I returned to work a little over 5 weeks ago. The boys have a nanny that comes to the house each day while I'm at work and Honey Bee is in school, studying, etc. For the first 3 weeks, I gave her the freedom of making their schedule. It became obivous that it wasn't working - major meltdowns each day, poor sleeping habits, cranky parents. Sometimes they would take their last bottle at 7 other times it was closer to 9. I NEED some sort of consistency.
Honey Bee and I spent Labor Day weekend tweaking a "daily routine" for the boys. I've learned that regardless of what happens during the day, they need a bedtime ritual. They need signals to let them know it's bedtime. Here's what our afternoon and evening looks like:
4:30ish - I get home from work, change clothes and disinfect myself before touching the boys. After cleaning, I play with the boys in the floor. We talk, we laugh, we practice sitting and rolling over. Somebody has a breakdown because he's not getting enough attention.
5:30 - Honey Bee occupies both boys while I go get their dinner ready. We started purees recently and I'm still learning what they like and don't like. I plan on making larger batches for freezing, but for now it's a day-to-day thing. (I use this website as a guide for recipes and which foods to introduce.)
5:45 - Feed the first boy. It varies, but it's usually Itty Bitty Bee. He's smaller, not a fan of the spoon and gets messier than his brother. Honey Bee plays with the other one during this time.
6:00 - Feed the other one. While I'm feeding, Honey Bee is washing bottles and making up bottles for the next day. Which ever boy isn't being fed, plays on a blanket in the floor.
6:15 - Honey Bee baths one of the boys. We try to alternate days on bathing. Both of my little bees are so much fun in the bathtub and we enjoy switching it up. After Honey Bee is done, I bath the other one.
6:30 - After everyone is bathed, lotioned and dressed for bed, the baby bees get their final bottle of the night. Chunky Bee usually falls asleep while taking this bottle. Itty Bitty on the other hand, is wide awake at this point. He will take about half of his bottle.
7:00 - After some snuggling and rocking, Chunky Bee is sound asleep. As soon as you lay him in his crib, his eyes POP open. Most of the time, we can give him his paci and he'll drift back to sleep. Other times, it's a back and forth game.
While Chunky Bee is being put down, Itty Bitty is receiving his nightly breathing treatment. The breathing treatment usually puts him to sleep. Not because it makes him sleepy, but because he has to be still. When he stops squirming and moving around, he falls fast asleept.
7:15ish - After Chunky Bee is down and settled, I begin making dinner. Later than before we had kids, but Honey Bee and I decided we'd rather eat later than eat with a kid on our shoulder or eat cold food.
Honey Bee and I usually eat around 7:45 or 8:00 and then clean the kitchen together afterwards. Then we enjoy an hour or so together before heading to bed.
What is your nightly routine like? Any tips or suggestions?
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