A day in the life...

Well, the time has come.  My maternity leave will end on March 12th and Evan starts daycare on this monday, March 5th (my feelings associated with that could take up this entire blog, but I will try to put them all down in a later post). Just when we finally established a routine going, life will change dramatically.  It's funny, isn't it?  It has only been ten weeks since I went on maternity leave, but feels like an eternity. I want to remember this time, so I thought I would write a day in the life post of what Evan and I do day to day.  Of course, there is some variation (for example, on Wednesdays when Bill goes to work at 6 a.m.), but here is the gist.

4:45 - 7:00 - Feed/Pump and Run.  Two days a week I meet a friend to run at 5:45.  On those days I wake up a 4:45 and pump while eating breakfast.  Surprisingly, I really like this time because it is so quiet and I do not feel rushed. I leave a bottle for Bill and head out the door by 5:30.  Bill swears Evan wakes up  on purpose as soon as I leave.  I have no idea, I am just thankful Bill is willing to get up with him so that I can workout.  On days that I do not meet up with a friend for my run, I will sleep in until Evan wakes up to eat, which is usually around 6:30 - 6:45.  He always goes back to sleep after this feeding, so I will then get dressed and run.  90% of the time, I sneak back into bed after my run and take a nap.

7:45 - 9:00 - All three of us are usually up for the day by this point. Its hard to tell because we do not use an alarm clock, which is so nice!  Once awake, Evan loves to play in his bouncer or on his play mat while Bill and I cook breakfast and Bill gets ready for work.  Bill also plays with Evan a considerable amount during this time.  Evan is such a happy baby in the morning.  I also take my shower during this time.  I have heard some moms have a hard time getting in a shower ever day.  Not the case with me.  For the sake of my husband, my son, and the greater Oklahoma City metro area, I shower daily.

9:00 - 10:30 - It is morning nap time for Evan.  He usually goes down sometime during this time frame, depending on when we woke up, and will sleep for about an hour.  Bill and I visit while he finishes getting dressed for work and he is out the door by 10:30.  Bill and I's time together in the morning is the best because, as you will see below, evenings can be hectic.

10:30 - 11:30 - Once Bill leaves for work, I usually make myself lunch unless I am having left overs.  I don't eat it just yet, but unless I make it while Evan is sleeping I may never get the chance.  I also use this time to blog, surf the internet and just relax for thirty minutes while Evan is still sleeping.

11:30 - 12:30 - Lunchtime for both Evan and I.   Actually, Evan is still eating every 2 1/2 hours during the day, so it seems like Evan's lunch time is all the time.  I also spend this time coming up with a plan for the afternoon because unless I have an agenda, I start going seriously stir crazy.  Most days I plan for Evan and I to get out of the house for a little while after lunch.

12:30 - 3:00 - It's window shopping/try not to spend money time.  Evan loves to be in his moby, so I usually strap him in and shop.  He sleeps through most of it, but occasionally wakes up so I can show him the best deals in home decor, women's clothing and shoes at Target.  I'm sure he loves it.

3:00 - 6:00 - We are normally back home at this time and to be honest, I have no idea what we do.  Usually, I look up at the clock, it says 6:00 and I am bewildered, wondering where the day has gone.  This happened to me at work all the time, so I guess some things never change.  I'm sure there is some playing, rocking and book reading, both by Evan and me, happening during this time, but I just can't pin point what happens when.  All I know is that when the clock hits 6:00, I start to prepare for our evening routine.

6:00 - 6:30 - Here is usually where Evan watches me work on my fitness.  I am 2 1/2 weeks into the video Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 and it has been working really well for me.  Yes, I do the video everyday Monday - Friday, even though I run in the mornings.  The video is 20 minutes and for now it is the perfect amount of strength training to complement my morning runs.  Evan usually sits in his bouncer and does his own exercises during this time in the form of leg kicks and arm swings.  I think he prefers kick boxing.

6:30 - 7:15 - Bath time.  Evan loves his bath time.  From the time I walk in the bathroom and turn on the water until I take him out, he is all smiles.

7:30 - 8:15:  Now that Bill is home, we divide and conquer,  One of us entertains Evan while the other prepares dinner.  Usually Bill is with Evan since he hasn't seen him all day.  I usually manage to fix dinner, eat and clean dishes during this time frame.  Note this is the only mention of dishes all day, so yes, I do not clean any dish until now and any dish dirtied after my one daily cleaning session will just have to wait until the next day at 7:30 - 8:15 p.m.  I've never been one to fret over dirty dishes.

8:30 - 10:30: Feed Evan, rock Evan, feed Evan, rock Evan, you get the picture.  Seriously, this is all I do.  From 8:30 to 10:30, Evan will sleep in no more than 30 minute increments and usually will wake up the moment I put him down.  I have wasted two good bubble baths during this time frame, so now I have just given up and spend these two hours sitting in his rocking chair or in my bedroom reading a book while he sleeps.  It seems to work best.

10:30 - 11:00 - The safe zone.  Usually, Evan is ready to be put down for the night by this time. We will have one final feeding and he is out until morning.  Sometimes its a little earlier, but I have never managed to put him in his pack and play before 9:30 without him waking up within 10 - 20 minutes.  It may change when I go back to work, but right now I enjoy our nighttime cuddling routine.

And there you have it, a day in the life of a me while on maternity leave.(This post could also be titled a day in the life if I ever win the lottery).  I'm sure in a few months when I do a post of a day in the life of me now that I am back at work it will look something like this: 5: 00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. - run around like a chicken with my head cut off.