A sneak peak of The Life of the Backes Family

Why don't I blog anymore some people ask...Isn't it obvious...I run out of time, but truly there is NO time!!  Which is why I am going to give you a little peak :-) of the Life in the Backes Family.  We aren't interesting and you may find this post a little boring, but for some of you moms it may make you feel a little better!!!!!!  I'm not going to lie some days I feel sorry for Steve and meyself, but then I have to think, what would I do if I wasn't doing this everyday!?  And I remember how truly blessed we are!  A lot of people ask us "how do you do it? or "Wow, you guys are busy!" Instead I wish people said, "WOW, you are truly blessed!" However, even if people told me that I would probably look at them like they were crazy and think they were drunk or insane!  Because lets be honest I have four kids age 6 and under (however that does sound a little better than 5 and under! HA! ) and we are a little insane!  Enough about that here it goes and this is a typical day, but sometimes it's worse and sometimes it is better.  (As I am trying to type this Cael is sitting on my lap, hitting buttons, putting his hands in my face.  So I put him down and he starts screaming, well the babies are asleep so I pick him up and we repeat the above!  Again, do you see why I can't blog anymore?)  Also, when you see an * it means I got distracted while writing this...I'm anxious to see if I can write a whole post in one day....probably NOT!

6:00- I wake up and pump, Steve showers
6:20- I shower and Steve finishes getting ready and then gets his stuff ready for work
6:45- Steve gets the boys up and feeds them breakfast.  I get ready for the day because if I don't do it now it doesn't get done!!
7:00- Steve leaves for work
7:00-7:30  I finish getting ready which takes forever because the boys always need something and I quick try to eat breakfast.
7:30- (Lets be honest my goal is 7:30, but it is more like 7:45) I get the babies up, change diapers, make sure Bowen is ready for school, and sit down to nurse babies.  (WOW! this is A LOT more crazy in real life than what it is on here!!)  * I had to check on Cael because he was being too quiet!
8:00- Bowen leaves for school, which means I am yelling at him to hurry up and get ready! (remember when I said I got him ready before, well somehow it NEVER fails he can't find a glove or needs to give Cael one more kiss or he forgot to zip his bag...seriously EVERY morning!) 
* Ten minute break to help Cael go potty, switch the laundry, put supper in the crockpot, and go potty because the babies will be up any minute and it may be my last chance to go before that happens!
After Bowen leaves the babies are usually done eating so I burp them usually takes 5 to 10 minutes, usually one of them will poop during this feeding so we have to break to change a diaper.  Cael will sometimes also go poop during this time so I have to break to help him.  At the babies 4 month check up the Dr. said I needed to start supplementing.  So, now I have to not only feed them for 20 minutes but when I am done they get a 3 to 4 oz bottle.  So I have to prep that and feed it to them!  So by the time we are done with all of that it is 9:00!  Oh and Cael has wanted 4 snacks during that time.
9:00- Play with the babies and Cael,  but also make sure Cael isn't attacking them.  I also am trying to get dishes put away, sweep and clean up breakfast mess that is still on the table.  Get babies and Cael dressed.  Oh the list goes on... change diapers, help Cael with the potty because even though he can go by himself, he conveniently forgets how throughout the day and needs HELP!  Oh and did I mention the messes Cael makes that I spend all morning long cleaning.  He spills my water almost every other day, he tries to get his own water, which never ends well, he has every cupboard door open because he wants a snack, the chairs are all over the kitchen because he is helping himself to the things on the counters.  He usually washes his hands once during the time I am feeding them which again means water all over the floor, he pees, and poops, so when I posted the video of him climbing all over me while I feed the babies it is almost better because then I know exactly where he is!
9:30- I change babies, burp and lay them down.
9:45- I try to play with Cael.  But I usually have to put a load of laundry in, take the garbage out, vacuum, clean up Cael's pee that has been sitting in the potty chair, get supper ready, get my stuff for work ready, pick out my clothes, Cael needs a snack AGAIN, and NOW I need a snack!  (This is the time that I want to blog, but as you can see now, who has time for that?!)
10:30- One of the babies usually wakes up...(not always and when they don't it is heaven because that means I have time to get one more thing started notice I didn't say "to get done" (because I NEVER have time to get things done!)
11:00 This is where things change sometimes the babies nurse and then eat cereal, sometimes they eat cereal and then nurse.  Spmetimes they just nurse and get a bottle. Cael tries to help feed them cereal which always ends in me losing my mind and cereal EVERYWHERE!!! 
11:45 I get babies bottles ready and go crazy because I literally got nothing done AGAIN!!!  And the house is messier than before!

12:00- I try to get Cael and my lunch ready while the babies still need burped and changed!

12:10- YAY Mallory is here!!!

12:15- We finally get to sit and eat lunch…HA!

12:25- I start telling myself and everyone else that I am Oficially going to be late for work!

12:30 I quick change, take a quick look in the mirror, put a diaper on Cael, lay him down for his nap (which he usually needs just one more kiss, his water filled up (which he doesn’t even drink) and the blinds shut!) Remember when I said I am going to be late!  Well now I am!!!

12:35- Again lets be honest it is usually 12:40 and I am literally RUNNING out the door!

12:57 I actually made it to work on time! 

And this is where I will stop for today...babies are up and I need to get them fed! 3/25/15

 

Typical... babies crying, me running around and Cael just watching them!

 

Cael making a fort...I usually pick this up 3 to 4 times a DAY!

 

AHHHHH It NEVER ends!!!!  I cant believe I'm posting this...such a mess!! They want to sleep on the floor together. I think it's time for a double bed!

4 months

This was Aunt Shannon's dress when she was a little girl!

Cambell Ann

Weight: She was 14 something at the hospital

Height:

Head:

Sleeping Patterns: Towards the end of the month 7+ hours at night and during the day about an hour after they eat.  Cambell has been a super sleeper lately!  She also found her left thumb this month, which helps her sleep.  We lay her down and she sleeps!! 

Eating Patterns: Every 3-4 hours during the day and 7-9 hours at night

Schedule:

5:30am- Wake up to Nurse (this time varies, but I’ll put the most typical)

6:00am- Depending on the day, they either lay right back down and sleep or play for 30 minutes    

              and then sleep

8:30 or 9:00- Nurse- usually have to wake them up

9:00-10:00- Play/ Tummy time

10:00-10:15- burps, diaper change, bed

10:30-11:30-Nap

11:45 or 12:00- Nurse

12:35- Mommy leaves for work

1:00- Nap

3:00-5oz Bottle

4:15- Daddy home, sleep

5:30- Up, play, cry, sleep

6:30- Nurse-Mommy home

7:00- Watch everyone else eat (we eat really late now!) Nap sometimes, bath

8:30 or 9:30- Nurse

10:30-Bed- this varies…sometimes 10,

New foods I liked: Mommy's Milk...it's the BEST

Clothing Size:  3 to 6 months

Diapers: size 2 (at the end of the month) L

Likes: Sleep, looking around, eating, my brothers especially when they talk to me, smiling, cooing, sucking my thumb.  She is the happiest baby!

Dislikes:  tummy time, lifting her head, waiting to eat, nose sucker outer

Things I learned/accomplishments/discoveries: my thumb and I really like to talk

Places I went: Church, Hospital, Doctor’s office, Ben and Allison’s house (I love going there)

Baby Babbles: Cooing, tries to make noises with my tongue

Other:  RSV sucks and so does the nose sucker outer and so do needles!  However, I was still happy even thought I was sick.  My oxygen kept dipping down low and a loud machine would beep.  It was annoying!  But then I had to wear oxygen on my nose and that helped a lot. 
Things to look forward to: More talking, rolling over, lifting my head, discovering my feet and sitting up

Cruz Donald

Weight: He was just 15lbs at the dr

Height:

Head:

Sleeping Patterns: Towards the end of the month 7+ hours at night and during the day about an hour after they eat.Cruz is a lot fussier.  He takes a pacifier once in a while.

Eating Patterns: Every 3-4 hours during the day and 7-9 hours at night

Schedule:

5:30am- Wake up to Nurse (this time varies, but I’ll put the most typical)

6:00am- Depending on the day, they either lay right back down and sleep or play for 30 minutes    

              and then sleep

8:30 or 9:00- Nurse- usually have to wake them up

9:00-10:00- Play/ Tummy time

10:00-10:15- burps, diaper change, bed

10:30-11:30-Nap

11:45 or 12:00- Nurse

12:35- Mommy leaves for work

1:00- Nap

3:00-5oz Bottle

4:15- Daddy home, sleep

5:30- Up, play, cry, sleep

6:30- Nurse-Mommy home

7:00- Watch everyone else eat (we eat really late now!) Nap sometimes, bath

8:30 or 9:30- Nurse

10:30-Bed- this varies…sometimes 10,

New foods I liked: Mommy's Milk...it's the BEST

Clothing Size:  3 to 6 months

Diapers: size 2 (at the end of the month)

Likes: Sleep, looking around, eating, my brothers especially when they talk to me, smiling, cooing,

Dislikes:  tummy time, lifting his head, waiting to eat, nose sucker outer, gas

Things I learned/accomplishments/discoveries:  I really like to talk and fuss, I rolled over (tummy to back) a bunch one day and haven't done it since

Places I went: Church, Hospital, Doctor’s office, Ben and Allison’s house (I love going there)

Baby Babbles: Cooing

Other:  RSV sucks and so does the nose sucker outer! 
Things to look forward to: More talking, rolling over, lifting my head, discovering my feet and sitting up

Finally one of them all looking!

I hate RSV!

We had a horrible week of sickness!!   Friday (of course it was a Friday), February 6th Cruz started coughing a Croup cough during the mid morning/afternoon.  He acted fine, but coughed.  As the day went on he started to "look" more sick.  He ran a low grade fever on and off throughout the weekend and his dry cough turned into a very wet cough!  He also became very congested.  Cael also had a couple "episodes" of a Croup cough, one so bad we had to sit outside in the middle of the night, but it helped.  We also sat outside with Cruz throughout the day, luckily we had nice weather.  That also seemed to help.
Took Cruz in on Monday and he was diagnosed with bronchiolitis.  We had to do breathing treatments every four hours and he got a steroid.  By Wednesday (11th) he still wasn't better, actually was worse so we went back in and he tested positive for RSV.  The next step was hospitalization, so we prayed he got better.  Cambell started sounding mucusy so I called the dr a couple times throughout the week and they basically said since she didn't have a cough, fever, or runny nose there wasn't a whole lot they could look at.  So basically we waited for her to get worse, however, she was still extremely smiley!  Actually got a belly laugh out of her on Monday, the 16th. Steve took her in Monday (16th) at 4:30 and by 5:30 she was admitted into the hospital.  I left from work early and got there right away.  They ran some tests and we waited and waited and waited!  It was a HORRIBLE hospital experience! The poor nurse that was on was stretched extremely thin!!  5 kiddos/babies were admitted all at once and she was the only one on the floor.  We had to go down for xrays, which if you haven't seen how they take babies xrays it was AWFUL!!!  They have them straddle this little bike sea, have these two plastic things hold their back and tummy's so they are upright and then I had to hold her hands/arms straight up in the sky.  SHE SCREAMED!!!!  I would have too!  Back up stairs after xray and then we waited for EVER for them to get her IV!  They finally took her at 11:45 to get her IV and brought her back at 12:45.  They had to call the flight medics to put it in her head because they couldn't get it in anywhere else.  They stuck her everywhere!  POOR BABY!!! They also hooked her up to oxygen because her oxygen levels kept dipping below 95.  Doctor wanted oxygen to be above 95 before we could go home.  Monday night wasn't fun for mommy, but at least I had a bed.  Steve came back on Tuesday and brought Cruz with him, so I could nurse them both.  My supply may have dipped a little due to the stress and lack of sleep.  Which also stressed me out even  more!  However, Cambell was doing much better and they removed her oxygen Tuesday evening.  She had a great night with breathing treatments every 4 hours. 
I went home Tuesday night and it was horrible!!  The boys were a mess!  Cael was exhausted and confused.  He followed me around and cried/threw tantrums every 5 minutes!  Bowen cried and cried because he wanted Cambell home.  I showed him the pictures of her and a video of her smiling and laughing and (bless his heart) cried because he missed her!
Doctor came in Wednesday morning and said we got to go home!!!  YAY!!!!!  

 

Cambell was still very HAPPY

   

 

Here is her IV and oxygen

 

Again she was still very happy

 

Here is poor Cruz not feeling well.