Life With a Toddler.... and a baby.... and....

Anyone wondering why I have not updated in a while? Here is a day in the life of a toddler, baby, mom and dad!

We wake up anywhere around 630am with Hannah calling for Daddy. Daddy is not quite ready to get up in the morning so he has been getting Hannah to crawl into bed with him and watch "toons". She is finally able to sit still long enough to cuddle in bed. Usually while this is going on I am either feeding Paige or showering for the day! I soon realized that being able to shower and feel human at the start of the day sets the tone for the day so that is my first accomplishment each and every day. I am usually able to get ready without little fingers getting into all my stuff and not having to give makeup lessons to miss Hannah Banana!

By the time I am ready Jay is getting up or being dragged out of bed to get ready for work.... He is putting in long late hours these days so it is even more difficult to get going for the day. He is also cherishing his moments in the morning with Hannah. I usually try to empty the dishwasher, get lunch ready and breakfast ready while they are still downstairs... less stress that way!

Then it is Hannah's turn to get ready: diaper change, washing face, getting dressed, breakfast and brushing her teeth....

Then we go check on Paige. She is usually awake staring at the ceiling smiling up at us when we come in to get her up. She gets diaper change, face wash, new clothes and some eats too! She is growing so fast...

Once we are all ready for the day, we either go out and do some running around, visit someone or sometimes go for a walk that involves the park of some sort. With the weather getting better and our household feeling better we are getting out more...

Or we just stay home and do things around the house. Paige moves from the vibrating chair to the exercauser, swing, floor and my arms. She is laughing now and really paying attention to what we are all doing. She is also trying to keep away from her sister... I will explain in a bit. She is teething and her poor little (big) cheeks are getting really red and she is chewing on her fingers alot. She is a really calm little baby and just goes with the flow which is a good thing given her sister requires lots fo attention. Paige is getting her 4 month immunization this week. She is already 4 months. Not sure where the time has gone! Last week she decided to be up 4-5 times in the night when she was only getting up once or twice. Much more manageable. So we have been trying to get things figured out!

Hannah moves all over the house! We took down the gate and she is able to go downstairs and play in her room if she wants. We have had to close all the other doors otherwise we would be losing things like ear plugs, booklights, books and all sorts of other things from the bathroom and our nighttables! We can tell her no a zillion times but we actually have remove things from her reach! Now she has also started to say "Why?" I did not know this happened so early! Sometimes Hannah plays so well with her toys, other times she is dragging us around the house to do things. She already knows who she can get the most from. When Grandma comes she convinces her to get the sweet treats out and we could go all day with out having her ask for any but when Grandma comes over she knows!

We have also had to run interference on Hannah and Paige. Hannah decided to use her pencil crayon and explore Paige's orifices. Not sure if it was the nose or the throat. That was horrible! Hannah also wanted Paige to be on the floor one day when she was on the couch. Not as horrible as the pencil crayon but just the same... Yesterday I found Hannah doing the titanic arms out lying on the baby swing swinging back and forth. I also found her sitting on the computer desk getting into the tape, scissors, pens, papers, post it notes and whatever else she could find. Now it sounds like I am not watching out little Banana but these are things she does when I think I have a minute to go do the laundry, put away the dishes, make lunch or even go to the bathroom. All is calm so I think I have the all clear! Well she has prooven me wrong time and time again! Oh and she cannot color on her own as she thinks that the pencil crayons, erasers, felts, and crayons are food. I am not sure I should concerned that she has pica or not? I think this is a phase?

Around noon we meet daddy for lunch at home and snack away. Daddy goes back to work and we try to have a nap in the afternoon at the same time. Then we get up do some playing and get dinner ready. Daddy comes home for dinner and play time and bath time. Hannah goes into the big bath and Paige hangs out on the floor waiting for her turn. Hannah comes out, lotions up, gives the kitty her treats and gets dressed and says goodnight or "night night" in Hannah speak. She then gathers up her 2 teddy bears, moosey and Harmony bear and snuggles in to her crib and drifts off to sleep. Unless on those rare occassions she calls out to us! Then we pat her back and off to sleep she goes. Then it is Paiges turn for her bath. She is still in her little bath. Not sitting up yet to be in the big bath! We have our quality time and lotions, dressing and eating then off to bed she goes! Until about midnight, then anywhere from 2 to 5.5 hours she wakes. And eats and sleeps again.... Then we start all over again!

We have discovered that dealing with the day is all about organization and thinking ahead. I suppose it is just like in the OR! But we do have to remember to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the days we are given with one another! The other stuff will always be there!