To Every Mama Wondering If She’s Doing Enough… Here’s My Day By Maggie – Rooted & Rising

 🌸 A Day With My One-Year-Old: Gentle Chaos, Small Miracles

By Maggie – Rooted & Rising

I used to think I was busy — before motherhood.

Now? Hata sijui how to define my days anymore.

They’re full, messy, tender, overwhelming, repetitive… and somehow, sacred.

This is what a real day with my one-year-old looks like.

Not the Instagram version — the honest one.So come close, mama. Let me walk you through it.

☀️ 9:00 AM — Slow Mornings & Sticky Fingers

We usually wake up around 9. No alarm clock — just soft babbles or little feet kicking against the bed.

He’s smiling, I’m yawning.

We stretch. We breathe. We face the day together.

Breakfast is whatever he’ll accept that day — sometimes uji, sometimes banana, sometimes just bites of mine. Most of it ends up chini, but bora ameshiba!

🎶 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM — Play Mode: Activated

The living room becomes a playground. Toys everywhere. Me running on cold tea.

We dance to silly songs. We build towers and knock them down.

Sometimes we just sit on the floor, him babbling and me wondering how this tiny person already owns my heart.

It’s chaos. It’s joy. It’s motherhood in its rawest form.

😴 12:00 PM — Nap = Gold

Nap time hits. I exhale.

This is my window — to breathe, to move, to catch up kidogo.

I dash to do dishes, sweep, maybe reply to one or two messages I ignored all morning.

The house isn’t perfect. But this season? It’s not about perfection. It’s about presence.

🍛 Afternoon — Lunch, Laughs & Leaves

After his nap, we eat lunch. Or we try to.

Sometimes it’s a meal. Sometimes it’s a negotiation.

Then we go outside — fresh air is therapy.

He touches the soil, chases nothing, watches the world with those big, curious eyes.

And I remember to be present too.

🛁 Late Afternoon — Water & Reset

A warm bath calms him. It resets us both.

He plays with the water like it’s magic. And it is.

Because it slows the day down — reminds us to relax, mama… pole pole tu.

😴 Second Nap: My Mini Reset

While he sleeps again, I get a moment for myself.

I shower. I prep dinner. I breathe.

If he wakes early, I finish with him near me. Or his dad takes over — his presence is such a gift.

This part of the day feels like transition. The day winding down, the home softening.

🍽️ Evening — Family, Food & Fatigue

We eat together. Sometimes he eats, sometimes he just wants to be held.

I remind myself: it’s okay. Hii ni phase.

After dinner, we slowly start bedtime.

Some nights are smooth. Other nights feel like I’ve climbed Mount Kenya just to get him to sleep.

By 9 or 10 PM, he finally dozes off — and the house exhales again.

🌙 Night — Where Maggie Returns

Now it’s my time.

Not just “mom” — but Maggie.

I open my laptop. I write. I learn. I build. I dream.

It’s quiet. And in the quiet, I feel something powerful:

I may have spent the whole day giving…

But this hour — this small, sacred hour — I pour back into myself.

🌿 Final Thoughts

No two days are ever the same.

Some days, I feel like I’ve done nothing — yet I’ve done everything.

Some days, I cry from exhaustion. Other days, I cry from joy.

Some days, I miss who I used to be.

But most days… I’m proud of the woman I’m becoming.

Because this season — of nappies, naps, and slow dreams — it’s not a pause.

It’s not “just” motherhood.

It’s sacred work.

It’s transformation.

It’s the roots of something powerful.

So if you’re in this season too — feeling stretched, unseen, or unsure — just know:

You’re not behind. You’re becoming.

This is motherhood.

Messy. Tender. Holy.

And in the middle of it all — we are still Rooted & Rising.