It’s so hard to believe Corinna has been here for 12 weeks now! These past few months have been a blur of nursing sessions, poopy diapers, and toddler time. We’ve definitely been adjusting as a family of four but it’s been so nice to have Matthew home on his paternity leave. A lot of you have been asking about what our days have been like so I thought I’d share a breakdown of our current schedule. It’s right about to change but this has been what life has been like lately:
What Life Has Been Like Lately
It has been such a huge blessing to have Matthew home on paternity leave. He was able to take 8 weeks plus some vacation time. I wish more companies would offer this benefit because it’s so incredibly helpful, especially when you’re adding on an additional child. I honestly don’t know how I would have managed on my own right off the bat, but I know so many moms do it. I’m in awe, seriously!
Lately, Augustine has been waking up around 5-5:30am. Ouch! That boy has always been an early riser, unlike his parents! If I could, I’d sleep until 8:30 every day! When Augustine wakes up Matthew gets up and goes into his room and they read stories together for about a half hour. Corinna wakes up 5:30/6am, so I’ll change her and feed her. Once Augustine hears us, he’ll usually bound down the hall and sit in my chair with me and Corinna. It’s so sweet. Sometimes I’ll try to convince him to lay in bed with us for a bit longer but usually, he’ll want to play with his trucks or look out the window. We go downstairs close to 7am and make coffee and breakfast. Augustine has been really into “fluffy eggs” lately which is a fried egg. He’ll say “Fluffy egg. No yolk!” Why he doesn’t like the yolk is beyond me, but it works out because Matthew or I will eat it. Matthew makes “fluffy eggs” all around – mine usually are on toast and sometimes with avocado added. Matthew has been adding smoked paprika to our eggs and it takes so incredibly good!
Corinna will go down for her nap and then we’ll clean up and have some 1:1 time with Augustine. Augustine has been such a good helper with Matthew doing planting in the garden. They like to go outside and Augustine will dig while Matthew checks on all the plants. Augustine helps water the trees, too, which he loves! If I’m going to take a nap or get some extra rest, this is usually when I do it. Once the day gets going it’s hard for me to motivate myself to take a nap.
After Corinna’s nap I will get Augustine’s lunch together – usually leftovers or sometimes a random plate with cherry tomatoes, cubed avocado, cheese, crackers, and olives. Matthew or I will put Augustine down for his nap usually around 12/12:30 and then we have some alone time with Corinna before her nap.
When Corinna naps, I try to get some work done on my computer and Matthew and I will go over our plan for the rest of the day. This past week I started working out again and this is when I try to fit it in if I can. Usually I have just about 30 minutes before she’s up again. But a half hour workout is better than no workout, right? I’m trying not to be too hard on myself for my postpartum weight {it’s not as easy to lose the second time around!}, but I’m really just wanting to fit back into my clothes again.
In the afternoons, Matthew and Augustine like going on adventures together. They love going to this one big park where Augustine will take his shoes off and just run! It’s so cute! They’ve also been to the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Wild Animal Park, the Long Beach Aquarium, and the beach. When they’re gone I will play with Corinna and try to tidy up, and when she’s napping I’ll do more work or start prepping dinner.
We’ve been eating dinner around 6pm these days and we’ll usually go on a family walk to take Ginger out around 6:30. We aim for a 7:30 bedtime for Augustine but lately, it’s been a little closer to 8pm because he likes to take long baths (don’t we all?!) and he really enjoys storytime. We’re still figuring out the best bedtime schedule for Corinna. Ideally, I would love for her to go to bed around 7pm so that Matthew and I could both be in with Augustine reading stories. Unfortunatley, she fights bedtime a bit so usually I’m trying to put her down until Augustine wants me to go in and read a final story to him and then Matthew will hold Corinna and try to put her down. This usually leads to a lot of tears for the little girl and so after I say goodnight to Augustine I’ll come back in and try again with Corinna. She’s sleeping in our room right now and unfortunately we have this high upper window that prevents the room from getting completely dark. It’s also a little loud in the evenings because of Augustine so there are some factors making it more challenging for her to fall asleep easily. Daytime naps are great, but bedtime is a struggle right now. I know it will get better though! I like her being in our room but we’ll probably move her to the nursery around 6 months.
After both kids are down Matthew and I try to do a quick 10-20 minute clean up around the house and then I’m back on my computer doing more work. I try to go to bed earlier if I can (10pm is ideal), but oftentimes it’s closer to 11pm. This might seem late to some of you but trust me when I say I could easily be up until 12/1am which is what my typical schedule was before Corinna was born. I always feel like I have more I could be doing but I know sleep is so important, especially with Corinna waking up in the middle of the night. In general, Corinna has been an amazing sleeper (knock on wood!), but there are still some nights where she’s up once or twice. Augustine was up every hour and a half at her age, so I really can’t complain at all! I’m trying to do my best putting her down drowsy and making sure she gets full feedings during the day. I think that’s helped a bit but I really just think every baby is so different!
Our days seem to be flying by, even though it’s a lot of the same. It’s been so nice to have this time together as a family of 4 and I really love seeing Augustine with Corinna. He is such a sweet and loving big brother – giving her kisses, petting her head, and saying “shhh baby” when she’s crying. While I’m looking forward to them interacting and playing more, I’m also just really wanting to freeze this time right now. Matthew is right about to go back to work and we’re going to miss him tremendously, Augustine especially. Augustine and Matthew have had such a great bonding time that I know they both have cherished. I’ve also loved having Matthew home. He’s my best friend and the best partner for life and parenthood. I don’t think I could do this without him but I know I’m about to do a lot more without him once he’s back at work. I’m hopeful that I can juggle everything and give both Augustine and Corinna the right amount of attention and opportunity for growth and learning. Lord knows I’ll also need some patience as we navigate our new day-to-day. If any of you have tips for life with a 2 1/2 year old and a newborn, let me know!
xox
my dress {currently on sale!}
photos by Jen Gagliardi
