Kim

A Day in our Life

A normal weekday for us begins at 6:30am when my alarm goes off.  I am not a morning person and doubt I ever will be, but I also don't like to be late and know that this awful morning wake-up time is a must if I want to get to work by 8:30am.  Everyone else in the house is still sleeping.  Well, actually let me rephrase that...everyone else is still in bed.  Matt is slumbering peacefully in our bed - he barely even flinches when I get up.  Fisher is tucked happily into the corner of the loveseat downstairs that she has claimed as her own.  And Henry - well, he's in his crib, but often he wakes up at this time too.  I think he hears my alarm.  Or maybe it's that he goes to bed at 8pm and has had his full night's sleep.  Either way, this is the sight I usually see on the monitor as I get up:
Happily playing and rolling all around.  
Fortunately, he's usually happy to play around for 45 minutes while I get ready.  Some days he goes back to sleep, some days he gets upset and demands I come and get him...but most days he rolls all around, plays with his pacifiers and just generally entertains himself as he's waking up.  

Fisher usually wakes up when she hears the shower and is waiting for me eagerly when I get out.  We play the same game every morning.  She is desperate to eat.  I make her wait until I am completely ready.  She follows me all around our room as I am getting dressed and putting on my make-up.  Some mornings I lose patience with her and shut her out in the hall.  She is sweet nonetheless though.

Finally, it is time for Fisher's breakfast.
Happy girl.  Finally.
Fisher eats, I make Henry's morning bottle and then Fisher goes outside.  Most days, I leave her in the backyard until Matt comes down for his breakfast.  A little fresh air never hurt anyone.  

Now, it's time to get the babe...
Sleepy eyes when I first turn on the lights.
The smiles come out once I see mom!
I get Henry ready and we head downstairs for breakfast. 
It was raining this morning, so Fisher got to stay inside.
Henry has his bottle while I do morning chores (usually emptying the dishwasher).  Once he's done with that, it's time for fruit and cereal or yogurt.  Today, it was yogurt.
Yum!
We finish up, kiss Matt goodbye, and head off to work/preschool.  I am so very thankful for my schedule and that Henry gets to come with me every morning.  It really is the perfect balance for me right now.  

I have to be at work at 8:30am but preschool doesn't start until 9am, so Henry hangs out with me in my office for the first 30 minutes of the day.  We usually check emails, chat with the other ladies in the office and just generally get our day started.
Hanging out in mom's office.

Sitting on mom's desk in my car seat.
Once I get Henry off to his classroom, it's back to work for me.  My hours are shortened, but my job responsibilities are the same as when I was full-time, so efficiency is the key.  I like it though - I do much better when I am busy.  And it is completely doable...I am in no way over-extended.  I am always anxious to get Henry at 1pm though.  Like I said, this schedule offers the perfect balance for us right now.

We load up at 1pm and usually head home.  If I have errands to run, this is the time to do it.  Most days though, we head straight home, let Fisher out, and then enjoy our lunch together.
The next part of the day is my favorite.  After eating, Henry's usually in a great mood and ready to play.  This is truly our quality time together of the day, and I try to cherish it.  Some days I am distracted by laundry or computer work, but most days I try hard to savor this time and just enjoy our sweet boy.
We jump.

We play.
We have a good time together.  

Around 3pm things start going downhill and I know that it is time for a nap.  Just these past two weeks, we've really started to get into an actual routine with napping.  I don't want to jinx us, but Henry's been doing great at napping in his crib for at least an hour, and sometimes more. (Maybe I should've written that post about his 45 minute timer sooner.  It seems as soon as I wrote it, he set out to prove me wrong.  Fine by me!)  I am still finding my groove during nap time because I am just now getting used to its existence.  Mostly, I do chores around the house...some days I take a little nap myself...sometimes I do work...eventually, I'd like to squeeze in a workout.  As I said, I'm still figuring it out.  It's such a novelty!

Nap ends, and we have another bottle...

Now, it's keep-Henry-entertained-and-happy-until-dad-gets-home time.  He's played and jumped, and usually he's ready for something more exciting.  We sing, play on the floor, watch Fisher, take walks outside...whatever we're in the mood to do.
Inspecting the pumpkins on the front porch.

Mom and Dad's bed is nice for a change of scenery sometimes.
Every other day is bath day - I usually squeeze it in now.  It is too much to try and do it just before bed.
Henry still relishes in his baths.  He loves to kick and splash until all of his toys fly out of his little tub into the big tub.  I pick them up and put them back in his tub and we do it all again.  He also loves playing with the washcloth.  He'll wave it over one side of his tub into the big tub, then switch hands and wave it on the other side - back and forth - amusing himself to giggles sometimes.  I so wish I could know what he's thinking during moments like this.

The evenings are filled with bottles, usually a second meal of solid food and quality time with dad.  
He is fascinated by Matt's wireless speaker.
More bottles.
Things start to wind down for Henry by 7:30pm.  Our bedtime routine consists of putting on his PJs and sleep sack and then one last bottle.  He knows when we start getting ready for bed, and is usually half-asleep by the time he finishes that bottle.  His sweet little half-opened eyes usually portray what I hope is satisfaction with his day, and complete trust and safety in where he is.  With a kiss goodnight to dad, we head upstairs and I lay him in his crib.  Kisses from mom, a reminder to say his prayers and a wish for sweet dreams, and his day is complete.  He may roll around a little bit, but generally he's asleep within a few minutes.

Now, Matt and I get to enjoy a few precious hours together before it is time for us to head to bed.  A lot of days, we don't eat dinner until after Henry goes to sleep.  We catch up on the day's events, watch mindless TV, and relax.  Eventually, the bed calls our name, and we head off to dreamland ourselves.  

These days are routine, but they are precious.  I wouldn't trade them for anything and I am so thankful of the time we have.  I know this post is long and a bit mundane, but I don't want to take one single second for granted, and I know that compared to how things may be down the road, these days are relatively calm and easy.  I want to remember how that feels.  Looking back, I also remember the first few months after Henry's arrival, and feeling like I had no idea what I was doing, desperately wishing for some semblance of a schedule, and hoping that one day things would fall into place and we'd hit our groove.  Things are always evolving and changing, but we're making it...and loving it....and finding peace and joy in each day.  


Kim

45 Minutes

Henry apparently has an internal clock that is more precise than any clock in Greenwich. Really, it is amazing. And apparently, his clock runs for only 45 minutes...

...He is napping in his crib these days - a nice improvement, no doubt.  I lay him down, he plays or maybe cries for a few minutes, but then he falls asleep (YAY!).  However, EXACTLY 45 minutes later, that little babe wakes up.  Without fail.  45 minutes!  I mean, he'd sleep for 2-3 hours when I would hold him, but now that he's in his crib and I actually can use that time to accomplish things...45 minutes. 

As I've said before, Henry is a spectacular night sleeper.  He goes to bed around 8pm and is generally content until around 7am.  So I am not really complaining about his sleep habits.  It has just gotten to the point of being comical.  It is almost always 45 minutes on the dot.  Once he wakes up I try to let him cry for a few minutes to see if he'll fall back asleep.  Twice, he has, but most days...nothing doing. 

And I know that he needs a longer nap, because he's always exhausted by the evening, but he just won't do it.  I guess I need to be thankful for the earlier bedtime and accept it, but it is funny.  I literally lay him down, look at the clock, add 45 minutes, and think to myself, "he's so tired, surely he'll sleep longer today."  Ha.  Fool me once, right? 

He is so precious when he is sleeping though.  I put him to bed with a paci and usually there is another one in his crib somewhere.  He'll have one paci in his mouth, and do all he can to get that other paci.  Many days, I peak in at him and he's sucking on a paci and holding the other one in his hand...sound asleep.  I guess it is always good to have the back-up close at hand in case of an emergency.  :) 

Despite his 45 minute timer, he is still a delight.  He still loves jumping in his exersaucer, and smiles and laughs all the time, and loves music.  We continue to work on solid foods.  I feel like we're in a bit of a rut there...lots of apples and bananas and other fruits are consumed, but it is time to start diversifying a little bit more.  That's a whole different post though!

I'll leave you with this, precious pumpkin!
 



Kim

Swinging!

I think these pictures speak for themselves...





We have definitely been enjoying the cooler fall weather!
Kim

Breastfeeding Revisited

So I know this is random and something that seems long past, but I have been thinking about this post for some time and decided to just start writing and see where it goes...

I think the last (and only) time on here that I talked about breastfeeding was back when Henry was 6 weeks old and I was in the middle of all the issues I was having with it and making the decision to stop.  Luckily, I didn't end up having to have surgery on my infection, but the doctor did have to drain it again and I still think that entire ordeal was more painful than actually giving birth.  At that point I did make the decision to put Henry on formula and he's done great.  He is happy and healthy and I don't think he is any worse for the wear for being on it.  I am glad that I made the decision and think it really was best for all of us given the circumstances.  I don't have any real regrets about it at all. 

However, I still think about it all a lot.  In the back of my mind I know that when the time comes for us to have another babe, I will have to make the decision whether I even want to try to breastfeed.  The doctor told me that there was a high likelihood that I will have the same trouble again.  Knowing that, it seems like it should be a simple decision.  I know that formula-fed babies are just fine (Henry is proof!) and it would save me the risk of any trouble...

BUT, there is something in me that just can't make the decision definitively yet.  I guess part of it is because I don't have to, but part of it is because I still know that breastfeeding has a lot of benefits and really is good for the baby.  Henry only got 6 weeks of breast milk, but still...it was something. Even now, when I am with a group of moms and the conversation turns to breastfeeding, I feel a twinge.  It doesn't matter whether or not they even know that Henry's formula fed, a part of me feels like I'd have to explain if it came up...which is ridiculous.  Luckily, I have a supportive husband and doctor and great friends and family who never once questioned my decision.  But, you read so much about the benefits of breastfeeding, and how it is the best for the baby, and how in other countries the rates of women who successfully breastfeed are so much higher than in the US, and it just makes you wonder if you've done something wrong or could have done something more. 

Honestly, I truly feel that you have to do what is best for you and your family and that we are lucky to live in a time where we even have an alternate option.  I think that breastfeeding works well for some moms and babies and for others it just isn't possible.  And that is ok.  Like I said, I do not think Henry has suffered one day because he is formula-fed.  And it is very likely that any other children I have will be on formula.  There are just these sneaky little feelings that creep into the back of my mind sometimes.  Maybe I read too much?  I do get angry when I read blogs and "news" articles that insinuate that moms who don't breastfeed gave up too easily or didn't do all they could.  There are many, many reasons that a woman might choose formula, and I don't think any of them are bad.  A healthy and happy babe is the goal of all of it, isn't it?  As long as that is happening, we are on the right track.

Still, despite truly believing all of that, in the back of my mind I wonder if I it is something that I should try again with Henry's future brothers or sisters .  Every pregnancy and child is different.  Couldn't the same be true for breastfeeding experiences?  Who knows?  Luckily, I don't have to make the decision any time soon...and maybe as more time passes it will be easier to step back from it all and my decision will be clear.  It is emotional though and one of those things that, like pregnancy, is completely natural, but so weird and complicated.   At this point, all I know is that I love our babe more than words.  Matt and I are beyond blessed by him, and I wouldn't change one thing about the last 8 months. Time will tell what happens. My conviction one way or the other may grow, but regardless, my goal will stay the same: to give my babe all of me and anything I can; to keep him healthy and happy and to make him feel safe and loved beyond measure.  In the end, this is what is really important, right?

Mom, I am just fine.  Quit worrying so much.
Kim

New Ride

Matt says it is an early birthday present.  I think it counts as birthday and Christmas...
Won't we be styling, driving down the road in our new car?  I will get to drive it daily, but really it is our "family car."  Pretty exciting.  We actually bought it last Sunday, but we just got to bring it home Friday.  It's definitely fun having a new car. Henry seems to like it too :)
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)