managing it all

I feel like I’ve been in a blogging funk since I returned to work. I think I’ve actually been in a socializing funk for a while. I’ve been trying hard to stay organized, but it’s sometimes getting the best of me.

Wednesday night, I thought I had it down. I had to pick the baby up from daycare, as well as check on my mom’s dog. (Both my husband and my mom had to work late.) I got the baby home, in his exersaucer, and I was able to get a load of laundry started and dinner on the stove before the baby got hungry. Husband got home 10 minutes before dinner was ready. (I then fed the baby and we let dinner simmer until the baby was finished.)

The baby has an early-ish bedtime now. So at 7, I gave him his bath and we read stories to him while getting him ready for bed. He was in his crib at 7:30, when I finally went downstairs to work out.

I probably should have gone to bed extra early that night, because the baby woke up twice before 6 a.m., leaving both of us exhausted yesterday. (That doesn’t include when I got him up at 10 to eat.) But I didn’t go to bed early. Instead, after I exercised, I showered and then prepared the diaper bag for the next day (the gDiapers are prepped, and milk is pulled from the freezer to thaw and bottles are prepared.)

Those are my typical evenings these days. My mornings are crazier. I wake up at 5:45 or 6 (I try for 5:45, but when he doesn’t go back to bed until 5, I can’t help but hit snooze.) I then have to get ready for work and eat breakfast before the baby wakes. I then feed him and get in one pumping session. Finally, I have to wash dishes/pumping accessories/bottles, finish preparing the bottles (it’s like a game, trying to make sure we get the most out of the bagged milk and don’t waste anything!) Then it’s a race to get both of us (me plus baby) ready, bags in the car and to daycare before 8:15. That part isn’t always the challenge since the sitter is 3 houses away. The worst part is my husband leaves for work around 7, and he can’t really any of this stuff for me.

My lunch dates involve the baby. Rather than adding yet another pumping session to my morning and two at work, I go home to feed the baby. Tonight, we have a date night planned. I have to pump 5 times today to stay on top of everything. Talk about exhausting – and maybe a little too much information to be shared on my blog. It’s my blog, though, so I guess I’ll share what I want. 🙂

I didn’t go to ceramics class this week. Part of it was related to the weather (rain moving in was heavy) and part of me didn’t want to lose that one hour of playtime with the baby. He was super fun that evening. It was the same evening I took the video I shared in his 20-week post.

I’m still trying to figure out this working mom thing. And still be a good wife and a decent friend. Notice I didn’t mention anything about cleaning? Well, that happens on the weekends. There is no rest.

So if I owe you a lunch date or any other meet-up, I apologize. I will be back one day. Hopefully sooner, rather than later.