12 Days of 3
12 days in - which HA, this is all going to change, and quickly - I can say that bringing home a second baby was harder than bringing home a third. True I have no time to myself. True I'm not sleeping well. But for reasons not always clear to me ... three just isn't that big a deal.
Everything takes longer. But it was like herding cats getting the boys out the door before the baby came home anyway. So getting J fed, the boys up and dressed and fed and homework done and car loaded ... we're getting out the door about ten minutes later than usual. And making it to places on time, but barely.
I think here is where I am different from other mother's in this regard ... I do not care one iota about what I look like. I brush my teeth, my hair and throw it in a pony tail and put on clean clothes. But make up? Who cares. Designer outfit? Yeah who cares. I put on a nursing appropriate t-shirt to make that part of my life easier, a jacket and I'm ready for the day.
I think other moms have higher standards about their appearance.
I'm not sleeping. But that's expected, and necessary for tiny baby survival. So I accept it. And sleep when I can. I am immensely grateful that I've been so structured with the boys because their life has not been impacted over much and their sleep habits have been good. I'm also grateful that G's cough cleared up because if I had to get up with him in the middle of the night and the baby right now it'd be tough. Doable, obviously, but tough.
I am also glad that I have let them get up on their own and play in their room for a while before I go in there. Granted they have been known to get into trouble during this time. But this independent time means I don't have to get up there right at 630 or whenever they wake up.
I'm also grateful for coffee.
J isn't a great sleeper. In fact, I might give her a C. During the day I've been able to lay her down. But at night? She just grunts and rats around and then cries till I pick her up. So I've done a lot of "no no's" and seriously ... I just don't care. I mean that's not entirely true. I do care. But I'm still doing what I have to do to get 4hrs of sleep. Which is the magic number for a functioning me. I'm tired, but I can function.
So in a week a or so I'm going to have to start getting more regimented or try harder or something to get her to sleep in the cradle and not on me or with me. I love having her close but it gives me anxiety so she needs to sleep in her cradle.
She's a sweet girl, my J. A sweet sweet girl.
Everyone is always asking me if I need help. Can I take G, can G come play, let the boys come over and give you a break.
Ladies, I don't need a break. Not like that. I would love for someone to come play with the boys but these invites for just one kid kind of are irritating. The boys are a set. D loves G. They play well together. And while J is still small it's really no big deal at all. And I do get a break. I put both my boys down for nap about 1 until about 3. That's two hours. And since she's so little (and I'll keep doing this until it doesn't work) I'll nurse her till she sleeps and if I need a nap I'll sleep then too. That usually means we have to nap together but in a pinch? Yeah it works.
I'm all about doing what works.
Every day is different but so far, even bedtime has been okay. I set up the baby bath tub in the boys bath room and every third day or so I bathe her when I bathe them. I hold her while I read them stories. Or I sit her in her bouncer while I get them dresses. She's just part of what we're doing. Sometimes she cries and the boys cover their ears. And yes I'm busier. But I think Lewis is right when he says I don't know what busy is. And that when everyone is over 5 and has gymnastics, soccer and baseball ... then I'm going to want to cry and call a taxi to get everyone where they need to be.
And I swear she's socially smiling. I know, I know. No she's not. But I swear she is. I pick her up and look at her and a few seconds later her mouth turns up. Coincidence? Maybe. But I swear she's socially smiling.
She's so advanced. My kids are all going to rule the world.
Everything takes longer. But it was like herding cats getting the boys out the door before the baby came home anyway. So getting J fed, the boys up and dressed and fed and homework done and car loaded ... we're getting out the door about ten minutes later than usual. And making it to places on time, but barely.
I think here is where I am different from other mother's in this regard ... I do not care one iota about what I look like. I brush my teeth, my hair and throw it in a pony tail and put on clean clothes. But make up? Who cares. Designer outfit? Yeah who cares. I put on a nursing appropriate t-shirt to make that part of my life easier, a jacket and I'm ready for the day.
I think other moms have higher standards about their appearance.
I'm not sleeping. But that's expected, and necessary for tiny baby survival. So I accept it. And sleep when I can. I am immensely grateful that I've been so structured with the boys because their life has not been impacted over much and their sleep habits have been good. I'm also grateful that G's cough cleared up because if I had to get up with him in the middle of the night and the baby right now it'd be tough. Doable, obviously, but tough.
I am also glad that I have let them get up on their own and play in their room for a while before I go in there. Granted they have been known to get into trouble during this time. But this independent time means I don't have to get up there right at 630 or whenever they wake up.
I'm also grateful for coffee.
J isn't a great sleeper. In fact, I might give her a C. During the day I've been able to lay her down. But at night? She just grunts and rats around and then cries till I pick her up. So I've done a lot of "no no's" and seriously ... I just don't care. I mean that's not entirely true. I do care. But I'm still doing what I have to do to get 4hrs of sleep. Which is the magic number for a functioning me. I'm tired, but I can function.
So in a week a or so I'm going to have to start getting more regimented or try harder or something to get her to sleep in the cradle and not on me or with me. I love having her close but it gives me anxiety so she needs to sleep in her cradle.
She's a sweet girl, my J. A sweet sweet girl.
Everyone is always asking me if I need help. Can I take G, can G come play, let the boys come over and give you a break.
Ladies, I don't need a break. Not like that. I would love for someone to come play with the boys but these invites for just one kid kind of are irritating. The boys are a set. D loves G. They play well together. And while J is still small it's really no big deal at all. And I do get a break. I put both my boys down for nap about 1 until about 3. That's two hours. And since she's so little (and I'll keep doing this until it doesn't work) I'll nurse her till she sleeps and if I need a nap I'll sleep then too. That usually means we have to nap together but in a pinch? Yeah it works.
I'm all about doing what works.
Every day is different but so far, even bedtime has been okay. I set up the baby bath tub in the boys bath room and every third day or so I bathe her when I bathe them. I hold her while I read them stories. Or I sit her in her bouncer while I get them dresses. She's just part of what we're doing. Sometimes she cries and the boys cover their ears. And yes I'm busier. But I think Lewis is right when he says I don't know what busy is. And that when everyone is over 5 and has gymnastics, soccer and baseball ... then I'm going to want to cry and call a taxi to get everyone where they need to be.
And I swear she's socially smiling. I know, I know. No she's not. But I swear she is. I pick her up and look at her and a few seconds later her mouth turns up. Coincidence? Maybe. But I swear she's socially smiling.
She's so advanced. My kids are all going to rule the world.
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