A Routine Posting

The routine, the routine, keeps me going.

What passes for a routine?

I get something to drink, something to eat, I pee, I wash my hands for the first of umpteen times today and feed the Kidlet*. It doesn't always work out so smoothly; today, my instant oatmeal is still sitting on the stove where I didn't quite get it made. By the time we had a couple rounds of breast-feedings plus naps today, I had to go straight to lunch.

*By "feed the Kidlet," that includes priming the breast, warming up the nipple shield, rolling it on, getting the boppy pillow and flannel blanket in position, picking up baby (assuming she doesn't need another diaper change), getting her to latch, quiet tranquil time where she is feeding, then a burping and snoozle, and a realignment to the other side if she's awake, and it starts all over again. I didn't want you to think it was a short job.

I try to get in several rounds of feed and sleep in the morning. She eats, she naps. I nap with her because if I put her down, she's up again. So we might as well get some more sleep. If she sleeps, that is. Today, she didn't want to sleep. Mommy was very sleepy because she was up extra early listening to the Kidlet breathe funny, even though such snorfling is normal, they say. I was listening during Daddy time, so that was sleep lost.

Anyway, every other feeding or so, I add in some formula to supplement the breast-feeding per lactation consultant's advice, and that knocks her out more thoroughly and gives me (sometimes) some significant me time. I use my me time to go to the bathroom, eat, wash bottles, check email, etc.

At some point, I might get dressed. If I have an outside appointment, of course, I have to get dressed. It's a bonus if I have brushed my hair or taken a bath recently. I wipe the gunk off the Kidlet's eyes and face several times a day. Rediapering is of course a standard two-three hour routine.

Mr. Sweetie comes home and straps on the baby, and they take a nap together. I check my email, read the funnies, run hot water to wash dishes and prepare more formula/wash pump parts and bottles. I eat something! I look at my list and notice that I could take out the recycling tonight.

Ah yes, my list.

My favorite part is that every evening, I make a short list of modest tasks that I might, if I have a few minutes or several, could accomplish. For instance, label the food containers that people have given us. Or take out the trash, wash dishes, print photos for the grandparents, pick up the eye drops, sort hand-me-down clothes, pay that bill, return that call, return that email to a friend who last wrote me three weeks ago, bring up the laundry from earlier this week. Did I mention take out the trash?

My other favorite part is doing those small tasks and crossing them out! Yea!

Some small tasks can take me days or weeks to finish. Some days, nothing gets done. But the list gives me a place to start when my brain cannot remember what comes next.

I try to get to bed around midnight so that I get a good chunk of sleep. Getting sleep ups the odds that I will have a decent day the next day. Mr Sweetie takes the nighttime feedings. That's two whole shifts, although if the Kidlet eats a little sooner or later, the timing can be thrown wonky. Mr. Sweetie has to, has to go out the door by 7 or 7:30 for work. So if Kidlet eats late, I may have to finish that feeding. So anyway, I get ready to go to bed, shut down the computer, change back into pajamas if indeed I even left them, mix up more formula for the night, wash bottles and pump parts et al so that they are ready to go, all before I do the last feeding of the evening.

I haven't gotten a bath yet today. I have barely brushed my hair. I did brush my teeth, but I never got around to getting dressed. I did have to reheat that bowl of soup three times before I got to finish eating it. I couldn't put the kid down today.

And then tonight, I'll put in a load of laundry, put away clean dishes, wash a few more, heat some food, make another list, get ready for the first of the evening feedings. Maybe tomorrow I will finally pick up the eye drops.

Right now, I'm writing. Hello, internet. How have you been the last few weeks?
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