The week started off rough, but got a lot better. My Monday meeting at the Navy base in Bremerton was awful. I was already exhausted when I got there, after lugging two laptops, a projector, several binders, my breast pump, and purse all the way over there. I had to pump on the ferry, which is quite a feat when there's nowhere to set anything and the water is choppy. It's amazing - now that I'm a mom I seem to have grown extra arms and cloned myself - there's no way I would have been able to handle as much as I do now before I had Brenden.
Anyway, two hours into the meeting my laptop crashed and the file disappeared completely, so my notes were totally gone. Then we took a short break for lunch, which meant I had to run to the bathroom and pump. Then I ran to McDonald's on the base, and ended up eating in my car because the Navy guys were staring me down. I don't know how the women on the base survive - it's incredibly intimidating. They kept trying to make eye contact with me, so I stared at the floor until my food was ready. There was only one other woman in the restaurant, and I applaud her for being able to stand it - I couldn't!
The rest of the week got progressively better. I'm finally getting things organized at work. The girl who filled in for me did a great job, but she didn't have time to keep up with my tracking spreadsheets and filing system. Being disorganized makes me nuts! I also started a "to-do" calendar for our move, which makes it so much more manageable. It doesn't seem nearly as daunting when I give myself one thing to do each day. Today I booked the movers, so that's all set!
Brenden has been a bit cranky this week, but he also had two amazing firsts - his first time sleeping through the night, and his first real laugh. Both happened on Tuesday. His laughs were the best sound in the world. He thought it was hilarious that I was pretending to snore. I was laughing and crying at the same time - just an amazing moment. Adam grabbed the video camera but Brenden had stopped by then. But I'm posting the video anyway, since he does a few cute smiles.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
4 lbs to go!
I am excited to report that I only have 4 more pounds to lose to get to my pre-pregnancy weight. I've lost 5 since I went back to work, which surprised me. I thought for sure I'd gain weight since I love to run out for a chocolate bar when work gets stressful.
And "stressful" it has been. It's been tough trying to catch up on what happened on projects over the past few months while keeping up with what's happening now. The next couple of weeks are going to be tough, no doubt about it. Next week I have two long meetings on the Bremerton navy base, which means leaving at the crack of dawn for the 2 hour trip there, taking notes and running a presentation for hours, then making the 2 hour trip back. PLUS I have to figure out when/where to pump and store breastmilk during that time. I went out to Bremerton on Friday to renew my access badge, and I figured I'd just pump in the bathroom on the ferry (it's an hour ferry ride from downtown Seattle). But I was HORRIFIED when I saw the bathroom stalls, so I ended up pumping at the bathroom sinks, which were somewhat cleaner. Luckily no one came in the whole time, because that would have been a little awkward.
The week after that we have a huge submittal going out, which is always a nightmare. It might sound like I don't like my job, but really I do. It's just hard right now while I'm still adjusting and things are so crazy. Sometimes I feel a hint of my old self, getting into the groove of things, and sometimes I resent being at work. The other day I thought I was going to cry if one more person stepped foot in my cubicle to ask me for something.
Things are also busy at home. We're all set to move at the end of September! It's exciting but stressful.
Brenden is growing and learning fast! He's showing interest in toys and books. He loves to smile and talk to the hanging toys on his bouncer. Just last night he realized he can touch the toys. His hand accidentally hit the hanging turtle, and after that he kept moving his hand back and forth to touch it over and over again, looking amazed the whole time. He's also fascinated by his hands. He loves to stare at them and suck on them. This morning he seemed to realize for the first time that Mommy has hands too. He grabbed my pinky finger in his fist and stared at it, then put my knuckle in his mouth. He made a face; I guess Mom's hands don't taste as good.
It's so much fun watching Brenden discover the world. He's learning and doing things right on schedule with other babies, but it seems so special. It doesn't matter that it's been done billions of times before.
And "stressful" it has been. It's been tough trying to catch up on what happened on projects over the past few months while keeping up with what's happening now. The next couple of weeks are going to be tough, no doubt about it. Next week I have two long meetings on the Bremerton navy base, which means leaving at the crack of dawn for the 2 hour trip there, taking notes and running a presentation for hours, then making the 2 hour trip back. PLUS I have to figure out when/where to pump and store breastmilk during that time. I went out to Bremerton on Friday to renew my access badge, and I figured I'd just pump in the bathroom on the ferry (it's an hour ferry ride from downtown Seattle). But I was HORRIFIED when I saw the bathroom stalls, so I ended up pumping at the bathroom sinks, which were somewhat cleaner. Luckily no one came in the whole time, because that would have been a little awkward.
The week after that we have a huge submittal going out, which is always a nightmare. It might sound like I don't like my job, but really I do. It's just hard right now while I'm still adjusting and things are so crazy. Sometimes I feel a hint of my old self, getting into the groove of things, and sometimes I resent being at work. The other day I thought I was going to cry if one more person stepped foot in my cubicle to ask me for something.
Things are also busy at home. We're all set to move at the end of September! It's exciting but stressful.
Brenden is growing and learning fast! He's showing interest in toys and books. He loves to smile and talk to the hanging toys on his bouncer. Just last night he realized he can touch the toys. His hand accidentally hit the hanging turtle, and after that he kept moving his hand back and forth to touch it over and over again, looking amazed the whole time. He's also fascinated by his hands. He loves to stare at them and suck on them. This morning he seemed to realize for the first time that Mommy has hands too. He grabbed my pinky finger in his fist and stared at it, then put my knuckle in his mouth. He made a face; I guess Mom's hands don't taste as good.
It's so much fun watching Brenden discover the world. He's learning and doing things right on schedule with other babies, but it seems so special. It doesn't matter that it's been done billions of times before.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
A New Home for Mr. Slick
I tried a home remedy for cradle cap that I read in a book, and it did not go so well. The book said to rub petroleum jelly in Brenden's hair and then shampoo it out. It sounded simple enough. But the Vaseline was too thick to spread easily, so I ended up using a ton of it. You probably know where this is going... after 3 shampoos, his hair was still super slick, so slick you almost couldn't touch his head because it would slip right out of your hand. Poor Brenden went a whole day with greasy slicked back hair. I shampooed it another couple of times last night, and most of the Vaseline is gone, along with the flakes. So it worked eventually.
We found a great new place to live, so as long as we can get out of our lease, we're good to go. I'm holding off on getting too excited until we talk to our landlord tomorrow. I mentioned it to him on the phone this evening, and he said it's a real pain to find new renters, but he understands that the house has had problems and Brenden is our first priority. He's coming over tomorrow to talk about the lease.
The new place is actually at the apartment complex where we lived before we moved here. We really liked living there, and they have a great 2 bedroom available at the end of September. There are so many things that will be better about living there - the only drawbacks are lack of privacy and leaving the cute neighborhood we're in now. My commute would be cut in half, we'd have a bigger kitchen with actual cabinet space, a dishwasher, garbage disposal, newer appliances, more space, 2 bathrooms... and oh yeah, no roof leaks or rats. And it will stay nice and warm in the winter. We'd have moving expenses, but they're offering half off of November rent, so that would help. But I better not think about it too much in case the landlord gives us a hard time with the lease.
We found a great new place to live, so as long as we can get out of our lease, we're good to go. I'm holding off on getting too excited until we talk to our landlord tomorrow. I mentioned it to him on the phone this evening, and he said it's a real pain to find new renters, but he understands that the house has had problems and Brenden is our first priority. He's coming over tomorrow to talk about the lease.
The new place is actually at the apartment complex where we lived before we moved here. We really liked living there, and they have a great 2 bedroom available at the end of September. There are so many things that will be better about living there - the only drawbacks are lack of privacy and leaving the cute neighborhood we're in now. My commute would be cut in half, we'd have a bigger kitchen with actual cabinet space, a dishwasher, garbage disposal, newer appliances, more space, 2 bathrooms... and oh yeah, no roof leaks or rats. And it will stay nice and warm in the winter. We'd have moving expenses, but they're offering half off of November rent, so that would help. But I better not think about it too much in case the landlord gives us a hard time with the lease.
Monday, August 10, 2009
First Day
My first day at work was terrible. I cried so much I have a headache. Thankfully it wasn't from guilt, because I know Brenden was perfectly happy at home with Adam. It was just a huge change, which I always struggle with. I know it will be fine once I get into the swing of things. I'm going to stay at 30 hours until I feel better, or until we can't afford it!
The apartment we looked at Saturday was a bust. It was ok for the special they were running, but the rent would jump way up after a year, and we don't want to move again that soon. We're going to look at another place tomorrow, but I'm not real hopeful about it. Our landlord seems to be trying a little harder with the maintenance issues, so we'll see what happens.
On a lighter note, Brenden did the funniest thing on Sunday. When I got out of the shower Adam was holding Brenden on his lap, and Brenden had his hand resting on the tv remote. I asked him what he was watching, and when I turned to the tv I saw that it was some movie on Encore, and a girl was lying next to a lake getting some sun on her behind! Adam and I cracked up, which made Brenden break out into a huge grin. What a stinker!
The apartment we looked at Saturday was a bust. It was ok for the special they were running, but the rent would jump way up after a year, and we don't want to move again that soon. We're going to look at another place tomorrow, but I'm not real hopeful about it. Our landlord seems to be trying a little harder with the maintenance issues, so we'll see what happens.
On a lighter note, Brenden did the funniest thing on Sunday. When I got out of the shower Adam was holding Brenden on his lap, and Brenden had his hand resting on the tv remote. I asked him what he was watching, and when I turned to the tv I saw that it was some movie on Encore, and a girl was lying next to a lake getting some sun on her behind! Adam and I cracked up, which made Brenden break out into a huge grin. What a stinker!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Last Week of Leave
I'm headed back to work on Monday, and we had a busy last week of maternity leave. Adam is off work now too, so we took Brenden to the Seattle Aquarium. He looked interested in the pretty fish until he was exhausted by all the commotion and konked out. He can nap through anything when he's in his Snugli. It was a fun family outing, and we're looking forward to when Brenden can get excited about our trips out.
Here's one of him actually awake. We officially retired his 0-3 month clothes and discovered that he has enough 3-6 mo clothes for 3 babies. It's fun to dress him up!
Today we're having breakfast with my friend Julie and going to look at an apartment this afternoon. It looks perfect online - MUCH nicer with a shorter commute. We'll see what we think when we see it in person. If we love it as much as I think we will, we're going to talk to our landlord about getting out of our lease. I think it's only right. We've always paid our rent early and actually improved the house. And we just don't feel right about having Brenden in a house that's so rickety and poorly maintained. The roof leaks often, which hasn't been a problem lately since it's barely rained in 3 months, but the landlord refuses to come out and repair it until the rain stops, which can be weeks in Seattle. That's just not acceptable for our baby. And "repairing" it means his brother comes out with a bucket of tar and paints over the spot he thinks is leaking. I won't even get into the rat situation. This house is a nightmare and I'm going to freak out if he won't let us out of the lease!
Here's another recent photo I love. Brenden does the cutest things with his little hands:
Here's one of him actually awake. We officially retired his 0-3 month clothes and discovered that he has enough 3-6 mo clothes for 3 babies. It's fun to dress him up!
Yesterday we went to Tami's house for a playdate with Paityn. This was the first time the babies seemed to notice each other at all. They had fun hitting each other (on accident of course!) Brenden had a diaper blowout while we were there, and as I carried him to Paityn's changing table, I told Tami, "Don't worry, he hasn't peed during a diaper change since he was 2 weeks old." I shouldn't have said that. While I was trying to clean up the blowout, he peed all over himself, but mostly in his eyes!! Here's a photo of him and Paityn before the mayhem:
Today we're having breakfast with my friend Julie and going to look at an apartment this afternoon. It looks perfect online - MUCH nicer with a shorter commute. We'll see what we think when we see it in person. If we love it as much as I think we will, we're going to talk to our landlord about getting out of our lease. I think it's only right. We've always paid our rent early and actually improved the house. And we just don't feel right about having Brenden in a house that's so rickety and poorly maintained. The roof leaks often, which hasn't been a problem lately since it's barely rained in 3 months, but the landlord refuses to come out and repair it until the rain stops, which can be weeks in Seattle. That's just not acceptable for our baby. And "repairing" it means his brother comes out with a bucket of tar and paints over the spot he thinks is leaking. I won't even get into the rat situation. This house is a nightmare and I'm going to freak out if he won't let us out of the lease! Sunday, August 2, 2009
2 Months Old
Cooling off in the bath
Sleeping like a frog on DaddyBrenden is 2 months old today! He now weighs 14 lbs, 12 oz, which puts him in the 97% percentile!
We survived the heat, and it's now cooling off. It reached 104 on Wednesday, so I tried taking Brenden to the movies. Big mistake. Brenden was asleep when we got to the theatre, so I found a good seat where I could sit next to his stroller. He was still napping away as I unloaded everything we would need for the next 2 hours. I sat down, breathed a sigh of relief at being in the cool theatre, and then the previews started. The first preview must have been for a suspenseful thriller, because each ear-rattling boom was followed by nerve-wracking, foreboding music. It freaked me out a little bit, and Brenden snapped awake, eyes big as saucers. I immediately jumped up and started frantically throwing things back in the stroller. He was so terrified, I felt awful. He started crying as I raced out of the theatre.
Luckily I got a refund, but then we were stuck going back to the mall. I was sick of the place, and this time it was totally packed. We had to wait in line to use a changing table, and later in the afternoon I couldn't find anywhere to sit down to nurse. There were families everywhere, kids sprawled out on the floor playing cards. Thursday was supposed to be almost as bad, so on my way to pick Adam up from work I stopped in a Best Western to see about getting a room. The lobby was packed with people on edge from the heat. It was chaotic, and when I went to approach the desk a man jumped in front of me and said, "I was next." I think he was actually there first, but I was surprised that he jumped in front of me and Brenden. Usually people have been really friendly and helpful both when I was pregnant and when I have Brenden, but I guess he'd had enough of the heat too. Thankfully when we got up to the desk we got the very last room.
The hotel was wonderful. After Adam went to work on Thursday Brenden and I spent all day in the room with the drapes closed and the AC cranking. After such exhausting, hot days, it was great to nap all day in a place that was cool, dark, and quiet. We slept so well that I had a crazy nightmare Thursday night. My hand touched Adam's leg in the middle of the night, and for some reason I thought it was Brenden under the covers. (I am really paranoid about Brenden's face being covered.) Still half asleep, I sat up and started ripping at the covers. When I finally got my hands under the covers, I tried to lift "Brenden," but Adam's leg weighs a little more than 14 lbs, so I really started to panic. It was like one of those nightmares where your feet are like lead and you can't run from the monster. At that point Adam woke up and asked what I was doing, and I finally woke up and realized Brenden was sleeping soundly in his bassinet. Adam thought it was hilarious that I was trying to lift his leg like a baby.
We're supposed to be back in the 70's this week! Adam and I are both off this week, and then next week I'm headed back to work. The pediatrician made me feel guilty about going back to work. I feel a little guilty myself, but I'm trying to have a positive attitude about it. We're doing what works for our family, and I'm focusing on quality over quantity in terms of time I spend with Brenden. He'll have plenty of love and attention from both of us. Plus we found a bottle that he'll take from Adam, so now I don't have to worry about him going on a hunger strike.
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