On the Eve of a Time Change

I've often told new moms that when Silas was a baby I learned to hold loosely to our routine. Just when I thought we were in a really good daily pattern, something would cause a shift: adding solids, dropping a nursing or bottle, extending time between feedings, naps, a time change...just when I thought I had it down, I felt like I was starting all over again.

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All three of our children will react to tomorrow morning's time change differently. Silas is fairly easy-going about sleep patterns and will adjust easily over the next day or so. Lieren is as stuck to a routine as she can be and will probably take the most time to transition. Simeon is in his own world and I'm guessing it will not matter to him at all that the time has changed. He will get up whenever he pleases like he always has.

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Anyhow, we have been in a nice routine over the past few weeks and I think it will probably stick for a while. So as you get to see pics of one of our fall outings to a local farm, I will share a typical day's routine. The pictures speak for themselves, I think...

My alarm goes off at 6:45 but there is a good chance I have been up long before that, depending on what Simeon has done in the night. He's a wildcard. Lieren, on the other hand, is sleeping a blessed 10 hours, straight through till 7:00 am. That's about when I get both babies up and we start the day. I feed them and they get changed. Then we have play time, usually in bed or in the bathroom while I get ready for the day.
By 8:30 or 8:45 the babies are ready for their morning nap so they get all snuggled up and head back to bed as Silas begins to wake. I usually put the babies down before I get him up. But some days, like this morning, the routine is off a bit and I take the babies in with me to greet him. This morning I had Lieren when I opened his door and Silas promptly said, "Mommy, just put Lieren down. Lieren take a nap." He has gotten used to our morning time together!
I get Silas changed and ready for the day then we head to the kitchen for breakfast at 9ish. At this point I have been up for 2 hours and am famished. My parents help us get breakfast together and we all eat. Then we sometimes have a bit of time before the babies wake, depending on how Sim is sleeping.
Silas has gotten into the pattern of knowing that when the babies eat at this morning time, he gets to watch a video. Right around 10, we all settle in the living room. It is great. Silas is entertained and when one baby is done eating, he or she can watch while I finish feeding the other.
Then it's activity time. If I have an errand, I head out after feeding the babies. I like to take Silas and leave Sim and Lieren with my parents. Or I take all the children on a neighborhood walk (my favorite of our activities). A couple weeks ago I was home alone with the children two days in a row and I took them all to Target by myself one day. It went great and was fun to have them all out together. It was also empowering: now I know I can do it!
Silas, my parents, and I do lunch around noon. My hope is always that the babies will take a bit of a nap as we lunch. But it doesn't always happen. If they do nap, they are in swings or being held at the table.
The babies eat again at 1 so I might take Silas into his room or the playroom to play while the babies are fed. Of course while my parents are here, they are a great help in keeping him entertained during feeding times.
Then it is naptime for everyone around 2. I love that there is part of the day when all the children are napping at the same time! Silas will nap till about 5 (sometimes we have to get him up so he doesn't sleep too long!). The babies will nap till about 4:30ish but with some help along the way: a paci put in or a little rocking.
Babies eat again between 4:30 and 5 then Silas gets up. We all play, then have dinner. After dinner things are a bit chaotic and we just do what works. I try to get the babies baths before 7:30 when they eat again. Silas gets his bath at 8. Then babies head to bed at 8:30 and Silas at 9.
Our routine is what it is - just a routine. Each day has it's own mood and special needs. Once Silas, Simeon, and Lieren are in bed I am usually ready to fall into bed too. I have to make myself balance needing to get things done because the children are sleeping and knowing that I need to rest as well, especially because one never knows when Simeon might wake!