Finally...a sleeping schedule! :)

It's September…and it really feels like it. This morning the air was crisp and fall- like, and there are already leaves on the ground. The school bus came by too. School started yesterday for the kids and even though I haven’t been teaching for 4 years, I still feel a little anxious and excited at this time of year.  I still  feel the anticipation of something new approaching.

 When fall arrives, it feels like life is a little more organized, there is a little more order, and things run on more of a predictable schedule. There is not much to do outside with three overly heated sticky babies in a black triplet stroller on hot summer days, so I’m looking forward to the cooler weather as well. 

I was thinking this morning that in five years, all my kids will be skipping off to school and the house will be silent and empty…! 
but...
         there is certainly a lot of living to do from now until 5 years….;)

The boys are just about 7 months old. And speaking of schedule, I feel like  finally-FINALLY-they are starting to somewhat fall into a daytime sleep schedule. I want to hold that word loosely because as mamas know, just when you think you’ve figured it out, something is bound to change.

 The days have been very long this summer.  I would wake up at 5 and not know when or if I’d ever have a break or moment of peace until the end of the day.  All the boys cat napped all day long, so I always had a baby or two or three awake.  People recommended books and programs to get them on a schedule. However, everything I tried was difficult and frustrating because I have 3 babies with different sleeping patterns!
 Ideally, I wanted to get them all sleeping at 1:00 when Evie took her nap.  I could get 2 babies on the same sleeping pattern, but there was always that third one who was off.  I finally gave up and decided when fall came, I'd try again.


And sure enough, they are older and their sleep can be manipulated a little easier.  Amanda and I are trying really hard to hold them off from sleeping until they all go down at roughly the same times. Therefore, if all goes according to plan, I have an hour or so in the afternoon when the house is silent and I don’t have anyone to take care of! 

Here is roughly what my day looks like...

5:30 am: My alarm goes off because the boys tend to start waking
6:00: 8 oz bottle for all
7-8: John gets up to help me keep the babies happy and myself sane until Amanda starts her work day at 8:00! They all get super cranky. 
8:00: Amanda and I feed the babies until Evie gets up and then I take care of Evie's needs/wants/demands!
Between 8:30-9:00: Babies go down for morning naps
Between 10-11: Babies wake up and get another bottle
Evie and I are usually together  taking on the day...
12:30: Lunch for Evie
1:00ish: Evie goes down for a nap...and hopefully babies have a small bottle and go down around then too. Sometimes one baby slept a little later than the rest during the morning nap, so I have one up with me for awhile. 
Amanda is "off' after Evie goes down for her nap.

1-3:00ish (or maybe later!) Evie naps, and hopefully so does everyone else!

4:30ish: John gets off work...so, we usually pack everyone up and go to the gym (we sure do get our moneys worth out of the childcare there!)  or we get everyone out for a walk around the neighborhood!
 6:30ish: Commence the craziness! Dinners, baths, bedtime routines for all! Amanda is "on" again to help us out with it all! Thank goodness!

 The goal is to get everyone in bed between 7:30-8:00. 

John usually cooks us all dinner! :) It's always a treat!

We tidy up the downstairs living area and then have a quiet dinner.
 Ahhh! Another day done! 
However, by the time we finish dinner, clean up and prepare for tomorrow, it is nearly 9:00 and I like to try to be in bed by 10:30 at the latest.

We have some fall schedule changes as well. Evie has her preschool starting soon. It’s just one morning a week for like 2 hours, but it will be good for her. She is very ready...and truly growing up so fast! I know she will love her "school." 

She took a little ballet class the other day....oh my....;)

Everyone is growing up. The boys are so much more interactive. Evie is taking charge and is the entertainment to them all. They will all be fussing and she’ll waltz into the room and dance and sing and play peek-a-boo with them. She has them in hysterics sometimes with her little antics. 

The boys notice each other too. They roll around and giggle and touch each other. They have a brother connection that began in the womb and will last forever. 

The days click by…the months and seasons change so fast. 

Five years does seem like a really long time until they are school bound…but I really really don’t want to look towards that momentous event as my goal. 

There is a lot of life to live between then and now, and I don’t want to miss out on a single moment. Everyday I strive to be patient, to appreciate the slow moments and be grateful for this life. 

Our next adventure is Chicago! Our flight leaves Sunday morning, and then begins a very busy week of family, and visitors and exhausting fun! Until then....