it was 2! It was such a crazy day- I was really stressed/anxious about being pregnant. I went to pick up Michael on Base (MC was working for the Air National Guard in New Castle,DE) but there was crazy tra...