And so half of me wants to write this down for the sake of my own memory ---- and half of me admittedly doesn't, for fear that said friends (and others in comparable circumstances) will actually read it and know how easy I have it....... But life is about to change in a big way when we uproot to Phoenix, and I'm betting I'll want to reflect on this season. So here goes, for me. Read on only if you care to, but be sure to check your judgement at the door!
**Firstly for necessary comparison ---- A Day in the Life, pre-Nolan.
4:15 am - 50/50 whether I manage to roll out of bed and meander to the kitchen table for my pre-work quiet time and coffee. I go through bouts of being good about it and not so good. When I do, it's my absolute, hands-down, super rewarding favorite time. But I love my sleep and I'm sorry to say that often times it wins out in the end. When that happens, this is what ensues -----
5:15 am - Mikel's alarm goes off (I admit that I sometimes don't set one because, let's face it, I'd just turn it off and wait for his anyway). I pretend I don't hear it, thinking maybe denial is key and if I don't acknowledge morning, morning might get the hint and stay away. Mikel generously hits snooze once, then nudges me to get up at the next blaring of the morning show.
5:20 am - Feet on the floor. I silently curse morning for being morning, and stumble into the shower with both eyeballs stuck in one socket. Standing still for a few minutes as the water does its best to coax me awake, I vow to myself that I will, at any cost, be in bed by 9pm tonight. Come what may.
5:30 am - Out of the shower, I'm in a marginally more amiable state. I dry off, throw on a robe (usually Mikel's so I don't get my own wet - aren't I loving?) and make my way into the kitchen toward what my nose is telling me is delectable, life-giving coffee. Heaven bless programmable coffeepots. I hear Mikel turn on the shower, and I flip on the pendant light over the sink before pouring us each a steaming cup. Mikel likes his with Irish Cream flavored creamer and 1 - 2 pink packets (barf). I'm a more-cream-than-sugar gal. The mug rim can't reach my lips fast enough, and with that first sample - no matter how small - I am ZING awake, mostly cheerful and ready to get moving. Just like magic.
5:30 - 6:00 am - Mikel and I get ready for the day. This is actually one of my favorite windows of the day, as we chat and sip coffee between the hairdryer running (me) and the electric toothbrush buzzing (him). We aren't typically in a major rush. The phones don't ring, the TV isn't on, and I love connecting right away - no matter how menial the subject might be. Sometimes it's reviewing his upcoming cases, brainstorming what we might have for dinner that night, or me recounting last night's bizarre dream for his listening pleasure (he never remembers his dreams and I nearly always do). It's a sweet, simple few minutes.
6:05 am - Grab a banana and a Carnation Instant Breakfast, along with a to-go cup of coffee. Toss dinner in the crock pot. Gate dogs in the kitchen: a barricade synonymous to Alcatraz, born out of Khaki's Bambino-like abilities, and one of which no one but us could recreate correctly due to its integral complexity.
6:15 am - Out the door. Again - I love riding to work together - ALMOST as much as I love bumming residents' parking tags from them when they're on away rotations and driving myself to and fro. But who ever did that???????? I digress. Mikel turns on the car, the radio blares and I quickaslightening turn it off while Mikel rolls his eyes. I just. can't. handle. the noise pollution at 6:10, no matter how much coffee I've ingested. I can't complain too heavily, though, because he consistently pre-warms the car in the winter on days I ride with him. Quite thoughtful indeed.
6:35 am - Arrive on my floor at work. Fill up my water bottle, polish off my coffee, and look up my assignment details. A typical day shift (if I'm not precepting a new nurse, which I frequently do) is 3 total-care patients. And I enjoy serving as the charge nurse every few weeks when my turn comes around.
7 am - 4 pm - Run like crazy, caring for quite sick patients and their families. I love my job but I don't always like the work. I especially love my colleagues on Station 44. What a huge blessing I found in them.
4:15pm - Barely catch the city bus (#8), my giant caterpillar that never becomes a butterfly ride home. It drops me a block from our house, which if not freezing, is often a welcome stroll after the stinky, loud bus (physical + noise pollution after a long day... ick)
4:45pm - Home! Hungry, emotionally depleted and sick of my own voice - especially if I precepted. Pups are good greeters. I grab a snack and plop on the couch for a power nap in front of an episode of Friends.
5:30 pm - A quick 2 or 3 mile walk with the pups - always made most enjoyable if Julia and Zane can join us with their labs, Maddie and Drew. Khaki loooooves Maddie and Drew, but having been trampled by them more than once in the greeting process, she always pancakes belly-down and tail wagging, flat on the pavement when she first catches sight of them until the sniffing has concluded.
6:15/30 pm - Home from walk and looking for Mikel to arrive. Whip up a quick side salad or something to go with our crock pot dinner. As residency has progressed, Mikel is typically home in time for dinner by 6:30 or 7, depending on the rotation he's on.
7 pm - We eat, often with minimal chatting since we're both tired and don't really want to talk about / hear about the hospital... Plus, we're serious eaters. When dinner is over, Mikel always helps me clear the table and do the dishes - a consistent way that he serves me, which doesn't go unnoticed.
7:20 - 10:15 pm - (Yes, you read that right. I can't believe it either.) If it's not a Tuesday or Wednesday - on which nights I have Side By Side and church choir rehearsal, respectively - we enjoy quiet evenings... A combination of Bible study if not successfully had that morning, a little convo, and [a lot of] TiVo ensues. The Office, Modern Family or SNL are frequent flyers. Oh, or good old Jimmy Fallon - especially on Fridays when he writes his Thank You Notes; we die every time. Mikel tees up computer work or reads up on processes for whatever case he has the next day. I email or Facebook or call Steph. One or the other of us nods off. We are like old people, but fit and cute.
10:20 pm - I set the coffee maker to percolate at 4:10 and put my Bible and my candle at the table just in case my study aspirations pan out better tomorrow. I also set two mugs and a spoon beside the coffee pot so there's absolutely no thinking involved whatsoever.
10:30 pm - I snuggle into bed, faintly remembering my broken 9pm promise. Maybe tomorrow...
**On days off, I admit to sleeping 'til 9, lounging in my PJs, and wasting too much time on FB. I'd hit the gym for 2 hours or enjoy a run with Nicole, knowing I had few other obligations pressing me other than my own desire to nap and/or hang out with a friend or two and/or walk the pups. Not a bad gig... And I knew it.
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**Now fast forward ---- A Day in the Life, last week.
6:30 am - Mikel heads to work and kisses me goodbye as I stay toasty in the bed, despite the pups who have joined me after going potty outside and now have frigid little paws.
7:10 am - I hear Nolan's first grunts and click the monitor screen on so I can visualize him for a few seconds. False alarm?? Maybe?? Yes??? Nope. I know by the head tossing and bottom wiggling, not to mention the grunts now escalating to wails. So I grab my robe, dial up the thermostat and head into the nursery to feed the scrunchy faced, hungry little man cub. The smell of coffee isn't lost on me as I cross the hallway - at least I know our faithful pot obeyed the orders I programmed into it last night, and the goodness is waiting patiently. **Side note: I love it in Nolan's room because the space heater keeps it a toasty 72 degrees. Sounds too hot, but it isn't when you're half dressed and just exited a bed with a mattress warmer.**
So anyway --
7:10 - 7:45 am - Nurse Nolan, diaper change, get dressed and play time. With this diaper change, I always lotion him down and comb his hair, too, just to
7:50 am - Nolan squawks happily at his dangling friends on the activity mat, so I take a minute to make our bed (which usually means evicting Scarlett from it) and pick up his room, which somehow gets littered with burp cloths and baby blankets and board books and water glasses.......... I chow my bagel after applying a generous dollop of strawberry cream cheese and pour my second cup of coffee. Brush teeth, wash face, throw on gym clothes, aaaand babe is bored of the activity mat.
8:10 am - I scoop him up, and he has a blue stripe (aka wet diaper, for which he has zero tolerance), so off we go to the nursery for our second diaper change. We sit down in the recliner to grab a few more grins, then I pull out his Read and Share Bible. He loves to look at it and I enjoy the sweet simple little stories -- great recommendation, Steph. We read as much of it as we can before he starts to fuss -- today was upwards of 20 mins, which is most of the book, and I figure is like a year in baby world.
8:30 am - He is bored of the Bible (can I write that?), and the eye scrubbing begins. Tell tale sign that it's time for morning nap -- or, the first nap in his eat-wake-sleep cycle. After a little rocking, it's back into the crib he goes.
8:40 am - Once Nolan's down, it's pump, Bible study, phone calls, throw in a load of laundry, wipe down kitchen counters, unload dishwasher, create our meal plan and grocery list (that one always takes me a while -- good thing I only do it once a week or so)....... Start on some combo of the above.
9:30 am - (here comes the hamster wheel) -- Nurse, diaper change, play time. Flirt a little, stop at the bathroom mirror to make sure we're still as hilarious as we were before.
10 am - Practice tummy time, blow spit bubbles (him not me) and dig out some fresh toys to change it up. Carry him down with me to swap out the laundry. Meanwhile the Price is Right plays in the background. I don't really pay attention enough to know what people are playing for, but the girl today must have killed it big time because there was much celebrating and dinging. More books, probably another spin on the activity mat, and maybe some ball throwing for the pups.
**Are you keeping up with the break-neck pace of our day so far?? I know..... but I not-so-secretly treasure these protected mornings together.
11 am - Next nap due, and his fussery face tells me so. This time is in the swing where he's bundled in a blanket and hugs his little sussy dog (the mini blanket with the dog head attached at the top. What a weird toy).
11:05 am - Finish whatever piece of the aforementioned to-do list I had going, snowblow the driveway, double check the contents of Nolan's and my bags for the RAC (gym), and grab a little lunch -- often leftovers from last night or a PB&J with apple slices. Pick up baby toys and dog toys and straighten couch pillows/put away living room blankets.
11:45 am - Nurse, diaper change, - no mirror this time - and pack up to head to the RAC after letting pups outside again.
12 - 1:30 pm - Nolan winds each of the RAC childcare workers around his little finger while I work out (can't go before noon until older than 6 months). Mondays I often enjoy a yoga class and some cardio, EmPower/Body Pump is Tues or Thurs, cardio on Wednesdays and swim on Fridays. Or something like that depending on my mood.
1:30 pm - Refreshed and ready to see him, I pick up Nolan from childcare and head home. He might snooze in his carseat for 10 mins after we arrive, and I'll rinse off in the shower.
2:15 - 3:30 pm - (all together now!) Nurse, diaper change and play time. Maybe some more tummy time. Rattles, crinkly blocks. You name it, we try it. Often we head to Steph's for an hour to say hi and have hot chocolate with marshmallow fluff during her kids' nap. Heaven forbid she have any alone time, after all. Otherwise we might hook up with Beth P. or run an errand.
3:40 pm - Next nap due. 50/50 whether swing or crib. I shoot for crib but sometimes he's not having it and the swing is a sure fire guarantee. Insert my shower here if not yet obtained. Otherwise, it's fold laundry, write part of this blog and take care of whatever odd or end is left from the morning's to-do. I'll also realize pups haven't been fed yet today.
4:40 pm - N, DC, PT (bet you can't crack my code). Sometimes I put Nolan in the bouncer on the kitchen counter and get started on dinner toward the end of his play time (oh darn, I've given it away).
6 pm - Hopefully Mikel is headed home. Nolan's ready to cat nap after a few minutes of squealing hilarity at seeing Dad, and we can eat dinner. Anymore it's on paper plates (thank you, house on the market), sitting on the couch.
7 pm - N, DC, play time with Dad! Mikel is so good to get down on the floor with Nolan or mimic back "conversations" to really get him cooing. He gets the best smiles - even better than the mirror, which is saying something. I put the kitchen back together and join in the fun.
8 pm - Bath time, lotion, jammies. Occasionally we read another book, but usually it's one more mini nursing session (top off, night cap, whatever you want to call it) and lights out by 8:45. Sometimes Mikel gives him a bottle instead of me nursing him, so they get a few more minutes together. Getting better about going to sleep, and sometimes he squawks after a few minutes, but usually a little bouncing and bapoo do the trick to get him back down.
8:45 pm - Mikel and I have our evening, and it looks a lot like evenings pre-kiddo. Same TiVo choices - reading - chatting - nodding off. Now we are old people with a baby.
10 pm - I set the coffeepot and we head for bed. Easier now, since I know a little someone who will be calling my name somewhere between 2 and 3 am. But I don't mind. I almost kinda miss him as I check the monitor to see his little head and rump, perfectly still in the moonlight.
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Two versions of the same blessed life. I miss my work family and I dearly miss the patient interaction. I am adjusting to the identity shift that comes with being Mom -- made easier by the plethora of other Mom role models and buddies I am blessed to know here.
I will miss this home. I will miss my friends. I will miss the hamster wheel.
Very soon we will move, and while I am excited to see how God plans to use us in Phoenix, I will truly miss this simple little life.
Awwwww..... you are right to treasure these days. I still roll my eyes at people who say, "It goes so fast!" but I'm finding that they are right.
ReplyDeleteWish I was there to help and hang out! Love you.