A Day in the Life

A typical day in our world these days....

Sophie wakes up between 7-9am with big grunts, stretches and a few good morning toots. Her eyes are still all sleepy and she has an adorably milky mouth. This is such a special time of day. Soph greets me with gumby grins. We sit and chat in bed for awhile, and I get in my first kisses of the day. I actually miss her in the morning from not seeing her all night.

Then we have our very full diaper changed, and Sophie says good morning to her butterfly mobile by arching wildly. Breakfast for us then follows.

Then we usually have a morning activity. Either getting groceries, or hanging with one of Sophie's buds. We are really lucky to have lots of wee ones in our world. Someone gave me the good advice to try and get out of the house at least once a day, and for the most part we stick to that rule.

Sometime between 11 and 1:00 I put our girl down for a nap. For the first four months of her life I couldn't bear putting her down to sleep. I think this stemmed from our birth experience. Soph had to be in an incubator for the first 9 hours of her life. Because I had had a c-section, I couldn't see her for those unbearably long hours. It was probably the longest and most difficult 9 hours of my life. When I finally got her in my arms, I never wanted to put her down again. Now, four months later, and realizing that I needed to alter this habit I was finally ready for Sophie to begin napping solo. She handled it so well, falling asleep easily for me. I had been so anxious and dreading it. She continues each day to teach me to 'relax mom. I'm fine.'
There are still times I hold her during her naps. There is nothing better than feeling your baby asleep on your shoulder, breathing her milky breath into your neck, and trusting you with all she has.

After naptime is usually playtime. This is where I make a total fool of myself by dancing rattles and toys in front of her face. Most toys are also accompanied by a goofy camp/school song. At these moments I realize that my kids at school are at a very similar developmental level to Sophie. A lot of things I did in my music program, I now do with her. Sad but true. I basically overstimulate her to the hilt, as in between most toys I'm tickling her, biting her adorable belly and kissing her sweet neck (once I can find it!). And the poor thing can't even run away. Sophie will now entertain herself under her playgym, so I can do some things while she plays. (like work on dinner....which is now a job of several installments!)

Then eating again (well many more batches of eating smattered through the day). Before dinner I usually feed Sophie and watch my addictions; Dr. Phil and Oprah. I know, I know. It's bad when your child is craning her neck back when you're breastfeeding to try and see the TV. Motherguilt. I felt less guilty for some reason when it was the Olympics.
Then Brett comes home for dinner, and Sophie sits contentedly in her bouncy chair while we eat.

After dinner we often have naked time on her sheepskin rug! Soph's absolute favourite state is being naked. Brett's mom Wendy lent us a infant massage follow along video. All the other babies in the video are falling asleep and totally mellow, and Sophie's legs are kicking, she's squealing and all wound up!

Then Brett usually takes her downstairs to get her in her jammies and puts on her chill out CD and they quietly play until bedtime. Some more milk before bed and then somewhere between 8-10:30pm our girl is fast asleep after another day.

Life is good.