AJ: 3 and a half years old
Dani: nearly 3 months old
The day was April 23rd, 2018
I am on maternity leave and Mr Turtle is working full time.
6:11: Mr Turtle’s alarm goes off. He goes to have a shower.
I peek at Dani in the bedside bassinet. She is slurping a bit on her hand, which she’s worked out of the swaddle. She has not managed to wake herself up though. She has slept through night after going to sleep around 10. We were at my mom’s for my brothers birthday so it was a late night. I doze off again.
7:00ish: Get out of bed to go to bathroom and say goodbye to Mr Turtle.
Go back to bed, read Facebook and blogs.
Community mom’s group posted last minute play date for 10 am at a local playground. Since it is close by this might be doable.
7:30 everyone is still asleep, so I decide to have shower.
7:50 done. Hear baby sniffles. But not quite awake. Throw in a load of laundry: AJ’s snow pants, winter jacket, dinosaur costume and favourite dress. I am reasonably sure we are done with the never ending winter. For the first time in recent memory, no snow in the forecast and temps in the double digits.
Dani fully wakes up. Diaper change, nasal aspiration.
AJ wakes up. “Mom!” And “where are we going today?” I tell her about the play date.
8:15 give AJ a banana, boob feed Dani. We sit together on the couch.
Ask AJ to put banana peels in the compost. She analyzes them for a while, says they look like jellyfish, then goes to kitchen and puts them in what I hope is the compost.
AJ tries to play peekaboo with Dani.
Dani is in extremely cuddly huggable 3 month stage. Snuggle snuggle snuggle.
8:30 AJ goes to potty. Hear demented giggling from bathroom. What.
AJ is sitting on the potty cooing over her baby dolls. Too adorable.
Put Dani into her crib which is across from bathroom. Help A J with wiping. She puts the new roll of toilet paper on the holder. I refrain from criticizing when she puts it on flap underneath. She doesn’t want to wash and dress yet.
Bath for Dani. I don’t wash her hair. I think I washed it yesterday. I think I should probably have washed my hair today though. Can’t keep track of whose hair has and hasn’t been washed.
Fussy Dani after bath and dress so I offer more boob. AJ still playing with baby dolls.
9:00: Dani off boob. Decide to get some breakfast.
9:10 make peanut butter sandwich for myself and for AJ, for later. AJ needs to poop. She undresses and sits on potty without help. I boil water for instant coffee, boil eggs and slice cheese. Pack some and eat some. Periodically check on AJ on bathroom.
Find AJ lying naked face down on the bathroom rug. It happens to be clean, but I tell her that is not hygienic. Help with wiping etc.
9:30 sit down to eat some breakfast. Dani is in the swing. AJ entertains her by babbling and waving around a toy. Dani likes it, smiles and coos. Very cute.
9:40 done breakfast
Hustle around doing odds and ends, packing to go out. Remind AJ about getting dressed.
9:54 time for AJ’s wash. Dani fussy so I take her out of swing and hold her. AJ needs to be cajoled into coming for a wash. I talk about getting to the park in time to see the others. Feeling a tad crabby at this point.
Wipe AJ’s face and butt with washcloth while holding Dani in the other hand. She wipes her feet with the cloth. Is currently obsessed with her “toe jam.”
We go to pick out clothes. I convince AJ to wear shirt and pants to playground because a dress will get dirty and torn. Lately she always wants to wear a dress or her dinosaur costume (which she received for Halloween when she was 2 years old and which still fits, barely.)
10:10 AJ dressed with teeth brushed. She gets her clothes on by herself and mostly does her own teeth. She ignores me when I ask her to come and get her hair brushed and braided. I decide to let it go and boob feed Dani, who is crying.
When AJ comes to living room I remind her about hair. Not yet, she says. When she asks me to tie her favourite blanket around her neck like a cape, I say I’ll do it when her hair is done. We get hair done. Then AJ tears around wearing her tiara, a necklace and the “cape.”
Between 10:15 and 10:45: getting stroller out of car, getting everyone dressed, convincing AJ to leave her accessories at home, loading stroller, running back and forth looking for things I forget or think I forgot, only to realize they are already in the stroller.
10:45: we are ready to head to park. I reflect that I’m really quite good at this parenting business, as long as you don’t expect me to be anywhere on time. Or to have dinner ready every day. I mean I have dinner ready some days. Just not all of them. Luckily Mr Turtle is good at making a fast meal.
I found a scooter in the school recycle bin last fall, still in good condition. AJ is learning how to use it. I suggest to get we take the short way to the playground to get there faster, but she insists on the long way. Halfway there complaining AJ tired and hungry, but we make it. The scooter actually slows us down but I’m able to put it on the stroller when AJ is tired of it. Dani is awake and observant for about 15 minutes then falls asleep.
At the park we sit with the other playgroup moms, eat our snacks. AJ goes to play after a while. She doesn’t know the other kids really well yet,so sometimes she plays with them, sometimes stares at them, sometimes does her own thing. I’m not sure she yet knows how to ask to play or invite another child but she usually responds to others or shows interest in joining a group. Unfortunately the little girl she most likes to play with is having another off day, clinging to mom and whimpering. (Find out later she is suffering from unknown allergies. Ugh, poor thing). Dani sleeps.
1:00, most of the other moms are moving toward going home, but it takes another half hour before they actually leave. I convince AJ to leave by saying we’ll eat some goldfish when we cross the street.
Cross the street successfully. AJ drops a goldfish on the ground. I tell her it’s for the birds. A few meters on she starts crying, says she doesn’t want the birds to have it, so we walk back pick it up, and put it in my pocket.
2:00ish, we are home. AJ wants to stay outside and eat her snack. It’s sunny and warm, and Dani is still sleeping in her stroller, so it seems like a good idea. I retrieve the eggs I boiled earlier and forgot about. We sit outside for an hour. I catch up on this blog. I love spring.
3:00ish, Dani is still sleeping. AJ is playing in the yard in her own world. I consider doing something useful and decide against it. I don’t want to leave Dani outside on her own and I don’t want to try to transfer her either. So I go get a snack and a book.
I read a chapter and a half of The Gulag Archepelago. First chapter is “Arrest” and describes many of the ways people were arrested in the Soviet Union. For the most part they did not resist at all. Interesting reading but hardly reassuring with regards to humanity. I also call my mom.
Around 4ish Dani starts to stir. I feed her outside then pop in to change a diaper. Feed her some more. Mr Turtle is baking fish tonight so I decide to try to prepare some sides. I find AJ’s bubbles which keep her happy outside a little longer.
Dani is happy for a few minutes on a blanket on the kitchen floor while I peel potatoes and chop vegetables for salad. I talk to her and watch AJ out the window as she plays in the backyard. She keeps asking us to come outside again, so we do, then as soon as we are comfortable she decides to go into the house. I am slightly annoyed by this and tell her it’s not fair to baby Dani.. However, AJ makes it up by hugging Dani and talking to her for several minutes. Dani smiles and coos at her. It is beautiful.
We chill until Mr Turtle comes home around 5:30. He is just in time to help AJ on the potty: hurrah. Mr Turtle is in a good mood. He was recently promoted and has been a bit stressed adjusting to the new job, but things are coming together better.
I hand Dani, who is also in a good mood, to Mr Turtle for cuddles. I go outside to bring my book in and continue by putting away the stroller, taking the laundry out (remember the laundry?) changing my clothes, etc.
AJ has spread her dinosaurs all over the kitchen floor. She partially clears them so Mr Turtle can cook. I hold Dani in my lap and sit in the kitchen so we can talk while he continues with dinner. Dani feeds again. And poops massively.
Dinner is baked salmon, mashed potatoes and salad. We all enjoy it thoroughly including AJ who has a good appetite from her time outside. Fish is one of her favourites. Dani smiles and coos at us from her swing.
7:45ish: Mr Turtle has also made chocolate pudding upon request. AJ has eaten her dinner so she can watch two mini movies. We all go downstairs to the TV. Dani’s mood has turned and she has scream crying. I stick a boob in her mouth. She becomes happy again. And poops. Diaper change.
When I come back I give Dani to Mr Turtle again so I can eat my pudding. She stays happy for a decent amount of time but is clearly getting tired. A few minutes later we split up to do bedtimes. Mr Turtle does cleanup, pyjanas, floss and toothbrush with AJ. I put Dani in pyjamas and a sleep sack, cuddle and feed her one last time. She falls asleep after feeding at around 8:50. Mr Turtle shows AJ three short songs on iPhone and reads her two stories (as agreed). I transfer Dani to her bassinet. She stays asleep but stirs and whimpers a few times, so I need to stay close and settle her by putting a hand on her chest or gently holding her hands away from her face.
Mr Turtle finished cleaning up then goes downstairs for his quiet time when AJ has settled, and I finish the blog in bed beside Dani.
9:30, Dani seems well asleep. I have forgotten my vitamins again so grab a snack and take them. Brush teeth. Say goodnight to Mr Turtle, then listen to audiobook Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Fall asleep.
Overall, another awesome spring. And as I post this it is exactly a year since I started the cycle that led to Dani. Kind of a peculiar anniversary but I like to think back and remember how life has changed in a year.