Well, kiddos, while there's nothing typical about life with a newborn (no offense, Abby), I decided to write about what our days are like these days. Before I begin, know that our days aren't typical in that Daddy is home with us these days and was for the past week and will be for most of next week, too. But we are adjusting to our new life together and have some "typical" activities that we engage in these days. Anyway, our "days" begin around 6:30 or 7AM (if we're lucky) with Matthew either crying and waking us up or Sam coming into our room when his clock turns yellow. Usually, Abby is asleep in the morning after eating around 5 or 6 AM (after one or two other nighttime feedings), so the boys are the ones who wake us up.
Generally, I sleep with Abby for awhile, while Daddy helps the boys get changed and then goes downstairs to start breakfast. Sometimes Daddy stays with Abby for awhile and I get the boys ready. When Daddy does breakfast it's usually cereal. When Mommy does breakfast it's something like wheat waffles or coffee cake muffins (which the boys helped make this morning). Surprisingly, I often have enough energy to make breakfast if given the opportunity.
We have breakfast and whichever parent was with Abby emerges around 7:30 or 8AM usually. Then we switch off parenting duties and one parent watches the kids while the other showers or changes or just gets semi-presentable for the day. Mid-morning is when we go somewhere if we go anywhere. Yesterday the kids and I went to Target and Jason went to church. This morning we went to the church Bazaar. We also made it to the Y one morning this week. Other days we stay at home.
Sometimes I just can't remember how we pass our time other than the mornings go by quickly and then it's lunch time. Abby usually takes a good 2+ hour morning nap after being awake from around 7:30 or 8 until 9 or 10. Then, I usually feed Abby around lunch time while Jason prepares lunch. Today the boys had toast for lunch and Jason and I didn't eat. We then switched parenting duties and Jason cared for Abby while I took Sam and Matthew upstairs for naps. Jason and Abby napped, while I worked around the house. Sometimes I nap with Abby and Jason works around the house or runs errands.
After naps, we have been playing outside a lot or going for walks. Sometimes the kids play in the basement. At 5PM we watch the Berenstein Bears and prep dinner (which either comes from generous friends or our freezer). Dinner is around 5:30 or 6, then we play some more and get the boys ready for bed around 7 (meaning we start tidying up, take baths, put on PJs, etc). Matthew goes to bed around 7:30, Sam around 8 and Abby, well, whenever she nods off for the evening. If we're lucky Abby sleeps around 8 or 9, if we're unlucky, Abby doesn't sleep until later and instead has crying spells for an hour or so. Jason and I go to bed around 9:30 or 10 and either Jason holds Abby and rests on the couch for the first part of the night (until midnight or 2AM) or I take Abby and sleep with her all night. Sometime soon Abby will sleep on her own (and she does occasionally), but she's quite comfy in the crook of my arm or on Jason's chest, so there she sleeps for now.
There you have it. Our lives are rather mundane these days although they are very exhausting and long. Boys, you seem to be doing well. You read lots of books, dance often when you hear music on the TV or radio and play with cars and trains and paint and color. I'm amazed when I look at the house at the end of the day that it's really in pretty good order. I also know that a lot of that is due to Jason being home as there are two of us to keep up with the messiness of small children. Anyway, sometime when life becomes more ordered I will write more about our typical days (as "typical" changes frequently with small children), but for now, you have an idea of what we do.
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