Our Day.

I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while, so that someday I can look back and remember what our day-to-day looked like.  When Marin was a baby, we kept to a pretty rigid schedule. Literally everything revolved around it.  BUT, with Brite's arrival, came a little more going with the flow and letting the schedule fall into place, to enjoy when it makes life easier and to disregard when/if it gets in the way (vacations, holidays, play dates etc). It's just not as convenient to pledge allegiance to the schedule anymore. With that being said, not every day looks the exact same around here, but our typical day-to-day routine usually looks something like this...

3:00 am// Brite still wakes up most nights around this hour. She sleeps in our room still so that when she grunts herself awake, I can easily feed her in our bed then put her sleepy little body right back down.  (This nursing session probably isn’t “necessary” anymore but for now it works for us, so we’ll just think about a full nights rest later.)

6:00-7:00// If Brite hasn’t already stirred to eat by 6:30, I wake her.  I like to start the day as predictably as possible, hence the reason we start it at the same time each morning.  After nursing, Brite and I cuddle and coo in bed for a little bit.  Andy is usually getting ready for work around this time. He’ll come chat and give kisses before he has to leave.  By 7:30 Brite is back down for her morning nap. 

7:30-9:00// During this time, I get ready for the day.  (When Brite joined us I realized that if I didn’t get ready in the morning, it wasn’t going to happen for me. And by "get ready" I mean changing from some form of cotton into some form of nylon spandex mix and throwing my hair up on my head) After I wash my face and I’m dressed, I grab the cup of coffee Andy made for me and I curl up on the couch with my books, my computer and my phone.  This is my time to pray, read, journal, blog, etc.  I’ve really come to love and need these quiet morning hours. If anyone wakes up during these hours, heaven help the Queen. 

9:00-10:00//  Marin wakes up (Brite is usually right behind her).  We talk and cuddle on the couch.  Then we quickly change her diaper and make breakfast.  She watches cartoons while she eats breakfast.  I sit on the couch and nurse Brite while Marin and I sing along with Sesame Street “the letter of the day is….”  

10:00-11:30// I get the girls dressed for the day (or we stay in jammies).  We play or do a learning activity together.  If we have any hope for a learning activity, it happens in the morning when everyone is still patient and rested.  During play time we’ll dress up, paint, play with play doh, talk with ALL the stuffed animals, etc.  At 11:30, I put Brite down for her nap.  (We are still in the habit of rocking her to sleep (sigh) so Marin usually has to test her two-year-old patience while mom is occupied rocking.) 

11:30-12:30// Brite sleeps while Marin and I play or do chores together.  At the end of the hour, I get Marin settled with lunch just in time for Brite to wake up to eat. 

12:30-2:30// These are the hours of the day when we are most likely to hop in the car.  We’ll visit family or go to the park.  Sometimes we’ll just  take a quick outing to the Starbuck drive thru. 

2:30-3:30// Brite naps.  Marin and I play or watch a cartoon or, hey, surprise eggs on Youtube. What is the magical toddler appeal? I may never know. 

3:30-5:00//Brite eats and has wake time while Marin has a snack then quiet time in her room.  I usually set a timer for 30 min. She still goes in reluctantly because she has never been a huge fan of independent play, but we get through it.  Since she doesn’t nap anymore, we feel like there are some days where this time is needed for her little body to rest.  Every now and then she’ll take a catnap. 

5:00-6:30// Brite goes down for her last long(ish) nap of the day.  I don’t really know what else happens during this hour; I just know there will be texts to Andy and there might be a beer involved or a cup of coffee; it depends.  We will start dinner (maybe). 

6:30// ANDY IS HOME!

6:30-8:30//We eat dinner together. Andy plays with the girls while I clean up the kitchen. Alternately, two nights a week (on a good week) I’ll have the girls ready to put in the jogging stroller when he gets home, and we’ll zip out for a quick jog then eat out.  If the weather is nice, we’ll spend a lot of our evening outside, hanging with the neighbors or going for a walk.  Brite will usually take a 15-20 min nap somewhere before 7:30.

8:30-9:30// Baths, pajamas, books, bedtime.  We all make it out alive and some of our teeth were

brushed.   

9:30-11:00// I grab a shower. Andy and I will relax on the couch together and watch a show that we DVRd. We’ll sigh and talk about how cute they are and how much they amazed us today. It will all start up again in a few hours.  And we love EVERY single crazy minute of it.