Daily Routine

Hello,

This may be a super boring post to most people, but I wanted to document what our lives are like with a baby before I forget.  My friends with kids call it "baby amnesia,"  as soon as you pass a really tough stage you immediately forget it because if you remembered all the sleepless nights, crying fits, and running around like a chicken with your head cut off, you probably would not have another child.  I will say that life is so much better now that Isabelle is sleeping most of the night, but it is very busy most days.  Sean has been out of town for work alot so I have been doing it by myself about half of the time.  When he gets home I am so relieved to have a helping hand!  Here is a typical weekday for us:

4:30-5:00 a.m.  Wake up and try to get ready for work as fast as possible.  Isabelle will wake up anywhere between 4:30 to 6:00 a.m. most days so I try and get ready before she wakes up.

5:30-7:00 a.m.  The baby wakes up, change her diaper and clothes, play with her a bit, feed her, and pack up her bottles and diaper bag.  I also need to eat breakfast and straighten up the house a little bit before we head out the door.  Sometimes she will eat and then fall back asleep.  This catnap sometimes helps me get everything together for the day.

7:00-7:20 a.m.  Drive the baby over to my mother-in-law's house.  We made a decision to move a mile within the grandparents so we could have help.  (This will all change with the big move in a few months, yikes!) She babysits Isabelle during the day, and is kind enough to take her to Kid's Day Out and pick her up for us twice a week.  On those days that the baby goes to KDO, she comes home super tired because she doesn't nap well over there.  On the days she stays with grandma all day, she usually is well-rested and stays up a little later.

7:20-8:00 a.m.  Commute 30ish minutes to work.

Work from 8:00 to 5:00p.m.  I usually try to run any errands that I need done (i.e. post office, Target, etc.) during my lunch break.  Fortunately, my work has flexible hours so if I'm running late in the morning I can just work a little later in the afternoon.

5:00-5:30 p.m. Commute 30ish minutes home

5:30-6:00 p.m.  Pick up the baby, gather all her things, and hear about how she did during the day.

6:00-7:00 p.m.  Get home, unpack all the baby stuff, change into comfy clothes, try to find something for dinner.  I used to love to cook, but most nights we just find what we can to eat or get take out. We do try to cook on the weekends. I can't wait to have time to cook again, I miss it!

7:00-8:30 p.m.  Give the baby a bath, play with her, do tummy time, feed her, try to take a quick walk around the block with the stroller, and get her ready for bed.

8:30-9:00 p.m.  Rock the baby to sleep  (my favorite time of day, so peaceful)

9:00-10:00 p.m.  Wash her bottles, prepare her bottles and baby food for the next day, re-pack her diaper bag.  Check mail, do laundry if needed, pay bills if needed, take a shower, get ready for bed.

10:00-10:30 p.m.  Fall into bed and pass out before I do it all over again the next day!

There you have it, a day in the life of a working mom!