Adventures in Babysitting!( lots of pics)

What you see to your right is a rare moment in which both Jeremiah and Sydney are actually happy at the same time and playing nicely together. Usually, one of them is grumpy, crying, needing to be changed/rocked/held/fed/cuddled or unwilling to share his toys/mommy's lap/mommy's attention. Don't get me wrong, Sydney is mostly a happy little gal and Jeremiah (well, used to be always but now sometimes) a happy go lucky toddler. But honestly... this has been a week of adjustment for all three of us. For me- taking care of an infant and a toddler. Figuring out a new routine and schedule for our day. For Jeremiah- not being the center of my attention all day, every day, and having his turf invaded. Having to share his toys and his mother. For Sydney- spending a good chunk of the day away from home, from Mommy, a change in schedule and learning to take a bottle more than once a day. Learning how to be put down if her caretakers hands are needed to feed, change, put down for a nap or cuddle her big cousin. (Or try to pacify his new tantrums!)

I'm praising God from the rooftops that Louis mostly works from home now. His hands are very helpful in the morning feeding Jeremiah his breakfast while I put Sydney down for her first nap, and giving Jeremiah a few minutes of undivided attention here and there as he has free time. I'm also quite thankful that Jeremiah's morning nap (which has pretty much become a rather long nap= his now only nap of the day) and Sydney's longer nap pretty much coincide, and that her afternoon nap falls around his lunch time. Makes things just a smidge easier. What isn't easy is trying to teach a 15 month old to share his (or Sydney's!) toys (if that's even possible!) I honestly have no clue how to go about that one. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. I feel so badly for Jeremiah. He's kind of lost in his own little world most of the day, playing by himself and occasionally glaring at Sydney or myself. I try to include the three of them in games together but with an 11 month age difference and huge developmental milestones between them, it's not easy. He seemed to warm up to her more towards the end of today than he has before, but we still have a long way to go. And neither of them are happy to share my lap- both Sydney and Jeremiah like to be the only one sitting in my lap, not one on each side. Ugh.

But, truthfully, I am enjoying my days with her even though I am always on countdown. I love babies. And I love spending time with my family. I know that eventually Jeremiah and Sydney will develop a friendship and be close cousins but it won't happen over night. Of all my cousin's kids they live the closest to us (their Huntington beach home is about 25 min without traffic away) and we have more opportunties to see them than my AZ cousins and my cousin Kelly and her kids in Fontana. I really like the time I have with Sydney when she's awake and Jeremiah is asleep and vice versa. Babies are so much fun and it's making me even more anxious to get the all-clear to start trying again! Yet after this babysitting experience I am also tempted to wait just a smidge loner so Jeremiah is a little older and can understand more about sharing me and his space.

I have tomorrow off because Sydney has her 4 month check-up. I know it will do Jeremiah a world of good to spend the entire day with just me (and his great grandma Sally for lunch, and Uncle Joe and Auntie Lindsey in the evening! They are babysitting so Louis and I can have a date), and I definitely know he is looking forward to seeing Grandma and Grandpa on Saturday! I miss seeing my parents 3 times a week at my mom's shop. On the weeks where I don't babysit Sydney (3 weeks on 3 weeks off) I'm going to be going back to my mom's shop and she is thrilled. So is Jeremiah. He goes nuts when we pull up to her shop, her house, or when he hears his grandparents voices. So precious

Anyway I'm going to close tonight with a few pictures from the past few weeks! Enjoy!Sorting change with Daddy
Loves his ball pit!
Paws off my vitamin water!
At California Adventure
My Little Model