Gettin' in the Groove!
Well, things here have been good. Piper and I are still kind of trying to get into our "groove," but all in all we have a pretty solid routine down. It goes something like this:
Three days a week I get up at 7AM and work out to my new Jillian Michael's DVD (yes, I have succombed to the workout Nazis ways). That gives me enough time to shower before the little monster wakes up. On the days that I don't work out....well, I sleep until I hear her chattering away over the baby monitor. These days are much slower for both of us.
Piper loves watching Sesame Street so once she's up and changed, she watches that while I get our breakfast ready. We eat breakfast together and then she watches the rest of it afterwards. She sings and dances to the Elmo intro song (a-dorable) and learns the letter of the day.
Then, we get to play for a while. On the days that I don't work out, we make sure we get outside and go for a walk and play at the park if it hasn't rained. We can both use the fresh air and I can use the exercise. This also makes putting her down for a nap much easier as the fresh air wears her out quite nicely.
Some days she bathes in the morning after breakfast and other days at night....those baths are attended by dada so they get some good one-on-one time together. She also has taken to loving showers at this age. I'm not sure if it's because of the shower or because she gets to be with me, but either way, it's super cute! And, at least this way the water she's drinking is clean. Why do babies drink their bath water? GROSS!
Lately, naps have been really successful. She only takes one a day, but they are 2 1/2 to 3 hour naps. With how well she sleeps, she's never been a 2 nap/day baby, which is fine by me. Nap time is a chance to watch a little TV, have some lunch, and spend a little time in my craft room. Albeit, I'm not always "crafting," but I'm able to get things knocked off my list, whether it's paying bills, applying for my 3 jobs/week, or doing some housework.
Pete gets home around 3:15, which is about when she wakes up from her nap. So, he usually goes up to get her, she has lunch (yes, a late one) and then she gets to play for a while before dinner. We have also gone on walks as a family or played at the park just down the street. The nice thing about the neighborhoods around here is that there are "parks-a-plenty".
We have dinner about the same time and our night-time routine is pretty consistent. She goes to bed around 8:30 or 9 and sleeps for 11-12 hours. Then begins our daily routine all over again.
In the short time I've been home with her, I've learned that (while I am a routine person) it is possible to get bored being home all day. And, that's not to say that there isn't plenty to do around here...the to-do list is never ending. But, sometimes it's nice to go and run errands or go somewhere to interact with other people. Adult conversation is missed on occasion, but we're working on that. And, I am blessed to have Rae around who continues to watch Piper on Fridays. That way, I get the time to do some things for me and the opportunity to talk to someone other than a gibberish-speaking 18-month old!
Tomorrow begins a new addition to our weekly routine - play group! We're so lucky to be in this area of Issaquah. There are so many families and so many activities/clubs that the association has put together to accommodate everyone. The play group is for 90 minutes just up the hill a bit. I know I'm nervous about putting myself out there and meeting new people. But, the benefits for pip-squeak (as Pete calls her) to be around other children are endless. She literally lights up when she sees kids at the play ground or walking down the street. It will be a fun time, for sure!
Well...time to go and make dinner. Check back later for pictures and videos!
Three days a week I get up at 7AM and work out to my new Jillian Michael's DVD (yes, I have succombed to the workout Nazis ways). That gives me enough time to shower before the little monster wakes up. On the days that I don't work out....well, I sleep until I hear her chattering away over the baby monitor. These days are much slower for both of us.
Piper loves watching Sesame Street so once she's up and changed, she watches that while I get our breakfast ready. We eat breakfast together and then she watches the rest of it afterwards. She sings and dances to the Elmo intro song (a-dorable) and learns the letter of the day.
Then, we get to play for a while. On the days that I don't work out, we make sure we get outside and go for a walk and play at the park if it hasn't rained. We can both use the fresh air and I can use the exercise. This also makes putting her down for a nap much easier as the fresh air wears her out quite nicely.
Some days she bathes in the morning after breakfast and other days at night....those baths are attended by dada so they get some good one-on-one time together. She also has taken to loving showers at this age. I'm not sure if it's because of the shower or because she gets to be with me, but either way, it's super cute! And, at least this way the water she's drinking is clean. Why do babies drink their bath water? GROSS!
Lately, naps have been really successful. She only takes one a day, but they are 2 1/2 to 3 hour naps. With how well she sleeps, she's never been a 2 nap/day baby, which is fine by me. Nap time is a chance to watch a little TV, have some lunch, and spend a little time in my craft room. Albeit, I'm not always "crafting," but I'm able to get things knocked off my list, whether it's paying bills, applying for my 3 jobs/week, or doing some housework.
Pete gets home around 3:15, which is about when she wakes up from her nap. So, he usually goes up to get her, she has lunch (yes, a late one) and then she gets to play for a while before dinner. We have also gone on walks as a family or played at the park just down the street. The nice thing about the neighborhoods around here is that there are "parks-a-plenty".
We have dinner about the same time and our night-time routine is pretty consistent. She goes to bed around 8:30 or 9 and sleeps for 11-12 hours. Then begins our daily routine all over again.
In the short time I've been home with her, I've learned that (while I am a routine person) it is possible to get bored being home all day. And, that's not to say that there isn't plenty to do around here...the to-do list is never ending. But, sometimes it's nice to go and run errands or go somewhere to interact with other people. Adult conversation is missed on occasion, but we're working on that. And, I am blessed to have Rae around who continues to watch Piper on Fridays. That way, I get the time to do some things for me and the opportunity to talk to someone other than a gibberish-speaking 18-month old!
Tomorrow begins a new addition to our weekly routine - play group! We're so lucky to be in this area of Issaquah. There are so many families and so many activities/clubs that the association has put together to accommodate everyone. The play group is for 90 minutes just up the hill a bit. I know I'm nervous about putting myself out there and meeting new people. But, the benefits for pip-squeak (as Pete calls her) to be around other children are endless. She literally lights up when she sees kids at the play ground or walking down the street. It will be a fun time, for sure!
Well...time to go and make dinner. Check back later for pictures and videos!
