Now that Ava is almost 14 months and we are on a pretty set schedule, I wanted to write it out so I could remember what our days looked like before Sally entered our world and lives forever.
As of right now, most mornings I sleep right until Ava gets up (and I admit, sometimes, I let her sit and talk in her crib before I get out of bed.) I just am trying to relish all the sleep I can while I can because I know once baby girl number 2 arrives, sleep will be considered a time of the past. Not to mention, I am just always that tired. I could sleep all day right now if I didn't have a little 14 month old to take care of.
Anywhere between 7:15 and 8:30 Ava will wake up. We change her diaper because it probably won't last one more pee. While I am changing her she reads a little book that I keep by the changing table because it usually occupies her very well.
After that is done, we head downstairs for breakfast. She goes straight into her high chair. I let Winston out to go potty. I grab a yotoddler for her and I feed her that, unless I have bought the yotoddler pouches. If she has a yotoddler pouch I will make her some toast and do dishes or something in the kitchen while she independently eats her yogurt. I let Winston in and check his fanny for any hanging poos ( I know, gross, but he has so much hair back there) and check his feet for amount of wetness and if they are dirty. Also during this time, I have probably had to bang on the back door because he is barking at something (who really knows). Then, when that doesn't work, I have to open the door and tell him to stop barking and just go potty. If the neighbors dogs come out, all heck breaks loose and I have to chase Winston away from their fence so his head doesn't get bit off. They don't really care for each other. I will also let Ava watch something educational on TV while she eats her breakfast. For breakfast, Ava always has a yogurt. Sometimes she has toast with jam or peanut butter, fruit, puffs, biscuit...
After breakfast, we turn the TV off (unless I am not feeling good-which isn't out of the ordinary with this pregnancy) and Ava plays with her toys. I might turn on music for her to dance to. She likes that. She will go back and forth from playing with her toys to sucking her thumb and leaning against me. I have noticed in the morning that she is not as into playing as she is in the afternoon. In fact, she acts ready to go to bed about an hour after she eats.
Around 9:30, she is sucking her thumb full time and will keep walking to the baby gate. She is trying to tell me she is ready for bed. I get her some milk and we head upstairs to read books. She usually doesn't need a diaper change at this point. I will sometimes let her pull out a few books and I pretend that those are the books she has chosen to read for story time. She sits on my lap (as best as she can with mommy's big belly) and she drinks her milk. Sometimes drinking milk can be a battle, other times, she takes it happily. I read and do the voices. Then, we sing a few songs and say our prayers and I lay her down and cover her with blanket number one and blanket number two. Most days she whimpers for a few seconds. Then she will start talking. Eventually, her room is silent and she is sound asleep.
She will sleep from about 10:00-12 or if I'm lucky, 12:30. I am noticing her morning naps are getting shorter. Uh oh!
Once she wakes up (and she almost always wakes up from any nap or in the morning in a good mood) we change her diaper and we head downstairs for lunch. She likes to eat some kind of meat like ham or turkey, cheese, some kind of fruit, a veggie (still pureed) some bread with peanut butter on it. Usually that is all. She might get an animal cookie or treat afterwards if she does well with her eating.
After we eat, we play, go on a walk, run errands, visit grandma and grandpa etc. If it is a Tuesday, we are at a Bible study from 10-1:00. Her whole schedule is thrown off and this is usually the day I try to run errands since the day is already off. If it is Wednesday I may give her a bath now or after her nap so she is nice and clean for church.
By 3:30 she is usually ready for another nap. We head up with our milk and do the same nap routine we do in the morning. Most days she will sleep until 6. It seems late, but it works for her. She still goes to sleep at about 8:30 every night and sleeps the entire time.
At 6 we eat dinner and then she plays real hard during this time. She also has daddy to play with, that makes her very happy.
At about 8 we head up with more milk. If it is Saturday night or if she is just really dirty, we take a bath. If it is bath night, she plays for a while until she stops listening to us and keeps standing up in the bathtub. She loves to splash in the water. Then, mommy lotions her up and dries her hair with the hair dryer. Some days are better than others with the hair drying! Mommy and daddy take turns holding you and reading you books at night. After the books are read and her milk is gone (or she is just done drinking it) we go brush her teeth, wash her face, then I put aquaphor on her face because it dries up easily. We say our prayers and give lots of kisses and hugs. We lay her down on in her crib and cover her with blanket number one and blanket number two and say "nite nite" and "we love you." We turn out the light. I usually say, "Love you sweet girl" and close the door.
Curtis and I will head down for a quick snack and I take my vitamin. We will talk for a few at the table and then we feed the cat, let Winston out again, and check all the doors, turn out all the lights, and head to bed. We don't stay up too much later than Ava. We like to lay in bed, watch an Everybody Loves Raymond or two and he gives me back rubs!
Not very eventful days...pretty much the same things over and over again. But this is my life and it is safe, secure, and consistent for Ava. And I like that and I know she needs that.
If we have play dates, we usually have morning play dates. I have found that Ava is in a better mood when she has the late nap. If she misses her morning nap, she is usually ok, but its the late nap, that if it is missed, turns her into a meanie.
No comments:
Post a Comment