5:30am: My alarm goes off telling me it’s time to get out of bed and work out. I slap the shit out of it and silently yell, Don’t you know I didn’t get to bed until almost 11pm last night?! Damn thing.
6:45am: I roll out of bed and I’m not happy about it. Greg is already up with Kate, getting her ready for the day, so I take a quick shower and then take over with Kate so G can get ready for work. She’s extra cuddly this morning which is so nice, and she lets me cradle her in my arms like she used to when she was a little baby. Now this is a much better start to my day!
7:30am: G leaves with Kate to take her to daycare on his way to the office, and I race upstairs to get ready for work. It’s only then that I remember I have THIS F-ING HICKEY ON MY NECK, so I grab an orange scarf to go with my jeans and cream sweater, and by 8am I’m off to work.
8:30am: Arrive at work. I work for a nonprofit organization that supports children with mental health issues, and I feel so blessed to have such an amazing job and to serve such a wonderful mission.
Want to see my office?
Of course it’s plastered with pictures of Kate:
The wall-side of my desk, which contains a few work-related things, even more pictures of Kate, some graphic art made by my friend Allison, inspirational quotes, children’s mental health awareness ribbons, my Starbucks mug, lotion, hand sanitizer, a heartfelt note from my co-worker Erin prior to Kate’s surgery, etc.
My most recent addition to the bulletin board is this card I received from my girlfriend Kent–so cute! (See it up there?)
I spend the day working (of course!) and getting a couple of email updates from Miss Debb on how Kate’s day is going, how well she ate, napped, etc. I live for these emails.
4:45pm: I leave work and head home to see my baby girl and baby daddy!
5:15pm: I make it home before G and Kate by a few minutes which rarely happens and feels so weird. Actually being HOME ALONE? It used to be a frequent occurrence pre-Kate, but now feels so strange!
G and Kate soon arrive home and I’m so excited to see them and give great big kisses and hugs to Kate (and G too of course!). I quick get dinner ready for Kate (turkey carrot meatloaf, cheesy broccoli, and baked apples for dessert) and start feeding her. I make as much freezer-friendly food ahead of time as I can for Kate so that I’m able to have a healthy dinner ready for her in a matter of seconds after we all get home.
6pm: G takes over with Kate, and I give her kisses goodnight as I head to the gym for Body Pump class (an hour-long strength training class using low weights and lots of repetition). I’m just starting to really get back into working out, which I feel rather conflicted about because it sometimes means sacrificing my time with Kate to do it. On the other hand it’s been over a year since Kate’s been born and not only am I ready to start getting my old body back, I also know how good it is for Kate and G to have some quality Daddy/Daughter time without me always hovering. It’s a balancing act, and I’ll be honest–I still fall off that tightrope quite a bit.
7:30pm: I get home from the gym and check in with G about how Kate’s bedtime went (great, as always). Then I clean up the kitchen while watching last night’s The Bachelor (I’m rooting for Emily!).
8pm: I relax on the couch with a glass of wine and type up my Week in My Life posts to-date while watching the rest of The Bachelor.
9:15pm: Bedtime.
2:30am: Wake up and check on Kate.
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I am loving these day-in-the-life posts so much! It’s nice to hear how another working mom balances it all.
Also? Care to share any of these awesome recipes? I’m always looking for new healthy recipes (and stuff I can freeze!) for my daughter (21 months).
Thank you so much for sharing these “day in the life posts.” They are SO helpful as I try and figure out the logistics of having a child and what life will look like (in just a few weeks—eek!). I second the above poster. I would love to know which recipes you’ve found work best to freeze and feed Kate. Thanks!!
Glad to know I’m not the only one who cusses the alarm clock in the mornings!
Your office? Makes me happy. My office makes me happy too, but I think I need paper lanterns. I’m buying them for my daughter’s first birthday, so I will be bringing them in to work afterwords. Thanks for the idea! 😉
These are great posts! It makes the insanity of my day feel less depressing when I read about another Mom balancing it all as well.
I LOVE your office and have been inspired to make mine a little less corporate and a little more happy.
Thanks for sharing!
I teach Body Pump- it’s a great (and efficient) way to get your body in shape quickly. If it makes you feel any better, you’ll likely spend less time working out in the long run if you continue taking BP classes and then you’ll have more time to spend with cutie pie Kate!
Tami
I would love it if you did a post of some recipes and what stuff you feed Kate. It all sounds yummy and I’m sure my baby would love it if I learned to make better food for her.
Ditto what the others said… share those freezer recipes!!
When do YOU eat dinner?
Please share the toddler friendly-full of veggies recipes! I would to try some out on my 21 month son!
Love your day in the life posts! I’ve been following your blog since your pregnancy. I am also a working mom to a little girl just one month older than Kate. I am so happy for you and your wonderful part-time working routine (love that you have “Mom-days!”) I too worked part time (30 hrs. a week) from the time my maternity leave ended (when my daughter Emma was 3.5 monthd old) until this past December. I just started working 40 hour weeks in January, and I gotta say…NOT FUN! But I’m sure I’ll find a balance somehow just as I did before and it will be okay
My main reason for commenting was that I wanted to ask you to share some of the recipes you’ve described in your last few posts but I see that several commenters have already beat me to the punch. So I’d just like to chime in and say that I’ve love to see some recipes!!!!!!!
I applaud the fact that you and G have maintained an active hickey life, especially post baby. This increases the odds of there being a sibling some day!
Good for you for working out. I’m impressed!!
jbhat
Ditto the recipe comments. I love Body Pump! You have to try Zumba if you can find a class in your area. It’s totally worth the hour away from my little one!
Ditto recipe requests.
Ditto LOVE for the posts!!
Rock it girl!
I’m addicted to RPM (spin) classes! Sometimes it’s hard to get myself there but it’s a great stress relief and I’m always so happy I went. Good job!
Like every one else I would love to see some recipes or what resource you use; My son is at the stage where he is beginning to eat finger foods and I’m at a loss of what to give… I don’t want it to be boring and your recipes sound good.
Love seeing how another working mom balances it all! This could be a great series that you do every few months since we all know it never stays the same for long!
I have been loving these posts! I have had a crazy week at work so have been out of touch with the blog world but spied you had a whole slew of new posts. I saved them for post-baby-bedtime and enjoyed each one with a glass of wine. Looking forward to the rest of the week!
Thank you for your comments everyone! It’s been fun sharing a typical week with you.
I’m currently in the process of writing those recipe posts, so stay tuned! For those of you whose kids are just entering the finger food stage, one of my favorite websites is http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com. I primarily used it for Kate’s pureed recipes, but they also have some good finger food (and more advanced toddler food) recipes.
@Sara–Good question! On this night I think I snacked/grazed while I was cleaning up the kitchen.
I love your office! I also love to see how much you love your baby girl. Oh, and I also love your “Day in the life” series. But I think I told you that yesterday…
I love your office! I also love to see how much you love your baby girl. Oh, and I also love your “Day in the life” series. But I think I told you that yesterday…
Wonderful posts! You even inspired me to write my own “day in the life”… our typical days are oh so different (I’m currently in dental school and do not have a baby) but still share common female threads with hopes of getting back in shape, vegging out to shows on abc.com, and catching up on blogs. Love it! Thanks for sharing!
I loved this post…thanks!