Days of Our Lives, Part II

When I first came back to work I had the feeling that this wasn't really my job, that my real routine was the one I'd just left, the one involving nursing and napping and agonizing over which baby pants fit smoothly inside the baby bear snowsuit.  I have now been back in the office for 17 weeks, which means I have been working with Henry as long as I was home with Henry, and must grudgingly admit that this is the new normal. 

Our days are full and sometimes hectic, but we've more or less found our new groove. 

• 7:00, give or take half an hour -- Henry wakes up.  He almost always wakes up cheery and will chatter to himself in his crib for ten minutes while Karl and I rouse ourselves.  I bring the baby back into bed with me and he nurses.  Then he rolls around and tries to launch himself over the edge of the bed.
• 7:15 -- Karl walks the dog and heads to work; I put Henry in the bouncy seat (which he is rapidly outgrowing) with some toys in the bathroom while I shower.  He comes with me from room to room while I get ready.
• 7:45 -- I am more or less presentable for work and Henry and I have half an hour to hang out.  Usually we play and read books in his room.
• 8:15 -- I throw on my lawyer costume at the last minute and we head out the door.  Often I get to the end of the block and realize I have forgotten something, and we run back, finally leaving at 8:25.
• 8:35 -- Drop Henry off at Ravi's house with Elaine.  He always gets really excited to see his nanny and his buddy.  I usually hang out for ten minutes and play with the boys and chat with Elaine.
• 9:00 -- I'm at work.  Okay, 9:00ish.  According to Elaine, Henry typically has second breakfast then naps from 9:30 to 11:00.  They go on outings in the middle of the day.  He naps again from 2:30 to 5:00. 
• 4:50 -- Karl leaves work and picks up Henry at 5:30.  The boys get an hour or so to walk the dog and hang out before I get home. 
• 6:00, give or take half an hour -- I leave work.  Occasionally if work is slow or it's 100 degrees outside and I feel bad making Karl walk outside in a suit, I leave at 5:00 and we drive together to pick up Henry.
• 6:15-7:45 -- One of us (usually Karl) makes dinner while the other (usually me) feeds and entertains the baby.  Lately we've been watering the flowers in the yard together; I hold the hose and Henry splashes in the water spray and gets us both drenched.  It's pretty adorable.  Karl and I usually eat dinner in the rec room around the coffee table, which is rather uncivilized, but it allows us to actually eat at the same time because Henry can play with his toys.  We all hang out and play until it's time for bed.  Play time usually ends with some naked time.  For Henry.  Get your heads out of the gutter.
• 7:45 -- We start the bedtime routine.  The routine is so highly orchestrated it's almost funny.  Karl gets in the bath with the little man.  We wash and splash, then I go get the towel, and Karl hands Henry up to me.  I take Henry to his room and slather him with lotion while Karl gets dressed again.  Karl comes to join us and we put Henry in him jammies together -- I do the arms, Karl does the legs.  I go sit on our bed Karl carries the baby to me, hands him off, and tells him good night.  Sometimes Henry falls asleep nursing, sometimes he's still wide awake when he finishes eating.  If he is asleep, I just put him in his crib.  If he is awake, we stand and sway in his room, hugging close with his head on my shoulder, and I sing a couple of rounds of "You Are My Sunshine."  Either way, I lay him down and say, "good night, little man, I love you." 
• 8:30-11:00ish -- I log back in to work most nights.  Karl gets our things together for the next day and watches TV.  We go upstairs around 11:00, maybe read for a few minutes, then call it a day.

Best part of waking up.