Establishing a Routine

We're coming to the end of Beth's first full week back at work, on Summer hours (7:30am-4pm), and starting to establish a routine. The routine may not be exactly as we wish, but I guess having one is better than not, and we can amend it later.

4:15am~ish Edward wakes us both, usually. After the Ed-necessaries, Beth goes back to sleep and I go downstairs for some quiet time. Ed stays with Beth or comes with me, depending on his wakefulness. If he comnes with me and I put him in the jiggleator he often falls asleep again.

6:20am Beth wakes up (assuming the alarm is set). Ablutions, breakfast, last minute Ed top-up feed. I shower and dress while Beth watches Ed, unless I already showered and dressed downstairs while Beth had Ed upstairs.

7:20am Beth drives to work. Ed has playtime on his playmat, a bit of tummy time if he's up for it, and often has a mini-doze of his own accord right there on the mat. He practises his gymnastics and reach/stretch exercises, plus vocalizations. Sometimes we use the jiggleator, somnetiems the Super Seat. Eventually he realises he's hungry and by then it's

9am~ish  Ed's first bottle of the day. Actually a small sippy cup, as he seems to do better with that. I tried droppers, a breast-shaped bottle, and various regular-nippled bottle, and this seems to work best for now. The milk is pumped fresh the day before. I hold the cup for him, but his mitts get involved and determine when he needs a breather and when he's ready for another gulp. We're working on best location and body position for minimum distractions and dribble.

10am~ish, or soon after feed, burps, potty. Naptime for Edward. Hopefully. He sometimes complains like a 2-yo about being put down for naps, but then settles down and sleeps well when he realises he can't escape. Usually. He goes to sleep without having to have a parent nearby, a very useful thing now and in the future, for reasons we'll explain in another post.

11am-1pm~ish Ed wakes refreshed, and needs potty and a feed. Now things start getting more difficult. He doesn't like using a used sippy cup, so a fresh cup is needed, and often fresh milk. For this purpose we've got three the same so I can rotate.

Now we're really off schedule and treading water until Beth gets home arounf 4:30pm with the world's best sippy cups. Sometimes Ed is happy, other times nothing will satisfy him, and after an hour or so of increasing frustration and miscommunication all round I put him down for another nap, which happily always works for now. He is very good at giving me the 'I don't need or want a nap' look, but I ignore that as I need a breather.