1/27/11

Routine

I love routine, I love knowing what I need to get done and what I’ve done so far. When so many things need to get done everyday I function best when I have a routine.
 
Every night so many things need to be taken care of with us and the kids. Dinner needs to be taken care of, pjs and clothes for the next day have to be picked out, baths taken, bags packed, Anna’s blanket has to be changed out on her bed, teeth brushed, potty time, sing songs, prayers and bed time, then Anna needs to be fed and put in bed.
 
To get all of this done we start dinner about 30-40 minute after I get home. Cooking dinner can take from 30 minutes to an hour to prepare. Eating depending on how the kiddos are behaving last around 30 minutes. We are normally done with cooking, eating and cleaning at about 6:15-6:30. 

Most nights after dinner we hang out as a family and watch Diego or Backyardigans with TJ. 

We start baths at 7:30. Both kids get bathed together. Anna is taken out first and taken to get ready for bed. TJ is then washed and then taken out. He goes potty, brushes his teeth, and gets dressed for bed. His night time routine consists of praying, singing, and lots of kisses and hugs. Asleep by 8pm.

We spend the next 30 minutes playing, talking and singing with Anna. She is fed and in bed by 9. 
Then its time for us to get ready for bed!

Oh and in the midst of all that all the bags are put together and with the car seat put by the door.

I love that we have this system down. We are getting to where we don't have to talk or ask each other to do anything. Its just getting done!

But there are some nights we just don't want be at home. On the nights we aren't home we still do all this its just its cut down and done quicker. haha, so much for skipping anything. 

1/19/11

Anna is 2 Months Old

2 Months Old!
Miss Anna is now two months old. She is doing fantastic!

Her days normally go like this: wakes up around 8:30, eats at 9, stays awake till around 10-10:30 then lays down for a nap, wakes up at noon to eat, cat naps between 12 and 3, eats at 3 and takes her long nap till she eats again at 6, bath at 7:30 play time with mommy and daddy till she starts eating at 8:30 and in bed at 9. At the beginning of the month she was waking up anywhere from 2-6 am (5-9 hrs) during the night, then would go back to sleep till 8:30 am. The last week she has been sleeping 8-8.5 hours, waking up around 5-6 am and then goes back to sleep till 8:30. During the day she eats about 5 ounces in her bottle during those feedings.

My mom is taking care of her and TJ. She is loving it. Anna gets to cuddle and play with her Nana all day long. It took a couple of days after I started back to work a couple weeks ago to get into a new schedule but they are doing well. 

TJ loves his Nina, he makes sure that she’ll be staying at Nana and Papa’s home too. He loves making sure she is sleeping good and is always willing to give her the pacy. He’ll even hold it there to make sure she takes it…haha

She watches her angels. 
This week she started swatting at her toys. 
She started smiling a lot before Christmas but she will smile even more now. 
She doesn’t scream through her baths anymore and is actually starting to kick and smile during them. (she only screamed the first few times)

Today at her doctor appointment she started to roll over. She was laying there on her back and got to her side. The only thing stopping her was her arm. Yay! way to go Anna!
Her measurements at 2 months were:
12 pounds and 2 ounces
22 1/4 inches long

Getting so BIG! 

1/6/11

Goodbyes

No matter how you try your hardest to prepare to leave your babies... it is still the hardest thing ever.

I knew before I even had her that I would only have 6 weeks at home with her and TJ then I would be headed back to work. With the holidays it just made it speed by even quicker. I loved being home during the holidays but with all the activities, parties, and traveling it didn't slow down time.

I had my follow up appointment with my OB Dr yesterday and was released to go back to work yesterday. After I left that appointment I took Anna to my parents house. I had dropped TJ off there earlier so I wouldn't have to take him to the doctor's office.

I was a ball of mixed emotions the night before and all day yesterday. It was hard to smile and be cheerful. Happy to get back to a normal routine but sad to be leaving my babies. Leaving them with my mom makes it so much easier because I can call my mom as much as I need to and can check on them.

I had lunch over at her house then it was time for goodbyes. I gave Anna lots of kisses and told TJ to give me hugs and kisses. He gave them with no hesitation. **Lump in my throat** TJ kept saying "bye bye Mommy" then when I was walking out the door I heard him ask my mom, "where my mommy doe?" my mom answered, "she is going to work" TJ, "ooohhhh, my mommy word" in a very sad voice. I shut the door so fast.

I did good, I didn't cry just had that stupid lump in my throat the rest of the day. And I kept my calls limited to break time.

Today was my first full day back at work. I'm glad I had a short day yesterday, it made today easier. I said my goodbyes this morning. The lump was gone. TJ still yelled "Bye bye Mommy" a million times but today it just made me smile.

I hate that I can't be with them every day but I am so happy that they get to spend every day with my mommy.

Now one more day this week then I get two FULL days with them!!!! Can't wait!

1/4/11

Beauty

Sitting here looking at my little girl. I started thinking about her future...

I was just looking at her features and saw such beauty. She has pretty lips, pretty eyes, beautiful skin, perfect nose, she has all the best features of Tim and I.

I am already praying for her husband and for her future. Some may think I'm crazy, but it is my job as her parent to pray for her. No one can pray for her like I can, just like no one can love her like me.

I pray he loves God more than he loves her, I pray he respects her, I pray he has passion and is driven, I pray he loves her unconditionally, I pray he holds her when she is hurting, I pray that he isn't the one to hurt her, I pray he loves her for her, I pray she learns from Tim and I about marriage and how you treat each other. Oh the list goes on and on.

I do know that her beauty on the outside is NOTHING if she doesn't have beauty on the inside. I also pray she becomes a passionate woman of God. That she lays down her plans for her life and takes up His with all her being. I pray we do everything we are suppose to do in order to teach her and to help her become who she is destined to be.

Can't wait to teach her to pray, to sing, to worship, and to seek His face at all times.

Anyways, I was just sitting here looking at her and wanted to share my thoughts.

1/3/11

Sleeping

Many moms struggle with getting their infants to sleep on there own, to sleep in a bed or cradle and not in their arms.

When TJ was born I was so terrified that I was the one that would do something to harm TJ. He was given so many words while in my stomach that I knew God would protect him but I was just so scared that I would hurt him. That I would fall asleep while holding him, that I would roll over on him and so on. When he would wake up to eat in the middle of the night I would quickly get up, feed him, burp him, then immediately lay him down. I would not cuddle with him in the middle of the night of fear I might get to comfortable and fall asleep too.

The benefit of being scared like this was he learned very quickly to go to sleep on his own. If he cried I wouldn't pick him up. I would sit on the edge of the bed and rock the cradle with my foot. Now he is almost three years old and has no problem going to sleep. He actually loves his bed. Now I'm not saying we have never had any problems. He on occasion will have a hard time getting to sleep, for example if people are over here and making lots of noises or he didn't get calmed down before we started our nightly routine.
 Now I find myself trying to duplicate my results with my second child. The fear isn't there which makes it so much harder. When she would cry I would want to get her to be quiet quickly so she wouldn't wake up TJ or other people in the house. I would have to fight myself to keep her in her bed. I would have to do anything to calm her down without picking her up. Pat her back, pat her bottom, pacy, wrap her blanket around her and so on. I had to learn her signs of what she needs, if its gas, if she is hungry or just fighting sleep.

The main thing I have learned is routine. Doing the same routine every night does wonders for a baby. If I would pat her I would start out with a nice good pat and then after she would calm down I would make my pat less and less stronger and eventually stop the patting. I would stand there and make sure she wouldn't start up again and if she did I would start the patting over again.

Anna is officially sleep trained. She can be awake and when I lay her down she can fall asleep on her own. This is key to get her to sleep longer. If she wakes up and isn't necessarily hungry she will fall back asleep on her own.

Some moms love to rock their babies to sleep, I love rocking mine to sleep also but needing to go back to work I can't do that every night. I can't spend how ever long in the middle of the night getting them back to sleep. And since my mom watches my kids I can't expect her to rock them to sleep. She needs to be able to lay them down and them go to sleep so she can get other things done.

This is how I trained my kids to sleep on their own and I'm glad I started this when they first came home, even if the first time it was by accident.

I hope my experiences can help someone. Happy sleeping, means happy babies.

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