Ugh, it's so hot here. It was literally 100 degrees today. I went to a couple of stores in search of a window air conditioner, but every store in the area is completely out of fans and AC.
Since our house was an oven, Brenden and I spent all day out. First I had an appointment with a dermatologist to get help for my acne. It really flared up during my pregnancy and hasn't gotten much better since Brenden was born. I remember when I was a pizza-faced preteen and people used to promise me it would get better in a few years. I'm 28, and I'm still waiting.
We spent about 4 hours at the mall again. It was tiring to pace up and down the mall (if I stand still too long Brenden starts kicking me like I'm his horse.) We spent some time in the Nordstrom Lounge, our new home away from home. I'll have to actually buy something there someday.
When Adam got off work we went out to eat, and Brenden was perfect all through dinner. He finally broke down from exhaustion when we tried to go to the bookstore (for some reason he can't stand bookstores or libraries). So we came home to our 90-degree house, and Brenden and I took a cool bath. I swear we sizzled when we got into the water.
It's supposed to be boiling hot for several more days. I'm already exhausted because Brenden isn't sleeping well in this heat and there's no rest for me during the day either. But after another day of this I'll be too tired to care that my beautiful dahlias I just planted are toast.
To look on the bright side, I'm thankful there are places we can go to cool off, and that we have a car with AC. Someday the rain will return, which sounds like the most amazing thing in the world right now.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Burning Up!
Whew, it's hot here in Seattle. We're having a heat wave with 90-degree temperatures, which is uncomfortable without air conditioning. For those of you who aren't Seattleites, believe it or not, most people here don't have AC.
On Friday morning Brenden and I met up with Tami and baby Paityn for a 6-mile walk around a lake. We had a great time - I have never appreciated my "girl" time so much, now that I'm outnumbered at home for the first time in my life. On Saturday afternoon I walked to downtown Edmonds for a haircut, which was fun until Adam started texting and calling me to hurry home. It was not fun to hear Brenden crying in the background, refusing to take a bottle. I felt bad for him, and I was bummed because I was hoping for a few extra minutes to check out the farmer's market and pick up some take-out at the Thai restaurant. I LOVE Thai food, but I haven't had it in weeks and I'm going through withdrawal. I need to open my own Thai restaurant with a drive-thru window for all of the desperate moms out there.
Brenden has been a little fussier the past few days, maybe because of the heat, and then he didn't sleep very well last night. I was up with him at 6 am, watching him straining to poop, and missing those weekend mornings when I would sleep in for 11 hours. I had one of my "moments" when being a mom is overwhelming. Usually I love being a mom, but now and then I get cranky and frustrated. I can't believe I used to have entire weekends to do whatever I wanted! Adam and I didn't have to schedule showers, and we could just jump in the car without packing up half the nursery!
Today we went to the mall to escape the heat, and I chatted with a brand-new mom in the Nordstrom lounge while nursing Brenden. Her baby boy was only 2 weeks old, and it was funny to feel like the experienced mom.
I'm dreading going back to work less and less. I have two weeks of leave left, and I think by then I'll be ready. It will be tough, but I'm looking forward to socializing and being able to eat a meal with two hands! There are lots of good lunch places by our office, including a great Thai restaurant. I'm trying to work it out so I can work 6-hour days for the first couple of weeks to make the transition easier. Other than the bottle-feeding issue, Brenden and his dad do great together. Sometimes when Brenden is having a meltdown because he doesn't want to sleep, Adam will take him and he'll calm right down.
On Friday morning Brenden and I met up with Tami and baby Paityn for a 6-mile walk around a lake. We had a great time - I have never appreciated my "girl" time so much, now that I'm outnumbered at home for the first time in my life. On Saturday afternoon I walked to downtown Edmonds for a haircut, which was fun until Adam started texting and calling me to hurry home. It was not fun to hear Brenden crying in the background, refusing to take a bottle. I felt bad for him, and I was bummed because I was hoping for a few extra minutes to check out the farmer's market and pick up some take-out at the Thai restaurant. I LOVE Thai food, but I haven't had it in weeks and I'm going through withdrawal. I need to open my own Thai restaurant with a drive-thru window for all of the desperate moms out there.
Brenden has been a little fussier the past few days, maybe because of the heat, and then he didn't sleep very well last night. I was up with him at 6 am, watching him straining to poop, and missing those weekend mornings when I would sleep in for 11 hours. I had one of my "moments" when being a mom is overwhelming. Usually I love being a mom, but now and then I get cranky and frustrated. I can't believe I used to have entire weekends to do whatever I wanted! Adam and I didn't have to schedule showers, and we could just jump in the car without packing up half the nursery!
Today we went to the mall to escape the heat, and I chatted with a brand-new mom in the Nordstrom lounge while nursing Brenden. Her baby boy was only 2 weeks old, and it was funny to feel like the experienced mom.
I'm dreading going back to work less and less. I have two weeks of leave left, and I think by then I'll be ready. It will be tough, but I'm looking forward to socializing and being able to eat a meal with two hands! There are lots of good lunch places by our office, including a great Thai restaurant. I'm trying to work it out so I can work 6-hour days for the first couple of weeks to make the transition easier. Other than the bottle-feeding issue, Brenden and his dad do great together. Sometimes when Brenden is having a meltdown because he doesn't want to sleep, Adam will take him and he'll calm right down.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Meltdown
Brenden had a major meltdown today. He was happy all morning until we went to my company picnic. It was loud, hot, and bright in the sun, so even though we only stayed a few minutes, Brenden was angry on the car ride home. Adam and I were bummed out too because the food was all gone by the time we got there, so we were both starving. Brenden cried so hard he had tears running down his beet red face, and he was inconsolable. But as soon as we got home, we got him out of his sweaty outfit and wet diaper, and after a marathon nursing session he passed out.
On a happier note, I was surprised with a big bonus. I didn't expect to get one since I'm on maternity leave. To celebrate I'm going to take an extra week off (I hadn't given my boss a firm return date yet, so I'll see if I can arrange it for August 12.) We're also going to buy a few things we need for the house. I am nervous about going back to work. It was overwhelming being around so many of my co-workers and their families just for a few minutes today. I feel a bit out of the loop, and I feel a little sick to my stomach when I think about not being with Brenden 24/7. I know he'll be fine at home with his Daddy, but I'll probably be an emotional wreck. It will be a tough adjustment, but I'm trying not to focus on that too much right now - I still have almost a month!
On a happier note, I was surprised with a big bonus. I didn't expect to get one since I'm on maternity leave. To celebrate I'm going to take an extra week off (I hadn't given my boss a firm return date yet, so I'll see if I can arrange it for August 12.) We're also going to buy a few things we need for the house. I am nervous about going back to work. It was overwhelming being around so many of my co-workers and their families just for a few minutes today. I feel a bit out of the loop, and I feel a little sick to my stomach when I think about not being with Brenden 24/7. I know he'll be fine at home with his Daddy, but I'll probably be an emotional wreck. It will be a tough adjustment, but I'm trying not to focus on that too much right now - I still have almost a month!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
28 Feels Great!
Today has been the best birthday yet. I got to spend most of the day with my boys. It started out a little rough, with lots of spit-up and dirty diapers. I suspect Brenden is allergic to soy, which I've been drinking to replace the cow's milk we already know he's allergic to. He was too busy grunting and fussing to sleep this morning, so I thought we might have to cancel our lunch plans with Daddy. But he konked out right before Adam got home, and stayed asleep through most of our lunch at Red Lobster. We figured lunch was safer than dinner so there would be less noise and it wouldn't be so crowded that breastfeeding would be awkward. Here are some photos from our nice lunch:
Brenden hates his car seat, so he was a bit cranky by the time we got home. Here's a picture of the mad face he makes right before he starts fussing at us to get him out:
After lunch Adam stayed home with Brenden so I could make a quick trip to the drugstore. While I was gone they got in a nice nap in the recliner:
I just can't get over how lucky we are. Being a mom is exhausting and scary and sometimes I think I'll go crazy if I have to spend another day with frizzy air-dried hair because I can't find time to blow-dry it. But I have never felt better, flabby stomach, stretch marks, and all.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Ahhhh....
Yesterday was a great day. Brenden slept for 6 hours straight the night before, and then I went for a massage for my birthday. I even snuck into a cute consignment shop for a few minutes. Although I can fit into a lot of my old clothes, I'm planning to update my wardrobe. Everything I have is so old and a lot of it is from the juniors section. Now that I'm a mom I'm ready to dress like a grownup.
Friday was also an unexpectedly fun day. I woke up that morning with a strange rash on my left arm, so I made a drs appointment in case it turned out to be something contagious. The doctor scared me at first - as soon as I showed her my arm she told me to change into a gown so she could check me all over, and said she was going to order stat bloodwork and have another doctor look at me too. She thought it might be something scary that starts with a "p," and she said it would affect my platelet count. But long story short, they figured out that the rash, which wasn't raised and didn't itch, was actually burst capillaries from holding Brenden's big head on my arm! He cried and resisted sleep for 3 hours the night before, so I spent a lot of time holding and rocking him.
Since we were downtown at the doctor's office, I took Brenden in to my office to show him off. He slept the whole time and it was really nice to see everyone and talk to some grownups. I'm somewhat looking forward to going back to work. I would prefer to have a little bit longer with him before I go back, but I know I would go crazy if I stayed home long-term.
The bottle feeding is getting a little bit better. I think Brenden has realized that the bottle isn't going to bite him, at least.
Friday was also an unexpectedly fun day. I woke up that morning with a strange rash on my left arm, so I made a drs appointment in case it turned out to be something contagious. The doctor scared me at first - as soon as I showed her my arm she told me to change into a gown so she could check me all over, and said she was going to order stat bloodwork and have another doctor look at me too. She thought it might be something scary that starts with a "p," and she said it would affect my platelet count. But long story short, they figured out that the rash, which wasn't raised and didn't itch, was actually burst capillaries from holding Brenden's big head on my arm! He cried and resisted sleep for 3 hours the night before, so I spent a lot of time holding and rocking him.
Since we were downtown at the doctor's office, I took Brenden in to my office to show him off. He slept the whole time and it was really nice to see everyone and talk to some grownups. I'm somewhat looking forward to going back to work. I would prefer to have a little bit longer with him before I go back, but I know I would go crazy if I stayed home long-term.
The bottle feeding is getting a little bit better. I think Brenden has realized that the bottle isn't going to bite him, at least.
Monday, July 6, 2009
One Month Old!
"Call me."Brenden is one month old and already weighs 12 lbs, 8 oz! He is starting to interact with us more. Daddy got his first smile yesterday, and I got mine this morning. He does the funniest little expressions and sounds.
Our latest challenge is bottle feeding. He looks absolutely disgusted when we put the nipple is his mouth, which is followed by an ear-splitting wail. He'll take the bottle eventually, but it's a long, loud battle of wills. I hate to see him cry, but we have to get him used to it for when I go back to work.
Life is starting to feel more normal. I still have moments when I play the "how much would I pay for a night of uninterrupted sleep" game, but mostly it's all manageable. Even the other day when Brenden thought it was funny to see how many eardrums he could burst at the bookstore, I felt so lucky even though people were glaring at us. Last November I was standing in that same store, trying to pass the time on one of those excruciating days when we thought our baby might have a chromosomal defect. Maybe that experience was a blessing in disguise, so we won't forget how lucky we are.
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