Fellow blogger Ann recommended I post a “Day In the Life” type of thing so folks could better understand how we spend our time lately. Here’s my best shot. Not included are the 80 billion times I check the blog for comments. Also not included are the 40 billion times I open the refrigerator door, stare inside and then close it again. This is a fairly reasonable and accurate account of our day yesterday, but we switch it up and exchange tasks all the time.

2:00am Methadone for Ramona, given by Grandma, who starts her night shift. Andy goes to bed.

4:30-5:00am Simon starts up. I give him a bottle and pray he goes back to sleep.

5:30am Ramona wakes up. Grandma changes her diaper and holds her for awhile.

6:00am Ramona gets her Ativan.

6:30am Simon wakes up for real. I get him, change him, etc. We play for awhile downstairs. Andy is still asleep. Grandma is with Ramona who has now fallen asleep.

7:00am Simon gets his breakfast and I put on his big boy clothes. Grandma has some coffee, Andy is still asleep.

8:00am As Simon is going down for nap #1, Andy gets up just in time to say hello. We all try and get changed, take showers, etc. while they’re both asleep.

8:15am Ramona wakes up. Simon is not sleeping yet. I bring Ramona out into the kitchen and put her in the Papasan. I wait for Simon to settle down. I take a shower. Andy is getting ready to go to work.

8:45am Ramona gets her bottle from Grandma. This takes about 20 minutes, then we set up her feeding pump and give her her meds, Calcium Carbonate and Methadone. The feeding pump takes about 45 minutes. Grandma holds her and talks sweet to her. I write my blog entry.

9:00am Andy leaves for work.

9:45am Simon wakes up. I give him a bottle, change him, etc. I gate off the kitchen so he can play for awhile while I do dishes and straighten up a bit. Grandma takes care of some of her business stuff. Ramona is in the Papasan with me and Simon.

10:30am Ramona falls asleep. I take Simon to the grocery store while Grandma hangs out with Ramona.

12:00pm I get back from the store and put Simon down for another nap. Grandma and I do Ramona’s feeds, no meds. Ramona gets some mommy time.

12:30pm Carpet cleaners come. When they finish at 1:00pm, I take a nap until 2:00pm.

1:30pm Simon wakes up. Bottle, change. Play with Grandma!

2:00pm Ramona gets her Ativan. Simon gets his lunch.

3:00pm Ramona’s feeds, and meds. More play with her.

3:30pm We attempt the elusive third nap with Simon. No dice.

4:00pm Grandma has been up since 2:00am, she goes downstairs to sleep for awhile. This is my first time with both of the babies to myself all day and I try my best to balance Simon’s needs with Ramona’s. Baby gates are good.

5:00pm Simon gets his dinner. Ramona is getting fussy, so I hold her while feeding Simon.

5:30pm Andy gets home from work, Grandma is still sleeping. I hold Ramona while Andy does Simon’s bath, bottle, books, bed routine.

6:00pm I put Ramona down and say goodnight to Simon. Ramona is fast asleep when we return so no bottle, just pump feed, and meds.

7:00pm Ramona is awake now and a bit fussy. Andy soothes her while I prepare dinner. Grandma wakes up so she takes Ramona while Andy and I eat.

7:30pm I decide to go to bed early, but instead end up having a heated discussion with Andy about me feeling under-appreciated and him feeling like I am not nice. We are both right.

9:00pm Discussion over. We set up her night feed and have a brief moment of panic when the Prevacid clogs her tube. I go to bed. I will wake up at 4:30am with Simon. Grandma is already in bed, she will wake up at 2:00am to take over for Andy. Andy stays up until 2:00am and will sleep until 9:00am.

So that’s pretty typical, although things change if we don’t have help or if Andy is home for the day. I have a hunch that this is not much different from any busy mom who has more than one child. Some things that are less typical mom stuff are the hour or so a day I spend on the phone with doctors, etc. or the countless times we settle Ramona back down when she wakes up during naps or the daily tasks of cleaning syringes and other medical stuff.

My big highlight this morning was giving Ramona a suppository. Yow-zah. But she’s finally having some Thunder Down Under after a long spell of nuthin’. The pic is of Simon in our yard, getting ready for spring.

Jane.

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