we wake up around 7 a.m. with jack yelling to me that he needs to pee. (i haven't set an alarm to get up earlier than him since i got pregnant; sleep is valuable.) this wake-up thing has definitely improved since we potty trained in february; there's been trial and error in figuring out how to deal with peeing at night until a few weeks ago when i had the epiphany to cut off liquids an hour before bedtime. he doesn't wake up during the night anymore (which was reallllly cramping my style) and doesn't even wear a pull-up to bed, just holds it all night long. such a champ.
jack LOVES cereal so we march straight to the kitchen. most nights he tells me what he's planning to eat for breakfast the next morning. he eats and we read the wall street journal together. then we play together in the play room and say a family prayer with b before he goes to work. i usually eat my own bowl of cereal on the floor while directing some combination of race cars / trains / space rangers / circus animals.
while i shower and get ready, jack either reads books in my rocking chair, plays on the ipad (favorite apps include mickey mouse road rally and endless alphabet) or plays with toys. or comes into the bathroom and bugs me. ;) then i get him ready -- he is SUPER opinionated about his clothing so i usually let him pick out his outfit. when I'M the one to choose, like on sundays for church, i'm usually rewarded with a 20 min. tantrum. he's starting to learn how to undress himself (can't really dress himself yet) and brush his own teeth. so cute.
then we have our outing for the day. sometimes a play date, sometimes running errands, sometimes going somewhere fun and out of the ordinary like into seattle to visit a museum or other cool spot. when it's sunny, our play dates typically involve the park. living here gives you this crazy-intense sense of urgency when the sun comes out -- we MUST go out and enjoy the sun NOW!!! occasionally we stay home in the mornings and do chores or craft projects, but on those days we both get a little antsy by the afternoon. we also visit b at work once a week or so for lunch; it's so convenient to have his office only 10 minutes away, and there's always some fun new xbox toy for jack to check out.
usually after that it's home for lunch and a little more play time, then i force jack into his room for quiet time. ;) i began instituting this when he gave up naps last year and most days he doesn't mind it, but i've noticed our quiet time duration is getting shorter and shorter. who knows how much longer i can pull this off. he plays with toys or reads books or bangs on his door (haha) while i attempt to get some work done in my office.
things slowed down a lotttt for me professionally when i first got pregnant because i was so sick and tired, and they've since picked up a little bit -- but i've been having a lot of promptings lately that i just need to give up the work stuff, at least for a short while. i love it so much that i get super frustrated and stressed when i can't give work the attention i know it needs -- which messes me up and takes me away from my main job of being a mommy. plus, i'd love to spend the next month nesting and doing baby-prep stuff -- how dreamy would it be to spend quiet time on crafts or reading, instead of rushing to my computer?
so anyway. i work for as long as jack will let me (usually an hour or two) and then i get him out. we have a snack and then head to the park! we have the greatest little park right on our street and it is so convenient; we literally go there almost every day. jack hops on his little motorcycle and i walk over. we're typically the only people there unless we invite friends -- although with the warmer weather we've had more company than normal and it bugs me. ;)
we come home from the park and jack gets to watch a show or two (he begs for dumbo every day but i only let him watch it once in a while; most days it's mickey mouse clubhouse or chuggington) while i make dinner. some days i feed him on his own if b is working late; otherwise we all eat together. then we play a little bit more and around 7 p.m. it's bedtime! stories, potty, brush teeth, prayer, sing songs. he knows every single word to i am a child of god, families can be together forever and i'm trying to be like jesus and will usually sing along and it's the cutest thing on this PLANET. then i leave the door open per request and he goes right to sleep in his new big boy bed.
nights have gotten pretty lame around here and usually find me on the couch, reading or watching tv with b until i go to bed. late stages of pregnancy are tiring. ;) i occasionally make it to the gym or out for book club or a girls' night, but those are exceptions to the norm. i actually feel pretty good despite the whole 8 months of gestation thing, just tired and achy by the end of the day.
and there you have it. can't wait to add another little boy into the mix and see how things change...hopefully for the better. :)
