Over at Baby Bunching they asked for a post about a day in the life of a Baby Buncher. I thought I'd do it mostly for me so I can remember these crazy, chaotic, sleep deprived days.
On this day my kids are: Scotty 4yrs, Grant 20 months, Collin 5 1/2 months.
4:20am: Collin wakes and starts crying. We've been letting him cry the last couple nights so I lay awake listening to him, feeling guilty and hoping he doesn't go for an hour again. Grant also starts crying/screaming but, luckily, he only cries for a few minutes.
5am-ish: Collin finally settles down and goes back to sleep and so do I.
6am: I wake up to Collin cooing and babbling in his bassinet. I get him up, re-swaddle him and feed him. He falls asleep and I put him back in his bassinet and go back to sleep myself.
6:20am: Grant wakes and cries. The kid always cries when he wakes up. Always. Miles gets up and gets him up, I go back to sleep.
6:45am: Scotty wakes up and joins Daddy and Grant. Thank you Miles for getting up with the older ones and letting me sleep longer!
7:30am: Screaming from Scotty and Grant wake me up. I help them open up a granola bar and explain to Scotty that the peanut butter chip ones are gone and it really will be fine to have a chocolate chip one. I check my email and read some blogs. Miles has their breakfast ready so I sit at the table with them while they eat.
8:30am: Decide I better vacuum and clean the kitchen floor since Collin is still sleeping and the floor is covered with dropped shredded cheese from dinner last night. Vacuum, move all the chairs out, set an excited Grant on a kitchen chair in front of the tv while I clean the floor. Get Scotty a mop so that he can "help" me mop the floor. Take double the time to clean the floor with my helper, but feel happy anyway to have him helping me.
9:30am: My friend calls to invite us to the park. I quickly estimate in my head when Collin will be waking up and how long it will take to feed and dress him. Plan to meet at the park at 10:30am. Put kid's laundry away that has been sitting in the basket for two days.
9:45am: Decide I can quickly jump in the shower. Miles is working from home for a little while this morning so he can listen for screaming from Scotty and Grant. Finish getting ready and marvel that Collin is still sleeping!
10:15am: Weigh the pros and cons between letting Collin sleep and waking him to let Scotty and Grant run off some energy at the park. Decide the energy running and adult conversation with my friend wins and go in to wake Collin. I get him up, give him his medicine, change his diaper and get him dressed. Grant walks by and leaves a stinky trail so I wrestle him down and change his poopy diaper. Convince Scotty that he can't wear his fleece pajamas to the park. Round up shoes, new bib and burp cloth, strap Collin in his car seat and load up kids, 20lb diaper bag, stroller and Scotty's scooter into the car.
10:30am-11:45am: Play at the park. I didn't have time to feed Collin at home so I have to nurse him at the park, which I'm not very fond of. I'm able to get Scotty to come over and make sure the girls he's chasing around want to be chased and try to keep my eye on Grant, which I'm only able to do because my friend keeps track of him. Grant starts to walk away so I get up while still nursing Collin and follow him to the picnic tables and decide to sit there because it's so much cooler. Grant wanders away again and my friend hears me calling him so she gets him and puts him in a swing. Pretty soon Scotty comes over to swing too so my friend is pushing her son plus my two boys on the swing- thank you friend! Realize as Collin spits up all over my leg and makes a puddle on the bench that I forgot the burp cloth- a cardinal sin! Clumsily redress while trying to keep covered with the blanket. Get the wipe case to wipe the puddle off of the bench and there is only one left. Not wanting to risk using the only wipe, trek back to the car to get napkins to wipe up puddle. Put Collin back in stroller, push kids on swings, then sit back down to watch them play and talk with friend. Collin wants to eat more. Feed him again while yelling at Scotty to be nice and watching my friend keep Grant from falling off the top of the slide. Round everyone up, load everyone in the car, thank my friend for inviting us to the park and then taking care of my kids and drive home.
12pm: Make lunch. Assure Scotty ten times that I will keep his green beans separate and not mix them with his Ramen. Apologize to Grant as he hangs on my leg and cry that I can't pick him up while making lunch. Sit with them while they eat and help Grant and manage to eat a little something myself. Put Collin down for a nap and start a load of laundry.
12:30-1pm: Clean up the playroom which is a huge mess from the day before. Have to put Scotty in a time out and then deal with him being grumpy for the last of the clean up. Try (unsuccessfully) to stop Grant from uncleaning as we are cleaning. Start a movie for Scotty for his rest time and take a crying Grant upstairs for his nap.
1pm-1:20pm: Eat a little something more while watching Kathie Lee and Hoda. Aaah...nap time!
1:20-2:20pm: Tell Scotty over and over that he can't have a sucker until it's snacktime and to go back downstairs for rest time. Huge meltdown and tantrum ensues. Take him downstairs so his screaming won't wake up the babies. He eventually falls asleep on the floor from exhaustion. Tip toe back upstairs and switch laundry and start a new load. Hear Collin start crying. Take a moment to mourn the loss of a quiet naptime today.
2:30-3pm: Enjoy some quiet time with Collin. At 3pm start feeding him hoping that Grant will sleep until I'm done.
3:02pm: Grant wakes up and cries. Take a crying Collin with me to get Grant up and let him watch cartoons while I finish feeding Collin.
3:30-4pm: Play with Grant, clean up gallons of spit up, put away more laundry.
4pm-5pm: Scotty wakes up groggy and very grumpy. Try to make him happy and while keeping Grant out of the refrigerator, off of the computer and out of the garbage can. Discover that making cupcakes will make Scotty happy so we do that. Apologize to a crying Collin and a crying Grant who's hanging on my leg that I'll be with them as soon as I have the cupcakes in the oven.
5pm-6:30pm: Change Collin's poopy diaper and put him down for another nap. Miles comes home from work- yeah! Decide to get Carl's Jr for dinner since it's free kid's meals day. I go to get it and enjoy listening to music in a quiet car. Eat dinner with Collin on my lap. Miles cleans up from dinner and gives the kids cupcakes while I feed Collin.
6:30-7:30pm: Miles leaves for Scouts and I play with Scotty and Grant and some diaper boxes- more fun than Christmas morning! Get them ready for bed without any meltdowns- a miracle! Collin didn't even cry until after Grant was in bed and I was reading Scotty stories- another miracle!
8pm: Decide I can't put it off any longer and give Collin a bath. Take in sweet aroma of a freshly bathed and lotioned baby. Feed Collin rice cereal then clean it all up after he spits it back up. Get him ready for bed.
9pm: Miles comes home from Scouts. Put Collin to bed and finally get some time to talk to Miles. Decide that the laundry can wait until tomorrow to finish.
11:30pm: Collapse into bed!
4:20am: Collin wakes and starts crying. We've been letting him cry the last couple nights so I lay awake listening to him, feeling guilty and hoping he doesn't go for an hour again. Grant also starts crying/screaming but, luckily, he only cries for a few minutes.
5am-ish: Collin finally settles down and goes back to sleep and so do I.
6am: I wake up to Collin cooing and babbling in his bassinet. I get him up, re-swaddle him and feed him. He falls asleep and I put him back in his bassinet and go back to sleep myself.
6:20am: Grant wakes and cries. The kid always cries when he wakes up. Always. Miles gets up and gets him up, I go back to sleep.
6:45am: Scotty wakes up and joins Daddy and Grant. Thank you Miles for getting up with the older ones and letting me sleep longer!
7:30am: Screaming from Scotty and Grant wake me up. I help them open up a granola bar and explain to Scotty that the peanut butter chip ones are gone and it really will be fine to have a chocolate chip one. I check my email and read some blogs. Miles has their breakfast ready so I sit at the table with them while they eat.
8:30am: Decide I better vacuum and clean the kitchen floor since Collin is still sleeping and the floor is covered with dropped shredded cheese from dinner last night. Vacuum, move all the chairs out, set an excited Grant on a kitchen chair in front of the tv while I clean the floor. Get Scotty a mop so that he can "help" me mop the floor. Take double the time to clean the floor with my helper, but feel happy anyway to have him helping me.
9:30am: My friend calls to invite us to the park. I quickly estimate in my head when Collin will be waking up and how long it will take to feed and dress him. Plan to meet at the park at 10:30am. Put kid's laundry away that has been sitting in the basket for two days.
9:45am: Decide I can quickly jump in the shower. Miles is working from home for a little while this morning so he can listen for screaming from Scotty and Grant. Finish getting ready and marvel that Collin is still sleeping!
10:15am: Weigh the pros and cons between letting Collin sleep and waking him to let Scotty and Grant run off some energy at the park. Decide the energy running and adult conversation with my friend wins and go in to wake Collin. I get him up, give him his medicine, change his diaper and get him dressed. Grant walks by and leaves a stinky trail so I wrestle him down and change his poopy diaper. Convince Scotty that he can't wear his fleece pajamas to the park. Round up shoes, new bib and burp cloth, strap Collin in his car seat and load up kids, 20lb diaper bag, stroller and Scotty's scooter into the car.
10:30am-11:45am: Play at the park. I didn't have time to feed Collin at home so I have to nurse him at the park, which I'm not very fond of. I'm able to get Scotty to come over and make sure the girls he's chasing around want to be chased and try to keep my eye on Grant, which I'm only able to do because my friend keeps track of him. Grant starts to walk away so I get up while still nursing Collin and follow him to the picnic tables and decide to sit there because it's so much cooler. Grant wanders away again and my friend hears me calling him so she gets him and puts him in a swing. Pretty soon Scotty comes over to swing too so my friend is pushing her son plus my two boys on the swing- thank you friend! Realize as Collin spits up all over my leg and makes a puddle on the bench that I forgot the burp cloth- a cardinal sin! Clumsily redress while trying to keep covered with the blanket. Get the wipe case to wipe the puddle off of the bench and there is only one left. Not wanting to risk using the only wipe, trek back to the car to get napkins to wipe up puddle. Put Collin back in stroller, push kids on swings, then sit back down to watch them play and talk with friend. Collin wants to eat more. Feed him again while yelling at Scotty to be nice and watching my friend keep Grant from falling off the top of the slide. Round everyone up, load everyone in the car, thank my friend for inviting us to the park and then taking care of my kids and drive home.
12pm: Make lunch. Assure Scotty ten times that I will keep his green beans separate and not mix them with his Ramen. Apologize to Grant as he hangs on my leg and cry that I can't pick him up while making lunch. Sit with them while they eat and help Grant and manage to eat a little something myself. Put Collin down for a nap and start a load of laundry.
12:30-1pm: Clean up the playroom which is a huge mess from the day before. Have to put Scotty in a time out and then deal with him being grumpy for the last of the clean up. Try (unsuccessfully) to stop Grant from uncleaning as we are cleaning. Start a movie for Scotty for his rest time and take a crying Grant upstairs for his nap.
1pm-1:20pm: Eat a little something more while watching Kathie Lee and Hoda. Aaah...nap time!
1:20-2:20pm: Tell Scotty over and over that he can't have a sucker until it's snacktime and to go back downstairs for rest time. Huge meltdown and tantrum ensues. Take him downstairs so his screaming won't wake up the babies. He eventually falls asleep on the floor from exhaustion. Tip toe back upstairs and switch laundry and start a new load. Hear Collin start crying. Take a moment to mourn the loss of a quiet naptime today.
2:30-3pm: Enjoy some quiet time with Collin. At 3pm start feeding him hoping that Grant will sleep until I'm done.
3:02pm: Grant wakes up and cries. Take a crying Collin with me to get Grant up and let him watch cartoons while I finish feeding Collin.
3:30-4pm: Play with Grant, clean up gallons of spit up, put away more laundry.
4pm-5pm: Scotty wakes up groggy and very grumpy. Try to make him happy and while keeping Grant out of the refrigerator, off of the computer and out of the garbage can. Discover that making cupcakes will make Scotty happy so we do that. Apologize to a crying Collin and a crying Grant who's hanging on my leg that I'll be with them as soon as I have the cupcakes in the oven.
5pm-6:30pm: Change Collin's poopy diaper and put him down for another nap. Miles comes home from work- yeah! Decide to get Carl's Jr for dinner since it's free kid's meals day. I go to get it and enjoy listening to music in a quiet car. Eat dinner with Collin on my lap. Miles cleans up from dinner and gives the kids cupcakes while I feed Collin.
6:30-7:30pm: Miles leaves for Scouts and I play with Scotty and Grant and some diaper boxes- more fun than Christmas morning! Get them ready for bed without any meltdowns- a miracle! Collin didn't even cry until after Grant was in bed and I was reading Scotty stories- another miracle!
8pm: Decide I can't put it off any longer and give Collin a bath. Take in sweet aroma of a freshly bathed and lotioned baby. Feed Collin rice cereal then clean it all up after he spits it back up. Get him ready for bed.
9pm: Miles comes home from Scouts. Put Collin to bed and finally get some time to talk to Miles. Decide that the laundry can wait until tomorrow to finish.
11:30pm: Collapse into bed!
3 comments:
I don't know how you do it, Lor! You are an amazing Mother. And who needs sleep, right? I miss you guys SOOOOOO much and want to go to the park with you every day :-(
I'm exhausted just reading the entry! Is this what I have to look forward to? Can't wait!!!! Your kids are adorable!
OH LORI!!!! I feel you pain....life is never dull!
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