A day in the life - looking back

While undertaking a bit of housekeeping on my email account I stumbled across a draft blog entry I was working on in January!  January!  Have I been so busy that I never got it finished?  To be honest I don't even remember writing it which shows just how exhausted I've been.

While I don't remember writing it, as I read it, I'm struck by how little has actually changed except I've learnt to cope with the exhaustion and I actually somehow fit in a full time job on top of everything else.

"During the night, the baby who can't yet crawl out of his cotbed somehow ended up in my bed. Of course I must have carried him, yet I have no recollection. Hardly surprising given that after nearly ten months of feeding my baby every 2/3 hours day and night means I hardly sleep.

I woke at 0603 to a wrigglebum, rudely awakened by a foot in my mouth swiftly followed by a baby on my chest and his fingers exploring my teeth.  As I open one eye I find my little monster baring all 6 of his shiny teeth at me and laughing very loudly.

He immediately starts grabbing at my cosy warm blanket seeking his morning feed and I cuddle him in with me and close my eyes for another ten minutes.  No sooner have I started to doze and he's off like a rocket, taking half my nipple with him.  He stops to stare at the TV as he waits for it to magically burst into it's wonderful life if moving pictures and weird and wonderful characters that babies seem to love.

It doesn't really hold his attention and the next hour or so is spent changing his nappy and trying to entertain him with my glasses case and hairbrush, while preventing him from throwing himself off the bed and not eating my moisturiser.

About 8am and after another feed it's time for everyone to get up. I need caffeine, lots of it.

The art of multi tasking and timekeeping kicks in as I boil the kettle for coffee, make the baby's breakfast, set up his high chair, prevent him from pulling everything off the coffee table, deliver coffee to the half asleep boyfriend and serve breakfast for all three of us at the same time.

It still amazes me how much I can get done in five minutes now. As I scoff my toast I encourage the baby with his shreddies and discourage him from throwing the milk all over me.  We have a busy day ahead of us and I take the opportunity to leave him with his dad while I make myself look human and scrabble for clean clothes for me, and have the hard decision of which of his many gorgeous outfits to dress him in.

When I return downstairs the wee man is in his highchair very proud of how much milk he has poured on himself and my sofa and laughs at my big sigh.

I clean up the breakfast things, empty the dishwasher, reload the dishwasher and prep Wrigglebum's lunch to take out with us.

I return to the living room to say goodbye to my other half as he leaves for work and look around at all the toys the baby has managed to pull out in such a short space of time.

He stands in front of me trying to climb up my legs and I pick him up. He's in a very giggly mood so we spend ten minutes dancing around the room while singing all his favourite songs. His delight is obvious with his laughter.

I need to get his bag packed for the day though and get him dressed. As I put him on the floor the tiredness hits him and he starts crying and shouting at me. It's now 10am and he's been awake 4 hours.  I quickly dress him and get his bag packed and try to encourage him to have a short nap before we're picked up at 1045. He's not playing the game and instead just wants to play with his toys while moaning at me.

I sort the dogs food and put her in her kennel and make sure we have everything we need for the day. Wrigglebum appears at the stairgate shaking it furiously and crying. He really needs to sleep. As I sit on the sofa he crawls to my lap and pulls down my top for a feed.  My friend is due in 5 minutes. His timing is great.

As he takes in his feed he starts to drift off to sleep so I text my friend suggesting she lets herself into the house and we may be late setting off.  He feeds for another 15 minutes and only stops when he realises there's other people there.

Within ten minutes he has his coat on and the car is loaded and off we go.  The 20 minute journey is loaded with the usual talk of babies, relationships and poo, with the occasional snippet of talk of a fun weekend with cake and alcohol. Ahhh!

We arrive at the swimming pool and begin the juggling act of getting baby and I changed for the pool. It takes several minutes just to find a cubicle with baby changing facilities.

We spend an hour in the pool singing songs,  splashing and jumping in off the side.  Today he learns he can hang of the side of the pool and float in the water,  he finds this hilarious. After an hour he's starting to get grumpy, he's tired,  cold and hungry.  A dangerous combination.

Back in the changing room as he sits on the changing table, I try to get him warm and dry but he decides is more important to feed.  Somehow I manage to get him undressed, wrapped in a towel without him unlatching from his boob. He's a crazy baby.

We're eventually both dressed and he's yelling at me for his lunch.  I load him in the pram and pile the bags on top and head for the lift to go back upstairs.  The lift is broken. FFS. There's a bit of swearing. I'm quite proud that I've made it to 1245 without swearing to be fair.

I arrive in the cafe, puffing and panting even though Wrigglebum is still laughing at the fun of being bumped up the stairs step by step.

It takes me a few minutes to get him settled into a highchair with his lunch. My friend and I decide to treat ourselves to a dirty cheeseburger for lunch. The cafe staff smile as they tell me they've stopped serving food. No lunch for this mamma.

After Wrigglebum has finished his peanut butter sandwich and fruit, we battle with traffic to get me to my next appointment.  This one is for me for a change. A local girl has been looking for people to help build her portfolio for her new business as a mobile beautician.  I spend the next half hour having my makeup done. It's the first time in nearly 10 months that I've looked human , the eye bags are gone, but nothing can hide the deep wrinkles.

The day is far from over as I have errands to run in town. Thankfully we only have to wait a few minutes in the wind for the bus to town. We haven't actually used the bus much and Wrigglebum still thinks it's very exciting. He spends the journey waving at me and shouting at everyone else.

The weather is pretty grim and I race around to get the things we need and hurry home. It's only a ten minute walk home but with the swimming bags and the shopping it's a bit harder battling the wind and I'm knackered by the time we get home. Note to myself, don't buy a house at the top of the hill next time.

It's nearly 4pm and the little one is tired but refusing to sleep. He takes a feed and I hope it will help him have a nap but not today.

I leave him with his toys while I put the shipping and the pram away and make a start on his tea.  As I missed lunch I make enough for both of us, while also making a list of what I still need to do before sleep can claim me... the washing up, walk the dog, hoover, put the pots away,load the washing machine, put the clothes away, I'm sure I've forgotten something important."