Day in the Life

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I tried to Vlog (video blog) the other day and made it until about 3:00p before I decided I was done. Vlogging is not really for me, so I’m going to break down the “day in the life” vlog I was working on into a written post because that is a whole lot easier for me!

5:05-5:20am: Luke starts the day by rolling over and chirping a bit in his crib. He almost always goes back to sleep or he’ll just lay there sucking his thumb and looking around. He’s perfectly content so I leave him!

5:15-5:30am: I usually wake for the day via an alarm clock, or Luke, and hop in the shower if it’s a work day, or do a quick #freshinfifteen routine to pull myself together a little bit!

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6:19am: David is awake by this point so I go down and get the boys’ drinks ready. I also turn on the Keurig in much anticipation of my first morning cup of coffee.

6:30am: I go in to get David. He loves to play around in his crib for a bit, so I’ll pick up clothes from the night before, or ask him what his animals are doing. Usually “monkey”, his monkey stuffed animal, is going down for a nap so I’m told to “sshhhhhh” several times. I change him, and we head down to the playroom for him to have his milk and a snack. We usually watch a tv show in the morning too.

6:40am: Usually Luke is chirping, grunting, or singing at this point so I go to get him. I get a smile EVERY single time I get that boy up from a nap or nighttime sleep and it’s just the best. Luke and I head down and he has his bottle.

7:00am: Justin leaves for the day. He shakes David’s hand and David says “daddy woiker (“worker”)” over and over until he goes. Luke is usually occupied with toys or flying around in the bouncer. We watch Justin pull away and then get back to playing with trucks or puzzles.

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8:00am: We usually head upstairs to play in the bonus room upstairs for a change of scenery. If it’s nice out we’ll go on a walk right after Justin leaves for work.

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8:45am: Luke goes down for his first nap and David & I head down for breakfast. After breakfast we play!

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9:45-10:30am: Luke wakes up from his nap, and David and I will go get him together. David gets SO excited to get “Duker” up from his nap. He’ll have a bottle and then we’ll get ready to head out for an errand

10:30am: I’ll get the boys in the car and we’ll run out to the grocery store, Target, to meet a friend, or play at a park. The boys and I get antsy hanging around the house too much so we call enjoy the change of scenery.

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11:30am: We try to be back to the house by this time so we avoid car naps.

12:00pm: Lunch time! I feed the boys at the same time and David insists that Luke’s high chair is flush with his so he can break the rules and share his food. That’s been a challenge with this age gap of 14 months! I’m teaching David how to share, but he’s not allowed to share his food (Luke is too little for it), so I think it’s been pretty confusing to him!

1:00pm: Naptime! I usually put Luke down first, if not a little before 1:00 because he’s ready. David and I will read a book or two, and then I’ll lay him in his crib with a book to read to himself. Usually by time I check him in the monitor he’s passed out.

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2:30pm: This is the typical wake up time for David and he’ll have a snack on the couch to ease back into the day. Luke is very unpredictable yet. Sometimes he’ll only sleep an hour, other times he’ll sleep over 2, so every day is different with Luke in the afternoon.

3:00pm: Typically Luke is up by this hour so we’ll head outside to play or meet a friend for a playdate. Errands are harder at this time of the day because the boys are starting to get a little tired and it’s easier to keep things simple with staying around the house.

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5:00pm: My husband makes a great effort to get home at 5:00 on the dot and I am very thankful for that! We are usually outside and as soon as David see’s Justin’s truck coming down the street he’ll say “DADDY DADDY DADDY”! It’s so sweet.

5:30pm: The boys eat dinner. Justin usually feeds Luke and I’ll give David his food. I tend to pick up the kitchen a little bit at this time too.

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5:45pm: After dinner we like to go on a long family walk if the weather is nice, otherwise we’ll turn the music on in the living room and dance and play chase. This is one of my favorite times of the day.

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6:20pm: Bathtime! We do a bath almost every night. Both boys love it, especially Luke right now, and I think they like the routine of it as well.

6:45pm: Justin typically puts Luke to bed but not before laying out Davids’ pj’s in a cute way. Usually his favorite stuffed animal is “wearing” the pj’s. David gets such a kick out of it when he runs down to his bedroom from the bath.

6:50pm: I’ll get David dressed and ready for bed. We’ll read a book (or 18 if he’s really trying to put off bedtime) and then it’ll be time for him to lay down with lights out.

Both boys go to sleep very very very easily and that was not without intential efforts from the start and finding a good rhythm for both of them!

After the boys are down, Justin and I will eat dinner and spend the evening together or doing chores around the house. Saturday night is always date night, but the weeknights just vary based on what is going on that week!

So that’s what a typical day with the boys looks like! Planning ahead with food and play dates are both big factors in how smooth the day goes. And if it was a particularly hard day, for whatever reason, Justin is always willing to do the post-dinner walk with the boys alone and that can be such a gift!

We are routine people, as you can see, but I’ve learned over the years to be reasonable and flexible with the timing of some things. So while this is the general idea of what every day looks like, we make exceptions for different things when they pop up!

(all photos from Instagram!) 

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J. says · 10.21.15

Wow, sounds like all your hard work has paid off. When my children were young they maybe woke up 1% of the time not crying. Mine were very vocal babies. Your boys are sweet make me miss my “littles” who are now preteen and teenager. I think I will go dig out some photo’s to cry over. haha!

Thanks for sharing!
https://practicalbydefault.wordpress.com/

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Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says · 10.21.15

What a lovely day 🙂 My nephews are 16 months apart (the oldest one is 2 right now) so this totally reminds me of them! 🙂

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Danielle says · 10.21.15

Love little “real” snippets into your life like this! 🙂

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Emily says · 10.21.15

I just had my second baby in July, and now that the baby is turning 3 months, I love reading what other people’s routines with 2 babies looks like. Thanks for sharing a peek into your life!

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Andrea says · 10.21.15

So sweet, love the routine! Though it does make me a bit exhausted just reading it, lol. Mine are 13 and 9 now but I do still really miss that 7pm bedtime on occasion. 😉

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Tiffany says · 10.21.15

I am not a parent, but if I was, I would want this routine, especially the walks. I would be interested to know what your routine is like on a work day!

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Amanda says · 10.21.15

Thank you for sharing this Kate! I have a 18 month old and we’re expecting our 2nd end of March. I actually just wrote a post about what a day in the life with a 1 1/2 year old looks like for us right now… anticipating that it will change quite a bit once baby #2 comes along… but nice to see that you still manage to stick to a great routine…. which will DEFINITELY ultimately be the goal eventually 🙂

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Megan says · 10.21.15

I love reading “a day in the life” posts! Thanks for sharing. I was curious to know what you personally might do during nap time? Do you get some good down time in? Read a book, watch tv, or do you try to get things done around the house in a mad dash before the boys wake up, ha.

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Joanna says · 10.21.15

This is exactly what my day looks like for the most part except I have a newborn and a 17 month old. It gives me hope that things will become more routine with this new baby. Love your blog!!!

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Brittany Warren says · 10.21.15

I loved getting a glimpse into your day! My 5-month old is currently at daycare and I often wonder what my days would be like if I had chosen to stay home. I have a feeling they would look very similar to yours…I too would have to get out of the house daily! Your boys seem so sweet!

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Stacey says · 10.21.15

Even though I have kids that are your age, i enjoy reading your blog. This was especially sweet, and brought back memories of my life at one time. Thank you for sharing!

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Amanda says · 10.21.15

Thanks for sharing! Can you tell me a bit more about dinner? Do you cook a different meal for the kids, or do you reheat your meal later on? 5-7 is my least favorite time of the day, so I’d live to steal some of your tricks!

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Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says · 10.21.15

I love this! My day is very similar, although I have an 8 week old, so she’s still a little bit unpredictable. At what age do you think your kids started to have more of a predictable routine? My daughter goes down well for naps and nighttime sleep, but the times vary everyday.

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Chelsea says · 10.21.15

Love seeing a peak into a day with your boys! As a new mom I love seeing how different moms navigate the day to day. Did you follow any sort of schedule-training with you boys (baby wise, etc.)?
Thanks!!

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Marina says · 10.21.15

Love these day-in-the-life posts (actually, love all your posts!)! Thanks for sharing. I’m not a fan of blogs, either, so I’m happy you opted to write this one.

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Sarah says · 10.21.15

Great peak into your life! Sounds exactly like mine. What time do you go to bed?

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AA says · 10.21.15

Thanks for sharing! Would you be willing to do a post about your routine on a workday?

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Casey says · 10.21.15

I’d love to hear about that too! I’m curious if/how you fit some blogging or social media time into your day. I would imagine it’s when the children are napping. We are preparing now for our first and I love to learn about how other Mom’s plan their day. I’ll be working from home part time. Thanks!!

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Kim says · 10.21.15

I loved this written version of your day! I feel like I was watching it with the photo and descriptions so it was actually a nice change from a vlog! Great pos! XO -Kim
http://www.thethirtysomethinglife.com

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Julie says · 10.21.15

Goodness – I am so glad to finally read another family who puts their kid(s) to be early and then in turn have early rising children! Our son goes to be around 645-7 and he wakes at 6ish and everyone is always like “say what…put him to be later” but he cannot handle later! Love this post! 🙂

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Melissa says · 10.21.15

My 5 yr old still goes to bed at 7pm! He has always been an early riser no matter what methods I’ve tried, so his 520 am wake up demands an early bed time. Even more so now he is in full day kinder. Ive learned to embrace 7pm…520 am will never feel normal lol! : )

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adrianne says · 10.21.15

My almost 9 yr old is still an early riser. We still put him to bed early, compared to kids his own age, because he just can’t sleep past about 6 am. Thankfully, he is old enough to entertain himself. 🙂

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Chelsea says · 10.21.15

My days are very similar with 2 kids who are 12 months apart and I so feel you on the food sharing! My little ones have opposite allergies so keeping them from sharing food has been the biggest challenge for me!
I also find that errands go much smoother before nap time. They just never go smoothly in the afternoon.

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Shauna says · 10.21.15

Love this little peek into your day! Your Luke is the same age as my little guy and it’s funny how different their schedules are! Or rather, your little guy HAS a schedule and mine DOES NOT. Struggling to get there!! Anyway, thanks for sharing!

Also, I love the rug in the first picture!! Would you be willing to share where you found it??

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Leah says · 10.21.15

What is your routine like on the weekends? My boys are also 14 months apart and Sunday kind of ruins our routine with church in the AM and PM.

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Chaile says · 10.21.15

Love this post! I’m curious to know what intentional efforts you made to make bed time and night time easier. I have an 11 month old still struggling with sleeping through the night and I’m always looking to see what has worked for other moms. My son goes down very easily and I always but him to bed awake but drowsy. However, the whole sleeping through the night is difficult for him.

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kirsten says · 10.21.15

I second this! Share your secrets!!

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April says · 10.21.15

Me too!

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Nicole says · 10.21.15

This is so helpful–thank you for sharing. Our son is almost 14 months and will be 18 months when little brother is born. We are two weeks away from a big move and from my transitioning from a very busy, high stress job outside of the home to staying at home with both children and maybe working from home two days per week. I too would love to see a “day in the life” routine for your work days. Thank you!

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Courtney says · 10.21.15

Thanks so much for sharing Kate!! This was such a fun post to read ?

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Kristen says · 10.21.15

I really enjoyed reading this. We are trying for #2 and I have very real concerns about how life will change. I work full time outside of the home and I wonder how I will balance my time between the two and it looks like you do it beautifully being able to work at home! Thank you for sharing.

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Cristen says · 10.21.15

wow! I read this and it was like reading my life with my 2 and ten month old!!! Aren’t routines and rhythms the best?? Keeps chaos at bay.

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Michelle says · 10.21.15

It’s awesome to see parents putting their kids into such a routine like this, I think it helps them in so many ways! Though I don’t have any babies running around yet, this makes me very excited for the future (is that weird?)! Thanks for sharing 🙂

Michelle
http://blissandthings.com

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Liz says · 10.21.15

I like how much you do together as a family! I also love the idea of you and your husband eating together later in the evening. Great post!

xo, Liz
http://lipstickandconfetti.com

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Kristin S says · 10.21.15

I love your day.

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Dawn says · 10.21.15

I love this post…so cute. I hope you enjoy every day

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Christy says · 10.21.15

What is that tractor book? My son LOVES tractors and would die if he had one that makes sounds too.

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Melissa says · 10.21.15

I have 15 month old twin boys who I stay at home with. Our routine is a lot like yours. We also try to get out of the house everyday – even if it’s just a car ride to Starbucks! My boys are both great at bedtime as well. We have always done the same routine at the same time every night and I really truly think that helps with having kids who go to sleep very easily. Thanks so much for sharing!

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Leigh says · 10.21.15

That looks like a fun day! I work outside the home, but I can imagine if I was at home during the day, I’d want to get out of the house. Since I’m gone all day, all I want to do is stay home! Lol. I have two boys as well. The oldest is 4 and the youngest is 16 months. Both of my kids are up until 8:30-9:30 every night. Neither of them will go to sleep before that time and if they do, they’re up by 4am. I’ll take late bedtime over a 4am wake up time. Since they tend to sleep a little later, I sometimes manage to shower and get ready for work without little eyes watching and helping.

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Angela says · 10.21.15

What a great Mom you are and I’m sure there are days that are harder than others. Your little guys will appreciate you when they are old enough to understand.

I also have a son who turns 2 in December. I work full time out of the home, but also find our routine is very similar to yours on the weekend. I actually find that he does better if we get out of the house for an hour or so in the morning to Target, the grocery store, the park, or Chick Fil-A. Otherwise he gets really restless. I saw another commenter that her sons were very vocal and only woke up not crying 1% of the time, my son is like that. He wakes up crying most days so I really cherish the days when he wakes up smiling and playing. Loved seeing a day in the life of a Mom with a son the same age as mine. : )

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Christy says · 10.21.15

I love how you and Justin have a weekly date night. My husband and I are shooting for a monthly date night. I admire you for making it such a priority. I know I really need to try harder to focus on my husband and I spending more quality time together.

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Lauren says · 10.21.15

LOVE THIS! I have a 2 yr old and 9mo old – it can be a sweet and exhausting period of life. Just wondering how/when you handle things like dishes, laundry, cleaning, etc.? Do you hire some of it out? I love hearing how other work at home moms handle these things!

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Rachel lyons says · 10.21.15

I faithfully come to you for hair tutorials but found myself reading this entire post! I didn’t realize how close together your boys are-wow! You are a super woman and thanks for sharing and bringing back happy memories of my two boys( 4 years apart thankfully?)!

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Adrienne says · 10.21.15

I loved reading this! My day with my 13 month old is very similar. He’s on the exact same schedule as Luke right now! We are also thinking of trying for baby number 2 soon and this makes me feel like we can still have a nice routine with two little ones. Routine is important to me too! Makes me feel like I have it together even if I don’t haha.

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Megan says · 10.21.15

I love this! It is so fun to get a peek into someone else’s daily life. I never thought I’d be a very scheduled parent, but it is amazing how kids thrive on it! I am NOT an early riser though so I have my kids on a later schedule – bedtime is at 9 and it’s not morning until 7, haha.

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Martie says · 10.21.15

Sounds like a great routine! I’m leaving my 20-year career in the salon next week, and planning to work from home. My girls are 13 and 10, and I so wish I could have done this when they were younger. Working the crazy hours of a hairstylist and having babies was hard, and forming a routine was almost impossible! And dinner…with the hubs…alone??? Unheard of! Now dinner is one of my favorite times of day, though, when we all sit down at the table together and get to hear about everyone’s day. It’s priceless!
Your boys are adorable, and it’s clear that you both are amazing parents! Enjoyed this post!

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Evelyn Nunes says · 10.21.15

That’s so adorable! Loved to know about your daily routine! I also like routines and try to keep one with my dog. I think that dogs and kids strive on a schedule, and it helps you plan your day accordingly. And in a similar (but way easier) way, he has also helped me embrace changes in the routine as well.

The boys are the cutest!

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Jenn says · 10.21.15

This looks like a typical day in our life too, except just with one little mini. We always have to get out of the house too for a change of scenery & we always go to target. Mama gets some starbucks & baby gets to meet new friends as we walk the store! haha. thanks for sharing, i love to see how other SAHMs spend their days! 🙂 xox

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Evelina says · 10.21.15

You are a champ! I love how your husband lays out the jammies for David So sweet!

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Shawn says · 10.21.15

We don’t have kids yet (thinking about it soon), but we’re such routine people too and its just the two of us!! Thanks for sharing – now I know what I’m getting myself into 🙂

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Crystal says · 10.21.15

Any good lunch ideas for the kiddos? I feel I struggle with my two year old! ?

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Kate says · 10.22.15

Oh man, I need them too! Toddlers + food is not always fun!

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Patty says · 10.21.15

Great routine! For the moms asking about how to get their child/children on a routine, the book Babywise may be helpful. I have three boys five years and under and I followed the concept in the book and it worked wonders! All three boys were sleeping through the night by eight weeks and are still happy, easy children. I work full-time so having the kids on a good schedule by 12 weeks when I went back to work was imperative. Check it out – it may be helpful! Good luck!

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Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says · 10.21.15

What a fun day in the life!

Her Heartland Soul
http://herheartlandsoul.com

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Katie says · 10.21.15

Interesting that you don’t eat dinner with your kids. Eating together as a family is known to have a lot of benefits to children and families.

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Caroline says · 10.22.15

That’s totally true, but isn’t really applicable until kids are a little bit older. Our babies always went to bed before us until they were about 2 and could stay up a little later (and actually eat a real dinner without throwing it everywhere). So I’m sure Kate will get there eventually too!

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Megan says · 10.21.15

I have two children ages 6 and 1 and even though one is at school, I have a similar schedule as you. I feel like when I’m not playing/feeding/dissolving a melt down/changing diapers I’m doing tons of house work. When do you find the time? Do you only do house work after the kids are asleep?

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Holly Housewife says · 10.22.15

Can totally relate to the non vlog feeling but would love to see one from you!

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Laura Mason says · 10.25.15

It sounds like you run a smooth household and it shows with those smiley faces! Wonderful job, Kate! I do feel a bit sad for Justin though, since he only get a few hours with the boys a day.

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Debbie m says · 10.26.15

My kids are 10 1/2 months apart and a solid routine has saved our life! They were great sleepers as babies and even now at 6 and 7. They are both in first grade as well so that has really been a positive change for us. The same homework is amazing.

Ps. Those six weeks every year that they are the same age is my favorite time all year long!

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SaraS says · 10.28.15

Awesome insight into the life of a mom with 2 kids! My sister’s thinking about having another (and I love my niece-y) so this is a great piece to read.
Although I will say… damn girl, you wake up at 5:15 every morning!? *shakes head* Wow. Although I am jealous you get in time for two walks a day.

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sarah says · 10.30.15

I would love to know more about dinner too. Do you cook after the kids go to bed? What do you feed them? We all sit down together for dinner, but that time is so stressful with two little ones who are starving and cranky.

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erin @ thh says · 11.03.15

I loved this–I am kind of a routine geek and I love to see what other people are up to. 😉 My boys aren’t as close as yours are (17 months between 1 & 2 and 19 months between 2 & 3…and now #4 will be 24 months younger than #3 when she’s born…biggest gap yet O_O) but having a routine–and a flexible one!–is the only way things run smoothly around here. 😉 The times when we’ve fallen off the routine wagon (due to sickness or, um, an entire first trimester of pregnancy) it really amazes me how quickly chaos ensues. We also worked very, very hard to establish good sleep habits as early as possible. Good for you!

Anyway. I know you don’t need a random internet stranger commenting on your mothering, but I’m raising my coffee mug to you this morning. 😉 Cheers to you, mama!

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Jane E. says · 03.08.16

Thank you so much for including this! I find it very helpful as the mom to a 4.5 month old little girl. I was wondering if you would mind sharing your tips tricks or philosophy I’m getting little babies to sleep. We are currently having a hard time getting her to sleep through the night without requiring nursing to go back to sleep. Thank you for your help and for always giving me something to look forward to when I come home from work.

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