A Day In The Life...

I've been asked quite a few times what my days are like (especially by mommies who have 1 baby around or younger than Allie's age) with 2 under 2.

Busy.

Tiring.

Most of all, fun.

Some days are harder than others, especially when they fall out of schedule, which I try very hard to keep. Most days are like clockwork; everyone always knows what comes next.

Let me give you a sample:

5:30 am -- My lil Ryan has been sleeping through the night for almost a month now, but at this time Jason's alarm goes off so that he can go to the gym (I know, psycho)and that is Ryan's cue to start fussing so that he can join me in the big bed. I get up, change his diaper, and lay him next to me on our bed while I feed him and we both fall asleep for another hour.

6:30 am -- "Hiiiiiiiii!!!" is the long drawn out sound I can hear coming through the monitor. It's Allie greeting all the stuffed animals in her crib. :) At about this same time, Jason gets back from the gym, gets her out of her crib, changes her, gets a sippy cup of milk and lays her down on our bedroom floor for a little Playhouse Disney. Both Ryan and I usually wake up sometime before she finishes her milk cup.

7:00 am -- We see Daddy off to work. We transition to the living room for some more Playhouse Disney for Allie while I feed Ryan.

7:15 am -- Put Ryan in his bouncy seat to look at his toys. Put Allie in high chair and give her a handful of cheerios and freeze dried apples to eat. Turn on a DVR'd Little Einsteins (it's not on TV until 7:30 and she can't wait.) Make Allie's breakfast, which is usually oatmeal or yogurt.

7:20 am -- Feed Allie. Feed me. Gather all laundry to be washed, but don't start wash until after babies baths.

7:45 am -- Bath time for Allie first (I'm teaching ladies first as early as I can). Take Ryan, bouncy seat and all to the bathroom to set up Allie's bath. I get her all washed up and by then Ryan is usually sick of the bouncy seat so I sit him on my lap where he LOVES to watch his big sister splash around.

8:15 am -- Allie likes baths so I let her play for as long as she wants until she says, "Up!" and tries to climb out... which is generally about this time.

8:20 am -- Dress Allie, do her hair and help her brush her teeth. Ryan is usually in his crib or his sister's crib staring at the mobile. Oh, he loves those mobiles... and he's so patient too. He's gonna make a great husband some day, I'll make sure of it!

8:30 am -- Bath time for Ryan now! First shut all the doors of the rooms Allie is not allowed in by herself (bathrooms, our bedroom, laundry room). Set up bath in the kitchen sink and put the boy in.

9:00 am -- Ryan loves his bath too. Allie usually asks to sit on the counter to help wash his hair. Well, actually she just says, "up!" and then rubs (ever so gently, what a little mother!)his head. He almost always starts to fall asleep in the tub, so I take him out about this time.

9:15 am -- Ryan HATES getting dressed. He's usually screaming his head off about now. I think a combination of being cold, tired and moved around gets him angry. His need for a morning nap is soooooooooo obvious at this time.

9:25 am -- Because of this obvious need, I oblige. :) I feed him and he zonks out almost immediately. I usually watch one of my DVR'd shows (what did I ever do without the DVR???? Stay up and actually watch the shows??? Commercials and all??? Yick!) Like Jon and Kate Plus 8 (some how I feel so much better about my hectic life with 2 babies after watching that show), The Hills, 90210 or Desperate Housewives. Allie is usually playing in her room, but soon she'll come out and whine at my legs. A signal to put Ryan down and give her juice cup and snack.

9:45 - 10:00 am -- Put Ryan in his swing to take his morning nap. Set Allie up in her room with her juice cup after giving her a snack. Now, I FINALLY get to get out of my PJ's and straighten my hair, go on the computer (sometimes), start the wash, get some chores done etc... When Allie finishes her juice, she usually follows me around. I talk to her constantly and play with her as I do stuff.

11:15 ish am -- Sometimes Ryan seperates his morning nap and his afternoon nap...sometimes he just sleeps straight through until 2 or 3 (I love those days). If he doesn't seperate the two naps, I usually feed him about this time.

11:30 am -- Allie's lunch time. Turn on her DVR'd show Bunnytown, give her some veggie crackers to munch on while I prepare her lunch. If Ryan is awake, he goes in his bouncy seat to watch right along with his sister. Sometimes she tries to share her crackers by throwing them on his head.

11:45 am -- Feed me.

12:00 pm-- If Ryan is awake, I have to prepare to feed both babies at the SAME TIME... yup, the same time. If he's asleep, it's not so much of a chore. Today he was asleep while I fed Allie for her nap... yesterday, he wasn't. So for the sake of this post, let's pretend he's awake. I have to warm a bottle for him and get sippy cup of milk for her. I place the Boppy pillow, the remote, a burp cloth, a Paci, and bottle on the couch next to where I will sit with Allie. I place Ryan on the pillow, sit down, pick up Allie and put her on my lap. She feeds herself her sippy and I feed Ryan his bottle as he lays next to me on the pillow. Oh, and I watch another DVR'd show. Whew!

12:30 pm -- Allie is asleep and hopefully Ryan is too. This is me time. I get on the computer and blog stalk, write a blog, or scrapbook... or do a much needed chore.

2:00 pm -- Ryan usally wakes up first, but somehow they are usually both awake at this time. Playtime! We usually play in Allie's room and I read her every book she owns, sometimes several times and we both play with Ryan.

3:00 pm -- Almost time for Daddy to come home! We usually all head to the kitchen for a snack.

3:20 pm -- Feed Ryan. Allie plays in her room or around me.

3:45 pm -- I put Ryan in the baby Bjorn and we clean up all the things that were strewn about by Allie as she went about her day. She loves to tear apart my kitchen. Time to put it back together again before Daddy gets home.

4:00 pm -- Daddy is home! and the sweet man starts dinner for us, while I entertain the children in various ways and talk to him about our day and the same time.

5:00 pm -- Dinner for Mommy and Daddy! Allie has a juice cup in her high chair and Ryan chills in his bouncy seat... or fusses while mommy stuffs her face! :)

5:30 pm -- Allie eats. Daddy sets her up with a DVR'd show and feeds her. I feed Ryan.

6:15 pm -- Dinner is cleaned up and mommy is dying to get out of the house. So Jason takes us all out for a drive. Usually we run a couple of errands or just go to a drive thru and get a soda. The kids enjoy the drive too, and then Jason and I can just talk.

7:00 ish pm -- Bathtime again! We started giving 2 baths a day since Allie was born. Mostly just cause they enjoy baths so much and it really breaks up the day. This time of day is pretty hairy, so bath time settles them down. I go to the kitchen to give Ryan a bath and Daddy gives Allie her bath.

7:45 ish pm -- We dress both kids at the same time for bed. Who is dressing who varies from day to day but we do it together, in the same room... Ryan's.

8:00 pm -- teeth brushing for Allie and kisses and hugs all around. Daddy gives Allie a cup of milk before she settles for the night and I feed Ryan.

8:30 pm -- All is peaceful in the Schafer household. If it's any day but Thursday, Saturday or Sunday, I get dressed and head to the gym for an hour. Any of the other days, I just hang with my hubby and watch TV.


What a day! That was exhausting just typing it, but that's my life.. Life As A Schafer :)