A Day in the Life of Emerson (Part 2)

Several weeks ago, I wrote a post on what a typical day looked like for Emerson. I wrote about the routine (or lack thereof!) that we had during my maternity leave. Now that I am back at work, Emerson's days are a bit different and a bit more structured. We are all adjusting to the 'new normal' that comes with me being a working mom. Our mornings now start a little before 6AM. I will get myself ready and then either Boomer or I will go in to get Em around 6:30AM (depending on if Boomer has left for work yet). The hour or so I spend with her after that is very precious, and it goes by quickly with changing her diaper, feeding her, and pumping. Grammy arrives around 7AM to provide an extra set of hands. When I leave for work around 7:30AM, Grammy Daycare begins. Grammy may spend a little more time at the house, perhaps feeding Em or changing her out of her pajamas. Most days, they then go to Grammy and Grandpa's house, when Em will fall asleep for her morning nap. 

Sometimes this nap may last for just the 10-minute car ride, or sometimes, it is much longer (1 to 2 hours!) At first, my mom worried about keeping Em in her car seat, but as you can see, she doesn't seem to mind! After napping, Grammy plans a lot of fun activities for the day. They may visit Great Gma and Great Gpa... 

...or they may visit Mommy at work!

This picture was from this past Tuesday. Grammy and Grandpa had an errand to run in Greensboro, so they stopped by my office. It definitely brightened my day, and I enjoyed showing off my little girl. My coworkers loved seeing Emerson. Most of them had met her at our office Christmas party in December, and they all remarked how much she has grown since then. Grammy and Grandpa said that they would be back again and we would go out to lunch!

In the afternoons, if the weather is nice, Grammy may take Em on a walk around the neighborhood. All that fresh air means Em gets sleepy again, so she may have her afternoon nap in the stroller. 

Grammy has a double stroller, and on one day this past week, Maddox filled the front seat. He wasn't feeling too well and had to stay home from daycare. Maddox and Em got in some cousin time, while still maintaining a healthy distance. Grammy was extra careful to make sure they didn't share germs! If the weather doesn't cooperate for an afternoon walk, Em may take her nap indoors in the Pack 'n Play.

Throughout the day (and when she is not sleeping!), Em plays with all the different toys at Grammy and Grandpa's house. She loves kicking around on her boppy, pulling (and chewing) on the rings that hang down on the arch activity gym, and just generally being spoiled by her grandparents!

When the workday is over, Boomer and I rush home as soon as we can. Most days, Grammy will bring Em back to our house, but sometimes I pick her up there. On the best days, I'm reunited with my little girl around 5:30PM. On the days when traffic is heavy or work goes a little long, it's closer to 6PM. I haven't quite figured out making dinner yet. In the ten days of work so far, I've only cooked once (yikes!) Grammy has cooked dinner a couple of times (have I said how thankful I am for her??), and we have also gone out to eat, done take-out, or had leftovers. Since Emerson is not very mobile and is agreeable to being in her car seat, we've continued to eat out like we did pre-baby. Let's be honest, I didn't cook much then either! 

After dinner, we play with Em for a little bit until it nears bedtime. If it is a bath night, play time is in the bath. Barring major spit-ups or blowouts, we give Em a bath 2-3 times a week.

Around 8PM or 8:30PM, Em will start showing signs that she is sleepy. I've gotten pretty good at reading these signals: yawning, sucking on her hand, becoming squirmy when we are holding her but then also does not want to be put down. I'll take her into her nursery for the last feeding and a few bedtime songs. Even if she falls asleep in my arms, she generally wakes when I am putting her in her crib. I haven't mastered the smoothest transition yet, but she seems to like her crib and doesn't fuss. I'll watch her from the monitor in our room, and she is usually out within 10 minutes. Boomer and I stay up a little longer, watching The Bachelor tv and unwinding from the day. During this time, I find myself looking at my phone at the pictures and videos of Em. Although I am tired and dread the sound of the alarm clock, I look forward to when I will see her again in the morning!