Hi friends!
I just wanted to pop in with another update post on Willow. You guys are always asking for more motherhood posts, so I hope that you are enjoying them. Now that Willow is officially a year and a half old (HOW?) our routine has been pretty awesome lately. She is so lively and curious. Between new words surprising me everyday and her infectious energy, I am enjoying being home with her more than ever before.
I try to change things up every once in a while, but for the most part, we stick to a general schedule. The winter was tough because we were hibernating (I am very much a homebody in the cold weather) but as the weather gets better and better, we’ll be able to get out more and do new things. Something I am looking forward to.
But anyways, here is an idea of what our days look like. Just a glimpse into our world. Enjoy!
Our day starts at 6 AM: Mama wakes up to have some alone time – I will make myself some tea, put on the Office, and check emails, social media, etc. I also work on the blog in the morning.
– Around 6:45-7, Willow wakes up and I change her, give her a sippy of milk, and then my husband takes her for about 45 minutes while I can get ready. Joe is such a hands-on and supportive Dad. He is the best for letting me have this time!
Early morning: Willow plays in the living room with Dada before he goes to work while I finish up work, read, and get myself ready for the day.
– Willow has breakfast! I make myself some oats, too.
– Free play in living room. We will read books, play with puzzles, run through her flashcards, learn about animals, sing songs, color, etc. I keep a bin of toys in the living room. I will swap them out for “new ones” every couple of days to keep things interesting. This is also when I usually fold laundry with her. She loves laundry days and she makes it much more bearable. We’ll put things away together, which is me going up and down stairs with her in tow. I get in light cleaning and tidying as I can during this time.
– Willow’s first snack of the day is around 10 or so, which is usually a smoothie or some fruit. While she snacks in her high chair, I will either make some soup or rice, or muffins… whatever I have on my list for the week, I’ll prepare. We’ll just chat while she sits in her highchair and I keep a few of her toys and figurines too in case she finishes her snack.
– Run around and dance! We have a second living room downstairs and it is much larger with a lot of room to run around. Willow goes crazy down here. I’ll throw on some music and she’ll tire herself out dancing with me and doing laps around the couch, lol! If it is nice out, this is also the time that I will run out and do errands – Target, bank, post office, whatever it may be. But if we have nothing on the agenda… it’s time to wear ourselves out (me more than her, I promise you).
Midday: We both have our lunch together.
– Time to unwind a bit and relax. Her nap comes shortly after lunch, so I like to take this time to calm down. I’ll put on Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, or videos from Super Simple Songs. She’ll watch while playing with her toys and I will catch up on any emails or work I have going on. Or try to. This is also when I give her another sippy of milk.
– Naptime!! She sleeps anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours.
– Wake up from nap and have another snack in her high chair.
Afternoon: More free play in the living room. Books, toys, etc. I will put her Super Simple Songs on in the background because she really loves them.
– We’ll usually go upstairs in Willow’s playroom for a bit before I start dinner. I am able to catch up on social media while she busies herself with her stuffed animals and toys.
– Dinner prep! Willow follows me into the kitchen and I’ll let her play in a drawer full of kitchen items that she can bang around. She keeps herself busy while I am able to get things done. Sometimes if she is extra antsy and not wanting to stay in the kitchen with me, I’ll plop her in the highchair next to me and let her play games and watch some Sesame Street on the iPad. It’s only for a little bit and it allows me to work with the oven/stove without worrying she will get in the way. We’ll just talk about what I am doing and I let her taste test as I go.
– Joe gets home from work and we eat dinner as a family.
– Joe takes Willow upstairs to spend time with her while I get a second to catch my breath. I will put on my own music and clean the kitchen and living room. I definitely need this time to myself!
– I bring Willow’s last sippy of milk upstairs and we will do bath time. Brush teeth, dry hair, pajamas, some light play, reading, etc. We spend the end of the day in Willow’s bedroom as a family as she winds down for bed.
7 PM: Bedtime! And time for mama to RELAX!
Whew. And by the end of the day, I am exhausted but excited to stay up and spend time with Joe. We’ll usually do our own hobbies for a hour or so after Willow goes down (I need time to read or do a crossword puzzle, lol) and then hangout after that. TV, movie, talk, whatever. It’s a good system we have going and it works for us.
I hope that you enjoyed this peek into our lives. Some days don’t go as planned, and things are always changing, but this is it for now. And I don’t hate it. Have a great day, friends. Thanks for reading! xx bianca
