a day in the life - genevieve

Hello all you blog readers.  Today you get a peek in to Genevieve's life.  I hope you enjoy!

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Hi, I'm Genevieve and I blog over at Life on the Terrace. I am a 26 year-old stay at home mom to almost 6 month old Parker. My husband is Lucas and we were married on September 19th 2009.  Lucas works for his family business as the general manager.  We live just outside of Burlington, Vermont with Parker and our two dogs Jerry and Pippa. 

I started blogging as a way to document my pregnancy but ended up loving it and have continued to post about our life as new parents.  I love the blogging community and always like "meeting" new bloggers so I am excited to be able to post here today on Ashley's blog! Here is a typical day in our life. 

1:50AM-Parker starts to fuss(he went to bed at 8:00pm) I put his paci in and he goes back to sleep.  He sleeps in our room in his pack n play so it is easy to reach right over to him.  He is up again 10 minutes later and is officially up to nurse at 2:30AM.  I feed him in a chair in our room and read blogs and facebook on our ipad to stay awake.  
2:50AM-Back to bed.  
5:30AM-Parker is up to nurse again, Lucas gets in the shower and heads off to work.  
6:00AM-Diaper change then back to bed.

7:15AM-Parker is up for the day.  I feel pretty rested because Parker ended up going back to sleep which is great.  We head in and do another diaper change, then I put him in his crib to play with some toys while I straighten up, put some laundry away and put my contacts in.
 

7:50AM-Parker plays on his floor mat while I pump.  I pump every morning so I have a freezer stash for when Lucas is home alone with Parker or a family member watches him.  I hate pumping but I love the (little) amount of freedom it gives me when necessary so it is worth it!

8:00AM-I make breakfast(this morning it is cinnamon raisin toast with Earth Balance buttery spread and OJ) while Parker does some tummy time and continues to play on the floor. While I eat breakfast I quickly check my email and check in with my mom on the phone.

8:25AM-We head upstairs so I can shower.  Parker sits in his lizard rocking chair while I shower.  He currently loves sitting in the bathroom while I shower and get ready and so usually it is nice break for me.  I take a long shower and then blow dry my hair.  While I get ready Parker talks and plays with his teething toy, he is quite the chatter box in the mornings.

9:00AM- I nurse Parker in our room and read some blogs and catch up on some celeb gossip on the ipad.  
9:40AM-I change Parker and get him dressed for the day and then pack up everything he will need in his diaper bag.  We have quite a busy day scheduled so I make sure I have a couple of extra outfits packed, some toys, and of course lots of diapers.

10:00AM-I pack up the car while Parker plays in his jungle floor gym.  
10:15AM-I get Parker all buckled into his car seat and we head out.   He doesn't keep his paci in but happily chews on his lovey blanket so he is happy during the ride.  Usually he screams in the car so this is a nice break.
 

10:30AM-We arrive at Starbucks where I pick up a soy cinnamon dolce latte(I currently am not eating any dairy due to Parker's milk protein intolerance).  I am addicted to these lattes but when I can have regular ones, pumpkin spice lattes are my favorite!  
10:50AM-We arrive at the mall and meet my friend Julie and her son O in the parking garage.  O is 4 weeks older than Parker and we get together a couple of times a week for lunch, playgroups, walking, etc.

11:00AM-We get the boys all settled into their car seats and walk around the mall.  Mornings are great because it isn't busy at all.  We walk for 50 minutes and a little more than 3 miles(2 laps around the mall is a mile) and luckily both of the boys fall asleep for a morning nap.  Julie and I love getting together and catching up.  We talk about mom stuff and of course non mom stuff too, and it is always nice to have someone else that understands being sleep deprived.  :)

11:50AM-Julie and O head out and Parker(who is still napping!) and I head over to Express to exchange a few shirts before heading over to my mom's house.  Parker wakes up just as we leave the mall.  He fusses during the whole car ride so I sing "You Are My Sunshine" to him the entire way...it doesn't seem to help too much but at least I feel like I am doing something!
12:20PM-We arrive at my mom's house(Parker's grandma) and as soon as I take him out of the car he is all smiles of course.  My mom helps me change Parker and then I nurse him.  I was hoping to have a chance to eat something for lunch but Parker takes a while to nurse and we have to head out to make it in time to my doctor's appointment.
 

1:10PM-We rush out of the house and make it on time for my appointment.  Parker cooperates and stays in his car seat which is wonderful.  After my appointment I change him in the bathroom and then get him settled back in his seat, he seems really tired.
2:00PM- I am done a little earlier than I thought I would be so I call my friend Ashley who we are planning on visiting this afternoon.  I drive around a bit so Parker falls asleep and then we head over to Ashley's house.
2:30PM-We arrive at Ashley's house and are greeted by her and her daughter E who is 14 months old.  Parker is still asleep so I catch up with Ashley while he sleeps. 
2:45PM-Parker wakes up and seems rested.  He isn't too much of a napper so today's naps are actually quite good for him.
 

3:00PM-I nurse Parker while talking with Ashley and watching baby E play.  It amazes me how quickly E turned into a little kid and it makes me realize how quickly Parker will be doing the same things!  Parker and E on the floor and even try out her princess chair. 
4:15PM-I start packing up to leave because I always like getting home before it is dark. Parker especially hates being in the car when it is dark outside.  Ashley and I make dinner plans for a week from now and then we head out. Parker takes his paci which makes for a nice relaxing ride home. 
4:40PM-We arrive home.  Lucas has also just arrived home with the dogs(who he takes to work with him each day).  Parker fell asleep a few minutes before we got home so I quietly carry him in and set him down.
 

5:00PM-Parker wakes up and sees Lucas and gives him a huge smile.  Lucas plays and reads with Parker while I heat up dinner(we had leftover chili from the night before).  I also sit down and check my email for a few minutes.

  
5:20PM-After a quick dinner we sit in the living room and catch up about the day and Lucas plays with Parker.  Parker loves when Lucas blows rapsberries on his tummy and laughs really loudly, it is so cute.

  
5:40PM-I nurse Parker while Lucas and I catch up on the most recent episode of Real Housewives.  The only time during the day that I get a chance to watch tv is in the evenings when I am feeding him so we usually watch one show on our DVR a night.
 

6:15PM-Parker is done nursing, we read some books on the floor and then I head up to start the bath.  While the bath is filling I get Parker's bedtime things set up.  I turn down the lights in our room, lay out his sleep sack, and turn on the rain machine.  We have had the same bedtime routine every night since he was 1 week old and it seems to work really well for him.

 6:45PM-We start Parker's bath.  He loves being in the water so we usually stay in for 20-30 minutes.  After his bath Lucas dresses him in a long sleeve onesie and his fleece button up pajamas and brings him into our room.  I nurse Parker and then put him down once he is finished in the pack n play.  We have been working on putting him to bed drowsy but not asleep and he has become so much better with this and usually goes right to sleep.

7:45PM-I turn on his video monitor and leave the room.  I head to join Lucas and we watch a bit of tv while I catch up on the most recent People magazine.  I think about staying up a little later because it is Friday night, but then of course remember that it doesn't matter if it is the weekend or not when you have an infant who wakes up during the night and I head off to bed around 9:00PM.
  

I hope you enjoyed reading about a day in our life!  Now here are my answers to Ashley's questions:

1. What is the most surprising thing to you about being a mother?
The most surprising thing to me was how much we could love this little guy, but also how much work it would be!  I feel so lucky to be able to stay home with him every day but it is also the most challenging job I have ever had.  It is 24/7 and we really don't have any down time anymore, particularly because he doesn't nap very much during the day.  I have definitely had to readjust my expecations of what I thought I would be accomplish as a stay at home mom.  Of course he is always my first priority but I didn't realize the amount of coordination it would take just to get up, showered, out of the house and get a few things accomplished each day.  I definitely always feel like there is something to do and we are always on the go.  Just planning around his naps and nursing is a huge challenge because it factors into everything we do that day.  What I have realized is that he is the most important thing I can be doing and I am working on letting go of the fact that dinner might not always be ready, or that my house is perfectly organized.  There are definitely unrealistic expectations of moms, whether you work during the day or stay at home. 

2. What are some tips you would give to new moms, or soon to be mommas?
The biggest thing I would recommend is to just know that especially during the first few months your priority is to just take care of yourself and your baby and ask for help as much as you need it.  As far as being a stay at home mom I have found that it is so so important to get out of the house and interact with other moms.  It can be wonderful, but sometimes also a bit lonely and draining being home all day with an infant who needs your constant care, attention and interaction.  We have a loose weekly schedule of activities like play groups, baby music time, get togethers with family and friends, and this has been so helpful and fun too.  I like knowing Parker is getting out and meeting new people and experiencing different things, and I have gained so much from it as well.

3. What are your top three baby products?
#1- A carrier.  I have a Beco front pack, a ring sling and a wrap and it is so nice to be able to carry Parker around and have my hands free.  Having a baby carrier makes getting out and about so much easier too and they are very comfortable for him so he often naps in them.  I especially loved being able to wear him when he was newborn because he constantly wanted to be held and this made it so much easier. 
#2-A nursiing pillow.  I have the My Brest Friend and the Boppy and I love them both.  It makes it so much easier to hold him, especially now that he is so big.  It also makes it possible to use my hands so I can read, use our ipad, etc.
#3-A sound machine.  We have the homedics sound spa and use it when he sleeps at night and for naps.  It definitely helps him relax and know it is time to sleep and it also blocks out other noises so we don't have to tip toe around our house when he is sleeping.  Another bonus, we love it too and now can't sleep without it either. :)

Thanks everyone for reading about our day! And thanks Ashley for letting me share with all of your readers!

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Thank you so much, Genevieve, for sharing a day in your life!