How I Survived 2u2

So, assuming I can get through the next 36 hours, I can almost officially say that I have survived having two children under the age of two. That means that everything from here on out will be smooth sailing, right? Haha.

As I mentioned previously, I really didn't think having two under two would be so difficult. But after having done it, I must say, that it has made me all the more grateful for having nearby family and wonderful friends to help when I feel overwhelmed.

I honestly can't complain too much. Sure, there were challenges. Some self-imposed (i.e. potty training). Some not (i.e. teething and sleep regression times two). But, in all, both of my kiddos are generally easy to read and predictable. And that definitely helped. A lot.

Both children follow a pretty straightforward routine. Sure, we are flexible when we need to be, but we all love knowing what's going to happen next. For Lissie, it's wake up, breakfast, morning activity, snack, play, lunch, nap, walk the dog, afternoon activity, snack, play, dinner, put Xavier down for bed, then bedtime for herself. For Xavier, it's wakeup, eat, play, sleep, rinse, repeat roughly every three hours during the day with a long sleep stretch at night. And, my absolute saving grace, is that they both take a decent afternoon nap AT.THE.SAME.TIME which helps me frantically try to cook and clean so that I can sit back and relax for a moment before they both wake up. Oh, and they are both in bed for the night by 8pm. Thank God for good sleepers!

The first few weeks (months?), though, as expected, were the roughest since we were all getting used to each other, and Xavier still had all of his cords, wires, and extra needs. Xavier had yet to learn the fine art of sleeping well, and I was trying to figure out how to have energy to do everything that needed to get done, including pumping every three hours 'round the clock. It shouldn't have been a complete shock to me that Lissie's first terrible tantrum occurred a few days after Xavier came home.

But once Lissie realized that her brother wasn't going anywhere (and, sadly, also discovered the beauty of Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer), things started getting so much easier. It definitely helped to give Lissie her own mini-versions of everything I have with Xavier (i.e. a doll stroller, car seat, baby carrier) so she can mimic everything that I did.

And it only kept getting easier, simply with time, but also with Lissie's growing ability to communicate and comprehend.

And now? Now the fun is starting. Xavier is beginning to show interest in everything around him, especially his sister. He is absolutely fascinated by her and her crazy antics. Lissie, in turn, loves the fact that her brother is starting to play and interact with her more. If Xavier is already awake when we get Lissie from her nap, she begs for him to come in her crib to play. It melts my heart each time to see them giggle and smile at each other and play peek-a-boo.