Schedule Success

Dear Ash,

I think we're finally getting a pretty good schedule down for you.

We start in the morning around 8:30. That's when you wake up for the day. We change your diaper and, depending on when you woke up during the night, we feed you. We sing some songs and read some books and just play together for a while.

After you get tired of that, we move into the living room, where you play on your play mat while mommy does dishes and laundry. You love your play mat. Your favorite thing about it is the mirror. You love to sit and talk to yourself. You also love the hanging elephant. You always try to get it in your mouth. It's fun to watch you play.

After that, mommy gets your bath all ready and we have bath time! You love bath time, but you hate getting out of the bath, because it's so cold. I always have to calm you down before I can even get you dressed. You also hate when mommy cleans out your nose (which, when I have to, I do it right before your bath). After your bath, your little fuzz hair always sticks up and looks adorable. When you're all clean and dressed in a cute outfit for the day, we sit on the bathroom counter (well, I sit you on the bathroom counter and stand while I hold you up) and let you look at yourself in the mirror some more.

We usually have some time after your bath to play more before it's time for your nap. I sit you on my lap and let you practice grabbing some of your toys. You love to try and get things into your mouth. You always will stuff both your fists in your mouth at the same time. It's hilarious. Sometimes we'll sit and watch a couple of minutes of Signing Time. You seem to really like it, but it doesn't ever hold your interest for very long.

About two hours after you woke up, you take a nap. Ever since Sunday, you've napped so well. It's such a nice change. You usually sleep for an hour and a half to two hours. Sometimes you wake up after forty five minutes and start making noises, but if I leave you for a few minutes, you go back to sleep for another forty five minutes.

When you wake up again, we do basically the same thing, minus the bath. I feed you, change your diaper, and then we play. Two hours you go back down. I usually feed you again right before you go down, even though it has only been two hours. If I don't, you wake up from your nap early hungry.

Then you wake up and we repeat. About the time you wake up, Daddy gets home from work and he gets to play with you for a little bit. It's so cute the way you light up when you see him. You already love your Daddy so much. Then we make dinner while Daddy works out with Spencer. Around six or six thirty, you go down for a catnap. You usually only sleep for about forty five minutes, but I wake you up after an hour if you are still asleep.

When you wake up, I feed you and change your diaper. Then we get to do our calcium. You love your calcium, but it's a little tart and you make the cutest faces while I give it to you. Then we change into a sleeper and play for awhile. After about an hour, you start getting grumpy. The last hour before you go down for the night is your toughest period still. The only thing that really keeps you happy is walking around. So usually what we do is clean the kitchen together.

A little before nine, we go into your room, make sure your diaper is clean, read a book together and then I swaddle you. You don't really like being swaddled (but, unfortunately, won't sleep without it), so I calm you down and then sing you a song. Then I put you in your crib and you go right to sleep for me. You sleep for about an hour and then wake up. I go in, feed you, change your diaper, and put you right back to sleep. Then I just feed you as you wake up. Your waking patterns during the night are still a little sporadic, but you've gradually been sleeping longer and longer. Two nights ago, you slept eight hours--10:30 to 6:30--for the first time! I was so happy. Last night wasn't quite as good, but we'll just keep working on it.

And then the next morning, we do it all over again.

I was a little worried before becoming a mother that it would be too hard or boring. I guess there are times I get a little bored, but I'm not overwhelmed by monotony or anything. Maybe I keep busy enough or maybe you're just a really entertaining baby.

The truth is, though, that I love this. I love staying home with you and watching you grow. I love that you smile every time I look your way and I love the way we play together. I love taking care of you. I love keeping the house clean and organized. I love making all the bread and dinners and breakfasts and snacks and on and on. I love that I'm getting better at cooking and baking. I love that I have time to work on my own stuff, to write and work on starting a little side business to complement Benjamin's. I love having little craft projects--currently I'm working on Benjamin's birthday present--and being able to do some of the things I've found on Pinterest that I want to try. A lot of books and people talk about finding the thing you are good at, something you are really passionate about and making that your full time job. I feel that I've done that. This is what I've always wanted to do and I think I'm really good at it. I know that some women are career women and really love being in the corporate world and being in the workforce. I think that's awesome. For me, though, I cannot imagine that.

I have the life I have always wanted. Here, at home, with you.

Love,
Mom