day in the life.

four-forty.

up and at'em!!  

my day starts about 4:40am when I am up and heading to camp gladiator.  finding time to get in my workout has been the toughest transition into having four kids.. especially when 3/4 of them aren't sleeping through the night.  early morning at 5am is the only really good time for me to get in about 60 minutes, but its also the time Brady is waking to eat.  there has been a handful of times that he's slept through until closer to 7am, but most mornings Jordan will feed him a bottle and I'll pump when I get home around 6am.

6am is when I hit the ground running.

I usually get my coffee and breakfast the moment I get home.. Im starving by the time I finish bootcamp and need something asap.  if Brady has eaten already I'll take this time to pump while I eat my breakfast and catch up on emails or style a handful of stitch fix clients.

I shower up, rarely wash my hair, and attempt to get myself "ready" in the morning. 

the babes slowly start to trickle in, usually Parker or Baker first.. then Jolie, and if Brady isn't awake already he's in the bathroom with me!

 I usually lay out the kid's clothes the night before.. even if we aren't going anywhere and its literally a tank top + yoga shorties, I have a plan for what they are going to be wearing for the day.  and then there are those days that their clothes sit on the floor of their room all day and we stay in our pj's instead:)

the twins are able to dress themselves and Baker, that sweet girl, really tries her best but ends up stuck in her shirt sleeve and with two legs in one side of her shorts.

I finish getting myself "ready".. usually just minimal makeup (foundation + bronzer are my lifelines) and if I didn't wash my hair I blow dry the dampness out from workout, tousle it with dry shampoo and touch up the curls with my flat iron.

seven thirty.

if it is a day that I am working, I throw on my scrubs and I hit the door.. but on a day that I am home (usually I have one or two days off during the week!) our days are literally filled from start to finish! 

 playtime happens all day long.  my house is a mess moments after the crew wakes..and I usually only pick up and organize after they are down for a nap or after dinner while the girls are winding down for the night. I've been trying to find fun things for the girls to do this summer that don't require me going out and spending a ton of money..and its so darn hot outside.  that sort of limits what we are able to do outside when I have an infant in tow.  

ten o'clock 

mornings usually consist of errands.. picking up groceries (I order online and pick up at the store.. seriously changed my life!), running to Costco or making quick shopping trips for whatever we need.  I end up putting together a list every week as the things come up of "things to do" and so my days off are FULL. I'll usually pack a lunch for all the girls and we eat on the go.  BUT I am not beyond a swing through the drive through for chicken nuggets for Parker, a jr. burger for Jo, and a grilled cheese for Baker. 

two-thirty

I try to make it home by early afternoon so that Baker can take a nap.  afternoon nap for Baker has fallen in line with Brady's long nap of the day (he takes one morning and one afternoon nap everyday) and even though the twins don't usually nap anymore, they have quiet time and color, watch a movie, or read books in their room.  

I'll usually take this time to style more stitch fix clients, blog ahead for the week, or catch up on emails. 

four o'clock 

::I'm on my way home from work if its a "work day" for me:: 

these warm afternoons of the summer are spent at the neighborhood pool, in the backyard on the patio with scooters + mini trikes.. and occasionally I pull out the blow up pool.  earlier this summer Jordan and Papa put together a swing set, so we spend a lot of time playing outside in the backyard.

six thirty

after a couple hours of playing its time for dinner.  I usually cook on the nights that Jordan is at home (not at the fire station or on shift at the hospital). I plan our meals the week before and create a mini meal plan schedule which helps me to make sure I have the ingredients on hand to cook a meal for the family.  on the nights that its just me and the kids dinner often looks like boxed mac + cheese or baked chicken nuggets or even breakfast for dinner.  we usually have left overs from the night before and Jolie is a big leftover eater but Parker and Bake aren't, so I kind of just make whatever sounds good to everyone at the time. 

seven fifteen 

the bed time hustle takes forever right now.  by the time I get everyone bathed.. usually I stick all three of the girls in the shower while I bathe Brady in the tub, its a solid forty five minutes before everyone is in their jammies.  on nights that Jordan is home we divide and conquer and he reads books to the girls while I feed Brady and get him down for the night.  when I am solo Brady just hangs out with us while I get the girls in bed.  getting them in bed first seems to be much easier on me than trying to get Brady in bed while they are still awake.. we play a game of in and out of his room and Brady never really seems to settle down enough to fall asleep and it takes forever!  

eight fifteen 

my goal is to have every one down before 8:30pm.  lately, since starting the sleep coupon + reward system with the girls, its been a much easier time of day. bedtime easily could be my most stressful time of the day. 

after the kiddos are in bed I usually hop back on the computer to finish my stitch fix clients, blog for the next morning or do absolutely nothing at.all.  I try really hard to be in bed before eleven, but sometimes its midnight or I get in bed when the kids are finally down because I'm completely whipped.. and then sometimes Brady wakes before I even get in bed at night and I'm up for another couple hours..

life is full these days. 

transition into having four babies hasn't been seamless, but we are managing. one thing that we've talked and prayed about for a couple years now is my staying home full time. I have about a 45 minute commute to the hospital in the morning and sometimes over an hour coming home. Jordan works about 35 minutes away from home.. the twins are starting kindergarten next year and being that far away from home sort of stresses me out.  about a year and a half ago the application for stitch fix fell in my lap and I feel like the Lord was laying ground work for me to be able to finally be home full time with the babies.  I didn't see it then but looking back it was clear as day the plan that He had for us.  after Jolie started struggling with health issues and Parker's anxiety hit an all time high the value in being home with my kids became most important than anything.  

that being said.. being a SAHM is freaking hard.  my days off with the kids can be EXHAUSTING and so I need ideas!  cheap ideas to keep these babies entertained! this is all new territory for me, so I need all the advice I can get! 

photography by: b faith photography 

how does she..?

I had the amazing pleasure to contribute to the 'how does she' series over at Little Miss Dessa! the interview was posted over there last week (HERE), but I loved sharing a little bit about our day in the life I wanted to share it over on my little corner of webspace, too!  this was one elaborate interview and it took me a week to think through and complete:) 

ENJOY!  

Tell us about yourself: Where do you live, age, marital status, number of kids and business.

I'm a 32 year old married mama to 4 babes.  My husband and I have been married for 12 years this August and we live in a suburb about an hour outside of Dallas/Fort Worth. We made this our home about 5 years ago while I was pregnant with the twins.  We have four year old twins, Parker and Jolie, Baker Bree who is about to be 2 in July and a 12 week old baby boy named Brady.  I've been a Registered Dietitian for the last 8 years and have worked as a personal chef (pre-babies), nutrition counseling, and currently work 4 days/week in the NICU at a hospital.  As if I wasn't crazy enough, a little over a year ago I started working from home as a Stitch Fix stylist for fun and have fallen in love with the company.

Describe a day in the life of you.

Right now a day in the life is all up in the air… we are all still getting to know Brady and he's finally on a regular "schedule". We are able to plan around his eat/sleep times during the day and I'm on maternity leave.  Usually we are all up by 8am in the morning- Parker wakes me often before 7am and I send her back to bed until at least 7:30am because it’s hard for me to function before then, ha!  The twins drink smoothies for breakfast and watch Disney channel or read books in their room while I nurse Brady and then Baker wakes by 9:30am (she's an amazing sleeper!) and she has her own smoothie.  If we have errands we usually leave the house by 11am and we are out and about making Costco runs or hitting up the splash pad now that the weather is warming up.  I pack a lunch for all the girls and we often eat on the run!  Usually home by 3-3:30p and I put Baker down for a late nap while the girls color or chill out and watch a movie or a couple of recorded Bubble Guppies on the DVR. I take that window of quiet time to straighten up the house, unload the dishwasher, or play catch up on email and the blog.

Do you have help? A nanny or housekeeper? Family?

Oh my goodness- YES.  100% yes.  I am so thankful for the help that I have.  First of all, my husband is amazing.  I wouldn't have survived the twins, let alone have two more after the fact if he didn't help me the way that he does.  He does the laundry, manages the kiddos, runs errands with all four in tow, and he and I take turns cooking.  He is a firefighter and his work schedule allows for him to be home a lot more than a normal 40 hour 9-5 type job. We also have a housekeeper that comes every two weeks.  Jordan and I both tend to put actual cleaning at the end of our list of To-Dos and we can agree that we would literally give up our cell phones to keep our wonderful housekeeper if it came down to it.   Since the twins were born, my mother in law has kept the babies on the days that I was at work and Jordan was on shift- about 2 days per week.  After Brady was born we made the decision to hire a nanny three days per week to replace the help my MIL has given for the last 5 years. 

How do you manage to have “me” time?

As I mentioned above, my husband is around quite a bit, but that also means that I am home alone often, too.  Days that I am solo with all four of them for 24 hours while he's on shift can be exhausting! Because of that he makes it a priority that I get in some “me” time. So about once a week or every other week he allows me to go to Starbucks and work on the blog, meet a girlfriend for brunch, or get my nails done.  Just about 2 hours of uninterrupted time to myself.

How do you manage to make time to stay in shape? Do you workout? Diet?

Since Brady was born we are still figuring that out :). I usually like to go to the gym early, around 5am to get it in.  Jordan and I both go to the same boot camp, so if it’s been a rough night or I just can't seem to get myself out of bed at 5am, we go together with all the kids!  I try and get in 60 minutes about 3-4 days/week. I also eat relatively healthy- of course I love my fair share of junk and Vente iced coffee is my weakness, but over all we maintain a balance pretty well and try to limit eating out to once a week, for both health and financial reasons.  Some weeks we stand by that rule and other weeks its pizza every night! Regardless, feeding five mouths, including a toddler that out-eats everyone, can be so expensive!

Do you get ready every day? Makeup, hair and curated outfits?  If so, how do you do it with children? 

Definitely NOT! There are some days (when I don't leave the house) that I stay in my pajamas all day. The kids don't get dressed either! Other days I throw a ball cap over my dirty hair, do a little touch up with some concealer under my eyes and + tinted moisturizer and get whatever errands I need to get done wearing a t-shirt and jeans or leggings. Honestly, these days, if my hair is fixed I feel put together, more so than a full face of makeup.  I wash my hair about twice a week and I'm lucky that it only takes a little touching up with the flat iron between washes (including those days that I hit up boot camp) I just blow dry that sweat right out! Outfits are never curated unless we have set plans for the day (lunch date, church, family outings, etc).  I have found that if I have an idea of what I want to wear before the rush of getting one billion people ready for the day it helps with the overall management of chaos.                                                                          

Has your style changed after motherhood?

Totally! There was a time in my life before kids that I would never leave the house without a full face of makeup and a shower. I dressed very conservatively for work (slacks, blouses, blazers, and heels) so that carried over into my weekend life, too!  Big chunky accessories (early 2000's that was all the rage, am I right??) and I didn't understand how valuable sneakers were to my life until after I had children.  These days I wear scrubs to work and live in my favorite boyfriend jeans and a casual tee, and sneakers.  Oh how I love my sneakers. 

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I could not live without coffee. I actually love the flavor and drink it for that rather than the caffeine component (I usually drink half-caf or decaf while nursing). I have been known to drive through Starbucks twice while being out and about running errands. While I work out the only thing I can think of is the fact that I get to have a coffee afterwards, and when I am up nursing Brady through the night I cannot wait until the 'morning' when I can brew my first cup. I've turned into my mother.

If you breastfeed, how do you schedule your day around feedings and outings?

I usually try to breastfeed Brady right before we leave the house. My goal is within an hour of leaving so that we can actually get out and about and have some time to get things done before I'm sitting in the car to nurse him.  He usually takes his first nap around 10:30am, so if I feed him right before then he will sleep in the car (most of the time!) until it’s time to eat again.

How many hours of sleep to you get a night on average?

I'm usually in bed between 10 pm-11 pm and I'm up at 4:30 am for my 5 am workout OR if I don't get up that day for boot camp I'm getting up about 7:30 am. I'm dragging by dinner time and then will get my second wind around 8 pm after the kids go to bed. So I would say between 6-8 hours at night.

What is a priority for you, and what gets sacrificed? For example, everyone looks great but the house is a disaster, or the house is clean but work deadlines get pushed back.

I'm such a stickler for my house being "put together". It sounds silly, but it drives me batty to come home a messy house (like the playroom turned upside town, or dishes in the sink). That being said, it comes last on the list when we have somewhere to be or if I have to work on getting something done. No matter what, the house is put together and the kitchen is clean before I go to bed at night, so it might fall under "a clean house over sleep" ha!

Do you cook meals every day for your family? If so, how do you plan them?

Because of Jordan's schedule I only cook about 2-3 nights/week.  We try to eat out just once or twice/week and the other days me and the kids just eat whatever we feel like (macaroni from a box, cereal, peanut butter toast). When I meal plan I do it early in the week while I'm making my grocery list so I have all the ingredients on hand and it keeps me motivated to actually cook the meal when I have a plan in place.

Have you ever felt like you are losing yourself to motherhood and or life? If so, how did you bounce back?

There was a time before Baker was born that I felt like I couldn't get in the groove of life with kids.  I was trying to find my voice, routine, and manage working and being a wife, too.  Thankfully I have a husband that is a huge advocate of ME. He knows how important it is that I have “me” time and allows me to do pretty much do what I need to feel secure in my role, both at home and professionally. 

Does hubby help you with anything particular? If so, what and how?

Jordan is a huge help to my day to day but also as my number one supporter in this crazy life we live right now. I can literally look at him and say "I need a break" and as long as its an appropriate time he will let me go decompress or take off and grab a coffee by myself.

How do you manage motherhood and marriage?

Jordan and I are a TEAM, an incredible team.  We work together to manage our kiddos and some days we are going through the motions of life to just make it to bedtime, but we always make time to catch up.  Date nights are few and far in between these days, but we try to chat in the car, before bedtime, and always ask each other "how are you doing" looking for the real answer outside of "fine".  We have learned the right time to actually ask these questions is when we can actually finish the conversation and the wrong time is to try to have this conversation in the middle of wrangling babies for bath, dinner, and bed.

Do you work? Do you work in an office or at home? What does your work consist of and how do you get it done during the week?

I work both in and outside the home.  Four days per week I work as a dietitian to newborn and premature babies in the NICU; and I work from home in between those four days as a Stitch Fix stylist. Being a stylist is more of a hobby for me than a job- I love it!  We have a nanny to help on days when I am not home, and I try to do SF on the days that Jordan is around or fit it in early in the morning before the kids wake or after they go to bed in the evening. 

Have your circle of friends changed now that you're a mother? if so, how do you meet new mommy friends?

Thankfully my closest girlfriends and I have all sort of grown our families at the same time.  I have met some of my closest mommy friends through social media!  It is such a powerful platform to meet amazing women.

What’s the least favorite household chore you dread doing?

Laundry!!  I don't mind putting it all in the wash and transferring it to the dryer, but getting it folded and put away is my ultimate demise.  

Describe a recent experience when you didn’t have it “all together” and how you handled it all.

I start back to work soon, and we have a nanny helping us when I am away.  She came for a "trial run" a couple weeks ago and I totally didn't explain a million things that probably would be helpful in knowing before she starts watching my FOUR kids! She didn't text me to ask (which is probably better) and just figured it out on her own (which is awesome!).  After I got home she gave me a rundown of questions she had for next time.  I felt so defeated in that I was NOT ready to go back to work and not ready to leave my kiddos with someone else other than myself. I regrouped, bounced ideas off on Jordan for helping me remember what the nanny would need to know for next time, and hopefully she'll be set up for success when she starts!

Fill in the blank: As a mother, it's a luxury to __________________

Wash my hair. I am thankful I am able to find time to actually shower, but washing my hair is the last on my list of to-do's! 

What is your philosophy on balance and does it exist in your home?

Balance does not come easy.  It is something that is constantly changing and my once type A personality has taken a major backseat to the ins and outs of motherhood. We work hard at attempting to keep everything in order and balanced, some days it works and some days it totally doesn't.

What are your dreams outside of motherhood that you would like to accomplish?

I love style and fashion.  I have been a dietitian for a long time, and still love food and nutrition, but would absolutely love to grow my career with Stitch Fix.  Styling and helping women (and men!) find themselves comfortable in clothes that are perfect for them is so much fun!

What is one thing that keeps you sane?

I've become a night owl since having kids. I still wake up early, and actually prefer to be an early riser, but giving myself at least an hour or two to chill out, watch reality TV, or surf social media is something I've learned that helps me get through the end of my day. My mom always stayed up so late growing up and I couldn't ever figure out why, well I have three brothers and now I can completely relate to her!

What is one question you'd like to ask our fellow mama readers?

I didn't really grow up with dreams and aspirations to be a mama, let alone having four babies of my own!  I always thought in the back of my mind that I would have children, but even when I was dating Jordan very seriously, children didn't cross my mind very often.  I have discovered that now I was born to be a mama.  I would have ten more if Jordan and my body would let me!  So, my question for you all is: Looking back now, starting with your first thoughts of becoming a mother as a little girl, how does it feel to watch your children grow up now?

check out more on this series of amazing mamas!!

Photo Every Hour | Sunday

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Day in the Life

..with 3 under 3.  My life is a revolving door right now and while we aren't officially on a schedule with a 6 week old babe, we've managed to maintain a semi-normal routine simply because our regular day to day activities with the twins must go on.  To be completely transparent, this day in the life has only really been true for probably the last couple weeks or so.  I mentioned in yesterday's post how impressive full-time stay at home moms are.  It basically took me four weeks to figure out that I needed to actually make a plan for the day or else I would get NOTHING done.  I am notoriously a list-maker, so why it took me that long is beyond me.  Lately we have been filling our day with playdates + errands, going to the park (when its cool enough) and bringing out 'rainy day' toys and puzzles I've stashed away on a random Tuesday afternoon when I am basically out of ideas.  I feel like we have finally hit our groove and are in a really good place.  Having 'plans' helps me get out of bed and moving- or I would just assume sleep the morning away with miss Baker because, hello.. we are all tired.  So, this is pretty much how our days go during the week.

6:00-7:00am -- Baker wakes to eat.  She eats really well during this morning nursing session and will often go back to sleep right away- letting me get another hour or so before the twins wake up.  The morning is when she does her best sleep- and I am usually waking her to eat again by 10:30am.

7:30am-8:00am -- Parker and Jolie are awake at this point.  They used to come in and wake us first thing in the morning, but will now find something to play with (usually their play kitchen or puzzles).  We recently bought a picnic table to go in the play room and those two will sit and play by themselves for what seems like forever.  It doesn't take long before I hear them playing together and I am up and out of bed.  Once they know I am awake- they follow me around like little ducklings.  Even to the bathroom.  I never ever thought twice about the luxury of peeing by myself before I had kids.  The last time I did one of these posts (almost a year ago!) there is a picture nearly identical to this one.. some things just don't change:)

8:30am-9:00am -- On most days I shower before bed, but sometimes if I am able I'll shower in the morning.  "You get ready to go in twenty minutes, mama?" Everything is in 'twenty minutes' with Parker and Jolie these days.  I set them up in my bed with a smoothie and dry cereal (move Baker to her rocker next to my bed..) and hop in for a quick shower.

9:00am -- Out of the shower and I'm dying for a cup of coffee!  I craved coffee during my last trimester of pregnancy and it has carried over to postpartum.  If I don't shower in the morning, coffee is the first item to check off my list for the day.

#girlmom tee // emerald sky

9:15am-9:30am -- breakfast + morning chores.  While I make my coffee and breakfast, I usually unload the dishwasher and get the house ready for the day (dishes, laundry, meal prep for dinner).

Jesus coffee mug // linen + lace shop

Breakfast for me these days is usually peanut butter + banana toast.  I think about it at 2am when I nurse Baker.. thats how much I'm loving it right now.  I also have a habit of eating the same thing for months and months and then never eating it again.  If its not PBB toast I'll eat a bowl of multi-grain Cheerios or oatmeal - wishing the entire time I would have eaten the toast.  Thats what second breakfasts are for, yes?

I always have helpers when I unload the dishwasher.. I think she takes the opportunity to steal some of the cooking utensils to play with.  For whatever reason, the girls l o v e to play in the empty bathtub while I get ready.  Fine by me- keeps them out of trouble and contained:)

9:30am-10:30am -- getting ready.  I blow dry and fix my hair.. and on this day we made plans to meet up with Auntie, so I did a quick version of my makeup routine (i.e. concealer + blush + bronzer + lip gloss) to look presentable.  I don't put it on if we are staying home.  Hair and dress for the twin babes also happens during this time and I haven't quite mastered getting out of the house on time with the girls after doing my hair AND my full makeup.  I'll get there.  Just not today:)

10:30am -- nurse.  I wake Baker to change her diaper, get her dressed and to feed a very hungry girl.  Parker and Jolie stand at the changing table to 'help' me, so it always take a little longer, but its all worth it to make them feel included in all things that have to do with her.

11:15am -- and we are off!  I usually like to be out of the house between 10am and 11am mainly because if we are planning to have any kind of nap that day, I need to be home by 1:30pm for the girls to go down and it not infringe on their nighttime routine.  We can miss nap here and there and it not result in total meltdowns at 5pm, but for the most part we try and limit being out of the house during their typical nap time (between 1pm-4pm).  On those days we are out and about - Jolie will usually cat nap in the car between errands.  Parker is notorious for falling asleep 3 minutes from pulling into the driveway.

We made a couple stops: fill up gas, post office, and then to grab lunch before meeting Auntie.

12:00pm-4:00pm -- playdates + errands. On days when we 'don't nap' we will make a day of it and run what feels like a bazillion errands and usually stop to play or do something fun for the twins at some point.  Typical: lunch, Sams/Costco, Target (<<duh), Barnes and Noble..they have a train table in the children's section - P+J love playing and reading the books..and there is a Starbucks for mama.)  There are several churches in our area that have indoor playscapes that we have been taking advantage of during this summer heat.  It wouldn't be so bad for the twins, but having Baker outside isn't an option unless we can get out before 9am when it isn't sweltering.  We have gone to the splash pad or the pool around that time of the morning.

The Ark in Coppell has an area with tables so we could eat lunch before the girls took off to play.  Lots of other moms had the same idea:)

While the twins ran and played their little hearts out, me, Auntie, Baker and Baby Grayson spent some time catching up.  That girl loves her Auntie.  She was chatting and flirting all over the place!  She's pretty laid back as long as she isn't hungry:)

1:00pm-4:00pm (if we are at HOME) -- Usually when the twins nap, I try to get Baker to take a nap as well.  Even though we aren't on a regular schedule, the afternoon tends to be more structured for her simply because her sisters have a pretty solid afternoon/evening routine.  I still feed her 'on demand' but it is consistently every 3 hours, so I kind of know what to expect as the day goes on.

If Baker is able to sleep at all during 1pm-4pm nap time, this is usually when I'll do laundry, answer emails, and straighten up the house.  The twins are a constant tornado of energy and while I once was able to walk behind them picking things up as they went, since Baker's arrival, I just don't have enough hands to do so.  SO- it stays a shambles until nap time and again until the girls go to bed for the evening.

4:00-5:00pm -- snacks + play.  My straight house is a mess again.  It takes them NO time to undo all my putting away. Toys.Books.Puzzles.Everywhere.  Playtime is usually combined with a snack (right at 4pm) and sometimes a movie if we had a busy morning and the twins are ready to be awake yet.  Afternoon is also when Baker spends some time on her tummy.  This is new for us.. I waited to start tummy time until she was a month old.  Parker kept saying "Hi sugar!" When Baker has the stimulus of her sisters' company, she will lay on her tummy for longer than if she is doing without them.

5:30pm-6:00pm -- bathtime!  We don't take baths every night but when we do (about every other day) it is always of request to have a bubble bath.  I had just fed Baker and while she normally would be content in her bouncy seat while I bathed her sisters, she insisted on being held.  I had plans to bathe her after the twins went to bed anyway, so I just stuck her in there, too:)

6:15pm -- Post bath squeaky clean babe.  She loves to sleep on her tummy.  After the last nursing session of the late afternoon (between 6:00pm-7:00pm) she will sleep through the rest of the early evening.

6:15pm-7:15pm -- dinnertime!  I like to give a bath before dinner time mainly because we have been eating a little later than normal due to the summer hours of light.  Before Baker was born we were sometimes staying at the pool until 6:30pm!  In order not to feel completely rushed after dinner due to an impending bedtime, we've been doing bath before.  Usually we eat together as a family, but Daddy was at the fire station, so is was Annie's mac and cheese, watermelon + grapes, and Bubble Guppies instead.

7:30pm-8:00pm -- wind down. 'Chocolate milk' (1/2 packet carnation instant breakfast mixed in skim milk) and one more toddler show before bed.  Lately its been Peppa Pig or Mickey Mouse.

8:00pm-8:30pm -- bedtime for Parker and Jolie.  If Jordan is home he will rock them in the rocking chair in their room while they sing worship music in the dark OR read a book.. but 9 times out of 10 P+J will choose the music. If it just mama, I'll snuggle them in their beds and chat about the day.  Jo usually stays on topic and tells me all about her day - even when we have spent every moment together..

Please excuse my looking like a 12 year old, makeup-less face:)

..while Parker is just all over the place!  Last night she was talking about something (I couldn't make out what) blowing away and BB putting in her car so it wouldn't blow away - and then her story quickly turned to something about Bubble Guppies and then asking for more chocolate milk.  I just nod and go with it.  She does all the talking.

8:30pm-11:30pm -- dinner/tv/shower/blogging.  Occasionally Jordan and I will wait until the twins are down for the night before eating dinner, but when Jordan is at the fire station, I almost always eat after the girls go to bed.  This is also the time for the hubby and me to catch up on our DVR shows.  That is sort of our thing to do.. Bachelor in Paradise, anyone?  We have approximately 43 shows we love to watch together.  Before Baker was born I was one to wake up early, before the rest of my house, and do my quiet time + spend some time blog planning + blogging.  In this stage of life that just won't happen.  Blogging at night or in the late morning if we don't have plans is the easiest.. and my quiet time (right now I am following the She Reads Truth study: This is the Gospel) is whenever I can get to reading it that day.  I am sure once I go back to work and get into that daily routine again, it will be easier for me to be up earlier - but until baby girl is sleeping through the night and we have a better schedule I'll be fine to 'work' at night.

Our bed time is all over the place right now, so its almost easier for me to stay awake until its time to feed Baker again between 10:30pm-11:30pm (whenever she tends to stir and wake hungry.)  After I feed her I swaddle her up and lay her in the rocker next to my side of the bed.  Sometimes she will sleep for an hour and be up again to eat and other times she will sleep through until 3am before she wakes to eat again.

Writing it all out like this makes me realize how busy we are when I actually make plans.  I am probably just catching up from the lack of doing anything during the early weeks:)  I havent done one of these details posts since last September, and looking back it is crazy how much has changed.  I mean.. my big girls were SO little, just weeks into being potty trained and although I don't feel like things have changed all that much, it really has!

I know eventually we will get back to some normalcy, but right now, this is our normal.

Photo Every Hour | Saturday

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