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!
Liza Meyer 12.03.2013
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
Erica Pietryka 12.03.2013
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 ;)
Meg 12.03.2013
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!
Iowa Girl Eats 12.03.2013
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!)
Lissa Rodriguez 12.03.2013
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.
Ann Lueck 12.03.2013
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.
Sarah 12.03.2013
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!
Lauren 12.03.2013
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!
Iowa Girl Eats 12.03.2013
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!)
Jan @ Sprouts n Squats 12.03.2013
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 :)
Annie 12.03.2013
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 :)
Amber 12.03.2013
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!
Iowa Girl Eats 12.03.2013
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 !
Dana 12.03.2013
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.
Iowa Girl Eats 12.03.2013
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!
Gretchen 12.03.2013
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!
Emily @ More Than Just Dessert 12.03.2013
I loved hearing about your day in the life! Lincoln is so adorable. Hoping he falls out of the 4 month phase soon!
Kathy H 12.03.2013
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!
Iowa Girl Eats 12.03.2013
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!
Adrienne 12.03.2013
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!
Katie 12.03.2013
Love reading a day in the life with a little one! Makes me super excited about *babies* someday! Thank you!!
allison 12.03.2013
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!!
FitBritt@MyOwnBalance 12.03.2013
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!
Iowa Girl Eats 12.03.2013
Oh gosh no – he’s grumpy/difficult at times just like every other baby! :)
Erika @ AGlobetrottersFare 12.03.2013
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!
Megan 12.03.2013
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!