Mornings With Kennedy

I feel as if my eyes have only just closed as my 5:00 am alarm blares through the room. Only 2 hours and 15 minutes had passed since I laid in the bed, and yet my day job doesn’t care that I’ve been up all night chasing my dreams. So I roll onto my back, thank God for another day to get this right, and drag myself out of the bed. Although I’ve been doing this for about 8 months now, I still whisper to myself all the tasks I need to complete before Kennedy gets up. “Make her bottle, lay out her clothes, start the car, pack the car, where are my keys?, Did I pack my husband’s lunch?, wash my face, brush my teeth, throw on clothes, wake up Kevin…etc” and like most mornings, before I even finish my tasks, I hear my baby’s tiny voice through the monitor. 

She has no idea that I’m busy trying to get things in order for her, nor does she care. All she knows is that she is ready to get out of the crib and I better get there quick. So here I am, half dressed, running up the stairs to greet my little monster. No matter how tired or distracted I am, I always put on the biggest smile and sing, “Good Morning, Good Morning Love.” She responds with the cutest giggle and although I only have 45 minutes left to be out the door in order to not be late for work, making sure that Kennedy feels loved even during the busiest time of the day is all that matters.

 Even though I’ve tried to establish a morning routine, every morning is always slightly different and I’m learning to be okay with that. Some mornings, the stars are all aligned, and we are cruising down the highway by 6:35 all smiles, or in her case happily sleeping. Other mornings, she refuses to chill in her car seat and I’m flying down the HOV lane with one hand in the back seat holding hers and trying to keep her calm. Do I miss sleeping in until the very last minute, only focusing on my own needs, and stopping for that $5 cup of Starbucks that I don’t need because I have a box of K-cups at the house? ABSOLUTELY! But those days have long passed and I’ve wholeheartedly accepted the new normal that God has gifted me with. 

So as I look in the rearview mirror, I am reminded of 2 things. 1- I forgot my earrings…AGAIN and 2- I have to be better today than I was yesterday because that  little girl in the backseat is depending on me to win.