We are almost 6 weeks into parenthood over here at 8109 and I'm starting to attempt the upstream swim back to "normal" - meal planning, cooking at home 6-7 nights a week, following my cleaning schedule to keep the house in order, working out 3 days a week (!), picking up more consulting work, etc. It seems, sometimes, like the to-do list is literally never ending - especially when you have to block off about 4 hours of your day for feeding a baby. I feel like our house is constantly a mess and that, in general, I'm just about a month behind with everything (which I probably am...)
As I'm attempting to tackle each day's mountain of things to do, though, I'm sensing that there is a fine line that I need to find and be conscious of. A fine line between needing some "normalcy" and routine and being so busy that I'm not enjoying these precious and quickly passing moments of baby B's life. There was one day last week when I was home alone with the little cutie all day - yet I found myself missing her and feeling like I hadn't spent any time with her by the time evening rolled around. I realized I hadn't cuddled her and played with her except to feed her - the rest of the day she had hung out (sleeping for the most part) on her bouncy seat and I had chipped away at that mountain of to-dos. That was a pretty shocking revelation. I had passed up snuggles and coos and smiles for...what? I can't even remember what was on the to-do list that day.
That's the real crux of it. On Brooklyn's first birthday I will not look back and glow with joy over how sparkly my floors were and how perfectly organized I kept my pantry. The things that will make me really joyful will be remembering her first smiles, her hilariously cute burps and toots, her first steps, first giggles, etc. True, I will be able to enjoy those things best when some sense of order is maintained in the house and when I'm taking care of myself as well as the little goober. But there is a fine line.
So, hello to a loose interpretation of clean, a wrinkly pile of clean clothes, and healthy meals so simple to make I could have a kindergartner do them. Life is good.
