Life in the fast lane

Some people would say that we had our children very close. Moses was not yet 16 months old when Heber was born. Moses wasn't yet walking either. I vividly recall carrying them both- Heber as a new baby in the car seat and Moses as a chunky toddler-who wasn't toddling. Yes it was challenging. Yes we stayed home a lot. Yes we had two in diapers. It was awesome!!!! They have no memories without the other. And they have a super sweet brotherly bond. 

This is Moses and Heber nursing their babies. 

In march we had our baby Gretel. She is 28 months younger than Heber. I am grateful everyday that I had Moses and Heber so close. They are now 3 and 2 years old. Yes it is a challenge to have two little boys jumping and playing while I nurse. But with a little schedule and some extra patience they do really well. I love watching them play together and I love the secret codes they have invented. 

I've had several comments about how busy I must be. They have NO idea!! At 730 am I feed Gretel. We are working still with nursing because she was born with a posterior tongue tie and it has made nursing a long process. We are having it revised again on Monday. So at 830 I put her down for a nap and right then I get Heber out of his crib since he's been in there happy and awake for a good 30 min. Moses usually is already up and dressed and reading books with me by then. We then make breakfast. By 930 it is usually all eaten and cleaned up. We have one hour- if all has gone well. I clean something or prepare dinner or read to my boys. At 1030 it is time to feed Gretel. I put my boys in Alone Time. They get to play in their rooms alone for one hour. Gretel and I bond a little and she's back in bed for a nap at 1130. The boys come out after Alone Time refreshed but hungry. I make lunch and the whole making/eating/ cleaning up brings us to 1230-1245. Heber then asks to play one more minute and the it's his turn for a nap. If we didn't do alone time then Moses will have it now. If we did then he plays while I nurse Gretel at 130. This is a hard one because Moses wants attention. I used to do a letter and a number with him but now I try to get him to read a book with me or color. At 230 Gretel goes down for a nap and I'm exhausted. Moses is too. We watch a little show or read or I try to get something done around the house. I am working on this part of our day because it isn't working out well for us. At 430 I feed Gretel and Zak gets home and Heber wakes up. I feel bad that Zak comes home and I'm tied up nursing. He then gets the rest of dinner ready. And we eat at 530. The evening is filled with family time and at 730 Zak gets the boys ready for bed at 8 and I feed Gretel. At 9ish she is asleep too. Geez!!! I feel like I have run five miles but I haven't seen the outside of my house. I love my children. I love being a mom. It is so so hard. But I know this is perfect. 

This is Gretel in an outfit we bought in Guatemala when we were pregnant with Moses.