Top Ten Tuesday is now List It Tuesday, which basically just means the list can be any length. So, here’s a list of five of the biggest factors in adjusting to our new life with two kids. You’ll notice that the first four points are difficulties in some way, and the last is a huge positive – that outweighs the first four.

1. Where does all the time go? I get Aria up, change her diaper, and set her up with breakfast. While she’s eating I change Noah and nurse him. I clean up Aria’s breakfast and change her into her play clothes. Noah is fussing. I get him settled, and by then Aria is ready for lunch. Wait – what? Doesn’t it seem like there should be more time in there? Where does that go? By the point I have everyone fed, changed, and happy, it’s time to feed or change someone again. And I only have the two. Some of you do this (or have done this) with even more {bows down}.
2. Finding the scheduling balance. It’s all about that disappearing time. Before Noah was born Aria and I would get out of the house each day, even for just a short time. Now it’s much more difficult, and many days doesn’t happen at all. It’s also difficult for me to find the time to accomplish my work and blogging. I pretty much have to do those things while the kids are sleeping. I try to accomplish household chores while Aria is awake. I’m suffering in the areas of time with Andy and time to sleep. I’m not concerned about the sleep – occasionally, when it becomes imperative, I am able to catch up on the lost sleep. The time with Andy? That does concern me. We have to get a handle on that part of our lives. I’m just getting back to what will be my “normal” weekly commitments for the school year, so we’re still working out the kinks. One thing I know is I have to figure out how to quit sleeping through my alarm. 😉
3. Mommy guilt. Okay, so this one is also time-related. I often feel guilty that I can’t give Aria the attention I would have previous to Noah’s birth. Yes, I recognize that it’s good for her to hear “no” and “not right now” (and she heard those before Noah’s birth, too). I think what I find difficult is telling her no because of him. I’m probably sub-consciously worried it will cause some sort of tension between them, even though that’s probably a silly concern.
4. Hitting. Oh, geez. Aria loves her brother, but she has taken to hitting and squealing at a high pitch as attention-getting techniques. Sometimes she does both as experiments, and sometimes she does them to draw negative attention. Since she’s not speaking well yet, it can be difficult to discern the best way to handle these issues. I can tell she understands me – she understands pretty much everything now – but the fact she can’t respond to me clearly makes it confusing.
5. Watching the kids interact. There is nothing better than watching these kids interact with each other. Aria was fascinated by Noah from the first time she saw him. He lights up when she leans over him, and then she lights up because he lights up. I love to watch him respond to her voice, and watch her get excited to see him. She talks often about the “baby” and has just now started to say his name (“No-ee”).

Do you have any wise words for me? I’d love advice.