Number Seventeen
Janie,
I am so deep down in the trenches at the moment. I’m not one who handles sleep deprivation well so these days are some the hardest I’ve ever known. It’s hard for me to see, or believe, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Ever since Olga was three months old, I’ve been telling myself “just a few more weeks and she’ll start sleeping better”. Well, she’ll be six months old in a few days now with no signs of changing things anytime soon. But despite this, I’ve cut back on Sunny’s screen time significantly this past week. I was starting to become heavily dependent on it but have found that I can get just as much done without it, and she’s learned how to play quietly while I’m putting Olga down for naps, which is what started the problem in the first place. So for days like today, when I’m running on two and a half hours of sleep, I feel way less guilty about letting her watch an episode or two of Little Bear, just so I can rest for a little while. It’s definitely not ideal but right now, I have no other option as a “baby sitter”. We actually moved our TV into the basement so she doesn’t really think about it very much. I was able to get some more decluttering done, and that’s made independent playtime and cleaning way more enjoyable for everyone. I feel pretty good about where we’re at with toys at the moment, but Christmas is coming.. I don’t have the mental capacity to figure out a system for Christmas presents yet. Especially since Olga is totally set with all the hand me toys from Sunny. Do I still get her presents? Maybe get one big thing that they can both use? I’ll get back to that in a few weeks. How do you handle Christmas? Since you have the only grandchildren so far, I’m sure the amount of presents the kids get from everyone is a lot to handle. Do you do a pre-Christmas purge of toys, clothes, and books or do you generally stay on top of those items?
Anyway, somehow being a zombie has helped me keep up with things around the house Since I can’t think about much I just hobble through all the motions of the day without evening realizing it for the most part. I’ve still been able to get out of the house and take the girls to parks and hiking trails, and that’s the main thing that’s been keeping me mentally stable, all the outside time.
Actually, that’s what we’re about to do right now because I can hear Olga waking up from her nap early. But I can’t wait to hiking with you in a few weeks when you come to visit! Hiking and/or winery, maybe some wine in a canteen on the hike haha
Lydia