Its about the day in the life of a very busy mummy.
Daddy has to go to work
Despair is a word that frequently comes to mind especially when my partner asks me what I do all day. We have an 18mth old baby, a dog and a five bedroom house in London. I do everything from late nights with our baby to cutting the grass in the garden. I have often asked him to swap jobs with me for a week just so he could see how much I actually do all day, but he doesn't see what I do as job, more as my duty. He is a banqueting manager with a well established hotel chain and really doesn't take part in anything to with the running of our home, however, along with the running of our home and looking after our son he would like me to go back in to full time employment, but is not prepared to help with the payments towards a nursery for our son or the engagement of a permanent nanny. It is not possible for me to do both at this moment in time and lets face it no one will look after my son or my home in the way he is accustomed to. Let's see what you think of my day. I think he is absurd for thinking I do nothing all day if this was the case then my home would be a wreck.
Sometimes my son wakes up at 1am, 2.30an, 4am, 5.30am but mostly now he is in his routine and generally wakes around 6.30am. This for me is a God send because it means I get some extra time to sleep and lets face it guys once you have children the sleep thing sounds like heaven. Not once in 18mths has partner done a night shift with our baby and to be quite frank, I am not only exhausted but haggard looking and resentful. Anyway just to give you a taste of what happens during my day, here goes
6.30am: Baby wakes crying hungry and wet. Go down put the kettle on and heat baby's milk, let dog out, then quickly go to the loo, wash hands and let dog in and take milk up- to baby's room, change baby's nappy and feed giving him lots of cuddles and kisses
7am: Get up with baby and put him in his high chair. Open all blinds in all rooms and open all curtains, air beds and cot. Empty dishwasher and put everything away Put white wash on and put ironing away. Peel banana for baby and make him marmite on toast while trying to entertain him, make tea for partner and place his toast in toaster. Feed the dog and change his water bowl. Check post and sort out breakfast for foreign student staying on ground floor.
7.30am: Partner finished shower and shave enters kitchen for breakfast, whilst I go and make beds and tidy up baby's room. Choose outfit for baby and organise his day with activities in diary. Empty nappy bin and wash down changing table. Put kettle on for cup of tea. No time for breakfast.
8am: partner getting dressed cleansing and preening, after shave lovely but smells like he's showered in it. Wish I had time to preen. Time to prepare lunch and snack for baby. Fill cool bag with fruit, yogurt, cheese, baby rusks, and juice and defrost chicken casserole for baby's dinner. Whilst baby is still happy in high chair think about preparing dinner. Chop onions and garlic place in Tupperware box and put in the fridge, defrost meat and peel potatoes place in salted water on top of cooker ready to cook later, cover pan and start to prepare pasta for baby's lunch.
8.30am: partner leaves for work no kiss no hug no have a nice day, just pats baby's back and goes to work. Take my beautiful baby out of high chair and up to his nursery, check emails as laptop is in baby's nursery. Change baby's nappy and change him into day clothes. Play tickling game and word game. Reply to emails quickly and empty nappy bin and put baby's dirty clothes in linen basket in the bathroom on the second floor. Answer phone, only a boring sales call get rid of them quickly then answer doorbell to gas metre man..
9am: play with baby for a while then try and have 2min shower and not bother to blow dry hair as baby thinks the hair dryer is hurting mummy. Throw on shorts and t shirt and clog up my mascara, then forgot to moisturise skin, get mobile phone, inhaler, money, sunglasses and baby's snack bag place in nappy changing rucksack run upstairs get baby and put him in the pushchair strap him in and put lead on dog, give baby juice and hang white washing on line to dry and put dark wash on.
9.30am: Take baby and dog to the park. Give baby an apple and a baby biscuit show baby the ducks and make birdie sounds chat with baby and baby falls asleep at around10.30am.
11am: arrive back home from long walk in park baby asleep and dog content, me just stressed. While baby sleeps remove white washing from the line in the garden and replace with dark washing. Prepare vegetables for tonight's dinner, and then clean the kitchen floor and both bathrooms. Vacuum whole house Be aware that I have three floors and very large rooms
12pm: water all plants in the front of the house and then at the back of the house. Wash baby's toys in playpen and start to heat baby's lunch. Notice marks on stair carpet spray with vanish and scrub profusely until all marks have gone
12.30pm: door bell rings too many times because the person is impatient so the dog starts barking and as I rush to answer the intercom my baby starts screaming. The person outside my house is a Jehovah witness trying to convert me and I'm really stressed now and just tell them to go away, thank goodness for the intercom
12.35pm take baby out of pushchair and sooth his crying, change his nappy and his clothes because they are wet and put him in his highchair ready for his lunch. Turn radio on and gently heat baby's lunch. Telephone rings and it's my sister, I tell her to call me back. Feed baby lunch and prepare his juices and drinks for the afternoon.
1pm: Wash down high chair sweep kitchen floor and prepare baby's milk for the night place in fridge then take baby to change his nappy before going to play group in Lamas Park. Put baby in pushchair, strap him in securely and quickly remove dark washing from the line, fold and place ready for ironing.
1.30pm: get ready to go to play centre. Snacks, juices, nappies, change of baby clothes, baby wipes, sunscreen, sun hat, baby sunglasses, rain cover just in case, and sun canopy oh yes and reins for free walking
2pm: arrive at the play centre with lots of things to do; Non stop walking and running about must stay with baby at all times. Those are the rules. Feeling quite tired now and just realised I've had no time for a coffee today, damn that's my only treat in the day one cup of coffee. Oh well never mind there's always tomorrow.
4pm: arrive home with a very tired but chatty baby who still has copious amounts of energy. Wish I had his energy
4.15pm: Change baby's nappy and close all stair gates so he can play whilst I clear up doggy pee in the bathroom. At least when the dog does do it in the house he chooses the correct place to do it in. Phone rings and someone wants to talk about me having my own website, takes me ages to get rid of them in the end I just cut them off. Very clever these sales people their phone numbers never show on the display so you get fooled into answering the call. Well I always do
4.30pm: Put the kettle on for a cup of tea, place teabag in cup and also make a drink for my son. Place him in the play pen whilst I quickly pop to the loo, wash my hands and finally get round to opening the mail.
5pm: start thinking about what to cook with the meat that I defrosted earlier for dinner fry the onion and garlic which I prepared earlier and decide to make beef bourgoine with mash potatoes and green beans. Baby getting agitated in the play pen and I'm feeling rather tired from all the dashing around. Anyway must empty cool bag from rucksack and throw any rubbish away then wash cool bag and replenish all necessities belonging to the rucksack for tomorrow.
5.30pm: my nanny arrives to help me for two hours. This is so I can get on with dinner and anything else I haven't managed to achieve. Today it's the shopping I haven't had a chance. So off I go and do what used to be so enjoyable but now is so tedious.
6.30pm: unload shopping from the car and put it all away. Put potatoes on to boil and string all beans. Make the beef bourgoine and place in the oven.
6.45pm: Check fridge to make sure there is a bottle of wine chilling for later and remove baby's milk ready to heat for bed time. Place bottle in jug and boil the kettle. I notice that I forgot to make my cup of tea. Drain potatoes and mash. Run baby's bath and fill bath with baby toys then turn on table lights in the sitting room. Check the bath water temperature.
7pm: Call out bath time to the nanny. Partner home and getting changed into something more relaxing other than a suit. Me, well I look haggard as usual. Partner pours himself a drink and goes and reads the paper in the garden. I clear up the nursery and set out baby's night wear and empty the nappy bin for the hundredth time. Heat up baby milk and prepare baby milk for the morning shift. Steam the green beans. Empty bin in kitchen and change bin bag.
7.15pm: Baby's bath is finished. Must empty bath water and put all toys away and shower the bath. Check on beans
7.30pm: Nighty night baby big hugs and kisses and time for beddie byes, partner says goodnight to baby. Nanny puts baby to bed. Pour large glass of wine. Time to set table for dinner and serve student his dinner downstairs. Heat plates and remove beef from the oven.
8pm: serve dinner and eat in silence as partner is far too tired to talk or even acknowledge me. Clear table and fill dishwasher. Then check on baby
8.30pm: start the ironing
9.30pm: finish the ironing
9.45: switch on the dishwasher and lock up all doors pop the dog out for one last time
10pm turn the bed down and change in to nighty and remove clogged mascara. Plug in mobile to recharge and get into bed then pass out from exhaustion knowing that daddy has to go to work tomorrow!
