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Five Months In: Life As a Family of Four

28/01/2017 by kimberley Leave a Comment

So, this last week my little Oliver Pop turned 5 months. I mean, that is almost HALF A YEAR. Where on earth has the time gone? I cannot believe that he’s no longer a tiny squish of a newborn, but a wriggly kicking baby full of life and giggles and toe nibbles.

If I have to look back at the last few months, there are moments of absolute clarity but plenty of blurred days and nights where we’ve tumbled through life as a family of four, learning and growing week on week. While Oliver has suddenly blossomed, my Benjamin is right around the corner from blowing out three candles (his birthday is in April), and all of a sudden my first-time mom friends and I who all had our kiddies within the space of a couple of months back in 2014 are all grasping each other’s arms in fright at the thought that our little babes (thanks Facebook for another memory) are almost three.

Oliver at 5 months
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Having two boys and managing the needs of both of them is certainly a challenge, I won’t lie. There have been times when I’ve felt a bit overwhelmed but then think about families I know who have 4 or even 5 kids and I keep things in perspective (and draw in a sigh of relief!). Here are some general experiences of this new family of four:

The baby stuff continues to cruise along pretty well. Still exclusively breastfeeding and YAY ME as I’m determined to keep feeding Oliver the liquid gold as long as I possibly can. I have a far better attitude towards pumping this time round and even though it has its tedious moments I know why I’m doing it and why it’s important. The La Leche League SA Facebook group has been invaluable.

Oliver’s also just started solids this last week – some organic banana porridge, butternut and sweet potato – and after a few confused and rather disgusted looks on his face seems to be taking to the new flavours pretty well.

I’m persevering with tummy time, encouraging rolling, supported sitting and dangling lots of different textured mobiles above him, but I also need to use the bouncer chair during the morning mad rush or when Ben is having dinner. So, you know. We’re getting there with #milestones and all that.

Benjamin almost 3
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Benjamin is loving playschool and is now going four mornings a week. After last year’s initial foray into school back in term three and the tears and refusals about going to school which turned into begrudging enjoyment and love of his teacher, he now tells me I must leave in the mornings once I’ve dropped him off. HA! Speaking of schools, I’m on the hunt for a preschool for next year and GOSH what an experience it is! I am in the middle of visiting each school I’m currently interested in, meeting the principal and enjoying a tour and chat – enlightening and interesting and definitely worth doing. It’s a critical age, between three and five, so really needing to make a good decision about where we send him before Grade R.

He loves his little brother and often the first thing he wants to do when he wakes up in the morning is see ‘his Oviler’(note the reworked spelling).

I just love seeing the two of them together in bed in the mornings, when Ben shows Oliver his toys and they chat together. It gets me excited for a special brotherly bond when Ollie gets a bit older and can really engage with his big brother. That is the magic of having a second 🙂

But in all this wonderfulness life is HECTIC. My evenings generally consist of (once the kids are down and asleep), cooking dinner for us, prepping lunch and breakfast for the next day (We’re Whole30-ing), defrosting breastmilk from the freezer for Oliver’s bottles, sterilising said bottles, packing Ben’s school snacks and backpack, and then trying to have a decent conversation with my husband while we catch up on Masterchef!

Mornings are just as crazy but as soon as I leave it all behind to drive into town I am so very thankful that I have all of the madness as much as the joys. It makes it all very worth it.

Here’s to the next few months – third birthday party planning here I come!

Similar Posts:

  • Seven Weeks In: Learning to Be a Mom of Boys
  • When did this happen? 6 months of cuteness
  • The Beautiful Journey of Breastfeeding
  • The Working Mom’s Guide to Getting Out the Door in the Morning

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Filed Under: Baby, Happy, Kids, Mommyhood, Toddler Tagged With: 3 years, 5 months, baby, benjamin, birthday, breastfeeding, kids, milestones, mom, mom life, mommyhood, oliver, playschool, pumping, reflection, solids, working mommy

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Hi I'm Kimberley!

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