When you’re a SAHM (stay at home mom), you find yourself marking the time so your life doesn’t become one long nurse-change-bathe-play-feed-clean-nurse-change-nap-change-play. Here’s how a typical day goes:

Wake up to Ian crying at the end of a sleep cycle around 5am. He goes right back to sleep. I do not.

My boobs are full and I start worrying about mastitis.

I get up and shower before he wakes up. This involves teeth brushing, contact insertion, washing, applying deodorant, smelling my clothes to determine whether or not they are still wearable (I usually wear the same tops twice, and change my bottoms as I have the “nighttime sweats” and the “daytime sweats”).

Good morning time! With my hair still wet, I change, nurse, and play with Ian in his room until daddy wakes up. He comes in to play. I dry my hair and put on my day look, which is usually the same as my workout look.

Workout. Some days it’s a “walk-run” with baby, or baby and daddy. Other days it’s some kind of cheesy DVD workout (don’t judge, it gets the job done). If daddy takes baby for a walk, I get the supreme luxury of doing a floor workout (yoga or pilates), because when baby is in the house, floor workouts become hair-pulling parties, then I’m in a bad mood.

Daddy and Ian take a bath. I pack daddy’s lunch.

Daddy leaves for work. 9am-6:30pm (if we’re lucky). Insert play dates, two meals, two naps, diaper changes, endless clean-up, laundry…I try to get something done (cooking, shopping, errands, bills, writing). Sometimes it happens. Sometimes it doesn’t. We listen to lots of classical music and podcasts. Sometimes, I turn on the TV (yep, I’m that mom).

The longest hours are 3-5pm. I’m getting tired, and this tends to be a crankier time for him. Insert walks. Lots of walks. Now that it’s getting dark at 5pm, I should really invest in some flashing lights for the black stroller we have. And I convince myself no one would attack a woman with a baby. Getting out of the house is imperative to my sanity. I would carry him in the Ergo, but then podcast listening isn’t an option (wires hanging from my ears-way too sexy).

Daddy usually comes home while Ian’s having dinner. I’ll have him take over the feeding so I can prep our dinner. I’m running on fumes at this point. Around 7pm, daddy takes Ian upstairs to brush teeth, change, put on socks if it’s cold. Then we read a story, I do the final nurse, and down he goes.

Then I wash my face, contact removal, change into those nighttime sweats, and join husband for dinner around 7:45pm. I try not to pass out before 9pm, and read some birthy/doula related books.

What does your day look like?