News at Home: Week 1 of our new normal!
Well we’ve started our new routine this week and I think we’ll make it!
Sunday was about finalizing what I had to do to get ready for the week ahead. At one point I was holding Dante and it slammed into me ya’ll. I wasn’t going to be with him tomorrow. I had been telling myself I was ready… because I HAD to be ready. Well, I do think I was mostly ready, but I also needed to have a good cry. What if they didn’t love my baby at daycare? He is so sweet and just deserves to be loved. So I had a good cry while holding him. And I’m glad I got it out of my system Sunday, because there were no tears Monday morning.
Monday daycare drop off went really smooth. I was there at 6:45 and they we ready for him, remembering him by name and everything. He got settled into a swing and I gave him kisses and was on the road on time. I honestly felt okay leaving him, nervous, but okay. He was all smiles from the time I woke him up to the time I left him, so that helped. Work was good – I was in orientation for the day. They gave us lunch vouchers so I had a free lunch! And my boss had expected me to be done at 12, but I wasn’t done until 2:30, so she told me to just head home and start fresh the next day. That was shocking for me, after the world of teaching, and it was perfect for a first day with Dante in daycare. I stopped at the store for some new shoes on the way home and arrived at daycare at 4 to pick him up. He was in the crib, just waking up when I got there. They told me he was crying a lot, missing us 🙁 and that he didn’t sleep well because state regulations say they can’t swaddle him and he likes to be swaddled. But he ate well and was happy to see me. It was hard to hear that he was crying, but not entirely unexpected, since he’s having to get used to a new normal. He was so tired that he slept pretty much the entire evening and night.
The rest the week really fell into a nice routine. Dante has been sleeping every night from about 10:30/11 to 6:30 a.m., so I’m getting a great night’s sleep. I go to bed at like 9, Kiko wakes Dante at 10;30/11 for that last bottle to tide him over the night. I wake up at 5, work out, shower, read a bit, get dressed with make up and everything and then put a shirt on over everything just in case of spit up, so I don’t have to worry about changing.
I get Dante up at 6:30 and feed him, while we do our affirmations and visualization together. Then we’re off by 7:10 for daycare. Daycare is 5 minutes away, so were there by 7:15. I’m able to get him settled in pretty quickly, they have a really smooth drop off procedure in place. I’m on the road again by 7:20, maybe 7:25. I arrive at work by 7:50, but I work at a university so I have to park a little walk away. But I’m at my desk by 8 a.m. pretty easy.
I work until 5 and then head to pick Dante up. I learned the hard way that just a couple minutes makes a big difference in my commute, so I’m making a point of packing up and being out the door by 5! I pick Dante up about 5:45. Pick up takes a bit longer, since I like to talk to Ms. Debra about his day. They write out his bottles, diapers, and naps on a summary sheet I take home, but I like to talk to her. I can tell they really love him and that means the world to me. He’s adjusting, though the naps are not getting better. I bought him a Merlin sleep suit that he’ll get to try this week, so I’m hoping it helps.
We’re home by 6, where Kiko has already had a chance to walk Buffy and shower, so he’s ready to take Dante while I get changed. This part of the day was a little off early in the week, but I think we’ve figured out our routine here too. We’ll play a bit, take a bath, feed him and put him to sleep. While one of us feeds and gets Dante ready for bed, the other cooks dinner. By time he’s asleep, dinner is ready and we get to eat and watch a tv show together. Then I set about getting everything ready for the next day while he gives Buffy her final walk. And then I go to bed, Kiko takes care of final night time bottle.
So yeah, we’ve got a good rhythm already.
My job is amazing so far! I work for a doctor – a nephrologist – and he’s so humble and unassuming. I really like him. My other boss – the office manager – is hilarious and super squirrely, which is fun. I’ve met everyone I’m working with and like them so much. It’s a great work environment. I feel like I’m hardly working! There’s work to do, of course, and we stay busy. But it’s no where near as stressful as teaching, where you have to be on every second. And I can go to the restroom whenever I want! They supply us with water and soft drinks and coffee! There’s a microwave! I get paid to do my training, instead of having to do it on my own time! They supply me with my office supplies! I realize these things are normal in a lot of jobs, but they are so new to me. I feel spoiled. Second day there we had an office party for the holidays. Wednesday my department put on a lunch lecture series (it’s almost every Wednesday), so I had a working lunch. It was yummy, free, and I got to hear a lecture by a brain surgeon! So that was 3 days of lunch for free. And then on Friday, because they didn’t want me working over time and I had that working lunch Wednesday, I left at 4! And that was despite Monday being dismissed early because she told me to put down 8 to 5 that day! I feel so spoiled!!
Friday night though Dante started coughing a lot and wheezing. I got so much mucus out of his nose and ended up calling the nurse line. They told me to do the humidifier and keep suctioning the snot and if he wasn’t better in the morning, to head on in to the pediatrician’s office (they are open on Saturday). Thankfully no fever, so we went in on Saturday and it’s not serious, just croup (baby cold basically). I’m hoping he is a lot better by Monday, as I would rather not have to take him feeling sick to daycare (where he most likely picked these germs up).
Besides the doctor Saturday, I had my book club’s holiday party, which was so much fun and I left with a bunch of books :). And I did some laundry and blogging. My plan for today is to clean and prep for the week. I have grocery pickup at 9 a.m. and we’re heading to Franky’s house to help fix a sink (Kiko, not me). And then my brother is coming over (he’s back from Japan) and we’re doing dinner and Christmas decorating.
Phew! That’s it! so much to tell this week!
Blog News
Looks like I’ll be able to blog most days during my HOUR lunch break. Yay! I blogged Monday, Thursday and Friday this week, which worked out well.
COYER started this week and I’m making good progress on my buddy reads. I’m really enjoying chatting about them as I read, should do this more! I also listened to 1 book that counts toward COYER. So I’m happy with my start.
Last Week on the Blog
- [2 Dec] #FitReaders ~ December Goals
- [3 Dec] 2020 Reading Assignment Challenge | Sign Up Now
- [4 Dec] 2020 Bookish Resolutions Challenge ~ Time to Sign Up! #BookishRes2020
- [5 Dec] Monthly Book Report ~ Month 11 of year 2019
- [6 Dec] Fit Readers Update ~ November 24 – 30
- [7 Dec] #MyTBRL ~ December 2019 Vote ~ Last one of 2019
- [8 Dec] Sunday Post with Berls ~ Week 1 of our new normal!
Coming Next Week From Me
Sunday
Sunday Post with Berls
Wednesday
#2020HW Goals
Thursday
Just a Few #readaseries books I binged
Friday
Fit Readers Update ~ December 1 – 7
That sounds like nice you have a good rhythm already even with all the changes of your new job and Dante going to daycare, but it sounds like you thought this through well and that the new routine is working,. It still sounds pretty busy to me when you type it all out like that. Your new job sounds like it’s going well so far and how nice that it’s less stressful than teaching. I hope Dante is better soon. Have a good week!
Yea! It sounds like a wonderful first week back to work. I’m so happy for you and your family. Just remember the only thing routine about routines is that they always change! 😉
Berls, I’m so fucking happy for you I could just shit. I’m serious! Stop laughing!
That’s all I have to say. You’re busy, you’re happy, you’ve got a great job, and a wonderful family! I’m jealous, but in a good way. Go you!
What a great week! So glad everyone has settled into a new routine so quickly. What a relief that must be. And the new job sounds like a dream!
I am so glad you are liking your new job and getting to blog a bit more!
Have a great week and happy reading!
Stormi
This sounds like an AMAZING first week to me. Dante will get used to things and probably be sick a little more and sleep better at night at home. I’m so glad the job is such a good fit for you! Hopefully you can listen to audio if the commute is a bit more at times. Have another great week – your preparation has made it so!
Anne – Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post