Questions Answered, Part 2

Question: how do you two spend your days? I know you're working on a routine- do you have a regular routine?

We're very slowly getting into one!  Here's what our day looks like right now:

6-7am - Emma Ramey wakes up.  I feed her and put her back down.  Then, I eat breakfast, do a few chores around the house, read emails.

9:30am - Feed ER.  She's normally up for about an hour, including the feeding, so she's back down for another nap around 10:30.  Then, I give myself a few minutes of computer time, do blog posts, read emails, clean up, do laundry, etc....no real "plan" as to what I do, just whatever needs to be done!

12:30pm - Feed ER, same routine as 9:30.

3:30pm - Feed ER, same routine as before.

 6:00 - She usually wakes up a little early to eat this time.  I feed her, and then she has awake time for a little while.  She's normally pretty fussy about this time, so I might try to get her to take a little nap after she eats, depending on her mood.


8:30 - Start bedtime routine.  We've been either doing a full-on bath or a sponge bath at this point, then feeding her, then put her to bed around 9:30.  And I go to sleep very shortly after...I'm having to wake up at around 2:30 to feed her, and I'd be a zombie if I tried to stay up any later. :)


This is constantly changing though.  She'll be having more awake time soon, and will eventually merge some of these feedings together.


Question: Do you have any favorite items that new parents should definitely get? 

I should probably do a whole blog post about this too!  I'll give you the condensed version though. :)

1.  Bottles - you might say you'll be just breastfeeding, but there are always times when you won't be there, you're exhausted and need dad to take a feeding, etc.  Get them, even if only a few, just for that...but I'd wait a couple of weeks if you can help it to avoid confusing the baby.

2.  Microwave sterilizer - we LOVE this!  It's so much easier than boiling bottles, pacis.  You just pop it in the microwave!  I use this at least once a day.

3.  Boppy pillow - My arms would have fallen off by now if I had to hold up a 12 pound baby for every feeding. :)  GOOD investment!

4. Pack n Play - She slept in this for the first two weeks she was home.  Now we have it in our living room, and it's a great place to store things, change her, and lay her down for a quick nap if we need to!  We got a nicer version, and I'm glad we did - it has a vibration that calms her down if she's fussy, has storage underneath (where the playpen area will eventually be), and a diaper changing area...we use all of this!

5.  Video/Angelcare monitor - ER started sleeping in her crib at 2 weeks, and I would have been a basket case without these!  The Angelcare just makes sure she is breathing - it's nice just to have reassurance.  And the video monitor is great to see if she's asleep and just making noise, or if she's  actually awake.  Would recommend both of these!  You can buy a video Angelcare monitor, but it was cheaper to buy them separately when we got them.


Question: Do you know how we're supposed to handle growth spurts, etc. if we're keeping the strict schedule (on Moms on Call)?

I don't know a ton about MOC, but I did read that sickness is an exception to the schedule - I would assume growth spurts are too!  I'm not too big on making her stay on a schedule if she's absolutely not having it.  We've been lucky that she's taken really well to the schedule we tried.  But the thing I keep on reading in all of these routine books - if a baby is hungry, feed it!  Don't make the baby sit there hungry and crying if it is fixable.  Every baby is different, and not every baby is going to fit into the perfect three hour schedule.  Find out what works for your baby and do it! (And I did read yesterday that you should let the baby eat for as long as they will eat, just to help your supply.  It's when they start using you as a pacifier that you have to watch out for!)

Question: I was wondering if you are going to go back to teaching next year?  If so, what are your plans for childcare? 


I was actually trying to decide when to put this on the blog. :)  I am SO blessed that I'll be able to stay home net year!  I am going to go back for the last week of this year (towards the end of next month), and that will be it.  This is something we've been trying to work out for a while now, and everything just kind of fell into place.  I couldn't be happier! :) 


I will still be doing blog designs, so I guess technically I will still work some from home.  That will be a nap-time kind of thing though, and I'm just going to kind of play it by ear how much I can still handle.  I should be starting that up again in a few weeks!