Let Sleeping Babies Lie

Treading Water

It has been a week since my last post, but I find myself barely making it these days. I already detailed my nights (although they aren't always that bad), but my days are just as exhausting. As soon as my alarm goes off at 4:45am it is go, go, go. Trying to get Ellie out of bed and dressed, packing Jack's bottles of expressed milk in a little cooler, trying to time his feeding and diaper change for AFTER he has his big blow-out...and then we are out the door and I am carrying my crazy heavy baby in his carrier with one arm and in the other arm I have my pump, purse, cooler, Jack's diaper bag, my lunch bag, and (depending on the day) Ellie's lunch bag or nap mat. It is a race to get them dropped off at daycare on time so I can be at my desk by 7am. Then, all day long I am on my feet teaching, taking 30 minutes for lunch, and spending my one conference period in the faculty restroom pumping. As soon as 3:00 rolls around, I am racing out the door to pick up the kids. As soon as we get home, it is washing bottles and pump parts, throwing in a load of laundry, nursing Jack, preparing dinner, cleaning up from dinner, washing dishes, bathing kids and putting them to bed, folding clothes, and packing bags for the next day. Tom and I then have about 1 hour where we can just sit and watch a little TV before it is time for bed and doing it all over again.

I know that time flies by, so I really do try to enjoy every stage of my life (sometimes easier said than done). I am so grateful that I am still able to nurse Jack because I really love that quiet time for just the two of us. And I have been trying to get Ellie more involved in the evenings. She likes to help me wash dishes, prepare dinner, and set the table. And then her bedtime routine is reading stories, singing her lullaby, and saying prayers. I try to enjoy the bedtime routine with her, but last night when she picked out the longest book with like 50 flaps to lift up on each page, I just passed it off to Tom and curled up on Ellie's bed for a little snooze.

Edit to add: Ok, so I typed this really fast and didn't give it a whole lot of thought. But now that I read it back, I realize it sounds incredibly whiny. Like, woe is me and my busy life. Please. I really just wanted to journal this stage in my life and my continuous struggle to balance work and motherhood. And, okay, to whine just a little bit.

Hand-me-downs

I haven't been able to pass along much of Ellie's old wardrobe to Jack for obvious reasons. But here is one piece that both can wear with style! Gig 'em!

Ellie at 4 1/2 months:

Jack at 3 months, 1 day:

Pretty, pretty princess

Princess Night at ChickFila. A free tiara, ice cream, and photo with Cinderella. Totally worth the crowd.

The paci dance

Jack has gotten to where he cannot sleep without the pacifier. I have been trying to avoid this pitfall since he was born because I remember what a pain it was with Ellie to have to get up every time it would fall out of her mouth. Unfortunately, Jack really needs a pacifier. He cries and squirms and is so restless if I try to rock him to sleep without one. It really is pitiful to see his mouth open and close like a fish as he squawks desperately. So, here was our night last night:

8:00 - Nurse Jack and put him to sleep in the bassinet in our room
10:30 - Go to bed
12:00 - Jack wakes up hungry. Nurse him, burp him, etc...back to sleep at 12:45
1:15 - Get up to reinsert pacifier
2:00 - Make Tom get up to reinsert pacifier
2:50 - Get up to reinsert pacifier
3:40 - Make Tom get up to reinsert pacifier
4:30 - Jack wakes up hungry. Nurse him, burp him. Get up and start getting ready for work.

I usually wake up every morning at 4:45 so I have time to get myself and the two kiddos ready and out the door by 6:15. I don't mind1 or 2 feedings during the night. But the paci dance? Too much. Surely I could tape that thing to his face, right? I kid, I kid. He is such an easy baby that I can't be too upset about his inability to reinsert his own pacifier.