A Day In The Life... 20 Months

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!

What happens when you ask a toddler to say, "Cheese!"

The faces of boredom: Hour 2 at the pediatrician.

No decorative pillow is safe!

Seriously.

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

Stitched Together with Good Intentions

With so many changes happening at the (new) office plus the training, mentoring, and extended coaching sessions that I have been asked to handle, I've not only completely lost track of what day it is, but I also have no idea where I've been or what I've done outside of work... Overall it's been a fantastic transition and the new team is a much better fit, but below is a recent conversation that pretty accurately depicts my ability to function outside of work. Or lack thereof.

Chris: "Which element do you think I work with on a daily basis?"

Me: "Play dough."

Chris: "I'm serious."

Me: "Mmm hmm?"

Chris: *sigh*

I probably shouldn't wonder why he doesn't talk about work very often.

Obsession of the Week: North America

One thing I DO remember about the past week is watching the premiere of the North America series on the Discovery Channel. I'm a sucker for high-def nature documentaries, but apparently crying twice within the first 15 minutes of a nature show will result in forfeiture of the remote control. Supposedly it was for my own good...

"Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over."
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Remember Me...?

I'll admit, I feel pretty sheepish about such a long absence... but the only way through is forward! I haven't been posting for a number of reasons, the main one being that the amount of chronic stress and frustration I've been dealing with at work really saps my inspiration and energy by the end of the day. The good news is that I've secured a transfer to a different branch in May, which will be a good move for both my sanity and career.

Not much is new since the last time I posted - life goes on as it always does, although we did take our planned vacation in February. Two days in San Diego to visit friends, eleven days in Maui, and three days in Oregon - it was amazing!

Six hours of this wasn't as bad as I expected

Land!!

Ka'anapali Beach

Toes in the water...

I'ao Valley

I'ao Needle

These were everywhere in I'ao Valley

Halfway up Waihee Ridge Trail

View from Waihee Trail

Northwest Maui Coast

Northwest Maui

Pools of Ohe'o

Ohe'o Gulch

Haleakala

The trip was incredibly relaxing and the weather was lovely. I learned how to snorkel (loved it!) and managed to go sailing without getting seasick (win!). February is one of the prime months for migrating whales so we were able to see plenty of activity, including a cow and her calf swimming right under the catamaran we were on! The only downside to the trip was that our underwater camera broke a few days in, so no pictures of our snorkeling trips.

"No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness."
Aristotle

Strength in the Broken Places

I wrestled with posting this, but in an effort to be honest about actual life (rather than just sharing the highlight reel) I decided to hit publish.

Last week I had, for lack of a better term, a mental breakdown. I've been dealing with moderate depression for the past few months and, when combined with an inordinate amount of stress at work, it resulted in an involuntary, stress-induced seizure - which was one of the least enjoyable experiences of life thus far. 

The good news is that, with a week off from work, I'm feeling much closer to normally functioning. But the situation begs the question - why, as females, is there such an enormous need to create turmoil? I'm not saying that men are immune to this, but I've dealt with far less of these issues in co-ed workplaces.

In an effort to restore some serenity, we decided to head out for an eight mile hike at Dry Creek over the weekend. Dry Creek is not, in fact, particularly dry, but our expedition was successful in reestablishing my sanity. Add in a detox soak, new recipe attempt, and a healthy dose of Pinterest and the weekend will be complete.

"Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow."
Fernanda Miramontes-Landeros

Drive Me Crazy

I've had a frustrating couple of weeks, and am currently pouting. The office has been crazy, overtime has been plentiful, and customers have been falling all over themselves to try and make their own issues my fault.

 In light of my present inclination to whine, I'm cutting this post short. Thanks to the holiday and my Saturday shift, I will be enjoying two days off this week by spending time outdoors and staunchly ignoring the fact that I have to return to the grind on Thursday.

"When life throws you lemons, make orange juice. It will leave them wondering how the hell you did that." Author Unknown

An Ounce of Prevention

Our week and weekend were extremely quiet. I've been striving to stay hyper-focused at work and, while it's been paying off quite nicely, keeping that level of concentration and enthusiasm up for almost nine hours a day leaves me more than a little fatigued. I suppose that a lingering cold and stepping up my workouts might also be contributing factors.

I took some time from my rigorous weekend napping schedule for work on Saturday, date night Saturday evening (dinner + Prometheus, yay!), grocery shopping on Sunday... and that was it. Incredibly unexciting, but I'm working on listening to my body a little better. Mild heat exhaustion on one of our recent excursions was a good reminder of the benefits of this philosophy.

Weekend Snapshots

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard enjoying an early morning stroll

Zoë, shoe guardian

Obsession of the Week: Body Pump

Holy. Freaking. Wow. I adore this workout! I honestly never thought I would say that about a weight lifting class. My coworker suggested this one last week and, although I readily agreed to it, I wasn't all that excited by the prospect. This class had me shaking from head to toe before it was over, drenched in sweat, and eager for more. I headed to work (after getting cleaned up, of course) and was in the best mood that carried over into the next day. The fact that I am now willing to get up at 5am for a few days every week speaks volumes.

Here Comes The Sun

It feels like I've missed out on a good portion of March and April, but I think (dare I say it) that the worst is behind me with the crazy health issues of late. Life rushed by, literally, while I was sleeping, but I'm starting to feel better on a regular basis.

The weather has been amazing here in Boise over the past week - sunny and breezy with highs in the 80s and 90s. We've been taking advantage of the warm weather by cruising around the neighborhood on our new-to-us bicycles and getting out for some hiking in the foothills. 

The only downside of the rising temperatures is that they bring weird and angry people out in droves, which has made work a little strange lately. The good experiences still outweigh the unpleasant ones*, but my patience has definitely failed me a few times. 

*Complaining about an employee following procedure and then lying about how long you've been waiting on said employee to finish your requests demands does nothing for your credibility and only serves to turn both the employee and management against you. Also, don't try to intimidate employees by getting aggressive. The only person you're impressing is yourself as everyone else has written you off as a schmuck.

Obsession of the week: Rit Dye Powder

I ran across a post about dyeing jeans on Centsational Girl a few months ago, but I've been too nervous to try it myself until recently. I used one packet of navy blue with a dash of black and I'm pretty pleased with the way the jeans turned out. 

My refreshed jeans made their debut on a casual Friday at work and my coworkers were incredulous when I told them that I had dyed the jeans I was wearing. Next on my list is trying their "Denim" color, which I'm hoping will have less of a purple tinge.

"Be enthusiastic.  Remember the placebo effect - 30% of medicine is showbiz."
Ronald Spark

The Beat Goes On

Life has kept me hopping lately - no rest for the wicked I guess. I worked the closing shift for most of last week, which meant that I got to experience the frustration joy of being delayed by last-minute customers nearly every day. We actually got out of the office on time Saturday, and I went home for about an hour before heading off to book club. 

Oh yeah, I joined a book club. And consequently discovered that, either due to the higher elevation or the fact that I really haven't drank for six months or so, alcohol affects me way differently than it used to. "Your body can process one drink an hour" no longer applies to this girl. Lesson learned.

Book club adjourned after discussing The Hunger Games (which was fantastic), and we headed to a bar to listen to our host's boyfriends' band play their very last gig. The notable thing about this was that the bar happened to be located in the Bermuda Triangle of downtown. This area of downtown has boggled my mind since we moved to Boise. I can't really explain why it confuses me, other than the fact that it's almost like a town within a town and I never go there alone since I'm 98% certain that I would never make it back out. Add in the issue of overly-potent alcohol and I was hopelessly lost - at which point I phoned home for an emergency extraction and called it a night.

On Sunday we hosted a BBQ with friends, and Monday evening saw me heading to softball practice since I decided to join a team through work. I warned the team captain before I signed up that my only experience with the game was making daisy chains in the outfield during T-ball; we were both relieved to discover that I am apparently capable of functioning on the field and at bat. We have a great group of people on the team so it should be a fun experience.

Soaking up some rays 

We also met a few more of the neighbors last weekend. Unfortunately some of these relationships are off to a rocky start...

"What ever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it."

- Eckhart Tolle

Achoo!!

The inevitable has occurred - the cold from hell has landed and left me reeling. What started out as a sore throat the Friday before last turned into a full-blown cold by the following Tuesday. The worst is over and I'm almost fully functioning, but still not back to 100%. My co-workers cheerfully informed me that I can expect to be sick frequently during the next few months, until my immune system gets used to the onslaught of germs. Let the good times roll...

Chris was adventurous and went skiing last Saturday; I did the "responsible adult" thing and stayed home to continue recovering. As a result, my weekend consisted of thrilling activities like sleep, grocery shopping, making split pea soup, and more sleep. Life of the party, I tell ya.

Puppy snuggles: Good for what ails you.

Bargain buy of the week. How cute will this guy be with a few coats of white spray paint?!

Fun mugs definitely improve much-too-early mornings.

In other news: Closing on our house was pushed back another couple weeks, but the extension ended up being a blessing in disguise as we are seriously behind on packing. I just can't seem to find the necessary focus to make decisions on what we need and what we can do without for a few weeks...

Wardrobe Woes and Wins

I survived my first few days on the job with only a couple tender spots from my new, much lower heels that are being broken in. I have an intense dislike of nearly all shoes with heels under three inches, but the new job and my own traitorous feet are requiring that I look beyond my usual preferences. Explaining this predicament to sales people working the shoe department(s) prompted endless suggestions of, "These ones aren't cute...but they really are comfortable!" Despite these assertions, I just can't bring myself to purchase ugly shoes for the sake of physical comfort.

Umm... no thank you.

I stayed strong and found an understanding ear at Macy's, which resulted in a couple pairs that were acceptable both in height and looks. Shoe love is still reserved for true heels, but the new shoes are earning their place in the closet. The bright side of my shopping excursion was stumbling across a huge sale at Loft and purchasing several pairs of nice slacks for 60% off the sale prices. $12 - $25 for pairs that are normally priced north of $70 each is always something that I can get excited about!

In unrelated news: we had our first major snow storm last Wednesday. There was no snow on the ground at 6 am, but by 7:30 am a few inches had accumulated... which I unhappily discovered upon opening the garage to leave for a dental appointment. I promptly volunteered to take the vehicle with 4WD, since Chris is actually quite adept at driving in snowy conditions, and made it safely to and from my appointment. We ended up with about 6 inches total, but it was mostly gone by the next day as the overnight temperatures, thankfully, stayed above freezing.

As much as I dislike snow, I can still admit that it does make everything look pretty.

Obsession of the week: The Civil Wars - Poison & Wine

I'm a sucker for haunting duets and this one is amazing - goosebumps every time I listen. Which is multiple times per day. So I look like I'm constantly cold. Oh, wait... I am.

Keep On Keeping On

There's not much in the way of news around here, and I think I'm okay with that for now. I'm in the process of securing a full-time job, stepping into independent contracting for graphic design, and beginning another round of classes next week. On one hand I'm a little impatient for things to begin, but on the other I'm trying to enjoy my last week of complete freedom. I've also been very housewife-y since we got back: cooking, baking, cleaning, organizing, shopping, etc. And just in case the next few months are as busy as I think they may be, the freezer is now stocked with two kinds of cookie dough. For emergencies, of course...

Random photos from the last couple months

"Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity."

- Gilda Radner