our schedule

here's what my days/weeks look like:

Mon: 4:15am- wake up, feed & dress brynn, throw clothes on, gather baby bags & lunch, strap brynn into her carseat, the husband loads everything into his truck & then grabs a still sleeping alex & deposits her into her carseat.

they're out the door by 5am (on their way to my mother's)

i putz around (laundry, dishes, cleaning) until 6am & then head to work.

6:30-4:00- i work.

4:00- i drive 45 min to get the girls at my mothers. i load them into my jeep, toss bags in the back & head home.

5:45- i'm home. i unload bags- put things away & then unload the girls.

6-7pm- i try & get dinner into alex, feed brynn, give baths, change diapers, read books, watch Nick Jr- etc etc.

7pm- the husband gets home

7:30pm- we put alex to bed

7:45pm- i put brynn to bed (if that is her wish)

8pm- we watch House & maybe Intervention.

8:30- i pump

8:45pm- i put everything together for the next day (pump, lunches, clothing, diapers- etc etc) 9pm- bed time (usually)

Tues- Thurs: (the husband has left the house by 5:15)

5:45am- i'm up, brynn is usually still asleep & alex always is, i throw clothing on & brush my teeth. i load everything into my jeep (pump, lunch- etc)

6:15am- i bring the laundry upstairs & make sure everything is in order (if brynn is awake i feed her & dress her)

6:30am- the nanny & her daughter arrive. she snags brynn & i finish up whatever.

6:35am- i head out the door

7am-4pm- i work.

4:30pm- i get home & spends a few minutes discussing the day & giving kisses. we say goodbye to Kelly Beth (nanny) & her daughter & alex watched Yo Gabba Gabba while i feed brynn & whip up her dinner

5pm- alex eats. i change brynn. i try & scrounge up dinner. 5:30pm-6:30- baths (if needed), diapers, jammies, juice/milk- trying to explain to an 18 month old why dripping milk onto my couch cushions is NOT ok- etc etc

6:30-7pm- Nick Jr & waiting for daddy (while i try & finish up dinner)

7-7:30pm- husband is home, plays with alex, off to bed

7:45pm- brynn. bed.

8-9: eating, pumping, packing, showers- etc etc. 9pm- bed

Fri:

5:15am- i get up, get brynn fed & dressed. toss bags in the car. get dressed, brush teeth, inhale OJ- etc etc

6am- i put a sleeping alex into her carseat and we head out (brynn is in the car as well- of course)

6:20am- drop the girls off at my mother in laws- stay & chat till about 6:50ish

7-5pm- i work.

5pm- i pick up the girls & get home around 5:45

6-7pm- see above. all the same. food, diapers, Nick Jr, dinner- etc etc

7-8pm- play with daddy time! late night (hello friday), off to bed.

8pm- brynn goes to bed. i collapse on the couch.

8:30- pump. consider going to bed. consider acting like an adult & staying up past 9. 9pm- pass out ont he couch- get awoken by the husband."GO TO BED!"

10pm- crawl into bed.

Sat & Sun:

sweet weekend relief. we get up around 7- we laze about, or run errands, get breakfast, debate activites- etc etc. we have started going to church (finally) so we're out of the house by 8 on sundays. we still squeeze in all the things we cannot get to during the week- but i try not to do too much. we're in bed by 9 on Sun in prep for Monday.

Things that help:

- i put everything together the night before. lunches- bottles- clothing- everything i can.

- Kelly Beth: having a nanny saves my sanity. 3 days a week i don't have to rush or worry about anything. she handles the girls & naps & feedings & changing & snuggles - etc etc. she folds laundry & washes dishes- she is a lifesaver.

- the husband hangs with alex once he gets home- it give me about 20 min to focus on miss brynn.

- going to bed early. i simply have to. no choice.

so it's pretty good. Mon & Fri are earlier days but 2 out of 7 isn't bad. brynn doesn't STTN so i do bring her to bed between 1-2am. she nurses & falls back asleep (in our bed) she's a good sleeper & even if she does wake up- a quick nursing session puts her back out.

alex has always STTN (minus 1-2 wakeups for a paci or something) but if she does wakeup then the husband takes care of it.

and i think that about sums it up. i still feel rushed & tired- but not nearly as much as last year. having a nanny come to the house 3x per week is worth every.single.penny. amen.

my biggest accomplishment is actually making it to church. we haven't been in SO FREAKING LONG! i'll admit- we are lazy on Sundays. but i knew we needed to get back into worship & such- so we've found a church that we (so far) LOVE & they have a great kids program so i am 100% satisfied with the girls being well taken care of while we focus on absorbing the sermon.

we took communion this past week. it felt amazing- i haven't taken communion in years (yeesh). i really want to dive in & find a bible study as well- but baby steps. 7:30pm on a Wed night is simply not do-able right now. but we'll see.

so yes- there you have it. a week in our lives. or rather, every week in our lives.