Where shall I begin? How about 3 a.m.-ish? Ok, here we go:
2:40 a.m. - wake to alarm because child sleeps through the night (thank God for that blessing)
3:00 a.m. - bring warmed bottle of fortified breast milk upstairs, feed to sleeping child.
3:15 a.m. - collapse back into bed.
6:20 a.m. - wake to alarm again. Go downstairs, pump bottles of milk, warm prepared bottle.
7:00 a.m. - feed prepared bottle to still-sleeping child. Collapse back into bed for a few more precious moments of rest, or grab shower if we have appointments that day.
7:20 a.m. or so - get back up to change horribly stinky poopy diaper, generated as direct result of 7:00 feeding.
7:30 - unplug monitor from outlet, throw that and the suction machine over shoulder, grab some clean clothes for the child, grab child, make way downstairs.
7:30-8:00 - perform morning cares for smaller child (clean g-tube site, change gauze, dispense eyedrops), change poop #2, dress child.
*8:00-9:30 - wrangle Daughter through breakfast, potty and dressing. Attempt to eat something as well.
9:30-10:00* - pump and mix bottles
*If this is an appointment day, wrangle Daughter much faster, throw still-damp hair into a shitty-looking ponytail, pack up wee child's machines and diaper bag, and throw everyone in the car...while desperately trying to avoid the use of 4-letter words. Arrive late to appointment, sit and wait anyway, get through 30 second appointment, head home.
11:00 - attempt bottle or breast-feeding, then finish with g-tube feeding.
11:30-12:30 - attempt to feed Daughter something healthy for lunch
1:00 - pump and mix bottles
1:30 - read stories and drop-kick Daughter into her bed for nap
1:40 - end of naptime - attempt to do some laundry, make the bed, eat something, pay bills, or heaven forbid...relax for two seconds.
3:00 - feed baby, cuddle, play, spend quality time
3:30 - wrangle Daughter onto the toilet for post-nap pee, have snack, hang out playing go-fish, candyland, playdough, or coloring while still trying to do some laundry and/or finish (my) lunch.
4:30 - pump and mix bottles
5:00 -7:00 - work on dinner, attempt to calm fussy baby, eat something.
7:30 - pump and mix bottles
8:00 - chuck Daughter in tub or wrestle her into pajamas.
8:30 - read stories and bodyslam Daughter into bed.
9:00-10:30 - hang with baby, try not to fall asleep, perhaps knit one or two rows if baby is sleeping.
10:30 - pump and mix bottles
10:50 - change baby for bed, warm bottle, take baby and all equipment upstairs.
11:00 - place baby in bed, administer final feeding of the day.
11:20 - collapse into bed.
Rinse. Repeat.
I must add that we are currently living with my parents in their large home so that I will have help with just about all of the above while Hubs goes to work. Our house is going on the market, and there is no way I could leave for showings in this situation.
A child with special needs is a handful, even when those special needs are not extremely complicated.
Life is a tad overwhelming just now.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
So here's some comic relief for you - at 4:30 I thought it said "poop and mix bottles" - I thought to myself WOW! That is one regular girl - lol!
Lots of prayers and patience being sent your way.
And of course there's all that quality time with Hubs that you're getting... Not actually funny. I know.
Wow. Really. I'm sorry life is so crazy, but very glad that you have your son with you despite all the extra work, and very, very glad you have your parents helping! You're still in our prayers.
Wow. And, uh, wow. That's a lot of pumping and bottles. And then more pumping and bottles.
I'm SO glad that you're able to be with your parents for help. What a blessing.
I'm glad to hear that you're sleep deprived, but well. We're keeping you in our thoughts!
love all the wrangling and wrestling of the Daughter. that's fun!
It will pass - you will eventually get to sleep through the night again.
You're on a steep learning curve ... it will get better with time!
Until it does, I'm glad you're at your folks'. You deserve all the help you can get.
Post a Comment