You’ve already heard the first half of last week’s Thursday. My mom comes to help me once a week (sometimes more lately) and this is one of those days. When she’s not here I am taking care of the baby myself while occasionally fitting in work during naps and feedings.

My parents were able to take care of the baby up until 3:00 when they left. Of course, literally right as they were closing the door, my phone rings.

Hello?
Oh hi, is this Molly? I have a work call for you for the exact moment you don’t have childcare coverage, OK?
Yes, no problem! Happy to do this call right now.
OK. So, *work stuff, work stuff* … I’m sorry, what is going on in the background?
Oh that’s my 5-month-old finding her voice.
Oh…Is she OK? She’s like, yelling?
Yeah she just kind of goes AAAAAAHHHH for a while sometimes to express herself lately but she’s fine.
OK, well, *work stuff, work stuff*
I’m sorry I couldn’t hear you over the AAAAAAAAAHHHH
*WORK STUFF, WORK STUFF*
OK I THINK I GOT IT
ARE YOU SURE THAT BABY IS OK?
YES AND I CAN TOTALLY DO THIS CALL RIGHT NOW
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH
WHAT?
WELL, THAT’S ABOUT IT ANYWAY. TALK TO YOU ON EMAIL!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

Less than one minute after hanging up, my wife arrives home to take over childcare coverage. The call lasted the exact 25 minutes of my day I couldn’t really talk. And it all could have been done on email. Why do people use phones?!

3:30 PM – Wife asks me to hang out with her and baby to have family time. She always does this when I have work to do. I always don’t want to work but also have to be a big kid and do it anyway. I know I could stay up later and do it then, but I just want to get it done.

5:00 PM – This is when the baby would normally get tired for bedtime. But we’ve moved the clocks back an hour so that won’t be until 6:00. It messes with my mind because in the afternoons I’m counting down the hours until bedtime. Not because I hate spending time with my daughter (most days I don’t work as much as this day when my mom and wife were both there), but because it is work too and I’d like a break and I’m human and that’s OK.

6:00 PM – Nurse baby to sleep.

6:30 PM – Dinner with the wife. Other days of the week she wouldn’t be home by now but since she is today we get to eat together. And she cooks while I do bedtime! She actually does most of the cooking even though I stay home. With me always sitting down under a baby for breastfeeding it just works for us for her to bring me my meals while I keep breastfeeding. I love getting waited on but am keeping track of how many meals I am going to have to cook when my wife carries and breastfeeds the next baby.

7:30 PM – Go to bed! Not kidding! Watch some TV together there. Play on my phone. Break all of the good sleep hygiene rules.

8:30 PM – Go to sleep. Baby will be up in 6ish hours for a feeding. This is why I never have evening plans!