Hellobee

We’re kicking off a new feature where we share a glimpse into the lives of real moms, and how they juggle work, family, and life. First up is our very own Mrs Yo-yo!

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Describe a typical day in your life.

It’s hard to single out a typical day since they vary so much according to our work schedules, but here’s a recent weekday:

– 5 or 6 am: Papa Y is up and working across the hall in his office (he’s an early bird).
– 7:15 am: Baby Y starts babbling in his crib. We’ll usually let him “talk” to himself for 15 or 20 minutes, as long as he’s happy. Papa Y goes in to grab him around 7:30 and takes care of the first diaper change as I slowly wake up. Then, Papa Y gets suited up for work. I wrestle with the kiddo for a bit, then nurse him.
– 8 am: Papa Y leaves for work; he’ll come home at midday so I can go into the office for the afternoon. (We both work at the same school.) In the meantime, I deposit Baby Y in his Around-We-Go in the kitchen while I grab some breakfast. After that, we head into the living room for about an hour of playtime, followed by morning solids and a little more playtime.

– 9:45 am: I head upstairs with Baby Y, where we get cozy in our reading nook at the top of the stairs. I read him three or four books before I put his sleep sack on, pop his pacifier in, and take him into the nursery for his morning nap.

– 10 am: I shower and get dressed, then settle on the bed with the laptop for a mix of work, online browsing, e-mailing, Facebook, Pinterest, and of course, Hellobee.
– 11:30 am: Squeals and babbling from the nursery. I quietly open the door and sneak up on the crib. Baby Y rewards me with some giggles and snorts. I change his diaper, put some real clothes on him, and we nurse again.

– Noon: Back down to the kitchen for some more time in the Around-We-Go while I eat some lunch. Papa Y comes home and grabs a bite, and I officially pass the torch on baby duty. After running upstairs to make sure I’m semi-presentable, I head to work, grabbing the breast pump just in case. My commute is two minutes long — this is one of the few perks of small-town life.
– 1: Work. I answer some e-mails, tend to some website updates, review a couple of student resumes, and work on a couple of marketing projects.

– 4:15: Papa Y strolls in with the baby; they came to campus after Baby Y’s afternoon nap to pick up some packages. I nurse Baby Y quickly and then give him back to Papa Y, who takes him to visit some coworkers.
– 5: We all head home. I feed Baby Y his evening solids and play with him while Papa Y does some work.
– 6:45: Papa Y runs a bath. I strip Baby Y and let him roll around the bed in his diaper as the tub fills before handing him off to the bath master. I make sure I have everything I need for Baby Y’s bedtime routine — sleeper, sleep sack, lotion, diaper, and pacifier.

– 7:10: Bathtime’s over. I wrap Baby Y in a towel, let Papa Y kiss him goodnight, and then it’s time for bedtime prep. Some nights he’s so wiggly that I worry he won’t sleep, but nursing always flips the switch. I do all this in the guest room and carry him back to the nursery “drowsy but awake.” He doesn’t protest when I put him in the crib.
– 7:30: I head downstairs to eat. Papa Y often starts dinner while I’m putting Baby Y to bed; tonight it’s spaghetti and sausage.
– 8: I clean up the kitchen a bit and go back upstairs, where I watch a little TV, play on the laptop, and write a new blog entry. Papa Y pops in and out as he works across the hall, but he’s usually snoring beside me by 9 or so. I put the computer away at 11 and conk out. I can never seem to get to bed any earlier.
– Midnight and 4 a.m: Baby Y wakes up. The two-wakeup nights are getting old! I take him into the guest room in the darkness, nurse him, and return him to his crib.

Has your work schedule changed since you had a baby?

Yup. I used to pull normal office hours, but now I work from home half the week. I’ve also extended my maternity leave so that I am completely off one day a week, usually Fridays. I’m very lucky to have had a very supportive, flexible employer.

What type of childcare do you have?

Absolutely none. In our rural town, reliable childcare options are extremely limited at best, which is one of the reasons we’ll be moving soon. Baby Y’s grandparents are the only ones who have watched him without either of us around, but they’re far away like the rest of our family.

How do you juggle work/family/spouse/personal time balance?

I am a pretty poor juggler. Something always loses out, I think. Baby Y comes first, and then work. After that, personal and spouse time compete for the few hours that remain; personal time usually wins, especially because Papa Y often has to work late at night to make up for missed time in the office. We need to do a better job of reconnecting as spouses, but it’s hard without any childcare help (see previous answer).

What advice would you give to other moms about work life balance?

Be realistic. You will have to make concessions. My house used to be a lot cleaner and I used to watch a lot more TV, but both things have fallen way down my priority list. After all, I don’t think I’ll look back at my life and wish I had a) cleaned more or b) watched more TV!

What do you like to do in your personal time?

I blog and keep up with friends online, and I’m trying to start running again. I also try to get together with friends here at least once or twice a week — they’re moms, too, so it’s nice to be able to commiserate and compare notes!

What’s a parenting rule you never break?

We haven’t had to enforce many “rules” yet since Baby Y is still small, but I know all that fun stuff is coming soon. I really, really do try to be cognizant about how important his sleep is, so I never skip naps and rarely push his bedtime back. It can be a real pain, but a happy baby is worth the inconvenience.

What’s a parenting rule you always break?

All I know is I’m already doing a ton of stuff I said I wouldn’t do — toys have overrun my living room, we have a huge play center in the kitchen. And I’m sure I’ll probably buy a leash when Baby Y starts walking, which is something I said I’d never do when I didn’t have kids. Oh, and I’m pretty sure we’re a little too lax about germs.

What’s the hardest part of being a mom?

Feeling like I can never give something 100 percent any more, and feeling like I can never make a dent in my personal to-do list.

What’s the best part of being a mom?

Watching this little person you helped create learn something new every day and really start to interact with the world. It’s hard to describe how gratifying that can be!

If you had an entire day off, how would you spend it?

I would sleep in until 10 or something … the very thought makes me tingle with glee. I would go on a nice long shopping trip — I haven’t gotten a chance to do that since Baby Y was born, and it totally shows in my wardrobe! I might throw in a massage, too. And then I would have a leisurely dinner somewhere nice with Papa Y.

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Thanks Mrs. Yo-yo!