The New Normal

It's been a week since Betty and I came home from the hospital and things are falling into a new groove. Since I've had a baby once before, I know that our "groove" will continue to shift and change over time, but one thing I really wish I had is more of a record of what my day-to-day looked like when it was just Clara and me. Right now, our days look something like this:

Clara wakes up first after Spencer has gone to work for the day. Ideally, I've already gotten up and showered, but if not our conversation through the door goes something like this:
C: Mama, where aarrrrre you?
Me: Hi Clara! Mama needs to go take a quick shower. Can you be a helper and play in your crib for a little while?
C: Yeah....

When I go in to get Clara she usually asks about daddy, or informs me that daddy is at work. Then she notices Betty sleeping across the hall and asks to "see baby." She runs down the hall, gives a hearty chuckle and then says, "awwww little baby, how cute!!" She loves to point out Betty's tiny ears, eyes, nose and says quietly, "Hi Betty! How you doin' today, huh?"

I convince her that we need to go eat breakfast before we get the baby out and hold her. Post breakfast, I feed Betty while Clara plays nearby. Clara holds, hugs, kisses and breathes toddler love all over Betty. She giggles the whole time. She's quick to fetch a diaper for me and wants to show Betty all of her toys.

Betty lays down and Clara and I play. I feed Clara lunch, rock for one story (usually about daddy at work) and one song and then lay her down for "night night nap."  Betty's turn. I feed her, change her, hold her and we chat for a while before she dozes off. Nap time for her and maybe me.

Clara wakes, Betty too. We all go to the living room; Clara brings her tiny chairs in from the kitchen and constructs a train for her stuffed animals. The sheep always gets priority seating. I feed Betty while Clara plays. In the late afternoon we have some snuggle time and a 20 minute episode of Curious George.

Dinner happens at 5:30 or 6:00 - for now graciously prepared and delivered by neighbors and friends. We eat. I feed Betty again. After dinner Clara has a bath, books with me "in" the couch, brushes teeth, rocking, prayers, songs, and bed at last - between 7:00 and 8:00. Clara sings "Come Thou Fount" (a recent favorite) in her crib while I feed Betty again.

Spencer gets home between 9 and 10. Betty eats again at 10 or 10:30 and goes down for the night. Or at least until 2:30. And then again at 4:30 or 5:30 or 6:00.

And then we do it all again.