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!
Megly 12.11.2013
I have to say, this post was delightful. Such an informative (and CUTE) perspective!! This might be the first thing I’ve ever read that makes me jealous of moms! ;)
Trisha 12.05.2013
I’m reading this now after a trip to World Market, where a 3ish year old boy cried/whined/threw a tantrum through the duration of my visit. Surprisingly, neither that, nor reading about Lincoln’s sleep regression made me do anything other than smile. You know you’re ready to be a mom when…
Love this play by play of your day, so real and informative!
Cassie 12.05.2013
He is so stinking cute!!
kath 12.05.2013
Thanks for keepin it real mama!
Alexa 12.05.2013
Have you tried the EASY method (eat, activity, sleep, you time, or more simply, eat, play sleep)? It made our naps longer, and not as many so life was more predictable, and still works great for a base for our routine at 13 months.
Iowa Girl Eats 12.05.2013
That’s what we’ve been doing since the beginning, but his naps went from 1-1/2 hours until he was 1 month old to 30-40 minutes at 2 months. We’re finally up to 1-1/2 hours (usually) in the morning, but the rest of the day could be 45-60 minutes/nap – I just never know! I think we’ll do some sleep training in the next two months so hopefully it evens out!
Alexa 12.05.2013
Sleep training will save your life. A few hard days will pay off in the end. I took a lot of showers and walks during sleep training to avoid hearing the crying, but you will do great!
Amanda 12.05.2013
Quick question for you – when you nurse at 9:15, does he wake up for that or do you wake him up just to top him off for the night? We have a little girl who is two weeks younger than Lincoln, and sleep is proving to be our biggest challenge. She is just very inconsistent overall, but is more than capable of sleeping 7-8 hours at a stretch.
Iowa Girl Eats 12.05.2013
We wake up him. Before this week Lincoln was sleeping in 4-6 hour stretches (with the unicorn 8 hour stretch) but it was always different from night to night, so I feel you on the consistency thing. From what I’ve read (and promises from friends and family members!) he should figure it out eventually. That being said, I think we’ll do some form of sleep training in the next couple of months a.) to get rid of the pacifier which he uses to go to sleep (not during the day) and b.) to get him to sleep in his crib!
Katie 12.05.2013
Lincoln is a real cutie! I just wanted to add, Mini Magnum bars (especially the Gold ones) are my FAVE.
Denise 12.04.2013
Your post reminded me of those days when mine were little. And while I don’t miss those days so much (hoping for sleep, rocking til they don’t sleep lol….), I do miss that age! Lincoln is uber adorable!!!!!
Joanna at Love Always Jo 12.04.2013
I loved this post! I don’t have a baby yet and I feel like you never get to hear what it’s all really like. It sounds like you have a great attitude, even when things aren’t going as planned. It’s nice to see and I bet it helps a lot. I also don’t work for myself yet but I hope to by the time I have kids. It was interesting to see a little bit behind the scenes of how all of your life roles fit together. Thanks so much for sharing!
Also, that first picture…melts my heart..
Patty 12.04.2013
OMG..I just started watching Modern Family too. I kept hearing how great it was. Why did I wait so long!?? Hysterical!
I was exhausted just reading about your day. :)
Elizabeth 12.04.2013
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!
Alison 12.04.2013
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!
Iowa Girl Eats 12.05.2013
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!
Carrie 12.04.2013
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.
Iowa Girl Eats 12.05.2013
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!
Ali 12.04.2013
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!
Annie Sorensen 12.04.2013
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!
Emily @ A Cambridge Story 12.04.2013
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!
Beth S. 12.04.2013
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!
Iowa Girl Eats 12.05.2013
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!
Beth S. 12.07.2013
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!
Kate 12.04.2013
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!
Black Bean & Butternut Squash Quesadillas with Lazy Girl’s Guacamole | Iowa Girl Eats 12.04.2013
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shari 12.03.2013
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.