a monday in the life of
EMILY MOREHEAD Emily Morehead is a therapist and co-owner of The Couch, a team of female therapists who provide in-office appointments, telehealth and in-home services. Morehead also serves as clinical curriculum developer for Gladney Center for Adoption. She lives in McKinney with husband Braden, who works at Toyota Financial Services, and their children: Winston, 2, and Baker, 6 months. Between helping clients and chasing kiddos, Morehead enjoys time on her yoga mat.
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:15AM Braden and I wake to the sound of Baker’s coos through the monitor. Braden grabs Baker and I turn on the coffee pot. Let’s do this. 6:20AM Coffee and baby snuggles. Braden and I discuss agenda. The boys are home with me today, and Braden is heading into work. 6:30AM Start on pancakes. Winston will wake up any minute and he will be hungry. 7AM Braden heads out. I catch up on morning emails while listening for Winston to wake up. Baker is right next to me and giggling over his new book. 7:30AM “Old MacDonald had a shark …” I hear Winston singing in the monitor. I bring Baker upstairs and greet Winston with his favorite song, “Good Morning to You.” 8AM Dress both boys and head down for the now-cold pancakes. Winston argues for more syrup. I decide it’s not worth a battle and give him the freedom to pour more on his plate. 8:07AM I step directly into a puddle of syrup. Maybe I should have fought that syrup battle. 9AM Winston is now painting. I check emails while the boys are both occupied. I send out a blog that I wrote last night and start writing a list of to-do’s for the day. 9:30AM Baker starts to rub his eyes, the first sign he is ready for a nap. Winston is now occupied via Kinetic Sand, and I hope it will buy me
enough time to get Baker down without Winston “helping.” 10:10AM Kinetic Sand for the win. Baker is down. 10:30AM Yoga time. Winston does the Old MacDonald version, and we giggle about his horse pose. I walk to the kitchen to start dishes but hear “Mama, join me.” Done deal, buddy— I’m coming. 10:33AM Baker is up. I tell Winston to keep up the pig pose and that I’ll be right back. I snort as I walk away to disarm the frustration he has about me having to go get brother. 11AM Start on lunch. Today it is bean-and-cheese Trader Joe’s taquitos for Winston, while Baker and I get sweet potatoes. 11:45AM My neighbor drops by a Play Street Museum dinosaur bank that I purchased for Winston to paint. I hide it away for a meltdown day. 12PM Time to transition upstairs to Winston’s room for stories. We read The Rabbit Listened, Grumpy Monkey and Pig the Stinker. Baker loves storytime with big brother and coos. Winston thinks this is cute, and we all giggle. I feel tired but at peace. 12:30PM We sing bedtime songs. Winston reminds me that “Mama not sing it as good as Dada.” I lay Winston down and then go to Baker’s room for his turn for naptime. 1PM Tiptoe out of Baker’s room. Both boys are asleep, which always makes me feel like I conquered the world. 1:05PM It’s dedicated work time. I start working on our upcoming edition of Gladney Center’s reFRAMED podcast. I develop questions and send them to my producers. This podcast is about the neurobiology of healing. 2:30PM Trial run of telehealth with my private practice partner Monique. I hear Baker in the monitor, and that officially wraps up our time. 3:05PM Winston is up, and it’s time to get him a quick snack before the ENT. He tells me that he had a bad dream about a whale and wonders if a whale lives in his house. I reassure him that we live far from the ocean but that his dream sounded scary. 3:20PM I need to get the boys in the car for Baker’s doctor’s appointment. Winston wants to wear his rain boots and I’m rushing him, so a meltdown ensues. 3:35PM We pull up to the doctor at the exact appointment time. I remind Winston that we don’t touch things in the doctor’s office. I’m prepared to whip out my iPhone for some screen time if needed to keep the germ touch at a minimum. 3:37PM Into the doctor’s office. I’m drenched in sweat working to keep Winston from touching all the things. 3:45PM Screen time commences. “The Ants Go Marching One by One” is playing in the background as the doctor and I agree Baker needs tubes. 4:15PM I get the boys home and put Daniel Tiger on the TV. It’s time to start dinner.
Diaries are penned by moms (and dads) in the North Texas area. The authors volunteer to share a day of their choosing and are not paid or endorsed by DFWChild. Send your diary to editorial@dfwchild.com. All submissions are subject to editing and may be cut for space. 18
may 2020 / dfwchild.com
MOREHEAD FAMILY: KATE PRASLICKA PHOTOGRAPHY
real moms / R O U T I N E S
