Daily Schedule: Little R at 12 months

This post at Life Is Good reminds me I haven't done one of these in a while (the others were at 4 months and 8 months, so it's time!). We've definitely got a routine down now, and every day follows the same general outline. I actually find this consistency hard to deal with sometimes, because while little R likes it, I get bored and long for adventure (or at least change; I very much enjoy change just for its own sake).

8:25 Little R announces she is ready to get up, so I get out of bed and go in to see her. The time varies somewhat, between 7:00 (very very rare) and 9:30, but is usually between 8 and 8:30. She is delighted to see me as always, and stands up in her crib so that I can pick her up more easily. Often she wakes up earlier, but plays quietly in her crib for a while (30 minutes or even longer sometimes). This took some training but was totally worth it because I hate getting up in the morning.

8:25-8:45 I nurse little R. Then she plays for 5-10 minutes before squatting and having her first poop of the day. Generally this is very obvious and clockwork-like in its regularity. After that, I change her out of pyjamas and dirty diaper into her first outfit of the day.

9:00 Wake up B. He hates the morning and is always very groggy. Usually he tells me to come back in 10 or 30 minutes, but today he has work commitments and must arise.

9:00-9:45 B has coffee and gets ready for work. I read or look at the Internet while keeping an eye on little R as she plays by herself. I rearrange her toys every evening so there's always something new to check out. She also has a good time reading her books.

9:45 B leaves for work. I make breakfast for little R.

10-10:30 We have breakfast together. Today it was bread and mayonnaise with coffee for me, and brie, honey bread, and two sea plums (or marian plums) from Thailand for little R. She loves fruit.

10:30-11 I clean little R off and change her clothes and diaper. I don't bother with bibs; it's easier just to change the whole outfit. I read her a couple books and then we play together.

11 Little R is tired. Time for a nap! I check her diaper (it's ok), nurse her and put her in her crib.

11-12:30 Little R sleeps. I do chores: tidying, bill paying, emailing various people, packing the diaper bag. Then I putter on the internet.

12:35 Little R wakes up. She usually sleeps for 1.5 hours, so this is typical. I quickly get her ready and we are off to catch a taxi.

12:45 In the taxi on the way to Chinese class. It's a new mall nearby (like everything else in Singapore). We don't have a car, and don't live near a subway station, so taxis are the way we get around. Luckily they are fairly inexpensive.

1:00 We arrive at R's school. Class has the following schedule: half-hour free play, then singing and dancing, art project, free play in the larger playground area, snack time, singing and dancing, rest time, bubbles and good bye song. It is Mandarin immersion so everything is in Mandarin. Most of the other babies are Singaporean.

2:30 Class is over. Little R and I take a taxi home.

3-3:30 At home. B is back also, so we all have lunch together. Little R eats baked beans, apples, ciabatta, rice with pork and eggs, and a BBQ pork bun. The beans are her favorite today. B and I have rice with pork and eggs, and ciabatta (I went to the only good bakery in Singapore yesterday, so we are enjoying good bread very much). B and I have an interesting conversation about his students and Singapore; little R is busy eating so she just listens quietly.

3:30 Little R is tired. Time for nap #2! Diaper change, nurse, and into the crib.

3:30-5 Little R sleeps. I arrange some scheduling stuff and do dishes and laundry. Then I take a break. B does some work stuff.

5:10 Little R wakes up. She is so excited to be back in  the world again! Yay! I put her down on the floor and she runs out to see what trouble she can get into. She has another poop (this is usual for her).

5:30 Little R and I go off to the nearest mall to do some grocery shopping. She is very good, but gets bored towards the end. Shopping is not one of her favorite activities. B is at home working.

6:50 Little R and I are home. I put the groceries away and B makes dinner. Tonight it was hamburgers with lettuce and tomato on french bread. I am tired so I leave little R with him while I lurk in the other room. She loves "helping" in the kitchen.

7:10 We have dinner (hamburgers are easy to make! Usually it takes B about an hour to make dinner.) Little R eats hamburger, bread, and tomato with great gusto. She especially likes gnawing on the crusts of bread covered in meat juice. She throws the lettuce on the floor (she still hasn't developed a taste for it; maybe she doesn't have enough teeth yet?). B asks little R if her food is good and she says, "Good." We laugh because it sounds like she is really responding (I think it's still just mimicking).

7:25 I accidentally tip little R's food tray onto the ground and she cries because her food has suddenly disappeared. Very funny.

7:35 Dinner is over. B takes little R off for her bath. I rest.

7:55 Little R reappears at my side, clean and in her pyjamas. She enjoys tracking me down in the house, and always is very pleased with herself when she accomplishes this.

8:00 I put little R in bed after a final nursing. B goes off to play his computer game.

8:15 Little R is in her room, B is in his. I take advantage of the situation to blog.

After that, I will go to the gym, clean the house, and relax. Often B works more; sometimes we watch movies/TV shows together. We also usually chat for at least 30 minutes, just to check in. He goes to the gym now, if he hasn't already. We are in bed theoretically by 12; in reality, it's usually 1 (or even later, if I am naughty). Little R occasionally wakes up at some point between 8 and 1 (a couple times a week?); other than that, she sleeps through the night now.