Meet Caitlin! {A Little About Her Crazy, Wonderful Life}

2

Here I am, writing my first post as a contributor for the Fairfield County Moms Blog! I am so thankful to be a part of this superstar group of moms and I can’t wait to blog my little heart out!

{Insert an overly excited, Caitlin-the-cheerleader face here!}

It seems appropriate that before I jump into all sorts of juicy posts, I should introduce myself and give readers a sneak peak into who I am and what a typical day in my life is like. Typical? Ha. I have a 7-month-old, just started a new job in June and am still trying to unpack my life from our recent move over Memorial Day Weekend…no “typical” days here!

Just for some historical perspective, I grew up in Fairfield and after living in other various places over the past ten or so years, I found my way back to my hometown. My husband and I met in college (I was his RA…awkward!) and we were married six years ago. Four days after Christmas this past year, we welcomed our daughter into our family. She is bright-eyed, beautiful and a firecracker!

Since starting my new gig working at a local university two months ago, my days have become much more hectic. Prior to that, I had been working part-time at a different college, which allowed me to spend much more time with my daughter. Deciding to go back full-time was one of the most agonizing decisions I’ve ever made. I’ll probably expand on that more in a later post.

Now, for a little about my day.  I try to be up by 6:00am, but with an infant, who often believes that sleep is an optional activity, I tend to hit the snooze button a few times. I am sure many of you can relate. I initially thought that I’d hope for my daughter to sleep as I got ready, but I actually prefer the mornings when she is up with me. I exclusively pump (more on that in a future post, too!), so I can plop her next to me on the couch while I pump or put her in the bouncer as I make my lunch. Seeing her adorable face for that time in the morning makes my day much more enjoyable and since I am gone from the house for almost ten hours, I appreciate every extra minute that I can get with her.

Parker hanging out next to me during my morning pump.

As my position at the university is a new one and there is lots to do before the students return to campus in a few weeks, I am busy through most of the day. While I am being productive (or at least trying to be), my amazing younger sister is usually the one watching my daughter, taking her on fun adventures or keeping her entertained at home. My daughter also spends one day a week with my parents and one day a week with my mother-in-law. While I hate being away from her, I feel so blessed that she is able to spend her days with people who love her the most.

A trip to the playground with Amanda!

Throughout the day, my sister will upload pictures and videos of my daughter to the photo-stream my husband and I created on our iPhones. It’s the perfect way for us to know what they’re up to and to feel more connected to our daughter while we are both at work.  If you don’t have a photo-stream set up, I highly recommend it!

Fun at the library!
Parker loves going to the local library.

After my husband and I both get home around 5:30, it’s time to play for a bit and then make dinner. My daughter is just starting to eat solid foods, so that adds a new dynamic to our meals. And she usually has to go right from her high chair into the bath, as she often enjoys smearing her various food options all over herself, rather than actually eating them. Yum!

Parker is still unsure of avocado.

Bath time has sort of become my husband’s scheduled time with our daughter. He’s so good with her and since he keeps her occupied, I can pump, clean up from dinner or wash bottles (gotta love all of those Dr. Brown’s bottle parts!). I love hearing the two of them interact while she’s in the tub; it always makes me smile. And sometimes I wonder if he is having more fun than she is! Silly dads!

Playing with daddy after he gets home from work.

Getting my daughter to bed can be a challenge. While some nights she goes down in 20 minutes, other nights, it can take a few hours. I used to let it frustrate me, but now I go with it. She is the one in charge, after all! And if she goes to bed later that anticipated, that just means I was able to spend more time with her than I planned. And I can’t be upset about that!

After she’s asleep, it’s time to clean up and get ready for work the next day.  If we are lucky, we may even have a few minutes to watch one of our Hulu addictions (Mistresses is the current one) before hitting the hay. Then it’s the same routine the next morning! Unless it’s a Friday…

…is it Friday yet? What does your “typical” day look like?

2 COMMENTS

  1. Looking forward to reading more from you, Caitlin! My baby girl was born only a few months after yours, and though I’ve got two boys, baby girl is presenting her own challenges.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here