Surviving Week One (Semi) Alone

I am going to start off acknowledging I am so very lucky and have so much help.  I know there are single parents and parents who handle more than the full load of watching the kids.  But this is my first week alone with both kids and it has been humorous so I want to share.  After Cole was born Allen took off two weeks to watch Alexis. The following two weeks my Mom took off to watch Alexis.  Everyone is back to work and it is just me (well until my Mom gets off at 12pm:))

Monday (8/15/16)
Cole woke up at 5am for a feeding.  He fell back asleep at 5:30am.  I want to start giving Cole a bottle once in awhile so I decided I should start pumping.  Alexis never took a bottle but I think it is because we waited too long to try one.  After a successfully pumping I took a shower. Then Alexis woke up.  I was able to get her downstairs and changed while Cole slept.  Alexis and I ate breakfast. So far we are doing good.  But  then I started thinking...I am so tired and I need to do this again tomorrow and the next day and the next day.  Ok.  I just needed to stay focused on one day at a time.

The plan was to go to the library to get out of the house.  They have a toddler program at 10:30am.  Got all of us dressed and ready to leave.  Of course just then Cole decides he must eat.  So we eat and decide we will be just a little late.  Yes--we are going to leave.  Got in the car, drove down the block and could barely see it was raining so hard. WTF.  Now what???  I thought..Jessica this is stupid and unsafe, go home.  So we drove home.  Got back in the house and the rain stopped.  Really?  So back in the car we went.  We made it to the library in time.  Alexis was able to play and participate in the activities. Cole only cried once. 

Alexis relaxing in Cole's bed

We got home and all had lunch.  I was sitting on the couch feeding Cole and I was falling asleep. Thankfully my Mom put Alexis down for a nap. We all enjoyed an afternoon nap.  Still thinking I need to do this again tomorrow?  Well, day one down.  A million more to go.

Tuesday
Cole woke up again at 5am to feed.  At the same time I heard Alexis on the monitor.  Does God hate me?  How am I going to manage both and be up starting at 5am? By the time I get Cole back to sleep, Alexis has thankfully gone back to bed.  God doesn't hate me:)  I lay in bed until 6:30am.  Pump and shower.  Another successful morning!  Cole is sleeping so I go upstairs to get Alexis.  As we are walking down the stairs I see something weird on the bottom of the stairs.  I pick up Alexis and turn on the lights.  Yuk...a cockroach.  It is on its back and not moving.  I quickly grab a shoe by the stairs and put it on the cockroach.  I run to get a napkin to pick it up. Cole starts crying. Alexis runs into my room to "comfort" him.  Ok--forget the cockroach get Alexis. She runs out of the room and back up the stairs.  In my hast to kill the bug I didn't lock the gate.  Got her back down the stairs and move the shoe to close the gate.  The cockroach starts moving its legs.  Ugh..I hate bugs and start thinking God must really hate me.  I get Alexis and Cole into the kitchen to have breakfast and thankfully my Mom comes downstairs.  Um Mom can you kill the partially dead cockroach under my shoe? God and my Mom love me:) 

Alexis decides she needs a snack before we head out to the library.  I am not thinking and give her a package of peanut butter crackers.  She didn't eat them she just pulled them apart and wiped peanut butter all over the couch. Awesome!  Getting to clean up the mess before leaving the house. Mom fail.

We made it to the library again.  Two days getting out of the house. 

That afternoon Cole took his first bottle.  Hope it continues.

Empty bottle!

Wednesday
Cole seems to like the 5am feeding time.  We both fell back asleep until 6:30am.  I was able to pump again and then got Alexis up.  I decided we all needed to shower/take a bath this morning.  Alexis took a shower with me and then I gave Cole a bath.  As we were eating breakfast I kept thinking the day must go downhill from here:)  I am usually not so negative but I was thinking so far it is going too good.  We were out the door by 9am to visit the nursery school Alexis will be attending two days a week starting next week.  I was trying not to cry when we got there thinking about leaving her next week. We met her teacher and toured the room. She was so happy and played for an hour.

 Selfie with Mom before we leave for school

 Alexis playing in her classroom

Having fun

We went home and had lunch. Cole and I had to leave for his one month doctors appointment.  We did it...day three done.

Thursday

I waited two weeks to finish this blog so I don't have any notes on Thursday.  The morning must of been ok because nothing sticks out:)  I had a friend and her son over for a playdate in the morning.  We had lunch and all took a nap.  Allen came home early and was working from home on Friday.  Yes!  I made it a full week.  The next week went a bit smoother. 

I am so blessed to get to stay home with two amazing kids.