One of the more surprisingly popular blogs I've written was about my morning routine. While I had been committed to this routine for a long time, I hit 'publish' less than a month after Willow came home, not knowing how much my life would change in a few short weeks. The newborn phase, as some of you know, is difficult, but as much as possible I tried to stay faithful to what I had already been doing. I figured that if I could keep good habits going it would serve me well in the future and during the transition.
Somehow, despite sleepless nights and comforting a baby in the early hours of the morning, I was usually able to drag myself out of bed and make it to the gym so I could have a semblance of normalcy in my life. Sleep deprivation is something I would never wish on anyone, yet it's a reality for new parents. The funny thing is that I was able to function (though not well, in some areas) enough to keep a rhythm. However, life since then has shifted and I've had to make adjustments to my schedule as Willow gets older. I know now that this 'routine' will be constantly moving as life adjusts, but here is what my current 'normal' is...
10:00-10:30: Bedtime
For a long time after Willow was born I went to bed extremely early, which helped a lot when my alarm rang the next day. I don't know if I got used to less sleep or I've been in denial for that long (ha!) but I've gotten a little less strict about my bedtime. My bad habit is catching up on the news when I lay in bed, since I used to have more time in the evenings to do that. If I get hooked on a good article I end up going to sleep on the later side of this range.
5:00am: My Alarm Rings
Sometimes I get out of bed right when the alarm goes off, and sometimes I allow myself to snooze once. I do have days that I turn off my alarm altogether when I particularly need to catch up, but this is the general rule. Our gym is a little further away now that we moved, so the extra time is helpful.
5:30-6:30ish: Workout
This varies a little based on the day, but I usually do strength training in the morning and cardio in the afternoon/evening. This will probably change again in the summer when I have to run early if I want to avoid the 90 degree heat.
6:45-8:00am: Breakfast/Get Ready/Baby Time
When I get home Nathan has taken care of Willow's first feeding and I make breakfast and spend time with the two of them before he heads off to work. I also feed Willow her breakfast of solid food while I sip coffee and we listen to The Daily together.
8:00-8:30am: Bible time/Nap time
This is a little more variable, but Willow plays by herself fairly well, so I generally sit down to read the Bible while she plays, then when she is tired (about 2 hours after waking up) I put her down for a nap. Some mornings she is a little more distracting than others, but she is usually content with a fresh set of toys.
8:30am: The Work Day Begins
Work time is admittedly shorter, but by becoming more efficient I have not seen any lapse in wedding delivery time or finishing other tasks. It also greatly helps that I am able to work some while Willow is awake, so on weeks with a heavier load I can still accomplish what I need to do.
I'll be the first to admit that my routine isn't perfect. Willow is sleeping through the night now but as with anything baby-related, this can change from one day to the next with teething, new developments, and everything in between. Sometimes we all sleep well and sometimes we just don't! I don't always get up right at 5, I don't always start work right at 8:30, and sometimes the best thing I can do during the day is lay down for 20 minutes and try to sleep. Yet having some sort of routine, however imperfect, is tremendously helpful and something I plan to keep for as long as I can!
Tell me: what's on your morning routine?
