Scheduling

Vaughn is 8 weeks old today, and Greyson 3 years and 8 months. We're finally getting ourselves into a bit of a schedule this summer, and of course our lives are about to change yet again. Grey has been going to summer "camp" at a place closer to home than his usual daycare. We decided to put him there for the summer because he could do half days, be close to home so I wouldn't have to drive 30 miles a day to drop him off and pick him up, and to save some money while I'm on leave from work. It's working out great, he seems to love the place and his new friends, and it was good for him to experience going to a new school and overcoming those fears. We're still not sure where he will go in the Fall.

Vaughn and I are home together of course, but our day is divided up by Greyson's schedule. We have to drop him off after 8am and pick him up before 2pm each day. Some days it seems like we don't have much time to ourselves in between. Since we started swaddling Vaughn (resistance is futile!) he takes a great nap usually between 10 and 12, sometimes later and sometimes longer. This is the one nap of the day that I can rely on. The rest are usually cat naps or naps in the car/carseat while we're out and about, or dozes during dinner if I'm lucky. Mike and I are pretty good about taking turns eating because like his big brother, this kid is fussy in the evenings (more on that later). But he's usually in his crib by 9:30pm and sleeps until about 3:30, then is back in bed from 4-6:30 or 7am. Not the best schedule in the world, but certainly not the worst! I have girlfriends with much older babies who are jealous of that schedule. It's enough that I don't need a nap during the day, so I feel pretty "normal."

We struggled greatly with Greyson's naps at the beginning of this summer. He was coming home at 2pm and refusing to nap. I tried, I would lay down with him or leave him in his room when Vaughn needed attention, but he would not fall asleep. We tried "quiet time" where he stayed in his room but could play quietly if he wasn't tired, etc. etc. but he refused to sleep. He and I are pretty stubborn when we want to be, and it was causing a lot of tension between us. Mike came home to find me in tears on more than one occasion. So eventually I gave up, and Grey was sleeping from 7:30 to 7:30 for a few nights. Not perfect, but at least he was getting close to enough sleep. I think the problem is he was coming home over-tired since they don't nap during half-days at his summer camp. Finally I decided to drive around after school one day and stumbled upon my new secret weapon. If we take long enough on the way home, he'll fall asleep in the car and I can carry him in for a 1 - 2 hour nap in his bed! Problem solved, but I've started spending more on gas - so much for daycare being so close to home!

We've got about three weeks of summer camp left, then the boys and I are going on "vacation" to their grandparents' house, and then I'll be back to work. A whole new set of scheduling challenges await us, I'm sure. But for now, things are working out ok!