I like plans. I don't even remember when I started liking to plan. I love buying a new planner every year. I like meetings. I like accomplishing to-do lists. Every Sunday, I fill in my planner for the week to come. It's not that I'm not flexible, because I am. You can't be a Youmans and not be flexible. But if my plans are going to change, I like having a plan TO change.
Then I had a baby.....
I was actually really blessed because Micah was on a 3 hour eating schedule pretty consistently from the time he was born. He never cluster fed and I didn't ever have to force him on a schedule, because he fell into. However, that schedule is different every day. I tried and tried to figure him out, and then I got the best advice from one of my friends. She said, "Every time you figure him out, he is going to change."
And is that not some of the truest advice I have ever received....
Every time I think I have something figured out, he changes. He sleeps less, he eats more, things that entertained him yesterday don't entertain him today....
We moved him to his big boy crib last week, and he was doing great, going to bed at 9pm or 10pm and waking up at 7am.
Then we had Daylight savings and the next morning he woke up at 6am! It was pretty hard to get ready for work that morning because he was awake the whole time.
So I'm learning. I am learning that every day might be different. What worked yesterday, might not work today. I know that consistency is good for kids, and I am trying to be consistent, but I am also a fan of being flexible. I don't want to be so worried that my plan didn't work that I forget to enjoy my sweet baby.
So even if he sleeps when I planned for him to be awake, or is awake when he should be napping, or eating every two hours when he normally does four, or wants me to carry him around the kitchen the whole time I am cooking because he is bored with his bouncy seat....I am okay with that, because who is to say what's his "normal" anyway.
And I don't want to plan away a minute of it....
