Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming...

Well, things have been better around here since I last posted...

Last Sunday I played my first soccer game since Beckett was born - which I forgot to mention. My legs got a bit tired and wobbly near the end of the game, but it felt really great to be back out on the field. Troy and Beckett came to watch in the beautiful sunny fall weather...

Wednesday was also a beautiful, sunny day and we spent the whole morning outside walking and playing - a much better start than the day before. Yesterday we visited Alex and Adam and Courtney and their new addition, Molly!

Today we took a nice long walk on the Gorge in the morning just before the wind and rain started and then met friends for lunch. Troy has just come home early from work for the weekend, and we are invited to my parents house for dinner so I don't have to cook!

All the advice I have gotten, and the parenting books I have read seem to emphasize the importance of routines - which I love. It is supposed to be especially important for Ethan now that he is two and has a new sibling... It is hard to be consistent with an infant in the house so we have tried to keep life as close to normal (pre-Beckett) for Ethan as possible.

.

Bedtime has been especially hectic because Beckett likes to eat right around 6:30 or 7 when we are trying to get Ethan ready for bed. So the usual routine has been disrupted or rushed, and Ethan - who is usually a great sleeper and OK with going to bed - has been mad and crying and taking a long time to settle down to sleep. This leads to him being short on sleep, and being a little "edgy" the next day. It is not terrible, but disruptive enough to make him not as cooperative and easy going as we are used to him being.

.

So the past few nights we have done things EXACTLY the same way, started the bath a little earlier, and spent a little more time winding Ethan down and tucking him in. The past few days he has slept great, been charming and cooperative, and happy to go to bed at night. And life has been that much easier...