When you are a first time mom so many people will tell you to sleep when the baby sleeps. And it's pretty sound advice for most of us. But then there's me.
The first problem is that Fallon is not your typical sleepy newborn. Some days she naps for 40 minutes and some days for a few hours. It's completely random and inconsistent and I'm not even bothering to try and force her into a daytime schedule at this point. I've never been great at napping because it doesn't do any good for me. I end up feeling groggy and sluggish afterward and worse than if I had just stayed awake and done something productive.
When your kid doesn't nap, it can be a challenge to get shit done around the house. Of course Chris helps out but he works 50+ hours a week and it's really nice spending time as a family when he is home, especially because it's usually during the day when Fallon is awake. I also am fully aware that it's not essential to have the laundry done and the dishes put away all the time. I can ignore the layer of dust on the mantel for longer than I usually would and not sweat it. However, I can't just let everything go and have us living in filth. If you've forgotten, we share a home with furry family members and that sort of ups the ante on cleaning.
I just had my postpartum checkup and received the all clear from my doctor to resume normal exercise. I worked out until the day I went into labor so I've been itching to get back to my old routines and work up a sweat. While there are some workouts I can do with Fallon, most of the time I need a good half an hour to just do my thing.
Clearly blogging has taken a back seat at the moment but it is definitely something that has become a part of me, something I enjoy and something I would like to continue doing. But it requires my full concentration and focus. It's also really hard to type with one hand and extremely distracting to have to constantly stick the pacifier back in someone's mouth after she spits it out 75 times.
Having a baby is a job, arguably the best job ever, but a job none the less. I'm mom all the time and sometimes mom just needs a little break. So for me, it's more important to clean, workout or blog than to sleep. I'm a better mom when I don't feel anxious about dog hair all over the floor, when I feel healthy and strong after a workout or when I do something fun and enjoyable like blogging. I know sleep is important so I do go to bed when I put Fallon to bed and sleep when she sleeps at night. Luckily she usually sleeps in longer chunks so although I'm usually tired from waking up several times to nurse, I am getting a decent amount of sleep. Every mama is different and this is just what works for me. So if your kid naps and you do too, great! Do what is best for you and don't let anybody tell you it's wrong (unless you're me time includes a whole bottle of whisky).
P.S. Is it Friday yet? No. Okay, happy Wednesday then.
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