A Day in the Life of Emerson (Part 3)

Over the last year or so, we've experienced a lot of changes to say the least! During my maternity leave and then again when I went back to work, it seemed that life as I knew it drastically changed, and it took a few days (or weeks!) for all of the Kennedys to adjust. Just about the time we settled in, we would face the next big change and go through a time of transition once again. (As a look-back, check out A Day in the Life of Emerson and A Day in the Life of Emerson (Part 2).) With my new job and the start of daycare, our routine is again different and new. It is funny to look back at my old posts when bedtime was around 9PM or we didn't leave the house until 10AM! Over the last month, we have mostly settled in to what is now the 'new normal.' I've alluded to the daily rhythms of our family in other posts, but I wanted to document what a typical day now looks like for the Kennedys.

During the week, my alarm goes off at 5:15AM. I am not a snoozer, unlike someone else I live with...:), so I get right up at the first sound. In the next 30 minutes, I get myself mostly ready for the day by assembling my pump parts, taking a shower, and putting on makeup. Around 5:45AM, I go in to the nursery to wake Emmy. Sometimes Boomer or I open her door a few minutes before 5:45AM so that she can begin waking up on her own. I don't particularly like waking her up, but I love seeing her in the morning. She looks so sweet sleeping in her crib. She mostly sleeps on her belly now, with her bottom up in the air. She tends to snuggle up to the railings, so usually I will find her in one corner of the crib. I sing our "Good morning" song as she rubs her eyes and usually pops up onto all fours or onto her bottom.

In the next 30 minutes, I change her diaper, get her dressed, and then nurse her. Although I scoffed at mothers who said nursing was such a special bond, here at the end I am finally starting to feel that way. The morning is the only time that I nurse her now, and it is a time for just the two of us. We are both similar in that we like to wake up slowly, so Emmy will usually close her eyes again and snuggle in against me. Sometimes we may have a small hiccup with nursing, i.e. literally a hiccup that is a bit watery or a cough that turns in to spit-up, which is why I do not have my work clothes on yet. These mishaps are rare these days, but I still take precautions! While I didn't always enjoy nursing, I do enjoy this time now, mostly because it is the most quiet and calm time of the day for Emmy and me. Daddy is getting ready during this time, and we synchronize for both Daddy and Emmy to be ready to go out the door between 6:15AM and 6:20AM. Most days, Emmy puts up a fight to go in to her car seat, but after she is strapped in, she is content again. 

Daddy and Emmy head out the door! Is there anything more attractive than a man with a car seat on his arm?! :) 

It has been such a big help that Boomer does drop-off in the mornings. When I started my new job, the logistics of me doing drop-off, pumping, and arriving at my school on time would make for a stressful morning. Boomer readily agreed to take on all drop-off duties. As Emmy gets older, I think it will be a special time for them to bond, just as I do with Emmy while she is nursing and during pick-up in the afternoons. Once at daycare, Boomer says that Emmy no longer cries [everyday] when he drops her off. Since Emmy is one of the first ones to arrive, Ms. Tia is able to show her extra attention. Boomer says that Ms. Tia will usually take Emmy from him and hold her. We've found that, while she likes to play and be independent in the afternoons, in the mornings she still likes to be held and cuddled. 

After Boomer and Emmy have left the house, I have about ten minutes to get dressed, touch up my hair, gather all of my things, and get out the door. Right now, I pump during my commute to (and from) work -- a great use of the 40-minute drive! I have a very crowded passenger seat!

My workday is 7:30AM to 3:30PM. I posted a few pictures of my space earlier, but here is an updated picture of where I spend my days, the ESHS College & Career Center. 

There may be some days that I stay later than 3:30PM for meetings or gate duty, but I have tried to be very conscientious about leaving on time. If I do, I'm able to get to Winston-Salem while the traffic is still light, and then it's on to Kernersville. I arrive at Emmy's daycare between 4:15PM and 4:30PM. If the weather is nice and if Daddy has to work late, we may go for a walk around the daycare in downtown Kernersville. 

Sometimes, Grammy will meet us to walk and for a special treat at one of the local bakeries. Last week, Emmy tried a few bites of cupcake and played pony with Grammy.

Leaving the daycare, Emmy usually isn't too happy when we put her in the car seat...

...but she settles down by the time we pull out of the parking lot. The day usually catches up with her, and she is due for a nap. If Emmy and I come straight home from daycare, we will arrive around 4:45PM. If we go for a walk or meet Grammy, it may be closer to 6PM. Once home, it's a bit of a process getting everything unloaded and inside. I unpack and repack my lunch box, put the dirty bottles in the sink to be washed later, refrigerate the milk from the day, and wash out any clothes (if Emmy had a blowout!) Sometimes, Emmy will still be asleep in her car seat. I carefully move her inside so that she can continue her cat nap while I get everything put away. 

When she wakes up, she may explore around the house...

...or play in [or under] her exersaucer. 

We are always excited when Daddy arrives home! 

Boomer will jump right in to feed Emmy her dinner of rice cereal or baby food. 

Then, Boomer and I will eat dinner while Emmy plays for a little bit longer before bedtime. 

This is assuming that we eat dinner at home! If we go out to eat, which is probably too common, then Boomer will meet us at a restaurant after we leave the daycare. Either going out to eat or staying in, we usually start bedtime around 6:30PM. If it is a bath night, we start that process a little earlier, around 6PM. We usually do baths on Wednesdays and Saturdays, barring any major blow-outs or spit-ups. 

Boomer and I together wrangle Emmy into a dry diaper, her pjs and sleep sack. She very quickly goes from our pleasant, happy Emmy to a fiery little hornet. We can't quite figure out what upsets her about changing into her pjs, except perhaps she is sleepy and ready for the day to be done. She becomes happy again when Boomer scoops her up and we brush her teeth. We've been brushing her teeth for quite awhile now, since her first teeth poked through around 3 months, and she is fairly cooperative. She loves to suck on the toothbrush. Then it's to the nursery for the bedtime bottle. Emmy will generally drink 7-8 ounces, dozing off during the last ounce or so. Each night varies just a bit: sometimes she falls asleep in my arms; other times she may still be awake. Sometimes it is a smooth transition to the crib; other times, her eyes will open and she may cry for a little bit. She generally cries no longer than a couple of minutes. She's asleep and dreaming by 7PM. 

The day is not quite done yet. After putting Emmy to bed, I pump one last time, around 7:30PM. Then Boomer and I both head to the kitchen to wash bottles and get ready for the next day. Some nights, it is a daunting task, but we make quick work of it as a team. We generally talk more about the day and what's ahead tomorrow. 

Whew! The day is done! It is around 9PM, and Boomer and I unwind in different ways: Boomer is usually watching some sport while catching up on work emails; I am watching Bachelor in Paradise and scrolling through Facebook. Some days we will sit together and flip between the two channels. Not the most romantic end to the day, but 'tis the life of new parents! :) Bedtime for me is around 10PM, and Boomer a little later than that. 

I know I usually write my blog posts about the weekends and the fun things that we do on those two days. And it's true, we are excited when it is Friday and we have a break from the labeling, the alarm clock, the drop-off and pick-up. Even though we love the weekends, I wanted to be sure and capture our life during the rest of the week, the mundane but memorable moments that make up our life right now.