Eliot is a pharmacist. For the most part he has two types of shifts at the hospital basic 8 hour shift that ends around 3:30 and a ten hour shift. The ten hour shift can vary but most of the time it's an IV gig that ends around 6:30 but with Tampa traffic and the commute from USF to St. Pete he gets home around 7:15-7:30. By the time he gets home we, Lydia and I, have already accomplished a lot and started the nighttime routine.
I get home early in the afternoon and most of the time need to nurse Lydia. We then get ready to go for a walk where she naps while I don't think about my knee throbbing (my right knee is pretty much made of paper and held together by that water pasty solution similar to paper mache. I had a simple surgery a while ago and its usually okay except I wore the wrong darn shoes the other day on a long walk. This of course caused my knee to have it's own personal coup d'etat. It will pass.) We then run whatever errands need to be run like Target or Publix. A handy cart (or buggie) near by helps with the car seat in and car seat out process.
Back at home, Lydia sticks her butt in the air and gets to work on crawling and I have a little snack on the floor next to her. I sneak into the kitchen to get things going for dinner, put away dishes, yada yada yada until Lydia realizes she is alone and freaks out. Then I put her in her high chair with various eating toys (spoons, bowls, plates, etc) and a yum yum mum. I fix the dinners. Last night on the menu for us was parmesean panko crusted chicken strips and over roasted brussels sprouts/portabela mushrooms. Lydia's menu had corn and butternut squash, a stage two delight, and bananas. Once our dinner is on the way and Lydia's patience has begun to run thin, I feed her. She gets corn and butternut upper her nose, in her hair and of course all over her hands. She eats. I wipe. I eat standing up because she can't be put anywhere with the other various food goo stuck on her and I can't leave the room. I could sit down but it's the easiest step to skip.
I wash and rinse the kitchen sink. At this point everything is in the dishwasher and out of the way of curious little hands. I get the bath time fun basket and a baby towel. I strip Lydia and stick her in the sink. While she is sitting and playing in the water, I am getting her bottle ready. We play. We laugh. She freaks out when water gets in her eyes. I remind her shes fine. We drain the sink (the other day I drained the sink before she was out for two reasons. One, she was having a great time and didn't want it to end. Two, because we have a giant turtle shaped sponge on the bottom for her use only. I thought the sponge would minimize the sucking. Instead, Lydia freaked out because she could feel the sucking underneath her.) I wrap her up and off to the bedroom we go. We dry, lotion, diaper. Brush her hair and dress her.
Typically it's about now that Eliot gets home. I hand her to him so I can pee. Then he needs to eat, so I get her back. She plays. She enjoys some age level appropriate television. Reads some books. She gets the bottle and normal is rocked to sleep. Eliot is a gamer and more than happy to help, but Lydia's momitis is really only apparent at bedtime. So we rock. She falls asleep. I put her down in her crib. Scub is on (the aquatic projection toy that has soothing nighttime music) check. Puff the Magic Elephant is on (the cold water humidifier that helps Lydia's stuffiness due to the recycled air in our homes whether heat or cold air.) And she screams. I pick her up. Rock some more. And more and more. Finally she is really asleep. Down she goes.
I look at the clock and it's 9:30. My feet dragging, my paper mache knee aching, my hair knotted, I plop next to Eliot on the couch. Exhausted. Ideas of showering or moving glide through my mind because I don't have the energy to make them race through. Eventually I get to bed and sleep peacefully knowing that Eliot has two full days off in a row in the middle of the week.
Thus my praise for to all single parents everywhere! Well Done! Your efforts are recognized and you are amazing! I can't imagine how you do it because it's not easy. Being a mom is another full time job all of the time. I have said it once and I will say it again, it is easier to go to go teach all day than being a stay at home mom. But every Monday I still wish I was home with little pelusita!
1. Lowry Park Zoo. Fun for all ages. We took the Abuelos and Lydia so old and young got a kick out it. Just looking at giant animals was pretty awesome for Lydia. It has been voted the #1 zoo by parents likely because it's wide sidewalks and kids section. Lydia enjoyed the merry-go-round and seeing the elephants. There was an indoor air conditioned restaurant that was discrete enough for nursing and comfortable to get the stroller in and out. They even had infant sized hats at the gift shop when we realized that we needed one to block the sun from burning Lydia's head.
2. Crescent Lake Park. The two streets that hug the park always have some available parking and most of the time some of it is shaded. Crescent provides a lot for a family. It has over a mile path for walks and runners, tennis courts, dog parks for little and big pouches, many benches along near the lake and a playground. I go to this park at least once a week if not more. The baby loves being in the stroller and checking everything out. She loves looking at the geese and all the birds that come to the park. She has even gotten big enough to put in the baby swing. The playground has an area for smaller kids.The park also has a massive open field. You can take a blanket, some toys and relax.
