The Momma Money Diaries | VOLUME NO. 8

Love a good money diary! This is my first one since I’ve had the baby, and I’m pumped to share every penny I’ve spent in a one week period. Here’s my first Money Diary as a momma!

MONEY DIARIES | VOLUME NO. 8 | WEEK OF FEB 28 — MAR 06

THURSDAY

9:30AM I normally don’t schedule anything before noon, but I didn’t have a chance to move my dental cleaning. By the grace of god, we’re out of the house and make it to the appointment on time.

10:45AM On our walk home, I stop at Safeway to pick up fresh flowers for the baby’s nursery ($16.98). Once home, I successfully transfer her from stroller to her Rock ‘N Play without waking her up. A friend from out of town is here, and we have lunch plans today — it’ll be her first time meeting the baby.

12:00PM After a quick nursing session, we head out and begin our 20 minute walk to Navy Yard for lunch, it’s a gorgeous day. The baby doesn’t really nap on the walk, but she isn’t fussing. I order my usual salad at SweetGreen ($11.28). Halfway through lunch, I need to nurse the baby again. My friend holds her afterwards so I can finish my salad. We settle on Philz for post-lunch coffee, I pay for both ($10.25 with tip) and begin our walk to the Air and Space Museum, where she’s meeting back up with her family — Scrunch and I go into the museum with her for a pee (me), diaper change (baby), water bottle refill (me), and another nursing session (baby).

4PM We’re home, and the baby has barely napped all day — which means she’s super fussy until she falls asleep. I finally get her down in my wrap, and decide to boot up Netflix while she sleeps. I watch Abducted in Plain Sight and it’s horrifying.

7PM Alex is home and takes the baby off my hands so I can spend time in the kitchen. He begins her bedtime routine so I can cook our dinner (shrimp and zucchini ribbons over rice) and bake (a batch of lactation cookies). At this point in time, the baby is sleeping 6.5 hours in her crib once we put her to bed. Which means I now need to pump before I go to sleep.

FRIDAY

10:30AM After the baby is fed, changed, and happy, I put her in her crib with the mobile on. It buys me nearly 30 minutes of alone time to shower, dress, and put on makeup. By the time she starts crying, I’m ready for the day. So I place her back in her wrap and we tidy up before our playdate.

12:15PM Two of my momma friends and their babies arrive, and we hang out in the living room, each one of us nurses our little one. We chat for a while before heading out for lunch. We take a stroller walk to Navy Yard (all the good quick dining spots are there!) and settle on Roti ($9.63). We’re there for a while since we all have to nurse the babies once we’re finished eating. Luckily the restaurant is quite empty, so three boobs and three babies doesn’t seem to bother anyone. And on our walk home, we swing by Bluestone Lane for coffee, I get an almond milk cappuccino ($6 with tip). Back at my house we hang out for a bit longer — it’s really nice to be with women who are in the same boat as you, raising an infant is so hard sometimes, and you really can’t understand it until you’re in it. These friendships are key.

6PM Alex is home and we set up a new activity center for Naomi. It allows her to stand upright, which seems to be a position she really wants to be in lately. She has a blast in it. Alex begins her bedtime routine around 7:25PM and I get started on dinner. Tonight we’re having sweet & smoky chicken breasts, sweet potato mash, and roasted brussel sprouts. These days, I order 4 meals from HelloFresh, it makes life so much easier. Speaking of which, my card gets charged today for next weeks order ($78.91).

SATURDAY

6:50AM Early morning feed, and everyone’s in a decent mood. We doze for a little bit afterwards and begin our morning.

12:00PM We don’t have much in the house for lunch, so my husband runs out to get us Subway (gross, I know, but it’s the quickest and easiest($13.87)). We move the activity center into the kitchen so scrunch can play while we eat. It’s fun seeing her so happy.

1:45PM Because of a scheduling snafu, the doula company I hired gave me a free in-home postpartum massage, and today is the day I’m cashing it in. My husband plays with the baby while I get my massage in the living room. It’s 60 minutes of bliss ($30 tip).

3PM I shower and wash my hair, a must after a massage. I hang out with the baby so my husband can nap. I feed her on and off for the rest of the afternoon. She’s at the tail end of her 12 week growth spurt and cluster feeds in the afternoon, she’s been pretty fussy these last three days. It’s tough and mentally exhausting.

7PM I volunteer to walk to Navy Yard to pick up dinner. I order us each a chicken sandwich with two side dishes from Nando’s — my husbands favorite ($30.11). I beg the cashier to allow me to carry-out beer as well, no avail. While I wait for the food, I walk two doors down to buy the cats Greenies ($23.98) — dental treats that they go crazy for (Max LOVES his Greenies).

9PM After dinner, I crawl into bed with my laptop. I mindlessly watch Netflix while I power-pump for an hour. I’m really sad with how low production is on my right boob. Today wasn’t a good day.

SUNDAY

10AM Yesterday wasn’t the best day. I’m hoping today will be better. Baby is waking up, I’m grateful for the late sleep, even if I had to feed her at 2:30AM and 5:45AM. I feed her again while my husband changes out cat litter trays. We play for a bit and I slap on makeup and deodorant. We’re meeting a friend for lunch today.

12PM We arrive at Cava in, you guessed it!, Navy Yard. The weather is terrible. We order lunch ($10.86) and catch up. I feed the baby halfway through, she seems to be in an excellent mood though. I promised my husband I’d pick him up lunch at Nandos (again — it’s his favorite) since I’m right around the corner ($15.38). But it’s raining. My friend and I duck into CVS to purchase umbrellas for the walk ($12.18). After we pick up my husband lunch, we go across the street to Philz for a coffee ($5 with tip). We walk home in the rain (luckily my stroller seems to be water resistant) and hang out back at home with my husband.

4:45PM I feed the baby in bed next to my napping husband. The baby drifts in my arms. I carelessly place my Haaka on my nightstand, so naturally it falls over, spilling THREE OUNCES of breastmilk. I let out a cry of frustration, which wakes up a napping baby, husband, and two cats. THREE OUNCES.

6:30PM It’s still raining and I need a break. I take the car to Harris Teeter to grab weekly groceries and leave my husband in charge of bedtime ($75.03). He’s fantastic at it. Once I get home I begin prepping our lunch salads for the week. I listen to an audiobook (Bonfire by Krysten Ritter) while I prep and cook dinner. We’re having roast chicken, couscous, and Israeli salad.

8:30PM After dinner I pump in bed. Since I’m less stressed tonight, my production is enough to call it quits after 15 minutes.

MONDAY

9AM Last night was rough. The baby woke up at 10:30PM and wouldn’t go back down until 1:30AM. She was up again for food at 5:00AM, again at 6:30AM and again at 7:50AM. My husband and I are a mess. HOWEVER she’s 3 months old today (peace out, fourth trimester), so I dress her in my favorite outfit (velvet green pants and a matching floral onesie) and snap a few photos for her three month picture. I feed her again at 11:20AM and she’s out for a really nice three hour nap.

1PM A friend comes over to meet the baby and hang out for a bit. The original plan was to head out to lunch, but we end up munching on carrots and hummus while we chat for several hours. It was excellent catching up. AND she brought us a homemade dinner, score!

5:45PM After my friend leaves, I feed the baby on the couch. We then decide to head out on a 30 minute stroller walk before the sun sets. My husband comes home and I heat up the home-cooked meal; beef stroganoff with rice and green beans — it’s perfect! I’m exhausted, but I need to shower, and pump, and somehow it’s now already 9:30PM. Tonight doesn’t look like a promising night for sleep either…

TUESDAY

10AM Yeah. Last night sucked. Her ‘long stretch’ was barely 4.5 hours. And there was a 2AM, 4AM, 6:50AM, and 8:45AM feeding. JESUS. But despite that, she’s in a stellar mood and I somehow had time for breakfast, coffee, a full face of makeup, AND get us both out the door for on time for baby yoga. Class is once a week in Eastern Market. It’s a beautiful 30 minute walk. It’s cold but sunny, and the baby naps as soon as we begin our stride. I call my mom and my cousin on the walk there.

11:30AM Class was great, Nomes was so happy and smiley, and as always, her yoga ‘poses’ released some of her gas. I feed her towards the end of class and we’re on our way back home. Another 30 minute walk and I boot up my audiobook. The sun is shining and I’m in a good mood. At home, I heat up vegetable soup I made last week and a salad I prepped on Sunday.

2PM Our cleaning lady arrives. We’ve sprung for help once a month, because I just can’t anymore. She’s wonderful and I very much look forward to the days we have her. The house looks gorgeous ($100). Afterwards, another momma friend from the neighborhood comes over to hang out for a bit. We whip up a batch of lactation cookies and chat about our sleepless nights and pumping schedules.

6PM Once my momma friend leaves, I drag Scrunch’s activity center right outside of the kitchen and begin cooking dinner. Tonight is Italian Wedding Soup with Garlic Bread — thanks HelloFresh!

9PM I take a super long shower and do a double pumping session before passing out. I never know where the time goes between 7-10PM.

Wednesday

8AM We had a great night. Scrunch’s long stretch was 6.5 hours (YAAAS! We’re back on track!). We had a 2AM feed, 5:45AM, and her usual 8AM. While I feed her, I put in a quick Amazon order on my phone. I order diapers and a four pack of bibs for the baby, and a charcoal pumice stone for me, it desperately needed to get replaced ($37.41). My husband leaves a bit earlier than usual today and I race around the house getting ready, as our babysitter on her way over. For the last month I’ve been cooking once a week for one of my OG clients, and it works out very well for everyone. I LOVE my job and working once a week has given me back some sanity.

2:30AM I’m home and Venmo our babysitter ($115). The baby and I spend the next few hours in bed feeding, playing, talking, and laughing. It’s really good to be home. She’s been so much fun these last few weeks it melts my heart.

5:30PM I take the baby on a really long stroller walk before my husband comes home from work. We have a really nice afternoon together. I got an email that the cats Chewy order just shipped, we order about 3 months worth of wet and dry food ($69.30).

7PM Same routine. My husband comes home from work, plays with the baby and begins bedtime while I cook us dinner and unwind with a glass of wine and an audiobook. We have dinner together, I shower, pump, attempt to read an actual book (what a joke), and go to sleep around 11PM — praying I won’t have to wake up before 4AM.