Planning ahead
aaa
I have been trying to prepare myself, my husband and particularly my daughter for the coming of this new baby.
The first few months with R were not easy, to say the least. We were not prepared for the complete change in our lives, our schedules, our routines. Well, I guess we were as prepared as we could be. No one really knows what it's like to care for a newborn until they have one.
The almost perfect equilibrium we have achieved now has been a hard conquest. We now have a well tested routine that works perfectly for us. We get up at 8.00 am, we shower and dress up R, we walk her to school and then we walk to work. At 5.00 pm the nanny picks her up from school and gives her a bath. At 6.30 pm I come home from work, give her dinner, we play a while and she goes to bed at 9.00 pm. I like to have a routine, I like to sleep through the night, I love being diaper free (for over 6 months now!!), I love it that she eats the same things we do.
But things will change once again. Our routine will be disrupted and we will have to adjust it again. And this time it's not only two adults having to adjust their routine, it's also an almost 3 year-old. I'm sure it won't be easy.
One of the things I could never do with R was having her in our room at night. I'm a light sleeper and I just couldn't sleep with her moving around just a few meters away. So we put her in her room as soon as we brought her home. But since we would like the new baby to share a room with R, it will be more complicated this time around. The baby will probably have to stay in our room until he/she is sleeping well enough not to wake up R. The third room in our house is too far away from ours to put the baby in it and I don't want to take R away form her room because of the baby.
We will have diapers again, and bottles, and special food for the baby. We will have several naps a day, feedings in the middle of the nights, pumping sessions. And in the middle of all this we will have a child who needs her routine to be kept as close to normal as possible. I have decided that I will keep R in school even during my 4 months maternity leave. That way I will be able to care for the baby during the day, do as many things as possible during that time, and then try to spend as much quality and alone time with her as possible once she comes home. Trying to keep her current schedule sounds like the best plan.
So, you mommies of more than one, do you have any tips for me on how to adjust to life with a new baby?
PS: Yes I have noticed the excessive use of the word routine. I have no pretensions to being a writer.
I have been trying to prepare myself, my husband and particularly my daughter for the coming of this new baby.
The first few months with R were not easy, to say the least. We were not prepared for the complete change in our lives, our schedules, our routines. Well, I guess we were as prepared as we could be. No one really knows what it's like to care for a newborn until they have one.
The almost perfect equilibrium we have achieved now has been a hard conquest. We now have a well tested routine that works perfectly for us. We get up at 8.00 am, we shower and dress up R, we walk her to school and then we walk to work. At 5.00 pm the nanny picks her up from school and gives her a bath. At 6.30 pm I come home from work, give her dinner, we play a while and she goes to bed at 9.00 pm. I like to have a routine, I like to sleep through the night, I love being diaper free (for over 6 months now!!), I love it that she eats the same things we do.
But things will change once again. Our routine will be disrupted and we will have to adjust it again. And this time it's not only two adults having to adjust their routine, it's also an almost 3 year-old. I'm sure it won't be easy.
One of the things I could never do with R was having her in our room at night. I'm a light sleeper and I just couldn't sleep with her moving around just a few meters away. So we put her in her room as soon as we brought her home. But since we would like the new baby to share a room with R, it will be more complicated this time around. The baby will probably have to stay in our room until he/she is sleeping well enough not to wake up R. The third room in our house is too far away from ours to put the baby in it and I don't want to take R away form her room because of the baby.
We will have diapers again, and bottles, and special food for the baby. We will have several naps a day, feedings in the middle of the nights, pumping sessions. And in the middle of all this we will have a child who needs her routine to be kept as close to normal as possible. I have decided that I will keep R in school even during my 4 months maternity leave. That way I will be able to care for the baby during the day, do as many things as possible during that time, and then try to spend as much quality and alone time with her as possible once she comes home. Trying to keep her current schedule sounds like the best plan.
So, you mommies of more than one, do you have any tips for me on how to adjust to life with a new baby?
PS: Yes I have noticed the excessive use of the word routine. I have no pretensions to being a writer.
posted by Ana @ 11:44 AM
2 Comments:
At 2:39 PM,
Jen said…
No kids of my own yet, so I can't give you tips, but your plan sounds very good to me.
I think you are a fabulous writer, especially given that you are writing in a language that's not your native tongue!
At 4:37 PM,
Martha said…
I have no advice! LOL.. since I only have one. Just know that everything will change and the first 6 weeks are the worst! I think it is a good idea to keep R at school while on maternity and keeping her schedule as normal as possible. My prayers will be with you girl!
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