what's up weekly. (Groundhog Day.)

Guys, I have never in my life have procrastinated on writing a blog post like I have this one.  Not for any major reason, I just keep looking at the blank screen and then feeling paralyzed and then finding something else to do instead.  Now that I've put it off for the last hour, I am going to put theoretical pen to theoretical paper and just write this thing and then go to bed.

The reality is that life has been just wild around here lately; or, anyway, it has felt that way.  I am desperately trying to get my feet under me with the babies' nursing and sleep schedule and managing my "free" (read: nonbreastfeeding) time, which is still very limited.

Last week, I had to move the babies out of their swaddles because they kept figuring out how to roll to their tummies while in their swaddles and sleeping in the SnuggleMe pillows.  Horrifyingly dangerous.  So I removed the swaddles and the pillows.  But then I didn't feel super safe having Eulalie still sleep in our bed (her pillow had been between me and Todd, and Knox slept in a sidecar bassinet on my other side).  But the bassinet wasn't big enough for both of them, so I set up a pack and play in our room, but it also wasn't big enough for both of them to sleep in.

Knox "saw" Eulalie for the first time this week!  He noticed her, and wouldn't stop staring and smiling.  She still hasn't "seen" him yet.

So suddenly I found myself moving them to the nursery overnight much earlier than I had expected or wanted.  On the plus side, they sleep well enough in the crib (they share it for now), and because they have each other, the move has been without the angst I often feel when previous babies have been moved out of our room to sleep by themselves.  But, on the flip side, I'm going back and forth between bedrooms all night because twins need me all night.  Knox doesn't need much, but Eulalie is still a very restless sleeper, and their schedules don't always sync, so it's a lot of up-and-down each night.  

They're settling in to a bit more of a predictable routine, going to bed around 7:30, getting up various times at night, and not getting up for the day until at least 6:30 (that last bit is an imposition on my part - often they're wanting to be awake shortly after 5:00, but that is not morning, so I don't indulge that whim).  They've been on a 2.5 hour schedule during the day, but this week I've been trying to move it to a 3-hour schedule to buy myself a little extra time between feedings.  You'd be amazed at the difference a half-hour can make in morale.

Anyway.  Things are hopefully moving in a good direction.  I told a friend yesterday that I feel like three months is when you start to feel desperate, and four months is when babies settle into a groove, so you spend a month in a sleep-deprived hysteria, trying to impose order on the chaos, just for it to sort itself out eventually without you.  That's where we're at.  Add to that the fact that my back is outrageously out of alignment and 100% of the time feels like molten lava and also like someone continues to overwind the music box, and you have yourself a certifiable mess.  BUT one that will work itself out eventually.  (Well, the sleep deprivation/chaos issue.  The back problems seem less willing to negotiate peace.  If anything they're getting more hostile over time.)

This girl giggled once this week!

Beyond that, Ophelia has officially potty trained, the big kids have kicked off their school year, and we're playing Mama Hens to nine pubescent chickens.  (We gave half back to our friends, and are waiting to see how many of these remainders are gals.)  Todd spent a day in Columbia for a work meeting.  I have also been trying to get a handle on the house and the schedule and my eating habits, as well as teaching the oldest four some expanded cooking skills, before the school year kicks off.  It has been just wild.

The weather cooled off for a bit this week, which was welcome respite after such a hot stretch.

The kids have been doing well with the work load, and I have enjoyed the "soft launch" of school.

The chickens have moved to an all-inclusive resort in the garage.  They spent some time outside in the grass today and seemed confused/thrilled/nervous/adventurous.  The boys got the coop cleaned this week, but I will need to secure the door where the racoon broke in before we can move them out there.

This kid, I tell you.  She has taken so much longer to train than my other kids, mostly because I haven't had the bandwidth or the discipline to just sit with her in the bathroom for hours on end over the course of a couple days.  So days stretched to weeks.  But I think we can safely say she is now trained!

So far, my breakfast kids have learned to make scrambled eggs, stovetop oatmeal, baked oatmeal, sausage and gravy, and cheese and sausage biscuits.  My lunch kids have made everything from roast chicken, to pulled pork, to homemade soup.  Next I need to teach everyone to make bread, which will open up even more options.  It's been good, but the menu planning fatigue has hit hard - I have never had to think much ahead for breakfasts and lunches, and have always streamlined this part of life by keeping options very limited.  It has definitely complicated things to add this in each day.  But I'm glad the kids are learning to cook, and they're glad for the increased variety.

And last new item of note, I've begun a diastasis recti/Ab Rehab workout program, though I'm moving slowly through it as I don't have guaranteed time to work at it each day.  But I'm feeling hopeful - it already seems to be helping a bit, and Lord knows I can use the help.

With all the changes happening around here, I am happy to note that not everything is different.

We still anchor our weeks around our regular weekly happenings: Milk pickup on Tuesdays, Atticus' mowing jobs through the week, Pizza and Ice Cream Night on Fridays (or Psalm Sing once a month), Men's Beer and Books, Atticus' farm work on Saturdays, Sabbath Dinner on Saturday nights, church and rest on Sundays.  

The kids are still hilarious.

Finneas painted Oey's face.

They're also so sweet.

Found this photo on Callista's camera reel.  I LOVE it.

Now, I'm headed off to try to get a little sleep before Babies happen and we begin the dance all over again.  It's starting to feel a bit like Groundhog Day.