A couple months ago I started writing this post. I got about halfway through, and then stopped working on it. Probably because my baby needed some mama time. Reading this again made me think back to how crazy and timeless it all seemed. I already forgot there was a daily routine, because it’s already changed so much. This, kids, is why you keep a journal. 🙂

Lately, this is Arrow’s and my schedule:

6:00 AM

Taylor gets up for school/work, and Arrow ready to eat her first breakfast. If I’m lucky, there’s still some bottled milk or formula in the fridge. If there is, I can get a head start on pumping extra milk for the day. I’m trying to get enough stored milk into the freezer, so that I hand them off to the babysitter when Taylor and I leave for our upcoming anniversary. To get enough milk requires a lot of diligence in pumping when I’m supposed to, which can be pretty hard depending on how tiring the previous night was. If I have enough left over from the anniversary, then I’ll be able to keep partaking of glorious chocolate and ice cream. I’ve had to put dairy on pause temporarily since dairy gives little Arrow an upset tummy 😦

8:30 AM 

Second breakfast!

Arrow sleeps in her basket and I tiptoe around to work on some tasks. Or sleep. Sleeping is the best part. If I make too much noise, Arrow fusses until I hold her, and I work one-handedly on the computer.

On really good days, I replace my PJ’s with pants and a t-shirt.

11:00 AM

Elevensies for Arrow 🙂

Breakfast or early lunch for me

Personal home things (bills, home finances, cleaning stuff) (or sleeping)

1:00 PM

Lunch time for Arrow

I start working on film projects. Lately that looks like a lot of character development writing, key player organization, schedules, and assignments.

3:00 PM

Second lunch for Arrow.

Keep working if possible. I’m pretty wiped out by this point though.

5:00 PM

Dinner for Arrow!

Everything from here on out is a little fuzzy. Taylor comes home at different times. When he is home, I quit whatever project I’m doing to spend time with him. Neither of us like how his work and school schedule keep him away for so long. At 8:00 we try to keep Arrow until 10:00. She drinks her last meal, and then usually sleeps for about 6 hours (woo!) 

The days when we go to record a shoot completely shake up the schedule and can be pretty darn hectic. Taylor and I swap manning the cameras and holding baby. On those days, I don’t mind using formula if I can’t find a private place to nurse her.

After rereading this, I wonder how on earth we were able to do that every day. The constant feeding, while trying to balance work, naps, and time with Taylor alone. Yet two months later, I find that we’re still alive and well. Our schedule is even harder with the new semester. I drive Taylor to school at 5:30, feed Arrow (who can now wait 3 hours to eat!), and get ready to go to my one class later that day. Taylor’s classes end before mine, and he commutes to my school to meet me there. He takes Arrow for the hour, and then we make a long drive home. 

Note: I did tell a friend the woes of being up at 5 to start the day, only to remember that she’s up at 4 every morning for a full time shift at her job. While she doesn’t have children yet, (which does make a huge difference, especially if they don’t sleep at night), she still has found routine in finishing school, planning a wedding, and waking up at unholy hours. So I realize what feels stressful for us may sound like a picnic for others who are master commanders of their schedules 🙂

Through all this, the day still does come to end. There is another tomorrow. We keep pushing forward. Years down the road, I know we’ll come back to this, and wish that we could have that schedule again, because it’s going to feel harder where we are then. Not necessarily because it is harder, but because we will have walked out of this storm as new people that can handle those kind of problems. Future trials are things that are probably new, and something we’re not accustomed to yet. But we will be. And it will be awesome.

One more picture of adorable Arrow for good measure 🙂 (Look at that tiny nose!!)