life is good but hectic. i'm slowly getting the hang of caring for two babes 40 hours a week. it can be entertaining, hectic, frustrating, tiring, rewarding, boring, etc taking care of two infants only 2.5 months apart. i don't know how mothers of twins do it. or single mothers. you have all my respect in the world if you are either of those sorts of mothers. by the time max is picked up at the end of the day, i'm ready to collapse. and i do, usually by 8:30, but not until after i've gobbled up whatever it is jp cooks me that night. either way, there's little time for much else besides putting the house in order and making sure everything is ready so i can be prepared to do it all over again the next day.
here's what a typical day looks like:
between 6:00 and 6:30 i wake up. jp is long gone by this time. ramona is fast asleep in the middle of the bed. i do my hair, get dressed, eat a bowl of cereal, tidy up the house, feed otto, let otto out in the front yard, glance out at the chickens in the backyard. basically, i try to get as much stuff done as humanly possible before the little bean wakes up.
7:00 if ramona is still sleeping i make some french press and and go through my google reader. i enjoy these last few minutes of me-time before i hear her start to smack her lips, sigh, stretch, and generally make cute waking-up noises in the bed. i go get her and we giggle and smile and cuddle until her really full diaper leaks on me (this happens most every morning). i get a fresh diaper on her and get her dressed.
around 7:30 i put happy ramona in the swing in the bedroom while i make the bed. two things HAVE to happen in the morning: my hair gets done and the bed gets made. otherwise, my whole day is off-kilter and the universe collapses.
between 7:50 and 8:00 max is dropped off. i scramble around to get the diaper bag all packed and the stroller all set to go. the three of us are off to happy first thing in the morning. always. i drink my cortado and we hang out with dustin (the best barista in denver), the other morning regulars (coffee hour club), and max's dad who works right next door (so convenient!).
after that? there is no schedule. we go on a lot of walks. this is made possible by mama and papa power who so generously bought us the amazing, one-and-only bob duallie stroller. it's really allowed me to go anywhere with these two (though ramona is usually strapped to my back bc she's still not a big fan of carseat like things, thus my huge bag goes into her seat). last week we walked around and said hello to familiar faces at linger and root down. i think i clocked seven miles that day. today we met a friend at the wooden spoon bakery and then walked up to the library and then spent the rest of the day playing and crying and sleeping and fussing and cleaning dirty diapers. i'm getting used to their cues for hunger, dirty diapers, and tiredness. if we're doing something and they're both happy, i keep doing it until one of them freaks out. and then i go through the checklist of their needs and it doesn't take me too long to get them settled down again. by which time though, of course, the second is freaking out and so i go through that baby's checklist and settle that one down. and then we're all happy again.
morning walk to happy
ramona and max passed out in the bob
ramona and i saying hi to maki and eric at root down
after a morning of long walks, the babes playing happily together
this is a rare instance for two reasons:
1) both asleep at the same time
2) ramona asleep and NOT wrapped on me
playdate w amy turned dual-meltdown
the odd day where i actually put both kids in the car to go see jp at crema
and--because i'm going to try and make this blog a little more than just anecdotes about my daughter--an example of my typical daily outfit: clarks desert boots, gap maternity jeans (quiet. i'm giving myself a year to fit into pre-pregnancy clothes), bcbg max azria sweater ($1 at a garage sale), nursing tank, american apparel t-shirt, thrifted scarf, didymos wrap, and baby ramona bean.
the last two weeks in a nutshell! and the first time i've thought "TGIF" in a while. TGIF. tomorrow ramona and i have plans for breakfast at crema, our monthly photoshoot, and getting my hair did. i love my time with just her. it's so much easier!
(this post dedicated to stefanie: thanks for checking up on me and your beautiful words of encouragement.)
*** (here is where i copy aux petits oiseaux in her responses to commenters.)
melinda: definitely finding my rhythm...slowly but surely.
