a day in the life - nicole

Nicole was way on top of things and sent this over Friday night.  I was way not on top of things (well and busy, but you're already aware of that) and completely spaced that she sent it and totally forgot to post it this morning.  Sorry Nicole!  Nonetheless I hope you enjoy reading about a day in her life!

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Hey there! I'm Nicole and I blog over at Chappell of Love. I am a twenty something stay at home mom to three kids ages 18 months, (almost) six, and eleven. My eleven year old is my stepson but he is really mine in my heart and I have raised him! We have a baby, one in kindergarten, and one in middle school. I just recently started my own photography business and I am enjoying branching out into the outside world a little more (I have stayed at home for six years). We are a super busy family, so busy that it was actually pretty tough for me to remember I was doing this post as the day went on! Our two boys play baseball, so the ball field is our second home in the spring and summer. I love photography, crafts, reading (when I find the time), and I wish we lived on a farm. Come visit me at Chappell of Love. :)

6:30 am: Alarm clock goes off. Time to rise and wake the boys. I grab Lucas some clothes and help him into them usually because he is so out of it. I fix his hair and head to the kitchen.

7:00 am: Breakfast. It is usually cereal, fruit, waffles, or toast. I get Lucas' lunch together while the boys eat. Then I set the coffee pot and go change and brush my teeth. I have the boys brush their teeth and get their shoes on.

7:30 am: I wake Paisley. She is not amused (ever). Ha! I usually just change her diaper and let her ride to drop off the boys in her pajamas since we typically just head straight back home. I make her a drink for the ride.

7:40 am: We get in the van and leave for school. First stop is the elementary school followed by the middle school.

8:00-8:10 am: Paisley and I arrive back home. I make a cup of coffee and make her some breakfast. I am having a hard time getting her to eat meals. She wants to nibble all throughout the day. So I usually cut her up some strawberries or make her some eggs and I am lucky if I get her to eat a few bites.

8:30: Disney Junior time. I know this may sound silly, but she requires about thirty minutes of snuggle time in the mornings. This time I am usually having coffee and she is having milk. We watch Sofia the First or Mickey Mouse.

9:00 am: We play and play. She is the child that pretty much doesn't let you out of her site. So we play. I usually wear her out by around ten or so.

10:00-10:30 am: Nap time. My kids do not mess around with sleep so she is pretty good about letting me know when it is time for a nap. I lay her down and while she is sleeping I try and get some things done. It is usually cleaning, laundry, editing pictures... things of that nature. This particular day I spent some time party planning. Lucas is having his sixth birthday party this weekend.

12:00-12:30 pm: Paisley wakes up and I get her dressed. I know it seems late but if we don't have anywhere to be I usually just let her play in her pajamas in the mornings. She is happy and it makes it easier for me! We  have lunch. I have a Healthy Choice meal and she had a few chicken nuggets and some green beans. 

1:00-1:15 pm: I leave to go get Lucas. This is typically between 2:00 and 2:15 but it is conference week so they had early release.

1:45 pm: We return home. I check his school folder and empty his lunch box. We talk about his day a little and the kids have a snack. We study sight words and he reads for homework.

2:30 pm: I turn on The Lion King in the living room while Paisley and Lucas play. Today they played with his new cars and track that he got as a birthday gift from his Grammy and Grampy. I do another load of laundry and vacuum. 

3:00 pm: Blake's bus pulls up. We talk about his day for a little bit and then he heads out to tend to the chickens. He feeds and waters them and gathers the eggs. We go outside for a little bit and come back in because the March weather is so unpredictable. Our yard is also under construction due to a small tornado that came through on Monday afternoon (stupid March and your unpredictable weather). 

3:30 pm: The kids are being silly so I pull my camera out and try to get a few pictures of them. I am pretty much addicted to my camera.

4:00 pm: Paisley is ready for another nap and she is letting me know. She likes to take a short nap in the afternoon. I told you, my kids don't mess around with sleep. While she sleeps I run around the house picking up the random things that are out of place. I start getting both of the boys ready to go to baseball. This particular day Blake has practice and Lucas has team pictures. I get Paisley's bag ready to go and make sure all of the baseball equipment is in my car.

5:00 pm: Wake Paisley and get her dressed.

5:30 pm: We load everyone into the van and head for the ball field. We left around fifteen minutes early today because I am dropping off a CD of photos for a client. They watch Finding Nemo in the car. Again. I have it memorized along with a few other movies.

6:00 pm: Arrive at the field and make sure Blake gets with his team. I take Lucas and Paisley and head for the opposite side of the park so I can get his pictures made. I try my best to keep Paisley still and fail. After being there for only ten minutes I am exhausted. Finally the pictures are done and I see the hubs pulling in the ball park. The kids and I meet up with him and I let him see them for a few minutes before he heads out onto the field at Blake's practice (he is an assistant coach).

7:00 pm: I take Paisley and Lucas and we leave. It is freezing cold at the field and we just aren't in the mood. We head to the beauty supply store for a few things before heading to Target for no specific reason. We buy  Les Miserables and decide we are starving. 

8:00 pm: We meet the hubs and Blake at a local favorite for dinner. Stevie B's. You can't lose with a pizza buffet. Boys know how to EAT. Their potato pizza is out of this world. 

9:30 pm: We arrive home and bathe the kids. This is a team effort. He bathes them and I take Paisley to get her ready for bed while he does Lucas. Blake gets a shower while we are dealing with the other two kids. They are usually ready for bed earlier than this but it is a Friday so we are hoping they sleep in a little in the morning. 

10:00 pm: The kids are all in bed and now the hubs and I are too exhausted to think. I take a long bath while hubby watches some ESPN. He takes a shower while I pick up the house for the tenth time today.

11:00 pm: We are finally in bed and decide to watch a little television. We are both asleep within ten minutes.

What is the most surprising thing to you about being a mom?

I am shocked at how natural it came to me. It was an instantaneous feeling that came over me and will never leave. I never before thought I could feel so much love. I only thought that I knew that feeling before they were born. It completely overwhelms you in the best way possible. I am also quite surprised at how much I don't mind snot, wiping booty's, and watching the same episode of Mickey Mouse over and over. ;)

What advice would you give to new or soon-to-be mamas? 

Do what is best for you and YOUR family. You simply cannot please everyone and trying too hard to do so will only put stress on you and yours. The sooner you realize this, the smoother the ride will be. Also, do not beat yourself up. This kind of falls into the same category as doing what is best for you. Don't compare yourself to other mothers. It is the worst thing you can do for your self esteem. To your child, you are the PERFECT mother and that is all that matters. Don't let someone convince you that you aren't doing right by your child just because you aren't growing everything that your children eat yourself in your back yard or because you don't cloth diaper or vice versa. 

What are your top three baby products?

1. Dr. Browns bottles. I breastfed and also pumped for certain occasions and I loved, loved, loved these bottles. I used them with all my babies and had amazing results as far as gas issues went. Worth the money!

2. Boppy pillow. Amazing. I could move it anywhere in the house and just prop the baby up and they were content. 

3. Sophie the Giraffe. I only had this with Paisley but it helped her through teething like a champ. She chewed the poor thing to death and loved every second of it. Everyone I know that had one of these said their baby was addicted to it too.

I hope you enjoyed the little glimpse into our daily routine. Come visit soon! 

 

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Thank you for sharing your day with us Nicole!