New Routines

They say it takes 30 days of doing something new for it to become habit.  I don't know if that is true, but who am I to question "they."  It seems for me that just as soon as one motherhood routine becomes habit, something happens to make the previous habit null and void. 

And so, suddenly, I am back in the familiar place of not knowing what the heck I am doing.  With Gracie's recent breathing issues, our routines have gotten messed up.  (They won't "officially label her as having Asthma until she is four or so, but basically, she has Asthma.)  I've had to find an extra two hours in the day to neb Gracie (4x a day at roughly 30 mins a session).  On the one hand, it is very sweet to cuddle my girl.  She sits still and snuggles up with her face on my chest, gently rubbing La-La on her cheek with her fishy face mask on.  On the other hand, I'd like those extra 30 minutes to sleep and/or bathe in the morning and Oh! Hey 2 am, I haven't missed seeing you. 

The middle of the night nebbing session is the easiest as she and I both fall asleep and I usually wake up when the weight of her on my thigh causes my foot to go numb, which is about the time it takes for the Albuterol to run its course.  After lunch, before her naptime is also grand as she usually falls asleep and I get to read my book.  The morning is the worst time, because, well, I'm not a morning person and neither is Grace, but oh-my-gosh is Henry ever a morning person.  I usually neb Gracie while coaxing Henry, who is naked and dancing while screaming "Good morning, I'm naked!!!" to get dressed one slow article of clothing at a time.  And sometimes she gets antsy during the morning and evening treatments because she has to neb two medications and so it takes the full 30 minutes. 

And I'm having to find a new nighttime ritual.  We had gotten finally gotten down our bedtime routines. We have two: one for when Sloan is in town and one when he is out of town.  But now, with Gracie needing her nebulizer treatments every night for the foreseeable future (at the very least the next six weeks and most likely all of cold and flu season) the routine has had to change.   I cannot spend 10 minutes prepping G's hair for bed, then read her two books, then sing her a song, then neb her for thirty then put her to bed, then head to Henry's room (who was putting on his PJs and playing trains while I put G to bed), and read him a Bible story and two books, then pray, then light up is room like Vegas with his 3,000 night lights and add another 30 minutes to the mix. Or, I could, but then those precious hours at the end of the day when they are sleeping or at least shut in their room in the dark would be fewer. 

So last night and tonight, I broke out the Ipad.  Think I'm lazy or whatever, but Grace sat still for her treatment instead of trying to jump up and down or go to Henry's room.  And Henry put on his PJs so quickly without whining once so that he could crawl up in G's rocker to watch the Ipad. 

And what do we watch?  Sesame Street Music Videos on You Tube.

And yes, we do love Will.i.am's "What I am" but come on--if you've seen it, you've at least thought once Will.i.am wasn't thinking he was magical but bored out of his mind.  Seriously.  I've seen middle school boys forced to be in musicals show more enthusiasm.

That said...I would like to share with you our two favorite videos. 

Grace loves this one.  And I can't say I blame her.  Bonus that it was thought up by an adoptive Dad as a way to love his Ethiopian born daughter.

Henry's favorite is a tie.  He loves him some Ladybug Picnic, but his new favorite that doesn't getting boring at all when he re-enacts it is Bert doing the Pigeon.  If I can secretly film Henry doing the Pigeon I swear I'll post that too.  You'll pee in your pants.