Week 5 update… still hanging!

It’s been five weeks since Gabriel was born and I can honestly say that we’ve all seem to have finally adjusted.  While getting up every 2.5hrs at night to feed Gabriel isn’t something one can easily get used to; I am finally getting in a routine where I’m not struggling to stay awake at 3pm in the afternoon.

Sofia and Alex are still thrilled to help bathe Gabriel, pick out his clothes, and feed him when they can.  Sometimes, they are really loud when he’s napping and I urge them to please be quiet! Then, I remind myself that our home is going to be loud for many years to come; so the baby might as well get used to resting in the midst of chaos.

I would love to say that I’ve fully returned to “work” but between having a sick child at home, Mardi Gras, and the children being home for a week… I’m behind on work deadlines and recipe testing, and house stuff.  What has been most challenging is keeping up with pumping around the clock.  Thank goodness for good breast pumps… but it’s exhausting!

There are days that I can’t wait till everyone goes to bed… just so I can mentally disconnect from my to-do lists.  Other nights, I am folding laundry at 11pm, making lunches around midnight, and hitting “send” on an email that should have been sent many hours earlier.

It’s definitely not easy working full time and raising a family while trying to be present for my children.  Maybe I am asking too much of myself to get it all done between 8:30am and 2:30pm so I can pick up the older ones from school… but my family is a priority.

While the rest of the family has taken Gabriel with all that he brings… I seem to be the last one to be fully adjusted.  Perhaps is because my to-do list is never ending… and as a woman I tend to get my own validation from how much I get accomplished.