Hi. I’m Lauren. And I thrive on having a schedule.

Having a baby meant having literally no idea how to structure time anymore. My life was not my own. My body was not my own. I was LOST.

This makes me laugh so hard now. But this is so, so true. And I just want you to know right now, YOU, mama of a newborn, so tired and trying so, so hard to figure it all out? You are not alone. And things do get better. I promise. Here’s the thing….

When I had a newborn, the schedule lover in me was so confused about what was normal, and how to raise a well-adjusted human. And when he was super little in particular, I was, like literally every other mother, sleep-deprived – and

• Not questioning why in the olden days, rich people had “wet nurses.” If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look it up. At 3 in the morning, two weeks in to having a newborn, it seemed like THE BEST IDEA EVER. No joke.
• How literally nobody told me how HARD it was to have a newborn, and how little you got done every day. This was especially hard for someone who gets satisfaction in checking things off my to-do list. I literally had to change my frame of mind. If I kept both Harrison and myself alive, and maybe got one other thing done – like laundry…or a shower…or figuring out all of the medical bills, that was a good day.
• Literally desperate and willing to PAY ANYTHING to get this child on a schedule, and sleeping through the night.

Listen – there are lots of bloggers that look lovely and beautiful (allegedly) ALL OF THE TIME…it seems. And you know what – good for you. But that is not me. I needed help – and I needed it fast. I read a book in the wee hours of the morning while my husband was asleep and my baby wasn’t latching correctly, trying to help me understand what I should expect from this tiny human – and it is literally the book I credit with being able to bring me back to normalcy. Except – you know, different than before too. But normal and mostly consistent.

So here it is….Moms on Call. And it was worth every. last. penny. of that $10 I spent at 3 in the morning buying it on my Kindle.

Now – here’s the other thing, Harrison was a saint of a newborn. He did not have health issues, and he was a decently good sleeper from the start. But I have followed this book pretty darn close to exactly through his whole 15 months of life, and they have literally never been wrong. I find myself going back to it, and re-reading chapters when I’m struggling with something (like getting Harrison to eat anything but cheese and bread right now!)

Harrison has been on a schedule since he was two weeks old. (I know – some of you are reading this thinking – TWO WEEKS?? You are crazy! And that’s cool. That’s just how we roll over here. Because I needed it. For my sanity. And to be a good mama to this little guy.) Harrison has been on his “Toddler” schedule since a bit before he was twelve months old.

I can only tell you what has worked for us – for this one child. I’m sure it will all be different should we ever be lucky enough to do it all again – but maybe, this helps someone else out too that’s struggling to find consistency in the daily routine.

7:00 – Harrison wakes up. Now, Harrison may wake up before 7:00, but 7:00 is when his door opens, and his mama comes to get him. Sometimes he’s asleep still. Sometimes he’s rolling around waiting for his parents to come get him to start the day.

7:15 – Breakfast with sippy cup of whole milk. In this house, the parents decide when and what Harrison eats, and Harrison decides how much. If he isn’t in to what’s being served – that’s cool. He’ll have another chance to eat something in a couple of hours. You want to know the truth, though? I feel terribly guilty when this happens – see section above about re-reading parts of Moms on Call.

Depending on whether it’s a workday or not, Nathan or I will drop off Harrison at daycare, and they follow close to the same schedule as we do at home. So, I’m going to continue like this is a day when Harrison is home with us:

7:30-9:30 – Playtime, run errands time, take a walk, etc.

9:30 – Snack time with sippy of water

9:45 – More free time

11:30/12 – Lunch with sippy of whole milk

12:30 – Nap time. Nap time lasts 2 1/2 to 3 hours. During nap time, Harrison can nap, play, or chill. But it is a break for everyone to have quiet time during the day. Nap time’s came the hardest to us. We worked on getting Harrison to nap well for months. I thought it may just not be in the cards for us – but we kept at it, and today, he’s a great napper (when he’s at home). I can’t say the same for his poor daycare teachers.

3:30 – Snack time with sippy of water

4:00 – Play outside, go to the pool – run errands

6:00 – Dinner with sippy of whole milk

6:30 – Bedtime routine starts – Harrison has had the same bedtime routine since he was two weeks old. It helps him start to quiet his mind and prepare himself for winding down.

7:30 – In crib for the night

More than anything, I want you to know, mama, you’ve got this. We’re all just trying to do the best we can, and raise good little human beings. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters most, right? So whatever works for you and your family, that’s what counts.