A Day in the Life

I've been inspired to change my blogging ways. While the bi-monthly heartfelt pour-out-my soul entries were satisfying in some sense I've realized that I want to get more out of this process than just temporary venting relief. I vow to write more frequently with more well rounded question posing entries. I will start with a detailed account of a day (today) in the life of me, a 25 year old stay at home mom.

I woke up at 6:24, not to the sound of Ainsley but from the need to pee and the satisfaction of a night well slept (which has been more the norm lately). Lo and behold, 6 minutes later I hear the sweet coo of our nine month old baby. I slip on my bathrobe and acorn slippers (the right one is encrusted with vomit...how do you wash slippers with leather bottoms?)

Let me tell you, there is nothing better than waking up to a happy baby standing up in her crib with a big smile on her face pounding away at the rails. It always puts me in a good mood. As she's not crying, she's not ravenous so we move to the living room floor to play after a quick good morning snuggle. Thanks to all of my babycenter emails and updates I am officially paranoid about Ainsley's hand/eye coordination so we play more "purposefully" now. I filled her puzzle box with pieces of fabric and showed her how to remove them one at a time and then replace them. She quickly reminded me of how stupid this game was when she decided to remove all of the fabric at once and then eat the box.


After Ian emerged shortly thereafter and made the required cups of coffee to get us going we sat and continued our morning routine; Ian on his iphone checking the news, Ainsley investigating the living room, and me taking it all in holding my hot cup of coffee (Ian once told me that research shows that people are happier when holding a hot drink in their hands...think about it, are you ever SAD when you're sipping on hot chocolate, tea, or chai? I didn't think so) After changing, making Ian's lunch and sorting the laundry to be washed Ian was out the door. I fed Ainsley peaches and oatmeal which she actually ate better than normal until she kicked the bowl out of my hand ending the meal.
As a morning nap still seemed far off I piled her into the car after changing a disgusting diaper (this is the only time I lament using cloth) and proceeded to the grocery store.

Ainsley LOVES grocery shopping. I think it's a combination of the smells and colors, and people that aren't me, coupled with sitting up in a moving cart. What an adventure. As I'd already done the bulk of grocery shopping this week my goal this morning was to buy junk food to fatten Ian up and a few missed staples. I NEVER and I mean never buy junk food. I guess the occasional bag of kettle cooked chips, dark chocolate bar, or container of TJ dunkers may find their way into my shopping cart but as a rule, both for health and our wallets, I steer clear of the junk food isle. This morning I was reminded of why...I have no self control when it comes to junk food. I can't buy just one bag of chips or one kind of reeses peanut butter cup candy, especially when EVERYTHING is on sale. AND all of the Halloween candy is out included my favorite all time, pumpkin shaped reeses pb cups. Out of control. To top off the crazed junk food spree I bought 2 donuts and somehow managed to eat a mere 1.5 of them. Then I opened the chilli cheese fritos and ate a handful while starting this blog. Uff da.

After arriving home and putting down a very sleepy baby I warded off the temptation to watch the Rachel Ray show and started to clean up the breakfast/dinner last night dishes, clean the bathroom, and switch around the laundry.

Ainsley woke up after a mere 45 minutes which left me virtually no time to get anything done, as per usual. After feeding her a bottle and changing her diaper we were off in search of a Homegoods to buy 2 new lamps for the apartment. This is one of the greatest challenges of where we live. Chicago traffic is ridiculous! Just about everything is within a 5 mile radius of us, but it can take anywhere from 15minutes to over an hour to get places depending on the kind of traffic that you run into. Enter my new favorite computer application, google maps traffic. I can at least check traffic before we leave somewhere so that I don't get stuck with Ainsley in the car, but on the way home I'm on my own, unless Ian is with us with his iphone. We lucked out today and a mere 25 minutes later I'd found the new (to us) Homegoods and found 2 lamps, a new toothbrush holder and soap dispenser AND two board books for Ainsley. She again did fantastically both in the car and at the store. For being such a fussy new born she continues to amaze me with her patience sometimes. I found a new non-highway way to get home which truly was the highlight of my day.



We got back, ate some lunch (chilli for me, yogurt for Ainsley) and both went down for a nap. We slept for 2 hours! I never nap with Ainsley anymore because as much fun as I think it'll be in the end neither of us sleep as well as we could. I used to nap all the time when she was napping in the first months of her life but lately I've tried to take advantage of the time to knit or catch up on emails or just NOT have a baby to look after for a while. Today I was glad for the nap though. Something about the crisp fall weather makes me sleepy. I woke up, again minutes before I heard her do the same. After another bottle and diaper change we were off to the park. Ainsley LOVES the park. She cries when I put her back in her stroller to go home. She loves swinging and the big sandbox. I've started letting her crawl around in the tot park area and occasionally take her down a slide. She yaks and talks the whole time. Did I mention she LOVES the park?



We headed home all too soon for Ainsley to start making dinner. Tonight I made beef bracciole from a Boston North End cook book that my sister gave me. This book has the best italian recipes in it. I never buy canned/jarred sauce anymore and just make the simple marinara. It's cheaper and better.
1 - 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1/1 - 1/2 c. olive oil
3 - 4 crushed garlic cloves
pinch each of mint, basil, and red pepper flakes

Get the oil hot in a pan, add the tomatoes and seasonings and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes...amazing every time and SO fresh tasting.



Beef bracciole is simply pounded steak rolled up with parmesan, parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper. It was better the first time I made it, presumably because this time I used skirt steak instead of flank. Stick with the flank, the skirt was too tough, even after being browned in oil and simmered for an hour.

Ainsley usually does pretty well while I cook. I just block off the doorways in our kitchen and let her crawl around. Unfortunately her favorite places in the kitchen are the pantry (where she's knocking over the sugar and flour) the garbage can, and the recycling area. If I give her a spatula and direct her to the tupperware cupboard it usually buys me a few minutes. When she was a bit smaller I used to to put her in my hotsling (best baby product out there!) and cook with her in it. She would still love it, but I fear my back would give out, even though she's a mere 17 lbs. (25% for her age).

Ian came home around 5:30 as per usual and surprised Ainsley by sneaking up on her like she likes. The smile that she gives him when she sees him melts my heart. She sure loves her dad. We hung out in her room and played while I attempted to straighten out her drawers and changing table, only to have Ainsley throw everything to the ground as soon as I'd finished. I switched out the book that we had out in the living room and her bedroom for new ones, you know, to spice things up and then went to change the laundry around, do a quick bathroom clean, and take out the recycling before dinner was ready.

Ainsley had minced pork and pear with nutmeg courtesy of the baby food cook book from her grandma Amy, and peas and rice. She ate moderately well and munched on some shredded cheese at the end of the meal. After cleaning up and switching the laundry again it was Ainsley's bedtime. Ian put her to sleep while I folded laundry and watched So you think you can dance and glee. I am also working on a new knitting project for Ainsley that occupies most of my evening time. It's a hooded sweater/jacket with four buttons. The hood is taking FOREVER but I'm excited for the end product. I'll post pictures when it's done. I'm anxious to get it done so that she can wear it this fall AND so that I can start the knitting for her Halloween costume. No spoiler here, you'll have to stay tuned to see what she's going to be.

Now I'm sitting here with a glass of wine after consuming far too many pieces of chocolate (thanks again junk food run) feeling pretty good. As Ian told me earlier "this is that one day a month you're in a REALLY good mood." Thanks Ian, I am.