a day in the life of a princess

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I thought it'd be nice to record a typical day for us, Iris. Especially because I know that things change so fast with you. I'm sure in a few months I'll be browsing back in your blog archives reminiscing about how you used to cute things like...um, take naps & stuff.

So with the cell phone camera in hand, I was ready first thing this morning to document a day in the life of a princess.

7:30 a.m. This was the second thing I saw this morning: you giving bunny a medical exam with your small flashlight. The first thing I saw was that flashlight in my eye. I silently cursed not destroying the flashlight at some point prior to this morning.

7:40 a.m. My view as I am going potty. I don't even remember what it's like to have potty privacy anymore. You are sitting on your little potty, still obsessed with the flashlight.

8:00 a.m. After changing your diaper & adjusting my eyes to normal daylight, I begin making your breakfast while you play in the kitchen on your slide.

8:15 a.m. Breakfast! You snubbed your nose at oatmeal, said "no" to eggs...and finally gave an enthusiastic "shessss!" to bananas and grapes.

9:00 a.m. We get dressed for the day, after reading a book. You love to do your own hair...and proudly put your bows in all by yourself. Later, I make minor adjustments to your lovely fashion statement. You'll put several bows in your hair if I don't insist on a bow cap.

10:00 a.m. We've had a pretend tea party & I've left you alone in your playroom while I go work on demolition work in the dining room. You get awfully quiet so I go to check on you. All the Easter decals on the windows have been ripped into tiny pieces and then carefully rearranged back onto the window. The Easter Bunny is missing both his ears. I look at you and asked "What happened, Iris?" And all you tell me is to "fixit." Then you take off with your favorite pink monkey wrapped around your neck, screaming "monkeeee!"

I was confused. Did the monkey have something to do with this?

10:30 a.m. You decide you want to help me in the dining room, and so you grab your paint brush and begin "painting." That, and you handed me my measuring tape an awful lot. I guess you thought I needed to measure stuff.

10:50 a.m. Snack Time! We both take a break and you attempt to help me do business on the laptop.

11:30 a.m. Melt Down #1. It had something to do with a blankie that - oh.my.god! - I threw into the dirty clothes hamper. Who knew you were so attached to the blankie? Yes, those are real tears. I'm smelling nap time just around the corner!

11:45 a.m. Proof that babies are bipolar: minutes after a complete mental breakdown, you are skipping happily to the mailbox, screaming "maaaaiiiilllll!" Hurry up, nap time!

12:30 p.m. Lunch: hot dogs, mac & cheese, and avocados. Yum!

1:15 p.m. NAPTIME!!! (Check out how bunny is always upside-down when you fall asleep...it's because you always turn him over to play with his tag until you fall asleep) I'm sorry honey, but momma does the happy dance when you finally pass out. I have great plans to do the morning dishes, balance my checkbook, and straighten the house. Even take a shower.

The dishes apparently can wait. I ended up watching House until I fell asleep next to you. You slept for almost three hours. I slept about two.

4:30 p.m. Snack time after nap. You love those grapes!

4:50 p.m. We walk two blocks down the street to go to the park.

We played at the park for about an hour & walked back home. You were so silly at the park. You love pointing out the circles to me & the squares. Today we learned a new shape: squiggly!

7:00 p.m. Dinner! You were famished! I made steak & rice, and you gobbled it all down PLUS a whole tub of pears! Hungry girl!

Meltdown #2 occurred shortly before dinner & I honestly can't even remember what it was about. But you quickly recovered & were happily eating in no time.

7:45 p.m. You love helping momma do the dishes each night. I'll remind you of this again at a later point in your life, dear. And frequently.

8:15 p.m. Bath time! Oh my goodness, how you love your bath time! And yes, that's you sucking all the water out of your wash cloth. I'm just grateful that you've recently learned to look up while I'm rinsing your hair! Bath time has become sooo much less tearful since you've mastered this!

8:40 p.m. Hair combed and pulled up, cozy in your jammies, and ready for your bedtime book. I see you picked out a favorite: "Sam's Cookie"

8:50 p.m. Asleep in your bed for the night! I usually breastfeed and rock you to sleep in my room & then bring you to your room to lay you down in your little toddler bed. Bedtime is usually between 8:00 - 8:30, but dinner preparations put us back a little. You were so exhausted tonight and fell asleep almost instantly in my arms.

This is sometimes my favorite part of the day. Seeing you sleep so peacefully, with a little lovey tucked under your arm. I sneak away and find myself giggling over your cute little antics you pull throughout the day.

Monkey? Tee-hee!

I know that at some point tonight around 2 or 3 in the morning you'll wake up like you do every night, crawl out of your little bed, and softly walk through the dining room, through the living room, and make your way to my bed. I've strategically placed nightlights around the house to light your way back to me. You'll say a little "hi" and crawl in next to me to nurse and fall back asleep.

I love my life.

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