Baby Bunching

I’m mixing things up by writing the podpost before releasing the relevant podcast episode. This is the podpost for Podcast Episode 37: Two Under Two. The episode is still in post-production, a fancy way of saying we recorded it, but I haven’t edited it yet. Dave and I talk about life as parents with two kids under two years of age. Henry is three months old, so we are still extremely new at the two kid thing, but the learning curve for any child is steep, and three months can seem like three years in parenting time.

What have I learned about parenting two under two? First, a person can function off remarkably little sleep, a lesson I thought I had learned with Amelia, but I didn’t realize then how much sleep I was really getting since I could nap while she napped. Henry’s sleep seemed to be improving, until it wasn’t (that phrase is what Dave likes to call a Meredithism). He now, again, wakes every two hours. I end up bringing him into bed around 3am and he usually continues nursing for like an hour as I contort my body in weird positions, or he gets gas and pummels me. Needless to say, this set up isn’t working for me. I might knock on the sleep consultant’s door once again because sleep is not optional, at least not for me.

Second, logistics matter. Have you ever wondered how you take a walk with two kids, one of whom obviously can’t walk and the other who can not only walk but run away very very quickly? I assumed I’d plop H in the Ergo, leaving my hands free to chase after A, a plan that would have been perfect if H for some reason actually liked the Ergo and didn’t scream bloody murder the whole time he is in it. For such a chill child, this is one inconvenient unchill preference. He likes to be held ALL THE TIME.  I attempted one laissez-faire walk around the block during which I held H and let A roam free. It all fell apart when H had a blow out and A didn’t want to head home and ran away down the street. We now reserve walks to family time so that daddy can help, and we liberally use our Phil and Ted Double Stroller. Most of the time, Amelia helps me push the empty stroller while Dave holds Henry, but I like having the carting option. Don’t even get me started on how to shower with two kids around. If anyone knows how to do this easily, let me know. In the meantime, if Dave isn’t here, I let my stink flag fly.

Recently, I came across a blog called Baby Bunching. The authors have compiled some tips and truths about life with young children so close in age. Two of my favorite tips include forgetting about the structured activities (amen) and carving out alone time, as in being all alone without having to respond to anybody at all (oh yes please). Amelia went to baby sign language classes, music classes, swim lessons, all before she was one. Even as I was doing this with her, I noticed the only second children in the classes came with nannies. They’ll both do swim again because I’m all about safety, but the others aren’t really necessary. As for alone time, right now I demand long weekend showers or evening baths or no one else allowed walks, but eventually I’m going to lobby for a massage membership. Since I’m typing this with one hand while nursing my second under two, I’ll bid adieu, but if you have any tips for Dave and me, let us know!