A Day in the Life of this SAHM...

I was reading a story this morning that got me thinking!  Several of my Facebook friends had read an article and it was posted on my news feed.  The article was entitled "This is What a Stay-at-Home Mom Does".  Basically, someone wrote into an advice column and stated that they felt like their "friend" who was a stay at home mom, was lying about being so busy.  This person didn't understand what could be so tough about staying home!  Reading it first infuriated me, and then I realized that people who don't stay at home with their kids, or do not yet have kids... probably don't understand what a job it is to be at home.  It is a blessing, a HUGE blessing, and I am grateful that I get to do it, but it is a JOB!  So, after reading this article... I decided to document my day!  Now... I want to warn anyone who reads this... do not judge me as a mom!  It is so unfair to judge a mother.  Until you have walked in her shoes for a day... make no assumptions, and realize that everybody's situation is different.  So, this is a day in the life of me!

Wake up, it's 6am
Brady is crying and ready for a bottle...
I change him, while Derik gets a bottle ready.  Derik feeds him, and we lay back down with him in our bed
Drift off for another hour, until I am jolted awake to Abbie knocking the gate at her door over! (The babysitter didn't know how to latch it last night.)  Changer her diaper, and put her in bed where she very loudly does role call!  "Abbie's awake", "Brady's sleeping", "Mommy's sleeping", "Daddy's Sleeping"... "Get up Mommy, Get up Daddy"... she goes through all of this about 10 times!  Finally she tells us "I'm hungry", so we stumble out of bed and head downstairs.  Its now 8am, While Abbie eats breakfast, Derik and I enjoy a bowl of cereal.  After, I worked on cleaning the office for 15 min.  This room has become a junk heap and I WILL get it clean before 2013!  I work on the family calendar, and get it up to date with Derik's schedule, doctor's appts, and various meetings.  After the kitchen is clean, I take Abbie upstairs so she can color.  I use this as a teaching opportunity.  We work on colors, and I try to have her pick out the color that I say.  Eventually, she is over it... and begins playing in her room.  I give Brady some tummy time and some focused attention while she is entertaining herself!  Derik is heading to work, so we give hugs and kisses and send him off.  It's time for Brady's morning nap, so he goes down... It's now 11am.

While Brady is asleep, I do "circle time" with Abbie.  We sit on the floor pillow in her room, and sing several songs.  We talk about what day it is, and work on spelling her name.  After circle time... I let Abbie pick out her outfit, and then we fight for about 10 mins because she doesn't want to wear what she picked out!
Now she wants to play dress up, and when I pulled out the Snow White dress, I saw a spider.  I head outside to shake the spider out of the dress.  I never saw where it went... fabulous!  I go back in and make my bed and Abbie's bed.  We need to kill a little time before lunch, so we go downstairs and blow bubbles.  After bubbles, I have to mop... there are bubble circles all over the foyer!  I make Abbie's lunch, and while she eats... I feed Brady a bottle.  It's noon.

Abbie says "All Done", but with the baby in my lap, I simply wasn't fast enough!  Brady and myself were a bit startled when the plate hit the floor!  She ate all of her lunch, so the mess wasn't that bad, but I clean up, and clean her up.  Grab her blankie and her paci, and we head upstairs for nap time.  I change her diaper, and put her down, and head downstairs to change Brady's diaper.  I start a load of laundry, and Brady begins to meltdown.  I hold him for a bit, and once he is calm and ready to crash out for another nap... I lay him down.  I use the hour that they are both asleep to watch "Scandal" (one of my new fav shows), and eat my lunch.  When it goes off, I fold the first load of laundry, and catch the first 20 mins of "Grey's" before Abbie wakes up.  She asks to watch "Monsters" and eat a snack. (Monsters INC... its her favorite movie, and we have already watched it once this morning.) I need to finish laundry... so I cave and let her watch it again with a snack.  Its now 215pm.

I fold 2 loads of laundry and begin to put them away while she eats her snack.  While folding the laundry, Abbie randomly says "I love you mommy", and makes my day!  I start a load of sheets, and head up to put the laundry away.  Brady cries, its time to eat, so I stop, and feed him a bottle.  It's now 330pm.  After he eats, I go upstairs and start to put clean sheets on the guest bed, when Brady cries downstairs.  I go put his paci back in, and head back up... Abbie follows.  As I put sheets on the guest bed, because Derik's parents are coming to visit tomorrow, Abbie goes through a "Goodwill bag" in the corner, and finds some new dress-up clothes!  I return downstairs to fold another load of laundry, I'm not sure what we had left to wear... I think everything in this house was dirty!
I head up to finish putting all of the laundry away...
Abbie wants to play in her room, so I open the curtains and the curtain rod falls off the wall!  I install a new curtain rod.  (Fortunately, we had a few extra!!)  After installing the new rod, I change Brady's poopy diaper.  Abbie then come to me and says she has pooped.  I change her poopy diaper, at least they were both done at once!!!  I sit for a second to catch my breath, and check Facebook on my phone.  I HATE THE NEW FACEBOOK APP FOR IPHONE!  Abbie wants "pretty toes", so I paint her toenails, and we head downstairs.  The sheets need to be dried, and I have a load of cloth diapers to be washed... it's now 430pm.
Brady is melting down, so I try to console him, and Abbie decides the she wants to "hold you" at the same moment.  I cant hold them both, so I send Abbie to look for school buses as a destraction!  ITS SPRING BREAK!  I know there aren't going to be any school buses, but she stops crying and seems to be fine watching for them!  Brady falls asleep.  I start the load of diapers... they have to be stripped before washing, so really it is 2 loads!  When I turn around, I see that Abbie has helped herself to the animal crackers!  The best part is... she took the bag out of the box.  Took the bag to her "spot", and put the box back.  She was hoping no one would notice I guess!

I give her a few and a meltdown follows because I won't let her eat them while she watches Monsters for the 3rd time today!  I begin making dinner, and remember I am missing an ingredient... a salad for dinner sounds great!  I wash 5 bottles, while Abbie is throwing a tantrum at my feet.  This one is because I won't give her MY water cup!  Yesterday she spilled all 32 ounces of water that was in it on the floor!  She is NOT getting that cup!  In her tantrum, she spilled her animal crackers and most are now crushed.  I clean up the food that she never really wanted in the first place, and begin making her dinner.
To avoid more tears while her dinner is cooking, I send her to make mommy dinner in her kitchen while mommy makes hers. My dinner is fried popcorn & strawberries!
I FINALLY give in and turn Monsters on AGAIN because that battle never ended and I'm sick of fighting it!  She can watch it while she eats... yes that makes 3 times today!!!  SAY SOMETHING...
Brady needs a bottle, so i feed him a bottle, holding it with my chin as I finishing making her dinner!
Abbie & Brady eat dinner.  It's now 545pm.
Once Brady is content, I put him down.  Abbie is confined in the high chair so I don't run the chance of being locked out! I run to the mailbox... Score!  My new dryer balls are here!  Very exciting since I have a load of diapers to dry!  I bathe Brady while Abbie finishes up.  Once he is ready, I get Abbie in the tub!  It's 630pm now!  Abbie plays in the tub for a few, and after she is clean and "winkled" we get out and get ready for bed.

Thankfully, Brady really likes his mobile, and is entertained enough that I can get Abbie ready.  The teeth brushing is a battle tonight, not sure why!  But, after... we say prayers, and lights out...
Grab Brady... Head downstairs.  This is when I find the time to type this blog!  It was 7pm when I started, and it is now 753pm!  Abbie has gotten up twice, and Brady is ready for another bottle.  I will feed him, and then sit down to eat my dinner.  I will FINALLY manage to get a shower after I eat, and then Derik should be home!  Did I mention that I have major back issues right now, and have to ice my back with each bottle that I feed Brady?!?!  I also managed to drink almost 64 ounces of water today... my chiropractor would be so proud!!!
SO... for anyone who thinks that staying home with your kids is an excuse to sit on your butt all day... you are SADLY mistaken!  The saddest part is... today wasn't laundry day!!!

 - Jessica