Routine - 2.5 year old & 2 month old

I am nooooot a scheduler. You will know this from my text replies to hang out requests from friends:
- So, when can I come by?
- Whenever works for me.
- What about Oliver's nap?
- Whenever works for me.

That being said, we are settling into a nice routine and I love it. It actually started from something my friend learned in a baby book. (Disclaimer: most baby books drive me crazy-pants! I haven't even read this one for fear of rage, but she disseminated some of the lessons and the way she explained it seems do-able to me.) It's the "EASY" method.

E = eat ... the baby nurses or has a bottle
A = activity ... the baby has a diaper change, goo's and gaa's, maybe a bath, tummy time, anything that keeps them awake
S = sleep ... swaddle or rock, do what you need to do, to get a nap going
Y = you time ... mommy (or daddy) gets to empty the dishwasher, remove cracked nail polish, reheat a mug of coffee, etc.

Except there's one major problem with it.

WHAT IS "YOU" TIME WHEN YOU ALSO HAVE A TODDLER?

I have never heard of this elusive "you" time but I am very interested in it. Is this referring to the 28 minutes I get to watch Brooklyn-9-9 when Oliver is swimming with Grandma and Dakota falls asleep in her bouncer chair? Oh, that? Yeah, I'd like more of that.

So, if I'm going to try a routine with my monkey troop, that's my first requirement... let's maximize my time to braid my hair and fold laundry.

There's also this: for a number of hours a day/night the "A" part of the baby's schedule gets dropped cause, well, who wants to have an awake baby at 11:30pm? She's awfully cute but I don't. So it just goes to EDS (eat, diaper, sleep) or even ES (eat, sleep, if no diaper change is needed), or heck just S! 

Here's how I adapted EASY to our lives:

So essentially, I've used the fact that Dakota goes right back to sleep after nursing, in the morning, to get Oliver ready and fed. Then we do our usual thing, playing and keeping mostly to the "EASY" routine, except that my "you-time" is "Oliver and me-time" which is great. After lunch I am TRYING to get Oliver down for an afternoon nap. Sometimes this is a total warzone battle, and once it even ended up in him drawing a rendition of Plato's Allegory of the Cave in the mediums "blueberry candle wax and wick soot" on his bedroom wall, but we try. If he can sleep in there for about 2 hours I can get Dakota down in her crib and that frees me to do what I need to do. Which can include dinner prep - hurray!
Then we play and all that, eat dinner, and get back to winding-down for sleep so he can be in bed by 8pm. (To be honest, this can sometimes stretch out to about 11:30pm, I'm serious, and it's because I birthed an actual live night-hawk.) Once he goes to sleep, Dakota is already in drop-the-activity-mode and just does nurse-sleep-nurse-sleep til the morning, save for a new diaper changes. So mommy and daddy can do whatever we please. (Praise the Lord.)

It's what works for us. What works for you?

What to Pack for a Natural Hospital Birth

Packing a hospital bag for birth can actually be super fun because it makes you realized that THIS IS HAPPENING. Even if you're planning a home birth it's good to have one of these on the ready. My bag is super no-frills because I know if there's anything extra I need or if something goes awry, someone will be able to pop over to my house and pick it up. The joys of living five minutes from my city's birthing hospital.

If you already know that you'll be in hospital for an extended stay, throw in more clothes, any hair and makeup stuff you might need, and a few sanitary pads.

1. Stuff for mama

I already know I'll have my phone on me no matter where we are. Just a given. Heck, I bring my phone in the bathroom with me when I shower. (You know, just in case there's a break in and I need to call 9-1-1 from the locked room!) This means I have insta-access to anyone I want to text, and some music. I suppose headphones would be a good idea, but hey - if you don't want to listen to my house, get out of my birthing room. I pack a tank top because I want to be comfortable but covered up enough that I can share my photos with my male friends. I choose one that can get a little wet if I don't pull it up high enough in the tub. I also pack shorts for if I decide to go for a little walk, or for if my dad decides to come say hi in the birthing room and I don't want to be butt-naked. The new undies, tights and sweater are for after, once I've showered and am ready to go home.

2. Stuff for babe

I'll have to go through the things I've saved of Oliver's and pick a suitable newborn outfit to bring along. Sorry babe - you'll be wearing a lot of hand-me-downs. I will also pack a hat. We'll need a thin blanket for swaddling and a thick warm one for placing over baby in the car seat between the hospital and the warm car. And of course a little pouch of newborn diapers and wipes.

3. Practical items

First and foremost, the only item that you will require if you want to take your baby home: a newborn car seat. I arrived at the hospital, for Oliver's birth, without it installed, so my dad and Cal's dad had the daunting task of doing that and they still laugh about it. Of course the most important item of all: your health insurance card! I have my number memorized in case I ever forget at appointments but likely in the moment my memory will be playing second fiddle to my birth-focus. I'll also bring a copy of my birth wish list - it's not too extensive this time but worth having around. Iphone photos are great but I'm definitely going to pack my digital camera for higher quality images and some video. Now I just need to make sure I charge it! Lastly, a stash of easy snacks and drinks.
I recommend:

• a tetra pack of coconut water (or a glass jar of homemade Labourade, see recipe)
• whole grain granola/ trail mix bars
• a pouch of all-natural fruit snacks (like the ones at Starbucks)
• brown rice crackers
• fruit leather
• kale chips
• unsweetened applesauce
• homemade all-natural sports "gel" (blend a few dates with agave nectar, sea salt and lemon zest!)
  
   

And that's that! Throw it all in a bag and let your partner or doula know where to find it when the time comes.

4 dates (I used dried dates, soaked for a few hours)
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1 Tbsp lime zest
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp dulse (I skipped this, since I didn’t have it)
Sea salt to taste
- See more at: http://www.nomeatathlete.com/thrive-energy-gel-recipe/#sthash.HRafLo6b.dpuf

How to make & use a moby wrap for baby - DIY!