One of the things I like about blogging and the internet for that matter is that there is a feeling of connectedness. Another person will write something that makes you go take a deep breath and say, oh, good you too? There’s some solidarity despite being worlds away. Earlier this week my friend Robin wrote about A Day In The Life of a Work-at-Home Mom post and invited a few others to link up.
Lesley and Becca posted their days yesterday. And I decided I’d link-up as well.
So here is my A Day in the Life of a new mom, trying to go back to work and learn that not getting everything done is ok.
But you know what’s funny. I find myself wanting to edit or alter how our day actually went. pathetic, huh? I worry that if I write what I did or didn’t do or how long it actually took Elena to fall asleep somehow you’ll see me not as a good mom. I find myself wanting to make all kinds of excuses- oh, she’s had a cold and is coughing. I’ve been sick. Or we just moved. If I am honest I really wanted to document a “good day”- one where I feel efficient, and she’s happy and rested and we have time to see friends and exercise and make dinner. But that’s not the kind of day we had.
Here is our day:
{A Day in the Life of a new mom, trying to go back to work and learn that not getting everything done is ok.}
6:50 Gerber comes back in and hands me the baby in bed. I nurse her lying down. She smiles and talks to me. This is one of my favorite parts of our morning. I just wish I could convincer her to snuggle and go back to sleep with me. But she is wide awake. Gerber leaves for work.
7:15 I get up. Get baby dressed and put her on our new rug! Let me tell you, carpet in Guatemala is a BIG DEAL. Elena plays, I get dressed and we head down stairs for breakfasts
7:30 I make a smoothie-half to drink now and half for later when I’m starving and don’t have time to make something. I check email, scroll through Facebook and Instagram. Elena is usually content on her activity mat for awhile.
8:00 Elena stars getting fussy, so I put her in the ergo. This is how she takes her morning naps- always.
8:15am I start walking and bouncing until she falls asleep. I start a load oflaundry, do my hair and put on mascara and a quick brush of blush and powder. My getting ready routine has gotten drastically shorter. After 40 min her little eyes pop open and she looks at me, like she’s saying “ok, now what?” I know the sleep experts say that doesn’t count as a nap, but that’s all we got these days.
9:00am the baby sitter comes and we load up the stroller, diaper bag, my laptop, etc into the car. I put Elena in the carseat. Ah, almost forgot the bottle. I run back into the house.
9:15-12pm-ish I’m try to go to the office 3 times a week. I used to work mainly from home, but I find with a little one I just get distracted. So now I’ve been taking Elena and the babysitter with me (its a cultural thing- most people don’t leave their babies with a sitter, you take them both with! Who knew? I’m trying t0 adjust expectations.) While I talk with our director, make some phone calls to set up meetings for next week and respond to a few emails as we plan for 2014 group, Elena goes for a walk in the stroller and then takes a bottle. The sitter usually carries her in the “original maya wrap” for her 2nd nap.
On days when I’m not in the office, we use this time to go the market or the bank or run errands in Antigua.
12:15pm I try to get home in time to put E down for a good afternoon nap. I grab the rest of a my smoothie in the fridge and head up to nurse Elena and put her down for a nap.
1pm 45min later she’s nursed and we’re rocking in the Rocker Glider. She’s tired, but not sleeping. I’m tired and feeling frustrated I resort to laying on our bed next to her, basically being a human pacifier 
Sometimes we just take nap together. Can’t say I’m complaining.
1:45pm She smiling, rubs her eyes, coughs and starts getting fussy. I give in and put her in the ergo.
2pm: She’s asleep. I’m starving. I go downstairs heat up Pad Thai leftovers from Sunday and make a salad.
2:45pm She’s still sleeping on me. Since nursing makes me always a little bit hungry I like having snacks on hand that are easy to grab. Feeling ambitious, I get everything out to make banana muffins.
3:00pm I start to mash the bananas. She wakes up. I resolve that the muffins will have to wait. I poor myself an iced coffee. I keep a glass jar full of strong decaf coffee in te fridge and add ice and milk. It’s my usual afternoon treat.
3:15 I change her, feed her and we lay down on the new carpet to play. We read (well, lets be honest, Elena chews.) She’s trying hard to sit up. I take a few pictures to send to family back in CA. We take a walk outside. I love watching her look around. She’s always so alert. I look at my watch and realize we’re not going to make it to Antigua. I call my friend and have to cancel our coffee date. Maybe next week.
4:15pm- Daddy cones home! And takes Elena. She smiles and grabs his beard. It’s the cutest thing. I finish mashing the bananas and put the muffins in the oven. It’s the easiest, healthiest recipe I know. I’m getting hungry and I realize I haven’t planned dinner. I pull out some frozen lentil soup from the freezer that I made on Monday. I take out the first batch of muffins and put the other ones in.
5:00pm- Gerber gives E back to me and I go upstairs to start bath time. Gerber works on installing curtain rods. I yell down the hall, Can you take out the muffins? They’re a little burnt on the bottom. Bummer.
5:45pm Thankfully Elena always loves bath time. We sing, say goodnight and began the usually routine—
6:00pm I nurse her and rock her. She falls asleep on me. I pray for her. And smell the top of her head. This is actually one of the sweetest moments of my day. What I don’t like is what happens 45 min later when I lay her down in her crib, she wakes up. Starts fussing. I pick her up rock her a bit more and give her the boob.
7:00pm I do a limp arm test. She’s asleep. PTL. I lay her down ever so gently and walk out. I hear nothing in the monitor except the steady stream of white noise.
8:00pm I hear her cough. She wakes herself up. I try a stomach pat and head rub ,but she’s not having it. I pick her up and start the whole process over again . Nurse, rock, try to lay her down. She squirms and her eyes open. Gerber gets me the maya wrap and I plop her in and start swaying so I can eat dinner: lentil soup and grilled cheese on cinnamon raised bread. Yes, an odd combination, but we didn’t have any other bread.
8:30pm- Shes asleep so I lay her down in our bed. Still wrapped up in the sling, she stays asleep. Her little arms resting above her head. She looks so small and precious in our queen size bed. I position pillows on either side of her.
9:00pm- I come down to see new curtain rods and a mirror hung in the family room! Gerber rubs my shoulders. I remind him that we need to finish our newsletter by tomorrow. I stare at the boxes and piles of stuff on the table
9:30pm- We sit on the couch and talk. He reminds me it will all get done, little by little. The piles and stuff doesn’t stress him out as much. So, the group comes on Saturday right? Yes. Ok, you’re going to buy the groceries? I’ll take Elena then. We move between what needs to get done around the house to how much our life has changed in the past few months.
10:30pm- I put some dishes in the sink and leave them until the morning. I get the breast pump. Gotta make a bottle for tomorrow. I scroll through blogs and facebook while I pump. I type up the rest of this post. I rinse off the pump and put the bottle in the fridge.
10:50pm- Start another load of laundry. I’ll let it sit until the morning.
11:00pm - We tip toe upstairs and around our room. Elena is still sleeping and not waking her is the goal. I lay down in bed and pull her close to me. She’s qute cuddly when she’s sleeping. I realize I forgot to brush my teeth. I’ll do it in the morning, I say.
What’s your Day In The Life post look like? It’s not too late to link up here.
This is so great. I know the temptation to “edit life” online, but I’m so glad you didn’t. You’re doing a great job and she is so lucky to have you as her mama.
A few things:
- I love that you bring the babysitter WITH you to work! I didn’t know that was a thing, but I love that idea.
- She is seriously the cutest little thing.
- will you share that muffin recipe?
So glad you linked up!
xo
I love reading about your day…and I can relate to much of it!
Babies be babies, right? And, like Robin, so funny you bring the babysitter with you. I’m trying to imagine bringing a babysitter with me to a coffee shop to get writing down. Ha. That’d be hilarious.
p.s. Long live the Ergo!
I know…I am still getting used to the whole sitter coming with me to the office thing
And yes, I may have about 4 different baby carriers…but by far the best is the ergo!
Robin, yeah I didn’t really know it was a thing either
And I will share the recipe as soon as I type it up- I kind of pieced it together until I got a muffin I liked. It’s healthy and good, but not gluten/dairy/egg free : (