Our Routine

Before I had a baby I had an ideal routine (more of those pesky ideals). I somehow thought that having a baby would certainly change things, but I guess I didn't realize how much. Pre-baby outfits were cute with no spit up and I didn't change until I got home from work. Then I only changed into some comfy jeans. As I imagined it, my ideal post-baby routine included clean mom clothes. Clothes and outfits that I would wear on the weekends and not to work. I would also have clean hair and be able to put on some makeup and then dress the baby in cute fuzzy outfits and go out running errands and playing with other moms. I figured that me being highly structured that I could at least manage this simple task. Unfortunately things tend to slide. God knew that I had these ideals so I like to think that He gave me a colicky baby for 5 months to put me in a sleep deprived state of exhaustion so that the new routine is like heaven. I admit that I do have a new perspective. Here is an example.

The morning routine: I get up and nurse the baby and then give him his oatmeal. We have some pajama play time until the pumpkin gets cranky and tired. While he is sleeping, I take a shower and then fix my hair and carefully place bobby pins in the hair to keep it out of my face to apply some makeup (how much make-up I put on depends on the day). After the baby gets up we have an outing, eat lunch, play, and then another nap. The routine continues until bed/bath time with daddy. Throughout the day the baby spits up a lot. A whole lot. So insert frequent tee shirt changes. If I am at home I usually just leave a tee on until I start to smell like spit up and then change. (Leftover from the reflux and the doctor says it will get better, but I really feel that I will have to be cleaning up spit up until this kid goes to college).

Since the baby is taking more consistent naps he has been doing really well on the aforesaid outings. This week he has been especially good so I decided to try to go to the library for story hour. Today I decided that since I was going out in public I should put on some eye makeup and "dress up"a bit more. This just means I put on khakis and a nicer shirt rather than a puked-on tee. I was feeling good. I was clean, didn't smell, and was somewhat coordinated.

The baby got up from his nap, I fed him, and we were off. The library I had found was in the charming neighborhood across the street. Story time was a fun mixture of stories, songs, and was very interactive. The baby had so much fun with the songs and other kids. Afterward a few of us moms sat around and chatted while the babies played. I was feeling good. Like life was getting more bearable and I felt that maybe...perhaps...just maybe that life would return to some kind of normalcy after the 5 months of colicky lack of sleeping horror and dirty shirts.

I got some books to read and after story time the baby and I headed home to eat lunch. He ate his green beans and I ate my sandwich. He actually hates green beans and most of it got all over his jeans and sweat shirt. I changed him and got him down for his afternoon nap. Realizing that I probably had green beans all over me as well I went to change into another tee. As I walked into the bathroom I noticed that my hair looked a bit strange. Oh NO. Horror. I had left all the bobby pins in my hair.

Hum. A new perspective. A new routine. I now officially feel like a mom.

Maybe I life isn't quite back to normal. But then again...will it ever really be?