Monday, May 23, 2011

A Typical Day

So I figured that my "typical day" is going to change through the years (even through the months) as time goes by, so I'll capture a typical day right now.  Just to have a record of it.

Because Michael's schedule changes so much (sometimes he works days, sometimes he works nights, etc.) he's tough to include in this typical day, but I've done so where I can.

  • 7:00am - William wakes up, begins making baby noises.  Michael and I are usually awake now too, but still laying in bed.  (I am sadly coming to the realization that I need to start getting up earlier, before the baby, just to get some more stuff done.)
  • 7:15am - William gets much more serious about his noises...turns into a whiny cry.  I get out of bed, wash my face and put in my contacts.
  • 7:20am - I go in to get the boy.  He is usually turned around in some weird direction in his crib.  His diaper is SOAKED after a long night and usually gets changed before we head downstairs for him to eat.  He does NOT enjoy this diaper change.  His priority is food...not his wet bottom. 
  • 7:30 - Downstairs sitting in my rocking chair nursing William for his "breakfast".  Usually watching a little DVR-ed Ellen or Oprah or Real Housewives of Orange County (or something equally as appalling).  During this time, Michael has probably come down to eat breakfast, make coffee and read the paper.
  • 7:50 - I run up to get dressed while W plays in his exersaucer.  Because he hates being left alone, I have maybe 10 minutes before he starts crying again.
  • 8:00am - I get William dressed and ready to go to daycare.
  • 8:15am - off to daycare.  The drive takes about 15 minutes.  When we get there, I sign him in and we say hello to his teachers (Aunt Rhonda and Aunt Johnita).  Then I drive back home, get some coffee, and head up to my office.
  • 8:30am - Michael is in charge of taking care of Beaux in the morning and walks/feeds him and then heads out to work around 8:30 or so.   He typically bikes to work if the weather is okay.
  • 9:15am - Work. Work. Work.  And a little blog or facebook checking along the way.
  • 12:00pm - Pumping.  Oh, lord I CANNOT WAIT until I don't have to pump any more.  Pumping is not my favorite.  I also eat lunch around this time.
  • 1:15pm - Back to work.  Work. Work. Work.
  • 3:00pm - Another pumping break.
  • 5:15pm - Head off to pick up the boy from daycare.  He is so happy and smiley when he gets picked up from daycare.  We also pick up his daycare report card at that time so that we know what kind of day he had and what/when he ate.  Nowadays he is getting 3 6oz bottles at daycare and two rounds of solid food.
  • 5:45pm - Get home from daycare.  William and I walk Beaux around the block and get a little fresh air.  If the boy's nails need cutting, we sit on the front porch so he can watch cars while I cut his tiny fingernails.  Distraction is KEY in the cutting of the nails.  If they don't, we may take this time to play a little or to read a book.  Michael usually gets home around 6:00 or 6:15 (but again that depends on the shift he is working).
  • 6:30pm - dinnertime for W.  He usually eats 2 things (say, maybe sweet potatoes and apples with a little oatmeal mixed in).  He also drinks a little water out of his sippy cup.
  • 6:45pm - Michael gives William his bath if he is around.  Bathtime is daddy's specialty.  He gets washed up and plays a bit and then gets "tubby tummy time" where he kicks and "swims" on his belly in the tub.  He LOVES this part and now can hardly sit still until he's out of his bath seat and able to move around a bit more.  I have a feeling the bath seat is soon to be history.
  • 7:10pm - Last nursing feeding for W.  He almost always falls asleep during this session.  I lay him down and he wakes up a tiny bit, rolls onto his side, grabs his little fuzzy blankie (and sometimes takes his pacifier) and off to sleep he goes.  He's gotten a LOT easier to get to sleep...thank goodness.
  • 7:30pm - I start cooking dinner.  Gotta make something quick so we don't end up eating at midnight.  If I'm lucky, I've started something (even just cutting/prep work) earlier in the day.
  • 8:15pm - Dinnertime.  We usually catch up on some TV while we eat (a bad habit, I know, but it is a typical day).  After dinner we may catch up on emails, or sit on the porch and have a drink with the neighbors.
  • 10:00pm - Another pumping session right before bed.
  • 10:30pm - We get ready for bed.  After washing faces, brushing and flossing teeth, we head in to take a peek at William.  He's usually asleep on his left side and oh, so cute.
  • 11:00pm - Bedtime
Can anyone spot what is missing from this routine? 
Yup, you got it.  Exercise.  And yup, another thing is missing.  Cleaning and organizing the house.

Gotta find a way to get those two things done. 

I know you can pay someone to clean your house.  Can you pay someone to exercise FOR YOU?  ;)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Boat Ride!



We spent a few days at the river house this week...with me working and Michael and the boy having fun playing together. 

Don't feel too bad for me, though, I was able to join them on the boat for an hour one day for William's first boat ride.  He was a little cranky on the initial part of the ride, mostly because it was almost bottle o'clock.  He also wasn't quite sure what to think of his new life jacket (safety first, William!  safety first.).  But he managed to down his bottle and then the rocking of the boat put him right to sleep.

William is also sitting up on his own pretty well...at least for a minute or so before he topples over.

And, we STILL have not found a food that the boy won't eat.  He loves everything.

He's also recently into electronics....phones, remote controls, cameras, etc.  Basically anything that he could grab, drool on, and then subsequently ruin.  Boy, oh boy, is it time to baby proof things.

Monday, May 9, 2011

6 Months Old and Mother's Day


William turned 6 months old last week and today we had his 6-month check-up.

Stats:
Weight - 17lbs 9oz (50th percentile)
Height - 27" (75th percentile)
Head - 17 1/4" (50th percentile)

Fun Facts:
  • Still pretty lazy.  He HAS rolled over from his stomach to his back, but he doesn't do it very often. 
  • He has not yet rolled from back to stomach.
  • We successfully unswaddled him and now he both naps and sleeps without being wrapped up.  Now, with more mobility in his arms and legs when he sleeps, he wakes up in different positions than we last left him in...with his head where his feet were and his feet where his head was.  He oftentimes can be found sleeping on his side.
  • He's doing a little sitting now, but topples over after about 30 seconds or so.
  • William continues to be a good eater - and has not refused ANY food that we've offered him (his list is now: sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados, green beans, peas, butternut squash, apples, carrots, rice cereal and oatmeal).
  • He can now hold his own bottle.  (He also can recognize his bottle from across the room and if he is hungry, there is NO getting around giving it to him.)  The boy definitely takes after his parents in his strong desire to eat.  Yum.
  • He's already growing out of his 6 month clothes, and even one pair of size 6-9 month pants had to be put away because they were too small.
  • Most socks will still not stay on his chubby little feet.  Michael thinks it is because he has cankles.
  • He's still laughing, but still a tough crowd.  Michael by far gets the most laughs out of him.  He still doesn't seem to think I'm very funny.
  • He's still not a good napper - especially at daycare, where he only sleeps in 5-10 minute increments...but his nighttime sleep has improved and now he does a pretty good job sleeping from 7pm-ish until 6am-ish.
We had a nice Mother's Day weekend.  The picture at the top shows William and I at the Strawberry Street Festival here in Richmond (Thanks to Aunt Bridget for the great hat...and thanks to Laura for letting us borrow some of Ben's cute clothes - that adorable yellow striped polo is his).  On Sunday, we visited with the neighbors and I took a couple hours off to do the Museum District Mothers Day House Tour.