2:00 am to Midnight
2:00 am. Five minute feeding and then back to sleep. Fingers crossed that we get at least a three hour stretch this time.
4:30 am. Two and a half hours. It’s better than one hour or one and a half hours. Time for him to eat again. Seven minute feeding and he’s back asleep. Crawl back into bed. Man…these pillows are soft. I’m pretty sure the bed is going to swallow me up and never let me escape.
6:00 am. Baby is awake and ready for the day. At least, he’s ready for about two hours of his day. And then he will want to go back to sleep. Just in time for big brother to wake up. Drag myself down the stairs, make coffee and doze in the recliner while baby eats. Again.
9:30 am. Baby boy is asleep in my arms, my coffee is cold and I have to pee. Put the baby in the swing and pray he stays asleep or go with him still attached to me and in my arms. Opt for the latter of the two. Then I am guaranteed he will stay asleep.
9:42 am. Two tiny feet hit the floor running. The oldest is awake.
9:50 am. Baby is awake and bright eyed. The oldest wants Cheerio’s. I just want hot coffee.
10:00 am. How many episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse can we watch before mommy wants to throw the remote through the TV? (The answer to that, by the way, is four. Anything more than that and I’m wishing unspeakable things upon a certain mouse.)
10:00 am-11:00 am. Attempt to catch up on work emails while juggling a fussy baby who desperately needs a nap in one arm and digging Sir Arthur the Knight out from under the couch. Most days, I need more than two hands.
11:22 am. I need a shower. Then when the husband comes home at lunch it will look like I accomplished something. And I will at least smell better.
11:34 am. Climb in the shower after positioning baby boy in his swing right by the door. Shower curtain gets left partly open so that he can still see that his mama didn’t disappear. Mama nearly freezes from the cold air coming in the shower. Ten minutes is about all that I have before someone gets cranky.
12:07 pm. Husband is home for lunch. Wants to know what we’re having for dinner. Am I terrible if I say takeout again? Who really wants to cook? Not me…thank God he doesn’t mind helping in the kitchen.
1:16 pm. Baby boy is down for a nap. My work email is overflowing…just like my laundry hamper. Where do I begin?
1:30-4:08 pm. Baby boy wakes up and wants to eat again. A bowl of graham crackers get crushed up in the carpet and need to be vacuumed. A plastic football knocks over a glass of ice water. My email is still full. The laundry is a mile high. There are crayons covering the table and toys covering the floor. If I step on one more LEGO or Hot Wheels car, I might lose it.
4:30 pm. The husband is home. Hallelujah. Reinforcements.
5:00 pm-8:00 pm. Dinner. Baths. Mind numbing TV. Cluster feeding. Bedtime for the boys.
8:00 pm-10:00 pm. Work. Work. Email. Work.
10:22 pm. Crawl into bed. Here it comes…sweet, sweet sleep.
10:23 pm. Baby is awake. Needs to be fed.
10:45 pm. Oldest is awake. Wants some water.
11:15 pm. Baby is awake. Diaper blowout.
12:06 am. Sleeeeeeeep. Zzzzzz…..
2:00 am. Repeat.
Courtney,
I loosely follow your website because I know this scenario all too well. The difference is I only have 1 baby, but I’m doing it alone. I laughed/cried at the part about stepping on another LEGO because I so get it and I’m so in the thick of that. I know that my baby was up every 2-3 hours for the first few months, but it’s all a distant memory-thank GOD! That said, I’m currently watching Family Feud because my brain cannot process anything of greater substance and I just re-washed the load of laundry I started yesterday. And forgot about.
Peace and Love!
Caffeine and wine make every shift a little sweeter. Hang in there, mama!!
Coffee is a REALLY good thing. No matter what people say. Oh, and so are husbands for reinforcements!! 🙂
Blah. Tell me about it. I’m getting so tired that I no longer can remember how much I’ve been up in the night when the morning comes. It is all a blur. Though I know it is a good night when I am not up. every. hour. (!!!)
As much as I love my babies, I do not miss those days at all.
Oh, how I don’t really miss those days. While newborns are squishy and precious and full of as much love as poop, they sure are hard work. Thank GOODNESS it passes so you can look back on the time fondly and not realistically. 🙂
Man, does this bring back some memories! You’re doing great mama. I know it’s tiring but this too shall pass.
Boy…this post is bringing back so many memories. Not too long ago I was in your same boat. I miss it…but then again I don’t. So many emotions we go thru as mothers! Keep up the great work! Your the best momma and wife you can be right now!
Oh hey, this sounds familiar 🙂
Oh my.
I remember those days. Sadly my ‘baby boy’ is 17 mos old now and I’m again living with losing sleep, (but not as much as you) as we just moved him into a toddler bed and he’s still adapting. Also suffering alongside you in the showering whilst leaving the door open and freezing, cereal (or poptarts today) crushed into the carpet, and mommy’s can of sprite spilled everywhere, and an almost four year old running amok, derailing all hopes I have for accomplishing anything but that cold shower by the time hubby comes home. Double sadly? Hubby is working ridiculous shifts (yay military) and just started spring semester last week, so reinforcement is just not happening lately. Hugs, mama. You are not alone.