I saw Kelly from Kelly’s Korner did a great Day in the Life post and then Katie and Megan did a Day in the Life post, so I thought I’d document one of our days so everyone could see our schedule.
I did a day in the life post when Hudson had just turned 1 year old. Things have seriously changed since then!
Monday through Thursday, Hudson has preschool in the mornings. Then on Fridays we go to Little Gym in the mornings. I am doing this Day in the Life based on a Tuesday.
You will notice that between the hours of 9:00-12:30, Hayes spends a lot of time on-the-go. Fortunately, Moms on Call gave a few sample schedules to use for an infant who has a toddler sibling in preschool. This has been really helpful for us as we learn to make Hayes an adaptable baby who can go with the flow. And he really can. A lot of his naps are interrupted and he just picks back up in the car. BUT… we do always start naps at the same time and start feedings at the same time. And he gets two good naps in his crib every day.
7:30 a.m.
Hayes is still my alarm clock. I wish I could have the discipline to wake up earlier than my kids, but right now I just don’t. Hayes wakes up at 7:30 every morning (sometimes later) and gets a bottle. Hudson wakes up and gets breakfast. Lately he just gets milk with Ovaltine and some fruit. He won’t eat oatmeal, waffles, pancakes or any other breakfast food anymore.
8:00 a.m.
Change Hudson’s clothes and comb his hair
Everyone gathers in the master bedroom while TC and I get dressed and ready for the day. I usually can only put on a little makeup and my clothes. (And I totally wear white jeans after Labor Day. It’s 85 degrees today. I’m not about to put on boots and dark jeans.)
I have to shower during nap time. I also start a load of laundry and make the bed during this time.
Hudson watching Bubble Guppies in our room.
8:15 a.m.
Put Hayes down for his first nap
8:40 a.m.
We leave to take Hudson to school and TC leaves for work. Hayes naps in the car.
9:00 a.m.
Drop off Hudson at school. Then Hayes and I either run errands and he sleeps or we come home. If we’re at home, we go for a walk and I finish laundry.
10:00 a.m.
Hayes gets a bottle. If we’ve been running errands, we get back home in time for his bottle. Then I play with Hayes, read books to him, give him some tummy time, and play with toys and do some developmental activities.
On this day, we took Hayes to his 4 month doctor’s appointment at 10:45.
11:00 a.m.
Hayes goes down for a nap. Then I do more laundry, tidy up the kitchen, blog, do my Bible study, work on Children’s Choir activities, Junior League responsibilities, respond to emails, etc. I pretty much try to squeeze in time for anything I can think of!
I’ve been doing this study by Sheila Walsh lately and I love it. It’s a book about trusting God and there’s an in-depth Bible study in the back. It has been so great so far.
11:40 a.m.
Hayes and I leave to pick up Hudson from school.
12:00 p.m.
Get Hudson and head back home.
12:30 p.m.
Hudson and I eat lunch and Hayes goes back in his crib. Hayes has learned how to nap on the go.
1:00 p.m.
Hayes gets a bottle and stays awake to play.
1:30-2:00 p.m.
Hudson goes down for his long nap.
2:00 p.m.
Hayes goes down for his long uninterrupted nap. During this time I do more laundry, wash bottles, take care of the dogs, respond to emails and phone calls, work on the blog (correspond with advertisers, write posts to schedule, etc. On this particular day I watched Modern Family on DVD while I folded tons of laundry and packed.
4:30
Hayes is up and gets a bottle. Hudson usually gets up around this time, too, but it just depends on the day. We play until it’s time for Hudson to eat supper. We’ll work puzzles, read books, or watch a movie. He absolutely loves The Lion King and The Jungle Book. Hayes has started playing in his exersaucer.
After his 4:30 feeding, Hayes is up for the rest of the day until his bed time bottle. This is a fun stretch of time because we really get to have lots of long stretches of time with Hayes being awake. Fun little guy!
6:00
I start supper for TC and me and fix Hudson his supper. On this night we had brussels sprouts, grilled chicken, asparagus and brown rice. Hudson had macaroni and cheese and watermelon.
Hudson and Hayes hung out in the kitchen floor while I cooked. I think keeping them entertained while I try to cook is one of the bigger challenges of my day.
6:30
Hudson eats supper
TC comes home
TC feeds the dogs
6:45-7:00
Hudson plays in his room while TC and I eat supper.
Then TC and I spend time playing with the boys.
7:00
TC gives Hudson a bath and then gives Hayes a bath.
Then TC dresses Hudson for bed and I give Hayes his bed time bottle. Sometimes we switch on these. Whichever one of us dresses Hudson for bed also goes around and picks up all toys around the house and returns them to Hudson’s room.
7:30-8:00
Hayes goes to bed after he gets his bed time bottle.
8:00
Hudson is in bed.
8:15-9:00
TC and I finish tidying up the house. I can’t stand to go to bed with a messy house and kitchen.
9:00
TC and I collapse on the couch and either read or watch TV. This summer we watched Friday Night Lights. Hopefully we can get into some great shows this fall, but I’m also content to read.
11:30-12:00
We go to bed. We’re night owls. We should really go to bed earlier. Now that I have more time during the day with Hudson at school, maybe I won’t stay up as late to get stuff done or to just relax. I love to read and I love hanging out with my husband. I can really only do those things at night.
So that’s our day! I know this will continue to change as Hayes’s eating and sleeping habits change. But this is where we are right now!
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow… you are busy, girl.
I love how organized you are… a girl after my own heart.
Loved the daily recap – reminded me of how my days were filled with pre-school, naps, food and laundry. Great times and memories. Enjoy.
You are organized! I loved reading this especially since my little guy is 9 weeks old. He naps best in his crib but we need to help him adjust some. It is amazing how much more laid back he is than his sister. Second children have to go with the flow!
Wow is all i can say – I am exhausted reading your day – I admire how organized and disciplined you are.
loved reading this! your days sound very similar to ours!
cooking supper while keeping both babies entertained is one of the most stressful parts of my day! and i am also reading “when a woman trusts God…” I LOVE it! it is seriously what i need right now!
This is SO much like our day!!!
I had intentions of doing this all summer so I could remember what our days were like and I still haven’t done it. I need to get on that!
Thanks for sharing your day with us!
Whew! Alright I’m tired just reading this. I really wonder some days how moms with two little ones makes it through the day! Looks like y’all are on a great schedule though. That certainly makes every day much more enjoyable!
I enjoy the part where you and TC get a whopping 15 minutes to eat! And you are right, trying to keep the boys occupied while I cook has to be one of the most challenging feats. I think it’s because I’m trying to concentrate, yet all I can hear is their questions and bickering. Plus, it never fails that is the time they decide the kitchen floor is the place to be!
I am amazed that Hayes will switch from crib to car seat to crib for his naps! Is that just the nature of a second child on the go? I only have one child and he would have NEVER done that. Maybe that is b/c we give so much attention to our first child and are not on the go as much. I hope my second child can adapt as well!
Wow, you really stay busy! I think if I stayed home, there would be some Momma nap time in there somewhere.
LOVE this kind of post! You are giving me a glipmse of what it will be like someday with 2 little ones. BTW–we have the same “cow-moo-flauge” britax! But, question: yours looks like it reclines back a lot more than the one I have? That was the one thing that really bothered me when I purchased it….I feel like Charlotte is sitting SO upright. I’m glad to see Hudson is still in it though!
Great post, Erin. I have one question though (and by all means I am just curious and hope not to cause offense). Why doesn’t TC drive Hudson to school in the morning on his way to work? That way Hayes can finish his nap in his own crib and it’s one less thing you need to do. Just a genuine question. You’re doing an amazing job with your little guys and you look great too!
First of all…you look great, Erin!!
When Alex and I collapse on the couch at 9pm every night, I think to myself – is this when everyone else is just wrapping things up with the kiddos and house and finally relaxing? Looks like the answer is YES!
I also loved reading what Hudson eats. Amelia has become so picky some days and I’m just happy to get her to eat. Period. LOL Looks like a lot of toddlers go through this.
Great post…loved reading about your day!
Loved getting a peak into ya’lls day! It is definitely filled with a LOT of cuteness.
I love keeping up with ya’ll and just hope one day to be as great a mom as you are, Erin! I know motherhood is not easy, but you do it with honesty and grace and those precious little guys are blessed to have you!
What kind of developmental activities do you do with Hayes? My daughter is a little older than Hayes and I am always looking for ideas for activities we can do with her.
You’re day wears me out just reading about it! Anyone that says SAHM isn’t a job clearly has never done it!
And I am totally with you about going to bed with a messy house/kitchen. Worst feeling ever to wake up to that. Great post
Love knowing the general direction your days tend to go!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am exhausted just reading it! We have a 13 month old and I work full-time outside the home, so I can’t even imagine bringing a second into the mix right now… you make it seem so easy
At what point do you walk and exercise your dogs?
Dang, lady! You are BUUUUUUUUSY!
Erin,
Thank you for the daily recap! It gives me insight into what my life is about to become once my daughter is born in the next few days/week! I am so excited, nervous, scared, anxious about every aspect of having TWO children to attend to, but it looks like ya’ll have gotten the hang of it all and I remember you too had these same feelings. That’s great that you still make time for your Bible study and time for yourself and husband. I too worry about these things, and just have to remember that it will be hard at first but I’m sure we will get into a routine eventually. My husband works from home and this has been my very first week as a SAHM, so we are trying to get into a routine just the three of us until my daughter gets here.
I loved your routine and I think that having Hudson in school probably helps to break up the day quite a bit! I have already discovered that entertaining a 2 and 1/2 year old can get tedious after awhile! he was in daycare the past two years so I wanted to give him a break from school for now, but think I will enroll him in a preschool in a few months.
Thanks again!
Laura
laurasblondemoments.blogspot.com
“Collapse on the couch”…exactly what happens here too!
Always glad to see smiling faces in the morning…but that nighttime silence/relaxation with my husband is pure gold! Great post.
You certainly stay busy! I love these day in the life posts – particularly for stay at home moms!
Oh and the part about keeping children entertained while cooking dinner? SO. TRUE. I only have one but its a constant struggle to keep him happy while I fix dinner — I really don’t understand how people do it.
You do stay busy!! Nice to kind of get an idea of what life will be like when we have two one day!!
I should probably do a post like this so I can look back later and see just what our days consisted of!
I love day in the life posts! I am with you on not going to bed with a messy house. It drives me aboslutely crazy! My little guy is 10 weeks old and my house feels like it stays in disarray. He seems to have put himself on a schedule though which I find so funny. I tried and tried to get him a on schedule and he was having no part of it, then one day I realized he set his own schedule, I just needed to go with it. Life has been much easier since then.
One question: where di you get the onesie Hayes is wearing with the elephant on it? My little Nickolas would look so cute in that.
I agree with the others who said you look amazing! You really are so beautiful no matter what, but you also look like you’ve dropped all of your baby weight this summer!
Also like another commenter, I was wondering about TC taking Hudson to school, since he leaves at the same time. Obviously you’re working it out because Hayes is a champ and will continue his nap, but it does seem like your morning would be easier if you just had to get those two out the door and then continue getting stuff done while Hayes naps.
The other question I had while reading this was about Hudson’s dinner. . .I’m wondering if you always make him something separate for dinner. I completely understand life with a picky eater. . .when my five year old was right around Hudson’s age–well, actually the entire year between 12 and 24 months old–getting her to eat anything was an absolute nightmare. All she wanted was to drink milk. I also resorted to mixing something into her milk to get her more nutrients–I used Carnation Instant Breakfast where you’re using Ovaltine. But it was so bad that she kept dropping in weight percentiles every time we visited the doctor. By the time we went to her 2 year old checkup, she was down to the 2nd percentile for weight, and the pediatrician said, “I don’t care if you have to take her to MacDonald’s every day for chicken nuggets and fries, you just have to get her to eat.” So I get it. But I have to say, I think the thing that took us from a 2 year old who literally wouldn’t eat anything to a 5 year old who will honestly eat anything I put in front of her, from grilled salmon to Thai food to steamed cabbage, is the fact that I never stopped the habit of sitting her down at the dinner table with my husband and I, with the exact same foods in front of her as we were eating ourselves. I didn’t force her to eat it, but every single night she had a plate with the same foods as we were eating, and we were extremely positive and encouraging about trying everything. Gradually between ages 2 and 2.5, she just started trying more and more of the foods. To the point where by age 3, she was a completely normal eater–like I said, will really eat anything I make. And it sounds like we eat very much the same way you do–lots of lean protein (mostly chicken), fresh veggies, and good carbs like brown rice, quinoa, etc. I also cook a lot from Cooking Light, like you.
Anyway. I’m sure that if Hudson’s eating habits are something you’ve struggled with, then you’ve sought out the advice you’ve wanted. I know unsolicited advice is a pain in the rear. But I just wanted to be a voice of encouragement, having recent experience with turning around a picky eater. And I think the family dinner with the same food for everyone is a huge key!
On the other hand, maybe I’m totally mis-reading this. . .maybe you purposely like to give Hudson something quick and easy before TC gets home so that the grown-ups can enjoy a nice, peaceful meal and conversation while he plays in his room. And if that’s the case, no judgement here!
Wow girl! You stay busy!!! It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one who has to make a separate meal for my 2 year old! We have tried making him sit at the table with us and putting whatever diner I’ve made in front of him but honestly, he hates it and we hate the kind of tension it brings to our family dinner, so we started making Caleb dinners that we know he will like (chicken fingers, mac n’ cheese, grilled cheese, etc.) Relived that I’m not the only one
You do an amazing job balancing your family and life!
Hi Erin! I’m curious about what types of developmental activities you do with your boys? Thanks!
Great entry, I will need to do one of these so I can remember these early days with my boy! I’m wondering if having Hayes up for 3 and a half hours before bed helps him sleep better overnight? Just wondering because I’m trying to figure out our night time routine to maximise sleep time!
I echo the others that said you look great! Bc you do!
love all the pictures and having a glimpse into your new life as fam of 4! Thanks for shout out too!
You are one busy woman! I know it goes with the territory of having two little ones. And btw, I agree completely about going to bed with a messy kitchen/house. It’s just not happening.
I’m crazy impressed! You are WAY more efficient than I am =)
This is such a great idea. I really need to do this so I can look back at that time in my life and remember everything!
What a wonderful idea for a post! I was so great at documenting everything and then around the 2nd bday, I started to slide. You inspire me to get back at it
I love this post, I feel like I was part of your day! If I were part of your day, its likely that I would be like a cooky gal friend from college who sat on the couch and watched you tend the kids while having a glass of wine inappropriately early. Just saying.
Seriously though, thanks for sharing. And wow – that sounds a little exhausting. Way to go momma!
I am slightly jealous at all the baby naptime! My 10 wk old does not nap well during the day AT ALL. we are working on it! I am impressed with how well you manage your day. its nice that your husband is around first thing in the am. mine isn’t but he does get home a little earlier than yours. thanks for posting this. it helps me remember that every other sahm is doing the same thing. (well, you might be doing it a little better than me! but I can aspire to manage my time a little better thanks to you!)
Hi! I ‘ve been reading your blog for a while but finally got the courage to make a comment now that I just started my own blog. I love all your posts, but this one is super fun. You made me feel super inspired and lazy all at once. Thanks for the insight into your day. Ps. You totally have style! I love your outfit in this post. I would wear white jeans all year if I could
Glad to see that someone else eats dinner at around that time. My mother-in-law always feels the need to comment on our dinnertime and it is SO frustrating. My kids are older now, 6 & 10, but with after school activities, homework and baths it is still difficult to get dinner going with all of these things happening too.
I love this series! I did a whole week and had so much fun with it. I cannot believe how much you get done in 1 day! That’s incredible. Let me know if you figure out how to entertain the kids while cooking. We haven’t figured that out so we usually don’t even start to make dinner until after peanut goes to bed (around 730-8).