Day In The Life: Wednesday, January 3rd 2018
“I orchestrate my mornings to the tune of coffee. ”
We are currently in Richmond, British Columbia visiting with family. Read on to see what a day on "vacation" with us is really like. As any parent knows, holidays with children can be more work than a usual day.
5:44am: Linden wakes up for a feed. I consider this sleeping through the night since in Calgary the time is 6:45 and he hasn't adjusted to the time change. After he feeds we put him back down with the hopes of him falling back asleep.
5:50am: Maelle calls out to us because, of course, she hasn't adjusted to the time change either and she's ready to get up and party. I go into her room and tell her she needs to go back to sleep so she has energy for the day. She reminds me that I forgot to give her a "last sip of water" last night and insists on me getting her that last sip now.
6:15am: We are kept awake by the gleeful babbles of a baby who has slept 12 hours and just wants to play. After 30 minutes he has had enough of being alone in the dark closet confined to the pack n' play and cries out for us. Like all seasoned parents, the hubs and I fake sleep for as long as we possibly can until one of us caves and gives in.
6:20am: The husband stumbles out of bed in the hopes of pawning Linden off on grandma to take advantage of what little help we can get while at home. He lets me sleep and I am forever grateful. She is nowhere to be found so he entertains the kid for an hour. When I say entertain I mean throw toys on the ground and scroll through emails, Reddit, and Instagram, keeping one eye on the baby just to ensure he doesn't put his fingers into electric outlets or bang his head on the stone fireplace. This is also the time we thank whatever higher power may be that has gifted us the joy of Maelle falling back asleep.
7:15am: Grandma arrives and takes over for the hubs who, without hesitation, hands Linden over and gets into bed faster than you can say "Hallelujah!"
7:30am: Maelle arises from sleep and grandma gives her some milk and lets her watch some cartoons (a daily routine for us). I wake up and get ready; I actually manage to take a shower and blow dry my hair which never happens in Calgary mainly because sleep trumps looking put together.
8:15am: Grandma serves breakfast. Waffles, whipped cream, and an apple. My mom isn't any ordinary grandma, enhancing Maelle's eating experience with some awesome food art. Impressive, I know.
9:15am: It's time for Linden's first nap. He has a feed and is put to sleep in his closet-bed where he naps peacefully for an impressive 2.5 hours. We end up having to wake him so we could make it over to my in-law's house.
10:45am: Maelle has second breakfast - she is a legitimate hobbit - this time its oatmeal. She snacks constantly. If I took the time to write every snack or meal she had this post would be far too long.
12:00pm: Linden is woken up and we get him dressed, give him a feed, and load the car up to make the journey to Nana and Papa's apartment.
12:40pm: We open presents, play, and catch up with Nana and Papa. Nana is given a run for her money as Maelle insists on her playing camping and Nana and Papa's expensive belongings are also tested as Linden crawls and grabs for anything within reach. We enjoy a tea and home baked cookies together.
2:45pm: Back in the car we go, leaving behind the toddler and the hubs to spend the night there, as I try to time my trip back to Richmond so that Linden can take his second nap on the go. It works perfectly and he sleeps soundly for a short nap.
3:30pm: I meet up with my oldest friend (basically family) who has a 2-year-old and a baby on the way and we catch up on life. We never miss a beat when it comes to our friendship and although we don't see each other often we always make a point of keeping in touch.
6:00pm: Dinner time for Linden. He eats a puree of pumpkin, apple, and beef and has some watermelon and bread on the side. He is a bit fussy as he is cutting another couple of teeth, but a fussy Linden is still easier than the average baby so I can't and won't complain.
6:30pm: I FaceTime with Maelle and wish her a good night. Thank goodness for technology. It makes the distance a little more bearable. Time to wind down for bed. Linden is given a final feed and his bedtime routine is completed and he is put down to sleep where the day began. I say a silent prayer that bedtime has arrived and I can relax at least until the next time I'm called to duty.
7:30pm: My sister, brother, and I order Vietnamese food and eat dinner together. We just relax as we would have done before I had kids. We play video games, visit with my aunt and grandma, and chat.
9:00pm: I write and edit this blog post. I want to be intentional about keeping up with this blog. I would like to write at least once a week. The challenge will come when we are back in Calgary and the husband is away and all of my time and energy is poured into the kids. I don't know if I'll have the motivation to write a post but I sure want to try!
11:30pm: Time for bed. This is definitely an early bedtime for me. But I am trying to go to sleep earlier. It is one of my New Year's resolutions. I watch Netflix - Friends of course - until I nod off.
