Those daisies have lasted WEEKS. I picked them from our backyard and I think they're vampire daisies like in Twilight. Will they live on forever? #teamedward #wat Also, I found pumpkin coffee creamer at Kroger! Bless!
Being a stay-at-home mama is both the absolute best and often the toughest job I've ever had. Your job doesn't end - I wake up with Ben if he is up during the night, I'm there in the morning, I'm his source of love, fun, entertainment, support, safety, and nourishment all day long. It can feel life-giving, relaxed, and fun. It can also feel lonely, isolating, and monotonous sometimes. When I was a brand new mama and Chris had to go back to work after a week or two of trying to stay home with me as much as possible, it was TOUGH. Going out to the store with a newborn is scary, and I had very little experience caring for babies. It was long days full of greasy hair, snuggling, lots of lukewarm coffee, boob milk all over the place, and weather so cold that I wasn't able to take him out often. (In a tiny 3rd-floor apartment, I was getting SO stir crazy all day that winter, and plus just felt kind of sad and alone.) It was also filled with long nights of Gilmore Girls, feeding Ben, and sleeping for short periods at a time on the couch so Ben would fall asleep and wouldn't be woken up by Chris when he was leaving for work. Sometimes I think back and wonder how I was able to run on such little sleep, but we persevere, ladies!
(This is in no way saying staying at home is better than being a working mom - I will probably go back to working part-time when we move! For us, me staying at home was the smarter financial decision for our situation now. I feel so lucky that I'm able to do this for a little while, but I don't know what the future will hold for my working/staying home life!)
I wanted to write out a little basic routine that I have with Ben to describe what an average day looks like for us! Everything is very flexible - he doesn't have any set schedule and I like to remain flexible so I don't get my expectations too high for how a day will go! I'm not going to leave any specific times because it can change daily.
-Chris leaves for work at 6:00 am, and we say goodbye. Ben wakes up between 7:00 am and 8:00 am most days - He wakes up and I bring him into our room and snuggle him and give him a bottle. I usually read him a book and he will start to get a lil fussy and want to get going on the day and play!
-The next hour or so of our morning consists of a jumble of a few things - I let our dog, Cooper, out, and feed him, and Ben and I will usually play for a bit with some of his toys on the floor. I feed him his solid food breakfast, and he plays with his food!
-Depending on Ben's mood, he will either play and do tummy time for a bit while I do my light morning cleaning - loading in laundry, emptying the dishwasher, straightening up clutter, making the bed, taking out the trash. I often listen to a podcast during this time.
-I take Ben back to our bed and try to put him down for a nap - he usually gets fussy around 2-3 hours after waking up. I usually give him a bottle and scratch his back and play some music for him. He recently went through a period where he wouldn't nap at home - I had to do our errands earlier and just drive around so he could sleep in the car, but he's been waking up at an earlier time and napping easier, which is great.
-During his nap time, I will often finish my cleaning, and get a small project done or something. Sometimes I write, sit outside with Cooper, or get work done. Today, I had to make a call and write out some documents for the salon that we manage. Sometimes, I just chill out and watch TV! If you want to feel good, I would recommend doing something productive but enjoyable - writing, painting, stretch, etc. Sometimes I don't get to have any at-home nap time when he is in a car-sleeping mode!
-Wake up time! This all depends on Ben - sometimes he naps for a nice long time, and sometimes it's only a half an hour. When he wakes up, I play with him for a bit and get him dressed for the day. Then, I get ready! This can be challenging depending on if he is feeling attached - sometimes when I put him down, he gets upset! I find him some little toys to pick up and sit him near me while I get ready. (Usually this consists of rinsing off my face, throwing my hair up, and putting on some comfy clothes! Sometimes I get fancy but it all depends on the day.)
-We almost always run errands - for example, we will pick up cleaning supplies for the salon, go grocery shopping, walk around our downtown area to get some fresh air, check out Target, or just go to some different stores or for a drive if he's having a bad day. (He loves to be in the car to calm down!) I pack up the diaper bag and we head out. It's been warm in Michigan, so I like to take him for walks. (Not to mention my near-daily Starbucks run - a grande iced latte with one pump mocha and whipped cream is my treat for myself! Help!) I often listen to podcasts or music in the car! It helps keep me sane to go out in the world, and I love that it's warm now so I don't have to worry about him getting too cold if we go outside. Sometimes we meet with friends or other moms with their babies, as well, which I love!
Running errands at Target (our favorite spot haha! Give me all your dollar spot goodies!)
-After we finish our errands, we head home! He will often take cat naps in the car, so I change him and we play for a while during the afternoon! I love taking him outside in our backyard and letting him play in the kiddie pool! I would highly recommend getting an inexpensive kiddie pool if you have a baby that can sit up - Ben loves to splash and play with toys. I will read to him or just set him in his high chair or on the floor and work on some things while he plays.
Taking a walk with my cute date!
-This is the tricky part - the hour before Chris gets home, Ben is often really fussy but doesn't want to nap. He will get fussy very easily, but I am often trying to cook at the same time, so I try to keep him entertained while I'm doing that. I can't really hold him while I'm cooking, because I often am using knives to cut veggies or meat, and the oven/stovetop to sauté or bake things and it's just not safe. I just do what I can, and sometimes that either means burnt food or Ben being cranky while I'm finishing cooking.
-Sometimes, I finish cooking early and I will just play with Ben or try to get him down or a nap, but Chris usually gets home around this time, and he can take Ben for a bit and make him laugh. (Ben thinks Chris is the funniest person in the world, and he always giggles at him!) Then, we eat dinner together (Ben will eat dinner too! He will have more solid foods and chew on some different foods.) and chat and continue with our evening!
That's my whole daytime routine! Like I said, it varies SO much day-to-day - some days are easy and fun, and some days I want to tear my hair out because things are just going badly. This is a general overview of a normal day, and I didn't include precise feeding times because that changes as well! I hope this was helpful and fun for any fellow stay-at-home moms (or working mamas!) and I would love to hear your routine as well!
Megan
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