I've been back to work for 2 weeks now and while I love it, it's exhausting. Here's a typical day:
5:00am - take shower and get ready for work
6:00am - wake little A and nurse E
6:30am - get both little A and E ready
7:00am - leave house
7:30am - drop kids at daycare
8:00am - get to work and start day
9:00am - pump
11:30am - pump and eat lunch
1:30pm- pump
3:30pm - pump
5:00pm - leave work and head home
5:30pm - be attacked by E and talk to little A and B about their days
6:00pm - start dinner (usually still trying to hold E and entertain little A) and wash diapers
7:00pm - eat dinner (yup, it took an hour to make pancakes last night with all the distractions)
7:30pm - nurse E
8:00pm - read books and put little A to bed
9:00pm - load dishwasher and wash bottles
9:30pm - nurse E and try to put her to bed
10:30pm - go to bed myself
12:30am - get up and nurse E
2:30am - get up and nurse E
4:30am - get up and nurse E
Are you exhausted yet? Remember that in each of these there are also 3 other kids around. Add in the fact that E can't tolerate caffeine and that makes for one tired mommy! The boys are usually with a friend or in their rooms as teens are apt to do. When they're at the house B is usually wrangling them or doing some other random task that needs done. Last night, S actually hung out in the kitchen w/ me while I cooked and played with little A so we got to talk.
I still wouldn't change it for a thing. I am not cut out to be a full time stay at home mom, but have immense respect and awe for women who are. I also wouldn't be as fulfilled just working. Things may be crazy but I love this life.
