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In my sleep deprived state at 2am, I came to the realization that Ben is over 2 months old, which means that for over 2 months, we have managed 2 babies under the age of 2. We still have over 2 months until Liam's 2nd birthday so we are less than half-way there.....
Some wonder what life is like with 2 under 2, so I'll give you a typical day:
1:30am--2 month old wakes up crying, nursing begins
2am--2 month old is done nursing, but is wide awake, so I try soothing him to sleep
2:30am--My sweet husband asks me why I am still awake and offers to take over baby duty
3:30am--Husband crawls into bed.....baby is asleep
5:25am--5 minutes before our alarm, we wake to the crying of our toddler. He is covered in snot and has a fever. Husband takes over toddler duty so I can shower.
6am--Me and toddler eat breakfast while husband showers
6:40am--Husband leaves for work
7am--Toddler who used to be able to say "bubbles" points to the bubbles but asks for an apple. I grab the baby monitor and we head to the porch to blow bubbles.
7:30am--2 month old wakes up and I start nursing
8am--Toddler asks to eat again
8:30am--2 month has a diaper blow-out so I change his clothes
9am--2 month old is tired and fussing. I come out of his nursery to find toddler coloring on the walls.
9:20am--2 month old is crying, so he goes in a carrier
9:30am--I put TV on for toddler
10am--I nurse the 2 month old again
10:30am--I realize the toddler is way over-due for a diaper change
10:35am--I change 2 month old's diaper and start laundry (to prevent laundry build up, I do a full load everyday)
11am--2 month old is cranky and over-tired. I put lunch out for toddler and try to put 2 month to sleep.
11:30am--I come back to kitchen to find lunch chewed up spit out, smeared all over the table, and the dry pieces crumbled and all over the ground.
11:31am--I begin clean-up and toddler decides to "help" and trots off with the dust pan
11:45am--I am done cleaning up, but now 2 month old is crying. I go back into nursery to replace the pacifier and try to soothe him back to sleep.
12pm--I change toddler's diaper, read stories, and put him in crib for nap
12:45pm--I come out of toddler's room to hear 2 month old screaming. I grab him and nurse again.
1:10pm--I put 2 month old down so I can scarf down lunch. Toddler is still awake.
1:25pm--Toddler is crying so I go back into his room to soothe him. He fallls asleep in my arms so I place him in crib.
1:50pm--Newborn is fussing, so I start rocking him
2:40pm--Baby falls asleep, so I transfer him and he wakes up.....He goes into a carrier.
2:40-3:30pm--Baby naps in a carrier while I play on the internet. Toddler is sleeping.
3:30pm--Baby wakes and I nurse him.
3:31pm--As soon as baby latches on, toddler wakes up and starts crying. He'll need to wait.
3:40pm--I put 2 month old in bouncy seat while I get toddler. His clothes are drenched with pee, so I change him.
4pm--Toddler and I go into the living room and I put TV on.
4:05pm--Baby is fussing, so I pick him up to discover another diaper blow-out. While walking to his changing table, he spits up in my hair.
4:10pm--While baby is naked, I look and see toddler about to fall over back of couch. I run to gra him and remind him, there is no jumping on the couch.
4:15pm--Baby starts crying, which causes toddler to cry
4:20pm--I put baby in carrier and find toddler's shoes. I suggest we go outside which makes toddler go hunt for lamby, his lovey.
4:25pm--We get to door, but I remember I forgot baby's pacifier.
4:30pm--I found the pacifier but now toddler has taken his shoes off, lost lamby again, and dumped his blocks all over the floor.
4:31pm--Baby starts rooting, so I start nursing. Toddler begins demanding to go outside.
4:50pm--I change baby's diaper, pop him in a carrier, give up on toddler's shoes, and get us all outside.
4:51pm--Toddler sits down and refuses to walk, we go back inside. Baby is crying.
4:55pm--I am swaying 2 month old, trying to get him to sleep, while toddler climbs onto my bed. When I go get toddler, he wants me to carry him, so I carry 30 pound toddler while wearing 12 pound baby.
5pm--Baby is asleep in carrier but only if I keep swaying.
5:02pm--Husband calls to say he is on the way home; I beg him to drive quickly.
5:30pm--Husband comes home to me swaying while baby fusses, toddler watching TV, the house a mess, and no dinner. He begins to cook dinner.
5:31pm--Baby wakes to nurse. Toddler demands food.
6pm--Dinner is ready. Baby is fussing so I eat standing up with baby in colic carry.
6:20pm--Husband cleans up while I get baby into PJs.
6:40pm--Husband starts toddler's bath.
6:45pm--I nurse baby again.
7pm--I say good-night to toddler then start rocking 2 month old
7:20pm--Husband leaves toddler's room
7:45pm--Husband comes into baby's nursery to take a turn rocking.
7:55pm--Husband comes out of baby's nursery
8:03pm--Baby starts crying so I go into baby's nursery and can smell poop from the toddler's room. Husband goes to change toddler's diaper while I rock baby.
8:15pm--We are both back in living room. We open wine.
8:25pm--Baby cries so husband goes to replace pacifier.
10pm--We fall into bed and are asleep instantly.
Think I am exaggerating? I'm not. I found other blogs to assure me I wasn't alone:
I realize I probably forgot a nursing session or two and probably 3 or 4 diaper changes, but you get the idea.
The amazing part is that I survived the last 2 months. Liam has survived and still loves me and isn't showing any signs of permanent damage. Ben has survived despite the endless hours of screaming and some rough handling from Liam. Dave has survived and still manages to get to work on time. Even the cats have survived....they still get food and water, and manage to hunt down my lap on the rare occasions, there isn't a baby on it. If I hear one more time though that "you must really have your hands full", I think I might scream.
The even more amazing part is that it really is getting a little easier everyday. I find myself falling into a rhythm and am having less guilt about the fact that I cannot give either Liam or Ben 100% of my attention. Sure, we are only halfway there and we still have over 2 months of having 2 under 2, but I think I can even laugh about the hard parts now. I am still am really looking forward to August 20th when I graduate from the 2 under 2 club, although I have a feeling that Liam's 2nd birthday won't bring any sort of special magic and suddenly everything will be easy. ;-)
4 comments:
It's a great tribute to mother's everywhere whether it's two under two or not! Just be glad the two month old, isn't a twin!
Reading this post made me smile at the sheer chaos that having 2 under 2 can create. Even with a laid-back baby, the fact that everything happens in twos now (diaper changes, feedings, and especially crying spells) makes every day a brand new challenge, because there's still just one mommy juggling everything.
Thanks for reminding me that there's someone out there feeling just as frazzled as I do when there's food smeared on the walls and spit-up in the hair I haven't been able to wash for days!
Something tells me, though, that in a few years we'll look back on these early days and actually laugh, because it WILL have been worth it. =)
If I hear one more time though that "you must really have your hands full", I think I might scream.
Usually people say this with a shocked expression as I walk into a store with the 2 month old in the ring sling and the 14 month old on my hip. Since when they say it I quite literally do have all hands full, I can't do anything but smile and hope to find an empty shopping cart before the toddler starts squirming or touching the baby!
I've been thinking of chronicling our day- love that you actually did it!
Gnatty
Go supermom!! I've been in your shoes before. It still makes me irate to think about my ex-husband coming home from work and being upset about the house being a mess while asking me, "What did you do all day?"
I will say that my favorite time with my boys so far has been when they were 2 and 3. Those were some great times of cowboy boots, diapers and Batman capes. That was what they wore every day (no clothes unless we went "bye-bye"). You are going to have a blast!
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