A-Z Blogger Challenge – M is for Morning Routine

Is anyone else awful at morning routines? If I have plans I’m always late, if I don’t I stay in my pyjamas for hours.

I just can’t get it right.

Inside I’m slightly panicky at the thought of getting out of the house early when baby number 2 arrives. If I struggle with one, how will I cope with two?! I know I’ll just have to set a routine. There’s no other way around it. Of course, if we are having a lazy day, I’ll let myself off and be a little less strict, but on days where Lamb is at nursery I know it’s going to be difficult for me.

For example, I’m currently sat in my pjs and dressing gown, laptop on my lap (obviously), snuggled next to Lamb under a duvet. It’s almost 9am.

Does that make me a slob?

I am heavily pregnant of course so that gives me an excuse, but I really should be dressed by now shouldn’t I.

I was worried this would happen when I was made redundant. I was worried I would get lazier and lazier. I’m not worried about Lamb getting bored as he goes to his Grandmas once a week and nursery 2 days a week. So there’s only 2 days a week where it’s just us. Daddy is home at weekends of course.

I’m really going to have to organise myself when baby number 2 arrives.

Mornings, mealtimes, mess. All of it needs to be a priority.

As Lamb likes late nights he’s rarely up early. This morning was an exception and he was up at 6:40am, but in his defence his Gro Clock is set to ‘wake up’ at 6:30am, so he’s well within his rights of getting up that early. I think it’s time to change it to 7am. He’s normally up after 7 which is really reasonable for a 3 year old.

Of course when baby number 2 arrives I’m going to be up through the night feeding and will most likely be up much earlier than Lamb. But maybe this is ideal for getting up and dressed before he wakes?

When my husband started his new job he had to get up early and some mornings I would get up with him and shower and get dressed before Lamb had even stirred. It also did wonders for my mood that day. I felt so much more positive and awake when I was up and ready by 7/8am.

I’ve got to get back into this routine.

I’ve been thinking about the things I can do when baby number 2 arrives to try and make my mornings/days a little easier.

1. Set an alarm for 6am and wake up before Lamb. Of course my alarm may be the baby, but until he’s here I have no idea when his feeds will be so will adapt this around him. But basically I need to get up and dressed before Lamb wakes up at 7ish.
2. Try get my hair and make up done before Lamb wakes up. I had got into this habit last year but since being made redundant I’ve got a little lazier and need to get back into the routine of putting make up on early. This also wakes me up and helps me feel more human!
3. Have the boys clothes out the night before so I’m not running around looking for socks and pants and making us late for the school run or anywhere els ew need to be.
4. Dress Lamb before he goes downstairs. Normally we head down for breakfast and snuggle in our pjs for an hour and I dress him downstairs, but going forward I will try to dress him in his bedroom as soon as he’s up.
5. Breakfast is obviously difficult as Lamb doesn’t eat much and it’s not a priority to him, but I will make sure I give him a bowl of cereal to nibble on even if he doesn’t want it. I’ll put it on his table, tell him it’s there and at least I don’t have to worry about it later.
6. If it’s a day where I’m at home all day with the boys I want to get dinner sorted in the morning as I know I’ll be exhausted by the end of the day. The slow cooker will most like become my best friend (although we are already pals anyway 😉 ) When baby is napping I will prep dinner and chuck it in the slow cooker. My favourite thing to make is a thai curry, you literally put chicken, veg and coconut milk in with a bit of curry paste and boom, you have a delicious curry for dinner.
7. When Lamb was a baby I found my Pink Lining Mini Yummy Mummy Bag so useful for nappy changes at home, especially as it comes with a small changing mat folded up inside. I always made sure it was full of nappies, wipes, nappy bags and nappy cream and had it close by. That way I could change baby wherever I was in the house. We won’t have a changing table in the nursery this time as it doesn’t fit with Lambs bunk bed and the cot in there, so nappy changes will be on a mat on the floor/sofa/bed.

I think by adding these points to my morning routine I may be able to be a little more organised. Obviously in the early days I’ll be resting after giving birth and getting used to feeding etc, but once Daddy is back at work I’ll have to be in some sort of routine.

I’d love to hear of any other tips you have to help me with my morning routine when baby number 2 arrives!

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