There are days when I arrive at the office and genuinely feel like I’ve already lived an entire day.

My son usually wakes up sometime between 5:30 and 6 am, so our mornings start early. I try to wake up before him because even 15 or 20 quiet minutes before he wakes up can completely change how my morning feels, but it doesn’t always happen.

And a good morning actually starts the night before!

The night before

Before I go to bed, there are two important things I try to do: prepare the coffee machine and lay out my gym clothes.

Preparing the coffee might sound like insignificant time savings, but anyone with a toddler who wants to “help” with absolutely everything will understand. I put the water and ground coffee in the machine the night before so that, in the morning, all I have to do is press a button. Otherwise, my son inevitably wants to help me make it, and that often goes sideways…

I also separate my gym clothes and leave them ready. It removes one step from an already busy morning and makes it much more likely that I’ll actually exercise.

Neither of these things is groundbreaking. But I often thank my “yesterday self” for making my mornings easier.

Oh also: if you have an early riser, make sure you go to bed early!!

If I manage to wake up first

On a good morning, I wake up before my son. I have to do that without an alarm otherwise he hears it from the other room, but my body is used to the early wakings at this point 🤪

I put on my gym clothes, wash my face, put on moisturizer and my contacts, and get myself completely ready to exercise. I love having those few quiet minutes because I feel like I’m mentally ready for the morning before anyone needs anything from me.

Then, when I hear my son waking up, I actually look forward to going into his room to get him.

Does this happen every morning? I wish!

There are plenty of mornings when he’s awake before I am. But when I do manage it, there’s something really nice about walking into his room already dressed, awake and in a good mood rather than feeling like I’ve been summoned out of bed. At least I can still make a quick stop by the coffee machine and press the button so it starts brewing!

Breakfast, getting dressed and waking up Dad

Once my son is awake, the morning becomes mostly about him. I make his breakfast, get him dressed and usually play with him for a little while. Then it’s time to go wake up my husband together.

This has become one of my favorite little parts of our morning because my son knows how to say both “Bom dia, papai” and “Good morning, Dad” with a really cute voice. It’s such a small thing, but as a Brazilian mom raising my son in two languages, hearing him naturally use both makes me so proud!

My husband gets up, grabs his coffee, and that’s usually my cue to say goodbye to the boys for a little while and go exercise.

Working out while pregnant

I usually have around 30 or 40 minutes to work out. That’s pretty much the maximum I can fit in because I still need enough time to shower and get ready for work before our nanny arrives.

Exercise has always been important to me, but I value it even more during pregnancy. My body is changing so much, and staying active helps me feel more comfortable with those changes. It also makes a huge difference for my mental health. Moving my body makes me feel more like myself, even when so much looks different in the mirror.

It’s also a lot about staying strong. Pregnancy is physically demanding on its own, but being pregnant when you already have a toddler adds another layer. My son still needs to be picked up from his crib, or lifted into his high chair, the bathtub and the stroller. There is a lot of lifting that little guy throughout the day.

Of course, I follow the guidance I get about exercising during pregnancy and adjust what I do as my body changes. But maintaining my strength feels especially important during this period.

Thirty minutes might not sound like much, but at this stage of life, it feels like a treat.

And then, somehow, I go to work

After my workout, things move pretty quickly. I shower, get dressed and finish getting ready for work. Our nanny arrives, I say goodbye, and I switch from mom mode to work mode.

My commute has become the transition between those two versions of my day. I’ll start checking my emails, thinking about what’s waiting for me at work and gradually switching gears. By the time I get to the office, I’ve gone from breakfast, toddler, workout and logistics to meetings, emails and whatever else the workday has waiting for me.

On mornings when my son wakes particularly early, I sometimes feel like an entire day has already happened before I even arrive at the office.

And then I get there, grab a coffee and sit quietly at my desk. That first cup of coffee at the office honestly feels a little bit like a vacation.

Although, now that I’m pregnant, it sadly has to be decaf. It doesn’t quite taste the same, but it will do.

It’s a routine, not a rule

I don’t do this perfectly every day. Sometimes my son wakes up before I do or I’m too tired to workout. None of it is extraordinary, but it’s great to be able to put together a few things that make the morning feel manageable.

And in this season of being pregnant, raising a toddler and working full time, I’ve learned to appreciate the little positive pieces of my routine. Especially when the day starts before 6 am!