I assumed, when starting to blog, that it would be a nice way to look back in time at life as it was. Little did I know just how handy that would be once we had a kid! I've already forgotten so much of the details from when Jr was tiny, it was a fun walk down memory lane last week to look through my older posts from that time. And pregnancy? Fuhgeddaboutit. I think my brain just packed up and left for nine months.
Keeping in mind just how quickly I will forget what life at this point looks like, here's a peek at a "typical" day wrangling a toddler while working from home.
*Wednesdays are typically insane and only vaguely resemble our normal days - usually involving frenetic paced work for me, an extra Curious George and independent play in the office for Jr, and Chris handling dinner.
6:15/30-7:00am
Jr is up and ready for breakfast. The men have some one-on-one time while Chris makes their breakfast and I snag a few more minutes of sleep. I handle any nighttime disruptions and have the added restlessness of pregnancy (as well as a pillow-thieving husband).
7:00-7:15am
I'm up and making my favorite iced coffee which is nursed through most of the morning. Nothing like extended morning sickness to make you quit the healthy habit of a daily breakfast!
7:15-8:00am
Part One of the morning routine - clean up the aftermath of breakfast, pack a lunch for Chris, make the bed, pick up the bedroom, quick shower, feed the cat (Jr loves helping with this!), fill dog bowls and vacuum the small army of dog hair that has taken up residence in the laundry room/hallway, Chris and Jr let the dogs out to potty, start a load of laundry, change Jr's diaper and get him dressed for the day.
8:00-9:00am
Settle in to work while Jr plays in the office. He's pretty good at playing independently during this time, but also gets a big kick out of sitting on my lap and pretending to type.
9:00-9:30am
Toddler snack time! I'm usually hungry by this point as well and snag some protein to tide me over until lunch. Part Two of the morning routine - unload/load the dishwasher, wipe the kitchen counters, address any spills on the stove and in the microwave, spot check the appliance fronts, sweep the kitchen and entryway, mop the kitchen, quick scrub of the kitchen sink.
9:30-10:00am
Development activities! Usually one of the following per day - coloring, painting, shape/color recognition, playdough, or sensory tub.
10:00-10:45am
Story time and independent play (still supervised) while I complete a weekly cleaning task.
10:45-11:00am
Jr watches Curious George or Puffin Rock while I prepare our lunches.
11:00-11:20/30am
Lunch! We usually FaceTime with Chris unless he comes home for lunch.
11:30-11:40am
Clean up the kitchen, start dishwasher if needed, switch laundry from washer to dryer, start second load if needed, let dogs out, quick toy pick-up, diaper and change for nap.
11:45am-12:05pm
Snuggle time while watching Curious George.
12:05-2:30ish
Quiet time and nap. I head back into the office to catch up on misc items for an hour or so.
1:30-2:30pm
Address any items that are best done without a toddler in tow - mixing cleaners (I make my own daily floor spray, room refresh sprays, granite spray, diaper bin deodorizer), reorganizing cabinets/drawers, disinfecting bathrooms, etc. I've been trying to do more maintenance and cleaning while Jr is awake so he doesn't grow up thinking that elves come in to pick up after him, and we mostly use natural cleaning products in place of highly toxic items, but anything with harmful cleaners is still done while he's asleep.
2:45-3:00pm
Snack time, diaper change, let dogs out.
3:00-4:15pm
If it's nice weather we try to get outside for a walk or pulling weeds while Jr explores the yard. His favorite thing at the moment is collecting rocks to place on the side table by our porch chairs, or bringing handfuls of dirt for me to hold. If it's nasty weather we will stay inside to play tag, hide-and-seek, make pillow forts and obstacle courses - anything to help him burn off some energy before dinner! This is also when I usually handle most of our baking needs as Jr loves to help scoop, pour, and mix. I also pop into the office at some point to make sure there are no pressing issues that "must" be addressed by 5pm.
4:15-5:30pm
Dinner prep while Jr plays with the pantry bins and the Tupperware drawer, or wants to be held so he can see what it is that I'm doing. If Chris gets home early we generally go for a walk.
5:30-6:15pm
Dinner and family time!
6:15-6:30pm
Snuggles and Curious George for Jr with one parent while the other starts bedtime preparations.
6:30-6:45pm
Chris handles bathtime and pj's while I straighten up the main areas and kitchen.
6:45-7:00pm
I handle bedtime stories and nightly song, which is usually followed by a toddler initiated giggle-fest.
7:00pm
Lights out! Jr has been great about putting himself to sleep, which is fantastic since rocking 25lbs of toddler gets really heavy, really quickly.
Once Jr is in bed, our evenings are very low key. We hang out, putter around the house, and try to have some downtime - both together and separately. A couple nights a week I usually have to head back into the office for 30 mins to an hour.
And that concludes the tour of our (mostly) happy daily life!
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| What happens when you ask a toddler to say, "Cheese!" |
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| The faces of boredom: Hour 2 at the pediatrician. |
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| No decorative pillow is safe! |
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| Seriously. |
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| Someone has taken to reading on trips in the car! |
Pregnancy Update
How far along: 23 weeks
Maternity clothes: A mix of regular and maternity, but I'll admit that maternity items are just more comfortable.
Sleep: Pretty good, aside from my nightly it's-midnight-so-apparently-I-need-to-be-awake-for-an-hour-or-two sessions (which I've decided are prime opportunities for uninterrupted Pinterest-ing).
Best moment this week: A playdate/visit with a friend that I hadn't seen in six months!
Missing anything: Nothing stands out lately... It will be nice to feel "normal" again, but I'm not in any rush for it. I'm trying to enjoy pregnancy a bit more this time, especially since I don't have an outside 9-5 to deal with. Or at least until the dreaded foot swelling sets in again.
Movement: Regular kicks and twists now, but this one seems less active than I remember Jr being at this point. Maybe, in addition to the boy/girl split, we will have one runner and one snuggler.
Cravings: A giant hamburger and Doritos chips, preferably together. I have yet to indulge this one as it seems like a point of no return.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Strong smells and prenatal vitamins, but it seems that round two of morning sickness is on it's way back out.
Gender: No more blue for Baby #2 - we're having a girl!
Labor signs: Nope, just the way I like it.
Symptoms: My nose is still really sensitive and I swear pregnancy brain is taking hold. It feels like I'm thinking in slow motion most of the time. And holy breathlessness, my lungs are starting to feel crushed.
Happy or moody: Still an occasional bout of unexplained waterworks, but mostly keeping an even-keel.
Looking forward to: Starting on the nursery! Step one is deciding on a color scheme, so paint swatches were picked up this past weekend and Pinterest board(s) were created!
Baby gear/preparations: Still just cleaning, organizing, and freezing things.
Funny moments: At my appointment in December, I swear the OB said we would be having the anatomy scan at our next appointment in January. Guess who was pretty darn disappointed when the January appointment was wrapped up without it! My OB (nicely) had a chuckle at my expense: "Oh, honey, that's your next appointment... in February."
"The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life..."
William Morris
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