Two nights of having three kids...
...and we have successfully gotten them to bed two nights in a row. Well, the little ones. D never has a problem with bed time. :o) And I guess technically last night we had FOUR kids. Ha!
I was afraid that having C & Y share a room was going to be a problem - Y's bedtime is 7-7:30-ish and Y's is 8-8:30-ish. At nap time I can never put them down in the same room because they have a wailing/screaming/crying contest (so C takes naps in D's room). But so far bed time has gone well. I've been doing bedtime by myself so far. Giving two little kids baths at the same times is a lesson in carefulness and patience, let me tell you! But Y actually has FUN in the bathtub now that he is taking a bath with C...he used to just cry and try to climb out the whole time. So that actually does make it better. They splash around and dump water on each other and have a grand old time. :)
My bed time strategy - Get bottle ready, pajamas and diapers for both boys laid out. Go start bath water. Strip boys and herd them into the bathroom. Wash them first, then let them play for a while. Get Y out and dried off, set him on floor, get C out and dried off, carry Y and corral C into the bedroom. C plays naked while I get Y ready, then Y bounces on the bed while I get C ready. Then C sits quietly while I cuddle with Y and give him his bottle, then I put Y down and take C out to the living room for some one on one time. Then when it is time for him to go to bed I go in the bedroom with him, put him in bed, and just rub his back and just sit close to him for a while. So far he has not cried when I leave the room. Last night Y did not wake up when me and C came in, but tonight he did wake up and stood up and started screaming. I just picked him up and sat with him and C on the bed for a few minutes, gave Y a pacifier (only the third time I've given him one EVER) and laid him back in bed. As of right now they are both asleep.
D's friend staying the night went really well. He is a good boy and his mom really seems like a good person. I told her that D did not want his friend to know he is in foster care. I really had to tell her, though, because otherwise it would seem pretty weird...you know, "Hey, I have these kids living here, but I'm not their mom, but could your kid come over and spend the night with us?" Ha! Anyway when she picked her son up today she asked if D could come over and spend the night at their house sometime. I told her she and her fiance would have to get a background check done, and she said that would be totally fine, just to let them know what they need to do. Isn't that nice? She just seems like a super sweet lady. Totally willing to go out of her way for her son's friend who she doesn't know from Adam!
Got a call today that because of the holiday on Sunday, the boys' visit with their mom tomorrow is canceled. Saturdays are the only day that D gets to see his mom because of his sports camp, and because his mom has chosen not to change her visit days to see him more. :( Anyway I told him this evening and he got really upset and went in his bedroom and shut the door. I feel so bad for him. Out of all the boys I think he's the one that needs his mom the most, and he gets the least time with her.
I weighed C today, and came up with 26 pounds (had to use subtraction because he refused to stand on the scale for some reason). I weighed Y the other day and came up with 20 pounds...so he has definitely gained some weight. C is skin and bones, he can actually still wear the same size of diapers as Y because he is so thin (and pretty tall). I am hoping to fatten him up.
C cries a lot. He cried probably at least 10 times today over trivial things. Sometimes I didn't even know why he was crying. He also always says "no" to EVERYTHING. I never heard him say yes, ever, until tonight when I asked him if he wanted more lasagna...and he said yes! Wow that made me feel proud. Also D was like "I'm probably not going to eat very much" and then he ate 3 helpings. So I guess my first shot at making lasagna must not have been too bad. :)
And...that's it. :)
I was afraid that having C & Y share a room was going to be a problem - Y's bedtime is 7-7:30-ish and Y's is 8-8:30-ish. At nap time I can never put them down in the same room because they have a wailing/screaming/crying contest (so C takes naps in D's room). But so far bed time has gone well. I've been doing bedtime by myself so far. Giving two little kids baths at the same times is a lesson in carefulness and patience, let me tell you! But Y actually has FUN in the bathtub now that he is taking a bath with C...he used to just cry and try to climb out the whole time. So that actually does make it better. They splash around and dump water on each other and have a grand old time. :)
My bed time strategy - Get bottle ready, pajamas and diapers for both boys laid out. Go start bath water. Strip boys and herd them into the bathroom. Wash them first, then let them play for a while. Get Y out and dried off, set him on floor, get C out and dried off, carry Y and corral C into the bedroom. C plays naked while I get Y ready, then Y bounces on the bed while I get C ready. Then C sits quietly while I cuddle with Y and give him his bottle, then I put Y down and take C out to the living room for some one on one time. Then when it is time for him to go to bed I go in the bedroom with him, put him in bed, and just rub his back and just sit close to him for a while. So far he has not cried when I leave the room. Last night Y did not wake up when me and C came in, but tonight he did wake up and stood up and started screaming. I just picked him up and sat with him and C on the bed for a few minutes, gave Y a pacifier (only the third time I've given him one EVER) and laid him back in bed. As of right now they are both asleep.
D's friend staying the night went really well. He is a good boy and his mom really seems like a good person. I told her that D did not want his friend to know he is in foster care. I really had to tell her, though, because otherwise it would seem pretty weird...you know, "Hey, I have these kids living here, but I'm not their mom, but could your kid come over and spend the night with us?" Ha! Anyway when she picked her son up today she asked if D could come over and spend the night at their house sometime. I told her she and her fiance would have to get a background check done, and she said that would be totally fine, just to let them know what they need to do. Isn't that nice? She just seems like a super sweet lady. Totally willing to go out of her way for her son's friend who she doesn't know from Adam!
Got a call today that because of the holiday on Sunday, the boys' visit with their mom tomorrow is canceled. Saturdays are the only day that D gets to see his mom because of his sports camp, and because his mom has chosen not to change her visit days to see him more. :( Anyway I told him this evening and he got really upset and went in his bedroom and shut the door. I feel so bad for him. Out of all the boys I think he's the one that needs his mom the most, and he gets the least time with her.
I weighed C today, and came up with 26 pounds (had to use subtraction because he refused to stand on the scale for some reason). I weighed Y the other day and came up with 20 pounds...so he has definitely gained some weight. C is skin and bones, he can actually still wear the same size of diapers as Y because he is so thin (and pretty tall). I am hoping to fatten him up.
C cries a lot. He cried probably at least 10 times today over trivial things. Sometimes I didn't even know why he was crying. He also always says "no" to EVERYTHING. I never heard him say yes, ever, until tonight when I asked him if he wanted more lasagna...and he said yes! Wow that made me feel proud. Also D was like "I'm probably not going to eat very much" and then he ate 3 helpings. So I guess my first shot at making lasagna must not have been too bad. :)
And...that's it. :)
You're doing a great job!!! Kudos to you and your husband for everything you're doing!
ReplyDeleteI think I will continue to say "wow" when I read your posts. So, Wow. Bathing one baby is a slippery mess. I cannot fathom two - even if one is mostly self-sufficient in the tub. you rock my face off.
ReplyDelete