The New Normal

We’re looking for it. The search for it has been the main reason things have been quiet here on the blog for a couple of days. A few days in a row where Alexander thinks his naptime is bedtime and vice versa have left us with a sleepy little guy who still wakes up entirely too early. Last night, though, he slept through the night, like he had been doing when we were in China.

Back on the other side of the planet, we were amazed at how well he slept. The first night, we were able to get more than six hours of sleep, and we only got that little because we were both kind of freaking out that there was a little person in the room who was depending on us in an extraordinary way. Back in the Western Hemisphere, since Kathleen and I can push through the jet lag and he can’t, it took him a little longer than it did us to make the 13-hour shift. The kid can sleep anywhere, it seems, so he slept pretty well on plane. He was still firmly on China time when we got back, so he really slept a nap when it was actually nighttime. And if that guy isn’t sleeping, well, yeah, neither are we.

It seems we’re finding our new normal. I’ve taken this entire week off work, and will be working from home more than usual in the coming weeks. We’re using this time to figure out what works for him and for us. So far so good.

4 thoughts on “The New Normal

  1. So happy that Alexander finally got his days and nights straightened out. He is so precious, we loved getting to visit. You two are truly amazing!

  2. I think it took us a few months to find a new normal 🙂 And just when you have it figured out…poof, something changes! Just roll with it and you guys will do just fine. Can’t wait to see more adorable Alexander photos – does that kid ever stop smiling?!

  3. So happy to hear that you can put jet lag behind you! The timing of our travels and the fact that Benjamin didn’t sleep in transit meant that he adjusted to local time pretty much immediately, although it took me a bit of time to shift. The day/night confusion must have added another level of complexity to your adjustment. 🙂

    You two are doing an amazing job! I think the new normal comes in stages. You just take things one day at a time, and eventually you realize that everyone feels more settled, and then more time passes and you feel even more settled. 11 months in, and I still marvel that we have a son and that this is our normal life. It’s an incredible journey and I’m just so happy for you all.

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