Knocking it out...

Eli has been home two weeks, and in that time, I've had no time at all for blogging. First we had company, then the kids were on spring break, and Ed's time at home ends tomorrow. The first week we were home, my biggest worry was getting Rose to quit hitting Eli, and then fatigue set in, and now I'm a lot more worried about getting him to fall asleep and stay asleep. Last night, for instance, it took more than two hours to get him to fall asleep, and less than two hours later, he was awake again, and would only lie down if I stuck my hands through the bar of the crib, which meant I had to sleep on the floor all night. He was up bright and early and refused to nap, and if my ears are a reliable source, he's up there crying right now. It's complicated by the fact that he got his first cast for his club foot on Monday, and I think he's not very comfortable (the cast goes all the way from his toes to the top of his thigh). Rose seems to be hitting less, or at least I seem to be registering it less, but I'm pretty bleary-eyed these days. By the time Eli is asleep and I've had ten minutes of quiet time with the bigger kids, I am good for nothing but an episode of Scandal, but I'm guaranteed to be asleep before it's over (sometimes it takes me three or four nights to get through a single tv show). Like I said, no time for blogging.

That doesn't mean I haven't been reading. I haven't been reading as much as I'd like to be reading, but lying on the floor with my arm through the bars of a crib does give me some time to read. So I'm still sweating making the Whitney deadline (I have 7-1/2 books left), but I'll do my best to get caught up on the book reviews. And then I'll try to recap what we've been doing the last few weeks (Eli's cast! Rose's birthday! Taking possession of the house next door!) In the meantime, if I go dark, know that I'm lying on the floor next to Eli's crib, or else doing the fully hands-on thing that comes with having two toddlers. Holy cow, even a trip to the grocery store with the two of them feels like a marathon-- maybe even harder than a marathon. But don't feel sorry for me-- I have a very comfy blanket and I'm delighted to have my hands full with Rose and Eli, it's just a dynamic that I haven't fully mastered yet.