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| Week 5 |
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| Week 6 |
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| Week 7 |
7:00 - 7:45 am - Wake up, get Jay ready for school. Shower and dress. Put Jay in the car and leave
7:45 - 8:30 am - Drop Jay off at school and head into work
8:30 - 10:00 am - Get into work, respond to emails, review class materials for the day
10:00 - 12:00 am - Write up research articles (if there is time), make progress on major projects
12:00 - 1:00 pm - Lunch
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Office hours
2:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Teach classes
6:00 pm - 6:20 pm - Drive home
6:20 pm - 7:30 pm - Make dinner for the family and help put Jay to bed
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm - Eat dinner
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Spend a bit of time with Kimbre as both she and Summer get ready for bed
9:00 pm - 1:30 am (Wednesday) - Hold, feed, and care for Summer while Kimbre sleeps
1:30 am - 7:00 am (Wednesday) - Hand Summer to Kimbre and go to sleep
7:00 am (Wednesday) - Wake up, get Jay ready for school again. Repeat routine.
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| Children museum in Salem |
I won't lie. It's been really hard on me and I know its been hard on Kimbre as well. Although I'm someone that appreciates routine as much as the next guy, anyone that knows me knows I'm also a person of many hobbies, none of which I currently have the free time to actively pursue in any depth. If I'm not taking care of Summer, I'm taking care of Jay and making sure his needs are met and that he's not lost in all the new baby craziness. It's draining and I'm looking forward to the day where I have a bit more control over my own time.
Still, I know that this too shall pass as she gets older and starts to develop independence. I'm solidly within the mindset that this is a marathon, not a sprint. As such, that independence, for both her and me remains miles down the road. In the meantime, I'm trying to do the best I can to enjoy the little pleasures of having a young baby. Summer prefers to sleep snuggling in your arms, which although constraining, can be really nice in those quiet moments where you can slow down to appreciate it. I love seeing her little chest rise and fall with arms rested limply on my heart, small breaths coming in out in a hypnotizing rhythm.
Without a doubt, having kids is an investment of time and energy that grows over time and continues to pay dividends as they get older. A few weeks back, a friend of mine posted a song on Facebook by Tim Munchin called White Wine in the sun that has helped me during this time.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=white+wine+in+the+sun
Although technically a Christmas song, White Wine in the SUn somewhat unique in this genre in that the singer (who is an avowed atheist) spends most of the verses wrestling with the apparent inconsistencies the come with his seemingly contradictory love of Christmas and distaste for religion. The gist if the song is that the love of his family and the promise of their loving embrace is what gives him meaning in the holiday in the absence of religious meaning. He finishes the song with a promise to his baby daughter that the same will be available to her when she gets older, no matter where she ends up in life.
Although I don't share Tim Munchins distaste for religion, I find a lot of comfort in this vision of meaning found in family surrounded by grown children enjoying each others company and the safety and security that family environment provides. This is what I look forward to most as the relationships with my children grow and richend over the years. Family means a lot to me and I know deep in my heart that I would endure a lot more than the busy days and sleepless nights of the last few months to attain it and create a life for my children filled with happiness, opportunity, and at the end of the day, family.
