Family Routine – 3 months

5:30 am:  I hear P on the baby monitor and wake up.  I watch him for a bit trying to determine if his fussing is real or not.  I go to the bathroom and by the time I come back to bed he’s back asleep.  So I go back to sleep too.

7:00 am: The fussing is back and this time I know he’s waking up for real.  Since Kyle’s already headed into the shop, showering is now or never, so I get up and the day begins.

7:03 am: Shower is done.  I throw my hair up in a bun, get dressed, start boiling water for my decaf French Press, make the bed, bring my computer and water bottle to the living room and grab the laundry from the dryer (that I started the previous night).  I leave the laundry on the bed to fold later and pour the water in the French Press to steep.

 

7:15 am: I greet my smiling baby boy in his crib.  He is all giggly and happy so I play with him for a bit before changing his diaper and nursing him.

8:00 am: After he’s done eating, I hold him until he burps (and inevitably spits up).  For the next hour or so we play around with rings, mobiles, and other toys.  I chug down watery decaf coffee like it’s my job. 

 

9:30 am: He starts to get fussy so I assume this means his diaper is ready to be changed.  I’m almost always right!  I change him out of his PJs and into “day wear” with this diaper change.  I also scrub his head with a soft brush and re-apply calendula cream (the cradle cap is basically gone, but his skin is still really dry). 

9:45 am: He starts to give signs of being ready to nap, so I hold him and give him the pacifier until he gets drowsy in my arms and then transfer him to the pack n play.

10:00 am: Make breakfast for myself!  Food!  Yum!

 

Udi’s GF blueberry muffin with a fried egg.  Decaf java with almond milk and water on the side.

10:20 am:  While he’s asleep, I clip his nails (a semi-pointless venture since he still manages to scratch up his face no matter how short his nails are), and try to do other (semi-quiet) tasks around the house (fold the laundry, organize the house, clean dishes, etc.). 

10:30 am: He wakes up and I nurse him. 

11:00 am: We play some more – practice big boy activities like tummy time on the boppy, “sitting” up in the bumbo, and rolling over on the bed.  I carry him around the house chatting to him as I do random tasks.  I put him in the swing if I want to do stuff on the computer.  It’s a mix of me trying to entertain him and stimulate him as much as possible while still being moderately productive.  I do watch more netflix crap than I should, but it’s my guilty pleasure.  I always face him towards me so he’s away from the TV and we can make faces at each other…I don’t know how screen time affects babies’ brain development, but I don’t imagine it’s a great thing for them.

12:00 pm: P falls asleep so I make myself lunch.  Every so often Kyle comes home for lunch, if not to eat, then just to say hi to us.

 

Spring greens and carrots topped with a crock-pot creation (potatoes, Field Roast smoked tomato quarter loaf & peas).

12:45 pm: He wakes back up and I change his diaper and I nurse him. 

1:30 pm: I’m less able to get things done in the afternoon because for some reason he gets WAY more upset if I’m not within eyesight.  Or interacting with him exclusively.  It’s like a switch goes off at noon, on the dot.  So I have to get creative in multi-tasking.  Some times it happens, some times it doesn’t.  Most times it doesn’t and then you all get to hear my whine about how I ate pounds of nuts for lunch.  Fun stuff. 

 

3:00 pm: I’m ready for an afternoon snack.  And so is he!

3:30 pm: Whenever we’re done with his afternoon breast feeding, I quickly run around the house to get things ready to go out for a walk.  I get his stroller set up, grab the diaper bag, my purse and water bottle and then change into workout attire (my fitness is such a joke right now).  Then I put him in his car seat, put a bib on him (for on the go spit-up wiping) and clip his pacifier to him (just in case he doesn’t fall asleep right away).  I often start a load of laundry or the dishwasher before we head out too so that things will be on the road to cleaner once we return.

3:45 pm: And then we’re off!  Walks are anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much energy I have, how quickly we made it out of the house after he nursed, and what errands I have to do that day.  I’ve gone to the grocery store and Target a few times (it’s a blessing and a curse to go on these trips while I don’t have a car because I end up buying less, but I also can’t accomplish quite as much).  Sometimes I don’t do errands, I just walk and talk to P.  99% of the time he falls asleep after 20 minutes of walking, so then it’s just me and my thoughts. 

 

4:30 pm: We get home and patty-cakes is still asleep so I quickly hop in the shower (after unloading whatever I may have gotten while we were out). 

4:40 pm: I am clean, re-dressed, and he’s still asleep so I get to work on dinner prep or blogging or something else on my to-do list. 

5 pm: He wakes up and is ready to eat.  The boy’s schedule is like clockwork (he’s obviously my kid).  I change him first and then he breast feeds while I play on my iPhone. 

 

5:30 pm: I hold him until he stops acting like a psycho (which is anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour at this time of day). 

6:00 pm: Throw some kind of dinner together for myself.  I attempt to eat while he’s in the pack n play, but since that’s not right next to the dinner table, he’s often displeased at the distance between us, so I have to move him to the swing (which is set up next to the table for now).  Sometimes that works and he will watch me eat, but often I am interrupted frequently between bites to shove the pacifier back in his mouth, or squeeze his hand, or make faces at him, or something. 

 

Vegetable fried wild rice.

6:45 pm: Kyle gets home around this time, give or take (often earlier since he works literally down the street).  He’s usually texted me beforehand to give me a ballpark estimate of when I can expect him and so I try to get some kind of dinner ready for him. 

7:15 pm: Kyle says hi to P and me, showers (if he’s been hands-on in the shop), and eats.  In the meantime, I do another diaper change and nursing session.

 

7:30 pm: Kyle holds P and gets in some father-son time while I get a little break to dork around on the internet or finish off whatever tasks I was trying to do that day.

8:00 pm: Family fun time.  While it’s the 3 of us, we basically just veg out and play.  This kid is vocal and ready to crawl! 

8:30 pm: Bath time  :)   Kyle gets P ready while I get the other stuff set up – wash cloths, soapy water, lotion, soft brush for head scrubbing, etc.  We have a solid routine established.  I wash, head to toe.  Kyle dries and puts his diaper back on while I clean up.  Then I lube my baby up with lotion, Kyle puts him in PJs and we head to our bed.

 

8:45 pm: One of us picks out a book and we read a bed time story.  This is probably my favorite time of the day.  We both shower our little guy with kisses and tell him how much we love him (not that I don’t do this all day…).

9:00 pm: I take P into his room and nurse him with the lights out.  More often than not he will get drowsy towards the end of the session and I only hold him for a few minutes before putting him into his crib.  Sometimes he takes longer to settle down, but he eventually does get sleepy and once his eyes have closed and he seems relatively out, I make the transfer.  He almost always wakes up, but he’s usually tired enough that he will just wiggle a bit before falling asleep for good.  I leave the door open a crack and tip toe out. 

9:30 pm: I finish dishes, laundry, and clean up the house.  Then I wash my face, brush my teeth, change into PJs, and watch the video monitor for a bit.  My little wiggle worm is typically out by this time, but sometimes he’s still sucking on his hand or doing his Michael Phelps impressions.  He is content though, so I never go back in the room.

9:45 pm: Kyle and I chat and hang out.  It’s only just the two of us for this brief period (aside from weekends, when we spend more time together).  As much as I want to stay up and enjoy this time, I’m often zonked.

10:00 pm: Kyle stays up working, but I pass out the second my head hits the pillow.  Zzzzz.

5:45 am: I hear PAC man on the monitor and check to see if it’s a real wake up, or a fake out like last night.  I go to the bathroom and when I get back he’s really awake and squawking like he needs something. 

5:47 am: I go in a hold him for a few seconds, smelling his head and cheeks before I change his diaper. 

5:50 am: I nurse him and afterwards he eventually falls back asleep in my arms.  He’s so precious I have a hard time parting with him, but I put him back in the crib and we both go back to sleep.

8:00 am: He’s up again and I gotta get my shower on asap…and the cycle continues…

 

Here’s the 1 month version.