Hi! Today my blog looks different. I like how my blog has evolved, and I like that her new comb-over reflects that. For even more reflectabiltiation, here’s a trip through 24 hours of my very own.
Random thoughts in a random day.
I wake up at 5.15am after the cat makes a racket in the next room. This is not normal and I am not pleased. I listen to Bill Hicks on my iPod for the next 45 minutes before I decide to get up and blog because it was an important post and I wanted to do it uninterrupted. It’s not like I’m going back to sleep! I get halfway through before everyone gets up.
Dad makes the kid hot cross buns for breakfast and delivers me some while I’m working. I finish my post.
I dress this crazy thing in her best paint-splattered clothes. We’re ritzy here. She’s singing and dancing on her change table.
No wonder I’m having another 🙂
We play for a while.
While she’s otherwise occupied, I make a new cup of tea and eat the rest of my now-cold hot cross buns. I have a look at my diary and to-do list. Baby starts getting shirty and I wonder if she’s tired. It’s nearing 9am and normally by this time she’s ready for a morning nap. She’s been off her usual habits this last week with teething, and naptime has been a struggle or non-existent. I don’t like my chances, but I feed her and put her in the cot.
Five minutes later I hear grizzling. Nap fail.
I come out to tidy the kitchen and clear away the breakfast things. Baby sits, looking at me with glazed eyes. Is exhausted. Obviously doesn’t know how good sleep is. Is crazy.
Realise it’s nearly 10am and I haven’t dressed or brushed my teeth. Tend to these things. Make a mental note to clean the bathroom later on and to do some washing.
Child plays at my feet, saying “ta?” and trying to give me her bib. We go play with her books for a little while.
I’m starving so I make an english muffin with cheese and strawberry jam and attempt to see what’s happening on twitter for five minutes.
Mock my cheese and jam at your own risk.
She whinges at my feet the whole time. I inhale my food and play with her again. Teething sucks the big one.
We play with some different toys and chat about what we can see outside. Well I chat, she sings and talks gibberish. Cutest thing ever. An hour later we try feeding + nap time again.
Fail.
I’m pretty tired at this point so I lay on the floor of her room for fifteen minutes while she crawls around playing with things. Sometimes she will lay her head on my stomach and go to sleep, but not today. I’m tempted, though.
She hears a knock at the door and crawls off down the hallway to investigate.
It’s a parcel for me!
We eat. She has weetbix, I have crunchy muesli bars with dark chocolate. We share grapes.
My mum calls while the baby is eating. I finish my conversation, sit on the couch and yawn for five minutes straight. Check emails on my phone for approximately 30 seconds before baby wails to be taken out of her high chair.
We tidy up and do some drawing.
It is way cute.
She investigates a singing teapot while I see how many photos I can edit before she cracks again.
One.
I don’t usually do any post-production on my photos, but that’s only because I don’t know how. I inherited a Mac with all the bells and whistles from a graphic designer and I’ve no idea how to use any of it. I really just try to get good light in photos to start with, but a lot of the time it’s what we’re having for dinner and the lighting is absolutely terrible. I attempt to fix this one by filtering it to cut down the shine. I fail. Kid is at my feet, getting her head stuck in between the chair and the armrest. I wonder how people with children legitimately work from home.
I put on Dr Phil as I do every day at noon to see what the show is about that day. If it’s crap, I turn it off. The baby is usually asleep, so I would normally eat lunch and watch and potter around on my iPad. Today it is about mothers in jail for snapping and abusing their children. My day seems awesome in comparison and I cuddle the baby until she pushes my face away and crawls off.
I wonder if she’s ready for sleep yet so we lay on my bed but she’s way more interested in wriggling around and almost diving off the edge. I’m way more interested in having a nap myself and wonder how I’m going to make it through the rest of the day. First trimester is hard, yo!
Baby goes on the floor for her own safety and plays with some random things. I close my eyes for ten minutes, checking her periodically and daydream about sleeping and another cup of tea. I finally get up when she knocks everything off my bedside table.
We hang out in her room for a bit while I put her washing away but she looks really tired. I try to feed her again, this time holding her a different way than usual. She falls asleep feeding and I put her to bed. so very, very sweet.
Success.
By this time it is 1.30pm and my hunger is out of control. I’m glad this was all sitting and waiting for me. I’ve been eating a lot of antipasto-style meals as they aren’t heavy and they don’t make me sick. I can just sort of pick at what I like. I get through lunch and return some emails before I hear a cranky baby wake up from a way-too-short nap. What happened to the little girl who would feed and then drift off to sleep by herself for three hours?
Teething, you have robbed us of so much.
Afternoon tea time, and the little miss has Vegemite on crackers and watermelon. Most of the watermelon ends up on the floor. I realise we have no butter and cry because I just went to the supermarket yesterday and I don’t ever want to go back for the rest of my life.
Ok, I don’t cry, really.
She cracks before I even get a chance to sweep, so I put her in her walker and try to keep one step ahead of her so she doesn’t roll through the dirt I’ve just swept and distribute it back over the clean floor. I mostly fail, but roll her away with one foot while I sweep bits into the dustpan. She follows me around, grizzling, so I take her out of the walker and we sit on the floor to sing songs.
Realise husband will be home any minute. I tidy my hair and put on some concealer and mascara so he doesn’t come home to a wreck. Set feminism back 40 years.
Dad comes home and reads a story and sings some songs too. I sit on the floor and yawn for 10 minutes straight. He offers to take baby on the walk I was going to take her on so I can get some rest. I flop face down on the couch for a while before putting the kettle on and coming to blog for a bit (hello!).
I get halfway through my tea and ten minutes on the iPad and they’re home. I drag myself off the couch and get outside for the first time in the day. It is to buy nappies.
Pass this guy. Briefly wish we could swap places.
Veggie Dad has to go back out for the evening, so baby goes into the high chair and I quickly start her dinner, put on some rice for tomorrow’s dinner, and pack lunches for the next day.
She is having Weet-Bix, Cheerios with blueberries and a cheese sandwich, among other things.
Baby looks at me through half-closed eyes, head in hand. I decide she’s not going to last the 10 minutes until her dinner is ready so I give her something from a jar, skip the bath and go straight to feed her. You’ve got to get her right smack in that moment where she’s tired enough to sleep, but not so tired she’ll freak out.
I get approximately 40 seconds to put her veggie pasta and peas in a bowl and grate some cheese over to save for her dinner the next day before she screams.
I try the laying on the floor thing again for 15 minutes but she’s not having it. The cat meows loudly outside the door so the baby gets excited and wants to play.
We admit defeat and go back to the kitchen. I save the rice from almost burning and put dinner on. Usually I would wait for Veggie Dad to get home before I eat, but I’m ravenous and I can’t function like that. I put a pot of already-boiling water on to boil and wait interminably long for it to re-boil. Stomach growls. Notice after 10 minutes I’ve put it on the wrong setting and it would have boiled way faster had I not made that mistake. Sigh.
Throw packet ravioli into the water and tidy up the kitchen. Everything I throw into the bin immediately bounces back out and onto the floor. Sigh again. I drain the pasta and most of it slips out of the colander and into the sink. Triple sigh. I pick it up anyway and put it in the pot. I dump a jar of sauce over and stir it in. I don’t even bother heating it.
I make the world’s shittiest salad and dump everything on a plate I made in 1987. Like I said, we’re ritzy here.
I sit on the couch and eat one piece of ravioli (ok, I know its agnolotti). I’m faced with this:
I lick all the sauce off a piece and give it to her to eat. I do this three more times until she accidentally bites her own finger and screams in pain. My dinner is abandoned while I swing her onto my lap for a cuddle and some songs. I eat one-handed after she calms down. I eventually give up on that too.
We try feeding and bed one more time. It works.
I eat the rest of my cold dinner, portion the leftovers, tidy the rest of the kitchen and put the dishwasher on.
Finally get to knit as I’ve been dying to all day while watching Roseanne. Get through about 10 minutes and realise I’m falling asleep. It is 8.50pm.
Acknowledge I’ve done pretty much nothing I set out to do – no bathroom cleaning, no laundry, the washing is still on the line (and it rains overnight and I wake at 4am in a panic), no blogging, no work, no blog cooking, no nothing. Write a mental to-do list for the next day. Promptly forget half of what I wanted to put on it.
Veggie Dad arrives home and comes in for a hug. I yawn in his face for five minutes and go to bed.
The end.
Having a second kid on top of this? Lucky they’re so damn cute! How y’all do, like, 5 kids is beyond me.
It was a tough day, but I’m grateful I get to spend so much time at home alongside my family. Just existing together.
And these tough days are rare. I am so very, very fortunate.
And so very, very tired.
xx
kristy jay-baker says
April 13, 2012 at 9:09 pmThis is wonderfully honest. I have days just like this too.
Veggie Mama says
April 13, 2012 at 9:18 pmThey are very LONG! But thankfully, not all that common xx
ST. MURPHY says
April 13, 2012 at 9:23 pmHpon the new look is AMARSING!!!! Your food looks delicious and your family are adorable! I love you. xoxoxoxo
Nikki Parkinson says
April 13, 2012 at 9:28 pmLOVE your new look. Very you! Adorable. x
Veggie Mama says
April 13, 2012 at 9:37 pmAw thank you! You should know. It feels right 🙂
KisforKathryn says
April 13, 2012 at 9:40 pmOh Miss VeggieMama. HUGE love to the new look.
and special endorsement from Miss 4 (who was looking over my shoulder) “looks like yummy food”.
Love it.
xxx K
Absolute Amy says
April 13, 2012 at 10:03 pmI love the new look, the doily and beautiful old tea cup are just gorgeous. And I totally get days like this, my Little Miss woke up at 4.15am today and then went back to sleep, but mummy is still awake. Loved taking a peek into a day in your life – thank you. Amy xx
Bree @ Twinkle in the Eye says
April 13, 2012 at 10:11 pmLove your new blog! Suits you and your welcome / introduction is perfect. My days often go like this and you are absolutely right – good thing they're cute! My sister has four boys, a three year old, twin 5 year olds and a 9 year old. Her household is a spectacle that's for sure. She's a saint!
Sophie: That Vintage says
April 13, 2012 at 10:25 pmLoved this so much!
Homemadebylauren says
April 13, 2012 at 10:36 pmSeriously love the commentary on this, especially the MAC photo (can relate to having bells and whistles but no idea how to use many of them!)
There are definitely days when you do so much yet achieve so little…know that feeling! LOVING the new blog look! Did you do it yourself???
Jess says
April 13, 2012 at 11:05 pmI love this post! I actually exhaled a sigh of relief when there was finally a photo of a sleeping baby.. I hope teething doesn't last too much longer! xx
Veggie Mama says
April 13, 2012 at 11:17 pmhahah I'm pretty sure I felt the same way at the time! She seems like a different baby right now, back to her old self again 🙂
Veggie Mama says
April 13, 2012 at 11:18 pmI took all the pictures and designed the header, social media and picture tabs… and the sidebar. Everything else is the talented work of Sass at MooZoo designs 🙂
Veggie Mama says
April 13, 2012 at 11:19 pmI was just thinking of you! Was making a blog roll and putting you on it, only to see you've popped over and said hi. Hi!
Veggie Mama says
April 13, 2012 at 11:19 pmWow, a saint probably doesn't even cut it! she must be EXHUASTED.
Veggie Mama says
April 13, 2012 at 11:20 pmI'm pleased you liked it! Yes, when they go wrong, they go seriously wrong, haha xx
Veggie Mama says
April 13, 2012 at 11:20 pmThat's hilarious, as it was the laziest food in the history of Veggie Mama. Hi Miss 4, thank you!
Nicole Balderson says
April 13, 2012 at 11:23 pmLove the new look Stacey! x
Your photos are always great, do you use a good camera?
Melissa Walker Horn says
April 13, 2012 at 11:41 pmRead this on my phone, in bed, this morning at around 8am and had to come back again now that I'm in the land of the living on a computer. I love this. What a fab insight into the glamour world of the Veggie household. Still gorgeous. All of you and your photos.
I'm struggling to decide in my own head what the new bub will be called, Veggie two? Veggie BabyS? That's a sad iPhone joke, but REALLY! Is there a fixed name? {Help! Am doing my head in here. Haha}
Veggie Mama says
April 14, 2012 at 1:04 amThank you! I do… I have a Canon Rebel T2i, which is the American version of a Canon 550D. One of the loves of my life, but it's broken at the moment and I'm very, very sad.
Sharon @ Funken Wagnel says
April 14, 2012 at 1:06 amYou still did what you had to do:) Sounds like a bit of a 'slow down' kinda day. Hope your bubs gets over her teething quickly
Veggie Mama says
April 14, 2012 at 1:06 amHaha nope, I'm just going to go with Abby and whatever this kid's name is! I can't think of anything funny! I just oooze, glamour, no?! heheh xx
Veggie Mama says
April 14, 2012 at 1:15 amI love the flexibility of being able to ignore eveything and just hanging out with my kid when she needs me. Tomorrow is another day!
Kelley @magnetoboldtoo says
April 14, 2012 at 1:23 amLoving the new look and this:
I tidy my hair and put on some concealer and mascara so he doesn't come home to a wreck. Set feminism back 40 years.
Made me laugh like a loon.
Veggie Mama says
April 14, 2012 at 1:47 amThose poor suffragettes. Worked so hard and all.
HumbirdsSong says
April 14, 2012 at 3:27 amLoving the peek into your life, and the blog makeover! xx
Alyce {Blossom Heart} says
April 14, 2012 at 4:49 amLove the new digs!!
Oh first trimester with a toddler… how I do not miss thee!! SUCH a killer energy-wise. But now that he's 2.5 and she's 1, I'm still eating cold food on the go, one-handed. Sigh.
Veggie Mama says
April 14, 2012 at 5:23 amaw thank you! I love change… sometimes 😉
Veggie Mama says
April 14, 2012 at 5:23 amThank goodness I'm over it now! It's pretty killer xx
sar - accidental lentil says
April 14, 2012 at 6:28 amoh how uncool is it that we spend our time begging for extra sleep while they spend their time fighting it. when oh when will they realise how amazing it is?
Carli@TinySavages says
April 14, 2012 at 10:42 amLove the new look but please not too many pics of the Veggie Mama – we cannot compete with that 🙂
Veggie Mama says
April 14, 2012 at 10:43 amAre they mental? Sleep is the BEST THING EVER.
Veggie Mama says
April 14, 2012 at 10:44 amHaha, fear not, they will be a rarity. And probably with messy hair and unbrushed teeth, just like this one 🙂
Erin @ Eat Play Bond says
April 14, 2012 at 11:14 amGod I am exhausted for you, that is most definitely a long day, especially with teething and first trimester fatigue to deal with. Heres hoping the teeth come through quickly. Love the new look blog and I am a huge fan of any cheese/jam combo particularly philli cheese and blackberry jam on toasted turkish, ooohhh yeah!
Veggie Mama says
April 14, 2012 at 11:18 amOh my gosh, I have not tried that! I'm totally doing it this week. Yum 🙂
Serena Faber Nelson says
April 14, 2012 at 11:29 amHow snuggly does your cat look! I bet we all wish we could swap places with him 🙂
Love the new look to your site! xx
Sonia@ LIfe Love and Hiccups says
April 14, 2012 at 12:12 pmI am totally crushing on your new look, so adorable. And damn you, I do not know anyone apart from you that can actually look totally hot whilst brushing their teeth. If you weren't so damn nice I would be hating on you 😉 I am exhausted reading your day, feet up and relax hun…stuff the bathroom, youre baking a bub! Xx
Mrs BC says
April 14, 2012 at 2:51 pmUgh, these days are the worst, & the best. I think people who work from home have excellent child care, I just don't see any other way. Hugs xxx
btw, my hubs loves cheese & jam on toast & we ALL mock him! 🙂
Cherie @ a baby called Max says
April 14, 2012 at 4:43 pmI would just really like to have read something like this before I became a Mama.
Just so I was aware of how exhausting {some} of the days can be. I realise this was a particularly exhausting one, but honestly {& I am embarrassed to admit this}, I went into motherhood BLIND of the exuastion.
And i am so bloody exhausted.
And I am NOT growing a second baby.
Kudos to you, you amazing human. Seriously.
Kudos.
Cherie @ a baby called Max says
April 14, 2012 at 4:56 pmexuastion is French for … exhaustion.
I'm comin' atchoo from night shift.
Hence the damn 'exuastion'. Say it with a French accent 😉
Robert Dulaney says
April 15, 2012 at 12:15 amhaha! what a day!
Eva Iezzi says
April 15, 2012 at 8:35 amThis cracked me up. All the different expressions you captured on Abby's little face are priceless, especially the first one in the cot, where those little eyebrows are all “maam, why you doin this ta me?”. And the part about her accidentally biting her own finger? I lost it. I suppose the fact that I found this post amusing is representative of the fact that I am yet to have a baby of my own. Thanks for sharing this, it's very sweet.
Eva Iezzi says
April 15, 2012 at 8:36 amOk, I wasn't laughing at the fact that she hurt herself when biting her finger, just the adorable things that babies do!
Dannii Best says
April 15, 2012 at 11:19 pmLOVED this post! Loved getting an insight into your day, and know that I am not alone on *those* kinds of days.
Veggie Mama says
April 16, 2012 at 1:11 pmA day without knitting is a TOUGH GIG!
Veggie Mama says
April 16, 2012 at 1:16 pmPS this totally cracked me up!
Veggie Mama says
April 16, 2012 at 1:22 pmOh when she sits with her little legs crossed, wringing her hands? I could die she's so adorable. I'd bite those fingers too haha xx
Veggie Mama says
April 16, 2012 at 1:25 pmhaha no, we are a community of harried mums at times! xx
Veggie Mama says
April 16, 2012 at 3:29 pmI get a lot of rest on the days where she's not a mental case! I had a good idea I would be catatonic for the first year, but to be honest I've been very fortunate. She has not been hard work at all, so I take these days with a whole lot of extra patience… they don't come around often.
You, however, working nights must be a basket case! I do. not. know how you do it xx
Veggie Mama says
April 16, 2012 at 3:46 pmYou cruel family haha! Tell your husband I will stick up for him and we are awesome, and if the French do it, it MUST be good!
I'm so grateful these days are so rare, the kid has been a gem lately… back to her usual, placid, sunny self! And I agree, there must be something that entertains small children while parents work at home. That is a tough gig.
Veggie Mama says
April 16, 2012 at 3:47 pmAw thank you! My cat is fricken awesome.
Jade says
May 16, 2012 at 5:43 amhaha OMG I was laughing SO hard at this post! It's literally what every day of mine and my daughter's feels like – especially as she's going through her second lot of teething. Can't believe I haven't discovered your blog before – LOVE it xxx
The Plumbette says
April 9, 2014 at 12:40 pmBaha! How different is this day compared to your work day! I’m at this stage now and I relate to everything in this post. Loving how you are keeping it real! X
Chantelle : Fat Mum Slim says
October 6, 2015 at 1:57 pmOh cute! That quilt is cute! xxx