What I Did Today

Despite two weeks of piece-meal sleep and a husband who's been traveling for work, I can truly say I am the happiest I've been in my entire life. This baby girl of mine has completed me in the fullest aspect of the word; it's hard to describe how content I feel inside.

Last night as Andi snuggled into the covers, he remarked how exhausted he felt. Credit given, he has been working 15+ hour days for weeks on this big work event. BUT, DUDE. I'm not exactly feeling bushy-tailed either. I'm moonlighting as a milk machine, on call every two hours. Let's call it a draw - we're both a little on the sleepy side these days.

I'm someone who requires a lot of sleep, and I have no idea how I'm functioning on this little. The bags under my eyes tell me it's working me over in one way or another. But really, I'm not complaining. Being a new mama hasn't left me feeling stressed-out, worked to the bone. I think that makes a big difference. I'll take being physically tired versus emotionally drained any day. And if it means I get to snuggle my precious little baby all day and night, it's worth every missed wink of sleep.

Everyone says it, but you don't really grasp the reality until you live it. Raising a baby is all-encompassing. Andi asks me about my day and I really have no news to report. Somehow, time FLIES by, but I get nothing done. My day looks something like this:

Midnight - 1am: 
Nurse, change and burp the baby.
Rock the baby to sleep.

1:15am - 1:30am: 
Lay down, settle myself to sleep.

2:30am - 3:30am: 
Nurse, change and burp the baby.
Rock the baby to sleep.

3:45am - 4:00am: 
Lay down, settle myself to sleep.

6:00am - 7:00am: 
Nurse, change and burp the baby.
Rock the baby to sleep.
Kiss Husband good-bye for the day.

7:15am - 7:30am:
Lay down, settle myself to sleep.

9:30am - 10:00am: 
Nurse, change and burp the baby.
Dress the baby for the day.

10:00am: 
Awake time with the baby. Entertain her; Shove a granola bar in my mouth.

12:30pm - 1:30pm: 
Nurse, change and burp the baby.

1:45pm - 2:00pm: 
Make lunch for myself AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
Shove food into my face AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

2:15pm - 4:00pm:
Squeeze in a nap, if possible. *keep sleeping baby, please keep sleeping*

4:00pm - 5:00pm:
Nurse, change and burp the baby.

5:15pm - 5:30pm: 
Decide what we should eat for dinner. Something that will take exactly two minutes to prepare ... because that's all I can spare.

6:00pm:
Daddy's home!
"What do you know?" he asks.

And, I know this:

• I REALLY have to use the bathroom. Can you please hold the baby?
• I am STARVING. Can you make dinner? Or can you please hold the baby?
• I need to run downstairs and change the laundry. Can you please hold the baby?
• I'd love to take a shower. Can you please hold the baby?

I've had exactly two minutes to check Facebook and Twitter - and that's only because I can one-hand scroll on my cell phone during nursing sessions.

No time for blogging these days (I'll have to go back to work for that one, I guess).

Phone calls? Make appointments? Run errands? No time for that, friends.

Being a new mom is the busiest / least stressful / exhausting / most rewarding job I've ever had. Sounds complicated, and it is. But I wouldn't trade it for the world.