A Typical 'Day In The Life' With 2 Under 3

If you're anything like me, you love these day in the life posts. I get it. I'm nosey. But, I also like to see how other mothers, in particular, spend their days with their kids. How they actually attempt to accomplish anything outside of taking care of them (house chores? what are those?). I can't believe it's been over a year since I published this 'day in the life' post! Oh, those were the days with just one little guy to worry about! I will say that our days run a lot smoother now than they did about 6 months ago. Having a newborn and a very active toddler at the same time is no joke! But, as with everything in life, it was just a phase and now I find myself with an almost mobile baby and a very active toddler... I can only imagine how hectic these days will be when I have 2 toddlers!

I wanted to document this time in my life at home with the boys for me to look back on. I find myself scrolling back in my blog to find the posts about the early days with Camden and I know I will love to come back and read these types of posts when the boys are older as well. And for those of you with 2 little ones yourself (or if you're thinking about having your second) this is for you as well!

I pride myself at getting both boys on a fairly good schedule by the age of 6 months. I'm all about regulating when they sleep and eat because it helps me map out and plan our days together as well. And I think it helps both boys know what to expect in our days which can lead to less meltdowns (perhaps).

Instead of picking a specific day, I'm going to give you a general run down on our schedule when I'm at home with the boys. There are somethings that change day to day like, when Bennett will take his first nap (because that sets off our schedule for the rest of the day) or what the weather is like for the day (will we be playing inside or outside). But, for the most part, this is our typical day....

May 2017
Bennett - 10 months
Camden - 2.5 years
Me - part time work from home (online marketing), part time SAHM
Bill - Medical Sales Rep (travels part time)

5:30 am - my alarm on my phone goes off. I've been trying my best to set my alarm and get up before the boys wake up so I can have some time to get ready (aka throw on some make up, brush my hair and put normal clothes on). Maybe even take my first few sips of coffee before the hectic morning starts. I've been about 50/50 with actually getting out of bed when the alarm goes off. I'm hoping to be 100% in the near future!

5:45 am - I drag myself out of bed with the only motivation being that first sip of warm coffee (with lots of creamer...mmm). I brew our coffee for the day (we like to make an old school pot of coffee every morning). I start to put on my make up and brush my hair. I most likely throw on these shorts and one of these tee shirts (which are currently 3 for $20!).

6/6:15 am - This is about when I start to hear Bennett stir and talk in his crib. The little booger has only slept past 6:30 a handful of times in his life. But, I like that he gets us up and out of bed for the day! I get him up, change his diaper and we head downstairs for his first bottle of the day. He usually finishes this one pretty quick. Then it's play time on the floor. He is a loud baby and usually wakes up his brother and Dada with his squeals.

6:30/7 am - Camden will typically sleep until about 7 if his brother doesn't wake him up. If Bill is home, he will usually get Camden up and dressed for the day. Bill brings him downstairs and I give him a hug and kiss 'good morning'. I sit him up on his booster seat and give him the ipad to watch a few videos while I prepare the boys' breakfast. Cheerios and fruit for Bennett (sometimes a pouch if he seems hungry). Yogurt, cheerios, maybe some fruit and milk for Camden. We are like clockwork with our morning routine, so Camden has gotten pretty used to eating the same thing every morning. On the weekends I might make something more exciting like pancakes or waffles. Bennett's pretty good at eating his finger foods so, I take this opportunity while they are eating to empty the dishwasher.

(the best silicone bibs)

7:30/8 am - Bennett starts to get restless in his highchair, so I put him in his little car walker (similar here) and he walks around the first floor going from out front foyer, to the kitchen, to the living room. He's gotten pretty good at maneuvering in that thing!

8 am - We finish up breakfast and head upstairs to the playroom while Bill starts work for the day. I put Bennett down for his morning nap between 8 - 8:30 (usually about 2 hours after he wakes up).

8:30 - 9:30 am - Camden and I play in the playroom while Bennett naps. I like to try to incorporate some quiet activities like play-doh, coloring, etc. I may turn on an episode of Daniel Tiger or Sesame Street if we are having a lazy morning.

9:30 - 10 am - Bennett usually wakes around this time and I feed him his second bottle of the day. I'll get the boys dressed for if I haven't yet. Camden will get a snack and some milk while I'm feeding Bennett.

10 am - 12 pm - This is when we will go on an outing for the day. Depending on the weather we will go to the park, zoo, or another outdoor place if it's nice out. If it's a rainy or cold day we may go to an indoor play cafe (like this one) or I'll take them on a grocery/Target run (which is starting to get tricky). I'd like to try out a few local libraries for story time too in the near future.

(taken at the Tree of Life Play + Cafe in Hilliard on a cold/rainy Tuesday!)

12 pm - 12:30 pm - We are home and I fix the boys lunch. Camden's appetite varies, but Bennett is usually hungry at this time and will eat anything I put on his tray! I'll give him a handful of cheerios to keep him busy while I make the boys' lunches. I try my best to make sure Camden gets some sort of protein and fruit/veggie. The veggies are tough and most of the time I have to resort to giving him one of these so I feel better. Bennett gets some sort of fruit and/or veggie as well and maybe a little bit of whatever Camden is eating. I might give Bennett a sippy cup with a little bit of water so he gets used to using the sippy.

12:30 - 1 pm - We all head upstairs to start the nap time process. I put Bennett down for his nap first. He will typically roll around a bit and talk to himself before falling asleep. I'll bring Camden to his room, change his diaper and read him a story or 2 before coaxing him to go in his crib.

1 - 2:30 pm - On a good day (and this is happening more often recently), the boys will nap simultaneously at this time! During nap time I'll work on the blog, answer emails, read blogs do house chores or prep for dinner. Or sometimes I just sit and catch up some TV shows if I'm lazy! I also usually eat my lunch at this time since I am never really able to when the boys eat!

2:30 - 3 pm - Bennett wakes up from his nap around this time and I feed him a bottle. Then, we get some one on one play time together in the playroom before Camden wakes up. I love this time because I can just focus all my attention on him!

3 - 3:30 pm - Camden will wake up from his nap around this time. He's been so grumpy after nap time recently! It will take him a good half an hour to feel better. I usually get him a snack and some milk and we may watch an episode of Daniel Tiger or something to get him out of his funk.

(or sometimes he refuses to put pants on... Oh, to be a toddler!)

3:30 - 5 pm - At this time I try to get the boys out of the house again. We may go across the street to the park (yes, there is a park right across the street from our house which is so convenient!) or just hang out in our backyard with some toys if it's nice out. If it's a crummy day, I may just take them with me on an errand or I'll try to get creative with a craft for Camden, more play-doh, build a fort, etc.

5 pm - Bennett starts to get a little whiny around this time and I know it's because he's ready for dinner! So, I'll bring the boys in the kitchen to start dinner for us. I'll put Bennett in his high chair with some finger foods to keep him happy. Recently, I've been giving him peas, carrots, corn, raspberries (these are so easy to just pull apart in pieces), bananas, etc. I'll start making dinner and try to keep Camden occupied by either having me help with dinner or giving him some type of craft to do at the table or he'll play an app on the ipad.

5:30 - 6 pm - I'll serve dinner to Camden and give Bennett little pieces of whatever we are eating. If Bill is home we may all eat at this time. I've been loving one pan/sheet pan recipes lately! Makes clean up so much easier!

6 pm - 6:45 - This is when the boys get a little crazy and I'm so glad when Bill is home to help during this time of night! We will either play downstairs or head up to the play room. Bill may watch the boys at this time while I clean up from dinner. A few nights a week, I'll try to go for a run outside at this time.

6:45 pm - I'll feed Bennett his 'bedtime' bottle and get him ready for bed. I change him into pjs and an overnight diaper, turn on his sound machine, close the curtains and I usually sing him a lullaby before putting him in his crib. I've been putting him in lighter, short sleeve pjs for summer, but I still love using the sleep sack so he feels comfy.

7 pm - Bennett is usually sleeping by this time and Bill will hang out with Camden while I jump in the shower.

7:30 / 7:45 pm - We start the bedtime process for Camden which includes changing into PJs, brushing his teeth, bath if needed, stories, etc. He is really starting to try to avoid the bedtime process! He's always asking for one more story or to go back in the playroom. We try to make sure he's at least in his crib by 8pm.

8 / 8:30 pm - Camden is finally asleep and Bill and I relax for a bit. Maybe watch a TV show, eat our dinner if we haven't yet! I'll try to clean up the kitchen as much as possible before we go to bed. I hate waking up to a messy kitchen.

9 - 9:30 pm - I may work on a blog post or just catch up on a TV show.

9:30 - 10 pm - I'll brush my teeth, wash my face and set out clothes for the next day. I've been so tired at night that I'm typically in bed by this time! I make sure my alarm is set for 5:30 am.

And that is my day as a SAHM in a nutshell! Props to you if you've read this entire post, ha! Seems like such a long day all written out. But, they definitely fly by because we are so busy!

Thoughts on Becoming a SAHM + Why I Blog

*First, I just wanted to give you all a quick update since my post on Friday. I had my follow up appointment Friday and my BP was normal (whoo hoo!). They still want me to try to minimize activity as much as possible, but I'm not on any restricting bed rest at this point. I have my next appointment Wednesday. Fingers crossed we are still on schedule for the c section on the 28th! Thank you all who commented with concerns and well wishes!

+++

Meet my new boss... He keeps me very busy, has a tight schedule with lots of over time... But, he's cute as can be! :)

My last official day of (part time) work was almost 2 weeks ago. We decided to continue taking Camden to daycare for the few weeks before baby #2 arrives just to give me a break and so that I can prepare his arrival on the 28th! Both sets of our parents will be coming in town to help with Camden and the new baby for 3 weeks (alternating weeks) which is wonderful! I remember wanting to be so independent with Camden and didn't ask for much help when he was a newborn. This time around I am taking any help I can get, especially since we will also have a toddler to take care of! Bill will also get a few weeks off of work which helps a lot. Every company should offer paternity leave!

With that said, I am nervous about when the help leaves. Most likely August will be tough since I will officially be on my own with 2 babes under 2 while Bill works during the week. As of right now, I can't imagine having the energy to do it, but of course I'm in my last few weeks of pregnancy and my energy level is so low at this point. I'm nervous about not getting any sleep (which I'm not really getting much now as it is) and then having to take care of a baby and toddler all day. I'm hoping that I have the patience of a saint!

However, I am excited to be with my babies all day everyday. I get to be a part of their learning process and we will make the best memories together. I also want to be a part of nurturing their sibling relationship. I can't wait until the boys are at the age when they can play together and like the same activities and toys. I know there will be fights and jealousy, that comes with the territory. But, it will be fun to see their relationship grow and evolve. 

I'm nervous that I will lose a sense of myself that I had even working part time. I guess it wasn't necessarily a 'career', but it was a piece of my life when I could connect with other adults (even though it was mostly via email working remotely). I was using a different part of my brain other than shapes, colors, letters, etc. It also gave me confidence and made me feel like I was contributing to our family financially. We have made a new budget going forward and of course, the first thing to go will be my miscellaneous, impulse purchases from Target and spending too much money on eating out. 

I am lucky in that I don't have to work. Bill has a great position and career that is able to support our family. Sure he has to make the occasional work trip and leave us for a night or 2, but other than that his job has been a blessing. We see his income as our family income and I am grateful that he is supportive in my decision to stay home with the kids. 

With that being said, I know I will need this little blogging space more than ever! It is my place to come and be creative, to connect with other like minded bloggers and mamas and to have a little piece of time to myself. I know that my 'me' time will be very scarce once I am home full time with 2 little ones. I am going to work out a schedule so that I can at least try to carve out an hour or so a few times a week to focus on this creative space of mine. It is still so important to me! I probably will only be able to post 2-3 times a week, but hopefully once things die down a bit and I get into more of a routine with them I can start posting 5 times per week again.

Anyways, without this post becoming too lengthy... I want to thank all my readers for sticking with me through this transitional period of life! Also, if there are any SAHM moms out there that have any advice for carving out 'me' time (especially those with 2 or more kiddos), please feel free to comment below!

Oh, and GO CAVS! (Even though I fell asleep before the game ended...oops!)

A Day in My Life (SAHM style)

I posted A Day In My Life (Working Mom) a few weeks ago and it was well received and seems to be a popular post. I wanted to also give you a glimpse into what it's like to be a SAHM (stay at home mom). Currently, I am home with Camden on Mondays and Fridays during the week (while Bill works). Come July, I will be a full time SAHM! I can't imagine what it will be like to throw in a newborn with this type of day, but I'm sure we will manage to survive.

So, here's what a typical day looks like when I'm home with Camden:

Date: Friday, April 22nd, 2016

Camden is 17 months old!

I'm home with Cam and it is a work day for Bill. He is working from home in his office, so we try not to disturb him too much.

6:15 am - I hear Cam stirring in the monitor next to my bed (my boy is an early riser and I've slowly gotten used to this wake up time. It would be nice to set an alarm and get up before he wakes up so I can get some things done, but he is usually my alarm clock!). I get up, brush my teeth, put my hair in a top knot and throw on some easy maternity yoga pants and a tee shirt. I get Cam out of his crib, change his diaper and get him dressed for the day.

*Side note: I typically shower and blow dry my hair about 2-3 times per week. Once on a work day right after I or Bill drop Camden off at daycare and before I start working or during his nap when I'm home with him. I will also shower on a weekend day when Bill can watch Cam. This was just an in between shower day!

6:30 - we head downstairs and I sit him in his high chair and get him set up with a hand full of cheerios and a sippy cup of milk. I also let him watch a kiddie video on YouTube while I make coffee and prepare my breakfast. He loves these Little Baby Bum videos that play all kinds of nursery rhymes and actually are somewhat educational, so I don't feel too guilty about letting him watch them. 

I make Bill and I a pot of coffee for the day (I just have one cup in the mornings), I grab my overnight oats I prepared last night for my breakfast. I eat them cold and they aren't bad! I feed Cam a yogurt and slice up a banana for him. This is our go-to breakfast in the mornings. I typically feed him a snack around 8:30-9am (and he has breakfast at 9am at daycare when he goes), so we don't eat too heavy at this time.

7am - After breakfast, I clean up a bit and then we head to the playroom for some snuggles and cartoons. We play with some of his toys (blocks, balls, books, etc). Bill comes downstairs at about 7:30 ready for his work day, lets Charlie (our dog) outside and feeds him. 

8:15am - I start to get hungry again (I guess the overnight oats weren't filling enough!), so we have what I like to call 'second breakfast'. I give Cam a cereal bar and some more banana. I have a granola bar and a hard boiled egg. I prepared some hard boiled eggs for the week hoping Camden would eat some, but he is having none of it, so they end up being a good snack for me!

8:45 - I decide it's time for a trip to Target (aka our second home). I usually try to do a morning outing to Target or the grocery store on the days I'm home with Camden to have meals and snacks and whatever we need stocked for the week or weekend. 

Trying to shop with a toddler this age is tricky. He wants to stand up in the cart and grab everything, so I usually have to distract him with a toy or snack. This time, these neon plastic balls did the trick. Totally worth the 5 bucks to keep him occupied while I shop! I quickly grab what we need and head home.

9:30am - We are home and I put away some groceries while Camden runs around the kitchen. Once I'm finished, we head back to the playroom to play some more. I change his diaper in our little changing area we have set up in the playroom and he was struggling so bad that I just decided to leave his pants off. Totally not worth the fight if we are just hanging out at home!

I love when he picks up his stuffed animals and hugs them! Melts my heart!

I try my best to organize all his toys in the new bins we got and I quickly snap the photo below before it is completely wrecked again!

This is the photo I posted on IG...

And this is what it typically looks like after Cam gets into the bins! :)

We play in the playroom until about 11am when we both start getting hungry again.

11-11:15 - I prepare a lunch for Camden and myself. Camden is having a turkey and cream cheese roll up/wrap with some watermelon and goldfish crackers. I make myself a tuna salad sandwich and also enjoy some watermelon. I've been all about having fresh fruit in the fridge with this pregnancy! 

Camden eats all the crackers, some of the wrap and watermelon, but doesn't seem too thrilled with this meal so I also end up feeding him some greek yogurt and mandarin oranges (He LOVES this combo and makes me feel better that he's getting some protein from the greek yogurt).

11:45 - We head upstairs and read a few books in his room before I put him down for a nap. Being that he is an early riser, he usually gets pretty sleepy by this time. 

Once Camden is asleep, I try my best to be productive! On this day I was able to load the dishwasher, do a quick cleaning of the kitchen, folded and organized some baby clothes in the nursery, answered some emails and relaxed on the couch with a snack. (On Mondays, I'll work on blog posts during nap time as well)

2pm - I start to hear Camden stir in the monitor a little before 2pm. He slept for a little over 2 hours which is pretty typical. Some days he will sleep for 3 hours and on those days we rejoice :) 

I get him out of his crib, change his diaper and we head downstairs for snack time.

2:15pm - I give him a sippy cup of milk and some of the blueberry breakfast bread I picked up at Target while we were there and he seems to like it! (He insisted on holding his new balls while he snacked...)

After snack time, we play for a bit. Then I decide it's the perfect day for a walk to the playground, so we get ready and head out in the stroller.

3pm - we get to the park (there's a nice park and playground right in our neighborhood which is so convenient!). I swing Camden in the swings and follow him around the playground for a bit. 

We sit in the grass and I teach him what dandelions are :)

4pm - We head back home and play in our backyard for a bit. I picked up a little bubble gun at Target, so we play with that. He LOVES bubbles and always shouts "bubbles!" when he sees them.

4:45pm - We come back inside and play for a bit until Bill is done with work. Bill and I discuss getting pizza for dinner (always a great Friday night choice!). 

5:15pm - Bill orders the pizza and heads out to pick it up. We have a new favorite pizza place that is right around the corner from our house. I have been on a pineapple and onion pizza kick (weird pregnancy cravings!). I also order the walnut and gorgonzola salad (which is sooo good!).

This is about when I forget to continue taking photos...

Camden has some pizza with us. He loves cheese pizza! I also feed him an apple and spinach pouch so I feel better that he had something 'green' with his pizza. He loves these pouches and sucks them down!

After dinner, I clean up a bit while Bill and Camden play.

6:30pm - Bill takes Camden upstairs for bath time. I relax on the couch. It is so nice to just sit after a busy day with Cam! I get pretty tired at the end of the day with him now that I'm very pregnant.

7pm - I join them in Camden's room with a half sippy cup of milk. I change Camden into PJs and play in his room for a bit and read books. He drinks his sippy cup while we sit and read a bit before I put him in his crib for bed. (Sometimes he will go right to sleep and sometimes he whines around for about 10 minutes or so before falling asleep)

7:30pm - Camden is asleep and Bill and I relax on the couch with some ice cream. We decide to watch a few episodes of House of Cards on Netflix (we have slowly gone through this season. For some reason we haven't been totally into it as the last few seasons).

By 10pm I am falling asleep on the couch. I head up to bed. Bill stays up a bit longer watching tv downstairs. I am asleep by 10:30! I know, really exciting Friday night! I'd like to say I'll be more exciting when I'm not pregnant, but I'll probably end up going to bed earlier with a newborn!

There is an example of our days together in a nutshell! 

I just want to note that this was a really good day for Camden. There are somedays where he is in a 'mood' or doesn't want to nap and I end up driving him around our block in the carseat until he falls asleep. There are days when I just don't feel up for leaving the house because I'm so tired or the weather is bad or we are sick, etc and we get cabin fever! 

This was a really good day and I'm so glad I was able to document it so I can remember these fun memories of just the 2 of us. He is in such a fun stage right now. He is so curious about the world around him and just wants to explore all his new surroundings. I plan on really soaking up these days we have together until baby #2 arrives.