Day 1 of being on my own with the kids. Nervous? Yes. Three kids going three different directions and only one set of hands….that should make anyone nervous right? I was either brave or crazy when I scheduled Teagan’s 2 week checkup for my first day on my own, but it went good. I begged Jason to not leave me alone with them, but he insisted he had to go to work. Not before he snickered under his breathe that the children would likely eat me alive though. Humph.
So, I decided to go in prepared….I was determined to out smart our toddler, who, by the way, has been very demanding and on edge here lately. My plan of action? Snacks, surprise rewards and having as much done as possible ahead of time. I had bags packed for our outing and clothes set out the night before. Check out T’s new backpack, no more diaper bag for our big girl! She LOVES it and it is the perfect size for her to carry her own stuff. A quick change of clothes, a book or two, a snack, stuff to keep her busy, etc. Not to mention that it’s pretty darn cute too…
Worked like a charm, Taryn did great. Mostly in part to the new reward system we put into place. I got a big basket and filled it with fun little stuff like stickers, coloring books, books, small puzzles, lip gloss and lots of other fun girly stuff. When I catch her being good or need a few extra minutes with the baby, to nurse or at the 5 o’clock crying hour, it helps a ton!
Granted, by the end of the day, I was flat exhausted. It’s tough being in pre-teen, handling homework, 10 year old boy stuff mode, toddler mode and baby mode simultaneously. Thank goodness for all those freeze ahead meals I have packed away in the freezer. Totally saved me.
As for Teagan’s checkup, he is doing great. He’s up past his birth weight at 7 lbs 11 oz and has grown an entire inch at 20 inches long. Our little man loves to eat.
LOVE the backpack! Avery has the “horse” version of that backpack and just loves it (plus, you can’t beat not having to carry a diaper bag for a toddler, right?!).
Congrats to Teagan! Keep growing, little man. You’re awesome for juggling all those kids AND venturing out on your own. BTW – I love the little bit about the “5 o’clock crying hour” Brick totally went through that as a newborn. Just about the time I needed to start dinner, he needed my full attention.
ohdear, I totally remember the first few days on my own with just TWO. Their daily “outfits” were diapers and 5 o’clock was *my* crying hour haha! But still, I cherish those memories with all of my heart. I had to keep reminding myself that I’d say that someday… you will too (but you already know that) :). ((Hugs))
Grow baby grow! And LOVE the backpack, we have the same one but I haven’t broken it out yet!