One Day

When does day start? I might consider it 5 am, because Laurel wakes up then. But it is dark and I can usually coax her back to sleep for a few more hours, so let's say 7:30. Perhaps I wake up a little early and manage to get dressed or make a cup of tea.

She usually wakes up crying. Not in a terribly distraught way, just in a, "I don't know how else to let you know I'm awake" way. She smiles when she sees me. I nurse her and change her diaper and we go downstairs to greet daddy and wiggle on the couch. She smiles and I smile back. I can't help it. I snatch small bites of breakfast in between entertaining her. She plays with a few toys now, her little hands getting better at grasping them every day.

More nursing. More playing. A diaper or two. Laurel is happiest when she is naked so I try to let her wiggle around without her diaper on for a little while every day. While she wiggles and coos, I tidy up around upstairs, pausing after I put each item away to exchange smiles with her, as I lean over her crib.

Around 9:30, it's time for a nap. Nurse, rock, ever so gently lay her down in her crib, or in the rocking cradle and crank the static up high.

Madly (but oh so quietly) dash around the downstairs, tidying up whatever chaos is leftover from the night before. Type a paper. Answer emails. Do a few dishes.

She wakes up crying. I nurse her and she perks up immediately. Seems so happy to see me. We smile at each other for a while. Change a diaper. We go downstairs and she wiggles in the Pack N Play. She's working very hard right now to turn herself over, but try as she might, she can't do it. So she lays there on her back, arching, and flexing her legs. I work out in front of the tv, while she watches.

Throw in a load of laundry. Change a diaper. More nursing.

Check the weather. If it is above 20 degrees, we are good to go for a walk. Get coat, keys and shoes before sticking her in the carrier. She wails until we get outside, then promptly falls asleep. Walk until a proper amount of nap time has passed, then head home.

Laurel wakes up. Cries. Change a diaper. Nurse. Play on the couch.

Think about starting dinner. Get out an onion. Abandon onion to change a diaper.

More nursing. She's tired and fussy. Work hard to get her to nap. Give up after excessive crying. Stick her in the Moby Wrap.

Crying continues. Check the diaper. Go outside to pace back and forth on the porch. The traffic noises put her to sleep.

Back to the kitchen and the onion. Chop vegetables carefully while Laurel dozes in the Moby. She wakes up. Put her in the stroller so she can watch me.

M comes home. Dinner is half done, he'll do the rest. Take Laurel upstairs to start bedtime routine. Change a diaper. Read some books. Dim the lights. Nurse. Swaddle. Nurse. Change another diaper. Re-swaddle. Turn up static. Lay her down, ever so gently and tip-toe out of the room.

Dinner is finished and kept warm in the oven by M. Eat quickly, one ear towards the nursery. Homework. Shower. Watch TV.

Go to bed way too late. Fall deeply asleep, and sleep without dreams.

It seems a little repetitive when I recall it. But the kind of life where you can literally spend 30 minutes just exchanging smiles is the best kind of life.

Life is good.