This summer looks so much different than last summer. Last summer I was feeding Molly Caroline every 3 hours throughout the day and night. Sometimes she would give me one 4 hour stretch at night. Thankfully, the week before I went back to school, she started sleeping until about 5am...and then it just increased from there. My bathroom counter looked like this...hahah!
I'm very thankful that my crazy post-partum hormones were only an issue for 2 weeks. I felt 100% back to normal after that. In between feedings I would just snuggle her and try to get in some tummy time. Loved every second of that! She loved her swing and she was so snuggly!
It was too hot to do much of anything outside, even walks, and she was just sooo tiny so that made it hard too. I didn't even see a swimming pool last summer. Although we went to the beach twice in the fall. So we just celebrated summer a little later it felt like! :)
This is our typical summer schedule is going so far...
Molly Caroline wakes up between 7-8am. She immediately drinks her milk and eats breakfast in her high chair. Cheerios, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, fruit, and yogurt are what she typically eats most mornings. It just depends.
Some mornings we just play, play, play. Other mornings we go for a walk before it gets too hot.
Around 9:30-10:00 Molly Caroline naps. During this time I either "get ready" or clean up and watch Kathy Lee and Houda.
Then Lunch. Sometimes Molly Caroline and I will run errands after she wakes up from her nap and eat lunch out and about. Or meet friends for lunch. However usually we eat leftovers at home for lunch. She loves chicken, beans, cheese, avocado-our version of Mexican the best!
I try to plan an activity for MC most afternoons. Playing with her water table, paint, chalk, puzzles, story time, a sensory activity...something semi-educational. That's really hard with her attention span!!!
She goes down for her afternoon nap around 2pm. I usually am working on a project during this time, unloading the dishwasher, or folding clothes.
When she wakes up we have snack time! ;) Puffs, yogurt melts, fruit, cheese, or crackers. Just depends.
When Matt gets home we usually prep dinner as a family. He loves to grill so a lot of times we will play in our "pool" while he does that. Molly Caroline eats very slowly so sometimes as things are ready I add them to her tray...even before we sit down with her. I think that broccoli, green beans, sweet potatoes, and ground turkey or beef are her favorite supper foods.
After supper we push Molly Caroline in her swing, wagon, or coupe. Sometimes we go on a walk around our neighborhood or walk 9 holes of golf. We then have bath time! After her bath we like to sit on our adirondak chairs and watch the fireflies buzz around our yard!
Unless we have plans with friends, Molly Caroline's typical summer bedtimes is around 8pm. A little later than during the school year. We are very scheduled...but also very flexible. I think we have found a good balance. :)
I'm sure next summer we will do VBS, spend a good portion of our days at the Y-pool, start "real" swimming lessons, and probably be a little more consistent with library and book shelf story times.
One thing I've learned is that being home with her is my favorite thing ever and it is going to make working in August that much harder!
