How I Work At Home with a 5-Month-Old

During the difficult earliest weeks of motherhood, I wrote a detailed schedule of what my day was like. Endless breastfeeding, short naps only while we held her, screaming fits, and precious little free time. It seemed the baby was constantly attached to me. Time just disappeared.

Now at 5 months old, she's a lot easier to care for. She's aware of the outside world and can independently play. She's not on my boob forever. Her naps are longer. We're better at communicating so she doesn't cry as much. I'm able to get a lot more done in the day as a work-at-home mother.

I kept track of my Monday to see where the time goes. Follow along with my day, if you'd like.

8:00 AM

The baby is awake for the day. My husband takes her to change her diaper while I slowly get up. We usually get up anywhere between 7:00 and 9:00, without an alarm, so this is an average day. Sometimes I awake before the baby and can get a little cleaning done before she arises.

With her in the bouncer chair, I straighten up a little. Time for another diaper change. I try to focus on one area of cleaning per day and today is a laundry focus, so I strip the bed.

My husband leaves for work. There are days when he works from home [such as today – Tuesday] which changes my schedule. I'm more likely to eat lunch out when he's home, for example. And there's also adult fun time when she naps.

I settle with the baby in my indoor office, also known as my sitting room couch. While nursing her, I catch up with email, social media, and industry-specific news. I read some of the news aloud to her. When not nursing, she plays in my lap or on the floor next to me.

10:00

The baby falls asleep while nursing. Her mid-morning naps occurs anywhere between 10:00 and 11:30. I successfully transfer her to the swing chair. I'm free! I shower, dress, and apply make-up.

The mid-morning naps usually last 15 to 30 minutes. Very unusually, this one lasts an hour. I take advantage of the extra time by starting laundry and straightening up a bit more. I'm rarely hungry in the mornings, but I ate a banana at 10:45. I prep dinner and start the slow cooker. I even prep my lunch sandwich before she awakes.

The biggest issue is preventing her from wacking the laptop keys!

11:00

I move us to my outdoor office, also known as the lounge chair on my back porch. While she nurses or plays, I work on my laptop. I set her up on the chair cushion in front of me or on a towel on the ground beside me. I completed my first work task of the day, then read some more industry news.

The cats have learned to stay out of reach of those tiny grabby hands.

11:40

The baby is getting antsy. We take a break to walk around the house, change her diaper, and start the next load of laundry.

11:50

With the baby playing on the ground, I get back to it and complete work task #2.

Who knew paper was so fun?

12:15

While my turkey, cheese, and cucumber melt is heating, I clean a bit more. The baby chills on the kitchen floor. I take lunch back outside and read more, this time paper: Sunday's church bulletin and a parenting magazine. The baby plays one of her favorite games: rip up the paper and try to eat it.

After I clean up from lunch, I make the bed with clean sheets.

12:45

Back to nursing the baby and back to work. I make a work-related phone call. While on hold, I carry the baby around the house and clean some more.

Hard to work with such a distracting cutie!

1:10

That task is done. Back to nursing and reading industry-related news. The baby plays in my lap and on the ground. I try to get more work done. But she is fussy. Nursing her only calms her temporarily while I work.

2:00

Back inside to change the scenery. I put away laundry while she's in her swinging chair in the bedroom with me. She can't decide whether she likes it or not.

2:15

Finally, she naps!

2:25

I get 5 minutes into a hands-on project. The baby screams. I leave that project for another day.

Back to nursing and working. I complete work task #3. The baby falls asleep in my lap and I don't dare try to move her.

I work, read news, write a blog entry for my industry-related blog, and catch up on social media. I read some fun blogs and articles. The baby wakes every so often, snuggles for more nursing, then falls right back to sleep.

4:50

The baby stirs, and I wake her. I've had to pee for the past hour. While up, I put in another load of laundry, walk the dog and get the mail, change her diaper, and move my stuff back inside the house.

No, we haven't baby-proofed the house yet. Obviously.

5:00

The baby plays on her mat next to my pole while I work out for 20 minutes: 15 minutes of pole fitness and 5 minutes of stretching and yoga. I don't bother to change clothes or get out my yoga mat because time is precious. Baby fusses so I pause for a few second every couple of minutes to give her another toy or distraction.

By this time, my husband is home from work. I catch up with him.

Hold the Door!

5:30

I settle on the living room couch and watch yesterday's episode of Game of Thrones with the baby playing or nursing on my lap. Wow, that's an emotional episode. I watched the Inside the Episode summary and give myself time to recover from that ending.

6:45

I relax with the baby for a little while on my laptop catching up with social media. My husband has gone out for a late afternoon run, so dinner will be later than usual.

7:00

I relocate us back to the bedroom, baby back in the swing, me back to putting away laundry while listening to an industry podcast. Another diaper change.

7:20

Back on the couch. I work for 10 minutes, then read the news and play with the baby.

7:50

My husband is home from his run so I prep for dinner (slow cooked pulled pork with celery and carrots) while he showers. We eat out a lot. Once or twice or thrice a week, we might spend our evenings at our local sports bar with our baby and our laptops. We sometimes spend our late afternoons at the beach until dusk. Even when we cook at home, we don't always eat at the dining room table. Today we did, with a candle in the middle and everything. The baby was content to be held while we ate.

8:30

After dinner clean-up, I'm back on the couch with the baby while my husband makes a quick trip to the store for something he wants. I browse social media while nursing the baby to sleep. I take advantage of her slumber and clip her long fingernails. I bathe her every-other-day, and this was an off day, or else a bath would have been in order.

9:00

My husband makes himself an adult beverage while I make myself a mint chocolate milkshake. We cuddle on the couch while watching an episode of Orange is the New Black. The baby wakes after a short while and cuddles with us on the couch. There's a pause for the last diaper change of the night.

10:15

My husband watches the last bit of a basketball game while I read on my laptop. The baby is not the slightest bit sleepy and is in a great mood, so we take turns playing with her. I try to nurse her to sleep, but she's wide awake. She's all smiles, giggles, and happy squeaks.

11:10

The baby is getting tired but refuses to sleep while nursing, so I put her in her swing. She seems happy to be rocking.

11:30

Finally asleep! I transfer her to her crib next to our bed. I stay up on my laptop until 12:30 AM when my husband joins me and it's lights out. But we stay up talking for a little while longer. I'll be awakened throughout the night to feed the little one, but never for very long.