Our sixth child, Annie, is the sweetest little girl you could imagine! She really is. She is so easy going and cuddly and just has a great temperament! As far as babies go, she has been one of the easiest. So, even with her being so easy and sweet, why do I feel like I am not surviving? It's because six kids is A LOT of kids! The part that has been the MOST difficult for me is having an 17 month old along with a newborn. Now, let me just say this- Max (our 17 month old) is a super happy and easy going little boy. He is so cute, we all just love him SO much! But, if you put my curious and super active little boy in the same home as a new born- well, you get a BIG HELPER! A big helper that we have to protect the baby from! I cannot EVER just put the baby down and walk away... Oh no no no!! That being said, if I put her in her crib, I can't assume she will be safe (not from our super climber), if I put her in the bouncy seat or the swing, I have to sit right next to her or I will have a cute little boy try to climb in with her. This has made things more difficult than I had anticipated. The first 3 weeks were super rough for me because I have had new borns before and know that they sleep a lot and that I can still do things while they are sleeping... I just didn't anticipate how much "help" I would get from my baby boy- and so I end up guarding Annie all day long! Never getting a break!! It was exhausting, my house was a mess, my laundry was piling up and I was not doing any cooking (even walking out to my freezer in my garage to get one of my many frozen meals seemed too hard). It was exhausting and frustrating. I love each of my children. They are all so precious. But I was having a very hard time. So, after my husband had a day off of work and spent a full day at home with me and the kids, he could see how difficult it really was. So, he sat down with me and we came up with some ideas and plans on how to survive these first few months. Things have been getting easier- not EASY- but easier!!! One of the first things that we got was a swing. I have never, ever been a fan of baby swings. I am so afraid of my child becoming addicted to swinging herself to sleep that I just could not bring myself to use one. But, we found a great swing call the "Duet Sooth" that can set her in and then actually remove the swing and carry it around the house with me. Yay! So, when I am in the laundry room I can put her in and just lift the seat off and take it with me. I can also take it in the kitchen or my room... anywhere. Now, Max can still reach her in the seat, but she is right next to me at all times so I can redirect him. That also frees up my hands to hold him or do any thing else I need to, but keeps her close to me. Also, because she is not constantly swinging- I hope it will not be an addicting habit. I allow her to swing in the actual swing 2 times a day for 15 minutes.... that is a strict rule, and NO FALLING ASLEEP IN THE SWING. If she tries, I take her out and put her to bed! So, I am ok with her and the swing. Another thing that we are using is our baby bouncy seat . Again, another seating option for her... one that can be sat on the counter top next to me while I am preparing dinner or doing dishes. She also sits in it while I am in the shower. One thing we are NOT using (and this is a first for me) is my playpen. I love playpens, but the few times I have tried putting her in we have had flying toys dropping into the playpen from the hands of our 17 month old!! So, sadly, we have put that away for a bit. I have hired someone to come in an clean my home 1-2 times a week. It helps me feel put together for a few days, at least. She comes in and cleans everything... she surface cleans (picks up toys, does dishes, puts away shoes and clothes) but she does all my deep cleaning each week, also. This has really helped me to feel more calm inside. I cannot handle a mess- it drives me crazy and makes me anxious and I am just not my happy easy going self. So, this has been a huge life saver, also!! We worked around our budget at bit to be able to afford this. I also have hired a mothers helper to come help me out every day that Travis is not home. She really helps entertain Max and the other kids, too. But mainly, she helps with Max- so he isn't feeling neglected or left out. She is a teenager who lives around here and so I don't have to pay her too much. It's been a real help! Also, Travis has really stepped up in the way of dinner. I will usually give the kids some sort of healthy snack around 5:00, when we would normally eat (carrots, apple, yogurt, nuts) and then when Travis gets home around 6 or so, he helps fix dinner. I have always liked having dinner on the table when he gets home, but for right now, this is something that I have to sacrifice. We will get back into the swing of things someday, but I have to realize that it will take some time and not to try to rush to have everything perfect. I know that many women have had 6 kids and many have had many more kids than that.... I don't know how they do it!! But, that being said, I am adjusting. I am loving my kids and being a mom. I am learning one step at a time how to tweak my life to fit everything in, because really, the kids are the most important part... the rest is just details!!
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