MORNING
6:45 AM: I wake up to find that I "forgot" to return Emma to her bassinet after her 4:45 AM wake up when I popped her on the boob and fell asleep. She is now reminding me of her presence by rooting around for breakfast. I nurse her and half doze.
7:15 AM: Will wakes up. As M is in the shower, I put Emma in her bassinet and go get Will out of his crib. I change his diaper and we head back into my bedroom to snuggle and cuddle in "Mama Bed".
7:18 AM: Emma, insulted by the very thought that she would be left out of a snuggle and cuddle, is now crying from her bassinet. I retrieve her so we can all snuggle and cuddle together.
7:45 AM: After some singing, tickling, story-telling, and eventually, some rabble-rousing, it is time to head downstairs to have breakfast.
7:46 AM: I start the coffee pot, desperately wishing that it wasn't decaf coffee I was putting in the machine.
7:47 AM: Put Emma in the swing so I can make breakfast for Will with two hands.
7:49 AM: Get Emma from the swing and put in her in the Ergo so I can make breakfast with two hands and she won't cry the whole time.
7:55 AM: Sit on the couch and nurse Emma while Will eats breakfast. I usually nibble on food as I prepare his meal and take my coffee with me to the couch. Unfortunately, since I am paranoid about spilling the coffee on Emma's head, more often than not, my coffee gets cold long before I drink it.
7:56 AM: Balance Emma on my breast while I get Will a refill on his milk.
8:20 AM: Put Emma back in the Ergo so I can wipe down Will and get him dressed for the day.
8:35 AM: Get Emma dressed for the day while Will takes every. single. diaper out of her diaper holder and "rearranges" her toys and books.
8:45 AM: Lock the top of the stair gate, turn on the t.v. in our bedroom for Will, and put Emma in the travel swing in my bathroom, so I can get a shower. I don't wash my hair, just jump through the spray.
8:50 AM: Put on makeup. Press buttons on Emma's swing in vain attempts to stop her from fussing. Finally, turn the blowdryer on and set it on the counter. She is soothed by the noise and sucks her hand while I get dressed.
9:00 AM: Back downstairs to Will's playroom. I take a gulp of coffee on our way through the kitchen. It's cold, so I stick it in the microwave to warm it, but it will be cold by the time I remember that it's in there.
9:15 AM: Will has his first timeout of the day for hitting me when I try to help him with getting his cars out of their case.
9:20 AM: It's time to feed Emma again (two hours pass by so fast!) and let Will pick some books so we can read together while I nurse her.
9:45 AM: It's time to head out and do something fun for the day. Today is our Talk and Toddlers Group through our church so we head to her house to play.
10:04 AM: Arrive a few minutes late to T&T Group. Get the kids out of the car. The logistics of this means that it takes me ten minutes to get from our car to her front step.
10:15 AM: Sigh of relief. We are here. Will is happily playing with his friends and I am happily chatting with mine. Emma loves the particular bouncy chair that this mom has, so she is content to be on her own and even falls asleep. I am relaxed and have the use of both arms for awhile. I am about to take a sip of a hot cup of coffee when . . .
10:16 AM: Spoke too soon. First fight erupts over a toy car. Set "Mommy timer" so other boy can play with the car for two minutes and then Will can have a turn.
10:30 AM: Emma is still happy as a clam in the bouncer. Will comes over for a spontaneous hug and kiss.
10:40 AM: Snack time. Emma is sleeping in the bouncer. I have got to get me one of these (we have a bouncer, but not this particular one). I help Will with his snack.
10:55 AM: Emma is awake and she's hungry. Nurse her while Will finishes his snack.
11:15 AM: Hand Emma off to another one of the moms while I wipe down Will, the chair he was sitting in, and the floor underneath where he was sitting. She has a blowout while the mom is holding her, so I am about to change her diaper when. . .
11:16 AM: Intervene with another toy argument. This time, Will gets to take a turn first.
11:17 AM: Change Emma's diaper and outfit.
11:19 AM: Will announces he has to use the potty, but this usually means he has already gone. Yep. Change his diaper, too.
11:33 AM: Let Emma lay on a blanket on the floor and get some wiggles out. She is smiling this week. So precious. Will walks by and stops to hold her hand and say, "I love you, Emma." Awwww.
11:45 AM: Time to pack everyone back up to head home. I am starting to get the hang of the logistics of getting out the door. I let Will play and Emma hang out in the bouncer while I collect our things. I get Will's shoes and jacket on. Getting Emma in the carseat is the last thing I do, since she inevitably screams bloody murder once secured in the "baby prison."
11:59 AM: Will and I sing along to his favorite CD while we head home for the afternoon. Emma miraculously does not cry. I call that a successful morning!
To be continued. . .
9 comments:
This could actually make a very funny comedy sketch if told in the same increments but from their points of view.
God bless you, mama! You are doing it.
I do like reading these. As of yet, we have no fully secured toddler area in our apartment, but starting to consider one (i.e. the only gate in the place is on the kitchen and there is at least a little non-serious trouble the fusspot can get into in every room, mainly of the pulling my books off the bookshelves).
I am impressed that you shower in the morning. I gave that up entirely when living alone with the fusspot, and will probably do so again indefinitely come springtime.
I just want to send up a "thank you, Lord" moment for DVR on our tv, so that I can flip on a program for Lil Pumpkin when needed so I can, oh, bathe my girly parts in preparation for today's OB/Gyn followup appt while Peanut naps in her crib (OMG, she slept in it for first time last night).
Something for you to consider regarding the coffee while nursing . . . I am a tea drinker, and use a travel mug that is indestructible if dropped (i.e. lid does not come off) and has a teeny hole at top to sip liquid which can be turned to block off completely if need be. Works for me, and I drank from it while nursing. I made sure, of course, to turn my head and lips in opposite direction just in case. And this travel cup has a handle (which helps prevent slips), and the liquid stays far warmer longer. Just something to think about.
Your mornings sound like mine on Tues/Wed (when I am home with girls in the a.m.) 'cept for the shower. I can't do that in the mornings - have to do at night when Daddy has the captain's wheel.
"Logistics" of going from Point A to B scare the crap outta me, too. Every time I am lugging Peanut's car seat I wonder how people with twins ever leave the home. It was a HUGE shock to me when we added Peanut to the family, having never gone through the infant stuff before and all of their gear!!!
I think you should buy two or three of those bouncy seats, immediately. And steal that one from that particular mom as well. ;)
OMG. We are TTC #2...and now I'm scared.
When did you let Will start watching TV? I know you were against it before two....I was pretty much the same way and my daughter just turned two last week. I'm thinking of letting her start watching. What does Will like?
We followed the AAP guidelines and didn't do t.v. until Will turned two unless we were at a friends' house and they had it on or as a very special treat (after his surgery, we watched a couple of Elmo's World programs to encourage him to rest). We still limit his t.v. watching to less than an hour a day and there are days when we don't watch at all.
We haven't watched that much yet, but he LOVES Elmo's World, some parts of Sesame Street (that include Elmo), Caillou (on PBS), and Curious George (also PBS). I am SO thankful that I turned on Yo Gabba Gabba and he turned to me and said, "Turn t.v. off, please."
Sounds quite a lot like my days, actually :-). The amount of time it takes to get the kids out of the house is incredible, hey? It is the biggest stress factor in my life getting three kids dressed and fed and out the door early enough for me to be in time for work! My eldest is 6, so at least she can do most things for herself, but nursing a baby, who is distracted at the least noise or movement, and getting a very uncooperative toddler dressed, can take a LOT of minutes. Luckily it is getting warmer here (southern hemisphere) and that means a lot less clothes to put on.
Okay...i'm exhausted just reading this so I can only imagine how you must feel actually living it. You amaze me girl. You truly are super mom....you need a cape! And...all this on only decaf coffee??!! You are better than I...I let myself have 2 caffeinated beverages a day. (which thankfully sawyer does fine with) And then a fermented one in the evening. hahah.
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