A Day in the Life (A Daddy Post)

Every night now Jackson sleeps with minimal interruption. Sometimes he'll wake up hungry around 3 or 4, but he always goes right back to sleep after a bottle. Jackson tends to wake up for good some time around seven (though sometimes as late as nine). He always wakes up happy and takes a morning bottle.

"Good morning!"

Being Jack's daddy and Connor's full-time weekday caregiver, I knew I had to establish some routine with the boys. Jackson being a Harwood born and bred has an innate longing for routine (even if he doesn't know it). It took about a month for us to really solidify our day-to-day activities, but we're in a good place now.

After his morning bottle, I let the boys loose either downstairs or in our office upstairs. Our new baby gates and other safety purchases have allowed me to give the boys independent playtime most anywhere in the house. My previous solution to the problem of having highly mobile boys was to put them in a play yard. Connor probably could have stayed in the play yard all day, but Jackson needed more destructive means of activity.

After playing for a while, the boys usually crash hard around 9:30 or 10 for their morning naps. Jackson sleeps in his crib for naps, generally spooning a stuffed animal to soothe himself to sleep. By the way, Jackson has become an annoyingly light sleeper. If Bonnie or I step foot in his room he pops up to greet us almost immediately. Thus, this was as close as I could get to take his napping picture.

Napping with friends...

One of Jackson's favorite parts of the day is his morning snack. After the boys wake up (they usually nap about an hour in the mornings), Jackson eats a banana and some graham cookies. I need to get in the habit of giving him a sippy cup every snack time, but sometimes I can be forgetful or engaged with Connor. On this particular day, I gave Jack a little orange juice to try and he immediately assumed that he was the a big shot.

"Yeah, that's right."

"What you talking about, cookie?"

After snack time, the boys have some more time to play or generally wreak havoc. While Jackson does love playing with his toys, he prefers to throw books from shelves, empty drawers of their contents, bang pots and pans, enter Cowbell's personal space, reach into the toilet, taste inedible objects, clear tables, or look out doors.

They play a mean Chopsticks on the foot piano.

Connor flees; Jackson is unabashed.

Jack grows weary of Daddy, looks for Mommy.

After a longer afternoon nap, I give Jackson a jar of food and let the boys run amuck until we ride to Kannapolis to deliver Connor to his mother. Jackson usually catches a quick car nap and is reenergized to come home and see his mommy. Recently, I stopped giving him a bottle when we got home and started giving him some formula in a sippy cup. Jackson usually drinks about two ounces and then splashes the rest on his face.

Without a doubt, our favorite part of the day is when Bonnie comes home. She being the love of my life, I can't wait to see her and tell her what funny things Jackson did today. She being the love of his life, he can't wait to hug her and help her type on her laptop. Some evenings we only meet in passing as I go to Babies R Us and she goes in to take over childcare duties. The evenings we do get to spend together are great, but are too few.

Jackson eats whatever we have for supper. Sometimes it is something he can feed himself and sometimes it is something he feeds himself regardless of his ability to do so. As always, Jackson lights up around his two favorite things--Mommy and food. He does have a bad habit of yelling at us if his tray is empty and will not stop eating until everyone around him is also done.

"Feed me."

Cleaning up the boy after supper is easier some nights than others for us but is never easy for him. Face wiping means suppertime is over. After a recovery from this assault, Jackson likes to play for a while longer on a good night or sit with Mommy on a bad night. The recent spring time change has thrown off our schedule a little bit, but Jackson is still generally ready to wind down and go to bed at 7:30. Taking off his clothes, giving him his medicine, or brushing his teeth all mean he's getting ready for bed and that makes Jack a happy baby.

The time has come!

Pajamas and a nighttime diaper.

Jackson always takes one more bottle before he is put down for the night. This undoubtably will be a hard habit to break, but it is one we have to live with for now. For a growing and energetic boy, a good night's rest is essential. Jackson Lee will arise the next morning eager to play and learn and generally be very silly.