Now our house is different. Luke has matured so much...he is much less inclined to meltdown. I really think that has come about because he's mobile. He just loves to get into things and is so curious about everything. He eats easier, he is almost done with bottles (we plan to switch him to sippy cups and milk next week!), and he sleeps better. He naps in his crib once or twice a day (it depends on how busy he's been)...and he goes to bed easy. Sleep really is what is so different about our house. For the first few months of Luke's life, sleep was such a rarity. Luke woke up at least once a night, and there were stretches when he'd be awake 3 times in a 9 hour span. The first few weeks of his life Savannah went to bed in our bed, with us (partly because she was ill, partly because we had no energy to force her to stick to the old routine). I was so worried Savannah wouldn't go back to her room easily, wouldn't handle bedtime as well as she did before Luke. But here we are, a year later, and our house is somewhat into a routine. There will be days that things are hay-wire...but pretty much at 7pm we do bath time (and for now they bathe together...although that will be changing as they age) and then by 7:15 Luke is getting his last little bottle. He drinks it down, gets a minute of cuddle time (he squirms after that) and I put him in his crib and walk out. He's usually pretty tired, but awake, when I put him to bed. (He even naps like that, although no bottle right before - just cuddles.) We rarely hear anything from him until the next morning. Savannah finishes her bath when Luke is getting his bottle, so by 7:30 she's in her bed reading books with Carl. She gets her book, a prayer, a cuddle, and a kiss...and then Carl is out of there. She goes to sleep when she's ready. Both kids are doing amazing when it comes to bedtime...once again, Carl and I have from 8:00pm to spend together. In all honesty, I'm still pretty exhausted by that point and am not much good for more than watching TV on the couch...but as the kids get bigger it will be a bit easier. I'm just amazed at how well Luke has changed into a kid that wants to go to bed and how Savannah transitioned back into her routine after the craziness of having a newborn in the house changed things.
So while in March 2012 I was pretty sure we'd never, ever sleep 8 consectuive hours again...we do. We have our evenings again...and we have happy kids.
Now I'm ready for Easter! For the first year since Savannah was born, we finally have an Easter weekend to really appreciate the holiday. In 2009, Savannah came home from the hospital on Easter Sunday. In 2010 we had birthday parties surrounding the holiday. In 2011 we spent Easter in Alabama. In 2012 Luke was tiny and Savannah's birthday party was the day before Easter, and on Easter everyone (except) Carl was so ill we couldn't make it to church and my parents had to travel to Ohio to visit my ill grandmother. We finally will get to spend the weekend celebrating Easter this year! The kids already have adorable outfits - I cannot wait to see them all dressed up together...they are just too cute for words when they are. This year I totally fell in love with the Carter's Easter Shop...Savannah is wearing this dress and Luke will wear this button-down shirt and this sweater. He'll either wear khaki or gray pants - depends on which we can get for a good price. I think the colors this year will really bring out my little ones' blue eyes. I am hoping for at least a sunny Easter, even if it isn't warm. I can't wait for the church's annual Saturday before Easter festivities...and then Easter Sunday...and Easter dinner...and the joy that Easter is in the springtime! I am SO ready for pastel colors and spring. I miss my world of color - wintertime in the north is full of brown, white, and gray. I am ready for the green grass, blue skies, and warm breezes!
As soon as Luke's party is over I'm putting out the Easter decor...
No comments:
Post a Comment