Saturday, June 11, 2016

Schedule changes are for the birds

I think I love my new job. It's still surreal having my husband home and awake for dinner by five each night. I'm pretty sure working three eight hour days a week is going to be worlds better than working five, five-ish hour days. But I am beyond tired. I feel like I want to sleep for a week.

My husband whose worked the night shift for the past three years is now working 7AM-4:30. I've worked Monday thru Friday for over 15 years. About a year after little Abe was born I went to part time, working 25ish hours a week instead of 40, still mon-fri. Our schedule for the past three years has looked something like this:

Husband goes to work at night, just before 10PM.
Little Abe and I see him off and then we head to bed.
Little Abe and I wake up around 7:30 or 8:30 in the morning.
Hubby gets home shortly before or shortly after we wake up.
Generally I'm make him breakfast (his dinner) and then I head into work.
Little Abe goes down for a nap between 12:30 and 1:30 and my hubby goes to sleep for the day.
I get home around 2:30 or 3:00.
Little Abe wakes up around 3:30/ 4:30-ish
We eat a fairly late dinner together, Abe and I.
And repeat.

Every single thing in this line up has changed and I love it. I like going into work four and half hours earlier then I used to. I like my husband working days. I think I LOVE working three days a week instead of five. BUT I have cut out Abe's nap since I need him to be in bed by 8 now (he really still needs a nap). Going into work four and half hours earlier then normal means going to sleep much earlier, waking up much earlier, and actually setting an alarm. (you have no idea how terrified I am of being late now)

All this change feels very  much like jet lag. For the past two days I've hardly been able to hold my eyes open after the hour of 6PM. I slept great last night (not normal for me; I'm a terrible sleeper) but I woke up as if I hadn't slept a wink. We'll adjust but right now, WHOA I'M TIRED! And so is my kiddo and my husband. Our little family is happy as we've ever been but it's comical how tired we all are. If anyone happens to see a family of three wandering west Michigan looking very much like sleep walkers or the walking dead, no worries, it's just my little family going for a casual stroll.

Odd side note: Hubby just donated all of his hair.
For anyone who noticed, it was VERY long in the last photo I posted of him.

4 comments:

  1. I noticed the short hair right away!
    Try to get as much sleep as possible. Hugs!

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    1. His hair had gotten REALLY long again. This is either his third or fourth time donating it all. He cut it right before his first day at the new location.

      I think I'm getting a pretty good amount of sleep and I will keep trying. I think all three of us, our bodies are freaking out from a total schedule change. We all tried to slowly work up to it for about three days but that doesn't seem to have really helped. I think in a week or two, hopefully our bodies will have almost adjusted.

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  2. I missed something on timing-how do you handle child care for Abe in the overlap of your three days of work? I
    m sure thoughtful crafty you has a good plan, just curious. I love it when families can make life work and over time, it will balance out for all of you.

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    1. My husband manages a department. He's working firsts now but he works second shift on Monday so that he can work with his second shifters too. His days off are Tuesday and Thursday. I am working Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. No child care :)

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