30 Days of Giving Thanks: Day 7

Today I am thankful for my job.  Sometimes it is hard for me to remember to be thankful for my job... that really sounds terrible, doesn't it?  In this economy I should always be thankful for being gainfully employed, right?  No matter what path I take (or am dealt) in life, I know there is stress and aspects I will not like.

I work with a pretty awesome group of people... seriously.  Everyone is super supportive of each other.  It sounds cheesy, but we are definitely more like a family (at least in our building).  Aside from helping each other out with work projects, we bicker and poke fun at each other, play practical jokes, debate politics, and bring in surprise treats for our coworkers.  I've gotten to sit in next to the same person for the past 5+ years; she and I have both sat next to each other during the times when we were planning our  weddings, just got married, and had our babies.  (In fact we just moved desks and we are both still sitting next to each other.)  I have coworkers that have given me hand-me-down clothes and shoes their kids have out grown!  The support we provide each other at work goes more than just Monday-Friday during business hours, because goodness knows we certainly aren't working just 40 hours a week.  I truly believe that no matter what you are getting paid to do, if you don't like (or even try to appreciate) the people you're working with you will be miserable!

Sometimes work gets busy... and we're talking the crazy insane amount of busy because I feel like the "normal" is busy compared to some companies.  (I guess everyone feels that way...)  When things aren't the "bad kind" of busy (and by that I mean things falling apart left and right), I remember to enjoy the challenges and fast-paced nature of my job... there's never a dull moment (see previous paragraph about practical jokes).

There's also the support from management for personal/professional development that I get at work.  If I want to attend a conference or training opportunity, it is almost always a given that I will get to go.  Okay, there was one time where a coworker and I tried to convince our boss that an industry related conference in Hawaii was absolutely necessary... that travel didn't get approved.  This week I'm attending a training course in San Francisco, CA and while I don't have time during the day to do any sight-seeing, I am in SAN FRANCISCO!  You better believe I am going to see some of the city while I'm here!  I have talked about the possibility of graduate school in a previous post... my company wholeheartedly supports and encourages my pursuit of that opportunity.  If I go that route, I just have to figure out something that works for me personally and that I truly want to pursue.

As a company and specifically in our department we do a lot of outreach.  Whether it's company time to go participate in our county United Way volunteer day, hosting and sponsoring a camp for girls entering the 8th grade interested in science/engineering, or providing exhibit days down at our local science museum.  This is probably one of the biggest reasons why I am proud to work for my company.  There are a lot of people who have negative things to say about a lot of corporations, including the one I work for, but I don't think most people know the types of things that they do that are more than just producing a product (or providing a service).

30 Days of Giving Thanks: Day 5

I know, I know... I've already missed 2 days.  Oops.  The weekend really got away from me apparently... you would think I would actually be able to blog over the weekend?!

Today's post is how thankful I am to have such an amazing support system.  I've already posted about my husband, but this is a more general post about my/our support system.  They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I would agree!  Both my husband & I work full-time outside of the home.  My mom watches the boys when we are at work and she is truly a huge blessing to us!  There are days that I get really down about not being able to be at home with my boys, but they have such a great time with Grandma during the day!  Plus, getting to see my mom on a daily basis is awesome!

Both sets of our parents will watch the boys on the occasional weekend evening so Matt and I can have a date night.  I think that Matt and I taking time as a couple is very important for our kids to learn what it may take to make marriage work.  How else will they have successful marriages in the future (if that is their vocation) if they do not have parents leading by example?

As a professional I also sometimes have "extra-curricular" activities in which I participate.  I am the chair of the local section of American Chemical Society for 2012 (yes, I am somewhat counting down the days) and tomorrow I will be leaving for a business trip for a training course.  I continually toy with the idea of going back to school for a graduate degree, and even though I haven't yet found a program that fits what I want to do, my family is extremely supportive.

With having such an amazing support system to lean on to help raise my wonderful kids, I constantly hope and pray that I do not ask too much of those around me.  I understand and appreciate how much our family does for us and hope to never take advantage of their generosity.

That Awkward Moment: Breastfeeding & Working (part 2)

(I know, I know, I've been terrible about blogging lately...)

In honor of Christopher being 10 months old today and the fact that I have officially made it to 10 months of breastfeeding my little guy, something awkward had to happen around the topic of breastfeeding right?

Monday's are a special little day we like to call at work "war room day"... I sit in a conference room all.day.long. with some of my closest coworkers to work on European projects & video conference with our EU colleagues.

Well, I went to leave the war room to go to the lactation room in the building and a male coworker was walking out behind me.  The lactation room is a hop skip & a jump away from the room we were so he was going to see me "sneak in" even though I'm pretty sure everyone knows that I am a nursing mother.  (Or so I thought.)  To my surprise after I open the door he is right behind me saying "I've always wanted to see what is in this room!"  In my mind, I was thinking "wow, you want to see the inside of a lactation room?  I mean, it holds liquid gold but how did you know what was in here?" but of course I just kind of stare at him politely not really sure what to say.

The next words out of his mouth (after seeing the fridge, the sink, the lockers and the microwave) are "so what is this room?".  I looked at him and just said "A lactation room."  His response was the classic "Oh!  Okay..." as he scampered down the hallway clearly embarrassed he asked.  I called out behind him "Hey, you asked!"

This was a conversation with the father of 2 children...

That Awkward Moment: Breastfeeding & Working

When you're at your company's on-site medical center nursing your baby in the waiting room when your CEO walks in....

When you have your milk cooler in hand and you're walking the 20 feet to go pump and your previous boss stops you and says "going to have a snack?" and you just stare blankly...

When you're training 20 or so of your colleagues in the largest conference room in your department and your Outlook calendar reminder to pump pops up on the big screen... And then it happens again during the next training session you have to give...

Pumping at Work

This is only my own reflection on breastfeeding and going back to work, everyone's choice is different.

One of my biggest struggles when going back to work with Jack was expressing breast milk for him to drink while I was at work.  I lived and learned from the experience with him and so far, I am feeling a bit more accomplished while trying to maintain breastfeeding with Christopher.  With Jack I was already supplementing with formula during the work week, but so far I am still "staying ahead" with the milk available for Christopher.  I still have things that I wish I would've done differently this time around, but baby steps right?  Here are the things that have helped me maintain my breast feeding relationship while at work:

1.  Get the hang of breastfeeding the baby first.
Make sure that the baby has a good latch and your supply is pretty well established before you pump.  (This of course goes out the window if you have a situation where your baby isn't able to nurse, i.e. he/she is in the NICU.)  I would also recommend seeing/talking to a lactation consultant when you start pumping before going back to work.  I think it would've saved me a lot of headaches when trying to figure things out with Jack.  I'm never eager to start pumping.  Pumping isn't exactly sunshine and cuddly puppies.  I willingly do it for my baby but I'm pretty indifferent to the actual process.  (By the way, when I've used my pump, it has never caused pain.)


2.  Having a good double electric pump... like every other online resource says.
Personally, I love my Ameda Purely Yours pump.  It has a closed system pump that prevents any milk from going into tubes and possibly into the motor of the pump.  I don't know how big of an issue it is for those who might use a Medela pump, but personally it was a big enough complaint that showed up in my research for me to go with the Ameda.  Plus, the most expensive Ameda breast pump package (including a bag, etc.) is the same price as the least expensive option from Medela on Babies R Us' website.  I bought my pump in 2009 (before Jack was born) and it still works just fine.  The bag is in great shape, granted I really don't use/abuse it too much.  The markings on the outside of the bottles are a little worn, but that isn't a big deal.

3.  Start pumping before your return to work.
Now this all depends on how much time you are able to take off work for maternity leave.  With Jack I took 8 1/2 weeks out of medical necessity, with Christopher I was able to take 11 weeks off.  Do I think that extra time did much for my supply or nursing relationship with Christopher?  Not really, I think it helped me more by having extra time to build my freezer stash.  With Jack, I didn't do that great about pumping routinely before going back to work and I was convinced to do better with Christopher.  Do you know how hard it is to pump with a 2 year old and a newborn when you're home by yourself?  Yeah, during the day didn't work for me.  I had to pump when Matt was home and the most convenient time ended up being around 10 p.m..  I thought I'd pump every night and build my freezer stash, it ended up being more like 4-5 nights a week because I was tired!  I started when Christopher was about 3 weeks old adding a pumping session (not replacing a nursing session).  That was still much better than what I did with Jack.

4.  Having a [nice] place to pump at work.
I know this isn't easy for everyone, but hopefully companies are becoming more breast pump friendly.  I am very lucky that my employer has a lactation room in the 2 main buildings on our "campus".  There might even be more of which I am unaware.  I mention that I have this wonderful lactation room (complete with a sink, fridge, mini-lockers, and even a microwave to heat up lunch or a snack), but honestly I usually end up pumping in the bathroom in my building.  Now before you get all grossed out, let me explain that it is a "single-seater" with a lock on the door, a huge counter, and a sink.  And there are only 3 other women in the building.  I'm busy at work and while I absolutely don't feel guilty taking the time to pump, honestly it is sometimes hard to stop & start in the middle of a task at work.

5.  Add a pumping session in the evening or on the weekend.
Some days pumping results in more milk to store than others.  If I haven't pumped the same amount that Christopher normally eats (note: normally not on a day that he might eat more than average), I will try to pump again that night, or once or twice over the next weekend.  This has helped me stay ahead of the curve for the supply he needs each day.

37 Week Check-up!

I apologize but this blog is going to be pretty pregnancy & baby centric over the next few weeks... its the nature of being full-term and all of the excitement (craziness, etc.) that comes with it.  I also started this blog as a way to keep family up to date with our family happenings.

Today was my 37 week check-up and I had an ultrasound to check baby's size.  She estimates baby to be 6 pounds 2 ounces and said baby should likely only be gaining a 1/2 pound each week.  That would put me with having a baby slightly smaller (weight wise) than Jack was at 40 weeks.  Jack was 8 lbs. 2 oz. at 40 weeks exactly.  Of course an ultrasound is only an estimate... I'm not going to lie, an ultrasound at 37 weeks is very hard to see baby all squished at this point so I don't have any pictures to share.  I didn't even get to see the classic profile shot because baby is so low.  Oh well!  I did get to see that beautiful heart beating.  I was joking with Matt that I was going to find out what we were having, but I definitely didn't see anything even if it was up on the screen at all.  I am having a very hard time waiting to find out if this is a baby boy or girl, mainly because I want to meet him or her!

I was also about 2 centimeters dilated at 36 weeks, but not effaced.  This week I was still about 2 centimeters dilated but 50% effaced, so definitely seeing some progress!  I know this kind of progress is not any predictor of when labor might start, but I think its very encouraging to know that my body is taking steps in the right direction for full blown labor and delivery.  She mentioned induction as a possibility in the future, but was not saying it would provide any sort of guarantee that I would not tear like I did with Jack.  She also did not push induction at all, which I appreciate... I've heard of other people having doctors encouraging induction for the sake of scheduling.  I'm not against induction by any means, but for me personally if there's no medical reason I'd prefer not to go that route.  I would definitely say if she could guarantee an induction would mean not tearing like last time I'd be all ears and definitely qualify that as a medical reason.  The recovery from a 4th degree tear was definitely no picnic and I only had a newborn to hold during recovery... not a toddler running around in addition.  (Did you know that some women have to undergo physical therapy after that kind of tearing?  I'm very lucky I did not.)

My goal is to not to not go into labor before 38 weeks (one week from tomorrow)... that would put me at being "guaranteed" having maternity leave through the holidays by taking the full 12 weeks allowed.  Ha ha, I know I might be somewhat silly thinking I might go early, but I know 3 women (first-time mothers) who had their babies before 37 weeks last month.  I have been noticing quite a few more contractions this time around then I remember with Jack.  I suppose that could likely be because I actually know what I'm feeling.

I am still working full-time and feeling pretty good!  I think my body is actually handling this pregnancy better than my first.  I'm also being forced to stay active enough to keep up with a 2 year old, which could make things worse, I think is actually beneficial to me.  My maternity leave back-up plan is almost in a finalized format that I'll just need to updated at the end of each day, so I feel okay with how I'll be leaving my projects while I'm out.  I can only be prepared so much because I can not predict what might happen when I'm out on leave.

Busy bee!

Well, things have been crazy for me at work!  I even worked today...

I will update later this weekend because I simply want to go to bed!

Weekends are my Fav!

I seriously can't get enough of weekends! Again, work has been super busy and I am so thankful that the weekend is here.

We spent this evening at our good friends' house with another family. It is always so great to get together with them because our kids are very close in age (three are within 1 month of each other) and we've all known each other since college (or before). We discovered today that Jack does not like bubbles... at least not when blown in his face! Who knows, we'll try again at a later date. It is always so fun to see the different points of development the three of the 15/16 month olds are and all of the things in which they're interested. Here is how big our "babies" look these days:

In other news, I never gave an update on our experience with the newest cloth diaper, the Best Bottom diaper, so here it is:

• Best Bottom (one-size): We got it in Chunky Monkey and I love the colors! We got the large sized snap-in inserts (one for regular wear & an extra overnight snap-in insert) and they seem to work well as we haven't had any leaks! I will say I'm not crazy about it though; the insert/liner almost always bunches up on Jack and it bugs me for some reason, but like I said they don't leak. The overnight insert has worked for us too, but it makes the diaper HUGE! It easily makes the diaper the biggest we own when doubled. They make a hemp liner but not in overnight (so you can snap the fleece on top for quick absorbency), I think that would be very helpful. It is a really neat concept to be able to switch out liners for a diaper change but the liners don't have a waterproof backing so I am fairly positive you'd have to wipe them out between uses (we wash ours after 1 use), and poop doesn't stay on the liner so I bet it'd be even worse for newborn poop. Overall, for day time use I really like this diaper but there are some downsides to it for us as well; maybe on a smaller baby it would fit better!

In other news, Matt & I are talking about trying to take a family vacation... we have no idea where or when but we know it should be low cost and driving distance. Although driving distance is definitely longer for us than most people are willing to do, we love road trips! We've driven to TX more than once, so a two-day drive is not out of the question for us. Please leave tips or suggestions that we'd all enjoy in the comments!

We're going to have a relatively low key weekend because Matt works tomorrow & has a golf outing for work on Sunday. Not crazy about not getting a lot of family time, but he was home all day & got some quality time with Jack so that is what is really important!

Working Motherhood

I'm not sure on the exact date, but I real date of my 1st year of a working mom has recently passed. It has been almost the same as looking back on Jack's 1st year with us... bittersweet.

On one hand, I'm proud that I continue to kind of make it work (I have to, right?) and how amazing my family has been supporting me through working-motherhood. We pay our bills, get family time in as much as possible, and attempt to be successful by being dedicated to our jobs. I am amazed at the length of time that I continued to breastfeed my son while working, I was discouraged when I made the decision to stop but I have to try and be proud of myself for making it to 8 months (6 of those working). The shear act of childbirth and recovery is an amazing feet for all women... all mother's should be proud of the ability we have as women to bring life into this world.

On the other hand, it is a continuous struggle to be away from my child through most of his waking hours during such an amazing time in his life (no time in his life will be any less amazing). I have my moments where I'm insanely jealous of the amount of time my husband gets to spend with Jack, but I have to remember what a beautiful father-son relationship they have. Matt gets to snuggle every morning and give him his breakfast... I guess, I miss my snuggly baby who is not so snuggly in the afternoons when I get one-on-one time. Coupled with the pressure of trying to keep up managing a household; with which my husband is amazing at helping with, but with both of us working its an exhausting effort for both of us. My favorite times are long weekends when I feel like I can actually get caught up on stuff around the house while Jack was napping. I don't know how 1 extra weekend day really adds that much time, but I guess I'm not as focused on recouping from the long work week because I have additional time to unwind.

All in all, I will call it a successful year as a working mom... I can not think of it as anything but successful. I must work to help support our family and I must be the best mom that I can be, part of that is helping to support our family. I am working everyday to accept the fact that I must work outside of our home, as hard as it is emotionally. Also, I know that if I were to ever get to be a stay-at-home mom, that too will be incredibly tough so I do not want to downplay any moms who work very hard at home taking care of their children.

Here is my reason for waking up and going to work every day:

This is a picture of Jack and I walking to read a bedtime story one night... enjoying beautiful moments like this are important to getting through the difficulty of being away so much.

11 months

Eleven months ago, right now we were moved into the recovery room after I gave birth to Jack. I can not believe how time has flown! Our camera memory card is full (all 2 GB! but there is some video on it), so I haven't taken pictures in a few days but will be sure to do so soon! But here's the official Jack update: he's saying "ball" when actually referring to a ball (just one, not all balls) even though it sounds like ba-WOO and he's standing up for a while. Not walking, and not really thinking about it because he's still nervous about standing on his own & isn't getting on his feet without pulling up... possibly by his birthday he'll be there! Scary to think about!

Also, I want to share pics of my Mother's day and birthday gifts from Matt & Jack soon, too! Things at work have been INSANE... and will continue being crazy for at least the next few weeks. I'll try to be better about blogging though!

Phone Upgrade?

Hmmm, so I know this is kinda early, because we're not up for a renewal until May, but I was wondering what all of you busy moms out there think of your smartphone. I really like the Palm Pixi that Verizon currently has out, the OS looks pretty neat... I just wonder if the extra money spent monthly is worth it. I find myself having a hard time keeping all of our schedules straight these days while working full-time and being a mom, and this is only the beginning if Matt & I are blessed enough to have more kids in the future!

So I'm asking you, what do you use your smartphone for or what do you find are major benefits? Email, internet, GPS? Also, what do you dislike about it?

What a Long Week!

Wow... could not have been a longer week, I'm pretty sure! This week begun with an all day meeting at work plus business dinner, followed by 3 days of a work conference, then yesterday we went out with friends to see a comedian! It wasn't necessarily a bad week, just pretty insane!

So because of my crazy work week, and my torn feelings I've had lately, I decided to wean Jack. Emotionally it was definitely tough, being away from my baby boy and not even feeling that connection of nursing (even through pumping I could feel that connection); not to mention physically exhausting still trying to pump a little bit so I wasn't miserable! I've been giving him his bottles a lot over the past couple of days, so that has helped me get some snuggle time in with my baby boy.

Yesterday, I took the afternoon off so I could spend some time with Jack before our night out with friends. Jack actually spent the night with my parents last night and Matt & I stayed downtown at a hotel. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it was especially tough because of not getting to see him much this week.

Today was a blast! We had some friends & their kids over for fun and pizza! It had been a while since we all got together with the kids, and it was really fun to get to see Jack interact with all of the kids. He definitely sat there for a while when all the kids got here and took it all in... took him a little while to warm up to it! I guess its just a test run to run with the big dogs before his cousins come to visit in a couple of weeks! There was minimal crying and swatting of others, and surprisingly he did okay sharing his toys, haha!

I did mention going on a business dinner earlier this week... after the craziness that was this week, I decided to amend my Lenten sacrifice. I know it may be cheating, but I realized that I couldn't simply not eat at my conference or skip out at business events. I am still sticking to making sure to take my lunch to work and will be adding the goal of working out (probably using the Wii Fit for 30 minutes) 4 times a week. I hope I can keep up with the Wii, I always feel better after working out but have a hard time staying motivated. I am in a wedding next fall and summer is coming up so I'd like to be in a little bit of better shape before getting into a swimsuit or bridesmaid dress!

In other news, please pray for the victims of the earthquake in Chile. My boss is from Chile and still has family there so I am sure he is very worried and I hope he will be able to get a hold of family and friends to make sure they're okay.

Ash Wednesday!

Happy Lent to all those who observe. This year Matt & I are giving up eating out/ordering take-out for Lent. We did it 2 years ago and it was tough but worth it! Since we've moved and the holidays, we've been bad about picking up dinner and lunch whenever we got too tired. I hope this will also help me get better at planning our meals, which has been extremely difficult for me since Jack was born.

In other happenings, things have been CRAZY busy for me! I am pretty much swamped at work, which is kind of nice to make the days go quickly, but also stressful. Nonetheless, I'm happy to be given the responsibility and anxious to prove to my boss and coworkers that I can deliver. I felt like a slacker because I essentially couldn't fulfill the duties in my job description due to not being allowed in the lab (per company policy as a safety concern). Now I definitely don't feel guilty for getting pregnant, but I do feel that if I want to advance I must really prove myself during fiscal years that I am not.

Well, things are so busy I must work a little bit from home this evening and tomorrow evening. Next week is our R&D conference so posting probably will not happen, even though I will still be in town. Hopefully I'll get to post this weekend after Matt & I get our new furniture (did I mention we bought new furniture and I'm SO excited!?).

Is it Friday Yet?!

Wow... Why is it that Tuesday evening, it feels like I've already worked a full 5 day week (and then some). I'm not complaining, I'd rather be busy with things to do especially because I feel very lucky to have a job in this economy.

Yesterday started out with a surprise that myself and a coworker were going to be presenting on a project to the head of R&D the next day (which would be today). This is not something that is taken very lightly by my department head... I kind of feel that sometimes he is a bit too controlling. I guess its good because he tends to be aware of what is going on, but sometimes it is hard to allow your personality to show through in your work. So, we worked on our presentation for a couple of hours, reviewed it with some senior members of our group (my direct boss included), and then putting the finishing touches on it. We reviewed it again today the hour before our meeting/presentation was scheduled and one women gets an email on her Blackberry saying that meeting is cancelled for this week. ARGH... well, our presentation is just being pushed back so we're at least prepared for when the presentation will actually happen. I am grateful for the opportunity to present to senior management. I've been told essentially that my presence isn't known at the company, and that's some of what needs to happen for me to have a chance of promotion. We've also got a lot of prep going on for our global R&D conference on top of our project load, so things are just all around super busy.

I am excited for tomorrow evening, there is a group of younger women from work getting together to play a game, drink some wine, and eat some yummy food. The summer before I got pregnant with Jack I played sand volleyball with some coworkers. Getting that time outside of work is really helpful in not only networking but being able to do things at work together. Not to mention, getting a girls' night will be a much welcomed break.

Things on the breastfeeding end of motherhood have been slightly discouraging lately. My supply seems to be going down a bit and I can't quite figure out why. I know Jack is eating more solid foods, but I keep reading that he's still supposed to be getting most of the nourishment from formula or breastmilk. But it seems that even though on the weekend when I'm nursing him full-time and only giving him solids after nursing, my supply is still low. I guess I shouldn't assume that my supply is going bad, but when I pump I'm getting far less than I had been (we're talking 50%). I keep toying with the idea of weaning him, but I don't know that I'm quite ready. I know it sounds selfish but I enjoy the time we get and honestly, I enjoy saving money. Haha, yes I know I've got weird reasons, but my feelings are all over the map on this topic!

Well, in more exciting news... JACK IS CRAWLING! He took his first on all-fours "steps" on Sunday and he's getting better and better every day. He is still doing a lot of moving around in any which way he can. Involving hands, knees, feet, and butt to get to whatever he wants... pretty cute! Luckily he's not too fast yet but we need to work on baby-proofing our house better.

Well, I'm beat and seriously need to get better sleep than I have the past couple of nights!

Its been a While!

Wow... I can't believe its been so long since I've written an entry! Things have been extremely busy at work and when I get home I just want to crash and snuggle with my little man.



Jack is officially past the 3 month mark and we can't believe it! He is getting bigger and bigger every day and I just can't believe my eyes. I want to keep him as a baby because he's just a ton of fun, but I know that he's a ton of fun because of all the new things he's discovering these days.



He had been doing so well holding himself up that we decided to put together his exersaucer. I love to put things together (the scientist part of me loves to figure things out) so I just up and did it one day. It had just been sitting in a box in his room because I wasn't sure when he'd be able to use it (and I didn't want to unpack it and have to move it if he wasn't ready to use it). He loves it, mainly a couple of toys he can use but I think he loves being held upright in it the most! Here's a pic of the little guy enjoying himself:

Well, Matt and I went looking at houses today and think we found some great possibilities! I'll updated Sunday after we go looking at our favorites again... maybe we'll put a 4th offer in. Tomorrow Matt is working, so I might go and get Jack's Halloween costume! I can't wait, I will be sure to post pictures!

Somebody's Got a Case of the Mondays...

So going back to work for week two was harder than starting back week one in my opinion! It almost felt as if last week was a temporary thing... until today. I keep telling myself I am lucky enough to have short weeks through the end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30) because of having to use up my vacation.

This coming Wednesday night, Matt and I are going to check out a home (for the 3rd time) that we might make an offer on! Very exciting, nerve-wracking, etc. but nonetheless a good thing. We've asked my parents to come along to help us pick up on any possible issues that we might not notice. They've bought a house or two in their day and it definitely doesn't hurt to have extra eyes on such a large purchase.

This evening I put away some of Jack's first clothes that he has since outgrown. Its not that I hadn't known he didn't fit in them anymore, but I hadn't pulled them out of his dresser until tonight. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, but it makes me kind of sad to be putting away some of the adorable teeny, tiny clothes that he wore as early as his first day home! I can not believe how big he's gotten at just over two months old! Speaking of, I forgot to update everyone on his stats from his 2 month check-up: 13 lbs. 2 oz. and 23.25 inches long! That's up 5 lbs and 2.75 inches from birth!

First Week Back

Luckily, for me the dreaded "first week" went very fast! Getting to see Jack midway through the day both Monday & Tuesday helped a ton... as well as getting to take a 1/2 day on Friday. My long recovery from childbirth is kind of a blessing in disguise, short-term disability insurance covered all of my leave due to "complications" (my doctor said I have a high pain tolerance, I figured I don't have anything to compare it to). I ended up with 10 of my vacation days (which I had saved to get paid out during my leave) must be used by September 30th (end of the fiscal year)! I'm so happy, I get close to 3-day weeks until then... making my part-time transition time pretty much come true!

For all of you breastfeeding moms out there, you know its not always easy! After the first week or so of tough times I came to really appreciate the bonding & snuggle time while feeding Jack. I didn't realize I would, but I really did miss those times this week. I am still nursing when at home but I am pumping 3 times throughout the workday so Jack can get breastmilk while I'm away. Pleasantly, so far I have been able to keep up with his needs (its always daunting to plan on something that may not come easily). I can already tell it might be tricky getting those three times a day in, but I really want to make it happen!

Well, this weekend we're kind of laying low! Last night we went to the mall, I got a couple of shower gifts for my friends getting married this fall and we also got a couple of cute onsies for Jack from The Children's Place! One saying "Man of the Year" another saying "Dad's New Football Buddy" (you can guess which one Matt really likes).

We cut our night pretty close because I knew Jack was getting kinda hungry but I thought he would be fine until we got home... needless to say the last few lights we hit before home were pretty much torture! He was hungry and screaming, by time we got him home and I was nursing him there were big ole tears streaming down his face. I will always hate those situations, but it wasn't the first and I'm sure it won't be the last.

We get to go house hunting again tomorrow! We got our pre-approval letter finally (we had a verbal amount from the consultation with the mortgage broker before) and it was higher than what we want to spend, but its nice to now have in writing! There are a few houses near old Hilliard that we're going to see and one in North Clintonville just south of Worthington. Matt and I are constantly struggling with making the right decision on this... buying your first home is kinda a big deal! We plan on living there for 3-5 years; our cars are the only things we've made long-term commitments to.... well, with the exception of each other through marriage and our son through parenthood! We're so excited for this new adventure! (Its not like we haven't started anything new in the past couple of years... ha ha!)

Tonight, we're off to my parents' house and out to dinner with my family and my grandma who's coming into town from Dayton. Should be fun, but now I need to get Jack fed and dressed!

Back to Work, Back to Work...

So my first couple of days back went surprisingly well... My first day back included lunch with my boys and some of the ladies at work! I got to show of our little man to my coworkers and get a Jack fix. Matt and I had gone to a wedding when Jack was a month old and spent 4 hours away from him then; this made splitting my full day up much easier. Not to mention I had 250+ emails to sort through that day (and this after I had checked my email a couple times on leave and deleted some "junk"). It was also nice for Matt to get to spend a whole day of father-son time. Their day ended like this:

Today was again relatively easy, but Jack had his 2 month check-up and immunizations. Matt met me at the pediatrician's office and was the strong on, while I was pacing in the tiny exam room holding back my own tears while Jack was crying through his shots. Jack spent the rest of the day with Grandma and Aunt Rachel and did really well! My mom said he took a nice long nap and ate a little bit, but was in pretty good spirits.

Tomorrow is my first full day without my baby boy... Here's to hoping that goes well! I go straight from work to pick him up at Grandma's, I better not get a speeding ticket! Ha ha!

My Welcome to Blogging...

So I'm definitely new to the blogging world, but I have enjoyed reading those of friends and those on topics I've Googled (i.e. pregnancy, motherhood, cooking, etc.).

A little bit about me... I've been married to my wonderful husband and best friend, Matt, for over a year and a half. We have a beautiful 8 week old son, Jack, who is our world and our favorite entertainment. Being a mother has been an amazing experience so far and I can not wait for all of the excitement that is yet to come!

After a little over 8 weeks of maternity leave, I will be returning to work as a chemist. I know that going back to work won't be easy, but its what we have to do [for the time being.] We're blessed enough that my mom has offered to come to watch Jack while we're working. (If you've ever looked into childcare options you know how much money this will save us... can you say, college fund?)

Throughout Jack's short life I have been breastfeeding and I plan on continuing this once going back to work. I've already bought a pump and I am lucky that my work has a "Mom's Room" that I can reserve for pumping during the workday, with a fridge and lockers to store my stuff. Although I'm definitely not ashamed of breastfeeding or pumping for my son, I would feel slightly awkward lugging my pump back and forth around the office building! My main concern with trying to maintain breastfeeding is that my supply may not be able to keep up with my growing son's needs [in case I can not pump as often as he is eating], but I try to just focus on what I can do. Every blog/online article I read on working full-time and pumping says that even if you mix breast milk and formula its still a great thing for Baby. We shall see... hopefully we won't have to address supplementing with formula! That is my goal!

To make things more crazy in our life right now, we're also house-hunting! If you know me, I have moved quite a few times growing up and I truly feel it made me who I am today but I am eager to settle down for a little bit. (I have always told Matt that I am willing to move in the future.) We finally went out with the realtor last Thursday (things were a little crazy there for a while with a newborn). We saw 3 homes, one of which is a potential home for us! I keep having to remind myself that it's our first home, but I am so focused on future resale value, details, etc. The potential house is: 3 BR, 1 BA split level (built in the 70s) in a great school district and pretty good location for commuting. Positives: nice open kitchen, 2 living spaces (partially finished lower level), in a cul-de-sac, and HUGE lot (almost 1/2 acre) for in the suburbs. Downsides: no garage, only 1 bath, needs some minor cosmetic updating. All in all a good first time looking at homes, we're going out tomorrow to another area of town!