I have the utmost respect for single moms. I honestly don’t know how they do it. Chris has been out of town most of this week, which means this is how my days go:
5:00 am: Wake up.
5:15: Get out of bed. (I think I’m genetically incapable of actually getting up when the alarm goes off.)
5:15–6ish: Feed cats. Get breast pump and bottle components out of dishwasher to drip dry. Shower and get myself ready for work. Find something to wear that doesn't require ironing.
6-6:30: Get Avery up (she’s usually already awake and talking to her friend the ceiling fan) and nurse her.
6:30-7ish: Get Avery ready to go: change diaper, wash hands and face, and get dressed. Assemble bottles. Assemble and pack breast pump parts. Fill out daily form for daycare. Gaze longingly at the coffee pot, which I don’t have time to use. Load car (two trips) and get out the door.
7-7:30: Drive to daycare; down into garage. Unload Avery and all her stuff. Up the elevator; in the door; log her into computer. Deposit in the appropriate places: baby, bottles, form, carseat. Back down the elevator; into car; up and out of garage. Drive around in big circle to my garage, which is only a half block away, but in the opposite direction on a one-way street (bummer); up into garage. Walk five blocks to my office like a pack mule, carrying briefcase, gym bag, and breast pump; in through security; up elevator.
7:30: Note that I’m 30 minutes late for work. Check e-mail quickly for overnight disasters, then it’s time to pump (so back to the elevator and down to the “mother’s room”).
8:00: On the way back up to my office, stop by cafeteria for oatmeal and coffee (finally) to go. At this point, when I finally sit down at my desk, I’ve been awake for three hours and “on the job” for one hour. I haven’t gotten anything accomplished, and have already seen the inside of more elevators than most people do all day.
8 am – 4 pm: I run around like a crazy person trying to fit in 8+ hours of actual work, 3 more pumping sessions, working out during lunchtime, and eating lunch at my desk. Sometime around 10:30 I start hearing the circus song in my head.
4:00-4:45: Pack up and head out. I reverse course of walking, elevators, two different garages, and driving to pick Avery up, collect all her stuff (including spending a good five minutes searching for one or both of her socks), and get us home.
4:45-6:00: Playtime
6:00-7:00: Nursing, bathtime, jammies, book, sleepy time for Avery.
7:00: Clean up bath stuff. Unpack daycare stuff. Disassemble and wash breast pump and bottle components. Feed the cats. Make and eat dinner (please let there be leftovers in the fridge that I can nuke). Pump (again). Clean up, do dishes. Collapse, exhausted, on the couch to watch maybe part of one show from TiVo. (I may never catch up on my Grey's Anatomy.)
9:30: Sleep-nurse Avery
10:15ish: Bedtime at last
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3 comments:
I LOVE The Avery Chronicles & am so glad you took the initiative to create it so we can all enjoy Avery & your new life remotely. I couldn't sleep so got up in the middle of the night and signed up as the VERY FIRST follower of your blog. I'm so proud to be Avery's grandma. FYI, you have 11 days to extinguish Avery's new obnoxious noise or Gpa will bring his duct tape.
Hey! I laughed out loud at least three times while reading this one. WOW! That is one crazy day. I can't believe you even worked out during lunch. Thanks for posting. And I have decided I may not be ready for a baby Avery yet :) I can't wait to see you guys again.
Love the blog Alison and all of the pictures! This post is exactly my life and why I gave up nursing at 5 months and I have only worked out a handfull of times in the past year. I'm impressed that you are still nursing and lugging all the equipment to work!
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