an evening 'round here

This post is mainly for me. I just want to document a typical evening (and beyond) around here, because someday I hope to look back on this time in our lives and remember it fondly.

445: leave work to get girls

505: on a good day with no dawdling by Emmy, we are leaving their school by this time

525: arrive at home. 1 out of every 15 days Nora might fall asleep on the way home, we have a monitor base that we keep in the car for those times. 

540: dinner is served. I'm the fastest chef this side of the Mississippi!

600: play time/ quick family walk/ clean up kitchen

615: bath time for both girls

635: Nora and I head to her room to rock/nurse while Emmy watches "Elf on the Shelf"

700: Nora asleep

715: Emmy goes potty and brushes teeth. This is followed by us reading a book to her, singing a song and saying prayers.

730: leave Emmy's room so she can have 5 minutes of "reading" books to herself. 

735-740: lights out for Emmy

740-830: listen to Emmy thrash/cry/do yoga in bed/remake her bed/ rearrange pillows/sing/make demands and cough. This usually requires a few trips into her room, threats if the spanking spoon and removal of privileges. 

900: I shower

930: pump, wash parts and all other baby things from the day, pack Nora's bottles for the next day. Then we feed the dogs. 

1000: to bed

(The next few items happened last week, and although the time of the events usually vary- the events themselves almost always happen)

1130: Nora wakes up and is wide eyed. I pull her into bed with me on the daybed in her room. 

1245: she's still awake and becoming very agitated.

100-115: I give in and feed her and she falls asleep

116: I go into our bedroom, pound on bed to wake the hubby and proclaim "we have GOT to fix Nora's sleep". Side note: we never had to "train" Emmy to sleep. She just did it on her own. Nora is giving us a run for our money. 

215: Nora wakes up crying. A few pats on he back and paci reinsertion later and she's asleep

400: coughing attack that wakes her, she needs help getting back to sleep. 

445: another coughing attack that wakes her and me, she needs help getting back to sleep. 

610: Emmy wakes. Goes peepee and then back to bed, where she stays until her clock turns green at 640. 

We get ready for work, do our morning stuff and sometime around 8am I settle in at my desk to, ya know, enjoy ALL that kid free time I get as a working outside the home mom. Because, as everyone knows, when I'm at the office I can just shut my door and not answer to anyone.  I have no one that needs me here and I can just rest ;)

first night away

I just spent my first night away from Miss Emmy, and I....survived! I am spending 2 nights in Elk City, OK for work and Chris has baby duty. I definitely miss my family, but a little break from everyday life has been nice too (I know the mama's out there can agree).

I really havent worried about anything. #1) I try really hard not to be a worrier and #2) I know she is in good hands. If I had a husband who wasn't involved in the everyday duties of raising a child, I would probably be worried. But I have such a supportive husband who helps so much, that I know things are just fine in Tulsa without me. In fact, it sounds as though things are better. Emmy ate her dinner really well, took her whole bottles and slept all the way until 645. Sidenote: 645 used to be the normal wake up time until RSV/ear infections. Since then, she has been waking up anywhere from 545-645.

Another sidenote, there is going to be a one hour episode of "The Office" tonight. I probably won't be able to watch it tonight, but will look forward to watching it with Chris when I get home (as long as he doesnt delete it!). Can't wait!

Last full week home and a video of Emmy

It's bittersweet. I have so much fun hanging out with my daughter everyday, but I'm also ready for a little bit of "schedule" in my life. Emmy's school is about 8 blocks from my work, so I think for the first few months I'll drop by at lunch time to feed her if she's hungry. Or just hang out if she's not. Please pray for me next Thursday, my first day back- that we both will transition well. I think I'll be able to take her in Tuesday and Wednesday AM to get used to our morning routine. Little Bit slept in until 7 again this morning, wahoo! I love it. BUT, I feel bad for her b/c once I do go back to work she's not going to have the luxury of sleeping in that late- unless she can figure out how to eat faster. Like...down a 4-5 ounce bottle in 5 minutes fast

We had a good and busy weekend. My mom, "Mimi", came down Thursday to keep us company, Saturday we went to Rory's birthday party, and Sunday we went to a shower for Aunt Eden (who is expecting a girl in October), stopped by claremore to visit gma and gpa S and g-gma Pat for her birthday.

playing with mimi:

chatting with Tammy at the shower:























Great Grandma Pat:


















Whew, this past weekend was so busy.
Emmy's thoughts on it all: "forget tummy time, I'm ready for a nap"