Right now I feel like we're really getting into a routine here at our place. Of course, I fear that as I write this, it will all fall apart! Of course, we are flexible with naptimes and bedtimes, and try to look for the tired signs that K & T give us. Upon recommendation of several friends, we are reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth to help us understand the sleep needs of the kids. Their moods seem to depend heavily upon their sleep, so we want as much as possible! Here's what our day looks like most of the time:
6-6:30 T wakes up for a diaper change and a bottle (Mommy changes T and Daddy feeds before him before he goes to work). We dress him for the day too.
6:30-8ish T plays on the floor or exersaucer, eats cereal with applesauce and the new food for the week (this week it is carrots which he LOVES.) He is usually very happy, smiley and vocal.
8:00-8:30 K wakes up, gets a diaper change and dressed for the day. When I walk into her room in the morning, she is usually standing up in the corner of the bed yelling for us. Her blanket and binky have been dropped onto the floor and she is pointing at them saying 'uh-oh'. She is happy to see me and insists that we pick up her things. We have been using her binky in the bed only, and she knows that she needs to drop in back into her crib when I give it to her before she gets out. This was an amazingly easy step for her.
*8:30 K eats breakfast in her high chair. She likes cereal bars, cut up fresh fruit, banana or blueberry puffs, and yogurt. She takes her time eating, and asks to watch 'Elmo'. While she is eating, I feed T a bottle and put him down for his morning nap in his crib, usually by 9.
*9ish, K finishes breakfast and begins the day of play. She has a doll she drags around everywhere, she plays with duplo blocks, looks at books, digs in the toybox and plays in a sink full of water with a few measuring cups. We are trying to color with large triangular crayons, but they occasionally end up in her mouth if I don't watch carefully. Yuck! K also likes to bang on the piano or play in the kitchen drawers. She particularly likes the one that has the rolling pin.
*10:30-11ish T wakes up, wants a bottle and is ready for tummy time! He and K are playing well 'together' on the floor. She brings him toys and books and he grabs for anything she has if she's close. We talk about sharing a lot.
*If I'm going to run errands or go to the store or if we go to playgroup, this is when we go. They both like to go in the car, and T cat naps usually. K has a bucket of special 'car toys' that she plays with while we're driving. She usually grabs the mini-magnadoodle or the play cell phone. She also looks at books and asks me what everything is by pointing and grunting. This can be hard if I'm the driver. :) If we're not driving somewhere, we go outside in the stroller or K plays in the yard and I hold T. We have learned that only some stores have carts big enough for the carseat with T to sit in the basket, and allows K to sit in the front. Target isn't one of them. We are a two cart family there, so we have to wait for Daddy to come home to go there. :( I guess that should save us some money. I heart Target.
*Noon/12:30, we're back at home and K eats lunch. She likes cheese pizza, cheese and crackers, applesauce or veggie sauces that I've bought, some of the Gerber meals, canned peas or green beans. She rarely eats bread. T plays in the exersaucer or on the floor while she's eating. I can't wait until our garden is growing this summer. I think she will like to pick things from it to eat.
*1-2 more play time! We try to avoid going outside here because T will fall asleep.
*Naptime! Sometimes T goes down earlier, but K goes down sweetly at 2. If the moons align, they both sleep until 4ish. Mommy catches up on email, blogs, cleans or occasionally naps. I would like to start scrapbooking for them but it's still on the to-do list.
*430ish, they are both up, diapered and ready for a snack. K has raisins, Kix, grapes, or goldfish crackers with milk. T has a bottle.
* It's more play time until Daddy comes home! K watches for him out the window when he's close.
*6-6:30, it's dinner time! Most times we try to have K eat what we're having, otherwise she has a gerber meal, some sort of veggie or two and of course milk.
6:30-7:30 We try to do something outside as a family. We go on a walk, play on the neighbor's swingset, have Nana, Papa or Em come over to play or play in the yard. T also eats cereal with the food of the week here. He is now sitting in the high chair to eat cereal rather than the car seat.
7:30ish, we start to give baths and get ready for bed. K is SO MUCH better in the bath than when she arrived. She still dislikes having her hair washed, but is now content to play for a few minutes before that task begins. My dear friend Jen bought K some fun bath toys that have really helped this situation. After the bath, we put on her pj's, read a book, say a prayer and she just lays down in her crib with her blanket and binky wide awake and no crying. We think about her fabulous foster family often for helping her be such a great sleeper. In fact, several friends and family members want to send their own kids there for this great training! I hope that T will eventually follow in her footsteps. T also gets a bath and Daddy has a system for his hair washing that T doesn't mind. T is too little to play much in the tub, so his bath is quick. We dress him in a longsleeve onesie and a wearable blanket and bring him back downstairs.
8:00, T get a final bottle and sits with one of us until he is almost asleep and then he goes to his crib. If all goes well, he will sleep through the night. A few times a week he will wake up once for a bottle. I change his diaper and Andy does this night feeding. I love my hubby for this!
That's a snapshot of a typical day around here! Have a great day everyone!
