Mums of Many It's December! - Page 2

[elisheva]

I'm back and my people are all in bed. Phew. I'm Kelly - married to DH and mom of three and expecting #4 in June. My kiddos are just-turned-4, 2, and 13 months. I'm REALLY struggling lately - not sure if it's the weather or the first tri or WHAT but life has been difficult. My DH was in an accident in the summer and has severe balance/nausea issues that are not getting better even with all the therapy. 

Someone up the thread mentioned they are thriving with 5 under 5. Gd willing I will have 4 under 5 in 6 months and I'm not visualizing how I will cope. Maybe our house really is too small (2 br - 950 sq ft) but I just can't think that's it. 

If you have/had lots of littles at once, I'm happy to hear any advice. If you currently have them, I'd love to hear an account of your average day. I'll offer mine here:

6:30 up with the baby - she goes into her high chair to eat a banana while I do the dishes from last night

7:00 - ds2 (2 years) is up and asking to watch TV - a request I grant or deny depending on how soon we're planning to leave the house. He would watch ALL DAY if I didn't limit. DH gets up and gets ready to go to work, takes care of the animals, etc.

7:30 - ds1 (4 years) gets up. He and ds2 play. At some point I figure out what's for breaky (usually eggs, or oatmeal, or toast, or yogurt - with cut up fruit if I have something they will eat. I take the baby for a diaper change and get her dressed, read a story or two to the big kids. DH leaves for work at 8:00. Ds1 laments that DH didn't say goodbye to him (untrue: it's usually a long, drawn-out good-bye ending in ds1 locking the door after DH leaves).

8:30ish - breakfast

9:00ish clear table and try to drag the laundry to the basement while carrying the baby. I can't wear the ERGO anymore and the wrap is a huge hassle since dd wants OUT as soon as we are in the basement and I have to bend over to do laundry anyway which is uncomfortable for her. Kids play in basement playroom for a few minutes. I do laundry and try to keep dd off the stairs until I'm ready to follow her up. 

9:30ish - if we're going out, I get the boys dressed, teeth brushed, etc. 

10:00 - out to park/friends/beach/wherever

12:00ish - home for lunch

12:30ish - dd for nap followed by ds2 for a nap. I generally put in a video while I put dd down. If I'm lucky and all goes to plan, I have some time to spend with ds1. Or time to waste on the computer. Or to catch up on dishes and think about dinner prep.

2:00ish - everyone is up. Kids play. I offer colouring, painting, or other crafty activity. Today they wanted to use the hole-punch. Go to it. Then we made bagels in spite of every inch of my being screaming at me to just put the TV on so I could sit down and have a minute's peace :( I obsessively try to clean the house in bits and pieces.A vacuum here. A window-wipe there. More laundry. Collect eggs from chickens. Dd is mostly happy to follow her brothers around or amuse herself with the play kitchen. Generally has a few clingy periods where she wants to be held (not worn!!! She tries to throw herself out of babywearing devices while I'm doing housework). Try to put laundry away. Pick up stray diapers. Clean up spills. 

4:30ish - I offer a video so I can get started on dinner. More stories once dinner is underway.

5:00ish - DH is home and plays with kids while I finish supper

6:15ish - supper

7:00ish - kids in PJs, stories, dd to bed at 7:30 followed by ds2 at 8ish and ds1 at 8:30ish but it doesn't always work and sometimes we have people up until 9:30-10...

9:00ish - kids in bed. I'm to exhausted to sit. I clear the table but that's about it at night. I'm just too tired right now. I used to love doing the dishes and listening to the radio after the kids were in bed but now it sounds like torture. So I type. 

11:00ish - I go to bed.

Sorry so long :( I'm really interested in how other MoMs spend their days.

[greenthumb3]

Is this the most current thread or is there a January 2011?

Elisheva, I enjoyed reading your post about yourself and your days with your children. Congrats on your pregnancy--hope you are starting to feel better this month. What kinds of thing are you interested in hearing regarding daily routines or little ones?

[elisheva]

Thanks! I'm just interested in connecting with other MoMs as far as routines, how to manage it all, how much to let go - I'm happy to lurk but the thread doesn't seem very busy!!!

[elisheva]

This was the most current thread I could find...and it took a while!!!

[zjande]

 Our baby # 6 is coming in September!

As far as routines & organization, have you all ran out & bought yourself a copy of the book Large Family Logistics?  What a super amazing book! I'm in love! 

The book

The Yahoo Group to join if you want to work through it chapter by chapter with others!

I've created an awesome meal planner, and organized my sons' chores better, and developed a schedule that's really working. I'm all excited! I'm trying to get as super duper organized as I can before the 1st trimester SLOTH hits me.

I suppose we could start a Jan thread! :P Or maybe we should start having seasonal threads.

[chrissy]

Congratulations zjande!

[elisheva]

Congratulations!!!

[zjande]

 Thanks, guys! :)

My husband & I had our first really big "when should we stop having babies?" conversation last night. Sigh. I will be nearing 38 when this baby comes. We need to do some research on statistics related to pregancy in our 40s. I'm terrified by the though of miscarriage, my husband is worried about Down's.

Have any of you all made decisions such as this? How did you decide to pull out the birth control (ug)? Or do you think statistics shmatistics, I'm havin' babies forever?!

It makes my stomach sick to imagine knowing I'm "done".

[elisheva]

I just know that, barring Outside Intervention :), I'm done after this one. I'm 35 now and will have had 4 babies in 4.5 years. We'll be using bc after this but would certainly accept a pregnancy that occurred in spite of bc but this will be our last planned babe. If I had more of a support system I could have more, but I don't. It's all me and DH. I'm at times operating at the fringes of my sanity anyway so I just don't want to push it ;)

[rajahkat]

Hi all!  I haven't been around much, but the husband is out of town and I tend to spend more time on the computer when he is gone.  Soooo, here I am!   For folks I haven't gotten to know yet, I'm Kat.  I have 5 littles, from 10yo this year, down to the babe who will be 1 on Feb 7th.  #5 was a bit of a surprise and I had been thinking I didn't want more after #4, but I don't feel that way now.  I think a #6 will be just fine.  Dh would be happy to just keep on going, but I tend to worry about the practicalites.  Fitting them all in a vehicle, flying with them all, feeding them all when they are teenagers!  I've always said I wanted to be done by the time I was 35 as I do have other things I want to do.  I'm hoping to sit for NARM late in 2012.  And I admit to worrying about my body too.  I actually went out and bought a test last night thinking that with my cycles not coming back yet, and Elm not exclusively nursing anymore that there was a possibility.  But no.  And I really surprised myself by being disappointed!  

Zjande, I'm excited about the large family logistics book you recommended.  I definitely feel like I'm having a hard time finding a system these days.  I can't quite keep on top of everything that I want to.

So Hi!! to all the oldtimers and I look forward to getting to know the new MoMs too. :)