Daily Routine

I was reading a friend's blog about their daily routine with their little one and I found it very interesting.  I often struggle getting everything done being a full time mom and professional.  I'm inspired to read other mom's routine and seeing how they manage to be super mom!  Here's hoping I can continue the encouragement...

The morning begins at 5:30!  Bryan jumps in the shower while I pretend to have no responsibilities for a few more minutes.  When he finishes, he leaves the bathroom light on so that it blares down upon me and forces me to get out of bed.  I shower and get myself ready minus breakfast and work clothes.  Holden typically wakes up between 6 and 630.  If he wakes up before then, I let him fuss until 6.  Our wonderful Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby book suggests doing this to keep Holden on a consistent schedule and to keep him from creating a wake up time that is too early.  Three days of the week we travel to Nanny's and the other days he stays home with fabulous Jennifer!  If he allows, I pack up the car with my purse, breast pump, Holden's bottles and milk, and my lunch.  When he wakes up we do a quick diaper change and then a morning feeding.  I usually get to watch a little of the morning news during this time.  When he's done, he rolls on the floor while I eat a bowl of cereal.  We pick out some cute clothes and then begin loading the dogs and Holden into the car.

We drive over to Nanny's house (Bryan's mother) and do my best to get all three boys into the house without distractions by cows or bunnies that need investigating.  Nanny covers Holden with kisses and the boys get their breakfast as I tell Nanny how Holden is doing that morning.

I race off to work to prepare for my first patient.  At work, I see one patient per hour.  The biggest struggle at work is making time to pump for Holden.  I often end up letting patients wait in the waiting room while I'm in the back pumping.  I tend to forget my priorities and will push my pump time too far out in order to spend more time with a patient.  My patient load is on track and my productivity is great when I do this.  However, my milk supply takes a hit.  It's a constant battle to make myself take time to drink enough water and stop to pump every three hours.  Charla is a great support for this though.  She always helps take my load!  Other than pumping, I check my phone too many times to see if Jennifer has texted me, spend too much time daydreaming about Holden, and telling everyone about what Holden did last night!  I'm so proud.  I get overly excited when my last patient cancels so that I get an extra hour with Holden that evening.

I race home (probably at a faster rate then when traveling to work, I'm sure) getting there around 5:20.  Or 430 when I don't have a 4oclock patient.  Holden and I play on the floor until 6 when we start our bath time.  He loves his bath and he splashes a lot.  We sing songs and play with the washcloth.  Pajamas, binkie, reading a book, and five minutes of bouncing and then it's off to bed.  He's down in bed by 6:30.

I begin my nightly chores of bottle washing, dinner prep (which is usually something incredibly simple), a load of laundry, picking up the house, packing lunch, and finally eating.  I try to finish everything by 8:30.  Bryan and I watch a tv show together most nights of the week.  I feel like this one activity is my adult time and something Bryan and I do together.  I laugh at that because  I realize we are watching TV and not interacting at all... ha.  My desire is to be in bed by 930.

I set my alarm each night for Midnight.  If Holden cries before then, I ignore it.  But if he cries after Midnight, I go get him and feed him.  It usually takes 20 minutes and I slide back into my warm bed and wait for 530 to roll around again.

That's my day!  I'm jealous of moms that stay at home and get to experience all the coos and goos of their sweet babies.  But I want it all- I want a successful career and mommy time.  Super Mom here I come!  My cost will be exhaustion and never feeling like I'm committing myself enough to either.  I know that upfront.  I will always want to do more with Holden.  And when I'm spending extra time with Holden, I will desire to improve my career.  It's impossible to be happy with the amount spent with each.  I just have to try to remember that I have a huge priority in life... Holden!  And also a selfish mommy desire to improve my patients lives.

If I could just figure out how to play peek-a-boo and coloring books while teaching someone how to strengthen their pelvic floor.... hmmm.