Double the
Pleasure, Double the Fun…..
Happy New Year! We
hope that you rang in the New Year just as we did; with deep gratitude for the
blessings of 2013 and eager anticipation of adventure and growth in 2014.
My last blog entry was in the summer, prior to Rory’s
(formerly Baby Rocket’s) arrival. I
fully intended to post again after his birth, but it was all I could do to get
an email and FaceBook message out. There
was not much time for writing with an infant and a two-year-old, that is for
sure. So, here we are, in the new
year. I don’t really have much more
time, but writing is important to me, so I’m making a priority today.
Rory Baldwin Richards arrived on Monday, September 23rd
at 8:28am. Living up to his name of
“Baby Rocket”, he blasted into the world via an extremely fast and intense
labor and birth. All was well and safe
and healthy – just fast! Since his
arrival, we’ve been adjusting to being a family of four. Harper is a wonderful big sister. I
cannot believe how mature she has handled his arrival. Yes, she gets jealous when I am feeding him
and cannot play chase or hide-n-seek.
But, she is quite patient (for a 2-year-old) and she loves him. She reads to him, translates his cries and
sounds for us, helps pick out his clothes and diapers, and showers him with
hugs and kisses. My heart just swells
when I see the two of them interact.
Rory loves watching Harper, and he smiles so much when she pays
attention to him. Eric and I both try to
make sure we’re making time for both children (esp. Harper), and we’re
**trying** to make sure we have time for each other. That’s difficult right now, but we know it is
important and are working on that.
Transitioning to a family of four has been good, but boy,
does it require some planning, patience, and flexibility. Here is an example of a typical evening:
·
Eric returns from work at 5:30. I have something started for dinner, but am
probably trying to cook, play with Harper, and possibly feed Rory at the same
time. I think I need a clone or a third
arm.
·
Dinner is ready either around 6 if I have not
had to feed Rory while cooking, or 6:30 if I had to break to nurse him. If I haven’t fed him yet, he often wants to
eat right when I sit down and scoop dinner onto my plate. Meanwhile, Harper needs to go potty (potty
training is going very well) and wash her hands. This sometimes can take 5-10 minutes,
depending on if a book is required for successful completion of potty time.
·
We eat. Hopefully we eat all together, but
sometimes I am feeding Rory at the dinner table and scarfing down food after
the others are done. 3 out of 4 of us eating is the goal.
·
Quick clean up of dishes (often piling up some
to do later…) and play before baths
·
One of us bathes Harper, playing a variety of
imaginative, active games. The other
bathes Rory, who LOVES his bath. He
loves being without clothes in general.
·
We try to read books and get Harper tucked into
bed while checking on her (she needs lots of “checks” these days) while I feed
Rory and get him down. If both kids are
in bed by 8:30, this is an accomplishment.
·
Whew! I
try to go to bed as early as possible.
We haven’t yet have to start washing/packing bottles and packing lunch
for me. That will occur after bed-time
once I return to work next week.
Double the pleasure, Double the
fun. Double the pace at which we run.
In addition to feeling like things
are rushed, we also notice many things just don’t get done. If we can have clean laundry, a supply of
diapers, and food to eat, we are happy.
Other tasks like vacuuming, etc. happen if there is time. No guarantees.
Even “fun” projects are hard to
squeeze in. For example, we bought
ourselves a tv for a family Christmas present.
We’d been planning on buying it for a long time. When did we do it? Christmas Eve. And is it up yet? No- still in the box. It sure looks nice….
Double the pleasure, Double the
fun. Double the stuff that’s not getting
done.
We do, however, have a great
little helper in Harper. She LOVED
wrapping presents with me and making tasty holiday treats. She also helped Eric a lot in putting
together her brand new big-girl bed.
It’s really all about
priorities. I’m a little bit type A, but
I am learning to let some things go and enjoy the precious stage we are
in. Nothing compares to:
·
cuddling with a sweet, sleepy Rory
·
singing, dancing, and making up imaginary
stories and games with Harper
·
making Rory smile by playing simple games
·
exploring the park, museum, grocery store, etc. through Harper’s eyes and hearing
her insightful observations
·
watching the two of them interact, on a very
basic level, with such pure love
·
playing nonsensical games together as a family
I may not be planning exotic vacations or making gourmet
dinners as I did in my previous life, but that is okay for now. I’m okay with dust bunnies. Moments like those above are what make my
life rich and full.
Double the pleasure, Double the fun.
We’re doubly grateful for this trip around the sun.
