Babies and Bunnies

[lemonaxis]

Are there any other members with young babies and a bunny or more than one bunny? I am finding it so much hard work to try balance the two.

My bun BK is a very affectionate bun and wants to be cuddled a lot. My baby is a high needs bub with colic and she is always carried around as putting her down causes the colic to get worse.

I manage but at the end of the day of 3 beautiful children, housework , a home business, BK, my 2 extremely demanding cats, chickens to feed, a partner who works insane hours, nasty PND, etc, I am DEAD tired.
My one cat is 11 years old, he is pees in the house every opportunity he gets. BK has just recovered from a majorally scary cat attack and my two older children have shared custody with their dad.

My head is spinning.
I am getting about 4 to 5 hours sleep a night and want to cry a lot sometimes, its all a bit much.:? But nothing beats all the laughs and rewards of a busy house too

 

[tundrakatiebean]

:hug:I'm impressed, I don't think I could do that! I don't have kids at the moment (thank god) but I can admire a fantastic parent when I see one! Doesn't mean much coming from me, but good job!

 

[lemonaxis]

OMG!! Of course that means something, parents non chalantly grasp at any encouragement they can get...lol
They might stand there and say, oh yeah we manage, but their minds are like..

"Did I remember to put the dishwasher on?"
"Did BK get enough greens today?"
"Why is my son squinting like that?"
"How much more maths homework do I need to do before I can call myself a mathematician?"
"Whats makeup again?"
"Should I be drinking coffee and breastfeeding?"
"I can't see out the windows, they are so dirty!"
"Where in #@!!*! is my underwear?, I AM NOT going out without some on!!"

All the life of us...and NO exagerations!! lol

 

[rabb1tmad]

Wow, how busy you must be! I think it's hard for me and I only have 3 rabbits, a full time job and a boyfriend to look after. Well done to you, no wonder you are tired.

Have you got yourself a routine for cleaning the animals and spending time with them? Or have you thought about advertising in the local paper for an animal buddy who would be willing to help you with your animals - some will do it for free. Is your baby old enough to be carried in a harness (I think thats what they are called) so you can take her with you when you are seeing to the animals? My best friend had a really bad colic baby and I helped her a lot so I can understand how hard it must be for you. On the positive side colic does get better as the baby grows.

Enjoy your laughs it will keep you sane

 

[lemonaxis]

I am carrying baby in a sling, my back has finally stopped hurting from the extra load You are so right when you say it helps with colic, its mummy's sanity saver.
My eldest daughter does a wonderful job looking after the pets, she cuddles the sometimes neglected cats, feeds the chickens, holds the baby and plays so nicely with her younger brother.
My baby BK has eyes only for his Mummy though He allows my daughter to pick him up but will struggle quite a bit after a few minutes. My partner cannot get near him because BK is no fan of men. BK follows me everywhere he can, I even find myself staring down at a curious little grey face when I am in the bathroom!
He sits there waiting and sometimes runs behind the toilet and around the toilet area. Nutty little man.

Whats really funny is when I go upstairs and downstairs all the time tending to the housework. After a while he gets puffed and simply stays on the stairs, a kind of a mid-mark between up and down.
LOL:biggrin2:

 

[rabb1tmad]

Wow, yourBK is really in love with you My head is really spinning with how much you do. Keep at it, things will improve with time and when you're finally getting time to sit down and relax you will wonder how you ever fit it all in!

 

[gentle giants]

Oh, wow, I didn't have any rabbits at the time I had my babies, but as I had twins I can definatly sympathize with how tired you are. My best advice would be to wait it out. I knowit seems like a very long road now, but it will eventually get better. I wouldn't worry to much about your bunny, you will have more time once the colic eases up and your baby gets a little older. It sounds to me like you are doing great under a heavy load. I will make a confession-when my two were tiny, I not only felt like crying, I did it!

So hang in there, hon, you'll make it through. And feel free to pm me any time you need to let off some steam. ray::hug1

 

[bluebird]

I watched my neice in the daytime while my sister worked she had colic.all babies are a lot of work but they grow up soo fast.my baby is now 7.bluebird

 

[petkeeper]

Hi

I can relate...not with the shared custody but with the demanding baby and the animals. I have 2 kids now and have always had a houseful of animals. Dogs, cats, ferrets, rats, rabbits you name it we have had it. Some how I managed to survive...against my believing I would. My youngest daughter is 5 and starting school in the fall! So I will have more time for the critters.

When my first daughter was born she didn't think sleep was an option and darn it all I couldn't find the sleep button or off button on her!! She wouldn't go to anyone else and spent 98% of her time attached to me...this lasted until the age of 4 when her baby sister was born...but she was still attached at the hip...truth be told she still is but at least now at 9 years of age she is able to help around the house. I think my animals suffered greatly during this time, but you know letting the rabbit out or watching the ferrets play always relaxed me, so playtime wasn't as frequently but it was quality time. I also have a partner who works insane hours...he is a truck driver and is never home and when he is home he has next to nothing to do with the kids and absolutely nothing to do with the animals....he would be just as happy if we didn't have animals.

My second daughter was much easier thank heavens or I think I would be in the crazy house!!!

Try to get your older kids more involved when they are home, when they are with their dad and you have just the baby...your bunny will forgive you if you take a nap when the baby does. A little more cage time and having a lessed stressed mom would be better. Animals sense when something is wrong with us and causes them to act differently...so if you are playing with your rabbit but you are tired and stressed chances are he may start acting agressive, then you will be even more stressed.

I wish you the best of luck balancing everything out...and just know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.! Just remember if you need to vent there are people here who will listen.

 

[missyscove]

Parents consistently impress me. Including my own mom. I watch her go to work and come home to her second job and work all day until we all finally get to sleep.

Of course, it's always nice when we kids help out. I'm now 17. We've had our dogs for 11 years and the bunnies for a year. It is my responsibility to feed the dogs, the bunnies and my fish and it always has been. I understood that when I got each pet. I have other responsibilities around the house too including keeping my room and bathroom clean and putting away my own laundry. (My mom still does the laundry, I don't think she trusts me to not dye her clothes accidently.)

I think it has certainly helped me to become a more responsible person and has increased my time management skills. (It takes practice to feed animals, shower, dress, get the paper and eat breakfast every morning and still get out of the house on time. My friends are amazed that I get up at 5:45, but I have to leave the house by 6:50, they don't wake up till at least 7)

 

[Spring]

Mom's truly rock! :biggrin2ad's are awesome too .

Bunny mommy? Yes! Human mommy? Uhh.. I'll get back to you in 10 years! I cannot even imagine being a mom and having animals to take care of! My bunnies and dog keep me on my toes even, I'd be on the floor having a fit if you added a baby to the mix .

Kudos to bunny/human mommies!


:group:

 

[Bunny Mum]

Lemonaxis my husband is a slave to our bunnies his weekends and most weeknightsare spent cleaning and modifying indoor and outdoor cages thinking of ways to stop our messy female bunny from kicking the litterbox to bits i can hear her giving it a going over now.He has tried all variations and even came home with something new again tonight.

I help too when i can but with two kids, 5 bunnies,working myself and keeping house you do have to draw the line somewhere. I can fully relate to what your saying. They are supposed to be the kids responsibility but do i need to say anymore!!

The bunnies are worth it though so therapeutic so cuddly we sometimes just put them outside in their outside run pour ourselves a drink and pull up a chair and just watch them. They are such gorgeous creatures.

Lemonaxis just take a deep breath a baby on its own is a handful with out all the rest im sure there is alot of us can relate to what ur going through

 

[lemonaxis]

To Rabb1tmad:
I do sort of have a routine but what I would to do is write it down on the fridge so I can remember it lol.

To gentle giants:
Twins huh? I just can't imagine how much work that would be. Were they your first babies? You say you cried, well I do to. Actually I think its good to cry, I sometimes just plonk myself down on the couch and let it all out. PND has that kind of affect on me too but I am hoping the colic will ease up soon. It HAS gotten better, she is a very small baby, at 6 months now, it has seemed a lifetime of crying and moaning, but unbelievably, even though she is obviously quite uncomfortable, she is also amazingly sociable and smiley. She loves people and loves her cuddles and feeds. We play and sing all day and go for walks. Picking dandelion for BK and herbs like parsley for bubs to chew on. She loves sucking on herbs.

To Bluebird:
It DOES go too fast, my eldest is 11 and looking at her, I just wonder, where did my little baby go. lol. She is so lovely at 11 and I am looking forward to her becoming a hopefully confident teenager.

To petkeeper:
YOU ARE a petkeeper!!! With your bubs being so attached and your youngest starting school, you may feel really strange when you come home to all the pets, but no little children while they are at school. They are quite lucky children though to have all those pets around, learn so many valuble ways to care and nurture. Watching my bun play does relax me and it also relaxes me when he passes out on my feet when I am feeding the baby on the couch. Sometimes he does need to just fend for himself when I have too much to do with the baby. But he understands because when baby is asleep, BK knows it well and finds me wherever I am to get cuddles. He does not into a cage as he has an anxiety attack behind bars. He could hurt himself as he throws himself around and plain old goes nuts in his cage.

To missycove:
My daughter was with me when I was reading your thread, she thought you sounded pretty cool. My daughter is up at 7am and she does not how you manage but once you get up, its easier, its the getting out of bed that hurts...lol. My daughter feeds the chooks before school and best of all gives the pets the attention they deserve.

To Bunny Mum:
Hehe..you got a cool husband. Mostly pets and kids are Mum's responsibilty. My partner is lovely but the most he would ever have to do with BK, is sometimes he will top up his food bowl! IF I ask..lol. Yeah kids are not to be fully relied on for pet keeping duties, except maybe missycove, she has a routine down packed! I certainately know I am not the only insanely busy Mum, but because I am very much a home body and only know a couple of people, it can get to the point where you feel isolated. I am the traditonal nerd, most of my friends are online...lol

To Spring:

mums do rock, thats why we looooove Mother's Day:biggrin2:

 

[Gordon]

My two bunnies take care of me, actually, LOL.



Seriously, I cannot fathom the responsibility of children. Some people like myself are just not cut out for the task.

 

[lemonaxis]

lol, well your momma had to take care of you...
I have known a couple of people who have decided not to have kids...they have bunnies instead hehe.
Love having kids but you're right, they are so much work.
My Bun BK does take care of me sometimes, he chases the cats away from me and snuggles up if I feel down.

 

[gentle giants]

Yeah, I have a friend that made the decision to not have kids, she has animals too. She thinks I'm nuts for having kids, basically. She has never come out and said it, but I can see that look on her face when I talk about my kids, LOL.

Lemonaxis,yes the twins are my first children. There were a lot of times I was so exhausted I would put them in their swings there in the living room and just pass out on the couch. It is till sometimes hard even at four, my daughter especially tends to throw tantrums if she doesn't get her way. Things are only going to get more complicated around here, though, as I am almost 12 weeks with another one. At least I really hope it's one this time! LOL

 

[missyscove]

lemonaxis wrote:

To missycove:
My daughter was with me when I was reading your thread, she thought you sounded pretty cool. My daughter is up at 7am and she does not how you manage but once you get up, its easier, its the getting out of bed that hurts...lol. My daughter feeds the chooks before school and best of all gives the pets the attention they deserve.

What a compliment, I've never been called cool before just for my ability to get up, lol.

I must ask, what are "chooks?" Chickens?

 

[Bunny Mum]

Missycove chooks are chickens i some times laugh to myself when i see how people phrase things in different countries like in Australia we callpetting our pets patting

Lemonaxis PND is a horrible thing ive had clinical depression myself on and off over the years it can put you in a really bad state, and talking to people on line doesnt make you a nerd you sound like a wonderful person.

Yes my husband is pretty cool but sometimes i think he really does love our rabbits more than us LOL :bunny19