Finding Our Groove

Finally! After 5 long months, I finally feel like I am getting a handle on this mom of two kids thing. One very good indicator of this: It's 10:00 PM and I am able to update the blog. Both of my hands are free! And that is because both of the boys are upstairs sleeping soundly. Philip until morning, (8 AM or later, bless his heart), Andrew for another hour or so, (hopefully), until he wakes up to eat again. Lately he has been going to sleep "for the night" around 9:00 PM every night. This falls about an hour and a half after Philip's bed time on most nights. Last night he went to bed at 9, woke up to eat around 11, and slept until 4:30! It was such a nice surprise! I hope it starts happening more often.

Phil is working overnight tonight so it's just me and the boys at home. This no longer scares the bejeezus out of me like it did when Andrew was a newborn. Nighttime wakings are no big deal. Andrew gets up for the day around 7 AM. Sometimes I can get him back to sleep for another hour or so. Philip gets up around 8. I get both boys changed and dressed and we come downstairs for breakfast. Andrew sits in his high chair while I get Philip's food together, usually oatmeal, eggs and toast, or frozen waffles. When Phil is home he makes us all pancakes or homemade waffles. Philip and I eat breakfast and then I get Andrew a bottle. He drinks his bottle while Philip sets to work on pulling all of his "guys" out and tearing apart the living room in general. We play, I fill sippy cups, and change diapers, until about 9 when Andrew decides he needs to sleep. He naps for about half an hour if we're lucky. Philip asks for a snack. We might try to get an errand or two out of the way.

Lunch happens around 11:30 or 12:00 and nap time for Philip follows immediately after it (on a good day). He sleeps for about two hours. Andrew nurses and/or takes another bottle and hopefully another nap while Philip is napping. Once Philip is up it's time for more play time for both boys. These days, Andrew likes to bounce in the Jumperoo or practice sitting up and reaching for toys on a blanket that we spread out on the floor.

Dinner is at 6:00, followed by bath every other night and bedtime around 7:30. Once Philip is in bed, Andrew and mommy get in some more play time, and he takes his nightly nursing session and/or bottle. With any luck, he's passed out by 9:00 PM and mommy gets some much-needed time to herself!

It's taken us some time and, for a while, I thought we'd never get here, but we did. I think tomorrow I might venture out with the boys to the library or maybe to Borders to find some new books to read. Maybe we'll swing by Target. Heck, maybe we'll make the forty minute journey to Fredericksburg to visit Grandma Nettie. Nothing this seasoned mommy of  two can't handle!