7:10am: G is ready for work so he takes over with Kate and I go upstairs to finish getting ready.
7:25am: I kiss my loved ones and I’m out the door. G will be leaving soon to take Kate to daycare and head to his office, but I need to leave earlier than usual because I have a chiropractor appointment before work. I’ve been seeing a chiropractor on and off ever since I injured my hip a few years ago when I overtrained for a half marathon.
7:30am: Arrive at my chiro appointment. Snap, crackle, pop, and I’m on my way.
7:40am: I didn’t have a chance to eat breakfast this morning–or make coffee (gasp!)–so I stop at Panera Bread on my way to work and get a Breakfast Power Sandwich (their big-shot name for a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich–although I’ll admit, I feel a little more powerful eating it), and a coffee.
A Pink song comes on the radio. I have no willpower when it comes to Pink, so I crank it up and turn into that annoying girl in the car next to you who is dancing and singing at the top her lungs at 7:45 in the morning.
8:00am: Arrive at work. All work, no play.
Okay, that’s another lie. I actually have a great time at work–helped, primarily, by the fact that one of my best friends (Jill) is four offices down from me.
5pm: Home from work and back with my family! I feed Kate dinner (pasta in a tomato basil sauce, avocado bites, and sliced grapes), and get started on fixing dinner for me and G to eat later after Kate goes to bed.
5:30pm: Kate is done eating so G and I wash her up and take her into the living room for playtime. She has become more confident in her walking lately and G and I sit across from each other on the living room floor and cheer as she walks between us!
Walking to Daddy:
We don’t usually have the TV on when Kate’s awake, but I’m SO INTO all this political drama in our state (Wisconsin) right now with Governor Walker’s Budget Repair Bill. Mostly I’m in awe of all the protesting that’s currently happening at our State Capitol. It’s incredible to see so many people coming together to have their voices heard!
6:30pm: I put Kate to bed, pour a glass of wine and then finish making dinner. On the menu tonight is Cheesy Chicken Roll-Ups–one of G’s favorites.
Lay it out:
UPDATE: Because I’m now seriously concerned you will all hunt me down, egg my house, and steal my wine if I don’t share this recipe, here you go:
Cheesy Chicken Roll-Ups
4 chicken breasts (pounded to 1/4″)
4 slices thin ham
crumbled feta cheese
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
10 T. garlic and herb (or veggie) cream cheese
1/2 c. light cream or half-n-half
Preheat oven to 350. Place 1 ham slice on each piece of pounded chicken, top with feta cheese. Roll chicken to enclose filling. Fold ends under and secure with toothpicks. Dip chicken rolls into milk, then breadcrumbs to coat. Place rolls seam side down on greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Bring cream to simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese; blend well. Pour sauce over cooked chicken rolls.
My notes: G loves the cheese sauce topping, so I make lots of it using the whole tub of cream cheese (the smallest size) and the entire (pint?) carton of half-n-half.
7:00pm: I put dinner in oven and clean up the kitchen.
7:30pm: G and I sit down and eat dinner together. He of course praises me for my mad cooking skills and I assure him he can repay me in backrubs.
8pm: I spend the rest of my night watching Grey’s Anatomy (one of my favorite shows) with G, and drinking wine.
9pm: Bedtime. I have a ridiculously long bedtime routine that I am religious about. I take out my contacts, wash my face, spend 20 mintues analyzing my face and maybe plucking an eyebrow hair or two, do all sorts of moisturizing, and then I brush and floss my teeth. Last but not least–lip balm and hand lotion before lights out.
1:30am: I wake up and fight the urge to check on Kate. I turn on the video monitor which sits next to me on my nightstand and can CLEARLY SEE that she is fine, yet I still feel the need to get out of my bed, go to her room, and at least reach an arm in to make sure the room is a comfortable temperature–just like I do every night, at least once, sometime between the hours of midnight and 3am. This is ridiculous, I tell myself. You’re never going to break yourself of this habit if you don’t just suck it up for one night and GO BACK TO SLEEP! She is totally fine. There is no need to stick your arm in her room/smell for chemicals/listen for her breathing. GO BACK TO BED PSYCHO MOM!!!!
1:35am: I get out of bed to check on Kate.
I TOTALLY agree — moisturizer definitely needs to “sink in”! And, my hubby laughs at my rediculously long bedtime routine, too!
I really like this series you are doing. Maybe you’ve answered this before, but how do you get Kate to sleep so early? I know she wakes up early but I would think she would stay up later. It’s probably just a routine you’ve established but I’m just curious.
PS. I also have to do chap stick and lotion before bed
Thanks for this series! You have inspired me to do my own starting Sunday – mostly so that I can go back and remember this time in my life. I’m happy that you are going to share the recipes! I can’t wait. I might actually make that chicken tonight… The only issue for me using them is that we all eat dinner together as a family (and have since my firstborn was, well, born…even though it’s hard, especially with an infant that is fussy during that time period, we have always done it (please don’t take this as critisizm – everyone does what is right for their own families and I do see the value in getting to sit down as a couple without kids to decompress from the day and have meaningful conversation without dodging peas)…I guess what I’m saying is that I hope the foods you cook for the kiddo are good “family” food too because I cannot wait to make them. One final thought – are avocado bites just cubed avocado or are they something else?
I was totally that annoying girl in the car who was dancing and singing at the top my lungs at 7:45this morning
Never stop checking on her if you wake up and have the urge. She’s your little bambino!! My kids are 6 & 4, I don’t check them in the middle of the night anymore, but I do often sneak in and watch them sleep before I go to bed. Soak it all in and impress it on your heart. Before we know it, they’ll be off to college and we’ll be laying in their empty beds drinking wine and wondering where all the time went… (creepy, I know, just being honest)
You inspire me with your rigid schedule. I would LOVE to have even an ounce of this much structure in my daily routine! How long did it take for you to get into such a good routine?
What video monitor do you use? Do you recommend it?
I’m really liking this series! You really seem like you’ve got it all together and that’s super admirable!
I’m due with my first any day now and I’m really interested to know how the dog is fitting into your lives these days. I notice you didn’t mention her at all in this series – did I miss a post where she’s no longer with you? Or is she around and just not the star – which is totally acceptable.
I’m wondering how our dog will impact our lives once our baby arrives because right now she’s my husband’s baby and I’m really concerned about that once the baby comes.
I still check on my son several times a night and he’s 28 months. And we have a monitor in our bedroom (not video though) and his room is literally across the hall from ours. But yeah, every time I wake up to go to the bathroom, or just before I go to sleep after reading in bed or something I HAVE to check on him, make sure his room is warm enough, make sure he’s all tucked in, etc. Figure I’ll still be doing it when he’s a teenager. Oh well!
I too like to get showered and fresh-breathed before my little ones wake up. I see them so little as it is (since I too work full time) that it makes me feel better to not waste precious baby/kiddo time by getting ready after they’re up. This is also why I am the person who puts her makeup on on the bus. I know that it’s a huge pet peeve for some people, but I’d rather spend 5 more minutes with my kids in the morning instead of working on my face. It’s hard enough getting out of bed to shower before they wake up.
Anyhoo, I am loving this peek into your week, AND I am now having to wipe drool off my desk from going ga-ga over that chicken recipe. It looks delicious!
jbhat
I’m loving this series, too. I like to see how people’s days go and I love getting a post a day! Such a treat!
I feel so much better after reading this knowing that I’m not the only “psycho mother” who wakes in the middle of the night to check on her baby! My son is almost 9 months old and I do this everynight!
Ditto on loving the series! Its interesting to see how you and G switch back and forth taking care of Kate. My husband and I don’t have any kids yet but you give me hope that when we do we’ll be able to find balance too.
Haha, thanks for making me laugh (cursing the readers while on the elliptical and fearing for your house if you don’t share your recipe)!
I have the same “BIG 3” in the am… and the lotion and the chapstick in the pm! I am a chapstick addict. K, I feel better now!
I would love to know what skin care products you use. You have a wonderful complexion. Mine has changed some since having my son nearly 10 months ago so I’m having to adjust my regimen a bit.