I’ve been wanting to do this for awhile, and decided today
was just as good a day as any to write down in words what it is like to be me
for a day. So I grabbed my laptop, and here’s what happened. The way I figure,
someday it’ll be hard to remember what it’s like to be a mother of two young
boys. How hectic it can be at times. I thought if I write it down that I can
someday look back at this, and it’ll bring back these memories. I hope you
enjoy:
April 19th:
7:10-Wake up to the sound of your oldest son opening and
closing doors. You hear your baby talking gibberish through the monitor. You
lay there, hoping everyone goes back to sleep.
7:40-After more door opening and closing, baby gates moving
on the hardwood floor, and a fussy baby, you realize that sleeping in is not
going to happen. Up and at ‘em. You stumble into the living room to find
Brendan trying to figure out how to get batteries into his LeapPad. You’re
greeted with a “Good Morning, Mommy”: (always a way to put a smile on your face
in the morning.) Get Brendan’s breakfast on the table, and start a bottle
warming for baby. Let the dog out. Let the dog back in.
7:55-Go in to greet baby Tristan, who by now has flipped
over onto his belly and is crying pretty good because his leg is stuck between
the bars of his crib. Once you get him rolled over, he smiles the broadest,
most happy smile God could have ever created. Oh yeah, and he has boogers all
over his face from the crying. Still, it sparks another morning smile from this
mommy. Change his diaper (which must weigh at least 5 pounds), and spend a few
moments tickling out some giggles on the changing table.
8:15-Put baby in the bouncy seat on the dining table to
watch big brother eat his cereal while going downstairs to start a load of
laundry. Come back up, and make Brendan his post-cereal toast. Realize the
baby’s bottle has gotten cold again in all this time. Reheat bottle. Yell at
dog for sneaking into dining room and trying to steal Brendan’s toast…twice.
8:25-Feed baby bottle. Allow some time for Tristan’s belly
to settle. Set Brendan up with new LeapPad batteries as a reward for going to
bed so well last night. Watch some of the news, and sit amazed at how chill the
baby is being, at which point he starts to get feisty.
9:30-Switch over laundry. Lay baby down for a nap because
he’s rubbing his eyes. While he settles in, hand wash dishes (that’s right, I
said hand wash: we don’t have a dish washer) left-over from the night before
and sterilize bottles to be used throughout the day.
9:50-Since baby is asleep, hop in shower: washing as quickly
as possible while dodging scalding hot water every time the washing machine
runs. Mental note: “try not to take shower during laundry time.”
10:15- Get out of the shower to hear the baby crying. Run downstairs
to switch over laundry before going into the baby’s room. Get out a blanket for
some tummy time while you hurriedly try to get ready before he starts crying
again: all the while, stopping every minute or so to make funny faces, silly
sounds, etc. to keep Tristan happy. Get dressed (daily) in yoga pants & a
t-shirt from college (unless we have to leave the house, then we upgrade to
jeans and a solid colored baby T).
10:30-Heat milk for Tristan’s cereal. While that’s heating,
do Brendan’s therapeutic exercises. Fight with him about getting dressed
because he won’t hold still while you put his straps on. Send him to brush his
teeth while trying to amuse the baby since he’s been without attention for all
of 5-minutes. Help Brendan tie his shoes and make his bed.
11:00-Change baby out of pajamas and dress in only a onesie
as you’re pretty sure it’ll be coming off within the next half hour. Cereal
time. Try every way you can think of to get the baby to eat cereal off a spoon.
Hold one of his arms over the tray so he doesn’t try to reach things on the
table the entire time. Make silly noises and loud sounds so he looks up at you
while you try to feed him. Get sneezed on while holding the spoon to Tristan’s
mouth, and have to change your beautifully clean t-shirt as it’s covered with
baby cereal sneeze. Give up on the cereal as the baby is starting to fuss.
Clean baby and change his clothes, as predicted.
11:20-Make bread in the bread maker for tonight’s dinner.
Warm bottle for baby. Switch over laundry. Realize that Brendan has been
playing LeapPad since 8:25. Oops. Take it away, and send him down to the
playroom to play with toys. Put baby in bouncer (clean up his barf a number of
times because you didn’t let his tummy settle enough from cereal), and fold
clothes as if you’d win a million dollars if you complete this task fast
enough. Let the dog out.
11:35-Bottle time. Realize while you’re feeding the baby,
that the dog wants back in. She barks, and scratches, and barks, and barks.
Have to call Brendan up from his toy enjoyment to let the dog in as you’re
still feeding the baby. Thank him for being so awesome. Let baby’s tummy settle
while you get to watch a little TV (not long enough for a full show, though).
Tristan starts to fuss.
12:05-Put baby down for another nap. Have a battle with
Brendan over cleaning up his piles of toys in the basement that have been
growing for 3 or 4 days now. Threaten to not feed him lunch until it’s done.
Mental note: “threatening ‘no lunch’ actually works.”
12:15-Make lunch for yourself and Brendan. Peanut butter and
jelly, again, as you’re already making it for B (and it’s quick and easy). Yum.
Open mail while you eat your lunch.
12:40-Clear table of lunch dishes. Get shoes and socks on,
coats out, as we’ll be leaving for an errand as soon as the baby wakes up.
1:15-Baby wakes up. Put away the clothes you folded before
Tristan’s nap. Get baby out of bed and change his diaper. Make bottle and warm.
Let the dog out. Set the baby in the counter top bouncer and give a binky. Hand
wash the lunch dishes and already used bottles as you wait on warming bottle,
popping a binky back into the baby’s mouth 3 more times. Spill water while
doing dishes all over the front of your shirt. Change into shirt number 3 for
the day. Remember to let the dog back in.
1:35-Feed Tristan his bottle. Burp the baby, put on coats, and
pack up.
2:05-Leave the house carrying a diaper bag, purse, keys, and
the pumpkin seat just for a trip to Target. Shop for a gift for a Birthday party
this weekend. Call to RSVP for the party on your way home.
3:35-Get home. Put Tristan (still in his pumpkin seat) on
your bed and shut the door since he’s still sleeping from Target. Let the dog
out. Open Brendan’s new game he bought with his allowance money at Target and
play with him until the baby wakes up. Let the dog back in.
3:50-Tristan wakes up in the middle of our game. Warm his
bottle, and let him watch us play while in his counter-bouncer until the bottle
is warm. Run downstairs because you just remembered you were doing laundry,
like 4 hours ago. (Thankfully it was just spit rags and bibs left in the
washer. No need to rewash because of wrinkles…this time). Change Tristan &
then feed.
4:30-Start a game of Lego Batman up for Brendan on the Xbox 360.
Set Tristan in table-bouncer on the floor in the kitchen and start dinner.
5:15-Let the dog out. Take a picture of Tristan because he’s
getting too big, too fast. Let the dog back in.
5:40-Sanitize bottles while dinner is cooking. Let dog out
& back in again. Prepare Tristan’s cereal.
5:50-Since Ryan is running late coming home from work,
attempt to feed the baby cereal while simultaneously cooking dinner. Marvel at
your own multi-tasking skills when Tristan eats all of his cereal, is cleaned
up, and dinner is not burned. Mommy bonus points awarded.
6:00-Breathe a sigh of relief as Ryan returns from work. Let
Brendan bombard him with his energy, and need for attention, while you focus on
finishing dinner and taking care of the littlest one. Get asked, “what can I do
to help?” and are reminded why you are the luckiest wife and mother ever.
6:20-Have Brendan feed dog. Ryan takes over when Brendan is
dancing around so much that he’s dropping dog food all over the floor.
6:30-Let dog out. Let dog back in.
6:35-Have the boys set the “table” (the couch and tray table
for Brendan, all in the living room) and sit down for family dinner while
watching a series called “The Bible” on TV.
6:40-Get up from family dinner to put Tristan down for a
nap, as he’s acting extremely tired. It works, first time.
7:30-Baby wakes up. Warm a half-bottle to hold him off until
true bedtime, and start Brendan’s bath. Challenge him to take the “fastest bath
ever” so he can have a little time to watch the hockey game and play hockey
with Daddy. Then time him. Are truly shocked when you get bath done, dressed,
hair combed, & teeth brushed in under 10 minutes. A new record! While this
speed bathing was going on, Ryan does dishes (you guessed it…hand-washing)
while Tristan watches from the bouncy-seat on the kitchen floor.
7:45-Let dog out. Let dog back in.
7:50-Move away rug and furniture from the main stretch of
the living room floor. Ryan and Brendan play hockey while watching the game.
8:15-Pause playing hockey for some quiet time to feed
Tristan.
8:30-Game on. Ryan and Brendan play some more hockey while
you and Tristan play on the couch, out of harms way.
9:10-Hockey ends when Brendan breaks one of the rules:
playing too close to the baby. (After being warned plenty of times). Brendan
throws a temper tantrum…threatens to not let you read a book to him. Goes into
his room for some ‘lonely time.’ Comes out in under a minute, and informs you
he’s picked out some book choices. (Guess he’s not coming through on his “no
reading” threat). Ryan sets Brendan up in bed while you warm the last bottle of
the day. Ryan bribes Brendan with being able to play LeapPad tomorrow after
breakfast again, if he acts like a big boy at bedtime. You enter the boys’
bedroom just in time for prayers. Grab Tristan’s duckie, leave Ryan and B for
storytime, and get to work settling the baby down before his bedtime.
9:20-Ryan’s out of the room to find the lights off in the
house, television volume turned down, and you and Tristan in the living room
(he’s in his counter bouncy-seat…again). Baby flails his arms, giggles and
babbles, while you and Ryan wind down a little on the couch (in the dark).
9:40-Tristan starts making angry grunting sounds, your cue
that it’s time to eat. Realize that it’s your night to feed the baby his last
bottle. Yay. Change him into pjs, good-night lotion, and Ryan brings in the
warm bottle. Feed the baby. Do one of your favorite things while feeding
Tristan: say your prayers. Thank God for all the little things you are so
grateful for in your life. The moments (as described here, and otherwise). Try
to remember every time that you smiled throughout the day, and give thanks for
each, as these moments are all gifts from God. Feel amazed that He chose you to
be you: that He blessed you with these two wonderful boys (1 asleep in the bed
across from where you rock the 1 that is almost asleep), and an amazing husband
to walk through life with: a husband who is your support, your strength, and
sometimes your relief if you need it. And feel grateful that you are fortunate
enough to do this all again tomorrow, and the days that follow, because you
have become the mother you always wanted to be.
10:00-Come out of the boys’ room, crack open a beer, and
relax. Wish that you had enough energy to watch one of your many DVR-ed shows,
but know that you’re a realist, and it’s not going to happen. Dog proof the
living room, and head to bed. Break out your Kindle to read a book, and put it
down after only reading a few pages. You’re just too tired….again.
