Thanks for making me feel better about the whole blogging thing. It’s like having a really good friend tell you you’re being stupid. Sometimes you just need to hear it from the outside, you know? I adore you guys. And I won’t be writing any more posts like that in the future. I heard you, loud and clear. Write on!

A Day in the Life

4:00 a.m. – Owen wakes up. I stumbled out of bed into his room. He is standing in the crib, reaching for me and asking to “nuh, nuh, nuh!” (Nurse). We’ve been working on night weaning, but he’s cutting four giant molars all at once and I know the nursing feels good. I also know if will get him back to sleep much faster than any other method, so until those teeth pop through, I’ve put the night weaning on hold. We nurse. When he’s almost asleep I move him to my shoulder for some back patting, then back into the crib. I tip toe out.

4:20ish – Back in bed. Cross my fingers that he will sleep for a few more hours.

5:45 – Owen is awake. Again. Did not sleep a few more hours. Damn teeth. Stumble out of bed, change his diaper. Bring him back to bed with us. “Dada!” he yells, while bopping Michael on the face. “Mmmmm” he says, while leaning in to give Michael a kiss. It’s super cute, but even cuter at seven. I tuck him in between us, pull up my shirt and let him nurse while I try to catch a few more zzz’s. Today is a good day, and he falls back asleep, instead of the days where he prefers to kick me in the stomach and pull the sheet up and down.

7:00ish – He’s awake again; this time for good. I turn on PBS and as Michael and I ease into morning, Owen watches some Sesame Street. Before long, we are all watching Sesame Street. Funny how that happens.  

7:30 – Owen is done being in bed and wants to play. I get up with him and we go downstairs. I stand him up in the living room in front of the window and hand him a sippy cup of water. I let Kodiak out, put breakfast in his dog bowl and check my phone for various emails/social media updates on the couch while Owen begins his morning routine of pointing out all the cars and trucks that go by, while shouting “Doh!” at the window.

7:30-8ish – Owen plays with various blocks and toys while I start the morning. Today that means unloading the dishwasher (while simultaneously keeping Owen from climbing into the dishwasher), wiping down the counters, then pouring myself a bowl of cereal. I usually eat first, as Owen has a belly full of milk and is far too interested in exploring the house first thing to eat anyway.

8:00-8:25 – Ask Owen if he wants to eat. He smacks his lips and makes a lip-smacking sound, his sign for “eat/hungry”. He crawls over to his high chair, I plop him in and hand him a spoon; spoon one of two. He likes to have his own spoon now, thank you very much. I make him some oatmeal and feed it to him with spoon #2, and he alternates between banging spoon #1 on his tray, and shoving it in his mouth full of oatmeal. I make him a flaxseed waffle (I didn’t mean to buy the flaxseed waffles. I meant to buy the blueberry waffles. The packaging confused me because I had just glanced at it quickly and although it said flaxseed, it had pictures of blueberries. Regardless, they taste good.), and cut up some blueberries. He feeds himself while I sit and talk to him.

Deceiving, no?

8:25-8:30 – I clean up his tray and hand him his cup. While he drinks, I vacuum the downstairs to clean up any dog hair/biscuit crumbs that Kodiak has left behind. Owen watches me and points out the vacuum every time I pass by him.

8:33 – Owen is playing again. I start calling up the stairs for Michael to come down and join us. (He’s not a morning person.) After some persisting, he gets up and we follow him around as he does his morning things. We want to go to the beach so we (I) hurry him along.

8:35 – 9 – I change and dress Owen, throw on some clothes myself and make myself an iced chai to go. We load up the car (Kodiak too!) and go to the local bagel shop. Cinnamon raison toasted with cream cheese for Michael; garlic not toasted with veggie cream cheese for me. (Yes, I already had cereal. I’m still hungry!) I eat my bagel on the way to the beach. We park by the water, I take Owen out of the car seat and show him the ocean. Michael finishes his breakfast and joins us on a big rock. I love starting the day this way.

9:35 – We drive a quick loop to give Kodiak some out of the house time, but return before Owen gets too tired. Don’t want him to fall asleep in the car or the whole morning nap will be a lost cause.

9:45 – Back home. Michael gets ready and goes to work. Owen and I read a few books on the couch, but before long he’s resting his head on my shoulder. Upstairs we go!

9:50-11 – Nap routine leads to nap time. I clean up the trail left by Hurricane Owen. Sometimes I use this time to blog or catch up on some freelance work. Today I do neither. Instead, I take a shower and catch up on some shows that I watch when Michael isn’t home. (Drop Dead Diva, The Next Food Network Star), and make my grocery shopping list.

11ish- Owen is awake. I find him sitting his is crib not totally awake yet, doing that half-fuss, half-cry thing. I open the shades, turn off the sound machine and scoop him up into a big kiss. I stand him back in the crib and he turns on his mobile and spends the next 10 minutes playing in the crib while I fold and put away some of  his laundry. He gets a clean diaper, and we head downstairs for a snack.

11:15 – I give Owen a cup of milk. He’s taken to it like a frat boy to beer, so I limit it to one cup a day. He chugs it, head thrown back. While he drinks I prepare a snack for him: banana, zucchini, watermelon. It sounds like a weird combo, but he likes whatever I put in front of him.

11:35 – 12:15 – After snack we play. We stack blocks, throw a ball. I chase him around the house while he crawls as fast as he can. He pulls all his books off the shelf, all my magazines off the table, all his magnets off the fridge. He opens the Tupperware cabinet and pulls them onto the floor. Once he’s bored of all this and starts to fuss, I scoop him up and we head to the store.

12:25 – 1 – We shop. Owen waves to everyone and tries to pull things off shelves. I give him a toy to keep him occupied, but he’d rather have my shopping list. I dig in my purse until I find an empty envelope. This appeases him and lets me pick out cucumbers without him grabbing at them. He charms all the cashiers and it makes me happy seeing him give others joy. We head home.

This was actually taken about a month or two ago. It’s far too hot for jeans and a sweater now!

1:10 – I turn out Sprout, knowing that Sesame Street  airs again at one and will give me a small window of him not getting into trouble. He loves music and dances while I unload the groceries. Today they show a segment with the Dixie Chicks and he is enthralled. The show only entertains him for a bit, though, and before I am done he is beelining it for the garbage can (of course). I catch him before he tries to give it a kiss and give him a plastic container and a spoon to bang on it with. This does the trick long enough for me to finish with the groceries.

1:20 – I rub sunscreen on him, tie on his hat and grab his beach toys. I lay a big round tablecloth I bought for cheap out in the back yard and we spend the next half hour or so outside. Before we go back in, we sit in the patio chairs and rock. He likes to rock himself, and gets mad if I do it for him.

2:00 – Lunch time! Grilled cheese, peas and mango. We work on him NOT throwing food on the floor. He hangs his hand over the side of the tray and says “no, no, no!” because he knows I do not want him to throw it. “On your tray,” I tell him. When he puts the food back on the tray I make a big deal of it and he claps and smiles, knowing he’s done a good job. Then he throws some peas on the floor anyway, because, of course.

2:30 – I change him, and we read a few books in the glider. He nurses, then into the crib. Afternoon naps are met with more of a fight lately, and it takes a little longer — and lots of back patting — for him to go to sleep.

2:50-4:00 – I clean up after Hurricane Owen again. While he naps, I go on the computer, read a magazine and eat my own grilled cheese.

4ish – Owen wakes up. He’s cranky, so I waste no time popping him in the stroller. We walk around town and on the bike path.

4:35 – Back home. I talk to my sister on the phone and feed Kodiak while Owen plays with his toys again. I marvel at how he can be so happy playing with the same things over and over again. Am thankful for that.

5:10 – Dinner time. Egg and spinach quiche, more zucchini and squash. He mmm’s the whole time and makes me laugh. I talk to my mom on the phone and she marvels at how loud he is.

5:35 – I give Owen his bath and get him in his pajamas. While we’re upstairs, Michael comes home. “Who’s home?” I ask him. “DADA!!!!!”

5:40 – 7:00 – Owen plays with Michael. I get into comfy clothes and relax with my family. Owen winds down and we begin bedtime routine.

7:20 -10:45- Owen is asleep. I make dinner and spend time with Michael. We watch some TV and catch up on the day.

11- BED. I am old. And tired.