A Day in My Life

I had a friend tell me the other day, "you make motherhood look easy!" This was a huge compliment for me because I typical feel like a hot mess just trying to get through the day in one piece! She then went on to ask me how I do it and what my days typically look like so I got to thinking....

Long before Lucas was born, I knew I would be a working mother. While I could have chosen to stay-at-home, our lifestyle would have taken a hit and we very much enjoy the things we have and are able to do. That being said, I also knew it wasn’t going to be easy working a full-time job and caring for a baby. Ask any mother and she’ll tell you that having a child is like having a full-time job in and of itself, so add in 40 hours outside the home and man, it’s an exhausting proposition.

I have been back to work now for exactly two months, and as hard as it is to be away from my beautiful boy every day, I do it happily, knowing that I am contributing financially to our household and providing him with the best life we can. I also know that for me, I need to have the adult interaction and the time apart. That little boy fills my heart with so much love and joy, but I need to be something other than his mother. I need to feel like I am a part of something else. Now, please do not misunderstand, I have plenty of stay-at-home mom friends and I give them so much credit for what they do. It’s not at all what people think, unless you are filthy rich and have a nanny that helps every day, a stay-at-home mom works just as hard, if not harder, than a working mother.

I drop L off at a wonderful daycare center every morning on my way to work putting complete and total trust in them that he will be clean, dry, happy and fed throughout the day. I can then go to work and do my job with 100% focus. After work I am able to pick him up and truly enjoy our time together.

But like I said, it’s not easy. I have plenty of days where I struggle just to get out of bed, depending on how well (or badly) Lucas slept. I have mornings where I can’t get out of my own way and forget something vital (like a nipple for his bottles) at home and have to go all the way back to get it. I started thinking “what does my day truly look like?” And in thinking about it I got kind of a chuckle, I am really living my life in three hour increments. I’m squeezing things in where I can, and trying to balance the rest to the best of my ability. I’m learning to prepare even more ahead of time (sometimes a few days) so my mornings aren’t so crazy and I’m letting go of the small stuff.

What does a Day-in-the-Life look like for me? Well it goes something like this:

3:00am – Nurse & Change Lucas

5:00am – Wake Up; Home Gym Work Out

6:00am – Nurse & Change Lucas

6:30am – Shower & Get Dressed

7:00am – Pack all items for the day (my bag, Lucas’ bag, diaper bag etc)

7:30am – Drop Lucas at Daycare

8:00am – Get to Work

8:30am – Go to Dunks for my already much needed coffee

9:00am – Pump

9:30am – Back to Work

12:00pm – Pump

12:30pm – Back to Work

1:30pm – Quick Lunch at my Desk while Working

3:00pm – Pump

3:30pm – Back to Work

4:00pm – Leave to go get Lucas

4:30pm – Pick Lucas up at Daycare

5:00pm – Unpack my bag, Lucas’ bag & diaper bag, wash and prep Lucas’ bottles for the next day, change out of my work clothes

5:30pm – Make dinner

6:00pm – Feed Lucas (usually while eating my own dinner one handed)

6:30pm – Play time with the boy

7:30pm – Put Lucas to bed

8:00pm – TV / Movie time with Brian

9:00pm – Pump (if I’m not too tired and remember to), Update my personal blog and write my contribution to True Strength of a Fit Mom, lay out clothes, bags, diapers etc for the next day

10:00pm – Bed

11:00pm – Feed & Change Lucas

12:00am – Sleep

3:00am – Start the Cycle Again

As mundane and tiring as it looks when I write it all down, I can honestly say I wouldn’t change one thing. I love my job and the people I work with. I love the time I spend with my child and husband. I love that I’m able to feed Lucas only breast milk. I realized that I am just at a really good place in my life and for the most part, I think I handle it with ease. I know as L gets older things will get a bit trickier with his food, activities, school ect. but I’m trying to take each day at a time. I want to enjoy every phase of his growth and not rush through anything. I am looking forward to him learning new things every day and seeing the world through his eyes and experiences. Being a mom truly is the world’s greatest gift!