Five Facts Friday (7/18)

**updated with link below--3:45pm**

***updated with pictures of the kids :)--5:00pm***

1.  I had forgotten just how NOISY a sleeping newborn is. 

It's crazy listening to the amount and types of noises that come out of that little body as she rests (especially when I'm trying to sleep at night, too!). When she's awake? Not a peep, haha!

2.  The rain today! I don't know how much we've had so far, but it's rained all night and all morning steadily (and sometimes downright hard). Lots of lightning and thunder have joined the rain, which makes for a pretty drowsy day. A lot of roads are flooded/closed, and many people tried to drive through the water only to find that they couldn't. I'm very thankful The Husband had to leave as early as he did for work this morning, or he might have gotten stranded, too. 

3.  Our garage is on a slab (the house is on piers), and unfortunately it's allowed a lot of water to pool in there. And, we still have several boxes out there that haven't been unpacked, so I'm worried the things in them will be ruined. I tried but couldn't move most of them. I guess it'll be a lot like spring cleaning when I finally go through them and end up tossing a bunch of stuff out. I'm mostly sad about the books I feel might be lost. 

The water had receded some for now. 

4.  I've tried to take it easy the last few days, and it's really helped that both kiddos are on a pretty good schedule. I haven't been able to nap but once or twice, and the lack of consistent sleep at night is challenging, but it's not unbearable. I do hope to be able to rest some each morning while they're both napping, but things keep popping up. Like floods, haha. 

5.  Life with two under two is busy and exhausting (mostly because I'm still healing and everything tires me out and I'm on my own except for an hour or so when The Husband isn't at work or school), but it's not horrible! I attribute that to having a pretty consistent routine with Jack and him knowing what comes next (wake, eat, play, sleep, repeat). I have two big chunks of time where he's napping and two smaller chunks of time where he's in independent playtime in the playpen in his room. I can rest, take care of Ella, do chores, contemplate unpacking the stacks and stacks of boxes still filling my living room and garage (not to mention upstairs...ugh) all while knowing he's sleeping or playing without me needing to be with him every second. 

Ella naps most of the day when she's not nursing. She's still every bit of the sleepy newborn. I expect that to last at least another week or two since she was premature, but I've already started getting her on a simple schedule, as well. It's not rigid, but it's there. Eat, wake (Hahahaha), sleep. All day. It's usually a three hour loop, but if she wakes early and is acting hungry, I feed her. If she goes a bit longer at night? Awesome :). 

Anywho, it works for us, and I'm thankful I have the opportunity (when they're napping or he's playing) to read through the first Babywise book as a refresher. I no longer hyper-schedule (the book warns against that!), and I truly don't watch the clock unless it's to see how long either of them have been asleep or to guage whether or not Jack is acting grumpy because he's tired. 

**Oh, cute side note!  Usually when Jack has played himself silly and is acting slightly disobedient or more clumsy, I'll ask if he's ready to rest. He has now started going over to his crib and patting it!  He enjoys resting and knows he needs to in order to be a happy boy! Love him!**

But, really Babywise encourages having a routine because children thrive on consistency. Yes, we have off days, but he usually falls back into step after a good night's sleep. He also does sooo much better and is much happier when he's had time by himself to play. 

Too much time with me, even if I'm simply sitting with him while he plays, seems to overstimulate him and he starts to act out. 

(Edit--ok this was posted today, and I could believe how appropriate it was to what I had just written!  Check it out when you have time.)

Ok, off to fix lunch for myself and for the boy who should be waking soon. 

Y'all stay dry!