Pic of Josephine @ 2 months old

Hi all! How's everyone doing?? I'm terribly sorry I dropped off the radar for so long. Adjusting to life with six hasn't been as smooth as I expected. I've been very overwhelmed trying to get a routine and BF on demand is no easy task. I weaned my last two @ 6 weeks and supplemented the others by 2 months old. So my commitment to EBF Josie is a big adjustment. School has also been a major tax on my sanity. The oldest comes home later than the others this year which throws me and he's having trouble setting priorities so I'm getting phone calls from 5 different teachers about how he's reading during class, turning in substandard work, and ruining his academic reputation... Gabbie has homework now which I need to find time to do with her as well as read her her dang AR book everyday, and Ben is not where he needs to be as far as letter recognition etc. cuz he doesn't know when to stop talking and listen! What makes it frustrating is all the people who think cuz I have so many older kids that I have "alot of help at home"....WRONG! They are useless! You would think that the reading nerd could read the kindergartener her book or something, but nooooo... and heaven forbid I ask the boys to hold the baby so I can cook their dinner! So...Yeah...It's been rough. I'm starting to figure some stuff out, but it's still a struggle. I hope you all are doing better than I am! Anyway here's a picture of Josephine on her 2 month birthday...

Josephine is a little sweet heart your a lucky mum, It is hard work having kids and I only have 2, you will get there and things will settle down. Mabey you could try offering them money for their help or something, this is what my mum did I am the oldest of 5!

and did I mention how cute your baby girl is! :)

Your little girl is adorable. I love her dress.

Im a mom to 5, and I think you described me there, my life.DH helps when hes up for a few hrs befor work tho. Let me say that I am giving up on breastfeeding as its hard to feed him and do everything. I get the same thing, oh you have lots of help etc etc. ya right. it seems the more i ask, the little I get. I hear more yelling than I do anything else lately. ugh. I dont drive so when it comes to the kids school i have to walk there and getting a baby ready and breastfeeing is not something i can do all the time easily. My oldest is throwing his school away to. i have reading to do with my kids to and it seems when they get home from school i have an hour to get it done if bryce isnt up and crying and needing me then its dinner time, bath bed..ugh. I feel so bad.

How many times a day do you feed her? is she sleeping at night? My little guy is not sleeping at night and i found with formula he sleeps or a bottle of expressed breastmilk. totally not fair cus i want to nurse him, free and always prepared.

(((Hugs)) Rae! It ain't easy, mama! I know. You are being pulling in a thousand different directions and can't do anything 100%. Some things will just take care of themselves.....If your oldest gets his first report card and it reflects the substandard work, then he will in all likelyhood, properly suffer that natural consequence and get his act together for the next grading period.

Could your older two each have a dinner night? Have you used the crockpot at all? I have found that I have had to scale WAY BACK on my nice dinners and just aim to feed everyone, even if it's not the perfect dinner. Pizza, soup and sandwiches, hotdogs, rotesserie chicken, tacos, etc. quick and easy,,,that's what I'm all about lately.

WAY TO GO and good for you on your committment to EBF Josie. I know it's not easy, but it's so worth it, especially with it being flu season. She is extra protected!

Lots of the things like doing homeowrk with Gabbie, reading to her and reviewing letter sounds with your little guy can be done while nursing. Also, have you tried nursing while baby is in a sling? Some women can do it and then they can be mobile while nursing.

And about your older boys not helping while you cook their dinner. Try not making it for them one night. Ask for their help and when they refuse to help you, don't even say anything, just don't include them when you serve dinner. When they are like 'Hey mom! What's up?" Say, "Well, I decided that since you didn't feel like helping me out, I didn't feel like making dinner for you." It'll make a big point to them fast. I am reading "Have a New Kid by Friday" and he suggests lots of things like that in the book. (Some things I think cross over the line and are mean, but if you use your own standards, the book has a lots of good ideas on how to get kids to cooperate.)

You're doing great! I mean you're the mama of 6 beautiful children! Things will calm down once everyone knows their roles and responsibilities better and Josie develops more of a predictable routine.

She is beautiful, just beautiful BTW!! What a little pretty feminine face she has!

What a beautiful little girl you have! I could stare at her all day!!!

she is so adorable and i love her little dress.

Thanks for the support girls! I have to say that Josie is a good baby she wakes once maybe twice a night and that times are regular. I do use a sling and I'm hoping that as she gets older feeding her in it will get easier. She's in it alot to keep her safe from Sam (I hate to say it) but feeding in it makes her mad.

Blue I hear ya about the yelling! I'm also sick of the groans whenever I ask anyone to help... Snakes I like your thinking. Sometimes when we are in the situation it's tough to see solutions...I really appreciate your ideas. I think that bf isn't the challenge after school...it's all of the kids clamoring for my attention and trying to keep them on task and off the computer and games...Blue I had to push back dinner by an hour so that I could have time to do homework with the kids so I know the feeling...not enough hours in the day! We'll get there!

I've only got one other child and I'm struggling too!  Harry's behaviour has gone really downhill and I don't know what to do about it.  Evie is sooooooooooo much hard work.  She is demanding all my time and I'm neglecting him and my house.  She's growing up so fast but I feel like I'm wishing her life away 'cos I can't wait until she's more settled and placid during her awake time.  Anyway, here's an updated pic; can't believe how fast she's changing.

she's such a little cutie-pie!

Sorry you're having a rough time, but cut yourself some slack mama, you're only 2 months out! Things will get better!

Josephine is an absolute doll

OMG! How pretty Evie is!

I'm sorry that your adjustment has been a struggle lately ((((HUGS)))) momma! Josephine is absolutely beautiful! Oh my!

What a beautiful little girls