A Typical Day in Our Lives.

Wake up at 7ish to Stella kicking my sides while tossing and turning – making little squeaks and grunts and other cute baby sleep noises. Pull her close, try nurse her back to sleep. Wake up for real a few minutes later to a wide-eyed smiling baby playing with my bangs and grabbing at my lips. Pull her close and hug her. Also, nibble her ear and nuzzle her chubby little cheeks.

8ish: Unglue baby’s open mouth from my face and tightly curled hands from the hair on the back of my head. When this is achieved, scoop baby up and roll out of bed to nursery for morning diaper change. Whisper baby conversation and marvel at the absolute freaking beauty of my offspring. Chuckle to myself when I note there has been no overnight dipes leakage. HAHA. Shaneen 1, diaper 0. I win today. Put baby in crib and turn mobile while trying not to trip over frenzied doggies excited for backyard squirrel check number one.

830-930: Stumble downstairs with dogs under my feet (wondering why they try to kill me on the stairs when I love them so) to let them out the door for said squirrel check, chicken check and morning doggie tee tee. Go back to retrieve baby and put her in baby k-tan sling. Go back downstairs. Make super-duper strong coffee. Try to wake up and get some major baby lovin time in. Possibly read Itsy Bitsy Spider or Owl Babies. Put Stells in Jumperoo when she’s ready for some screeching and bouncing. Drink coffee and check email & FB, liking many things.

945: Let cats out front of house, then let dogs back in (this comprises a major part of my day; letting animals in and out of their homes). Feed dogs and try not to obsess about them eating their own foods too much. End up yelling at them to “eat your own food!” and “Brando you know you’ll get sick if you eat Mia’s food” and “Mia stop standing over Brands while he EATS!” Brando suffers from chronic UTIs due to a variety of things but requires doctor prescribed dog food. Yes, that is a thing. And its super expensive.

10-11: Kiss husband goodbye as he heads to work. Put Stella in the Beco Gemini carrier and mount the elliptical after dialing up last night’s Daily Show on my laptop. (Hop off shortly after starting to let dogs back out warning them “this is your last trip out for a while guys”). Finish workout. Let dogs back in. Walk out to coop to let hens out for the day. Giggle when they all stampede towards the coolness of the deck and shaded water.

Nap #1 – 11AM

After Stells either falls asleep in the carrier or fusses enough to warrant some nursing to nap time, furiously run around the house in circles trying to decide how to spend this precious hour.

1130: Realize that not every morning nap is an hour. Also realize that I spent my precious ½ hour reading mommy blogs and trimming my bangs instead of cleaning the house. Get Stells up, change her dipes, realize there are none clean, rummage through my purse to find one. Change baby. Pick out adorable outfit. Realize she’s out grown an inordinate amount of clothing so I basically have a handful to choose from. Squeeze her into one as she smiles and squirms. (In between outfit changes, blow raspberries onto soft baby tummy and sing made-up song).

Noonish: Put diapers in washer. Have a little lunch before heading out for some errand. Errand will be either trip to Trader Joe’s (although this usually happens when I realize there is nothing to eat for lunch), or VV (the Thrift Department Store located down the street). Nurse baby Stella.

2ish: Come back a sweaty, exhausted mess; Stells is asleep in her car seat. Enter home with baby and bags in hand only to watch Mia push past us, slip through the door and dart into the street. Realize how much of a freakin mutt she looks like running around the hood with no collar on. Soon, Mia also realizes that she’s a total mutt, lucky we adopted her and runs back up the porch and into the house (probably giving her too much credit for this train of thought but that’s what I hope she thinks). I bring Stells upstairs to my bed after putting groceries away and lie down with her for the BEST nap of the day, the hot afternoon nap which hopefully lasts 2-3 hours.

NAP #2: This is probably the most solid sleep I get in my life these days.

4-5: Wake up and tip toe around the house tidying up before Stells wakes up. Or spend this precious time staring at the glorious human my husband and I created. Nurse and bathe said beauty upon her waking.

5-7: Put chickens back in coop. Put news on TV, Stells in the Gemini, create some dinner, have a glass of wine (hopefully with Anth if he isn’t working), feed dogs (acting as their doorman during this time for squirrel check numbers 2,3,4,5,6 & 7…etc.).

730-8: Put Stells in PJs and night-time diaper. Head to bed to nurse and kiss to sleep.

9-11: Read, browse web on I-Phone, or watch streaming shows or movie on I-Phone in bed while watching THE most gorgeous baby is the world sleep (and intermittently take photos of baby), check email and FB (liking a lot of things). OR if Anthony is home, sneak back downstairs to catch up or watch a Deadwood episode and eat some ice cream.

Midnightish: Fall asleep grateful and incredibly, I’m looking forward to doing the whole damn thing again tomorrow.