The Daily Routine

I have read several people's blogs where they have mentioned their daily routine with their kids. I love this because this routine will inevitably change, in fact, more than a few times over the course of 18 years. :-)

So here goes, this is our daily weekday life right now.

Mornings are so special to me right now. They get me centered for the day and they are sometimes the only time I get with Stella so mornings are sacred right now.

• 5:30AM
• Wake up, change into workout clothes and do my workout DVD for the day
• 6:15AM
• While eating breakfast email my workout buddy (Jen Crandall!!) to tell her about my workout (more on this in another post)
• Pack the car with my pump, ice pack and cooler.
• Make Stella's bottles for school.  This usually involves changing lids from my pumped milk to nipples and then making 1 bottle of formula. She is eating about 4 times a day now, only 1 time being formula but I have a feeling this ratio will change a lot over the next few weeks.
• 6:30AM
• Head upstairs to shower and get dressed
• Between 6:45 and 7AM
• Stella wakes up. As you can see this doesn't leave a lot of time for a long shower so I'm usually as fast as I can be leaving such frivelous activities as shaving my legs for the weekends or a day when I can tell Stella will sleep until 7:10 maybe.
• Feed Stella. I'm still nursing so this is a special time for me. I usually read a book or just watch Stella in awe. Yes I've had a baby for almost 4 months now but I'm still amazed by that tiny being in my lap with all of her fingers and toes.  I especially like it when she's done eating, she usually pulls away and smiles at me.
• 7:30AM
• Change and Dress Stella. Again, such a fun time for me. She isn't old enough to throw a fit or even care what she's wearing so I get to decide and she just smiles at me as I take her PJs off and put on whatever cuteness I find in the closet.  Girl baby clothes are just fun! I'm not a girly girl so I never thought I would say that but motherhood changes a person.
• Brush Stella's hair and look in the mirror for a few minutes.  Stella has just enough hair for it to stick up after a good sleep so I brush her hair every morning. While I'm brushing her hair we are always looking in the mirror in her bathroom talking about the pretty baby getting her hair brushed.  Stella loves the mirror.
• 7:45AM
• Put Stella's bottles in her bag for daycare, make sure everything is in her bag for daycare and then head out the door. (I actually have a cheat sheet by the backdoor of everything I need to walk out the door. The list includes such things as my lunch, breast pump, extra outfits for Stella. Don't worry I don't have Stella listed on the sheet)
• Put Stella in her car seat and head to daycare.
• 8:00AM
• Drop Stella off at daycare where she always seems happy to go. (She's only 4 months, when she starts crying when I leave I will probably cry too)
• 8:30 AM
• Work
• 5:30 (or 6:30, or 7:30) PM
• Head home.
• 6:30 or 7PM
• If it's Wednesday I try to leave around 5:30 so I can get home to bathe Stella. It sounds gross but she's almost on solids so we are about to switch to a daily bath.
• Read Stella's daily report. Anyone who has had a child in daycare knows what this is. The daycare tells you everything your child did for the day, down to poops, pees, naps and bottles. Because I am psycho I devour this thing like some people do the wallstreet journal. Darren and I actually discuss as well. This is how that conversation may go.

Me: Wow, she pooped 3 times today
Darren: And again when I got her home (Darren picks her up at 6 everyday)
Me: Look at her naps, she is really sleeping well (horribly) (this depends on the day)
Darren: Did you see she found her feet today?
Me: No, oh wait, here it is. Wow, that's great. She also listened to One Two Buckle my shoe.
Darren: They told me she's really good with the other babies

• 6:45PM
• Stella goes to bed. Darren always puts her to bed so this isn't really my job but if he's out of town of course it is.
• 7PM or 8PM
• Make dinner, eat dinner, clean up, wash bottles and pump parts, make lunches
• 9PM
• Bed. Yes, I go to bed at 9PM and I love it. I don't do well with little sleep so this is my solution.
• 2 or 3AM
• Feed Stella. She's stopped doing this every night but this was what it used to be every night. This week I only had to get up last night! Yippee! That means 12 hours she slept!

And that's our day. All of this will change with the introduction of solids. I'm still not sure when to fit those in. Maybe in the morning and then at school.  She takes her last bottle at 5:30 at school so she doesn't eat at home at night....again this will change I'm sure.