Hitting our stride

Well it's taken a little longer than expected, but I think the boys and I have finally hit our stride! Our days are finally a little more predictable and a little less of a challenge. Here is a quick look at a day in our life...

6:30am - Bodhi wakes up Koen or Koen wakes up Bodhi (either way Dan and I are up too!), breakfast, multiple diaper changes, school clothes on, lunches made, school bag packed etc...

8:45am - Koen and I take Bodhi to school for 9am

9am - 11am - Koen usually falls asleep in the car seat on the way home from dropping off Bodhi so he continues his nap while I tidy the house, clean up from breakfast and catch up on the latest reality tv; once Koen wakes up we have a little Mommy and baby time with toys, songs etc... - this seems to be Koen's most alert and happiest time of day

11am - We leave to pick up Bodhi at school for his 11:30am pick up

11:45am - We're all back home for lunch - Koen is again usually asleep in the car seat so Bodhi and I sit together and have lunch and talk about his morning at school and make plans for the day

12:30pm - Koen usually wakes up by now so he has his lunch while Bodhi winds down with a little TV watching

1pm - 3pm - Koen spends most of the afternoon in and out of sleep and mostly on me in the carrier while Bodhi and I play/go to the park/bake/do crafts etc....

3pm - Bodhi's snack time - Koen is usually awake around this time so we all play together in the playroom with Koen on his activity mat being changed constantly from his front to his back (he definitely likes to watch everything Bodhi does)

4pm - Challenge hour begins: Koen is either asleep in the carrier or his vibrating seat, or fussing because he wants to be sleeping and Bodhi is starting to get a little stir crazy - all while dinner is needing to be made and I start to feel the effects of sleep deprivation. This is where the countdown to 4:40pm begins (when Dan gets home). This time is usually spent trying to calm Koen and make dinner while Bodhi watches TV.

5pm (or thereabouts): Dinner - Koen is usually being worn by either Dan or myself during dinner - this is his fussiest time of day

6:15pm - Dan and Bodhi head upstairs to start getting ready for bed; I give Koen his bath (which he LOVES), feed him and then he usually falls asleep

7pm - Dan comes back downstairs and holds Koen for a while so I can spend a little time without a person on me (not that I'm complaining)

The evening is then spent with one of us holding Koen while we wind down from the day watching TV etc... The evening usually ends with Koen and I passed out on the couch and Dan waking us up and sending us off to bed

The nights aren't too bad - Koen is up 2 or 3 times a night to feed - and then it starts all over again! Although the mornings are early and I never feel quite rested, first thing in the morning is my favourite time of day. Bodhi will climb into our bed and cuddle up next to me and I get to start each day with a cuddly boy on either side of me. It's a great way to start the day and a great reminder of why I do it. I could lie like that for hours (and not just because of the sleep deprivation!).

Koen hits his first milestone

Be still my heart....

(6 weeks old)

Gramma and Poppa visit

We had some very special visitors this weekend! Gramma and Poppa drove up to Kingston to meet their newest grandson and we had a wonderful visit. Koen got in lots of snuggles and Bodhi showed off his climbing expertise at the park and his swimming skills at the pool. We were sorry to see them go but we can't wait to see them again next month!

Out and About

This week is March Break so Bodhi is out of school and I've been enjoying a week with my boys. On Monday we had a playdate with Sophie and Clara, playing shape searchers and baking muffins and getting lots of Koen snuggles in! On Tuesday we headed down to the library for a kid's concert with Sheesham and Lotus - Koen slept through almost the whole show (and it wasn't exactly quiet!). On Wednesday we hit up Chapters for a snack and a play at the Thomas train table then head down to the other library for a puppet show. All week I've had the help of Grandma or Auntie Karen everywhere we went, but today (Koen's 6 week-iversary) was my very first time out alone with the boys - and we all made it home in one piece and with smiles on our faces! We went up to the Frontenac Mall where they were holding a reptile exhibit and show - Bodhi LOVED it and Koen slept through the whole thing (again).

It feels great knowing how doable it is to be out alone with both of the boys - now it's time to head to the park!

Mommy the Pack Mule

When I wrote a blog of Bodhi's first year, one of the earliest entries was called 'Mommy the Mattress' - for a while Bodhi would only sleep if he was on top of me. Koen has a similar thing going on except that amid diaper changes, hungry toddlers, drives to school, house cleaning, dinner cooking, and sick children, there hasn't really been a moment for us to lay down during the day. Instead I have been upgraded to 'Mommy the Pack Mule' - strap Koen to my front and he will sleep for hours! This pack mule can sweep floors, chop onions, set up train tracks, administer medicine and bounce a crying baby to sleep all at once - not bad, huh?

I should mention that Dan is actually wearing Koen in this photo - he makes a pretty darn good pack mule too!

First month of life

I took this picture of Koen on his 1 month birthday and decided that I would post it even though he's crying in it - it's actually pretty representative of his first month of life!

I am not going to sugarcoat and say this month has been easy for Koen. It started February 3rd by being rudely interrupted from his peaceful womb slumber by two big hands pulling him into a bright, freezing cold, loud room. Not pleasant. It then continued with three days in the hospital with his foot being pricked for glucose tests every 3 hours. Life continued at home with a vicious yeast diaper rash that burned his poor bottom and ravaged a sore tummy. And just when that was clearing up (after two weeks of agony), he caught a little baby version of Bodhi and my cold. Yikes. I guess it can only go up from here! Thank goodness he won't be able to remember this month!

It should be mentioned that among all of this hardship, Koen has also been smothered with kisses, held and snuggled constantly, sang to by his big brother, fed A LOT, tickled, caressed and LOVED with all of our beings. Hopefully this has made up for it!

(Outfit credit: Thanks Grannie Liz!!!)

Family

No one can express real love like a little person can. No ego, no shame, just pure unedited love. Koen and Bodhi are incredibly lucky boys to have so many little people who care about them and know how to show them real love. I, as a mama, also feel so lucky to have them around to care for my boys (and for me!). So thank you Sophie, Lucy, Clara, Alice, Kurt, Ben, Morgan and Quinn. You have made our world a very special place.