New Reality

I think I'm starting to adjust to my new reality of being mom to four children. But I had forgotten just how busy life can be with a newborn. Although it seems like I'm busy all the time, it also seems like I don't get anything done, except feed Henry.


My typical day goes something like this:

~ 6am - wake up and get a cup of coffee, nurse Henry
~ 6:15 - Cooper comes out to family room and we turn on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
~ 6:30 - Grace joins us in the family room
~ 7:15 - wake up Emma Jo
~ 7:30 - Emma finally gets out of bed and heads towards the shower
~ 8:15 - out the door on the way to school
~ 9am - Henry and I arrive back home - he is hungry and nurses until about 10am
~ 10:15 - shower and get dressed
~ 10:30 - start laundry
~ 11am - pump milk so we can try and get Henry to take a bottle
~ Noon - Henry wakes up and wants to eat - realize I'm famished
~ 1pm - finally get lunch after Henry falls back to sleep
~ 1:30 - fold and put away laundry, try to pick up the house, clean the kitchen
~ 2:30 - Nurse Henry
~ 3pm - Head out to pick up girls from school
~ 3:30-6pm - either hang out with the girls and help them with homework or take them to soccer practice
~ 5pm - Nurse Henry
~ 6pm-7pm - spend time with Jason and all the kids, eat dinner
~ 7pm-8:30 - nurse Henry
~ 9pm - Bedtime
~ Midnight - Nurse Henry
~ 2am - Nurse Henry
~ 4am - Nurse Henry
~ 6am - start all over again

In addition to the above, I try to fit in everyday life necessities like grocery shopping, doctor's appointments, banking, sewing on Girl Scout patches and buying diapers. Not to mention the baby announcements that are sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be addressed or the Thank You notes that have yet to be sent. Then on top of everyday life, we are gearing up for a major home remodel and addition. That involves cleaning out closets and cupboards, determining what we can give to charity, what we need to take with us during the move and what can be put in storage for the next six months. It also involves trips to the Building Department and excursions to the Bath & Kitchen store and visits on-line to try to pick out a new soaking tub, shower and bathroom fixtures.

Since my day seems to be full now I wonder how I will manage in a few weeks when I go back to work. I'm going to need to figure out how to shower in the morning before I leave the house. The major obstacle I'm facing is worrying that Cooper will wake up while I'm in the shower and he will accidentally hurt Henry while he is trying to help. Maybe I could leave the family room TV turned to a cartoon and Cooper will migrate out there on his own? Then I'm going to have to figure out how to get us all out of the house an hour earlier than we leave currently. Henry is going to have to start sleeping better for that to be a possibility. And actually with the temporary move we'll need to leave the house about 20 minutes earlier than we did last year since we will be living further away from daycare and school.

I guess we will continue to take it one day at a time and figure it out as we go.