A Day in the Life

It’s amazing to me both how much and how little Jem and I fit into each day. Some days are definitely more relaxed than others, those are our “home days” and I strive to have at least 2 of those each week. But the others, jeepers, we’re all over town!

Here’s a peek into one such day from the other week …

Around 7am Jemma wakes up. She’s usually sprawled out in bed having taken over her Daddy’s spot since he has already left for work. Most mornings she wiggles over to me a gives me a kiss :) Then she reaches for my glasses on the nightstand knowing that the day can’t begin until mama can see. Depending on how awake I’m feeling sometimes we’re up right away, and other times I let her watch a movie on my phone while I catch a few more moments of sleep :)

By 8am our day is in full swing …

breakfast | mama in the shower, Jem snuggles her baby dolls and watches Caillou | screen time for mama

Jemma usually has oatmeal or cereal for breakfast and some kind of fruit. She is becoming a pro with silverware. It is so fun seeing her develop eating skills. She is also becoming quite attached to her baby doll and the TV show, Caillou. After breakfast she high-tails it to the couch with her sippy cup, spreads a blanket over her lap, kisses her baby, and says to me, “I see?” which translates to, “Hey mama, Caillou is waiting for me to watch his latest adventure, please turn on the TV and go pull yourself together for the day while I relax.”

I’m a slow starter in the morning so I’m more than willing to follow Jem’s plan :) I usually sip my decaf (with Italian Sweet Cream creamer), plug away on my latest project (email, blog post, Facebook, etc.), and then hop in the shower.

maxi skirts and skinny belts are this mama’s best friend

Between 9-10am we’re usually out the door for errands. My youngest sis, Hannah, is home from college so she has been tagging along on our errands most days. It is such a blessing having an extra pair of hands!

Today we had an extra special errand … Jemma’s first bang trim! We also worked in the grocery store, post office, and a stop at Target. Errands always seem to take longer than I expect so we worked in lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant too. Hannah, Jemma, and I shared a lunch platter of tikka masala, rice, naan, lentils, pollock paneer (spinach with cheese), and sweet rice. The sweet rice is to die for … well, everything is, but especially this. I came home and looked up Indian rice dessert on Pinterest and sure enough found a recipe to try out at home!

bang trim on mama’s lap | scoping out clearance options at target – ended up buying the shorts for when the weather gets warmer!

On the daily I try to be home by noon for Jemma to take her nap. Thankfully, she still loves/needs a nap and nine times out of ten I join her. Today it was a blissful 2 1/2 hours of snuggles and snoozes. We both wake up super refreshed – Jem is ready to roll and I’m ready to tackle chores :)

I didn’t manage to photograph the joys of cloth diaper laundry, unpacking from the recent move to my parents, or dishes, but they happened, I promise.

Before dinner, Jem enjoys some quality time with her aunties, works on her coloring in the corner of the kitchen while I start dinner, or practices her puzzle skills. We recently taught her the sign for “help” so she would stop throwing puzzle pieces and collapsing on the floor when they wouldn’t fit. Now, when she gets frustrated she signs like crazy! Signing is a life saver.

Either before or after dinner we try to fit in a short walk. My parent’s neighborhood is super peaceful and the walk down to the mailbox is the perfect excuse for Jem to hop in her car and “drive” to pick up the mail each day. I found it for $8 at a consignment sale, and although it is obnoxious looking, it has definitely given us $8 worth of fun.

ready to roll with aunt kiki | checking out all the wonders of target with aunt hannah

I swear Jemma thinks we are on vacation right now. Living at my parents during the whole house building transition gives her lots of extra attention, new toys to play with, new rooms to explore, and a big backyard of her own. I”m super blessed to have the extra help too! This mama gets worn out by the end of the day!

Jem totally front loads her eating during the day and usually only nibbles at dinner. By 7:30pm we’re brushing teeth and putting on jammies. Dominic or I snuggle her up in bed while she has a sippy of hemp milk – her favorite, and she’s usually sawing logs within 30 minutes.

The evening is my blissful, quiet time. Most nights I take a bath and read. Then get ready for bed myself and join Dominic for a TV show. Once Dominic goes to bed, I write a little or read other blogs and make my to-do list for the following day. Right now I’m feeling behind in my Hynobabies study, La Leche League leader training, and various organization since the move, but I am one tired mama by the end of the day so I’ve been trying to cut myself some slack. Everything that needs to get done, will get done in its’ own time.

Baby has been really active at night from 10pm-1am lately so, since I nap during the day, I usually stay up rather than toss and turn in bed. This will most likely backfire when he is born if I can’t figure out how to continue with family nap time. We shall see :)

So, that’s that … a day in the life! It isn’t too glamorous, but it’s pretty fun and I feel so blessed to be at home with my little girl each day.