Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Pleasant Surprise

I have been getting to work every morning before 7:30 and have been leaving between 5:30 and 6. I am already breaking my leave at 5 rule and haven't had a lunch break in over a week. Today I didn't leave until after 6:30. Eleven hours of work is too much in one sitting. Uff. That's a story in and of itself for another day.

Miller has been eating and going down between 7 and 7:30 most nights so imagine my surprise, when I walked in the house at 7:20 tonight and he was wide awake! I came in with tears in my eyes expecting him to be sleeping and there he was, wild and smiley for me! His schedule was thrown off today at school. It was so nice to come home and hug him. I had a crappy day and am getting sick. I have a terrible sore throat and hope it doesn't morph into strep. I also hope I don't give anything back to Miller. I think he has officially gotten rid of that cold.

As a little tidbit...I stopped at a grocery store on my way home to pick up some beer. I figured I would give this store a chance since it was on my way home and was an easy in and out situation. Well, what a crock. I parked close but the beer was in the furthest corner of the store. Then when I checked out, I got carded. Normally I don't mind but this lady was snippy about it since I didn't have it out and waiting for her. Then after she rang it up, I questioned the price. I didn't have one of store's saver cards so I paid a $1.50 more. Not a big deal but it's the principal of the matter. Why can't stores just give us the advertised price without a coupon or saver card? Why can't cars be the price on the sticker. I just want straight forward billing people. My brain is fried and I can barely speak a coherent sentence. I know that's how you wear us down but watch out. One day when I win the lottery and am rich and not working, I am going to make your life hell.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Miller Scores Again

Miller scored again today. He got a new exercise/activity center. Talk about a spoiled baby. The first time we set him in it, he wasn't so sure about it and then started bawling when we played the musical part. These are the pictures from round two. Much happier. He quickly discovered how to make the little things move, make noise, and grab them.
Annie isn't so sure she likes Miller and his new toys. He moves more and is louder so she thinks she can play with him. He's still a little too small to handle the spotted monster. The one good thing she is good for is licking drool off of his face.
I couldn't resist posting this one. He's a preppy boy-initial embroidered polo with his golf shorts...too bad he dresses better than both Ryan and I. Can you believe he's already 4 months old!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Small Retail Therapy

The past week has been overwhelming (at work) so on Friday I declared this weekend a retail therapy weekend. Part of the reason was because earlier in the week I discovered my favorite pair of brown boots was missing part of the heel (I know, go to a shoe repair shop and spend $20 to get them fixed...) and I wore the heel off a pair of black sling backs (not out much there, they were Target specials 2 years ago). I headed to DSW for replacements but next door to that store is a Carter's store. Miller is who made out like a bandit! Everything was 50%-60% off that I bought and I even got a hoody and a onesie for $3.99 each! I think he came away with 10 new onesies, 4 pairs of mix and match pants to go with them, his first pair of jeans, the hoody, the onesie, 2 shirts with matching bib overalls, and a new pair of tennis shoes. If I could get that many outfits for $100 I would be in heaven! I decided I wasn't shopped out so I headed next door to Old Navy and got myself a tank and sweater. I don't like them that much but they were something to wear for work.

Tomorrow the whole darn family is going to take a trip to Target, Babies R Us, and possibly Baby Depot to look for an activity center. I personally think they are too goddy and have too much stuff going on. I want a smaller, scaled back version but not sure if I can find one. I may have to search the web first. I also started looking for a halloween costumer for Miller. I have one I think I will get if I don't find anything else. The harder person to buy for is me!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Feeling Better

I am starting to feel a little better in the boob department. Thanks for the support and tips. FYI, I think the hospital might have given me a card but down here, nothing was/is easy and I figured it out on my own. Not much you can do but suck it up.

Miller is feeling better. His nose was barely stuffy tonight. Glad we can check off the first cold and mark it as not too bad. I am dreading the first fever/flu.

As for other Miller related news...the cool news is he is 4 months old today! He's a talker and a sweet heart. The annoying news is I am still dealing with his birth certificate drama. The copy I ordered didn't have Ryan's full name on it so I spent some frustrating time on the phone back when I was on maternity leave. I jumped through those hoops and a week or two ago I received a cryptic letter stating my next steps. I read it and was confused so I asked my mom to read it, Ryan, and some people at work. We all left it with the interpretation I owed $49, a copy of my birth certificate, and a notarized document. Well, this ticked me off so I emailed the lady on the letter. She returned my call and explained I owed $20 and it was Ryan's birth certificate I needed with a copy of our marriage license. Hmm....none of that was in the letter. Now I know how the government makes money.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

TMI Post About Breast Feeding

The subject is a warning for those that don't want to hear about boobs that are about to explode. You have been warned there is probably too much information in this post.

As some have noted, I quit breastfeeding/pumping on Saturday. It has been a few days of mixed emotions and physical pain. I never planned on breastfeeding much after I returned to work. I had been weaning Miller and spreading out my pumping sessions so the transition was less painful on me. He's been eating half and half (formula and breastmilk) for a little over a month. He has always fed from a bottle so he didn't have much adjusting to do-thank god!

The decision to quit was semi-selfish. Heck, it was totally selfish. I am sick of pumping! It is very time consuming and hard to manage to do at work. I got sick of watching Ryan feed Miller and having to watch from the sidelines while I pumped. I also was sick of monitoring what I ate and drank. I wanted my Dt. Cokes and other aspartame loaded foods back.

Since I had known this was going to happen when I went back to work, I was surprised by how guilty I feel. I have a supply in the freezer that will get him through close to another month. By then, he should be mixing some rice cereal into his diet and shortly thereafter, introduced to baby food (solids). The sane part of me knows he received the good benefits of breastmilk when he needed it most. He is healthy. I shouldn't feel bad. The crazy part of me feels guilty that I should have stuck it out for another month or two. What kind of mom just quits producing food for her son because it is a pain in the ass? Obviously, a self absorbed person like me.

So, here's the TMI portion. Stopping pumping hurts. Labor makes you stronger but it is still uncomfortable. I feel like if you touch me, I will pop and actually would appreciate that release. My already gigantic boobs are even bigger. I have heard all the advice: cabbage leaves, ace bandages, small manual releases to relieve pressure, etc. If I were sitting at home all day, I would try all these but the reality is I have to work and suffer through this. I had hoped it would be a couple day adventure but nope, it supposedly lasts for close to a week or more. Nice.

Now after all this whining, I still think I would do this with kid number two. Pregnancy and motherhood truly mess with your brain. No sane person would consider this. The body is an amazing thing.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Washin' and Waterin' Weekend

Yesterday was a day for W's. I washed my car, watered my plants, and Miller watched. OK, so there was more 'work' done but that's all I could come up with this morning. Oh, and Ryan washed clothes. We are the poster child family for boring.

Although it was a beautiful day outside, we all took a nice nap yesterday afternoon. I thought I would take a cat nap and woke up 2 hours later! I guess you can say I was more tired than I thought.

The big news for me is I have decided to quit pumping. I had cut back drastically and figured I would give it a shot. I went 12 hour inbetween sessions yesterday and didn't produce much so today I am trying the cold turkey thing. So far, not too fun but not too unbearable (yet). There are a million articles online about breastfeeding and weaning your child but not much talks about good ol' mommy and the best approach. I have found that once the baby is born-no one cares about mom's health unless it directly relates to baby. The silver lining in this cloud is I can go back to drinking my favorite carbonated beverage-Dt. Coke! Aspartame...mmm...

I assumed Ryan would post about Miller's cold and give an update but he hasn't yet. The kid's still sniffly and snotty. He had a tantrum yesterday but I think it's because he needs to push out a poop. He poops at least once a day at daycare but yesterday was a no go. He's eating normal and doesn't have a fever. He was a smiley baby yesterday with a few bouts of crabbiness. I can't ask for much more out of him. Hopefully the cold lasts for a couple more days and that's that. (they usually last a week, right?)

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Carpool

This morning I decided to be a good citizen for about a half mile. I got in my car, backed out of the driveway and noticed a lizard trying to hitch a ride with me to work. He started on my dash and then quickly progressed to my door. I kept an eye on him and he kept an eye on me. At the first stop sign, I rolled down my window and encouraged him to take the bus. He needed a little coaxing but public transportation was right around the corner. He waved goodbye as I pushed him onto the street. I hope he caught his ride because I think he wasn't really headed the direction I was going.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Daycare Debacle

Yesterday I received the voicemail from Ryan that said, "Call me as soon as you get this." Ok, not the first time I have received that message but with Miller in daycare, it puts me on high alert.

Ryan starts out with, "Are you sitting down?" Again, not the first time I have heard this but panic starts to set in and the contemplation of oh, oh...is it a parent that's sick, did someone die, is Miller ok (not in any order because I think they all were simultaneous). Then he quickly followed up with "Miller's ok." Ok...deep breaths.

Ryan proceeded to tell me the daycare fed Miller someone else's food. My first thought on this was "gross," then "what's it mean?". Well, someone, somehow, managed to feed Miller about an ounce of someone else's breast milk. I am thinking, it's not that big of a deal. Ryan had called the pediatrician (who confirmed, not a big deal). Daycare is covering their butt and requesting medical records from the mom and child that the milk belonged to. As long as they come back with no communicable diseases, everything is fine. The pediatrician said it might give Miller the runs (which was good, he hadn't pooped in 2 days) and not to worry about it. So, after the call, I knew everything was ok but I had to take some serious deep breaths and fight back some emotional tears. I am a worrier by nature but I know I have to stay calm and level headed with Miller. I am glad I didn't jump to the worst case scenario (big steps for me!) but I am glad I had the emotions afterwards. I can't stand the thought of him being hurt or sick.

I am wondering how the mix up occurred. Everything is labeled with color coded stickers (the formula, the breast milk, the bottles, you name it). I noticed his bottles came home with new stickers and a new band all the way around the bottle with his name on it. Hopefully this doesn't occur again to anybody else.

Onto other items related to daycare. This weekend was dedicated to Miller time and I loved it. (I also have the sore arms to prove I did a lot of holding and carrying.) Not seeing much of him during the week makes our time together so much more meaningful. Tonight I had to stay at work late (I knew ahead of time), so Ryan tried to keep Miller up until I got home so I could see him. I spent maybe a half hour with him before he went to bed. This is the down side to daycare. My time in the evenings is so limited. It's almost impossible to cram everything in to the few hours before bedtime. I wish we had 4 day work weeks and 3 day weekends.

Despite the limited time each night and the debacle with his food, daycare is going much better than I thought. Miller has also helped me reprioritize the way I look at things. Family has always been important and so has work. I think I am finding a happy balance rather than extremes of one or the other. That's enough thinking for me tonight. Time to go do some of those things I need to cram in before bed and spend time with my dog and hubby (again, no particular order). ;)

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Date Night and Weekend Recap

The daycare we take Miller to does a "parent's night out" once a month if enough parents sign up. They extend daycare hours until 11pm for an additional fee. We decided to give it a try last Friday. Here's my take on it. It's a great idea but we didn't know until Friday if enough parents signed up. For this reason, we didn't make any true plans or reservations for dinner.

We decided to play it close to home and went to Sawgrass for dinner and a movie. Dinner was ok but it didn't agree with me. I started to feel queezy after dinner (Gameworks) but thought it was me being neurotic about leaving Miller at daycare after he had his polio vaccination that same day. We played a couple games and then headed over to the movie. We saw "Burn After Reading." I had to get up 3 times to use the bathroom (remember, queezy...). The movie wasn't that great but I assumed it was because I missed so much of it with my frequent bathroom breaks. Ryan agreed, not that great. On the way to pick up Miller, I said I needed to go home. I was definitely sick. Ryan brought me home and went to pick Miller up.

In summary, it was a long night that was far from enjoyable. Would I do "parent's night out" again? Yes, but I would hope we had better plans and I didn't get sick. Ryan did confirm the next morning he felt a little off too. Must have been something in the beer line or our food. We only had 2 drinks so I know it wasn't too much of that.

Now, onto the weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Sladky came for a visit. They picked a perfect weekend to come. Miller was a happy baby boy with lots of giggles and smiles. He discovered his feet and was working on rolling over. We even made a trip to the mall and he was super well behaved. Most of our time was spent playing with him or laughing at him.

I also made a couple signs for my parents to take to the MN Twins game next weekend. I haven't had to make a sign or be creative in years. It was kinda fun but wish I could have been a little more creative.

I should have worked this weekend to ease the pain for Monday through Friday but I didn't. Uff! It's going to be a LONG week.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

14 Week Check-up

Miller had his 14 week (3 month) check-up with the pediatrician. We are happy to report the stats:

Weight: 15 lbs 6 ozs
Height: 27.5 inches

He's growing like a weed. The doctor is great. In the few seconds it took her to walk in, sit down, and start talking to us, she explained he is developing a little ahead of schedule. He's sitting with a little assistance and holding his head up well. He does well on his tummy and is starting to wiggle. He's doing his drooling (no teeth yet!) and cooing. All of his measurements checked out and so did the physical exam. The best part about this doctor's office (other than being on time) is her amazing nurses. Miller had his polio shot yesterday and that nurse (granted it was the end of the day on Friday) was in, swabbed his leg, gave him a shot, and had the bandaid on before you could sneeze.

More to come in a separate post about our date night. I have to go be mom for a bit. Miller's up and talking.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Lullabies at 4 am?

Miller is working on rolling over and has always been quite the kicker. This morning, we were awaken to a lullaby at 4 am. Miller must have been fussing and kicking his legs because he hit his fish tank tv/lullaby thingy in his crib (which is above his bumper!). I rolled over and asked Ryan if he was up and started it and he said no, Miller did it. Now, with Ryan's past track record for sleep walking and talking, I had a minute where I thought he was lying but I know he didn't get up. It was Miller!

As for yesterday's post. I came home and forced myself to spend 2+ hours reading the worst business requirements documents and gap analysis you have ever read. I chewed off 4 fingernails and drank 3 glasses of wine. It was torture. All I have left to do tonight is email my questions and concerns to the business analyst. We have a huge pow wow tomorrow and I am still trying to catch up. Wish me luck. It could be painful tomorrow.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed is what I now feel at work. I could easily work all night and all weekend and still not be remotely close to being caught up. I am treading water and putting out fires. I miss working but had hoped things would be better or at least the same as when I left for maternity leave, not worse. I am short staffed and have been tasked with huge responsibilities. I logged on tonight to do a few things but after an hour (almost 2 hours) of work decided to pack it in and have a few beers.

Thank goodness I have Miller to come home to. Otherwise I would sleep at work and be unhappy. It is nice to come home to a smiling baby (most of the time, sometimes he's a cry baby). Don't get me wrong, I love to come home to my hubby and pets but Miller is such a new twist on happiness. I am so happy I have such a good family. I know that's a little sappy but man, I love them all.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Uncle Sean

Miller had his Uncle Sean visit him (all the way from California) this weekend. He was spoiled with words of wisdom and silly faces to make him laugh. He also learned how to bake baguettes (which were very tastey, I might add). It was a pretty relaxed weekend with the focus being on Miller.

I had bought a new toy for Miller thinking we would see some of Hurricane Ike. It's a pretty cool tummy time toy. Miller played with that and practiced blowing bubbles (aka spit). Yes, these are the exciting things our weekends now consist of. The little guy is starting to roll around in his crib too. Soon he will be rolling over and crawling. I am excited but not looking forward to chasing him for the next how many years?

Miller's new girlfriend, Rylee, was born this weekend. He's pretty excited to finally meet her. Maybe sometime after daycare this week he will make the trip down the road for a visit.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Physics

After I came home from the hospital, our sunpass disappeared. Ryan and I tried to remember which vehicle we used it in last, where we were headed, etc. No love. The darn thing just disappeared and was no where to be found. Ryan claimed he searched my car from top to bottom and I also looked in all possible places. On Monday, I opened my passenger door to put my laptop, lunch box, pump, and purse in (I know, I should really put them in the trunk when I drive but that's another story) for my drive to work. As I opened the door, I noticed what looked like...could it be...yes it is...my sunpass! I don't know how it physically could have landed in the spot that it was in beneath my passenger seat because it took a lot of work for me to dislodge the darn thing. Have you ever wondered how things seem to slip into a place with the slightest effort but are virtually impossible to remove? You would assume that it would have taken some force to fall from the windshield and work it's way into the opening under my seat, and remain there through several searches and seat adjustments. I chock this up to some amazing physics.

Monday, September 01, 2008

What to Blog About?

I was going to blog about the labor day party we attended, but Jess beat me to that (plus she had pictures). Then I thought about blogging about our boring Sunday but that wouldn't be interesting. Then I thought about blogging about my horrible Target experience but that seemed kinda like a bummer post. So, I think I am blogging about trying to figure out what to blog about.

Some days, I have great thoughts that I think would make a good blog topic. Then, when I finally have the time to blog, I have forgotten the topic or it is out dated and no longer relevant. I could blog about Miller but right now, he's not doing much for news. I always have chores that I complete but none were out of the ordinary this weekend so they don't make for a very good topic either. Exercise has gone to the way side although I really do want to get into a routine.

I guess the biggest news I have is that we survived the first week of daycare. Miller did well and so did I. It is weird to have a routine that now includes washing bottles, prepping food for the next day, and packing his things for "school." I wish I was that organized with my own lunch and bags for work! Hopefully I will figure out a way to squeeze some "me" time into our daily routine. I feel like I rush to get home to spend some quality time with Miller but it is so short. Oh well, at least I am working more human hours.

This was definitely a boring post.