Space

A strange new thing has been happening to me the past few weeks. This phenomenon has left me puzzling on quite a number of occasions. I find myself unsure, hesitant, sceptical even.

I have evenings. They have crept back into my life ever so quietly, and I have found myself at a bit of a loss as to what to do with them.

You see, to get Munchkin sleeping through the night requires a considerable amount of food and therefore time. He is a tall boy, about as tall as baby's get according to Plunket. We like to say he takes after his mother (his mother, being me, is a delicate framed, tiny slip of a thing!). It makes people laugh, even if it doesn't stop the comments of "he's HUGE!" much at all. To get him sleeping through the night I was feeding him 3hourly in the mornings, then at 1:30, 3:30, 5, 7 and 8 (with a bath in between - I am not sure when I ate, I know I did but I don't remember how or when). Apparently goats milk formula is lower in fat than other types, which also means he needed more to 'tank up' for the night. Even with all that food, he only managed a couple of months before needing a night feed again for another couple of months, before finally starting to sleep through again a few weeks back. He is now down to just 4 milk feeds, 3 solid meals, and a chew bag snack or two each day. Today being the first day of 4 feeds instead of 5, I am hoping it works fine but I think he ate about the right amount.

It is such a novel thing, having an evening again. I used to spend pretty much all afternoon and evening feeding and changing Munchkin, then an hour tidying up, preparing for the next day and then finally getting myself ready for bed. This was while I was studying too - most of the morning when I wasn't looking after Munchkin. Free time after lunch still feels like such a luxury. Actually, free time at all does. There have been a few evenings where I have not quite known what to do with myself, but I am now starting to settle in and enjoy the little bit of space in my day. I did some knitting last week. Rather novel, and oh, so relaxing. I've watered the garden a few times without it being a running race against time and the dark. Tonight I cleaned the bathroom, saving myself from doing it later in the week. I'm about to go and hang out some washing...usually something left for Boyo in the mornings (there will of course still be more for him to do tomorrow - never ending as it is!). This week I even took some 'time off' in honour of the Public Holidays which we hardly even notice in our household (my husband works most of them currently) and read a book. I think it must have been a year since I read a fictional book. It was rather enjoyable. My eyes are a little tired now. My husband is glad it is finished. I am not. I would like to start another, but I am being restrained and sticking with my 'to do' list for the next little while instead. I watched a few movies on tv too over the Christmas period, but am trying to avoid the tv again now...it is such a mind-numbing time waster that I'd be better off knitting or reading or something instead, and saving tv for when I really, really, really want/need it (plus the movies are on past my bedtime and after staying up late 2 nights in a row last week for New Years and to read my book, I am still feeling the effects!).

Ah, the joys of having half an hour or so in the evening before sleep takes hold. What do you like doing in the evening to relax?

Amy

Wednesday, 5th January, 2011