My Favorite Things To Do w/ Andrew

The little guy doesn't follow much of a schedule yet, so we've been having fun just being a little more relaxed lately (which is really tough for me... since I like to plan down to the minute- or second- if possible). Although there's no set schedule, there are certain things that I've determined must get done on a daily basis to preserve my sanity. I've mellowed out a bit on when they need to actually happen (for example, I used to take my shower every morning at 5:45am... now some days if it happens before 8pm that is a major accomplishment :-)).

Here are a few of these absolutes that have morphed into some of my favorite things to do with Andrew (since he likes to join me for several of them):

1. Working out (right now I just walk for about an hour each day, but within the next 2 weeks I plan to be running)- Andrew will soon join me in my Bob jogging stroller and I'll either run in the morning by myself and walk later in the day with Andrew or he'll join me for both workouts. Here's a picture of us on our walk today.


2. Talking with friends/family- I have felt VERY blessed to have so many supportive friends/family members who call all the time (and some fabulous people have also come over and visited too). Although I have inherited my mom's ability to talk to anyone/thing for an extensive period of time, it is still nice to talk to other people during the day besides Kevin and Andrew. Here is a picture of me chatting on the phone w/ my friend Liz today while enjoying cuddling with my cute little sleepy guy:



3. Showering and doing my hair- This is a daily requirement. I feel best when it happens before 2pm (we usually wake up around 11:30am these days- since some nights Andrew doesn't go to bed until 6am or 8am). The other night my shower didn't happen until 7pm, but it still felt great. I LOVE taking a shower, drying, and straightening my hair- even if I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going to see anyone. It just makes me feel like all is well with the world. Today Andrew came and hung out in the bathroom while I got ready (we were trying to get some of his nasal congestion to go away w/ the shower steam). He LOVED hanging out while I was blow drying my hair (I think the combination of the hair dryer, clothes dryer, washing machine, shower, and fan made him feel really relaxed).


4. Eating chocolate and/or baking- Today Andrew hung out with me a little bit while I baked some cakes for Kevin's birthday party. Unfortunately Andrew doesn't get to be involved with the chocolate eating yet... but he's usually around when I have my chocolatey mid-morning or late afternoon snack. Some day I hope to share my love for chocolate with him... and hopefully he loves it too!

5. Sleeping- this is something we are hoping to do more of in our house sometime soon... or at least at some point within the next several months. I LOVE cuddling up with Andrew and falling asleep on the couch though. Pretty soon I hope both of us can enjoy sleeping in our own beds for a longer period of time at night too :-)

(Andrew totally zonked out after dinner and some play time)