My little boy is officially four months old. How did this happen?! Instead of a “My Mommy Mind” post to mark the occasion though, I thought I’d write a “Day in the Life” post so you can see what we’re up to everyday.
Over the past month or so we’ve finally gotten into a routine that we can all count on, more or less – until the day I decide to record it, of course! I’ll let you read on to find out what a day in the life of work at home mom of a four month old looks like!
1:15am: My day starts at the ungodly hour of quarter past one with a wakeup call from a hangry baby. This is unusual as Lincoln has been sleeping until at least 3:30am before needing to eat. Me thinks the four month sleep regression is on the horizon which, from what I’ve read, means every nap and nighttime sleep strategy we’ve worked so hard to develop over the past month is about to go to hell in a hand basket for the next 2-3 weeks. Awesome.
5:15am: I hear Lincoln crying again. After I put him down at 1:30, I went to the couch to sleep (ahem, someone was sawing logs.) When I got back upstairs to see what was going on, Ben tells me he’s been up pretty much every 30-45 minutes since 1:30. The 4 month sleep regression is definitely here – BLARG. I take over and feed Lincoln, get him back down around 5:45, then head to bed to catch another hour of shut eye before he’s up for the day.
7:03am: Our day has “officially” begun! I start counting down the days until Google comes out with contacts to replace their glasses so I can blink to take snapshots of Lincoln’s morning smiles. No matter how the previous night went, my heart instantly melts when I see his enormous grin.
7:15am: We head downstairs then open all the blinds before I set him on his activity mat to play while I clean up the kitchen and make coffee. I met with a new friend last week and she asked how my kitchen always looks so tidy in the pictures on my blog. Here’s my big secret – cropping! This is how my kitchen usually looks, especially in the morning:
There’s a sound warp that goes directly from our kitchen to Lincoln’s bedroom so if we’ve made a mess after dinner we usually clean the kitchen the morning after. The previous night Ben and I had randomly decided to make microwaved potato chips (which were amazing) and, while they were a huge success, the kitchen was a disaster zone when all was said and done.
10 minutes later it’s clean so I go to feed and play with my little nugget.
8:05am: Lincoln starts rubbing his eyes so we go up to his bedroom and I walk around with him until he’s drowsy. After I put him down in his bassinet he instantly starts hiccuping. #$%! 10 minutes later the hiccups have stopped, but then Ben tiptoes in to say goodbye and Lincoln wakes back up. And starts hiccuping again. Double @%*! My arm is about to fall off so after another few minutes of bouncing I put him down in his bassinet awake, hoping he’ll fall asleep on his own. He doesn’t. I go back up and after 1 more minute of bouncing, he’s out. A process that usually takes 5 minutes, has just taken 30. Cest la vie! I head off to pump/eat breakfast/answer emails/start a post/return some calls, and then shower for the day.
9:15am: Lincoln wakes up crying instead of cooing which means he’s still tired. I pop a pacifier in his mouth then rock him for 15 minutes before he’s finally back out. That took longer than usual. I finish getting ready then head downstairs to start prepping ingredients for a blog dish I’m testing today.
10:15am: Hooray! I got another 40 minutes out of Lincoln, and he wakes up much happier. We play on a blanket, getting in some tummy time and rolling practice before nursing.
Lincoln has dessert, my wrist, while I check some emails one-handed then try to figure out how/when/why a feature on the blog is no longer working. Email my developer to see what he has to say.
11:35am: Lincoln rubs his eyes and starts to stare into space so I take him up to nap. Five minutes of rocking later and he is asleep. I head down to start cooking the blog dish I’m testing but before that I throw in a load of laundry, scarf a Chobani, then chug a glass of water. I look at the clock and can’t believe it’s almost noon. Where has the morning gone?!
12:15pm: The dish was a flop – good enough to eat for lunch, but not blog-worthy – and just as I’m cleaning up the little man wakes up. It was a super short nap, but he’s smiling on the monitor. I don’t know about other moms but my main concern throughout the day is making sure Lincoln is sleeping enough. If he sleeps well during the day, generally he’ll sleep well that night. If he doesn’t sleep well during the day, I have no idea how the night will go. I usually aim for 4 hours of naps during the day, today especially since he slept so poorly last night, which has been yielding decent nighttime sleep. Hope he meets his quota today…
1:15pm: After an hour of play, including under his new elephant mobile from our friend Jess, which he LOVES (seriously I’m putting off hanging it in his room somewhere, probably above the changing table, because he’ll laugh and giggle under it for like 20 minutes. Easy entertainment, FTW!) we head upstairs for his third nap.
1:25pm: I switch the laundry over, snag a CLIF bar for a snack, then dig into my work for the day. I need to write a freelance post, come up with 25 things about me for a feature a local company has contacted me about, answer a few urgent emails, and then meal plan for next week. Ready, set, GO!
3:45pm: Epic nap! I had to go in a couple of times after the one hour mark – once because the garbage truck noisily rumbled by, the second time because he’s just not sleeping the best today. Regardless, I’ll take it, and I got a ton done. He nurses right away then I discover a way to make at him laugh (come at him with wiggly fingers saying boogey boogey boo!) so we repeat x100 because the sound of his laughter makes me happier than pretty much anything in the world. After the novelty finally wears off I pull him into the kitchen with me so we can start prepping dinner while listening to Christmas music. Restaurant-Style Chicken Tortilla Soup is on tap!
5:00pm: Like clockwork, an hour and 15 minutes after he wakes up, Lincoln starts rubbing his eyes again. We head up for a quick catnap, then he gets the hiccups again. SON OF A! Luckily Ben walks in the door just then and takes over so I can go finish dinner and catch up on emails.
5:50pm: Lincoln’s up. Perfect timing as I usually like his last nap to be short, sweet and never go past 6pm. Ben gets him then they entertain each other for about 30 minutes while I eat some dinner.
6:20pm: Eye rubs are in full effect. It’s not a bath night so I wash Lincoln’s face and hands then change him into his PJs and we read several books. He’s really loving them tonight, flapping his arms up and down as I flip the pages. So cute. We get up to get him in his swaddle then nurse but he wants NO part of it. Several minutes of shrieking later he’s finally eating. 10 minutes later he’s asleep, and by 6:50 I’m tiptoeing out the door.
7:00pm: He’s back up. I am cursing the 4 month mark. He’s down again three minutes later so I head back down to answer emails. Ben’s run off to the store for me while I put him to bed to pick up supplies for a freelance recipe I need to make tonight. I am tired but it involves Oreos so I’m not that mad.
8:00pm: We snack on mini magnum gold bars (so good) before finally shutting down shop and catching a few DVRd episodes of Modern Family. Ben finally convinced me to start watching it recently and OMG WHAT HAVE I BEEN WAITING FOR?! Best show on television – I am obsessed!
9:15pm: I head in to nurse Lincoln for the last time. He goes right back down so both Ben and I head to bed. My to do list is far from being done, but we are beat! I make a mental note while brushing my teeth to um, leave the house at some point tomorrow, eat more fresh fruits and veggies, and also to read Lincoln a few more books. Ben and I kiss goodnight then wish each other luck for the night ahead. I am asleep before my head hits the pillow.
So there you have it! This was a pretty typical day as far as playing, working, housework, etc, but atypical when it comes to sleep. Lincoln was fussier than normal at all nap times, taking way longer than usual to go down, and also waking up in the middle of his naps which is also not the norm these days. Fingers crossed it’s just a phase…as pretty much all my concerns thus far have been!
Great post! I love day in the life posts! And Lincoln is beyond adorable – that smile is out of control cute!
I found that so many things were phases, which passed on (soon to be replaced by other phases – haha!) The sleep will get better for sure. My daughter is 3 now, so I forgot how much they sleep and nap at that age!
Enjoy it – you are doing a wonderful job!!!!
I love day in the life posts. I’m not sure why I am so interested in the daily going’s on of someone’s life, but I love reading about it :)
Oh I forget how busy those first few months are! It’s good to have a refresher before May gets here and I’m doing it all over again.
4 months is notoriously known for sleep troubles, then from there it gets better. You’re doing a great job mama :)
You are so productive during the days for going on so little sleep! Go you! {virtual fisty!} And love Modern Family – so glad you’ve joined the bandwagon :)
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Sounds like teeth are on the way!
I was thinking the same thing!
I hope so – that would at least help explain the madness!
Have you ever considered a white noise machine? We have one for each of our boys and they have saved our lives! No more waking up because of the dog, doorbell, car doors at the neighbors house, etc. Amazing.
(This is what we have: http://smile.amazon.com/Marpac-Dohm-DS-Speed-Sound-Conditioner/dp/B000KUHFGM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386079831&sr=8-1&keywords=white+noise+machine)
We have one cranked – that garbage truck was just especially loud!
Aww, Lincoln is such a cutie and I love this day-in-the-life post! It looks like he is doing so well!
My little guy is just a few days older than Lincoln and it’s amazing how similar our days are. We’re in the 4 month sleep regression and fighting naps like crazy here.
Hang in there – hopefully we’ll make it out soon (and alive!)
Hello from Western Iowa! Oh gosh I remember the 4-month sleep regression! My husband left for a weeklong trip to a wedding in Texas when our son stopped sleeping well at night. It was sooo hard, especially while working and getting interupted sleep. But, luckily he started sleeping well again at 8 months. We had a bit longer sleep regression than most, but maybe your kiddo will get back to a better schedule sooner. :-) I think I posted about lack of sleep on my blog and all the things we tried for Graham.
I will check it out for sure!!
Love these “Day in the Life” posts from the mamas out there! Y’all are doing a great job– little Lincoln is adorable! Fingers crossed he remembers ASAP how much he (and his mom and dad) love a good night’s sleep :)
you are seriously a rockstar. i have always wondered how work at home moms with no child care ever get anything done. turns out it’s fitting it in wherever you can! my hat is off to you!
My daughter is three and half months and she has woken up at 3 AM the past few nights ready to party. It’s not until we get in the car to go to work/daycare at 7:30 that she falls back asleep. Needless to say, I am very tired! I feel your pain :) Let’s hope it’s a phase!
Ohh yes, we did that a few weeks ago too. It only lasted 3 or 4 days then he started going right back down after eating! Hang in there!
Oh, I love this day in the life! Lincoln is so adorable. My little one was notorious for getting hiccups when he was little (and even when I was pregnant with him). We used Gripe Water by Mommy Bliss…it’s magic…hiccups are gone instantly. Here’s hoping you get more sleep today. :)
I know you probably hear this all the time, but seriously, Lincoln is perhaps the cutest baby I have ever seen. Don’t tell my nieces and nephews I said that.
he just so DANG GORGEOUS, i can’t take it!! the 4 month sleep regression will pass. it will just seem like an eternity while it’s here :)
Love reading your blog – especially about Lincoln and your day to day life with a baby! I’m expecting my first in January and am so excited to meet her. Question for you, did Lincoln sleep in his crib from the get go or was he in a sleeper/bassinet in your room for awhile? If so, at what point did you transition to the crib for naps and sleeping at night?
So exciting – congratulations!!!
He has slept in his room from day one. He started in his crib but we found he slept better in a bassinet with curved sides (like a pack and play.) He’s a pacifier baby so the curved sides help keep the pacifier in. In his crib it would drop out and roll away then he’d wake up. After we get over this wacky regression we’re going to start the process of getting him used to sleeping with one arm out of the swaddle so he can self-soothe, as we really want to get rid of the pacifier. It’s become a sleep prop – he won’t go down without it – but sucking on something soothes him. Once THAT’S all straightened out we’ll move him to his crib for good.
Sorry this was long but I hope it helped!
Thank you! We are really excited to meet our little one next month and I’m so ready to not be pregnant anymore. Ha! Thanks for the insight about where and what Lincoln is sleeping in! As far as swaddling goes, are you using something like an aden + anais swaddle blanket or are you using something like a Halo sleepsack swaddle with Velcro that keeps their arms tight?
We did the swaddle blankets for the first month or so, then when he was able to break free we switched to SwaddleMe swaddles – they are AMAZING!
I don’t know how I’m going to survive when I hopefully have a baby some day soon. I’m amazed you still look so put together in all the pictures you post. One of my eyes would be bloodshot and bulging out of my face if I got that little of sleep every night.
I guess you just have to hang on to the fact that it will end at some point…and the cute smiles, of course. ;)
I remember thinking the same thing: “No way can I survive on that little sleep!” And it as really, really hard on me for the first 6 mos – 12 mos. But somehow my body just adapted to it and now with my second I am thrilled to get 4 hrs of sleep because I can function on that! Previously, that would have killed me. So take heart – your body adapts in ways you never thought possible :)
It’s so true – before Lincoln I was a zombie if I didn’t have at least 8 hours. Now if I get that much I feel lethargic. My body’s new ideal is 6-7!
Oh I remember the 4 month sleep regression well! Horrible. We also tried weaning our daughter from the swaddle at that point…not recommended. I’m sure you’ve heard this before but I strongly recommend a white noise machine. We actually downloaded the app Simply Noise onto an ipod and hook that up a dock in her room. We love it because we can bring it on trips. My husband loves it because I’m no longer telling him to be quiet all night:) Good luck!
Great job, mama! I have a 2.5 yo and a 6 month old and am still trying to figure things out.
Question – is this blog (and other freelance jobs you take) your FT job? Didn’t you once work outside the home + maintain this blog?
Yep the blog + freelance work is my full time job. It got to be WAY too much (I could work 60+ hours a week on the blog) so I had to give 100% to either the blog or my marketing job. Working for myself has always been a dream of mine so I went for it!
So I’m reading this one-handed while putting my 12wk old #3 down “drowsy but awake” and (silently) cracking up at our similarity in attempts (OCD?) to get the babes daily naps. I look down at my girl and instead of drifting off, she’s smiling up at me wide-eyed like “I see that blue glow on your face. Uhh, put that phone down and let me snuggle *that* hand if you want me to sleep.” Oh the things we do! Great post!
Sounds exactly like my day (minus the blogging- how do you have time I always wonder!) We just had a major 4 month sleep regression – which was exactly as you said waking up every 30-45 minutes. Hopefully yours is shorter than ours was (6 weeks!)!! Good luck, he is a doll!
Ok 1.) Lincoln is adorable! 2.) I’m kind of glad you posted this because for a while there I never thought Lincoln ever cried or woke up in the middle of the night or anything! I was like, how do I get a magical baby like this!? He is still so precious though. 3.) I love Modern Family too! I just started watching it a few weeks ago and it is hilarious!
Oh gosh no – he’s grumpy/difficult at times just like every other baby! :)
very busy day!! I find that if you bathe them every night….it just helps them relax…they know sleepy time is coming…keeps the routine…but whatever works for you lil Lincoln. Boy is he adorbs!!
Love reading a day in the life with a little one! Makes me super excited about *babies* someday! Thank you!!
My son is a week younger than Lincoln. I love that you post the family channel because then I see what things might be coming or how similar or different things with us. I am glad you posted this because I hadn’t heard of the sleep regression at 4 months. I am now preparing myself since we are also in a routine especially at bedtime and throughout the night. I guess get ready for more sleep deprivation!
Not sure if you have been turned onto this book yet, but I HIGHLY recommend The Wonder Weeks (they have a website by the same name). I have a 5.5 month old daughter (she’s my second) and it has helped me understand the phases with her. I didn’t have it with my oldest daughter and it would have probably saved me much frustration and insanity.
I am like you on the sleep. It is always most important to me. Eating? Meh. They’ll eat when they’re hungry and that doesn’t screw up too much. But sleep deficient? Oh yeah, everyone pays. I’m also glad to see that you have an early bedtime with Lincoln, too! People still look at us cross-eyed when we tell them that our bedtime routine starts in the 6pm hour. I always felt like such a freak, but knew it was best for us. Glad to see others are doing something similar!
I don’t have the book, but I do have the iphone app. You’re right, it’s so interesting to see what is happening in their little minds at any one time! Also, we went through much trial and error to figure out that 7 is ideal for Lincoln. Any later and he wakes up all evening long!
I loved hearing about your day in the life! Lincoln is so adorable. Hoping he falls out of the 4 month phase soon!
1. He look so much like Ben!
2. Why does my 4.5 month old refuse to nap AT ALL many days?!? (Not to mention wake up every 2-3 hours at night–and that’s not a regression!!)
Glad you are able to get stuff done, it’s obviously a lot of multitasking!
Is that a giraffe chair from Costco I spotted Lincoln laying on under his activity mat? If so, we have one also! Such a steal.
My Mom actually got that for him at Von Maur – I didn’t know they sold them at Costco, I bet they’re a lot cheaper! I’ll let her know as she likes to get those for all new babies in the family/friends!
Where do you freelance and how can I find all of those posts? I love your blog and have been obsessively reading back to the beginning. I would really love to read some of your free lance work.
Plus Lincoln is the cutest little baby I have ever seen!
I have random 1-post assignments, but I also blog for the Iowa Food and Family Project ) as well as the Better Homes & Gardens blog Delish Dish !
Hi! I LOVE reading your blog and have a son, Weston, who is a little bit older (born 6/7/13) than Lincoln. I wanted to suggest Gripe Water for the hiccups. It’s an herbal supplement made of ginger and fennel and gets rid of the hiccups almost instantly… It’s definitely a game changer!!! Btw… Lincoln is adorable. Thanks for sharing the pictures of him :)
Wow what a great snapshot into your day. I don’t have kids but have always wondered what it would be like in terms of how much they sleep and how much sleep you get too as well as how much time things take, it is awesome to see such a detailed break down like this.
I love Modern Family too I am a huge fan of the show :)
I LOVE this!!! I feel you…I am a stay-at-home working mom of a four-month-old and 3 year-old! So funny because I did pump this am too, and ate a Clif bar as a snack! I can relate to being ALL OVER THE PLACE! It’s just a phase! You’ll get through it, and then he’ll be onto his next little adventure. He’s adorable!
Oh my gosh, you deserve a medal! I already have heart palpitations thinking about what I will do about work when #2 comes along (several years from now!)
Oh goodness- it is just a phase! But thankfully, it passes as do all the other phases. Just keep trying to be consistent and cut yourself LOTS of slack!
I am certain you have read many books or have gotten advice by many, but I am going to share this bit of information with you and you can do with it what you want. My daughter gave me the book, Healthy Sleep Habits by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. I was to read it before my scheduled visit with Jonah. He had turned 4 months and was going through exactly what you are describing about Lincoln. Jonah was sleep trained and now at the age of three he is amazingly the best and most rested toddler I know. We, Americans, do not relish sleep enough. Kids need to be well rested. It was difficult at first but it did not take long for Jonah to comfort himself and begin sleeping through the night. Hope this helps.
I loved reading about your 4 month update. I don’t have kids and can’t relate but wanted to tell you how much I enjoy reading about Lincoln. I would love to squeeze his cheeks, he is so precious. Keep us the great work.
Wow! My boys never napped that much during the day! How many does he normally take?? Hang in there, the no sleep will pass and then you will be freaking out because you worry something is wrong if you don’t hear them! Kudos to your husband for getting up with him at night! Not all dads do that (ESP if you breastfeed) so that’s awesome!
Beautiful baby!
He JUST transitioned from five 30-40 minute catnaps to 4 naps of 50 minutes to up to an hour and a half. I thought I’d have a catnapper forever, but he seems to be getting the hang of it (for now, anyway!)
Thanks for being a real human :) I have made 2 of your dishes so far-yum buffalo sauce! They are now in my very short menu lineup as I don’t love cooking. Thanks for your yummy and cute (Lincoln)blog. I normally despise baby blogs ;)
My kids are grown and both went off to college at 18. Enjoy every minute with your beautiful son it goes by very fast. I love your day in the life blogs and use your recipes at least once a week. Thank you
LOVE SEEING THE BABY. Love reading about your day. You are doing great. We had a good sleeper. Now that my son turned 5 and is in kindergarten. He now comes into our bed. Usually sleepless nights for us means teething. It will get better. Love seeing him.
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Being a Mom is the hardest “best job” in the world, isn’t it?! :)
We learn how little sleep our bodies can actually function on getting a night. Somehow, you survive. (and then the agony of sleepless nights is pushed far out of your head forever!–until you read someone’s blog about it)! heehee!
Hi! I was wondering what books you have read on parenting, I’m currently pregnant and wondered if you had any suggestions on books to read while pregnant and books for after the baby is born?
Also your little guy is too cute for words! It’s a busy life with an infant! All looks well though, keep it up!
Thanks!
I would recommend Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child and Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, and I’d also recommend reading them once while you’re pregnant then again after you have the baby (which, CONGRATS!!!) After you have the baby they’ll make a lot more sense. Also I’d check out TroublesomeTots.com if you want any further advice about sleeping – it’s been my online baby bible recently!
All that being said, I think reading too much before and even after baby is not always the best thing. I found myself actually getting anxious about issues that COULD happen, etc from reading. It’s good to have some general guidance, but I’d just go with your gut when baby comes!
Thank you so much, I can see what you mean about reading too much material I completely agree!
Hope Lincoln is sleeping better!
Thanks again!
Great post! I have a 7 mo and appreciate your candidness about how a real days rolls… some days can be super frustrating, especially in terms of sleep! It’s refreshing to get a true account of the ups and downs because, as cute as these little rascals are, some days are draining. Lincoln is a doll, btw!
Hang in there, mama! I have a 19 month-old and also work from home for myself. It gets harder as your kiddo gets older, but it also gets easier because they are more scheduled. Cheering for ya!
That dang 4 month sleep regression! Aiden is 9 months today and I remember that month like it was yesterday. He was up every single night every 2 hours on the mark for a month. He’s still not a good sleeper, so I’m sure Lincoln will be better!
Great post, do you have a mobile with batteries? My daughter (8 mo. now) loves to stare at that thing and it plays music and rotates around for 15 minutes (while I sneak out of the room). Keeps her busy and she always loves falling asleep to it. Just an idea, I know you said you have a mobile but wasn’t sure if it had batteries.
I don’t! I’m too afraid he’ll stare up at the mobile instead of sleep. That being said it’s definitely something to think about when we start teaching him to fall asleep on his own. Like you said, it sounds like it would help him calm down and drift off!
Wow- great work balancing everything. Selfishly, I’m so glad you’re able to continue your blog because I get most of my recipes from you and they never disappoint! Love the part about repeating over and over the thing that’ll make him laugh; you’re a sweet mama. Besides the adorable baby pictures, the picture that I’m amazed about is your kitchen before and after. That would have taken me a minimum of 30-40 mins to clean. A while ago on IG you posted a pic and wrote that you don’t hand wash, so I’m wondering if you put pots and pans in the dishwasher? If so, if it’s good enough for Iowa Girl, it’s good enough for me!
I put everything in the dishwasher except for my cast iron skillet and my chef knives. Other than that I’m mindful to pretty much only buy dishwasher safe items!
I loved reading this post! I’m venturing into the unknown as my first child is due in February, so it was fun to get a glimpse into what the next year brings. I honestly got tired just reading that post! Sounds like you’ve got it all together though.
Love your blog!