So what has been happening? Teddy is now 4 months old and August turned 3 at the end of July. We moved house. And we are in our second (Covid-19) lockdown. I can’t say that it’s been the easiest few months. 😳
Who moves house with a toddler and a newborn during a pandemic lockdown? I can honestly say that it was up there with the hardest things I have ever done in my life. AJ was working long hours so I did most of it myself while juggling the kids. It’s done now and we are pretty much unpacked. I’m not quite organised yet, but I’m just trying to do one thing a day. Today all I did was hang a clock, but it was something.
We are still living in Torquay, we just moved to a better location for us. I can now see the ocean from our balcony and I can walk everywhere I need to go with the kids (when I’m actually allowed to go anywhere again that is). We are so happy with the move and this house feels much more like “us”. It’s amazing what a difference it’s made to my mental health to be in a space filled with light, to see trees, ocean and hear birds singing around me.
Parenting a newborn and a toddler is not for the faint hearted. I don’t know how parents of 3+ kids survive. In saying that, I expected it to be really hard so I’m not exactly shocked. I’ve always watched parents with two or more kids at the doctors or the supermarket and thought it looked like a nightmare, and I was pretty much right. 🤣
It’s both physical and emotional challenge. I’m lucky if I get more than 4 hours of broken sleep a night because both August and Teddy are waking throughout the night. The guilt is constant. The sad reality is that I can’t be there 100% for both kids at the same time and someone is always missing out.
The other day August escaped out the front door while I was settling Teddy. I came downstairs after putting Teddy down to nap and couldn’t find him, then I saw the toys he was playing with sitting by the open front door. I almost passed out with fear. I ran out yelling his name and then saw him playing in the car in the driveway. Thank god I had parked the car in the driveway and not the garage that day which distracted him from heading out on the busy road or for a walk to god knows where.
August has had a tough year so far. He doesn’t understand why we can’t go to the playground or pool or museum or zoo or anywhere basically. He’s not overly keen on being a big brother. He doesn’t really enjoy daycare. He can’t see his grandparents. His favourite person in the world (his dad) has been so busy at work that he doesn’t have time to play. His mum is always holding or feeding a new baby. It breaks my heart seeing him sad. This is such a fun age where he’s growing out of toddlerhood and really understanding the world around him. I so wish we could be out and about in the world discovering and learning together. Hopefully we can again soon.
Teddy is my little ray of sunshine. He is just the sweetest child. He rarely ever fusses or demands attention. He just sits back and smiles. Even right now while he’s in the four month sleep regression and just had his vaccinations, he’s still a delight. I feel bad for him that his arrival into this world has been at such an unhappy time. There are no visits from friends or family due to Covid-19, everyone is preoccupied with their own misery, his brother is not thrilled by his arrival and his dad is working 18 hour days and not able to dote on him. It’s lucky that I am loving on him enough to make up for all that he’s missing out on.
I’ve fallen asleep three times while writing this so I think it’s time I give up. Life is messy and a bit hard right now, but I’m grateful for all that I have. 💗
you would be pretty if... 