A Day In The Life With a 3-Month-Old

This post is sponsored by The Quaker Oats Company, but as always, the opinions are my own.

It has been 2.5 months since my last Day in The Life post and recently many of you have asked for an update on what my life looks like during maternity leave. Schedules and life change so quickly with a child, but here is a glimpse into what my day looks like now that Katie is 3 months old.

6:45 AM – My alarm goes off and I quickly head downstairs to prepare Katie’s morning bottle. I use a little tray to bring her bottle back upstairs as well as our morning cup of coffee.

7:00 AM – 7:45 AM Bo and I wake Katie up together each morning. After waking her and changing her diaper, I breastfeed her before handing her to Bo. As I’ve mentioned before, due to his work schedule, the only guaranteed feed that Bo is home for is the morning or “breakfast” feed so this is the one that he does. While he gives her a bottle, I typically either hang out with them or do some things around the house such as fold laundry. Right now her bottles consist of an average 4-5 ounces of formula for a total of 6 ounces per feed. After Katie is done eating we enjoy playtime in bed which includes cuddles, resting in her favorite spot or even some tummy time.

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7:45 When Bo hops in the shower I head downstairs with Katie for more coffee, breakfast and catching up on social media and the news. I bring the activity mat into the kitchen so Katie can play while I eat breakfast. As a new mom, I rarely have more than five minutes to eat. Therefore, Quaker Overnight Oats have been a welcome breakfast option during these busy days. A convenient, nutritious and hearty option that can be prepared ahead so it is ready and waiting in the fridge for the morning.  Over the past month I’ve had the opportunity to try all the flavors (Blueberry Banana & Vanilla Bliss, Toasted Coconut & Almond Crunch, Orchard Peach Pecan Perfection and Raisin Walnut & Honey Heaven) and my favorite is still Toasted Coconut & Almond Crunch. I make it with 1% milk and a spoonful of Greek yogurt. Stirring in Greek yogurt gives you a creamy texture. I enjoy the Quaker Overnight Oats with a banana for a quick and easy breakfast.

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8:30 – 10 AM While Katie naps I typically try to do a few things around the house. Today this means washing bottles, unloading the dishwasher, folding laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and making the bed.

10 AM –I wake Katie for her mid-morning feed. Since we have somewhere to be at 11, we head out the door as soon as Katie is finished eating, burping and has a clean diaper.

11:00 – 12pm I head to our local Crossfit box for a workout. While I complete the tough workout Katie plays nearby. Unlike our first visit, this time she entertains herself quietly for half the class, intently watching the large fan and then falls asleep. With just a few minutes left in class she wakes up with a wet diaper but otherwise is a champ. The deadlifts and burpees were especially challenging!

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12pm – 1pm Since Katie falls asleep in the stroller on our way home, I keep her in the stroller once we get home. I grab the monitor and dash into the shower to wash off the sweat before quickly eating leftovers for lunch and prepare her next bottle.

1-2:30pm I can’t contain my laughter during this feed session as Katie keeps trying to smile while sipping on the bottle. Now that she’s almost three months old she loves to squirm and try to hold the bottle while feeding. I try to keep Katie upright for 15-20 minutes after each feed as this helps with spit-up and gas. While she bounces in her chair I read three books to her. We spend the next twenty minutes on her activity mat doing back and tummy time. She practices rolling for most of the time, finally giving up in frustration and exhaustion.

2:30 – 4pm During her afternoon nap I focus on blog work and writing thank you notes. While we were traveling I fell behind on thank you notes and now have a long list that I’m trying to get through each day. After writing a few thank you notes I move my focus to the blog. Just as I start to type my blog post I hear Katie on our monitor. After a few cries I head upstairs to change her diaper and try to calm her back to sleep. She isn’t interested in taking the last 15 minutes of her nap so I move her downstairs to the swing.

4pm – 5:30pm This afternoon feed tends to be when Katie is her fussiest so after she finishes her bottle we go on a walk around the neighborhood. It starts to drizzle so we quickly head home. Before going down for her last nap Katie and I play on her activity mat. This time she spends most of the time giggling as she looks at herself in the mirror and squirming around to music. clip_image007

5:30-6:30 The shortest nap of the day is also the most unpredictable. Some days Katie sleeps like a champ during this nap and other days she boycotts the nap. Katie must have been tired as I’m able to spend 45 minutes prepping tonight’s dinner before I hear her stirring in her crib.

6:30 – 7:30 Our hour-long evening routine is all about getting Katie relaxed for a good night’s sleep. Katie loves her evening bath these days, often kicking her feet and then smiling when she’s wrapped in her cozy, hooded towel. Next we change into footed pajamas before heading to the glider for her last bottle of the day. After she is done eating we typically read for 10-15 minutes before I put her in her sleep sack and kiss her goodnight.

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7:45 Once Katie is asleep I head downstairs to put the finishing touches on dinner and prep for the next day while enjoying a glass of wine. Once we are done with dinner I like to be “done” for the day so Bo and I can relax together. Therefore, while the chicken is in the oven I take 10 minutes to wash bottles and their parts, grind and program the coffee and prepare my Quaker Overnight Oats for tomorrow morning. In order to prepare the Quaker Overnight Oats, I simply open the individual cup container, pour 1% milk to the fill line, stir and cover with the lid, put in the refrigerator and let the flavors and ingredients cold steep overnight.

8-8:30 We eat dinner together while catching up on each other’s days.

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8:30 After dinner Bo suggests that I go upstairs to take a shower and read in bed while he cleans the kitchen. There are few words that sound sweeter after a long day and I so appreciate his willingness to help even though he had a long day at work. I take a luxurious 20-minute shower before heading to bed.

9-10pm My bedtime routine these days includes a candle, sipping tea or sipping wine, and reading a book in bed.

While no day looks the same at this point, I have found that building in some social time during the day really helps me while I’m staying at home with Katie. Whether that is a long walk with a friend or a workout, these dates help me feel less isolated. The other thing that has also helped is talking to Katie throughout the day. Even though she’s only 12 weeks old, I talk to her like an adult and provide a running commentary during the day explaining what we are doing and why we are doing it, even during the simple act of changing the diaper.

As always, if you guys have any questions, please continue to send them my way. I am in no means an expert but happy to do my best to answer your questions or lend support!

Thank you to The Quaker Oats Company for sponsoring this post.

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A Day In The Life–Newborn Edition

 

As of Wednesday, Bo and I were on our own with Katie, ready to embark on our life as a family of three. While we loved having so many friends and family members come visit the past two weeks, it has been nice to start finding our groove together. While everyday brings new adventures and a child means that nothing in life is predictable, we are loving every moment even on the most sleep deprived of days.

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While I have a few longer posts drafted in my head, this afternoon I wanted to check in quickly for a Day in the Life post. Things are a lot different around here these days, so I thought it would be fun to share what a “typical” day looks like. I laughed as I typed the word “typical” as there is no such thing as typical with a newborn. Instead, let’s call this a glimpse at what my life looked like today.

Keep in mind, Bo and I have chosen to follow the Moms On Call schedule and method as of week 2 and therefore we have a schedule that we do our best to stick to each day, realizing that sometimes the baby or day’s activities will require some flexibility.

1:45 AM – My alarm goes off and I quickly head downstairs to warm a bottle of formula. The goal at this point is for each feeding session, especially the nighttime feeds, to take no more than 30 minutes. Based on my milk production, right now I am giving Katie 10 minutes on each breast before giving her 2.5-3 ounces of formula via bottle.

2:34 AM – She is milk drunk in no time and after changing diapers twice during the feeding session, she is sound asleep when I set her back in ther bassinet.

5:45 AM – My alarm goes off and this time Bo wakes up to head downstairs to get the bottle warmed and ready while I immediately start feeding Katie. Bo has been a champ these past two weeks, since going back to work, and wakes up so he can squeeze in time with Katie before going to work. After I feed her, Bo takes her and gives her the bottle and changes her diapers before doing 10-15 minutes of skin to skin time on his chest while I go back to sleep for a bit.

7:00 AM – When Bo heads to the shower he wakes me up so I can watch Katie and start my day. I swear that extra hour of sleep is sometimes the most quality sleep I have all day. While Bo is in the shower I take the monitor downstairs and make coffee, prepare his breakfast and snacks and make my own breakfast. I’ve been having oatmeal most mornings since oats are a lactation power food. This morning’s oats were paired with fresh berries, flax seed and a drizzle of almond butter.

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7:15- 9 AM – Since Katie tends to nap like a champ in the morning, I front load my to-do list. This morning that included running a few loads of wash, emptying the dishwasher, making the bed, and writing thank you notes.

9 AM – I wake Katie for her mid-morning feed which also includes 15 minutes of playtime. Since she’s in a good mood, I decide to read to her while she relaxes in her Boppy lounger.  During each of the daytime feeding sessions, we spend 15-20 minutes playing together, enjoying skin to skin or rocking depending on what she seems to enjoy most at that point in the day.

9:45 – 10 AM – I hook myself up to the pump, which I have a love-hate relationship with thus far. I love it because it’s helping me with my milk production and can be used hands-free but for my sanity, I am only pumping 3-4 times per day.

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10 AM – 12 PM – I spend time downstairs baking Gina’s Lactation Cookies before heading back upstairs to shower, change clothes and put on some makeup. So far, I have stuck with my goal of showering every single day and changing clothes each day. It’s amazing what these two simple acts, even when squeezed into a five minute period, can do for me mentally. I have a few spare minutes before my alarm goes off and indluge by curling up in my favorite chair to read for a few minutes.

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12-1:15pm – This feeding doesn’t go quite as smoothly as Katie puts up a fight when I change her diaper and then proceeds to explode her way through three diapers during the change. She finally calms down enough to enjoy a quick Facetime session with my mom before a bit of tummy time.

1:30pm – Hear my stomach growl and quickly dash downstairs to grab lunch from the fridge. Today’s lunch is leftover Sweetgreen salad which my friend Colleen brought over when she came to visit last night. So thankful for an easy lunch as this tends to be the witching hour most days, so I have no idea how long Katie will nap.

1:45 – 2:55 My friend Elizabeth, who has an eight-week old, texts to see if I want to join her for a walk. I quickly move Katie downstairs, attaching her basinet to the stroller, and head out the door. We spend the next hour chatting and running a few errands around the neighborhood, including a stop at the library as well as mailing a pile of thank you notes. Katie sleeps peacefully during our entire walk, enjoying the bumps in the sidewalk and the fresh air.

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3pm – 4pm Time for the late afternoon feeding. I go into this feeding each day mentally prepared for lots of fussiness as babies tend to get fussier in the afternoon. Katie feeds quickly and is clearly hungry but is still wide awake when we finish the entire routine. I try putting her down in the bassinet, hoping that she’ll go to sleep even though her eyes are open.  Since she starts crying when I put her down, I spend the next five minutes soothing her while she’s in the bassinet.  A little bit of rocking, rubbing the stomach and shhhing goes a long way and by the four minute mark she’s asleep. IMG_4281

4pm – I head downstairs to make a quick smoothie snack since my stomach is roaring. Our kitchen is quite bare since I haven’t been to the grocery store and therefore have to rely on what is in our cabinet and freezer. I put frozen raspberries, protein powder, flax seed, water, milk and one tablespoon of almond butter together and blend for a delicious and filling smoothie.

4:15 pm – I sit down to check email and write a post. I hope to have time this weekend, while Bo is home, to write the birth story post as well as my two week reflection post. For today, I decide that sharing a day in the life post is interesting and a lot quicker than either of those two options.

4:55 pm – Push publish on this post and then head downstairs to pour myself a glass of wine and read for a few minutes before heading back upstairs for the 6pm feeding.

It’s been a really good day overall, though I’m looking forward to having Bo around this weekend. At this point in maternity leave I definitely feel a bit isolated. It’s helpful to have friends nearby who are also on maternity leave and I’ve made it a goal to enjoy at least a few dates each week with them whether it’s breakfast, lunch, play date or a walk around the neighborhood. Thank you again to everyone who has sent text messages, Insta messages, comments and emails with tips and tricks for making it through this first month.

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A Day in the Life: November 12, 2014

Almost a year ago, I shared a Day in the Life post  with you all. As things have changed since I last shared, I figured that today was the perfect day to share with you!

IMG_2545[1]5:30am Alarm #1 goes off even though my eyes have no intention of opening yet. We stayed up one episode too last night watching Season 2 of The Newsroom.

5:35am Alarm #2 goes off and luckily this time Bo reminds me that we will be late to swim practice if we don’t get out of bed immediately.

5:55am We head out the door twenty minutes after changing into swim gear, making coffee, grabbing my breakfast and snacks and work clothes.

6:10am Since it’s early and there is no traffic, it only takes us 15 minutes to get to the pool which is about half the time it takes to drive the same distance in the evening. Some mornings we listen to the radio but this morning we listen to an old Dave Matthews cd.

6:20-7:20am – Today’s swim practice is tougher than normal, not due to the distance, but the strokes. We did almost 500 meters of butterfly, which I have only learned this year. One swim practice per week is dedicated to drills while the other one focuses on speed. After completing 200 meters of legs only butterfly drills my legs and abs were really wishing it was an endurance day, that’s for sure!

IMG_2939[1]7:20-7:45am Shower, blow dry my hair, apply makeup and get dressed quickly as I have a meeting starting promptly at 8.  I’m excited that Fall has finally arrived in Geneva which means tights, tall boots, warm orange colors, and my favorite navy wool blazer!   IMG_33758 – 8:15am First meeting of the day lasts only 15 minutes, 45 minutes shorter than planned.

8:15- 9am Go through work emails and eat breakfast. My breakfast these days is oats with a banana, flax seeds, cinnamon, and vanilla protein powder with coffee on the side. I’m bringing my coffee from home as I love the flavor and it saves just a little bit of money each day. When I go through my work emails each morning, I do my best respond to as many as possible then flagthe ones which need to be responded to later.

9-12pm Three hours spent working on a presentation.

12-1pm I enjoy every minute of lunch today, catching up with a co-worker, helping her plan her upcoming trip the United States. Even though I don’t always take advantage of the Swiss hour “lunch break” I am thankful to know that I can always count on having an hour mental break during the day. Last week, when working from our New York City office, I felt a significant difference in my afternoon productivity since I didn’t have a single break and found myself eating lunch during meetings or while working.

1-7pm Six hours of video conferences and conference calls is straight up exhausting, especially when I’m leading three of them.  I’m working on a project that is based on the West Coast which means time changes are resulting in late meetings at least a few times a week. Luckily tonight’s call is done by 7pm, earlier than most.

7-7:30pm I catch up with my mom and write a few thank you notes during the bus ride home.

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7:45pm Only 15 minutes after walking through the door I’ve changed into my favorite sweatpants, lit our pumpkin candle I brought back from the United States and am catching up Bo. We end up having a long discussion about an article he read in Business Insider about lasting relationships and their two basic traits.

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8-8:30pm Enjoy a small salad and homemade chili with Bo while we research Florence, in advance of our anniversary trip.

8:30-10:30pm We get wrapped up in two more The Newsroom episodes before I fall asleep on the couch.

How about your day? What does it look like?

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