routine-happy mommy

As much as I wish that I could claim a spontaneous personality, I can't.  I'm a routine kind of girl.  It's not that I'm not flexible, because I believe that I am.  And I like a change every now and again, but I'm in my "zone" when I'm in a routine.  If there are question marks in my future, I obsess until I can turn them into periods with some finality so that I can plan.  I plan so that I know what's coming...so that I can build a new routine around it...it's sick really.

So, now that I have a baby - and everybody knows babies love routines - I'm in my zone.  I love that Griffin loves routine.  He has been such a good and happy baby.  Aside from cutting seven teeth by the time he was six months old, he's pretty good at keeping a routine.  So, I'm going to write down what we do.   This is for Lydia's Memory.

I know, I know.  All of you experienced moms will tell me that every baby is different and my next one will likely do something totally different and I believe you, BUT I would like to have a starting place by remembering what worked for Griffin.  My happy little Griffin.

Here's a little glimpse of our day:

6:00-6:30 (and sometimes 7:00) - Wake up!  Griffin wakes up most of the time smiling and babbling in his bed.  I get him up, change his diaper and feed him.  Then, when he begins to get sleepy again, about an hour and a half later, I feed him some cereal.  Then he's usually ready for a nap.  I take him to his room, turn on his music, give him his blankie, and sit in our big brown chair.  Within a few minutes, he's sleepy enough that I can lay him in his crib and get this:

When he wakes up again, I nurse him.  Then we play or run errands.  He usually gets up between 9:30 and 10:00.  He rolls and moves all over the floor.  He's SO active!  He loves to jump in his jumperoo, too.  I help him sit up and he smiles and laughs at Ollee.  Then somewhere around 11:30, we do the naptime thing again.

He usually wakes up at about 1:00 and I give him a bottle.  I'm working on weaning him and this is the first feeding I'm cutting out.  Griffin is so distractable when he eats.  I have to go to a quiet room and close the door.  He doesn't usually mind some soft music, but if so much as a toilet flushes, he jumps and looks around and is done eating.  What is am I missing?!  There's something going on, Mom, and I'm missing it sitting here eating! :)  Oh - he drinks an 8 oz bottle.

Then we play some more.  We do lots and lots of floor time.  I really hardly put him in his bouncer or swing, but he does get in his jumperoo some.  We sometimes go outside and swing in the swing in the afternoon.  Then at about 3:30, he's ready for another nap, so we do the nap routine again.

Then around 4:30, Griffin wakes up again and I nurse him.  Then I give him a vegetable and some cereal.  He just tried sweet potatoes tonight and LOVED them!  Then we play some more.  We almost always go outside and doe something in the evening whether it is swing again or just walk around.  Chris gets home and so Griffin is usually really excited to get some Daddy time.

At about 7:00, I start getting things ready for Griffin's bath.  He takes a bath and gets all lotioned and pajama-ed up.  The we (and a lot of times Chris with us) got sit in the rocking chairs on the porch and read three or four books.  He is getting to where he LOVES books.  He touches all the  pages and tries to help turn them.  I love it.  Then Chris takes Griffin and holds him for a few minutes while I get things ready to nurse him.  Chris  comes and gives him to me and by about 7:40-45, Griffin is eating ... again.  :)  He nurses, I swaddle him, and lay him in the crib.  Then I go get  Chris and we go back in Griffin's room and pray with him. 

And that's our day...with  Griffin.

Then I - and sometimes Chris with me - almost always eat either chocolate chip cookies and milk or oreos and milk.  I've gotten to where I feel like I completely deserve them!

So, there you go Lydia's Memory.  This is Griffin's schedule at six months old.  Happy remembering.