In the past month we've settled into a nice daily routine.  And to celebrate the fact that Rob is on leave for the next two weeks [pre-WOCS leave] and kind of sort of really jacking up our routine (at least in the morning...), why not discuss what we've been doing, and what has been working.

Starting at midnight.

Usually the day "starts" with me awake doing chores, blogging, watching Gossip Girl or enjoying the quiet.  Grace, Rob and Piston are all asleep in the bed next to me.  This is my me-time.  Between 1 and 2 I go to sleep.  I move Grace to her pack and play.. she sighs and settles.

(**note. Grace still sleeps in our room.  Our house has a split floor plan.  Our room on one side of the house, hers on the other.. with the living area in between. For the time being she is in our room, night and early morning feedings are way easier that way and I am comfortable with my girl just a foot or two away from me!**)

After a few hours of sleep for both of us, Grace wakes up between 5:45 and 6:30.  She nurses and goes back to sleep.  On a typical day (as in.. not during leave) Rob gets up around this time and heads off to PT.  We sleep until he gets home.  He showers and sometimes crawls back into bed.  Around 8 Grace usually wakes up for some quiet one on one time in bed with daddy.  I know how much this time means to Rob.  It is HIS time with HIS girl.

As he heads off to work he works his way around the bed kissing the dog, kissing the baby, kissing me.  I usually wake long enough to nurse the baby back to sleep.  All three of us slumber until 10.  Where we wake to more nursing.. followed by giggles and talking.  We lay face to face and just hang out.  Some days we don't even leave bed until close to 11.

When we do finally crawl out of bed.. Grace is relocated to the middle of the living room floor.  She enjoys some quality time destroying her activity mat.  Long ago she discovered that she can kick the arched part down and chew on it.  I spend the next hour propping it back up for her periodically.

Meanwhile the kitchen is calling.  Some times Rob comes home around 11:45 to join us for lunch.  With or without him I eat something.  On the days he comes home he scoops the little lady up off of the floor and she smiles away.  She loves that dad of hers.  When it is just the two of us, I eat my lunch and watch a bit of TV.

After everything is cleared away we head back to the bedroom for some quiet nursing time.  By this point she's started rubbing her eyes and sometimes fussing.  She nurses best in our bedroom with the lights dimmed, just her and I.  Typically she falls asleep after she is done eating.  I transition her to the bed, turn the monitor on and slip out.

The next 45 minutes are mine to do what I please.  Sometimes this is filled with a quick shower, starting some laundry, watching some TV or catching up on other household chores.  She doesn't sleep long... and when I hear that first fuss on the monitor I slip back in and cuddle her warm, waking up body.

Back to the living room we go.  More play time.  She has recently discovered how fun her bouncer is and loves jumping around while playing with all of the toys.  If she isn't in the bouncer she is sitting (!!) on the floor with a pillow or two behind her (for support.. and a soft cushion to fall on) and toys scattered around her.  She yells and talks to her toys.  She catches my attention and smiles.  I make a point to spend some time on the floor playing with her.

Usually this playtime is cut short by more eye rubs and fusses.  I don't know why we have to break up the naps into two short ones, but we do.  Back to the bedroom we go for more nursing and napping.  Sometimes this goes right up to when daddy gets home from work.

When he does get home it is excitement all around.  First Piston rushes the door and wiggles with excitement.  Typically Grace stares at him (if she is awake) like he has lost his mind.  Everyone gets kisses.  Daddy updates us on his day and changes out of his uniform.

Once he has settled into the couch and turned Sportscenter on, I plop the babe down and head off to the kitchen to start dinner.  I both love and hate this time.  I am learning to love cooking.. but I hate having to be the decision maker on what we are having for dinner that night.  Typically a half hour later I am setting food down in front of Rob and the baby is relocated to her chair.

After saying grace, eating and cleaning up I pull the highchair out and feed Grace.  She isn't really into vegetables, but I try and sneak some in anyway.  Bananas and apples disappear the quickest.  She mumbles her way through dinner.. we have to ALWAYS be making noise.  Once cleaned up it is time for the bedtime routine.

She gets a bath every other day.  The water is ran, the naked baby is in the bath hammock and we scrub away.  I sing, I talk, we laugh.  When she is all clean I cuddle her little body to me and we make our way to the nursery.

Into a fresh sleeper she goes.  Hair brushed.  Book picked out.  We recently started reading a book every night.  So I sit in the rocking chair and get her settled before opening the book.  Of course, she doesn't really listen.. she would rather try everything in her power to get the book to her mouth.  But we try, and that is what matters.

Once we finish the book we head to the bedroom for a few minutes of giggles with the whole family.  By this point it is 8 and she is ready for bed.  I nurse her, she falls asleep.  Some nights Rob and I move into the bedroom and watch TV while she sleeps.  Other nights we stay in the living room and finish chores and other projects.  Typically between 10:30 and midnight she wakes up for one last feeding before we start the whole routine over again.

Who knew I would learn to crave this routine?!