Waking-up-in-the-morning Issues!

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I make his lunches for the entire week on Sunday night (it's nothing too exciting around here). He was doing it but now I do it because it allows him to get a little ahead on pre-ops and that means he can usually come home a little earlier. I won't be doing this next year but I'm willing to do my part because when he wasn't getting ahead on pre-ops, he was getting home after DD's bedtime every night and that sucked.

As for wake-up, his alarm goes off and he gets up. This usually wakes up the baby who is the lightest sleeper ever and I go get her and bring her into bed. Then she and I pass out again until our alarm goes off for our morning run. He kisses me goodbye but I sometimes don't even stir he says depending on how many night wakings DD has.

[GrayMatterWife]

Lisli:

I often get up with DH, too. But for no reasons NEARLY as loving as yours. I get up with him to remind him about his day and everything he has to do. ahahahahaaaaa!! (I will stand there, on the other side of the shower, reminding him about this, that and the other. He seems to appreciate it...he has little need for a calendar...)

I hate snuggling in the morning, but I think this may arise from the partner gender difference. My experience has always been: MEN SMELL BAD in the morning!! I mean, seriously. He smells way worse than me. Even if he showers right before bed, the morning brings RIPE MAN SMELL. So not...endearing... and I have no interest in snuggling that. I do like sex in the morning, but he needs to shower first (I know, spontaneity killer...)

You are a champ for all your efforts. I admire your energy.

[Chrisada]

I thought most residents had their food provided for at the hospital. I see on here some resident spouses making lunches.

[Curegirl]

Gray, I think it's the opposite with me. I'm greasy and have horrible morning breath. Awards to anyone who can stand snuggling with me in the morning!

[SoonerTexan]

I thought most residents had their food provided for at the hospital. I see on here some resident spouses making lunches.

DH's current rotation has this. We both really like it. I don't have to make a lunch and he comes home waxing poetic about something-crusted tilapia. It would be a beautiful thing to have during residency.

[poky]

I thought most residents had their food provided for at the hospital. I see on here some resident spouses making lunches.

"provided" is a strong term. Here, they do get $x/month on a card they can use at the cafeteria...but if DH is busy he can't get there, and if it's an overnight shift, it isn't open. He generally takes food with him, and I think they often send a med student out for food for the staff, or have stuff delivered that he can munch on, too.

DH's schedule is so erratic there's no way I'd make a habit of making him meals (even dinner) - if he's going to be home at dinner time or on the weekend, we eat together, other than that, we're on our own for food. I do the grocery shopping and keep the staples stocked, and we both will make meals that end up with leftovers.

[Chrisada]

Ok, I'll rephrase, a certain amount of money put on a card each month. The OB/GYN's and surgery residents always run out of money because of their hours. And DH does order food when he's there at night because the food services close at nine or something. And there are definitely days when he's too busy to stop and get lunch period, but it's still very helpful to have most of his meals paid for. I just thought is was a normal occurrence.

[diggitydot]

Having free food/drinks for docs is normal at DH's residency, too. They went to a card system for an allotted amount each month about 2 years ago, but they still also have a fully stocked physician's lounge with snacks and drinks. It's just a matter of getting time to actually eat.

[corn poffi]

Our residents get a set amount each month. But if you're working a service with a ton of call, they let you get extra cards when you run out. Our hospital has a couple food places, and one is open 24 hours, which is awesome. His class has a tradition of ordering pizza every Friday or Saturday call shift, because there are three 2s there and they like to bond. Although more often than not, they all end up eating alone anyway!

[Michele]

You people suck. I shouldn't read these threads. I used to have to get up at 5 so I could shower before he woke up. And now? I still have to get up at 5 so I can attempt to shower before the little people get up and into trouble. And yeah. That's why I'm in bed at 7:30 posting as I'm nursing the little one to sleep.

[niener]

At our last program they had a certain amount on a card given to them at the beginning of the year but DH ran out in like January. Here they don't do any sort of meal plan, but the cafeteria here is worthless -- he'd never get to use the credit there if he had it. If he doesn't take a lunch, he doesn't eat (or he eats a bag of chips from the vending machine). Apparently they get free food at the VA and I think one of the private hospitals they rotate through.

[diggitydot]

For different wake times when you are nice enough to not wake your bed partner:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/07/10/alarming-ring/

[alison]

My husband doesn't need to know that people like you exist, Liisi! . My dh wakes up at 5, and the kiddo and I wake up between 8:30-9. Yeah, we really have to hustle to be at school on time! My dh gets breakfast and lunch at work--he pays for lunch (it's catered), and breakfast is provided.

[Liisi]

Ohmygoodness, I started a thread and now can't keep up with it!



Niener, I like your idea and I'm going to try that! This morning was a little different, because SO got up at 4:45 AM to do notes, and I slept in until 6. When her lovely-music-alarm went off at 4:45, I sleepily kissed her before she got out of bed (I was so tired I just leaned over and kissed whatever part of her was there, and I think it ended up being her armpit - ew!), and then zonked out again. And MY alarm, with an annoying frenzy of birds chirping, went off at 6 AM - across the room, yay!!! I put my alarm clock there last night. And it worked wonderfully for me this morning. I got up, turned it off, went up to SO's office to kiss her good morning, then went downstairs to make the coffee and breakfast.


Spotty-dog, you're so right that going to bed earlier is important. That's always a goal of mine but it's so hard, argh. Sometimes SO and I don't even eat dinner till 8 or 9 PM, and if our goal is to be asleep by 10... there just aren't enough hours in the day for everything! But last night I did get in bed at 9:45 PM, which helped so much. I woke up with plenty of energy.

I know I don't have to get up with SO and she's an adult and can feed herself! But I like eating breakfast with her. And I partially make her meals because, like T&S says, it helps SO get her work done in less time. If I spend a half hour in the morning cooking breakfast for her (us) and making/packing her lunch, that's an extra half hour she can spend doing paperwork before going into the office, and thus, she might be able to come home from work 30 minutes earlier than she normally would. Other reasons for cooking her meals: she and I both have specific dietary/nutritional needs and restrictions that generally aren't met by either convenience foods (e.g. processed foods) or by the sub-par hospital cafeteria. I don't think she gets any free meals there, and also, she works hard through her lunch break, so having to take 20 minutes to go through the cafeteria would mean 20 more minutes of work she'd have to do at the end of the day. (Geez, she works so hard during her lunch "break" she often won't even take the salsa or hummus I offer to pack with her tortilla chips, because "dipping takes too much time"!!!)

Re: morning snuggling... she smells just fine to me. We both have stinky breath in the morning (who doesn't?!), so if we're going to KISS kiss, we both go brush our teeth first!!

Diggity, that vibrating alarm is awesome, and I would love to use it! But SO doesn't like vibrating things OR noisy things, sheesh! I asked her, what about a "dawn simulator" with a light that gets brighter and brighter, and she likes that idea. But I think they're hundreds of dollars, and we already have a 20-nature-sounds alarm clock, plus a CD/radio alarm clock, and two cell phone alarm clocks, sooo... I think she and I will both just have to deal.

I'll keep you all posted.

[Vishenka69]

Last time DH tried to suggest that I make him breakfast in the morning was in med school and he got an earful and never tried again. I will sometimes make lunch the night before but that's also a rare occurrence. I'm generally not a very pleasant person in the morning, so he prefers that I don't get up until he leaves. It was never a big deal to see him every single day, so sleeping through his morning routine was not an issue. But I guess it's different early in the relationship (it's hard to remember those days 15 years later).

I think it's great that you're even making an effort. Hopefully she appreciates it.