Establishing a daily routine for your baby is important because an organized schedule keeps your baby happy and the hard working mama happy as well. When we first brought Melanie home from the hospital, I was overwhelmed with all the needs for her that things became a little chaotic. I found myself pumping and nursing all random hours of the day, Melly was falling asleep at different odd times, and I would squeeze in cat naps for myself whenever it was possible. It was even difficult fitting in my normal daily routines such as house work and sewing. I was exhausted. After the first month past, I felt like nothing was getting any better….
When Melanie turned 3 months, I finally established a set schedule that worked well for her and me. Here is what I did (time's are approximate, never exact)
7-8 AM: Wake up. If Melly was still sleeping, I decided to enjoy my mornings with a cup of joe, turn on the TV, and browse through social media for a bit.
8-9 AM: Melanie wakes up. Time to change, feed, and change diaper.
9-10 AM: Breakfast/Kitchen time! I love this time of day because I get to get things done in the kitchen and talk to my baby at the same time! She'll sit in her Rock N Play and smile as I talk to her about cleaning the dishes or preparing food. She starts to laugh and baby babble back at me. I love it!
10-11 AM: Cartoon time. I put on disney Jr and talk to her about what's on TV. She of course becomes amazed by the sights and sounds of cartoons like "Sofia the First" and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse".
11-1 PM: Nap Time. She normally will fall asleep while watching cartoons. Once she's asleep I turn off the TV and let her sleep for about an hour or so. During this time I take time to study for school or read.
1-2 PM: Feeding time again. After she eats, she is in a happy playful mood. I like to go in her nursery and show her around the colorful pink room. I like to call this time "Play Time"
2-3 PM: Sewing. I love taking some time out of my day for myself. Whatever your hobby is, I encourage you fit it in your daily baby routine. I normally bring Melly in my sewing room with me and have her on the floor with her toys. I put on music and sing to her as i'm sewing away. I still can complete my sewing and make her feel happy at the same time.
3-4 PM: Rest. Take time to rest. Sit on the couch, put your feet up, drink some water and just rest! I used to forget to do this. Now I make a point to clear my mind and rest it for about one hour. Have your baby in your arms. It's great bonding time.
4-5 PM: Place your baby in their swing or rocker again and try to Clean up (if you can). Do whatever housework you can do. Throw a load of clothes in the washer, sweep, clean the mirrors. Don't do it all. Just whatever you can fit in that little hour. Sometimes she'll take another cat nap while i'm cleaning too. It's nice when that happens.
5-7 PM: Dinner time, bath-time, shower time. I don't give Melly a bath every night, but when I do, it's around this time. This is also the time I take a shower as well. I like to have our shower, dinner, and bath all done by 8 PM.
8-9 PM: Bed Time & Reading time. We lay in bed and I read a few books to her. I let her hold the books (until she starts to put them in her mouth lol) but she enjoys it.
10 PM: LIGHTS OUT!
Well there you a go. A short look at our daily routine. I'm fortunate to be a stay at home mom during her first year of life. I can't imagine leaving her for work everyday but I know there are truly wonderful mom's who do and work extra hard for their baby.
