A Fine-Tuned Machine

Wake up.

Mom showers, Dad feeds Baby. Dad showers, Mom watches Baby and picks out Baby's outfit. Dad gets dressed and dresses Baby. Baby plays while Mom and Dad both get ready. Mom leaves for work, Dad takes Baby to daycare then goes to work.

Come home.

Mom makes dinner, Dad does dishes while Mom gives Baby a bath. Dad lays out pajamas and prepares a bottle, while Mom get Baby dried and dressed. Baby drinks bottle then goes to sleep. Mom and Dad get a few hours of "Mom and Dad Time". Mom and Dad go to sleep.

Repeat.

Such is my family's schedule, or at least a rough outline of our schedule.

I share this schedule, not to illustrate that we are boring or monotonous, on the contrary, as anyone with a semi-toddler can attest, every day is different and every day is unique and wonderful; I write it down because I am proud of the fact that over the last eleven and a half months (Has it really been that long?!) my wife and I have finally figured out a process that not only works for us, but it works well.

Obviously, there are a LOT more details that go into the day like feedings, diaper changes, and chores, and variations such as trips to the park, store, or a friend's house add even further variety to our days, but at the end of the day these few basic steps have helped us to stay more organized and have more free time.

Since the original and primary goal of my blog was to provide some guidance to other new parents who are currently in the shoes that I wore eleven months ago, by telling my own stories "from the other side", I wanted to share my success story as proof that the madness really can come to end to some point, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Almost a year ago I wouldn't have believe those words. When our daughter first came home with us, our world was hers to command. Little did we know that this adorable little sack of potatoes that couldn't do anything but eat, sleep, and poop (a lot) would dictate all of the what, when, and where's in our life for a long time to come.

If she was hungry, we fed her. When she was tired, she slept wherever and on whomever she felt like. And, if you read one of my older posts, "The Blowout", then you know that she definitely decided when, where, and how much she was going to poop and be changed, even if it was in the middle of a grassy area at the local fairgrounds with an audience.

But, now WE are in charge.

At some point, between the four- to six-month mark, a proto-schedule started to develop, and we started to see a glimmer of hope that we could regain control of our lives. Now, as our daughter is transitioning into a toddler, that schedule has evolved into a being that helps maintain a sense of balance in our house, and even helps our daughter make sense of her day.

For example, she knows that in the morning, once we put on her headband and shoes, that she is going to school or grandma's house and begins smiling and waving "bye bye" to our dogs. If, for any reason, we don't immediately leave right after putting on her accessories, you can actually see the look of confusion sweep across her face.

In another example, she now knows that she gets her bottle as soon as she gets out of the bathtub and gets put into her pajamas. Her thought process is proven by the fact that even on on a night where she goes straight from the dinner table to the bathtub and has a full tummy of food, she will have a dramatic meltdown until she is given a bottle. If she really is still full, she will only drink a few ounces, and then pull the bottle out of her mouth and go about happily playing with her toys. She knows that that bottle is part of her bedtime routine and she isn't happy until she gets it, even if she doesn't want it.

Our schedule wasn't hard to create. In fact, for the most part, it created and evolved on its own out of necessity. However, my wife and I have worked hard to fine-tune our schedule, and the division of duties that come with it, into something that has been of huge benefit to ourselves and, more importantly, our daughter. And, to be honest (and a little sappy) I couldn't have done it without the help of my amazing wife.

So, for any new parent that may have stumbled across my blog, I write this to you to let you know that it does get easier and better. You WILL sleep again. You WILL have a sense of balance and order in your life again. Sometimes, you just need to wait until you experience it for yourself to believe it.