Solo Parenting
It’s Day 2 of solo parenting our boys including our tube-fed baby while my husband and daughter are having a blast at Youth Camp. I miss them so much.
I could tell that Hubby was super hesitant to leave when Baby had a huge blowout seconds before he was supposed to take off.
I told him I got this, I will survive!
Things I’m doing for Me that fill my cup with joy:
- Squishing my Baby’s thighs or kissing his cheeks
- Walks with my wonderful friend Danyelle
- Sorbet / frozen otter pops
- The exhilaration of Running Downhill and listening to my favorite songs
- Episodes of Judge Judy 😅
- Laughing with my sister on the phone
- Reading to my kiddos
The easy meals were in place. Really low to no expectations for productivity. Just the stuff that had to get done to get to the next feeding every 3 hours. Maybe some laundry.
Could I establish some routines? The days are in the high 90F, so I make everyone go outside first thing in the morning since the rest of the day it’s too hot for any outdoor activity. Screen time is allowed after 3pm so that we’re ready to wind down in the evening. They can play with friends after dinner until the sun goes down.
Our sons have been the very BEST helpers I could ask for. Today they walked and fed the dog, wiped and set the table before meals, switched the laundry to the dryer, cleared under their beds and closet so I could vacuum, made a fleet of magnet tile ships for Baby to destroy, played with Baby so I could power nap before making dinner, filled my water bottles for me, brought me pillows and headphones and burp cloths when I needed them… and more. I’m so thankful that my boys are so loving and have a heart full of service.
I really wanted to do a big outing or something special with them, but I had to let go of the idea once I realized Baby couldn’t handle it. His tolerance for being in the car seat was unusually low after our morning jog. Any time I put him down anywhere or if I was out of view he cried so loud like he really thought I’d gone. He cried so hard that he projectile vomited, poor baby! If I put it all together I could see that he wanted more time with me, and slower days without me trying to go places or do too much.
Instead we did little special things.
I let them sleep in my bed with me after they bathed, and they loved the cuddle snuggle time.
“I’m going to go back to sleep. Now I know why you like sleeping, Mom. This bed is crazy comfy.”
F, July 8, 2026
They biked to the reservoir, and Baby and I surprised them there with frozen otter pops and cold apples. We cuddled together like old times and read new bedtime stories from Winnie the Pooh that they laughed so much at.
I made them food that Jer doesn’t like haha- Hawaiian haystacks for lunch by request. F said it was “CRAZY good!” W said I “haven’t cooked in forever” and joked that he “half liked it”. Baby screamed bloody murder every time he caught sight of the pineapple or mandarin oranges which I couldn’t give him yet since I had just bottle fed him minutes ago.
Baby has started to screech like a bald eagle or a raptor or some other kind of large high pitched creature, especially when there’s a food he really wants or I’m not paying attention to him right this second. It’s going to be a very loud rest of the week haha.
All I can say is…
Pray for me!
Love, Kat
